SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 21
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (vs. 1-11)
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples to go to the village and bring him a donkey with her colt. So they brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who come sin the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (v. 9). The whole city asked: “Who is this?” and the crowds answered: “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (v. 11)
JESUS AT THE TEMPLE (vs. 12-17)
When Jesus entered the temple area, he drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. He said to them: “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” (v. 13). When the blind and the lame came to Him, He healed them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were indignant upon seeing the healing and hearing the children shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David”. The Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany.
THE FIG TREE WITHERS (vs. 18-22)
While Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. He saw a tree by the road and found no fruits except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” (v. 19), the tree withered immediately. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed why the fig tree wither so quickly. Jesus replied: “If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (v. 21-22)
THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS QUESTIONED (vs. 23-27)
While in the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people were questioning the authority of Jesus. Jesus responded: “If you answer me this question, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism, where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from men?” (v. 24-25). They were not able to answer him because if they say from heaven, then why they did not believe him. But if they say from men, they were afraid of the people because all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus: “We don’t know.” Then Jesus said: “Neither will I tell you by what authority i am doing these things.” (v. 27)
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS (vs. 28-32)
A man has two sons. He asked the first son to go and work in the vineyard. At first, the son refused but later he changed his mind and went to work. Then the father went to the other son to do the same thing. The son agreed but he did not go. Then Jesus told told: “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believer him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” (vs. 31-32)
THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS (vs. 33-46)
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned a third. Then he sent more servants to them and the tenants treated them the same way. Finally, he sent his own son believing that they will respect his son. But when the tenants saw the son, they killed him because he was the heir of the inheritance. When the owner of the vineyard comes, he brought those wretches to a wretched end and rent the vineyard to other tenants. Jesus said: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (v. 42) “Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed” (vs. 43-44)
THOUGHTS:
The triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey’s colt affirmed his Messianic royalty as well as his humility. It also recorded that Jesus’ glory was recognized on earth. The people joined him saying “Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is he who comes to the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (v. 9). But later, the same people bowed to political pressure and deserted Him in just a few days. As we celebrate Palm Sunday, let us remind ourselves to guard against superficial acclaim for Christ.
Jesus cleared the Temple because merchants and money changers had set up their booths in the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple. The merchants sold sacrificial animals at high prices. The money changers exchanged all international currency for the special Temple coins and deceived the foreigners of the exchange rates. Jesus was angry. He drove them away because they were interfering the worshiping of God.
Jesus cursed the fig tree to show his anger on a religion without substance. The fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination. Likewise, the Temple looked impressive at first glance, but their sacrifices and activities were not done to worship God sincerely. Similarly, if you appear to have faith without work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s kingdom.
The Pharisees demanded to know where Jesus got his authority. But their motives were to trap him. So Jesus responded with a question which was very difficult for them to answer.
The son said he would obey and then did not represented the people of Israel in Jesus’ day. They said they wanted to do God’s will but they constantly disobeyed. It is dangerous to pretend to obey God when our heart is far from him because God knows our true intentions. Our actions must match with our words.
The parable of the tenants represents:
- The landowner – God
- The vineyard – Israel
- The tenant farmers – the Jewish religious leaders
- The landowner’s servants – the prophets and the priests who remained faithful to God that preached in Israel
- the son – Jesus
- The other tenants – the Gentiles.
Jesus was exposing the murderous plot of the religious leaders.
Jesus refers himself as “the stone rejected by the builders”. But he will become the cornerstone of his new building, the Church.