Category: Sermons

Praying for Jerusalem’s Peace – Psalm 122

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Praying for Jerusalem’s Peace – Psalm 122

At our Wednesday night prayer meeting, we have started to look at Psalms 120 – 134, the “songs of ascents”. Another name for them might be “songs for going up” or “songs for the journey”. In ancient Israel, they were probably sung by travelers making their way to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Jerusalem was a high point in the land of Palestine, and as they journeyed, they were literally “ascending”. And these songs we intended to help them also ascend spiritually as they joined together in song and prepared their hearts to worship the Lord.

I intended to share some thoughts about Psalm 122 on Wednesday, but didn’t make it back in time due to some car trouble As I read this psalm and you follow along, I want you to see if you can pick out a key word or idea in this psalm. The very first verse captures some of the excitement, the anticipation, of the psalmist preparing for the journey. “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”” (Psalm 122:1).

Psalm 122

1 A song of Ascents. Of David.
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,

4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.

7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”

8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”

9 Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.

This psalm is all about a special place—the holy city of Jerusalem. That makes sense. Jerusalem played an incredibly important role in the life of the ancient Israelites. The David and the other kings of Judah had their thrones in Jerusalem. The temple of the Lord was there. It was where the tribes of Israel gathered for the required feasts to worship.

But it is a bit tricky for us to listen to a psalm all about Jerusalem, because we are not ancient Jews. Most of us have never been there. Jerusalem doesn’t mean the same thing to us as it did to them. In the Old Testament, God chose a place to dwell. After the first temple was built, we read about God’s presence filling the temple. 1 Kings 8:10-11 says,

And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

For ancient Jews, Jerusalem was the place where God chose to dwell in a unique and powerful way. The temple in Jerusalem was the center of their worship. When we read of the Psalmist going up, should we also buy our plane tickets to Jerusalem and go there with gladness?

In a sense, we too are a people on our way to a city, and we should be full of joyful anticipation as we look forward to the day when we will gather in the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city of God (Rev. 21-22). But what about today? Are we not to worship the Lord even now? Where do we do that? Do we have a Jerusalem, a specific place where we go to worship God?

Because places are so important to us, we might be tempted to take the reference to Jerusalem and substitute a different city or place where we gather for worship. People sometimes talk about going to the “house of the Lord” in that way, and by that, they usually mean the physical building that they go to as Christians in order to worship. But is this how we are to apply this psalm as new covenant believers in Christ?

I believe we are living in the time that Jesus spoke about in John 4 when Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well,

“Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two (Matt. 27:51). And fifty days after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the glory of God once again descended and chose to make God’s presence uniquely real. But this time The Lord didn’t just indwell a place. Instead, He indwelt a people. Acts 2:1-4a reads,

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit …

So now, we don’t have a place where God’s presence is uniquely manifest. Now we have a people. Paul says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). That people in whom God dwells is the church of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2 Paul says about us in the church,

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Someone has said, “The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people.” What Jerusalem was to ancient Jews, the church is to us.

But the church isn’t a place and it isn’t an event. It’s a people. You don’t “go to church.” You are the church. The church is a community of God’s people. So, as we look at Psalm 122, and we hear the psalmist talking about Jerusalem I believe we can apply this to the church. And we’ll see that this psalm is an incredibly powerful description of who the church is and how the church worships.

1. The Pilgrim’s Passion for the City of God (Ps. 122:1–2)

How should we come to worship?

We come with Joy (Psalm 122:1-2).

You know that feeling when you finally get somewhere after a long road trip? That’s where the psalmist starts. This psalm begins with the incredible feeling of standing within the gates of the city enjoying the experience.

David rejoiced to enter Jerusalem. It’s clear that he loved Jerusalem. But why? It is because there is “the house of the LORD.” He loves the city of Jerusalem because he loves the LORD who dwells there with His people. Listen, a joyful worship experience is not found by pursuing joy in worship. Joy is found in pursuing and knowing God Himself. Peter wrote to the New Testament saints about their relationship with Christ Jesus, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” (1 Pet. 1:8). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ expressed in love for Him.

Does it bring you joy to gather with other Christians to express your love for Christ? Put simply, do you enjoy church? And remember, I don’t mean the event of a church service. I mean the people. Do you enjoy the people of God, gathered to honor the Lord?

Each Sunday when we gather for worship we are anticipating and rehearsing for our arrival in the city of God – and we should have joy as we come together.

2. The Pilgrim’s Praise for the City of God (Ps. 122:3–5)

What makes worship with God’s people so special? (Psalm 122:3-5)

If we are going to worship together and enjoy the Lord together, we need to know how to be God’s people. What made Jerusalem so special?

There are three things that the author praises about Jerusalem. The way it’s constructed, the way the tribes go up to it every year, and the fact that the thrones of the house of David are there. So, what do these things mean?

First, he talks about the way the city is built. It is …

Built for Safety: “Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together,” (Psalm 122:3). What that probably refers to is the security and safety of the city. The compact arrangement of the city gives an added advantage in defending the city. So, Jerusalem is safe. It also could mean it is “solidly united” (CSB), where the people are closely held together. It’s a place of refuge—a place where the people of God come together and find unity, comfort, and safety.

Is our church like that? Are we like a city that is compact together? The church should be a community of people where you feel safe, where we can talk without fear about our lives and our relationship with God. There are so few places in our world where it is safe to let down your guard. We must be a safe place of love, peace, and unity in the Spirit (Eph. 4:1-3).

Second, Jerusalem gives a …

Sense of Identity: The second point the psalmist makes is that this city is where the tribes come regularly. “Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:4). Jerusalem gives the people a sense of identity. All of Israel is supposed to travel there regularly—all the tribes converge there. It gives them a sense of belonging.

Is the church community where we find our identity? We belong together because we each belong to Christ. First and foremost, we are followers of Jesus Christ. The world divides people by nations, languages, ethnicities, gender, and social and economic status. In Christ, all those barriers are removed.

And finally, Jerusalem …

Promotes Justice:, the thrones of the house of David are there. “For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.” (Psalm 122:5). He says he’s talking about the thrones of judgment. So, when you come to Jerusalem, you find justice because the King is there.  The church cares about justice inside and justice outside.

The psalmist praises Jerusalem for its safety, the identity it creates, and the justice it promotes. As those who belong to Christ, with His Spirit inside of us, our gathering should be a foretaste of the refuge, worship, and justice we will experience in the heavenly New Jerusalem (Hebrews 10:23-25). The church needs to be a safe place. The church should give us our identity. The church needs to love justice and equality.

3. The Pilgrim’s Petition (Ps. 122:6–9)

How do we pray for God’s people? (Psalm 122:6-9)

We’ve seen the psalmist respond to being in Jerusalem. First, he arrives in the city and talks about the joy he has for visiting it. Then he praises the city. Finally, the psalmist concludes by offering prayers for the city. Here’s what the psalmist prays for in verses 6-9.

There is one overall theme of what the psalmist prays for: peace. That’s the Hebrew word shalom and it’s one of the richest and most meaningful words in all of Hebrew. Peace is repeated three times in these four verses.

First he prays for the peace of the city and upon those who love the city. Then he prays for peace within the walls and the security of the city. Then he prays “for the sake of my brothers” that there is peace within the city. Finally, he prays “for the sake of the house of the LORD our God.”

God is Here.

So, the psalmist prays for the city and for its people, and he builds in intensity as he moves toward the center. At the center is God’s presence. It’s the goodness of that presence that creates the peace of the city. The heart of the city is the presence of God.

And as we’ve been reflecting on the church, this is our final observation about the church as well. It may sound like an obvious thing to say. It may not even need saying. Except that it does. The heart of the church is the presence of God. We are where God dwells. God is here. Not in this building, but in this people.

At the heart of Jerusalem is “the house of the LORD our God.” At the heart of the church is the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Jerusalem wasn’t just a city. God lived dwelt with His people there. We aren’t just social group. God lives here.

Conclusion

So here we are. We are standing with each other. Enjoy it. Appreciate it. Because God lives here.

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Parable of the Vineyard – Matthew 21:33-46

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Parable of the Vineyard

Matthew 21:33-46

The parable of the vineyard is the second of three parables in a row that Jesus spoke as He was being confronted by the chief priests and elders of the Jews in the temple. It was just a couple of days after He made His triumphal entry into the city, and a couple of days before His death on the cross. In the temple this last week, Jesus had cleansed the temple, healed the blind and lame in its courts, received worship in it as Messiah, and taught the people within its walls.[1] The religious leaders refused to recognize Jesus’ authority to do these things, asking Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” (Matt. 21:23).  

When the chief priests and elders refused to answer Jesus’ counter-question about the authority of John’s baptism, He declined to answer their question about His authority. If they had repented and recognized John’s authority from God, they would have had the answer about Jesus’ authority. Yet, Jesus doesn’t just drop the matter. He tells a series of parables and continues to question them in order to highlight the real issue, namely their stubborn refusal to repent and believe.

Last time, we looked at the first parable. It told of two sons, one told his father no, but then changed his mind and obeyed. The other said yes to his father, but then didn’t obey. The first was a picture of repentant obedience, the second of hypocritical profession. Jesus applied this parable to them saying,

“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him” (Matthew 21:31-32).

Swindoll comments, “Jesus’ sharp denouncement left the religious leaders reeling, stunned that He would publicly call them out and accuse them of faithlessness and disobedience. But Jesus wasn’t finished with them yet. He followed the first jab with a second, taking a swing at them with a parable …”[2] This parable came with an even stronger judgment—the kingdom of God will be taken from them and given to others who will produce its fruit.

Let’s look at …

1. The Parable (Matt. 21:33-39)

Speaking with the authority of His Father, Jesus commands, “Hear another parable…” (Matt. 21:33). Imagine how this hit these proud men. They did not want to hear another parable, especially not another like the one Jesus just spoke against them! But Jesus didn’t need their permission to speak the word of God in His Father’s house.

First Jesus gives us the,

A. Setting (Matt. 21:33)

“There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.” (Matt. 21:33).

Jesus lays out the parable of a certain landowner who owned a vineyard. This man made every provision possible for the success of his vineyard, so that he could draw from it the fruit he desired. While he was away, the landowner leased the vineyard to tenant vinedressers.

There are 6 main components in this parable and each represents an element of God’s relationship with Israel: 1) The landowner obviously is a picture of God the Father; 2) The vineyard represents Israel as God’s kingdom people; 3) The tenants/vinedressers are the Jewish religious and civil leadership; 4) The landowner’s servants are a picture of the prophets who remained obedient and preached God’s word to Israel; 5) The son is Jesus the Messiah who will be killed that very week; and 6) The other tenants who would produce fruit represent the church made up of the remnant of believing Jews and also believing Gentiles.

No Jew would fail to recognize in this story a picture of the relationship between the Lord and His people Israel. Jesus’ parable of the vineyard begins almost exactly like Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.” (Isaiah 5:1-3).

I’m sure the religious leaders (and even the common people) heard the echoes of Isaiah’s prophecy when Jesus spoke His parable. As Isaiah 5:7 says, “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.” (Isa. 5:7).

The LORD God had planted them. He called their father Abraham out of a pagan world and promised to make him into a great nation. He renewed that covenant with Isaac and Israel. He delivered them from bondage in Egypt and gave them the land of promise. He protected them from their enemies. He gave them good statutes and ordinances that would bless them. He dwelt in their midst in the tabernacle and temple. He entrusted Israel’s care to its priests, kings, and nobles—the “vinedressers” who were to teach the people His word and lead them in His ways.

God, like the landowner in the parable had a right to expect the fruits of His efforts. So next we see Him,

B. Sending the Servants (Matt. 21:34-36)

34 “Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.” (Matt. 21:34-36).

The landowner gave the vinedressers time to produce the fruit of the vineyard, then sent his servants to collect what was due him as the owner of the vineyard. But instead of honoring the owner, they abused his servants. But the landowner is gracious and patient. He sent other servants; but they were treated the same.

Clearly, the story represents the Lord’s repeated appeals to His people through His prophets. When Israel did not produce the fruit that God desired, He sent His prophets, but just as the tenants in the parable mistreated and even killed the servants, Israel rejected God’s prophets (2 Chr. 24:15-16). Jeremiah was beaten and cast into a pit (Jer. 26:7-11; 38:1-28); John the Baptist was killed (Matt. 14:1-12); and others were stoned (2 Chr. 24:21).

In Matthew 23, Jesus will say to the scribes and Pharisees,

34 “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:34-37).

At this point, the landowner does an amazing thing by …

C. Sending the Son (Matt. 21:37-39)

Jesus continues the parable, saying, “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’” (Matt. 21:37). When the son arrives, there should be no doubt that he carries the authority of his father, the owner of the vineyard. Even if they did not respect the owner’s servants, surely they will honor his son.

But instead, they do the unthinkable. Jesus says, “But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.” (Matt. 21:38-39). The tenants see an opportunity here. They believe that if they kill the son, they will then receive his inheritance, possession of the vineyard. It was bad to mistreat the servants. It was worse to kill them. But to kill the owner’s son is an outrageous act of evil and greed. What a contrast between the gracious and patient landowner and the wicked and irascible vinedressers!

They did not kill the son because they didn’t recognize him. They killed him precisely because they did.[3] This implies conspiracy to commit murder by the Jewish leadership, and it is prophetic in the sense that Jesus is now telling them what they are going to do to Him (see Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16). Although the Gospels do not record their being, “This is the Messiah: come, let us kill him”; yet, in the light of the Scriptures, their rejection of him was no less culpable than if it had been that.[4] They knew His miracle power. They knew His claims. They knew He spoke the word of God. Still, they refused to believe in Him and sought to kill Him.

Once the parable was over, Jesus asked the chief priests and Pharisees a question that brought the application of it home to themselves. So we see the …

2. Self-Indictment by the Religious Leaders (Matt. 21:40-41)

Jesus asks the chief priests and elders, “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” (Matt. 21:40). And they gave an answer that—perhaps without their realizing it at first—completely condemned them. They said “He will destroy those wicked men miserably…” Or, as it is in the NASB, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end.” What’s more, they admitted that he would rightfully “lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons” (Matt. 21:40). Having pronounced the judgment on the wicked vinedressers, they indicted themselves as worthy of destruction.

