SNBS - The Book of Matthew part 20

We're doing another one of these live. We're in Matthew chapter 21 today. This is Guess Sunday night Bible study on Tuesday. Got some exciting potential news. I was talking with Lowell one of our IT guys video recording guys.

Might be getting a new camera soon, which will make the quality of this even well better than it is right now. So pretty excited about that. Okay, so We got to get to work Behind a couple weeks. We're in Matthew chapter 21.

Those of you who followed along in our series of Matthew.

The Triumphal Entry and the Messianic Prophecy of the Donkey

So.

Bad to get started on that before I do. Don't forget we have a podcast guys. And we're revamping some things before we start season 5 bring in some different guests and doing some different topics. That's on YouTube point-taking Christian podcast.

Go on there and listen every now and then like share subscribe comment do all that kind of stuff, you know. Hey, Janine, how are you? How's work been Janine. Sometimes I miss working over there. It's fun.

Okay. Yeah, guys we're already planning our mission trip for next year. Well one Potential mission trip there might be in another one, but one potential one to Puerto Rico where we've been the past couple years.

And I don't know how many people were taking yet, but I know we've had 64 people sign up just from our church 64 and that's still 11 months away. Goodness gracious. Hey Jennifer. So that's crazy again.

I don't know that we're taking that many but 64 people have signed up for the mission trip next year. And I'm really excited that a pretty decent size of us a group of us are going to Israel.

And.

Guess that's eight months away. And I am fortunate enough to be able to go to that as well, and I'm really excited. So that will be fun it will be fun because like some of the things we're gonna read about today I'm gonna get to see.

Which is incredible. All right, y 'all let's get to work. Matthew chapter 21. All right, this is called the triumphal entry. Remember. I told you last time we did one of these. Everything for the rest of the book of Matthew well only start over these next few chapters all take place in Jesus's final week of Life here on earth before he dies and raises again, so the next several chapters.

I Guess I guess the next seven chapters all take place in a final week in one week, so let's get to work. Verse one. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, and they came to Bethpage to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus is coming from the east to the Mount of Olives. He's gonna go into the city and then He'll come back to the Mount of Olives in a couple days. Anyway, Jesus sent two disciples ahead saying to them go into the village in front of you and me.

You'll find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you'll say the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once. Verse 4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying.

Now when you see that phrase in your Bible. This took place to to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. You should know that we're about to have a quote from the Old Testament. There's a lot of indicators like that as it is written according to the scripture.

According to the prophets. These are indicators that the New Testament writer is quoting from the Old Testament. Verse 5 which is a quote said his daughters. I am behold your king is coming humbled and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a beast of burden.

That's from Zechariah chapter 9. Verse 9. Disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put them on their put on them their cloaks and Jesus sat on them. Not the donkey and the colt.

He sat on the clothes. Jesus sat on the colt the young donkey. The Other donkey was Just there maybe other stuff was on it, but Jesus sat on the colt. The young donkey. Well, it's amazing because.

The.

Jews who knew their Bible best would have known that Zechariah chapter 9 Was about the Messiah. And just just looking over there for a minute. See how back.

Yeah.

Yeah, Zechariah chapter 9 from the original quote says Rejoice greatly o daughter of Zion shout aloud o daughter of Jerusalem behold your king is coming to you Righteous and having salvation as he humbled and mounted on a donkey on a colt the foal of a donkey.

So.

There's Old Testament prophecy are showing that the Messiah the promised one would ride into town on a young donkey. So when they see this they perceive that Jesus really is the Messiah the king. Only problem is this they want this king to do something for them.

They don't want to serve the king. We'll get to that in just a moment so they recognize the Messianic prophecy and.

And.

They spread their cloaks on the road and others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road and. The crowds that went before him and then fall in him are shouting Crowds not just a crowd crowds of people in front of him and behind him as he's riding on a donkey into Jerusalem Screaming Hosanna to the Son of David Blessed as he comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest.

And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying who is this and the crowd said this is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.

So.

Think about what just happened Jesus comes in riding on donkey and those who knew their Old Testament best knew this was a Messianic prophecy a prophecy about Messiah, this is how he was gonna come and.

They're all excited because they think he's coming to take over and to remove them from under the thumb of the Romans.

Now.

They were shouting Hosanna to the Son of David Hosanna. This is a quote from Psalm 118 one of the most cited passages from the Old Testament. New Testament, and I've been over this before. Son of David is a Messianic title meaning.

It was known the Messiah the promised one the prophesied one would come from the line of David so with that being said they knew that Jesus was from the line of David, so he's already a possible candidate, so when you have someone call him the Son of David They're calling him the Messiah.

Now.

The.

Crowds treating treating Jesus like a king in appearance, but in fact they don't want a king over their own lives. Only over the Romans over their oppressors. I'll read what I wrote here. It's as if they were saying Jesus come save us now be the king of Israel and rule with authority as you take care of our trials and tribulations.

