Receiving the King

Matthew 21:1-27
 

As Jonathan pointed out last week, while we are still several chapters from the end of the book of Matthew, the time span from today’s passage until Matthew 28 is only a week. These are clearly critical moments of Jesus’ life on earth.
 
Last week, in Matthew 20:17, we saw that Jesus began his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. In Matthew 20:29, we see that Jesus and his disciples passed through the city of Jericho on the Jordan River. The journey from Galilee to Jerusalem was 85-90 miles and took four to five days by way of the Jordan. Jericho to Jerusalem was the last leg of the trip, roughly 18 miles.
 
Here now at the beginning of Matthew 21, Jesus and the disciples are approaching Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. They have made the big ascent that Jonathan mentioned last week from Jericho to the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem. Even today, Google Maps predicts the journey from Bethphage to the Temple Mount is about a mile and a half and would take just over 30 minutes to accomplish. That route has to take into account modern roads and things so it potentially is a bit longer that it might have been in Jesus’ day. It’s an up and over, down and through kind of journey.  Leaving Bethphage, you go up over the Mount of Olives, then down and through the Kidron Valley, and then back up into Jerusalem which is on a similar elevation as Bethphage.
 
I enjoy looking at maps in general. I especially like to look at maps of places in the Bible because it helps the reality of the Scriptures to penetrate in a little bit different way. I can begin to feel what is happening a bit more. Hopefully, it is a help to some of you, as well.
 
Let’s pray and jump into today’s passage.

Lord Jesus, teach us we pray from this amazing time as you came to Jerusalem focused on Your mission, Your plan to bring about salvation. Open our hearts and minds to what You want us to see and understand and live out. We pray in Your precious Name, amen.
 
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” – Matthew 21:1-5
 
Since we will be talking about a fig tree later, I will expound on the name Bethphage. Beth means what? House of. Bethlehem means house of what? House of bread. Does anyone know what Bethphage means? It means house of figs. Apparently, there was a prevalence of figs in this area.
 
Why did Jesus send the disciples to get a donkey and her colt? One obvious reason was to fulfill Scripture. Matthew points out Zechariah 9:9 which is a Messianic prophecy, a prophecy about the Messiah, God’s chosen One. In fact, Matthew omits a phrase that is present in the Zechariah passage. There is says, “‘See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.”
 
Additionally, in the Old Testament, King David and his sons are seen using donkeys or mules as their royal mount. A donkey is a humble and lowly animal associated with like peaceful activities carrying burdens and farming in contrast to horses which also could be associated with burden bearing and farming but compared to donkeys, horses were far more likely to be associated with power and even war.
 
It’s easy to breeze past, but it is good to recognize and appreciate that Jesus tells the disciples something that he can’t possibly know unless He has seen the future. Jesus is God and he does things that only God can do. He tells the disciples what they will find and what to do, and it happens exactly as He says.
 
I remember reading a sermon from Charles Spurgeon once about this passage. He also took the time to note that Jesus asks for both the donkey and the colt. He observes that the lowly colt is not separated from his mother but that they come together. Jesus isn’t care-less even about a donkey’s colt.
 
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 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 that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:6-9
 
Cloaks on the backs of animals to sit on seems like a normal thing to do. Cloaks on the road for an animal to walk on that is pretty unusual. It is a sign of honor and homage. There is an occurrence in the Old Testament where the people take off their cloaks for the newly anointed King Jehu to walk on. The situation in Matthew 21 is even on another level as King Jesus is already riding on a colt and the colt is not allowed to walk on the ground but on the peoples coats and the tree branches.
 
Now, we have a parade. There is a crowd going before Jesus and coming behind. They call hosanna which literally means “Save” or “Salvation” and was also used as an exclamation of praise. This scene is even described in Psalms in the Old Testament. Psalm 118:22-29 says,
 
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 118:22-29 NIV
 
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11
 
As we are only a few weeks from Christmas, and the first Sunday after the Epiphany, I am reminded of Matthew 2 when the wise men came to Jerusalem in search of the newborn king. When they asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” King Herod was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.
 
Now that Jesus has come to the city as king, the whole city is stirred. No doubt many are stirred with hope and expectation. No doubt, as we will see, others are stirred differently.
 