Jesus now applies the parable to them. So we see the …

3. Divine Indictment by the Lord (Matt. 21:42-44)

Jesus shows their condemnation by first taking them to the prophetic word.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Matt. 21:42).

Jesus is quoting from Psalm 118, the same psalm that the people quoted when they praised Jesus on Palm Sunday. When Jesus asks them, “Have you never read?” He knows they have read this Scripture he is quoting. They read it every Passover, and they would be reading it again in just a few days. He is really asking them, “Have you never understood?”

The chief cornerstone was the most important stone in the building. The word here could refer either to the cornerstone which formed the foundation of the building or the capstone which was the final stone placed at the top of an arch, completing the building and securing the structure. Jesus is both. He is both cornerstone and capstone. He is the foundation and beginning of God’s kingdom, and he is the one who completes it and brings everything to fulfillment.[5]

Jesus is the stone the builders rejected that God has chosen to honor. The religious leaders are the builders who are rejecting Him even now. It was shocking, “marvelous in our eyes,” that the builders, the Jewish religious leaders would reject the cornerstone, their own Messiah. If anyone should have been able to recognize a perfect cornerstone, it should have been the builders. Yet, in their evil pride and arrogance, they cast out the cornerstone.

But this was no surprise to God the Father or to Jesus. As the psalm says, “This was the LORD’s doing.” It was God’s plan all along. It was prophesied long before it took place. Jesus knew they would have Him killed in fulfillment of the word of God.

To reject Jesus is to reject the son of the landowner and to be like those wicked vinedressers. By the chief priests’ and elders’ own admission, it would be right for the landowner to take the vineyard from them and to give it to someone else. And so, Jesus gives them His verdict, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it” (Matt. 21:43).

The privilege of Israel, of her leaders, would be ripped violently away, and it would be transferred to others. No longer would Israel’s twelve tribes comprise the people of God. Rather, through His twelve apostles Jesus would build a new people of God, His church, a new race comprised of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation, being fruitful, multiplying, and bearing fruit for His kingdom.

The dividing line is the cornerstone Himself, Jesus Christ. He is both the Savior and the Judge. He says, “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matt. 21:44). Jesus is quoting from two Old Testament Scriptures: Isaiah 8:14, which speaks of a rock of stumbling, and Daniel 2, which speaks of the rock of the kingdom which will crush all the other kingdoms of the earth (Daniel 2:44-45). In quoting these passages, Jesus applies these Scriptures to Himself. He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He is the Savior to all who will receive Him, but He is the rock of judgment to those who reject Him.

The repentant tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners were like the ones who were broken by Jesus. They believed God’s message (Matt. 21:32). They repented of their ways (Matt. 21:28-29). Their old lives were broken. But Christ saved them, healed them, and gave them new life. They were being granted entrance into the kingdom (Matt. 21:31).

The religious leaders to whom Jesus was saying these things were like the ones this same stone falls on. When it came to true righteousness, they were all show and no substance (Matt. 21:30). They were missing the kingdom (Matt. 21:31). They did not believe God’s message when they first heard it from John, and they did not believe and repent even now (Matt. 21:32). They were the vine-growers who killed the landowner’s son to claim his inheritance (Matt. 21:39-39). They were the builders who rejected the chief cornerstone of God’s kingdom (Matt. 21:42). This stone would fall upon them and scatter them like dust (Matt. 21:44).

The apostle Peter says the same thing about Jesus in 1 Peter 2 where he writes: “7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” (1 Peter 2:7-8). Jesus is the cornerstone. He is precious to all who believe in him. But to those who do not believe, He is a stone that causes them to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.

What will you do with Jesus Christ? Either you will fall on Christ, repentant and broken over your sin, believing in His death and resurrection for salvation, or, rejecting Him, you will be crushed, ground to powder by His judgment. You will either bow the knee to Him in this day of grace, or you will bow the knee on the day of judgment.

Now, you would think that any sane person at this point would repent, But no, Jesus was right about them. Look at the …

4. Reaction by Chief Priests and Pharisees (Matt. 21:45-46)

When Jesus told the religious leaders the meaning behind the parable of the tenants, they only hardened their hearts even further. Matthew records,

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet. (Matt. 21:45-46).

Matthew’s conclusion gives us three insights into the attitude of the religious establishment. 1) They are jealous and envious of Jesus’ popularity with the common people. This encroaches on their authority and power to govern. 2) They have come to the realization that Jesus is talking about them. This hurts their pride and embarrasses them in front of the people. 3) They understood the analogy of the son and that Jesus was referring to Himself. To them, this was blasphemy, and they would now seek to kill Jesus. From here the leaders would meet in secrecy to plot how they would get rid of Jesus. God in the Scriptures foretells this very event, and these men, prompted by hatred, rush to bring it to pass.[6]

We apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions. First, have you come to know Christ as your Lord and Savior, or have you rejected Him like the Jewish leadership did? You need to repent and believe in Christ as the only One who can save you from the penalty of your sins. Fall on Him, He will save you now.

Second, if you are a believer, are you producing the fruit of righteousness? You owe Christ your very life. You have been saved because of the mercy, grace, and patience of God. You deserved none of it. Are you living in grateful obedience to Christ? Is your life bearing fruit for the kingdom? Believers may vary in the amount of fruit they produce, but there is no such thing as a fruitless believer.

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[1] Greg Allen, An Encounter with the Cornerstone, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2008/042708.htm

[2] Charles Swindoll, Insights on Matthew 16—28, Tyndale House Publishers, p. 161.

[3] R. Alan Cole, The Gospel According to Mark, Wm. B. Eerdmans’ Publishing, p. 259.

[4] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 453.

[5] Ray Fowler, Kingdom Taken, Kingdom Given, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/kingdom-taken-kingdom-given/.

[6] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 454.

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The Parable of the Two Sons – Matthew 21:28-32

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The Parable of the Two Sons

Matthew 21:28-32

Context

Our passage today from Matthew 21 is the first of three parables that Jesus spoke to the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem. We have already seen in Matthew 21 how Jesus’ actions and words have provoked the religious leaders in Jerusalem. First, Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt while the people declared Him to be the Messiah and King (Matt. 21:8-11). He had purposefully arranged the details carefully to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, thus, proclaiming Himself to be the King of the Jews (Matt. 21:1-7). Next, Jesus entered into the temple and overturned the tables of those buying and selling there, saying “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Mat. 21:13). In so doing, Jesus stood against their hypocrisy and false worship.

Jesus then showed what true faith in God looks like when He healed the blind and lame in the temple and received the praise of children over the objections of the chief priests and scribes (Matt. 21:14-16). Then, He cursed the fig tree as a sign of God’s judgment coming on the Israelites for their lack of fruit and lack of faith.

In Matthew 21:23, the chief priests and elders in the temple pushed back, confronting Jesus in the temple and asking Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” It was an insincere question designed to trap Jesus and accuse Him. But Jesus, knowing their unbelieving hearts, didn’t fall for it. Instead, He turned the tables on them and asked about John’s baptism, was it from heaven or from men? (Matt. 21:25). Jesus said if they answer His question, He would answer theirs (Matt. 21:24). In fact, if they truly answered Jesus’ question, it would answer their own question because John had testified that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of God. But they did not want to recognize Jesus’ authority, so they answered, “We do not know” (Matt. 21:27). Therefore, Jesus would not tell these unbelieving leaders the answer to their question either.

Yet Jesus doesn’t simply drop the matter. Instead, He tells a series of parables and continues to question them in order to highlight the real issue, namely their stubborn refusal to repent and believe. Blomberg says of these three parables, “in sequence they depict God’s indictment, sentence, and execution of the present Jewish leadership.”[1]  Let’s look at this first parable together today.

1. Simple Parable: Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-30)

Jesus begins by asking them, “But what do you think?” (Matt. 21:28). Jesus is compelling these unbelieving religious leaders to think about their own attitudes. In telling this story and asking them to give the judgment, Jesus will force them to indict themselves—much like the prophet Nathan did with King David (2 Sam 12).

The story is really quite simple. Jesus said, “A man had two sons” (Matt. 21:28). He tells each of them to go and work in the vineyard. One says no, but then changes his mind and goes anyways. The other says yes, but then doesn’t go. Working in the vineyard is a picture of doing the Father’s will. The question that Jesus asks the religious leaders about the parable is, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Matt. 21:31).

The first son is a picture of …

A. Repentant Obedience

We recognize the attitude of this son immediately. At first, he rebelled and disobeyed his father. “He answered and said, ‘I will not,’” (Matt. 21:29a). He didn’t want to submit to his father’s authority. But then something changed in him. Jesus says, “but afterward he regretted it and went” (Matt. 21:29b).

The key word here is the word translated “regretted”. It is the Greek verb metamélomai, which can have one of two senses: 1) It can mean “to have regrets about [something], to be sorry, or to express remorse”; 2) It can mean “to change one’s mind about [something], or have second thoughts” (BAGD3 #4851, BibleWorks).

This word doesn’t always mean repentance in the New Testament unless it leads to a genuine turning of heart and action (metanoia). Judas regretted (metamelomai) betraying Jesus, but he was by no means repentant (Matt. 27:3). Paul demonstrates the difference between regret and repentance in 2 Corinthians 7, writing,

10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” (2 Cor. 7:10-11).”

True repentance is not just being sorry that I got caught, or regretting the consequences of my decisions. It is a change in my mind and heart that results in a change in my attitude and behavior. In the case of this reluctant first son, his regret led to a change in his behavior. So, I believe that the first son indicates the attitude of repentance and conversion. We will see this more fully below in Jesus’ explanation.

If the first son is a picture of repentant obedience, the second son is a picture of…

B. Hypocritical Profession

Jesus said that the father then, “came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.” (Matt. 21:30). One preacher said this second son is the Eddy Haskel of the group.[2] If you remember him from Leave It to Beaver, he was always polite and respectful to adults but always scheming and devious behind their backs. This son’s words and his actions do not line up. Unlike the first son who disrespectfully said, “I will not”, this second son’ words were outwardly respectful and compliant. He addresses his father as “sir”, a word that is often translated, “Lord,” a title of honor and reverence. This son says all the right things. The only problem is that it is all words without actions. And so, the second son is an example of empty profession and hypocrisy.

Jesus then asks the religious leaders: “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Matt. 21:31). Remember, Jesus asked them at the beginning of the parable, “What do you think?” (Matt. 21:28). Now He asks for their judgment on the two sons. Remember how the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus in His words earlier? Now Jesus is about to trap them in their own words.

The answer is obvious, and the religious leaders are forced to answer, “The first,” that is, the one who changed his mind and actually did what his father told him to do.

Jesus then turns their own judgment into an indictment against themselves. Notice His …

2. Strong Rebuke (Matt. 21:31-32)

Jesus tells them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you” (Matt. 21:31). The words Jesus uses here are even stronger and can carry the sense of, “The tax collectors and prostitutes go instead of you into the kingdom of God.” In other words, they are entering God’s kingdom, and you are not.[3]

It’s hard for us to comprehend just how insulting and offensive this was to the chief priests and elders in the temple. “Tax-collectors”? “Harlots”? To these proud chief priests and elders, those kinds of people were the worst of sinners, the scum of the earth! As far as they were concerned, they were the least likely to enter God’s kingdom. Was Jesus actually saying that such people as that would come enter the kingdom before they would? Yes! These notorious sinners enter the kingdom because these …

A. Sinners Repent and Believe

In Matthew 21:32 Jesus says, “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” Jesus says that John the Baptist came “in the way of righteousness,” that is, he came preaching the righteousness of God and that sinners must repent. Many of the tax collectors and harlots were among those who repented and believed John’s message. They believed what John preached, that the kingdom of God was near, that the Messiah was coming, and that they must repent.

These sinners did not enter the kingdom of heaven because they were more worthy, holy, or deserving. They entered because they did what the first son in the parable did. Jesus even used the same word to describe what the tax-collectors and harlots did that He used to describe what the first son did: they “relented”; that is, they changed their thinking, turned from their sins, and believed what John said concerning Jesus Christ. Luke 7 tells us,

29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. (Luke 7:29-30).

The chief priests and elders who were trying to discredit Jesus and would eventually condemn and execute Him that week, had also rejected John’s baptism. So we see the …

B. Leaders’ Refuse to Repent and Believe

Jesus says that the reason they would be excluded from the kingdom is because they had not obeyed God’s message through John. They did not “relent and believe him” (Matt. 21:32). They had multiple opportunities to repent and believe, but they refused. They had heard the preaching of John the Baptist. They had seen the miraculous works of Jesus. They had heard His teaching. And they had seen the lives of tax collectors and harlots radically changed by repentance and faith in Christ. But they still did not repent and believe!

They were like the second son in the parable. They professed to love God and obey the law of God, but instead, they hated the Son of God and would not believe in Him. Jesus implies that they should have repented and believed. Even as He speaks this parable, He is calling them to repent and believe once again.

What can we learn from this parable? First, entrance into the kingdom of heaven, the way of salvation is only by repenting and believing in Jesus. Religion won’t save you. Empty profession won’t save you. An outward show of righteousness won’t save you. You must repent and believe in Jesus. John the Baptist’s message was, “Repent and believe!” (Mark 1:15). The message of Jesus is the same. Have you repented? Have you had that change of mind and heart that results in a change in direction? Have you believed in Jesus Christ? He is the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners by giving His life on the cross to pay the debt we owed to God for our sin. He was raised from the dead, is alive forevermore, and saves everyone who repents and believes in Him.

You may be like the first son and the tax collectors and harlots. You have lived a life of rebellion and sin. You have disrespected God, broken His law, and spurned His love. Is there hope for you? YES! Jesus said that He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Matt. 18:11). Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). You can never be too sinful that Jesus cannot save you. Ask God to grant to you repentance and faith in Christ Jesus today. He will save you and transform you into a child of God.