Only don't rule over my life individually. That's not your place anyone who watches this. If this is you I want you to be warned if You are happy to have Jesus as the sovereign king over the universe or governments or nations.

But not over your own life. You need to be warned. Because you're acting just like these people here. They were happy to have Jesus be the king over the universe over nations, but not over their lives.

Do you believe God has the authority to tell you how to live and if you say oh, yes pastor I do. How well do you obey him now? And if your attitude is well, you know, everyone sins or you know, and I do okay.

You don't really see him as the authoritative king. You don't be warned about that at any rate verse 12 oh. Well also. No, they're saying Hosanna, which means Lord save us when they should be saying hallelujah praise Yahweh.

Over the course of the next week. We'll see a dramatic Shift in the crowds attitude towards Jesus just in the course of the next few days because this crowd. This crowd is The same crowd that in what six days is gonna be saying crucify him in six day this crowd that is screaming in the streets of Jerusalem Hosanna.

In the highest blesses he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna to the Son of David Lord save us now. This crowd in six days is gonna be screaming crucify him. So let's look at what happens over the next six days all right, so Verse 12 as Jesus entered the temple.

He drove out all who sold and bought in the temple and he overturned the tables of the money changers in the seats of those who sold pigeons. If you recall he's already done this once before he did this in John chapter 2.

At that time he made a whip if you remember and whipped anyone who wouldn't get out of his way remember Jesus only went to Jerusalem. I I can't remember exactly three or four times his in his earthly ministry.

In other words from time. He was 30 to 33 or 33 to 36 or however, however old he was when he died. He only went to Jerusalem a handful of times in John chapter 2. He had a short visit there and he cleared out the temple.

With the same type thing money changers were doing their thing. Well This is several years later probably two or three years later and he is having to clear it out again and he clears it out again and people are.

There are money changes there and they're and they're selling pigeons. Let me explain to you. The idea of the money changing here. What's happening is this? We have Passover where everyone is supposed to Bring an animal to sacrifice supposed to bring a lamb to sacrifice.

For their sins. This was a One of the seven yearly festivals and this one's one of the most important ones. It does anyone remember by the way, we got a few people watching now. Does anyone remember what the first Passover was when it was?

When was the first Passover celebrated? Because every Passover after that is a memorial is a remembrance of the first one just like it's supposed to be that the 4th of July Independence Day is a memory of 1776 and Yes We have a correct answer here.

The first Passover was when the Israelites left Egypt. And it's called Passover. Because when the angel of death Jesus himself when the angel of death went to destroy the firstborn of.

Egypt.

Firstborn cattle.

Firstborn.

Human firstborn son of everything we went to destroy the firstborn male child. The angel death passed over anyone who had the blood of the lamb over the doorpost. So literally they killed the lamb and if you couldn't afford one you stayed at the neighbor's house you shared.

Anyone who had the blood of lamb and they killed it and they took some of the blood from the lamb the carcass and Wiped it over the top of the door and the angel death would pass. Over any house had the blood of the lamb covering it.

They might ask why? Why did God tell them to sacrifice a lamb and Wipe the door on the blood. It's kind of Wipe the blood on the door. It's kind of an odd request. Remember, there are some crimes some sins.

Right that are deserving of capital punishment of the death penalty. Remember when God lays out his Law in Exodus Leviticus and Deuteronomy there were 16 Sins that got the death penalty. Well in the Garden of Eden.

Remember the Adam and Eve sins. Sin was a capital crime. It deserved the death penalty. Because they betrayed the sovereign of the universe. That's treason and treason gets the death penalty instead. God killed animals and made skins for them and covered them.

Something had to die the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 without the shedding of blood. There is no forgiveness. God is a God is a just God and Sin must be paid for sin that deserves the death penalty must be paid for.

Or God is not just so something had to die those lambs died and The angel death passed over anyone who had the blood of lamb on their doorpost which symbolically would represent Jesus Christ, you know when John the Baptist saw Jesus He said what behold the Lamb of God who didn't just pass over but the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world.

So.

This is the second time clearing out the temple and he says in verse 13 It is written my house shall be called a house of prayer But you made it into a den of Robert robbers and the blind and lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.

Verse 15 when the chief priest and the scribes saw The wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple Hosanna to the Son of David. They were indignant.

I love this part.

So the kids Recognized he was the Messiah and the kids recognized that he was the Son of David verse 16 and they said to him do you hear what they're saying and Jesus said to them. Yes. Have you never read?

Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes you've prepared praise. Leaving them. He went to the city of Bethany and lodged there. So this is his might drop moment where he leaves and calls it a day after he says this.

