Matthew, Chapter 21

Matt. 21:17-22 

            Matt. 21:17 "And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

            Throughout the four gospels we are given little glimpses of the Lord's humanity.  We are told that he hungered, and that slept, and he rested, and he thirsted, and he wept.  He showed the emotions and frailties of a man, yet without sin.  The scriptures teach us that he was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  He can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities.

            In his hunger, the Lord saw a fig tree and it had no fruit thereon, only leaves.  The Lord then cursed the fig tree saying, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever."  Very shortly thereafter, the fig tree withered away.  This fig tree was somewhat like the nation of Israel under the law.  While the Lord was among the nation of Israel and doing great and marvelous deeds in their sight, they repented not to give God the glory and to bring forth fruits of righteousness.  There was a form of righteousness in the outward ceremony of the law, but no inward fruits of righteousness.  Just as the fig tree had leaves (outward form of righteousness) and had no fruit (inward fruits of righteousness), so the Jews had the ceremonial law, but as a nation did nothing to bring forth the inward fruits of the law.  As we will see in Matthew 24 and elsewhere, the Lord cursed Israel to destruction and to never again be the custodians of the law. 

            "And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

            There are two great errors that people often make when they read this passage of scripture.  Some think that if you have enough faith that you can have whatever your flesh lust after.  Others discount the association of faith and prayer altogether. 

            Let there be no doubt there is an association between prayer and faith.  James tells us in James 4: "Ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."  Sometimes we do not have things that would be good for us and good for the cause of Christ, simply because we do not ask for them.  Other times we ask for things and receive them not, because we are asking to satisfy our fleshly lust. 

            Often there is a misunderstanding of what faith is.  It is not a nebulous thing that we can conjure up in order to get our way about something or to obtain whatever we lust after.  Faith has an object.  That object is the Lord and his word.  When God has promised us something, we connect to it by faith.  In other words, faith is believing the promises and word of God.  A person must be born of the Spirit in order to have faith for faith is a fruit of the Spirit.  Thus, a person cannot have faith in order to be born of the Spirit, because faith is a fruit of the Spirit.  Before he is born of the Spirit, he has no faith. 

            A person that has not been born of the Spirit does not have a desire to pray and further more has no ability to believe. 

            Only God's born again children can pray and believe. 

            Can I pray for a million dollars and have it because I believe I will get it?  The answer is no, because to pray for a million dollars is to pray for something that I would consume upon my lust.  Can I pray that someone be born of the Spirit and if I believe it strong enough it will happen when I want it to happen?  No, because God has not promised in his word that we can cause someone to be born of the Spirit or control the time that the elect are born of the Spirit. 

            Can I pray for wisdom and believing receive it?  Yes, because God has promised to give us wisdom if we pray for it believing:  James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." 

            There are several things to pray for that God has taught us in his word he will give us when we pray.  Praying for those things and believing we will receive them.  For instance, God has taught us to pray that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.  He also has taught us to pray that he will open doors of utterance.  He has also taught us to pray that he will provide our daily needs, both naturally and spiritually. 

            Some things we are to pray for and say, "Thy will be done."  God has not taught us that we will always have perfect health or that our loved ones or we will be healed from all diseases and infirmities.  In these things, we should pray recognizing that God is able, but that he also is sovereign and say "Thy will be done." 

Matt. 21:23-27 

            Matt. 21:23 "And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

            The chief priests and the elders of the people were not truly interested in whether Jesus got his authority from God or not, but rather were interested in finding something whereby they could accuse Jesus. 

            The question about where did Jesus get his authority is laughable.  Nicodemus recognized, "no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."  Jesus was raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out devils, causing the blind to see, causing the lame to walk, causing the deaf to hear, causing the dumb to speak, healing leprosy and healing all manner of diseases.  There had to be a power greater than man causing these things to happen.  Only God had the power to bring these things to pass.  Thus, the question about Jesus' authority was asked in an effort to try to find something by which they could accuse Jesus. 

            The Lord's answer to the question of the chief priests and elders of the people demonstrated the wicked intent of the chief priests and elders.  It also demonstrated the wisdom of God.  He answered their question by asking them about John's authority to baptize: "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?"  They were caught in their own trap.  Regardless of how they answered, it would show their hypocrisy.  If they said, the authority of John to baptize was from heaven.  Then their refusal to be baptized by John shows their rebellion against God.  If they said the authority of John to baptize was of men, which is what they really believed, then they feared the people who took John as a prophet.  When they said they could not tell, then Jesus told them that he would not tell them by what authority he did the things he did.