Or you may be like the second son and the religious leaders. You think you are right with God because of your outward goodness. But God looks at the heart. He knows your inward rebellion and sin. The remedy for you is the same: repent and believe. Turn from your self-righteousness and trust in the death and resurrection of Christ to save you.

The second lesson is this: Your actions should line up with your words. Jesus isn’t interested in hearing people say that they will follow God. He is interested in those who actually follow God. In Matthew 7, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21). Outward profession without inward repentance and faith is worthless.

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[1] Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 320.

[2] Rory Mosley, The Authority of Jesus (Matthew 21:23-32), https://fbcspur.org/authority-jesus-matthew-2123-32/.  

[3] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 450.

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The Authority of Jesus – Matthew 21:23-27

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The Authority of Jesus

Matthew 21:23-27

The section of Matthew’s Gospel (chapters 21-23) describes the confrontations that Jesus had with the religious leaders of Israel only days before He was betrayed into the hands of evil men and nailed to the cross. We have already seen in Matthew 21 how Jesus’ actions and words have provoked the religious leaders in Jerusalem. First, Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey in the midst of a procession which was declaring Him to be King! He arranged the details carefully, so that He would ride into Jerusalem upon a donkey in accordance with the prophecy made in Zechariah 9:9. In so doing, Jesus was proclaiming Himself to be the King of the Jews. Next, Jesus entered into the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers, who were seeking to make a profit with their religion, saying “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a‘den of thieves.’ ” (Mat. 21:13). In so doing, Jesus stood against the false worship in the Jewish religious system. Then, by cursing the fruitless fig tree, Jesus taught His disciples about the false and fruitless profession of religion without faith in Him.

As you can imagine, Jesus’ actions and words in Jerusalem provoked a response from the religious leaders there. They had to respond to Jesus. Would they respond favorably by repenting of their evil deeds and believing in Him? Or would they continue to resist the word of God, refuse to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and seek to destroy Him?

Because we’ve read the rest of the story, we know how it ends—with Jesus wrongly condemned and nailed to a cross. It ended this way not only because it was the Father’s will, but also because of the Jewish leaders’ hatred for Jesus and their unrepentant, unbelieving, evil hearts.

In our text this morning we encounter the Pharisees questioning Jesus, because they didn’t believe in Him. First, we see…

1. The Confrontation: Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned (Matt. 21:23)

Matthew tells us,

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).

They demanded to know first the nature, and then the source, of His authority. And in and of themselves, those were not necessarily inappropriate questions for the chief priests and elders to ask. These religious leaders were, after all, charged with the responsibility of caring for the spiritual condition of their people, and for what happened in the temple.

So, what are “these things” that Jesus has been doing? Oh, just riding into Jerusalem on the donkey as king, receiving the people’s acclamation of Him as Messiah, driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, healing the blind and the lame in the temple, affirming the praises of the children in the temple, and now teaching in the temple courts. Jesus was doing all “these things” in the temple without their endorsement or permission!

They thought they were the ones in charge of the temple. As far as they are concerned, they are the authorities. So, they raise the question to Jesus, in effect asking, “Who’s in charge here?”

But the problem was that the questions were not sincere. The evidence is very plainly there in the text that they already knew the answer they wanted and believed before they asked the questions! Their questions were motivated not by a desire to know the truth, but by a refusal to believe.

And Jesus knew their deceitful hearts. He felt no necessary obligation to respect their demand for an answer. Rather, instead, He made His answer to them ‘conditional’. Before He would answer their hostile questions, they had to answer His questions concerning what they already knew. It wasn’t that Jesus was seeking to avoid answering their questions. Rather, it was to force them to answer the questions themselves, because if they answered His question, they would have the answers to their own.

So we see…

2. The Counter-Question: Jesus Asks about John’s Baptism (Matt. 21:24-26)

Jesus responds to their question with a question of his own. Matthew writes, “But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John–where was it from? From heaven or from men?’ ” (Matt. 21:24-25a).

What a question! What a bind He put them in! They were hoping to embroil Him in controversy before all the people—forcing Him to claim authority to Himself, and then giving them the opportunity to trap Him in an accusation of blasphemy! But now, in front of all those same people, He put them in a knot that they couldn’t even begin to untie themselves from without exposing the hardness of their own unbelieving hearts!

Think with me about John the Baptist for a moment. Jesus said about him, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist …” (Matt. 11:11).

John was the fulfillment of the promise that God made in the last book of the Old Testament; “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1; see also Matthew 10:11). He was the one that the Lord promised in the Book of Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD . . .‘” (Isaiah 40:3; see also Matthew 3:3).

The people of Jerusalem—along with all Judea and the surrounding regions—had come to John in the wilderness of the Jordan. They all heard his bold message; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2); and many came to him repenting of their sins to be baptized with water (Matt. 3:6, 11).

Everyone knew about John, and as a prophet, people trembled at what he had to say. In fact, his message and his manner were so bold and earthshaking that the talk went around that he might even be the Messiah (John 1:19-20). But he made it clear that he himself was not the Messiah—that his ministry was to identify Someone else as the Messiah. He announced,

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:11-12).

And just consider how this man John testified of Jesus! Matthew tells us;

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17).

The Gospel of John tells us that the Baptist’s very public testimony of Jesus was this:

 “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34).

John’s testimony of Jesus was outstandingly clear. It was very public; and it was immediately verifiable. How very disingenuous, then, for the chief priests and elders to confront Jesus and say, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” It wasn’t a sincere question at all. They already knew the answer. But they would not believe what they knew; and instead, they hoped to trap Jesus by His giving an answer to their question.

I suspect that they were dumbstruck. They hadn’t seen this coming. The religious leaders find themselves caught in a dilemma. Matthew tells us,

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” (Matt. 21:25b-26).

Their dilemma was simply this: “How do we answer?” Because this is a lose-lose proposition for them. If they say John’s authority came from God, Jesus will ask them, “Then why didn’t you believe him?” But if they say John’s authority was just from men, they risk upsetting the people who all hold that John was a prophet.

Notice they aren’t remotely interested in answering the question honestly. Instead, they are carefully weighing the options, testing the winds, running advance straw polls in their minds. They are acting more like politicians here than religious leaders who are supposed to be men of God!

Here’s a lesson for us when we tell people about Jesus. When people confront us with controversial questions about Jesus or the scripture, take the time to discern the heart-attitude of the one doing the asking. Is it an attitude of sincere exploration concerning the truth about Jesus? Or are the questions simply an effort to find yet another excuse for unbelief? We ought to do our best to answer patiently the true seeker. But Jesus’ example teaches us that we ought to expose false motives of those who don’t want the truth.

This brings us to …

3. The Conclusion: Jesus Refused to Answer their Unbelief (Matt. 21:27).

The religious leaders have confronted Jesus; Jesus has countered the religious leaders; it’s time for closing arguments. How do the religious leaders answer Jesus’ question? “So they answered Jesus and said, ‘We do not know.’” (Matt. 21:27). They know that no matter how they answer Jesus, it’s not going to look good for them. They don’t want to affirm John’s ministry, and they don’t want to offend the people, so they take the easy way out: “We don’t know!” What cowards! John the Baptist was the most important religious figure to appear in Israel for centuries. And the religious leaders don’t even have an opinion on him? Here they are ready to judge Jesus when they cannot even pass judgment on John!

What does Jesus say in response to their obfuscation? “And He said to them,’Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” (Matt. 21:27).

Remember, Jesus had offered them a trade: “I will answer your questions, if you answer mine!” The religious leaders refuse to answer Jesus’ question, and so Jesus refuses to answer theirs. Jesus is more than ready to answer all our questions as long as we are ready to receive his answers. But they didn’t ask in good faith. They didn’t ask in faith at all. They asked out of an unbelieving heart and a challenging spirit. Both their manner and their questions displayed a stubborn refusal to believe either Jesus or John.

It wouldn’t do any good for Jesus to explain His authority because they wouldn’t recognize it anyway. They made it clear that they would not recognize God’s authority when they saw and heard it. They would not submit to God’s authority. So what good would it do for Jesus to say, “God gave me this authority”?

They had already misunderstood the revelation of Scripture, rejected the ministry of John, and accused Jesus of doing things by the power of Satan! They were not open to a clear answer from Jesus–and they were not fit for positions of authority themselves. By questioning Jesus’ authority, they demonstrated their own rebellion against God’s authority.

William Hendriksen applies this, writing,

An important practical lesson is taught here. Christ’s opponents failed to see the truth because they hardened themselves against it. The reason why many people know so little about Jesus and about the joy of living the Christian life is that they refuse to submit themselves to his will. The prayer of everyone should be: “Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God” (Ps. 143:10).

It is a dangerous thing to harden yourself against the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we repeatedly reject the authority of Christ and His word, we will eventually lose the opportunity to repent, believe, and be saved.

So today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Repent and believe in Jesus. He died on the cross so that your sins could be forgiven. He was raised from the dead and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. Don’t wait another minute. Don’t refuse His love and reject His authority.

 

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Lessons from the Fig Tree

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Lessons from the Fig Tree

Matthew 21:18-22

In Matthew 21, we are following the events of the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry before He went to the cross. It began in Matthew 21:1-11 with Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey in fulfillment of scripture. Then we saw Jesus go into the temple and cleanse it of the money changers and those who were buying and selling, saying, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Matt. 21:13). The temple off God was full of hypocrisy, extortion, greed, and deceit. What should have been a house of prayer had become a den of robbers.

Jesus then healed the blind and the lame and received the praise of the children. thus fulfilling prophecies about His true Messiahship. He then left the temple and spent the night in Bethany near the Mount of Olives.

In Matthew 21:18, Jesus is returning to the city of Jerusalem. He will go back into the temple (Matt. 21:23) where the religious leaders will question His authority (Matt. 21:23-27). Then Jesus will teach two parables: the parable of the two sons (Matt. 21:28-32), and the parable of the tenants (Matt. 21:33-46). The first is a man who says he will work and then doesn’t. The second is a group of men who say they will produce fruit from the vineyard and then don’t. The last parable is the climax of the section, illustrating that Christ has been rejected by His own fruitless people, and so the kingdom will be taken from them and given to a people who will bear its fruit.

The issue is fruit that comes from genuine faith in God. Jesus is sick and tired of the fruitless hypocrisy of Israel’s religion. He heard their hypocrisy as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He saw it in the greedy trampling of the temple courts. He will teach parables about their hypocrisy in the temple. And right between these events, Jesus cursed the fig tree. It’s an unusual incident, and, like the cleansing of the temple, one that seems uncharacteristic of Jesus at first. We don’t normally think of Jesus driving people out of temples or cursing fig trees. But Jesus never does anything without a purpose, and His purpose here is to teach His disciples. The cursing of the fig tree is a parable in action, illustrating the fruitless hypocrisy of Israel’s religion.

Our short passage breaks down into two parts: the withering of the fruitless tree and the word about faith in prayer.

1. The Withering of the Fruitless Tree (Matt. 21:18-19)

Matthew tells us that it was in the morning that Jesus and His disciples were making their way back from Bethany to Jerusalem. And “as He returned to the city, He was hungry” (Matt. 5:18). Since they spent the night at Bethany, it would be safe to assume that Jesus and His disciples stayed at the home of His dear friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. And from what we know of Martha, she likely would have made sure everyone was well-fed before they left. But for whatever reason, Jesus was hungry. Perhaps, as He had done so often, He rose early to pray and didn’t eat with the others. Perhaps Jesus’ hunger was intentional, so that He could teach this object lesson to His disciples.

As they journeyed along toward the city, Jesus saw a fig tree by the side of the road (Matt. 21:18). This would not be unusual. Remember, we saw in Matthew 21:1 that near Bethany and the Mount of Olives was the village of Bethpage, meaning house of figs. The original language tells us that it was a “single” fig tree—all alone, which is perhaps what made it so easy to see. And what’s more, Jesus could see from a distance that it bore leaves. And if you were hungry, that was a very good sign. Fig trees in that part of the world produced a sort of early fig in the springtime, a small one that came before the leaves began to grow. They weren’t as big and juicy as the later figs would be, but they were still very tasty.

But Matthew tells us that, when Jesus came to the tree, “He found nothing on it but leaves” (Matt. 21:19). Now leaves on a fig tree without any fruit is very unusual. Usually, the leaves and the fruit develop together. So, there is definitely something wrong with this tree. It had all the promise of fruitfulness—all the appearance of bearing something He desired. But on closer examination, it had only the outward appearance of ‘fruitfulness’. It bore none of the fruit.

But then Jesus does something even more unusual. He curses the fig tree. He said, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again“; and we’re told that “immediately the fig tree withered away” (Matt. 21:19). Now from what we have seen about the authority and power of Jesus, He could just as easily have told the fig tree, “May you bear fruit right now!”, and the tree would have been filled with figs. But Jesus cursed the fig tree instead, and immediately the tree withered. Mark tells us that it was “dried up from the roots” (Mark 11:20). This was a big, thriving, healthy tree until Jesus cursed it. And when He did, it never bore fruit again.

“Why did Jesus curse the tree like this?” Was it simply because He was hangry? Was He in a bad mood that morning? Of course not! Jesus is never just impulsive or out of control. Everything He does, He does on purpose. So, what we need to ask is, “What’s His purpose in cursing the fig tree?”

First, let’s find out some things about fig trees in the Bible. In the Old Testament, fig trees were pleasurable things. The fruit of the fig tree was good and sweet. Fig trees were symbolic of prosperity (Deut. 8:8; Hab. 3:17; Hag. 2:19), pleasure (Judges 9:11), and security (1 Kings 4:25; 2 Kings 18:31; Isaiah 36:16; Joel 2:22; Nah. 3:12) in the land of Israel. When the people of Israel would see the fig-trees putting forth the early “green figs”, they looked at it warm-heartedly as a sign that springtime had come (Song 2:13).