In any event, Jesus did not sneak into the city. His arrival is often described as “The Triumphal Entry.” There is a large crowd. Something big is happening, and everyone wants to know about it.
 
The answer of the crowd does not clearly see who Jesus is. They refer to him as a prophet. Jesus is also associated with his hometown in Nazareth. It has been pointed out by both disciple and Pharisee that no prophet should come from there or anywhere near there. Of course, the people have not made the connection that in fact Jesus was born in Bethlehem and fulfills that prophecy of the king as well.
 
Jesus is a prophet. (Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:44) He is also more than a prophet as He said of John the Baptist. Of course, Jesus is greater than John the Baptist because Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus’ real identity and real purpose in coming to Jerusalem is not yet seen or understood by anyone.
 
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.’ ” – Matthew 21:12-13
 
Temple worship was a real mess in Jesus’ time. It had become primarily a commercial enterprise. There were corrupt leaders who were using the Mosaic Law as a kind of forced extortion of people who simply wanted to worship God and follow His commands.
 
The priests were complicit because they would reject the offerings that people brought from their own flocks and herds as defective and unsuitable for sacrifice. These people would then be forced to purchase animals in the temple courts. The markup on the animals sold there would be up to 20 times higher than in a normal market. Likewise, Jews came to Jerusalem from other nations and would have to exchange foreign currency for local currency. This exchange was also subject to price gouging.
 
Jesus is not in this moment permanently fixing this problem. His action to clear the temple courts is a both visible parable and another fulfillment of prophecy. A parable is a short story that illustrates a moral or spiritual principle. According to John 2, Jesus had a similar reaction in the temple courts once before when he began his ministry three years earlier. John 2:17 points out the fulfillment of Psalm 69:9 where King David wrote, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
 
What these money changers and sellers of animals are doing is wrong and worthy of being condemned. This area of the temple courts was also the closest Gentiles could come to the temple. Jesus is quoting Isaiah 56:7 above which goes on to say, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” These outer courts were to be a place where all nations could come to pray. Instead, it was a noisy, smelly, crowded market. They had stolen not only the people’s money. They had stolen the sanctity of the outer courts that were meant for prayer.
 
The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. – Matthew 21:14
 
I wanted to keep verse 14 separate just to note that Jesus is still at work healing people in the midst of everything else that is going on. Jesus is not “too busy” saving the world to stop and heal a blind or lame person who comes or is brought to Him.
 
I personally have this problem that I do not say, “no,” as often as I should, but when I look at Jesus, He didn’t say no as much as those around Him thought He should. When they thought Jesus was too important to be bothered by little children, he rebuked them. In fact, any time they wanted to tell someone to be quiet or be sent away, that was a time when Jesus stopped and took action.
 
Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman in John 4. He healed the Canaanite woman’s child in Matthew 15. He met with Greeks in John 12. Jesus stopped and spoke to the woman who had been healed after touching his cloak while Jairus was waiting for Jesus to come and heal his daughter in Mark 5. That woman had been sick for twelve years, and she had already been healed. Couldn’t Jesus have just come back to talk to her later? Jesus gave Himself to and for others with this sense of immediacy, of urgency. And, He kept doing that right through the week of His crucifixion.
 
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. – Matthew 21:15
 
Were they happy? Did they praise God? Were they amazed? No, sadly they were indignant. They were mad. They were hopping-mad, furious. They were going ballistic.
 
This reminds me of Saul’s reaction when he heard the people singing David’s praises after David had killed Goliath. Saul’s jealousy and anger were not fully aroused until he heard someone else getting more praise than he was. The chief priests and teachers of the law were not happy about Jesus, but when they saw the children praising Jesus instead of them, it was the last straw.
 
You have to think about their reaction. They have clearly placed themselves far above Jesus in their own minds. They thought that they were superior to Jesus. Despite the miracles and Jesus’ amazing teaching, they still thought they were the pinnacle of authority and that they should enjoy the highest accolades.
 
These envious and resentful leaders came to Jesus. I can imagine spittle flying from their mouths as they called out.
 
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants You, Lord, have called forth Your praise’?” – Matthew 21:16
 
They say “these children” as if it were an epithet. The implication here is that the children cannot be rightly praising God. In their mind, the children are inferior.
 