            Furthermore, the chief priests and elders statement that they could not tell what John's authority was, left them open to criticism from the people who certainly held the authority of John to baptize to be from heaven.  Because of this, the chief priests and elders would no longer press for an answer concerning Jesus' authority.  The wisdom of God is so much greater than the wisdom of men.

Matt. 21:28-32 

            Matt. 21:28 "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him."

            The Lord was still addressing the chief priests and the elders when he set forth this parable to them.  In this parable, the man who had two sons represents God.  The first son represented the publicans and harlots.  The second son represented the chief priests and elders. 

            Therefore, when God came to the publicans and harlots and said "Son, go work to day in my vineyard," they answered, "I will not," but afterward repented and went.  When God came to the chief priests and elders and said likewise, "Son, go work to day in my vineyard," they answered, "I go, sir," and went not. 

            When the Lord asked the chief priests and elders who of the two sons did the will of the Father, they answered correctly, "the first."  Then the Lord declared unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."  It was the publicans and the harlots who believed and repented at the preaching of John and went to serve God in his vineyard.  The chief priests and elders believed not and repented not at the preaching of John and, therefore, went not to serve God in his vineyard. 

            Every born again child of God has two natures.  He has the nature of the flesh and the nature of the spirit.  The chief priests and the elders show forth the nature of the flesh.  In this nature, they were self-righteous, despised others, refused to believe that they were sinners, and needed repenting.  The publicans and harlots showed forth the nature of the spirit.  They were convicted of their own sinfulness, repented at the truth preached by John, and went forth to serve the Lord in spirit and in truth.  Until the inner man convicts us of our sinfulness, we are like the chief priests and elders.  We stand in our own self-righteousness.  Once the inner man convicts us of our sinfulness, then, like the publicans and harlots, we are lead to repent and serve the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Matt. 21:33-46 

            Matt. 21:33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

            35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

            40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

            42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

            45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet."

            "There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it."  In this parable, the householder is God.  The vineyard is the kingdom of God under the law covenant.  The winepress and the tower were equipment and building used to bring forth the fruit of the vineyard.  The husbandmen were the children of Israel.  The far country is heaven.  The servants were the prophets that God sent.  It was God who hedged the vineyard about.  He provided the protection for his vineyard.  It was God who planted the vineyard.  It was God who built the tower.  It was God who digged the winepress.  The husbandmen were to simply bring forth the fruits of the vineyard. 

            The Lord sent his prophets (servants) to receive the fruits of the vineyard and the husbandmen (leaders of the children of Israel) beat and killed and stoned the prophets.  This they did several times.  "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him."  Obviously, Jesus is that Son of God who was sent last.  Rather than reverencing the Son, the leaders of the people, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the chief priests, and the scribes agreed together that they would kill Jesus and seize on the inheritance to do with it as they pleased.  We know that these had responsibility for having Jesus seized and crucified. 

            "When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons."  This the Pharisees, Sadducees, the elders, the chief priests, the scribes, and the rulers of the people pronounced upon themselves and the nation they represented.  They pronounced the judgment upon themselves that came to pass about 70 AD when the Roman Army compassed them about and slew the vast majority of them and took the rest into captivity.  Beginning with the household of Cornelius (Acts chapter 10), the kingdom of heaven was turned to the Gentiles who have brought forth the fruits of the kingdom in their seasons.  "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."             Jesus is the stone that the builders (Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, scribes, rulers, etc) rejected.  He has become the headstone of the corner.  It indeed is marvelous in our eyes.  The kingdom of God was taken from the nation of the Jews and given to the Gentiles who have brought forth the fruits thereof. 

            "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."  God's obedient people fall upon this stone and it breaks their pride and humbles them and they become faithful servants of the Lord in his kingdom.  The wrath of Jesus fell upon the Jewish nation and it grinded them to powder in the destruction of Jerusalem at 70 AD.

            "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet."  They were afraid of the people, but as we know they continued to seek to lay hands on Jesus and finally took him through the traitor Judas and had him crucified.  But he arose from the grave three days later and reigns forever in the kingdom of God.