It’s not surprising, then, that the Bible uses the fruit of the fig-tree as a symbol of Israel. In Hosea, the LORD says, “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the fig tree in its season” (Hosea 9:8). God gave the prophet Jeremiah a vision of the remnant people of Judah as a basket of either good ripe figs, or figs so rotten they couldn’t be eaten (Jer. 24:1-10).

And so, when God warns through His prophets that He is going to strike the fruit of the fig tree, it is a sign of judgment on His people Israel. In Jeremiah 8:13, He says, “‘I will surely consume them’ says the LORD. ‘No grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things I have given them shall pass away from them’” (Jer. 8:13; cf. Joel 1:11-12).

I believe that Jesus, when He cursed the fig tree, was illustrating a prophetic word of judgment.  Through the prophet Micah, The LORD indicated what He expected from His people:

With what shall I come before the LORD,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8).

But when the LORD examined His people closely, the prophet writes,

Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires (Micah 7:1).

Think about what Jesus had just done. He came to His temple, expecting to find genuine fruits of faith from His people. Instead, He was greeted with unbelief, opposition, and the abuse of His Father’s house. There were religious practices all over the place—offerings being made, Scriptures being recited, and lots of animals being purchased for sacrifice. It was very, very religious. But all their religion was nothing more than the mere outward “promise” of fruitfulness and nothing more. There was no real spiritual “fruit”. It was all “fig leaves”; but no “figs”.

In his Gospel, Luke doesn’t record this incident. But in Luke 13, after Jesus says to the Jewish people, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree:

6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 “Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 “But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 ‘And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ “ (Luke 13:6-9).

Think about it. Jesus came to the temple and instead of finding the fruit of faith, He was greeted by the religious leaders with opposition and unbelief. Jesus had been among them for more than three years ministering to them. For three years, Jesus had been patient. For three years, Jesus had sought fruit from the Jewish people. His patience was long. Yet finally, there reached a point when His patience would run out. I believe that the cursing of this fig tree was a living parable to indicate that the time for judgment had come.

This is the theme of the rest of the chapter: Israel lacks fruit. Here, the Messiah is entering Jerusalem. The Jewish people ought to receive Him. But, rather than doing so, they reject Him. In verse 23, they question Jesus’ authority. Beginning in Matthew 21:28, Jesus will tell a story of two sons. The first promised his father that he would work in the vineyard. Yet, when it came time to do so, he didn’t go. The second said that he wouldn’t work. But later, he repented and did go to work. The son of empty promises is like the nation of Israel. There is outward talk of righteousness, but no fruit of righteousness. They had leaves, but there were no figs. Beginning in Matthew 21:33, Jesus will talk about the vine-growers who hated the owner of the vineyard. Their hatred reached such a point that they would kill the son of the owner. Jesus made it very clear that the religious leaders were like the vine-growers. They hate the Son and have rejected the chief cornerstone. Israel missed their Messiah! They didn’t believe in Him. Their religion was all show. Their religion was all cultural and external—all leaves and no fruit. In Matthew 21:43, Jesus tells them, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

So, on one level it’s a story about Israel, but it is also a story about us. It is an acted parable with an intended meaning. Just as Jesus went to the fig tree looking for fruit, God comes looking for fruit in our lives. The prophet Isaiah in sang a parable in song about fruit. We read in Isaiah 5:

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. … 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help. (Isa 5:1-2, 7).

God looks for fruit in our lives, and not just fruit – He is looking for good fruit, not bad fruit. He is looking for real spiritual fruit of righteousness, not merely the leaves of external religion. Mere religiosity without genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may look good before men, but it greatly displeases the Lord. When God comes looking for fruit in your life, what will he find? Will he find the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)? Will he find the fruit of righteousness and holiness (Heb. 12:11)? Will He find the fruit of good works that please Him (Col. 1:10)? Will he find the fruit of witnessing as you share with others about Jesus and the gospel (1 Cor. 3:5-6)? Will he find the fruit of praise upon your lips (Heb. 13:15)?

And that leads us to the reaction of the disciples to what they saw; and to the next lesson we’re to learn …

2. The Word about Faith in Prayer (Matt. 21:20-22).

The disciples had a hard time learning the lessons of dependency upon the Lord. They had seen Him perform many miracles. But when they saw Him curse a fig tree, and then saw the fig tree wither and die afterwards, they marveled; saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” (Matt. 5:20).

It’s interesting that He didn’t answer their question directly. Instead, it seems to me that the Lord told them something that they weren’t expecting.

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matt. 21:21-22).

Jesus told the disciples something similar back in Matthew 17:20 when He answered their question about why they could not help the man with the demon possessed son. There He said: “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”  

Remember that these two verses are not just a random insertion by Matthew about faith and prayer. They come in the context of the cursing of the fig tree, directly in answer to Jesus’ disciple’s question about it, and the in the larger context of conflict with the Jewish religious leaders. They come in the context of the fruitlessness of the religious leaders and the Lord’s desire for good fruit.

So let me ask you, based upon what Jesus teaches here, how does one live a fruitful life before God? The answer: FAITH. The problem of no fruit is the problem of no faith. Jesus says “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done” (Matt. 21:21). Jesus is using hyperbole here to show that there is nothing that faith in Him cannot do.  We can’t make fig trees wither or cause mountains to throw themselves into the sea. But nothing is impossible for God. Faith lays hold of God’s power to do things that are impossible for us to do.

And then Jesus goes on to tell us that God answers the prayer of faith. He says, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matt. 21:22) That is an amazing verse. It is a breath-taking promise that God will answer your prayers when you pray in faith believing.

Now I don’t believe that Jesus is giving us some kind of “blank check” to do whatever we want independently from His Lordship. Did you notice that He specifies, “if you have faith and do not doubt . . .”? Who is it we’re to have faith in? Obviously, we’re to have faith in Him! What is it we’re not to doubt? We’re not to doubt His will expressed clearly in His word. It’s all about Jesus—not about what we want. The promise He makes in this passage is NEVER something we’re to try to claim in any other way than with complete, heartfelt, sincere, dependent faith on Him and in obedient trust in His word.

Jesus shows that a lack of fruit is a result of a lack of faith in Him. And a lack of faith in Him is revealed by a lack of prayer to Him. A person who doesn’t pray is a person who wreaks of self-sufficiency. They are a person who is all leaves and no fruit. They are a person who is doing things on their own and in their own strength. And when you do things on your own and in your own strength, do you know what happens? NOTHING. In John 15, Jesus said,

4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.“ (John 15:4-8).

The kind of faith our Lord wants from us is characterized by “abiding” in Him. It’s the kind of faith in the Lord Jesus that recognizes that we draw our very life from Him, and cannot do anything apart from Him. And it involves an understanding of His revealed will through the holy Scriptures; and a commitment be completely yielded to that will without doubt or without wavering.

So, here’s two lessons our Lord wants us to learn from the fig tree—and both lessons have to do with a vital faith in Jesus Christ. First, the tree that is covered with leaves but is barren of fruit teaches us the barrenness of mere religion on the outside when there’s unbelief in Jesus on the inside. Is your religion just an outward show, or is it bearing the fruit of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17)?

Second, the promise of the Savior to the disciples teaches us that real fruitfulness is a product of genuine, living, personal, dependency upon Jesus Christ in faith. Such faith in Jesus brings glory to the Father. When your life is full of fruit, your prayers will be filled with faith, and God will accomplish His purposes through your life and in our church. Is your faith demonstrated by believing prayer?

 

 

 

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Cleansing the Temple – Matthew 21:12-17

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Cleansing the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

In our study of Matthew’s Gospel, we’ve come to the great events of that last, holy week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. It began with our Lord’s ‘triumphal entry’ into the city of Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11 and will end in Matthew 27 with Jesus’ crucifixion. If you’ve ever wondered, how do you get from Palm Sunday when everyone was cheering Jesus to Good Friday when Jesus hung on the cross, the answer is what happened between Sunday and Friday during this final week of Jesus’ life. Of course, we have seen opposition to Jesus from the religious authorities mounting throughout the Gospel of Matthew. But in the plan of God, the hostility toward Jesus comes to a head during this week and will culminate in His execution on the cross.

Luke records that the Pharisees were upset by Jesus’ triumphal entry, and told Jesus to rebuke His disciples who were praising Him as the King (Luke 19:39). Matthew told us that the whole city was shaken by that event (Matt. 21:10). But if that day offended the religious leaders, just wait until you see what happens next. Nothing infuriated the Pharisees and the chief priests more than disrupting their religion. And that is exactly what Jesus does next. Jesus performs two prophetic acts of judgment: the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree. The first deals with false worship, and the second with false profession. Israel’s worship was corrupted. They performed religious rituals to God in their worship, but without a true relationship with God. They professed a desire for God’s Messiah, but rejected Him when He came. And for that, they would be judged.

Matthew 21:12-17 tells us the story of the Son of God’s entry into the temple—into His Father’s house. The Old Testament prophesied that when the Messiah came, He would come to the temple and clean house. We read in Malachi 3:

1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1-3).

Jesus came to the temple in fulfillment of prophecy, and He came to clean house. The worship in the temple was corrupted. And in an act of judgment, Jesus cleansed it. Matthew’s brief account tells us what Jesus immediately drove out of the temple, what He welcomed into it, and what He received and enjoyed in the midst of it. And in doing so, he teaches us three important truths about worship and God’s house. God’s house is to be a place of prayer, healing, and praise.

1. Jesus Drove the Market Out (Matt. 21:12-13)

Matthew 21:12 tells us, “Then Jesus went into the temple of God.” Let me give you a picture of what He saw. First, He saw a huge crowd of people. It was Passover week. Jews from all over came to Jerusalem, and the temple was the focal point of everything that week. All of these people had come up to Jerusalem to offer up sacrifices, according to the law of God (Exodus 12). These sacrifices were performed at the temple. Now certainly, what Jesus wanted to find in the temple were sincere worshipers of God.

In addition to the crowds in the temple, Jesus saw the market. The temple complex consisted not only of the temple building itself, which housed the inner holy place and the holy of holies, but also the several courtyards and colonnades that surrounded the temple building. So when Jesus entered the temple, it was not the temple building itself, but the outer court of the temple called the court of the Gentiles. There, He saw the market.

MacArthur gives some background on the business in the Temple. The business enterprises in the Court of the Gentiles came to be known as the “Bazaar of Annas,” whose chief priests and other associates oversaw the Temple franchises. Merchants would buy rights to a concession for selling sacrificial animals, wine, oil, or salt, or for exchanging money into the proper currency and denominations used in Temple offerings. They provided a necessary service for those traveling from far away. When you arrived in Jerusalem, you could purchase what you needed rather than having to bring it all with you.

So, if these were necessary services, what is the problem here? Well, there are a couple of problems here. One is the location. They’re doing all this in the temple! That’s not what the temple is for. They could have done all this business outside the temple gates. And the other problem is they are taking advantage of the people. There is extortion and price gouging going on. In addition to the franchise fees the operators would often be required to pay a certain percentage of their profits to Annas. According to Levitical law, any animal approved by the priests could be offered in the Temple. But the chief priests often made certain that animals not bought in one of their franchises would be judged unacceptable. A person would often have to pay as much as ten times what an animal normally cost. As if that extortion were not enough, those who needed to have foreign currency exchanged or who had to have their money converted into the exact amount for an offering were charged a processing fee.[1]

You can imagine what this did to the temple. It turned it into a marketplace. There would be buyers and sellers dashing back and forth. There would be lines of impatient people, and crowds pressing at tables. There would be haggling for the best price, and very likely would have been the kind of language filling the air that characterizes the trading of goods and money even today. And of course, there would be profits being made. In short, the temple was being used in selfish pursuit of business, rather than to offer sincere worship to a holy God.

That’s what Jesus found when He came into His Father’s house. And He drove it out. Matthew 21:12 tells us that Jesus “… drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.” Jesus put an end to the selfish abuse of God’s house.

And notice how Jesus justified His actions. He quoted Scripture. Jesus didn’t just act out of His own passions. He always did what He did in accordance with the written word of God. Matthew 21:13 says, “And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “” Jesus is quoting here from two prophets in the Old Testament: Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11).

In context, the prophecy from Isaiah reads,

1 Thus says the LORD: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.” 3 Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, “The LORD has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the LORD: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants–Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant– 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isa 56:1-7 NKJV)

That was the intention of the Father for His house. It was to be a house of prayer—a holy place. It was even to be a house of prayer “for all nations”—so that the Gentiles who sought the God of Israel could freely come within its courts and pray to Him. Yet what Jesus found was that the very court of the Gentiles, where the nations were supposed to come and pray, had been turned into a bazaar.

Even worse, Jesus says, “you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Jesus spoke the words of Jeremiah 7, where God sent His prophet to stand at the gate of the old temple and speak to the people entering it (Jer. 7:1-2), saying,

3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.’ 5 For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. 8 Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD. (Jer. 7:3-11).

The people in Jeremiah’s day felt as long as they had the temple, it was proof that they were God’s people and would be safe from their enemies. They thought they could live as they pleased and still come to the temple to worship and pray. Jeremiah spoke of thieves, murderers, liars, and idolaters (Jer. 7:9).  These were wicked, sinful people who came into the temple, saying “we are delivered!”

People sometimes do the same today. They go to church on Sundays, and then do whatever they want the rest of the week. But that is not what church is all about. Just as the temple was God’s house in the Old Testament, the people of Christ’s church are God’s house in the New Testament. Here’s the bottom line. You cannot live in sin all week long, and then come to church on Sundays as though none of that matters.

When you put together these prophecies from Isaiah and Jeremiah as Jesus did, the thrust of His message was that the worship that was being offered in the temple of God was corrupt, sinful, and evil. God calls their worship an abomination.