So some kids are calling him the Messiah the promised one of the Old Testament. The Son of David and the chief priests and the elders the the head religious leaders who are against Jesus. Like hey, man, do you not hear they're calling you the Messiah and Jesus said yep.

The Bible says out of the mouths of babes and infants you have prepared praise in other words. Yep, and they're right and the Bible says that sometimes kids will get it, right? I love Jesus answer said yeah.

Have you never read the Bible? I want to go to what they're quoting which is Psalm 8 and I want you to see who saw me is originally about because Jesus just made Psalm 8 about himself. Does anyone see that?

The kids are calling him the Messiah and he and the Pharisees the the chief priests and the elders said you don't don't you hear what they're saying. And then Jesus quotes all Mate and says yeah, so mate says out of the mouths of babes and infants.

You've prepared praise. So let's look at Psalm 8. I want you to see who it's originally about. Oh Yahweh our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth you have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have established strength because of your foes.

To still the enemy and the Avenger. When I look at the heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars that you have set in place. What is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him.

Yeah, you have made him a little lower than heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You've given him dominion over the works of your hands and you have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen and also the beasts of the field the birds of heaven and the fish of the sea whatever passes along the Pass of a sea.

Oh Yahweh our Lord. How majestic is your name in all the earth? First I'll notice God has put man in charge of all creation. Just like he did in the beginning of the garden all creation is for him and answers to him.

He is the supreme of God's creation. It's what the Bible teaches. But more than that Notice this verse is about God about Yahweh. Oh Yahweh our Lord. How majestic is your name in all the earth? See out of the mouths of babes infants.

You have established strength because of your foes. The enemy and the Avenger. The quote in Psalm 8 is about God. Yahweh and Jesus quote Psalm 8 in Matthew 21 and Says yes out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you've prepared praise.

Makes it about him. Jesus identifies himself as Yahweh as God so many times, but I think the clearest way he does it is by Quoting Old Testament passages about Yahweh and applying them to himself. Verse 18 in the morning as he was returning to the city He became hungry and seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it and found nothing on it, but only leaves and said to it may fruit never come from you again and The fig tree withered at once and Messiah both saw it and they marveled said see how the fig tree withered at once and Jesus said Truly I say to you if you have faith and don't doubt not only Will you not do what has been done to fig tree.

But even if you say the mountains be taken up in time to see it will happen. Whatever you ask in prayer you will receive if you have faith. The this parable about the fig tree. It's an analogy. It's a metaphor.

Jesus is using here. He goes by the fig tree and there's leaves on it, but no figs. Meaning it's not dead. It looks like it should be bearing fruit, but it's not bearing any fruit. I'm gonna read what I wrote here.

Jesus uses the fig tree as an object lesson for unbelieving and unfruitful Israel. Perhaps specifically the religious leaders. The tree was not dead when Jesus found it as it was producing leaves. But no fruit.

Thus the implication is that the tree looked like it should be producing fruit. But it wasn't the religious leaders and Israel as a whole looked like they should be producing fruit spiritual growth and holy living.

But they weren't. What's more as the leaders are teaching people to do the opposite. Remember the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. Romans 3 to every Old Testament writer and prophet was a Jew.

God chose the small weak Insignificant ethnicity as his people and then entrusted them with his word in the beginnings of his message to the world. He carried them through rebellion flood Blessings curses drought murder disease punishment judges desire to self-rule selfish Kings idolatry betrayal treason unfaithfulness covenant-breaking and Whoring themselves out to every thought and new thing except God.

So when Jesus now looks at how far these people whom he set apart a fallen it makes him not only sad but angry. For this reason a partial hardening has come upon the people of Israel for now. Romans 11 says that won't be forever.

Jesus' Authority Is Challenged

Now in this next section Jesus Authority is challenged and I like how he answers it verse 23 when he entered the temple the chief priests and the elders of the People came to him as he was teaching and said by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?

Jesus answered I'll ask you one question. And if you answer me Then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Now Jesus has already answered this by what authority he does his things. He said he came to do the will of his father in heaven but at any rate verse 25 the baptism of John from where did it come.

From heaven or from man. And They discussed it among themselves. If we say from heaven He'll say then why'd you not believe them if we say for man? We're afraid of the crowd for they all hold John was a prophet.

So they answered Jesus We don't know and he said neither. Well, I'll tell you by what authority I do these things. Jesus knows that if he identified if he Identifies himself as Yahweh the Son of God Messiah, etc.

One more time. He'll be brought for the Romans. And he has a set day. He wants this to happen a few days from now, so he doesn't answer that. He challenges them in front of the crowd and he uses the crowd to his advantage.

They rejected John the Baptist's ministry. And this is a brilliant move by Jesus. The crowd loved John the Baptist. So here's the problem. John the Baptist and John chapter 1 told his followers to start following Jesus.