Jesus quotes Scripture back to the chief priests and teachers of the law. In this case, it is Psalm 8:2. God can and in fact does ordain and call forth praise from children and even infants.
 
And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night. – Matthew 21:17
 
Here is an expansion of the map we looked at earlier. Bethany is called Al-Eizariya today which means place of Lazarus which is marked with the red pin at the lower right. Jesus stayed at Bethany about two miles from Jerusalem.
 
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. – Matthew 21:18-19
 
I am guilty of anthropomorphizing the fig tree. I mean treating the fig tree like a person. I always feel bad for the fig tree in this story. And yet, I do not feel grief over cutting a Christmas tree or giving cut flowers to my wife. Mark 11 gives the reason that Jesus did not find figs on the tree as it was not yet the season for figs. And yet, Jesus obviously had expected there to be some. Why? Was Jesus a carpenter and didn’t really know much about figs? That seems kind of silly to think, right?
 
Fig trees are deciduous and drop their leaves in the winter even in warmer climates. Healthy fig trees can produce fruit and leaves at the same time at the beginning of the season. It is Passover time. It is early spring, the end of March. In the picture, you see a bunch of small figs already on a tree as the leaves are just beginning to grow. Jesus approaches the tree with the standard thinking if I see a fig tree all leafed out, I should expect to find figs here even if it isn’t the season for figs.
 
Helpful commentators point out that Jesus did not curse the tree because it didn’t have fruit. It was cursed because of its pretense of leaves. It looked like it should have fruit but instead had none. This is in fact the only judgment miracle of Jesus that is destructive instead of restorative or providential. That unique place makes it worthy of consideration.
 
Jesus speaks of Himself as the vine in John 15. He explains that we are the branches. The branches cannot bear fruit unless they abide or find their life in the vine. Also, He explains that the branches that do not bear fruit will be cut away. Not only that, branches that do not draw their life from the vine will fall off.
 
The cursing of the fig tree stands as a reminder that a tree which has life but no fruit or a branch filled out with leaves but does not have fruit will be judged. There are no doubt fig trees which do not bear fruit today. Jesus did not come to bring an end to all fig trees without fruit. The principal of judgment in the absence of fruit is relevant and worth considering.
 
Are we bearing fruit? What kind of fruit should we be bearing? The fruit of the Spirit is a good place to start: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You can find those in Galatians 5:22-23. Our world stands in desperate need of men and women who exemplify those attributes.
 
Then, if we are bearing fruit, are we allowing ourselves to be pruned in order to bear more fruit as it says in John 15:2? Or are we trying to avoid being pruned?
 
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, 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.” – Matthew 21:20-22
 
Whatever obstacle you might see to bearing fruit, take hold of what Jesus says when the disciples asked about the sudden withering of the tree. Prayer is powerful. Prayer can accomplish the seemingly impossible. If you think, there is no way I can bear fruit or I cannot bear more fruit, you are probably right. However, our God is greater. You can pray in faith that God does in fact desire that you would bear more fruit. Asking in faith that He would work in you, He will do it. We have Jesus confident assurance here in Matthew 21:22. Prayers that are clearly aligned with what God says in His Word are the best prayers to pray. You do not have to wonder whether or not you are praying in God’s will. You know you are praying in His will because He says that is what He desires and those fruits are the fruits His Spirit produces. His Spirit is in you.
 
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer Me, 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 of human origin?” – Matthew 21:23-25
 
It seems most likely that the chief priests and the elders are asking about what had happened the day before. In particular, who had given Jesus the authority to run the money changers and the vendors out of the temple courts. They wanted to entrap Jesus in his own words either to discredit him or get him in trouble somehow with Herod or the Romans.
 
Jesus is not tricked by their open ended question. Instead, He asks them a spiritual question about authority. Jesus’ question is a bit more direct giving them only two directions in which to go. Is John’s baptism from heaven or from a man? The obvious implication is that both John’s baptism and Jesus’ authority are from heaven or in other words from God.
 
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.”
Then He said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” – Matthew 21:25-27
 
These men who questioned Jesus are certainly shrewd. They have a little huddle together before Jesus. No doubt there are others watching as Jesus had been teaching in the temple courts when He was interrupted. Those listeners are waiting to see what will happen and waiting for Jesus to be allowed to continue teaching.
 