The marketplace in the temple made me think of the multitudes of times I’ve turned the television to a religious channel, and saw an 800 number and a credit card symbol on the bottom of the screen. It made me think of all the churches that adjust their schedules and reshape their style to reach a particular “target audience” from a higher economic level. It made me think of all the things of the world that churches are bringing into the holy house of God in a desperate effort to appear “relevant” and “tolerable” to the world. It made me think of how many churches and pastors are becoming increasingly hesitant to preach God’s word out of a fear of turning people away, and are preaching instead a market-driven message that the people of this world will find more acceptable.[2]

God’s house is a house of prayer. That doesn’t mean the only thing we do is pray. Rather, it means everything we do is done in an attitude of prayer. We come with a heart dependent on the Lord and seeking His face. That’s the first thing we learn from our passage today. God’s house is a place of prayer, not profit – a place of holiness, not a place for sin, selfish gain, or abuse.[3] This is why Jesus drove the market out.

Next, we see that …

2. Jesus Welcomed the Needy In (Matt. 21:14)

Matthew 21:14 says, “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.” It’s interesting to notice that when Jesus came into His temple, He not only drove out what the Jewish leaders had allowed to come in. He also brought in what they sought to keep out.

Under the Old Testament law, members of the priestly family who had the sad misfortune to suffer a defect were not permitted to serve in the temple. “‘For“, as the law says, “any man who has a defect shall not approach“; and specifically, “a man blind or lame” (Leviticus 21:18). The law even prohibited making an offering of any animal that was “blind or broken or maimed” (Leviticus 22:22). The Jews had misapplied these scriptures, leading to the unmerciful belief that the blind and the lame would defile the temple, and that they should be forbidden from coming into the temple area.

Who should be allowed to come into God’s temple more than those who need His mercy most? And what characterized the merciful ministry of the promised Messiah more than the prophecies of the Old Testament, that “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped“, or that “the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing” (Isaiah35:5-6)? Jesus excluded no one from His holy presence, or held anyone off from approaching Him, who truly sought His mercy. Those who most know their need for Him always find themselves loved and welcomed by Him. And so, here, we see that He doesn’t simply walk outside the temple area in order to heal the blind and the lame. He clearly expresses His heart for needy people by permitting them to come into His Father’s very house; and by healing them in the very court of the temple.

What a lesson for us as a church! All are welcome in God’s house. The church is a place where people of all races, backgrounds, and social status can join together to worship and serve the one, true and living God. The church is not a social club. It is the family of God, and all who come truly seeking God are welcome. It is a place where healing happens. Whatever your background, whatever your past, whatever sins you are currently struggling with, you are welcomed by Jesus.

One of the wonderful things about church is you don’t have to fix up your life before you come. Church is not a place for holy people who have it all together. It is a place for sinners to be healed. We come to church as broken, hurting, sinful people. We put our trust in Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. He heals our sin-sick souls and transforms us into children of God who walk according to His word.

So we see the Jesus welcomed the needy. Finally, we see that …

3. Jesus Received the Praise of Children (Matt. 21:15-17)

By this point, you would have thought that the high priests and scribes would have readily recognized Jesus for who He is. He had ridden into the city on a humble foal of a donkey as the prophet Zechariah had promised. He had entered into the temple and boldly cleansed it as had been predicted by the prophet Malachi. He had ministered before their very eyes as the Book of Isaiah promised the Messiah would do; healing the blind and the lame.

And now, they’re given one more sign. Matthew writes,

15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” (Matt. 21:14-16).

These were small children, and they were probably shouting, inside the temple, the same sort of words that they heard the crowds shout about Jesus as He approached the city (Matt. 21:9). The chief priests and teachers of the law were not happy about all this. The temple was their area, and Jesus was invading their territory. And so, when they see Jesus healing the sick and all the children shouting Jesus’ praises—in their temple! Instead of joining in with the praises, they begin to protest instead.

They asked Jesus if He heard what these noisy little children were saying—no doubt expecting that Jesus should share their indignation, and command the children to be quiet. And I love Jesus’ answer to their question. “Yes.” It’s a simple, straight-forward, bold answer, as if He was saying “Yes! I of course I hear the children. And I have no intention of stopping them. I gladly receive their praise.”

Instead of hushing the children, Jesus silenced His critics by asking them, “Have you never read …” Again, Jesus appealed to the authority of God’s written word. Surely they had read Psalm 8! There, in front of them, they were seeing prophecy fulfilled—if they had only had the eyes to see it. Out of the mouths of these little ones, Jesus was receiving the praise in the temple that the high priests and the scribes were refusing to give.

Jesus quotes Psalm 8 in this manner: “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise” (Matt. 21:16b; Psalm 8:2). The word that is here translated “perfected” is a term that refers to the repairing and knitting of a thing together so that it is united and complete. The NASB translates it “prepared”. The NIV translates it “ordained”.

The point is that it was through the praises of the little children that praise to our Lord was “perfected” and made “complete”. It was ordained by God that way. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19? “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). Pure, unadulterated praise, like that of little children, is what God desires.

I believe that Jesus wants God’s house to be a place where the meekest, the smallest, and the seemingly most insignificant are welcomed, respected, and well-received in their praises to Him. He does not consider His praise to be complete unless it comes from little mouths.[4]

And notice that Jesus is the rightful recipient of our praise. He is the Son of God, the divine second person of the triune God. He receives worship rightly because He is worthy. We read in Philippians 2: “… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phi. 2:10-11).

The worship of Jesus is where the continental divide of all religions takes place. All religions either worship Jesus as the only true God or they don’t worship Jesus as the only true God. And those that refuse to worship Jesus are false religions. When the chief priests and scribes refused to worship Him and sought to hinder those who were, they demonstrated themselves to be false. They hated Jesus. They wanted to destroy Jesus. Perhaps this is why we read in Matthew 21:17, “Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.” He didn’t find what He had a right to expect in the temple in Jerusalem; and so He went out from them and left them. They had refused to worship Jesus. They had attempted to stop the worship of Jesus. As we will see next time in the cursing of the fig tree, Jesus leaving them was an act of judgment on their false worship because they did not believe in Him.

What we learn about Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem we can apply to ourselves as the people of God. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:15, “… I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” What does the Son of God want to find in His Father’s house? This passage shows us three things: 1) that His church is a holy place for all who seek Him; 2) that those who most need His mercy are welcomed; and 3) that His praises from the smallest among us are encouraged and respected.

—————————————————————

 

[1] John MacArthur, Macarthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 16-23, Moody Publishers, Chicago, p. 268.

[2] Greg Allen, What Jesus Wants to Find in the Church, https://bethanybible.org/archive/2008/030908.htm.

[3] Ray Fowler, God’s House, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/gods-house/.

[4] Allen, ibid.

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Who Is This? Matthew 21:1-11

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Who Is This?

Matthew 21:1-11

Matthew 21 begins the last week of Jesus’ ministry before He would be crucified. Matthew devotes seven chapters to the events of this week. It is the culmination of Jesus’ mission as the Son of God. From the beginning of his Gospel, Matthew has presented Jesus to us as the promised Messiah and King.

But most Jews in Jesus’ day missed Him as their Messiah and King because they were expecting a different kind of Savior. They thought that Messiah would be a mighty political deliverer, who would lead Israel to military victory over their Roman oppressors. They were not looking for a lowly Savior, riding on the foal of a donkey. They could not conceive of a suffering Savior, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for sinners. And so, tragically, they missed the coming of their King![1]

Yes, the multitudes rejoiced as Jesus rode that donkey’s colt into Jerusalem. But did they truly understand Who He was and why He came? Our text today calls us to worship Jesus as our King with rejoicing. Yet if our praise is to be more than just empty emotion, we must understand correctly who Jesus is and what He came to do. In Matthew 21:10, the people were shaken when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and they voiced this decisive question, “Who is this?” Who is Jesus? Matthew answers that question for us in this passage (Matthew 21:1-11).

Notice first …

1. The Planned Presentation of the King (Matthew 21:1-5)

Our text begins, “Now when they drew near Jerusalem …” (Matt. 21:1). As we know from our previous studies of Matthew, Jesus had planned His arrival in Jerusalem. On several occasions, Jesus had told His disciples that they were headed to Jerusalem and why. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus “began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” He repeated this prediction in Matthew 17, adding that He would be betrayed (Matt. 17:22-23). Then again, in Matthew 20, Jesus told them again in more detail, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again” (Matt. 20:18-19).

Jesus went to Jerusalem for a specific purpose: to suffer at the hands of sinful men, die upon the cross, and rise again. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus told us the purpose of His death, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” His death was a redeeming death, a sacrificial death, a vicarious death, and a saving death. When Jesus died, He paid the debt for our sins.

Everything that Jesus did as He entered Jerusalem and everything that occurred that day was on purpose. Jesus planned it and executed it on purpose. Remember, up to this point, Jesus had not broadcasted the fact that he was the Messiah. Throughout His ministry in Galilee, Jesus often warned those He healed to “tell no one” (Matt. 8:4; 9:30; 12;16). In Matthew 16, after Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” (Matt. 16:16), Matthew writes, “Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ” (Matt. 16:20). After Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured before them in His divine, royal splendor, “He commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead’” (Matt. 17:9).

But now, Jesus intentionally goes public. Jesus knew that the hour for His suffering and death was at hand. He will no longer conceal who He is. He is the Christ, the Messiah who has come giving sight to the blind and raising the dead. He is the Davidic King who has come to save His people. But He is not the kind of Messiah and King the people are expecting.

So, look what Jesus does:

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (Matt. 21:1-3).

Jesus is in control of everything that happens here. First, Jesus sent two disciples to bring His ride to Him. Notice that the disciples didn’t have to look for the animals. He said that, as soon as they came into the village, they would “immediately” find not just a donkey, but a donkey and her colt tied together. Two animals—requiring two disciples to bring them.

Second, we see that they were instantly allowed to take the animals. Jesus told them, “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them” (Matt. 21:2-3). Luke’s Gospel tells us that’s exactly what happened. When the owners saw the two disciples untying the donkeys, they wanted to know what they were doing. And when the disciples said what the Lord told them to say, they just let them go.

Everything went exactly according to plan. Now, some will say that these things took place just as Jesus had spoken because Jesus had made prior arrangements with the owner of these donkeys. That’s pure speculation, because the scripture doesn’t say that. Since Jesus had clear foreknowledge of the specifics of His crucifixion and resurrection, it’s not a stretch to believe that Jesus simply knew where the donkeys were and how the owners would respond.

Whether Jesus prepared for it supernaturally or not, the point is Jesus was clearly in charge of the events surrounding His death, including the triumphal entry, the betrayal by Judas, and the death plots of the Jewish leaders. None of it took Him by surprise. He is the King of authority who controls all things according to His purpose, even the events of His death (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).[2]

And all of this, Matthew tells us, was in keeping with the promise of the Scriptures, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” (Matt. 21:4). Then Matthew quotes from Zechariah 9:9, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matt. 21:5). The “daughter of Zion” refers to the people of Jerusalem. It’s a prophecy to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

It’s important for us to know that when Matthew quotes the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy, he doesn’t just pull a verse out of thin air. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew is writing his Gospel to Hebrews who know their scripture and the context in which it was written. Zechariah prophesied four centuries before the coming of Christ to the Jewish remnant who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. In the first part of Zechariah 9, God promised to judge the nations surrounding Judah through the coming of a conqueror from Greece. From history, we know him as Alexander the Great. He would strike terror into the hearts of those in his path. He often slaughtered all the men in a city and sold the women and children into slavery. He was a conqueror obsessed with his own power and dominion. The later part of Zechariah 9 then predicts the future prosperity of Judah and how God would then bring judgment on Greece.

However, right between these prophesies of judgment, Zechariah gives a prophecy to Judah about their coming King (Zech. 9:9) who would speak peace to the nations and whose dominion would be to the ends of the earth (Zech 9:10). Here is what the Lord said through Zechariah,

9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.'” (Zech. 9:9-10).

Zechariah says that the Messiah King would be “just” or righteous. He will exercise justice perfectly. And Zechariah says this King will come “having salvation”. He will come to save His people. Zechariah says, “He shall speak peace to the nations” (Zech. 9:10).

However, the part of the prophecy that Matthew stresses is the humility of this promised King. In contrast to the proud Alexander on his war horse, Jesus came “Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey” (Matt. 21:5). The donkey was a lowly animal, used for peaceable purposes by those who were of no rank or position. By riding the foal of a donkey, Jesus was showing Himself to be the King, in fulfillment of our text, but not the exalted political king and military commander that the people expected. MacArthur shows the contrast, writing,

Alexander the Great inspires fear. Alexander the Great inspires dread. Alexander the Great makes war. But this king in verse 9 and following does not inspire fear and dread, but praise. He doesn’t make war; He makes peace. He’s not a foreign tyrant; He is Israel’s own king. He’s not cruel and oppressive; He’s kind and righteous. He doesn’t slay; He saves. He’s not rich; He’s poor. He’s not proud; He’s meek. He’s not riding a white horse; He’s riding a colt of a beast of burden. Very stark contrast.[3]

Jesus is the gentle King who said, “28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30). He is the humble King who said, “27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave– 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:27-28). The angel told Joseph to name Him Jesus because, “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Messiah who offered salvation and peace with God through His death for us on the cross.

God spoke it through His prophet four hundred years before Jesus came. And the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled it perfectly according to God’s word. God sovereignly determined how the Lord Jesus would present Himself as King in Jerusalem. It was a planned presentation.

Who is this? He is Jesus Christ, the King of authority, justice, salvation, peace, and humility.

How did the people respond to Him?

2. The People’s Praise of the King (Matthew 21:6-9)

Matthew tells us, “6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.” (Matt. 21:6-7). Having retrieved the donkey and colt as Jesus instructed them, the disciples then made a saddle using their own cloaks, and Christ sat on this colt as the procession began to wind its way to the city of Jerusalem.