So the Pharisees can't say the chief priests and elders that John the Baptist was telling the truth. Otherwise, they would have to start following Jesus because John told them to start following Jesus you understand But they also can't say that John was wrong because the crowds loved John the Baptist.

So the Jewish leaders are in the pickle if they say yes John's ministries from God then Jesus will ask why do you not believe him?

But if they say.

But if they say no John's ministry was simply of a man the crowds in front of them will lose respect for them and be mad. Because they all revered John the Baptist the prophet. So they chose not to answer now.

Jesus is about to use two parables, which are pretty awesome. The parable of two sons and the parables of the tenants and I think I am going to save these. No, let's go ahead and finish this chapter. All right.

The Parable of the Two Sons and the Call to Obedience

Parable of the two sons. What do you think verse 28 a man had two sons? And he went to the first and said son go and work in the vineyard today. And he answered I will not. So the son said I'm not going but then afterward he changed his mind and went.

And the other son he said the same and he said I will go sir, but then it and Jesus questions this which of them did the will of the Father? So the first son said dad I'm not going to work and then change my mind and went and work.

The second one said I'll go and work and then didn't Go which one did the will of the Father and they answered the first one? Even though this they disobeyed at first they eventually obeyed. The second one said he would obey and never did.

So while they both disobeyed one eventually did the will of the Father the other done it and Jesus says truly I say to you Tax collectors and prostitutes will go in the kingdom heaven for you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you not believe him but tax collectors and prostitutes believed him and even when you saw It you knew not afterward change your minds and believe him in other words.

Originally The Jewish leaders claim. Yes, I believe God all obey him and then they don't the Gentiles originally said I will not obey him but then many of them have. Well, they will enter the kingdom of heaven because they did the will of the Father in the end.

All right. Now this next one is one of my favorites. This is verse 33 through 46. It is one of the most amazing mic-dropping direct and authoritative things Jesus ever said. Said it's called the parable of the tenants or the parable of the landowner or parable the wicked vine and growers.

There's a lot of.

Names for this parable.

All right, let me tell you a little bit of the characters and then let's get after it. The master of the house is God. The tenants of the vineyard was leased to are the Jewish leaders. The master servants are the prophets.

The master son is Jesus. Now here we go. Verse 33 here another parable. There was a master of the house. That's God who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and leased it to the tenants and went into another country.

When the season for fruit drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit to collect what's his. These are the prophets of the Old Testament they're going to see how God's people are obeying and collect the fruit they should have been getting this whole time and The tenants took his servants and beat one killed another and stoned another just like later with the prophets.

Verse 36. He sent other servants more than the first and then move the same to them. Finally he sent his own son to them saying they will respect my son. So this is Jesus. But when the tent and saw the Sun they said themselves this is the heir come let us kill him and have his inheritance and They took him and threw him out of the vineyard and kill him.

When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do these tenants now? Here's what's amazing. He Jesus is speaking in the past tense because he already knows he's going to die. He's already predicted it.

So he's telling the story in front of the people that are gonna put him to death and he's saying Yeah, this master sent his own son and they had him killed. What should the master do with those people that hadn't killed those servants and They answer condemnation on themselves.

They don't even recognize verse 41. They said he will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard. To other tenants who will give him the fruit of their seasons. Jesus answered them.

Have you never read the scriptures? In other words I'm speaking about you. Notice Jesus is speaking in the past tense in verse 37 to 39. Thus giving credence to a certainty of his own prediction of his death, burial, and resurrection.

At first the Jewish leaders don't recognize he's talking about him. They won't. Jesus said have you never in the scriptures the stone that the builders rejected has become a cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes.

Therefore I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. Can you be described to that as a person producing? The fruits of the kingdom of God and The one who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces and when it falls on anyone it will crush him.

Jesus will either be the cornerstone That a foundation is built on or a rock of stumbling or a rock that crushes people. There is no in-between with Jesus. He's either the Savior and Lord or he's a rock that will crush you under the weight of who he really is.

Verse 45 when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard that he's parables. They perceived he was speaking about them and although they were seeking to arrest him just like the parable said they would.

They feared the crowds because they held him to be a prophet again. The quote there was from Psalm 118. An often quoted passage from the Old Testament in the New Testament. Pretty amazing. So Jesus. Literally, it's almost like what was it Nathan the prophet did the David?

He tells a parable about them and they don't recognize us about them. And they say yeah, whoever did that should die and Jesus reveals to them instead of repenting there as it is. Yeah, let's kill him just like the parable said we would.

That's Matthew 21. Right at 30 minutes pretty good pretty good for a chapter. All right, we'll do Matthew 22 next time. Pretty pretty awesome Chapter there as well, and I can't wait to get the chapter 23 probably Jesus's harshest words.

All right, guys. Thanks for listening, I will see you all next time. God bless keep reading and obeying his word. See you later.