The leaders do not have an answer that they think they can get away with. It is interesting. These leaders know they did not believe or respond to John the Baptist’s teaching to repent and turn to God and be baptized. It is almost painful to listen to their audacity. They have virtually no respect for Jesus or even the things of God.
 
Ready! Break! They come out of the huddle not with the answer they think is right, but rather the only answer they think they can get away with.
 
Jesus’ response reminds me of Psalm 18:25-27 where King David wrote of God, “to the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.” If they will not be open and honest with Jesus, Jesus will not be transparent to them.
 
That brings us to the close of today’s passage. Next week, we are going to continue in the middle of the action. What Jesus says next flows directly out of this conversation to these elders and chief priests.
 
We started today’s passage with the triumphal arrival of Jesus as the Son of David riding on a donkey’s colt fulfilling multiple prophecies demonstrating that He is the King of Kings. And yet, throughout all things we see incredible humility by Jesus. He interacts with the people. He heals their diseases. He walks back to Bethany for the night. He looks for his breakfast on a tree on the side of the road. He gets interrupted while He is teaching. He responds patiently even to those who mean Him harm. Jesus’ character is jaw-droppingly amazing to me.
 
The more I read and study what Jesus does, the more I am absolutely stunned. There is no Christ-likeness in me except what Jesus puts in me. I remember a personal situation about 15 years ago where I had a big professional responsibility. To me, it felt like “all” the weight was on me. At the same time, there was another team member whose job to me looked like all they were required to do was ask questions.
 
I remember one evening standing in the doorway to my boss’s hotel room after a long day of wrangling in a foreign country. I told him that I did not mind that I had to do ten times as much as someone else. The problem I was having was that I had to be face to face with the person who did not have to do much. I could not handle that part of it.
 
That is what amazes me about Jesus. You see Jesus knows. He knows exactly how petty and foolish and childish and selfish we really are. He knew before He stepped out of heaven exactly what it was going to be like. He knew what it would take. He knew it was not his fault, and He knew He did not have to do the job. It was His choice. He chose this path to subject Himself to the indignation of proud and foolish men even unto death.
 
He did it because He loves you. You do not have to wonder whether or not Jesus’ loves you. Just look at how He lowered Himself. He humbled Himself for me and for you. That is why as a “dude” I can enjoy a romantic story like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
 
I will not try to explain the story. Let me just say that the hero must take action on behalf of someone else to rescue them and their family. In the story, it says in explanation of the hero’s actions, “Nothing was to be done that he did not do himself.” With Jesus, it goes even further. “Nothing could be done that He did not do it Himself.”
 
When the hero’s act of service is discovered, the one whom he loves says, “Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications.”
 
“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.”
 
“Had [the one whom the hero loved] been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.”
 
Brothers and sisters, may your awareness of Jesus’ love and affection for you grow with every passing moment as you stay connected to Him. I think of Michael W. Smith’s song Above All. The lyrics say …
 
Above all powers, above all kings, above all nature, and all created things, above all wisdom, and all the ways of man, You [Jesus] were here, before the world began.
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones, above all wonders the world has ever known, above all wealth and treasures of the earth, there's no way to measure what You're worth[, Jesus].
Crucified, laid behind a stone, You lived to die, rejected and alone, like a rose trampled on the ground, you took the fall, and thought of me … above all.
 
Oh, how He loves you and me. Oh, how He loves you and me. He gave His life, what more could he give?
Jesus to Calvary did go; His love for sinners to show. What He did there brought hope from despair. Oh, how He loves you; oh, how He loves me; oh, how He loves you and me.
© 1975 Word Music, LLC
 
In explanation of some of the current events in our world, I heard someone say, “Character is destiny.” I think that’s right. Character is ultimately a predictor of what will happen in a person’s life. Saints, may we rejoice that our destiny is ultimately grounded in the character of Jesus Christ, the One who does all things well.
 
Let’s pray …
 
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to save us. Thank you that You love us wholly and completely. I pray that each of these Your saints would experience that love every day. Help each one of us abide in You every day. Thank You, Jesus. We love You. Amen.