Matthew 21:8 says, “And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road…” Multitudes of pilgrims and disciples joined Jesus on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover. And seeing Jesus riding the donkey’s colt, they did what would have been appropriate for the coming of the long-awaited King. First, they create a royal carpet of sorts by spreading their cloaks on the road before Him. This custom goes back to Old Testament times where the people would spread their cloaks on the ground before the approaching king. One example is with King Jehu, in 2 Kings 9:13: “Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, ‘Jehu is king!’” Spreading your cloaks on the ground was a sign of submission and respect. So, when the people spread their cloaks on the ground before Jesus, they are welcoming Him into Jerusalem and symbolically saying they submitted to Him as their King.

Matthew tells us that “others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Matt. 21:8). Palm branches were a sign of joy, especially in the occasion of a military victory. And so we begin to understand what kind of king the people expected Jesus to be. If Palm Sunday for Jesus was all about the humility of a donkey, for the people it was all about the pageantry of the palms.[4] They weren’t looking for a gentle and peaceful king. They were looking for a military king who would deliver them from the power of Rome and inaugurate the Jewish kingdom.

The crowds got bigger as they approached Jerusalem, and now there were crowds of people ahead of Jesus as well as crowds of people following, and they are all shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9). “Hosanna” is a cry of salvation from Psalm 118:25. It literally means, “Save us, now!” “Son of David” is a messianic title. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of David. The Christ would be a King who would take the throne of His father David and reign forever. So, when the people cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, they are proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.

They also said, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD,” quoting Psalm 118:26 about the coming of the Messiah. And they shouted, “Hosanna in the highest!”, affirming that Jesus’ coming into the city was a cause of praise to God. It echoes the worship of the heavenly host at Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest!”

As Christ entered Jerusalem, the people were singing a prayer that the Son of David might save them. And Jesus truly is the Savior. Only He didn’t bring salvation in the way that the Jews expected. When we read Matthew 21 in the context of everything else that takes place in the rest of the book, we clearly understand that Christ’s kingdom isn’t a political kingdom. He didn’t come to physically reign over Jerusalem that day. Jesus was establishing a spiritual kingdom. He came to save His people from their sins by giving His life a ransom for many.

Who is this? This is Jesus, the Messiah and King who has come to save. He is blessed for He comes in the name of the Lord in fulfillment of God’s word. He is worthy of the highest praise. And as He comes, the people rejoice and praise Him as the King in fulfillment of prophecy.

But did they really understand what kind of King and Savior He would be?

Finally we see …

3. The Perplexing Person of the King (Matthew 21:10-11)

We see the confusion of the crowd as Matthew reports, “10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”” (Matt. 21:10). Imagine this great multitude, as they marched into the city, shouting, celebrating, and singing ‘hosannas’ to the Lord! It caused quite an uproar! The whole city was shaken. Due to all the commotion, the people of Jerusalem were asking, “Who is this?”

So, who is this? We have already seen the people welcome Jesus as their King. We have seen them proclaim Him as Messiah. And now they also identify him as the Prophet. Matthew 21:11 says, “11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”” What did they mean by this? Perhaps some simply meant that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet sent by God who, like the prophets of the Old Testament spoke the word from God. It was clear from His miraculous power that He was from God. But was He more?

Back in the Old Testament Moses told the people of Israel: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” (Deuteronomy 18:15). Now, the people in the city ask, “Who is this?” and the crowds answer, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Jesus was the prophet like Moses whom God raised up in fulfillment of prophecy.

We can view the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem in two ways, for it was two things at once.[5] It was a planned presentation of Jesus as King, a public declaration of His Messiahship. By entering Jerusalem this way Jesus threw down of the gauntlet to the religious leadership. He forced the people and their leaders to make a decision about Him. Was He the King and Messiah? Would they accept Him? Or would they carry out their plot to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14)? Jesus came into Jerusalem as a King and dared the religious authorities to do something about it. His hour had come. There was no turning back. Jesus knew that He came to Jerusalem to suffer and die. And when the people hailed Him as Messiah, Prophet and King, it put Him on a direct collision course with the chief priests and teachers of the law, who later that week will condemn Him to death and turn Him over to the Romans to be mocked, beaten, and crucified.

Because, while the triumphal entry presented Jesus as the Messiah and King, it also declared that He was not the Messiah that the people were expecting or what the leaders wanted. He had not come to overthrow the Roman oppressors but to give His life a ransom for their sins. He entered Jerusalem as a king, to be sure, but as a meek and lowly king, riding a donkey. Jesus boldly proceeded into Jerusalem, knowing everything that would happen to Him there. He accepted the praises of the crowd, knowing that everything they proclaimed about Him was true. Jesus stirred up the city, knowing that this would lead to His final confrontation with the religious leaders.

Who is this and how should we receive Him? Let’s receive Him as the Messiah whose coming was promised by God, and prepared far in advance for our salvation. Let’s recognize Him as the King who comes meek and gentle and lowly—not as our Judge now but as our Savior—and as One who takes our sins upon Himself at the cross, so that we need not experience the fear of judgment for our sins. Let’s celebrate Him as the promised King, who’s coming is the answer to the cry, “Save now, O Lord!” And above all, let’s be sure that we place our trust fully in Him who came into Jerusalem to give His life on the cross for our sins.

Because although Jesus comes to us as the humble, servant King today, He has also promised that He will come again. And at His second coming, Jesus will return as the mighty sovereign to judge and to reign forever. Instead of a donkey, He will ride a white horse. Instead of bringing peace, He will make war. Revelation 1911-16 describes it:

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

What a contrast there is between that first entry into Jerusalem and the second! The first was on a meek and mild donkey—a symbol of gentleness and peace, but the second will be on the white stallion of a warrior. The first was to make atonement for our sins, but the second will be to judge, to make war, and to tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Jesus wore no crowns at that first entry; but at His second, He will wear many crowns. At His first entry, the clothes of the happy crowds were thrown before Him, but at His second, He will wear a robe dipped in blood. Crowds of humble people went before Him and behind Him at His first entry, but at His second, He will be accompanied by the white-robed armies of heaven. He came to His own people that first time to be struck down, but He will come the second time to strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron. When He came that first time into the city, they announced Him as Jesus, the prophet from the humble town of Nazareth of Galilee, but when He comes the second time, He will be called by the name “The Word of God“, and will bear the title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS“.[6]

Listen, your eternal destiny at the time of Christ’s second entry into Jerusalem is going to depend upon whether or not you have properly responded to His first coming. If we receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior now, we will reign with Him when He comes again. The crucial question today is, “Who is this?”

—————————————————–

[1] Steven Cole, Lesson 12: Rejoice! Your King is Coming! (Zechariah 9:9-10 and Matthew 21:1-11), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-12-rejoice-your-king-coming-zechariah-99-10-and-matthew-211-11

[2] Cole, ibid.

[3] John MacArthur, The Humble Coronation of King Jesus, https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-42/the-humble-coronation-of-king-jesus.

[4] Ray Fowler, Destination Jerusalem, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/destination-jerusalem/.

[5] Robert Rayburn, The Triumphal Entry, Matthew 21:1-11, https://www.faithtacoma.org/matthew/the-triumphal-entry.  

[6] Greg Allen, “Jesus’ ‘First’ Triumphal Entry”, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2008/030208.htm.

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The Death and Resurrection of Jesus

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The Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Matthew 20:17-19

A few years ago a certain church marketing newsletter (Church’s Advertising Network) promoted a campaign to attract people at Easter. In this public relations campaign, they suggested that the church downplay the negative image of the crucifixion and focus only on the positive image of the resurrection. One pastor interviewed for the campaign gave his wholehearted endorsement, saying, “We are going to attempt to concentrate on the resurrection, and not the death of Jesus.”

Can you imagine Easter without the cross? Is it possible to have the resurrection without the crucifixion? It distorts the entire gospel if Christ’s crucifixion is separated from His resurrection. The way to the empty tomb must always go through the cross. The Savior who was raised from the dead on Sunday is none other than Christ Jesus who was crucified on Friday. Easter without a cross is a hoax.

Easter is good news because of the cross. Paul gives a summary of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Jesus Himself described His betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection for us in this morning’s passage, Matthew 20:17-19. This is the third time in Matthew that Jesus specifically predicted His death and resurrection. In Matthew 16, we saw that after Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Matthew writes,

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matt. 16:21).

Again in Matthew 17, Jesus told His disciples, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”  

Out of all the portions of Scripture in which Jesus told His disciples in advance of His death and resurrection, this one is the most detailed. And as we will see as we study further into Matthew’s Gospel, every detail of what Jesus says in it truly happened to Him.

Setting: The Journey to Jerusalem (Matt. 20:17)

“Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them…” (Matt 20:17). We saw in Matthew 19:1 that Jesus had finished His Galilean ministry and was on His way to Jerusalem. It was the time of year when people were making their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the Passover. Jews from all over the world made their way to the holy city. The way to Jerusalem from Galilee through Perea was especially busy as many took this same route that Jesus and His disciples walked.

Most pilgrims were likely joyful and excited about going up for the feast with their families and friends. But the mood was more somber with Jesus and His disciples. When Mark tells us the story in his Gospel, he says that as the disciples were on the road going up to Jerusalem, “Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid” (Mark 10:32). We can understand their fear when we remember how the opposition to Jesus from the religious leaders had been growing. It was common knowledge that they wanted to destroy Jesus (Matt. 12:14; Mark 3:3; Luke 6:11; John 5:18; 10:39; 11:53,57). Things would certainly get worse in Jerusalem where the chief priests and Pharisees held so much power.

Matthew tells us that Jesus “took the twelve disciples aside on the road” to explain to them about His death and resurrection. Jesus was anticipating His arrival in Jerusalem. He was anticipating His arrest and unfair trial. He was anticipating His death and resurrection. So, He wished to be alone with His disciples so He could prepare them for the terrible and spectacular events that awaited them in Jerusalem.

They needed to be told again because we know that they did not understand it when Jesus told them before. When Jesus told them about His suffering and death the first time (Matt. 16:21), the idea was so offensive to Peter that he took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matt. 16:22). After Jesus told them again in Matthew 17, the disciples “were exceedingly sorrowful” (Matt. 17:23).

The disciples were still anticipating a glorious earthly kingdom. They anticipated the rewards that they might receive for following Jesus (Matt. 19:27). Even though Jesus has just taught them through the parable of the workers in the vineyard that, “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16), in the very next scene James and John have their mother ask for them positions of honor in the kingdom. Jesus’ focus on His suffering and sacrifice stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the disciples who are focused on rewards and thrones. Osbourne comments, “Jesus is aware of his destiny and deliberately chooses the cross, while the disciples, aware of nothing, are consumed with their own desire for greatness.”[i]  

That is the setting for Jesus’ prediction. We now turn to the content of His teaching. Jesus teaches about three necessary events that will happen when they go up to Jerusalem: His betrayal and condemnation, His delivery to the Gentiles and crucifixion, and His resurrection on the third day. This is the same three points that Paul made in 1 Corinthians 15 when he explained the gospel message and defended Christ’s resurrection. To be saved, you must believe these three things about Jesus. He was…

1. Betrayed and Condemned (Matt. 20:18)

Jesus tells His disciples, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,” (Matt. 20:18).

He started off saying “Behold” to get their attention. He then reminds them that “we are going up to Jerusalem.” The city of Jerusalem was about twenty miles west from the region of “Judea beyond the Jordan” (Matt. 19:1) or Perea, where Jesus had been traveling with His disciples. They would cross back over the Jordan River near Jericho and make the trek uphill to Jerusalem. It was a steep climb from 1200 feet below sea level at Jericho to 2600 feet in altitude at Jerusalem. It would normally take several days to get there.

Now, Jesus tells His disciples again in more detail what awaits Him at Jerusalem. He says it will be betrayal and condemnation, “the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death” (Matt. 20:18).

First, notice what the Lord calls Himself here. He refers to Himself as “The Son of Man“. This is a title that would have drawn the disciples to the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel. In Daniel 7, we read of Daniel’s vision of the end-times and of the future reign of the Messiah:

I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14).

Jesus deliberately chose to use the title “Son of Man” to refer to Himself. He didn’t simply say, “I am going to be betrayed . . .”; but rather, that “the Son of Man is going to be betrayed . . .” He wanted to emphasize the glory of who He truly was. In using this title, Jesus indicated that He was undergoing these things as the promised Messiah and King.

And perhaps, in the process, the disciples would have remembered what else is promised about the Son of Man in Daniel’s prophecy. Daniel 9:26 says that after a certain time, “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.” This promised Messiah would not only one day rule a kingdom that will not be destroyed, but He must also be “cut off” for the sake of others!

Jesus knew the scriptures. He knew the prophecies about the Messiah. Jesus was making it clear that He knew in advance what was about to happen. He knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem—even down to the precise details. This ought to cause us to be humbled in awe before our Savior. His humanity certainly would have recoiled from the suffering that awaited Him. It would have been natural for Him to avoid going to Jerusalem at all. And yet, Jesus went willingly and resolutely to die on the cross—”not for Himself“, as Daniel says, but for us.

Jesus predicted His betrayal, “the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes” (Matt. 20:18). Matthew 26 records how this took place:

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. (Matt. 26:14-16).

Then Matthew tells us that after Jesus had celebrated the Passover with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray. After repeatedly praying and returning to find His disciples asleep, He said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Matt. 26:45-46). Then Matthew records,

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. (Matt. 26:47-50).

As Jesus spoke this prediction of His betrayal, His betrayer was right there among the twelve. Jesus knew it. Yet, because He also knew it had to happen this way in fulfillment of scripture and the Father’s will, Jesus did not expose His betrayer yet.

Just as Jesus predicted, Judas betrayed Him “to the chief priests and to the scribes.” The chief priests were the aristocratic, upper-echelon priests who inherited their positions. They controlled the temple and dictated the temple service of the rest of the priests. The scribes were the experts in scriptures and traditions who interpreted the law of Moses. Many of these were high ranking Pharisees. Together, they made up the ruling council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin who held a mock trial and condemned Jesus.

Again, Matthew 26 records,

57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ” 62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 “What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” (Matt. 26:57-66).

They condemned Jesus for speaking blasphemy. Yet, Jesus was speaking the truth about Himself. They condemned Him because they would not believe in Him—that He was the divine Son of Man who would reign at God’s right hand.

Next Jesus predicts that He would be…

2. Delivered Over and Crucified (Matt. 20:19a)

In Matthew 20:19, Jesus says that the chief priests and scribes would, “… deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify…” To deliver or hand over meant to give Jesus over to their power and authority. Jesus knew the Jews did not have the authority to put Him to death and therefore had to hand Him over to the Gentiles to carry out the death sentence. Matthew 27:1-2 says,

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. (Matt. 27:1-2).

And now, Jesus gives details about His suffering that He did not disclose to His disciples before—how they would mock Him and scourge Him, and how He would die by crucifixion. Matthew 27:26-31 describes the how Gentiles scourged and mocked Him:

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matt. 27:26-31).

It happened exactly as Jesus predicted because it was the will of God. The Messiah’s suffering and death was planned by God ages before it was plotted and carried out by these evil men. Jesus knew why He had come to earth and every detail of how His life and death would fulfill the scriptures according to the will of God.

And He also knew that His death would not be the end of the story. Because Jesus also predicted He would be …

3. Resurrected the Third Day (Matt. 20:19b)

We read Matthew’s resurrection account (Matt. 28:1-10) at the beginning of our worship service today. We heard how as the first day of the week began to dawn “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door” (Matt. 28:2). We read how he spoke to the women who had come to the tomb saying, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matt. 28:5-6). We read that as they went with great fear and joy to tell the disciples, Jesus met them saying, “Rejoice!” and  “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me” (Matt. 28:9,10).

So we see the death and resurrection of Jesus. The two cannot be separated. The question that comes to us is, “Why?” Why did Jesus subject Himself to these things? If Jesus knew what was going to happen, why did He continue? The answer to this question comes in Matthew 20:28, one of the greatest verses in the Bible. Jesus said, ” just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” When Jesus died, it wasn’t without purpose. When Jesus died, it wasn’t just another man dying as a criminal. There was a specific reason why He died. “to give His life a ransom for many.” As we know from the rest of the scriptures, He gave His life to redeem the souls of sinners who would believe in Him. It was one life for many. His single death paid for the life of many others. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is not an afterthought, but is bound closely to the crucifixion as the key means by which Jesus will accomplish the redemption of His people.

We are here today, worshiping Jesus Christ, because His death two thousand years ago paid for our sin today. This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, who are sinners and deserve to die because of our sin, don’t die because of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf to pay the debt that we owed to God for our sin. As we believe that news and trust that news, we are redeemed from our sin. God has bought us back from the bondage in which we found ourselves due to our sin.

We are here today because Jesus did not stay in the grave. He rose the third day, just as He said He would. If Jesus had not been raised, we would have no forgiveness, no hope, no life, and no heaven. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15,

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. (1 Cor. 15:17-19).

The only reason for us gathering here today is because Jesus is alive. There is no other explanation for proclamation of the gospel and the spread of the church. It is precisely because Jesus rose from the dead! All our faith and hope rests on that fact.

The death and resurrection of Jesus redeemed us from our sin. That’s what Matthew 20:28 is speaking about. That’s what being a Christian is all about. It’s about believing and trusting in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Have you bowed the knee to Jesus Christ? Do you trust in His atoning sacrifice for your sins? Then, today should be a wonderful time of celebration, as you remember Jesus paying the ransom for your sins. Today should filled with joy as you celebrate our risen Savior and Lord. Today should be filled with hope as we have the assurance of our own resurrection and heaven because Christ has been raised.

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[i] Grant Osbourne, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, p. 735.

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The Last Will Be First

parables-of-the-kingdom

The Last Will Be First

Matthew 20:1-16

Christianity is supremely a religion of grace. We sing about God’s amazing grace, grace greater than our sin. Paul’s epistles are saturated with the concept of God’s grace. But, even so, I think that God’s grace is often not well understood and sometimes not really believed. In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Phillip Yancey points out that part of our problem is in the nature of grace itself.[1] Grace shocks us in what it offers. Grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it, and hardly appreciate it. In grace, God does for others what we would never do for them. By grace God saves what we think are the not-so-bad people and also the very worst of sinners. In fact, no one is saved apart from God’s grace.

Today we are looking at Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. Although our text does not use the word “grace”, it powerfully illustrates it.  

Think about the context in which Jesus taught this parable. Jesus is on His final journey to Jerusalem with His disciples (Matt. 19:1). The conflict between Jesus and His adversaries began to intensify, and the time for our Lord’s sacrificial death was drawing near. In Matthew 19, when some parents brought their little children to Jesus for Him to bless them, the disciples tried to prevent them. But Jesus rebuked His disciples saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). The scribes and Pharisees didn’t see it that way. They thought that heaven belonged to them, because of their religious efforts, and because of their positions.

Then a man came up to Jesus and wanted to know what he needed to do in order to have eternal life. He was young, rich, powerful, and moral—a success by this world’s standards. And yet, he knew that he didn’t have eternal life. Since this man felt that he had fully kept the law from his youth, Jesus had to show him how far he came from measuring up to God’s standards. So, Jesus told this “rich young ruler” to sell all that he owned, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow Him. That was too high a price to pay, and so sadly, the rich young ruler went away without Jesus and without eternal life.

Jesus then turned to his disciples and pointed out how hard it is for the rich who trust in their wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24), the disciples were shocked. Jesus highlighted God’s grace when He said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26).

Then Peter looked at himself and the other disciples. They certainly weren’t powerful and successful like that rich, young, ruler. And yet, they had done what he could not do. And so, speaking behalf of the others, Peter said to the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matt. 19:27). Jesus told them,

28 Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matt. 19:28-29).

Jesus assures them that following Him would certainly be worth it in the end. They would have the very thing that the rich young ruler could not earn for himself—eternal life. But lest any of His followers should think of themselves as “greatest in the kingdom” because they sacrificed more, or followed longer—or, on the other hand, lest any of them should be discouraged and think that they would never amount to much in His kingdom—Jesus then teaches: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30).

And to help explain this proverbial statement, Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard, showing that our rewards for salvation and service will not be on the basis of human merit but rather on the principle of “grace”. Our Lord evaluates His servants in a far different way than the people of this world do. He loves to shower His grace on those who are the most unworthy in this world’s eyes. When it comes to the work of His kingdom, “many who are first will be last, and the last first“.

I have divided Jesus’ parable into three parts for our study today: the hiring of the workers (Matt. 20:1-7); the unusual payment of the workers (Matt. 20:8-13); and the owners explanation (Matt. 20:14-15). Then Jesus concludes His teaching by repeating what He said at the beginning, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16).

1. The Hiring of the Workers (Matt. 20:1-7).

Jesus begins by saying, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard” (Matt. 20:1). Like most of Jesus’ parables, the subject is “the kingdom of heaven.” In our context, that means salvation and eternal life. What is the kingdom of heaven like? It is “like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.”

In those days, a normal day was numbered in twelve hours from sunrise to sunset. So, “early in the morning” was probably the beginning of the work day around 6:00 am at sunrise. It was probably time to harvest, and the landowner needed workers to pick his grapes. So he went to the place where the day laborers gathered to seek work. These were unskilled workers near the bottom of the social-economic scale. Many lived at a level not far above beggars. They worked from job to job, many of which lasted no more than a day. So, they would gather in the market place, the local labor pool, before dawn to be available for hiring.

Jesus goes on to say, “Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” (Matt. 20:2). A “denarius” was the standard wage for a Roman soldier. It was a generous wage for a day laborer. And so, that agreement being settled, off they went to work.

But as Jesus tells the story, clearly the landowner needed more laborers than those he had just hired. So Jesus says,

3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'” (Matt. 20:3-7).

The third hour would be about 9:00 am. As the owner goes to the marketplace again, he finds more unemployed men and hires them as well. This time, saying “‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you” (Matt. 20:4). Even though the owner did not promise them a particular wage, these workers obviously trusted him to pay them what was fair. The owner then goes back again “about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise” (Matt. 20:5)—that is, about noon and 3:00 in the afternoon he hired more workers. Finally, “about the eleventh hour,” just an hour before the work day concluded at sunset, “he went out and found others.” They were not “standing here idle all day” because they were lazy but because “no one hired” them yet. The fact that they were still there at the eleventh hour shows just how desperately they needed the job. Even getting paid for one hours work would help in their hopeless situation.

So the workers are hired. The first went to work after the promise of a certain wage. The rest, including the last, went to work trusting the goodness of the master.  

Next in the parable Jesus tells about …

2. The Unusual Payment of the Workers (Matt. 20:8-13).

In Matthew 20:8 Jesus tells us how this took place, “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’” The landowner’s steward must have lined up all of the workers. The first in line were those who had agreed to begin working last, at the eleventh hour. To the shock of everyone, we read, “And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.” (Matt. 20:9). What a pleasant surprise for those men who were late in getting hired! They had expected fair payment for the one hour they worked. What they got was extremely generous compensation, a whole day’s wage—much more than they deserved! I’m sure that they went away rejoicing. They had wasted most of the day standing idle in the marketplace with nothing to show for it. But, then, this kind landowner came along and paid them a full day’s wage! What looked like the worst work day ever just an hour ago has suddenly turned into the best day ever!

I’m sure that as the others watched, they were pretty excited. They began calculating in their mind what might possibly take place. “If these guys who worked only an hour received a full denarius, I wonder what is in it for us? Certainly, we will receive even more because we worked more.” Then the twist in the story comes in Matthew 20:10, “But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.” Does that seem fair? They didn’t think so. Jesus tells their response, “And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’” (Matt. 20:11-12). In their minds, this was really unthinkable and totally unfair. So, they grumbled and complained because even though they worked longer and harder in the heat of the day, they all received the same amount no matter how long they had worked.

That brings us to …

3. The Explanation by the Vineyard Owner (Matt. 20:13-15).

The landowner said to one of these complaining, grumbling workers, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?” (Matt. 20:13). The laborers who signed up at the beginning of the day agreed to work in the vineyard for a denarius. They worked all day. They received their denarius. The contract was fulfilled. There ought to have been no complaint. Therefore, the landowner tells the complainer, “Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.” (Matt. 20:14).

Now remember, this parable is about the kingdom of heaven. It is about salvation and eternal life. The landowner clearly represents the Lord. He calls men into His kingdom and compensates them for their service to Him. So what does this teach us about God and salvation?

Three lessons:

A. God will keep His promises (Matt. 20:13).

The landowner kept his promise to pay the first workers what they agree to work for. He did not cheat them. And even though they did the most work, they only had the opportunity to work at all because the owner graciously agreed to hire them.

We should never forget that it is a privilege to be called to serve the Lord in His kingdom. It is an unspeakably great honor to serve the Lord.  Have you been called to teach a Sunday School class? Have you been called to provide some repair or maintenance work in the house of God? Have you been called to visit someone who is sick? Have you been called to provide transportation or meals to someone? Have you been called to share your faith in some particular setting? Do you see something in the work of the kingdom that needs to be done that you have the unique capacity to do; and are you feeling God’s call to get to work?

It doesn’t matter God called you to salvation and service early in life or in your twilight years. If He has called you, He has work for you to do. Whenever He called you into His service, don’t question the fact that He called you when He called you! Go to the vineyard and work—knowing that He knows what He has planned for you to do, and that He will reward you rightfully for your faithful service.

If the Lord has called you into the service of His kingdom in any capacity, Rejoice in it; and rise up immediately and get to work! Give yourself fully to that thing the Lord has given you to do. Don’t hold back, waiting for something better to do. Don’t put it off, looking for some other time. Do what He has called you to do now for His kingdom’s sake!

Jesus said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matt. 19:29). God will keep His promises.

B. God will be sovereign (Matt. 20:14-15)

The landowner said to the complainer, “I wish to give to this last man the same as to you,” and then asked him the rhetorical question, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?”  God is free to do what He desires with each of us. After all, it is His universe. He created it all, including us, for His own purposes. We belong to Him. He can do as He pleases. God calls whoever He wants to salvation and service and He does it whenever He wants. He is God.

We must understand that our salvation and our service to God is all a matter of grace—from beginning to end. It what God does—not at all what we do. We could not be saved apart from the gracious work of God and we could not serve except for the grace of God. If we don’t keep that in mind, we won’t have the right attitude about our service or about others whom He calls into His service.

On the one hand, we think that because we’ve come to believe on Him too late in life, or that we’ve spent too many years in sin, we couldn’t possibly do anything of significance for the kingdom. Or we may fear that we’re too unskilled or untalented to do anything that would really count for much to Him. And this parable lets us know that, because He operates on the principle of grace rather than human merit, we can give ourselves faithfully to His service in whatever area He has called us—knowing that we work for a Master who does not measure the value of His laborers as the world does.

But on the other hand, if we forget it is by grace, we may begin to feel that we deserve a higher place of honor in His kingdom because we have walked with Him longer, or because we believed sooner, or because we have labored more diligently, or that our efforts were more valuable than others. And this parable reminds us that, because our Lord operates on the principle of grace, we must be humble and not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, nor look down on others.

Our Lord is sovereign in who and how and when He calls people to salvation and service.

C. God will be gracious (Matt. 20:15-16)

When the landowner gave those hired last a full day’s pay, he was not being unfair, he was being gracious. It was an act of mercy and kindness because the owner was good. Knowing that they had not been able to work a whole day because no one had hired them, he nevertheless gave them what they did not deserve. He gave them the means to provide for their families. He didn’t reward them on the basis of human merit; but rather on the basis of grace. Just as God always gives what He promises, He also gives more than we deserve.

When I think the great grace that was shown to these last worker, it reminds me of the story of the thief on the cross next to our Lord. Luke tells us that, as Jesus hung on the cross, one of the criminals who hung next to Him blasphemed Him; saying, “If You are the Christ, save yourself and us” (Luke 23:39). Mark, in his Gospel, even lets us know that the other criminal had chimed in and was blaspheming the Lord almost to the very end (Mark 15:32).

But something had happened in the heart of one of those dying criminals. He eventually turned to the other criminal and said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” We’re told that he then said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom“, and that Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).

What grace! There was no time for this criminal to do any good deeds in order to make himself worthy. He didn’t have any time to reform his life. All that he had time to do was to repent and believe in Jesus saying, “Remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He was literally called at the eleventh hour of his life. And yet, Jesus promised that he would be that very day with Himself in Paradise! And his single act of service to the kingdom—giving us an example of how to be saved—has done more for the service of the kingdom than any human being could estimate! Truly, the last shall be first! Our Lord will be gracious!

God’s rewards in the kingdom of heaven are not according to the merit system. They are according to grace. Salvation is the gift of God. It is not by works, lest any should boast (Eph. 2:9).

Aren’t you glad that God is more than just? Aren’t you glad that God is generous? Or as the landowner said, “Or is your eye evil because I am good?” (Matt. 20:15). Be careful that you do not despise the grace of God. God is not unfair to you when He is generous to someone else. The first workers complained to the landowner, “You made them equal to us!” That’s right. We are all equal in God’s kingdom – equally sinners, equally loved, equally redeemed. That is how the last are first and the first are last—because we all finish equal. We al receive far more than we deserve. How do the last become first? By grace. By God’s grace. By God’s grace alone.

Some of have sinned a little. Some of us have sinned a lot. Some of us come to Jesus early in life. Some of us come to Jesus much later in life. Some of us serve God in many ways. Some of us serve God in very few ways. But everyone who puts their faith in Jesus receives eternal life.

You are never too old to come to Christ. You are never too sinful to come to Christ. Come to Christ now, even in the eleventh hour, and he will gladly welcome you into his kingdom. Our God is a good and gracious and generous God. The more you feel your need for grace, the better candidate you are to receive it. Hold out your empty hands and ask God for His grace. You will not be turned away. It’s never too late. Though your sins are as scarlet, God says they will be white as snow. Here is good news for sinners. Free Grace! Free Grace! Free Grace! Shout it, sing it, tell it, and share it. And above all else, believe it, for in believing, you will be saved.

When we get to the kingdom of heaven, there will be no contest to see who is most deserving, because none of us deserve heaven. There will be no contest to see who has earned more rewards because God rewards according to grace, not merit. Maybe the only contest will be to see how truly grateful we are when we sing Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

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[1] Phillip Yancy, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Quoted by Brian Bill in his sermon, The Scandal Of Grace, https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-scandal-of-grace-brian-bill-sermon-on-salvation-57664

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Who Then Can Be Saved?

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Who Then Can Be Saved?

Matthew 19:23-30

Last time, we looked at Matthew’s account of the rich young ruler and his encounter with Jesus. Looking at this young man from the outside, it appeared like he had it all—wealth, youth, influence, and morality. He seemed to the life that many would long for. Yet he knew that things were not right with his soul. So, he came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16).

Jesus first questioned him about his understanding of who is good, then directed him to keep God’s commandments, hoping to bring the young man to see his own sinfulness and need of the Savior. Although the young man claimed an eternal righteousness of keeping the commandments, he still did not have assurance of eternal life. So, he asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” (Matt. 19:20).

And exposing this man’s heart, Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matt. 19:21). Matthew concludes the man’s encounter with Jesus writing that “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:22). Sadly, the young man chose his possessions over following Jesus, proving he did not love God with all his heart or love his neighbor as himself. He had to choose between his sin and eternal life—and he chose sin. The young man refused salvation and forfeited eternal life.

So, Jesus turned to His disciples in this teaching moment. The disciples had just seen a man reject the opportunity to receive eternal life. This rich man loved his possessions more than he loved God. He would rather have the comfort of things in this life, than give them up for the life to come. And Jesus wasted no time in teaching His disciples about salvation.

The theme of the whole passage is salvation. What did the young man come asking Jesus about? Eternal life. What did the disciples ask Jesus about in Matthew 19:25? Who can be saved. And what did Jesus promise in Matthew 19:29 to those who forsake all and follow Him? Eternal life. To be saved is to have eternal life.

Our text is structured around Jesus’ statements in response to the rich man’s leaving and the disciple’s questions. In Matthew 19:23-24, reponding to the rich man’s parting, Jesus teaches how riches make salvation difficult. In Matthew 19:25-26, responding to the astonished disciples’ question, Jesus teaches that God makes salvation possible. And in Matthew 19:27-30, responding to Peter’s question, Jesus teaches that rewards make salvation worth it all.[1]   

1. Riches Make Salvation Hard (Matt. 19:23-24).

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”” (Mat t.19:23). Why is it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven? Why is it difficult for the rich to be saved? To answer that, let’s think about the rich young ruler again. He walked away from Jesus and eternal life because it was too hard. It would cost him too much.

What did riches have to do with it? Everything for him. His wealth had blinded him to his sin. Jesus had forced him to think about what is good and the commandments of God to expose his sin. But in his pride, the rich man refused to acknowledge his sin. He thought he could obtain eternal life by his goodness. Many in Jesus’ day viewed wealth as a sign of favor with God. They believed God blessed with riches those who were good. Proverbs 28:11 says, “The rich man is wise in his own eyes” or “in his own conceit” (KJV). Riches often make a person boastful and arrogant. The rich young ruler boasted that he had kept the commandments from his youth. Paul tells Timothy to “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17).

Moses warned the Israelites about the danger of riches before they entered the promised land. In Deuteronomy 8 he wrote,

10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest–when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end– 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deut. 8:10-18).

Riches tempt us to think we did it all ourselves. They can make us conceited and smug. The boastful, proud, haughty person will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven belongs only to those who humble themselves like little children. Jesus taught in Matthew 18:3, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” You must be converted, changed in your heart and attitude. You must come humble, not depending on your achievements or merits, but on God’s grace in Christ.

Riches are deceitful. Remember in Matthew 13, Jesus told the parable of the soils? Jesus said that “he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22). Wealth and possessions shout for our attention. They distract us from what is truly important. They promise to satisfy us with good things. They can steal our heart away from loving God. The young ruler’s riches deceived him into thinking he could do something to obtain eternal life and drew him away from the only One who could give him salvation.  

How hard is it for a rich man to enter the kingdom? Look at how Jesus illustrates it in Matthew 19:24, “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” What a picture! The camel was the largest animal that the disciples would be familiar with. The eye of a sewing needle was the smallest opening that was used. To think of pushing a camel through a needle was absurd. You can’t fit a camel through the eye of a needle. It was impossible. If you even tried, all you would get is a broken needle and a very perturbed camel!

And yet, Jesus says that, as hard as it may be, it’s easier to push that camel through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich man—a man who would have to give up his love for his wealth—to enter the kingdom of God. That’s how hard it is. It’s not just “you’ve really got to work at it” hard. No, Jesus says it is on the “impossibility scale” of hard for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.

At this point, you might wonder, “How rich is too rich to enter the kingdom?” Jesus doesn’t give a number because it’s not so much a matter of what you have but rather your attitude towards what you have. You don’t have to be extremely wealthy for money to be a snare. Even the desire to be rich can keep someone from Christ. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

The Bible’s teaching is clear. Whether you are actually wealthy or just want to be wealthy, money can be an obstacle to faith. It doesn’t have to be. There are many rich people who love God and serve God and give generously to God’s kingdom. Money is not the root of all evil. It’s the love of money that’s the root of all kinds of evil. That was the rich young ruler’s problem, wasn’t it? He loved his money more than Jesus.

Riches make salvation hard—so hard it is impossible. And that’s bad news if you are rich.

But wait! There’s good news! We see in Matthew 19:25-26 that …

2. God Makes Salvation Possible (Matt. 19:25-26)

Now when Jesus gave this illustration of putting a camel through a needle, the disciples were blown away. Matthew 19:25 says, “When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished…” They were struck out of their wits.[2] They are shocked because they (along with everyone else) were used to viewing wealth as a sign of God’s blessing or approval. And if it’s impossible for a person whom God has blessed to go to heaven, then how can anyone be saved?

They looked at the rich, influential, moral young man who was walking away, and felt that so many of their preconceived notions were destroyed. In their mind, such a man was most certainly blessed of God. He would most certainly been “worthy” of eternal life. He was among the best that humanity had to offer. But as it turns out, even he could not do enough “good things” to be able to inherit eternal life. In their minds, the disciples were thinking, “If the rich, the most blessed of God, can’t enter the kingdom, can anybody?”

So, in their astonishment, the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” Look at Jesus’ answer in Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

Notice what makes the difference between the impossible and the possible. “With men” it is impossible for anyone to be saved. “With God” it is possible for everyone to be saved. In other words, only God can save. We can’t save ourselves. Every time a person is saved it is a direct miracle of God’s grace and mercy. There is not a single thing or a multitude of things you can do to be saved. You can’t live good enough. You can’t be pleasing enough. You can’t sacrifice enough. God’s standard is too high. It is perfection. You can never save yourself. You can never earn or purchase eternal life. The cost is too high. With men, it is impossible.

But the gospel proclaims, “but with God all things are possible.” This is God’s amazing grace. God has done it all. God initiates salvation. God justifies lost sinners. God sanctifies them. God glorifies them. Salvation is completely of God—not of man. If it is impossible with men, but possible with God, then why are any saved? Because of what we do? No. But, because of what God does in opening our hearts to believe the glorious gospel of Christ. Consider John 1:12, ” But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,” When people receive Jesus and believe in His name, is this because man initiated it or completed it? No. It is because God did it. John goes on in the next verse to say, ” who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).

If anyone asks you why you have eternal life, what is the answer? Because God saved me by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It was nothing that I did. It was what God did in Christ. If you received Christ, you cannot take credit for it. God gave it to you. If you believe in Christ, you cannot boast about it because God granted you faith in Christ. He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus paid the debt of your sin. God drew you to Himself through the gospel message. He saved you. None of it was what you did. It was all what God did.

 So, yes, it’s hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. It’s hard for all of us. In fact, it’s impossible apart from God. Only God makes salvation possible.

Finally we see that …

3. Rewards Make Salvation Worth It All (Matt. 19:27-30).

When Peter heard Jesus say these things, he blurted out, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” On the surface, this may seem like a selfish question. But Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking such a question. Remember, Peter and the other disciples had already given up everything to follow Jesus. when Jesus called Peter. He and his brother Andrew were fishing. They were casting their net into the sea (Matt. 4:18). Jesus called out to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Matthew then records, “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matt. 4:20). Peter literally “left everything” to follow Christ.

In the gospel of John, chapter 6, we see many people who were following Christ deserting him, because He was teaching some difficult things for the crowds to swallow—like “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51). As a result, ” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Then, Jesus turned to His twelve disciples and said, ” Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). And Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Peter had no other plans. By the grace of God he believed in Jesus. He could not turn back. He had no alternate plan.

Jesus had told them in Matthew 16, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:24-25).

Instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus answers him with a gracious promise:

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28).

These words describe the day in which the kingdom of heaven is fully consummated. Jesus calls this “the regeneration.” I believe that He is referring to the time when everything is renewed. It is the time when Jesus returns, and those who have trusted in Christ will be raised from the dead and glorified together with Christ (1 Cor. 15). Even the creation itself will be renewed and “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). And the twelve disciples will find themselves seated upon twelve thrones (Matt. 19:28). Upon those thrones, Jesus said that they will be judging the twelve tribes of Israel. They will have positions of leadership and authority in the kingdom of heaven. Their reward is so great that I don’t believe that the twelve will ever regret the sacrifices that they made to follow Jesus.

But rewards are not just for the twelve. Matthew 19:29 is directed to all followers of Jesus Christ, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30 records that Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

I have learned something wonderful about the Body of Christ. In a sense, I have—right now—countless “fathers” in the older saintly Christian men who bear a kind and godly influence in my life. And I have countless “mothers” in the older saintly Christian women who love me with motherly love. Many may have had to leave “brothers” or “sisters” behind; but they have countless other brothers and sisters with whom they share loving fellowship and the hopes of eternity. A follower of Jesus may be called upon to give up the comforts and security of “houses” and “lands”; but in the family love of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, he or she can enjoy the comfort and security of the countless “houses” and “lands” of other brothers and sisters who share hospitality and the comforts of life with them.

But the rewards are not just temporal. They are eternal. Jesus said, “and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:30). We will “inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29). Eternal life—that’s what the rich young man wanted, but he wasn’t willing to follow Jesus to get it. So, he lost out on the ultimate reward. And all that money he was unwilling to part with? If he had followed Jesus, he would have received a hundred times as much, and he would have received eternal life.

The greatest reason to follow Jesus Christ is because He is eternal life! As Peter himself once wrote, we have been a living hope through the resurrection of Christ, “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). We gain back everything in life that we give up in order to follow Jesus faithfully. And when it’s over, we gain eternal life with Him! We give up for Jesus what we cannot keep, in order to gain with Him what we cannot lose! Following Jesus is the greatest deal in the universe!

Jesus says at the end of this section, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30). This was one of Jesus’ favorite sayings. Everything gets reversed when it comes to Jesus. In the context of our passage: the little children who had nothing are welcomed by Jesus, while the rich man who had everything walks away. The disciples leave everything for Jesus, and they sit on thrones with Jesus. Those who sacrifice for Christ receive a hundred times as much in return.

Here’s the bottom line. We cannot save ourselves, because we are not good, and we are not God. Only God is good, and only God can save. And that is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus changes everything. His blood paid the debt we owed for our sin. His resurrection assures us of eternal life because He is alive forever and saves forever those who come to Him believing. It is worth everything to follow Jesus. If you have Jesus, you have everything. He is the greatest treasure. He is our inheritance and great reward. Look to Jesus, church, and don’t look back.

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[1] Steve Brandon, Then Who Can Be Saved?, https://sermons.rvbc.cc/sermons/2004-037.  

[2] Greg Allen, The God of Impossible Salvations, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/120907.htm.  

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