Matthew 21

Bethphage is a Hebrew name that means house of figs. It was probably on the east side of the Mount of Olives, between Bethany and Jerusalem.

Jesus entering Jerusalem starts Matthew's story of how the Messiah's suffering and resurrection establish salvation.

Jesus was revealing himself as the Lord who, as king of Israel, goes up to Mount Zion on a donkey (Matthew 21:5; see Zechariah 9:9).

This part of the Old Testament fulfillment emphasizes the Messiah's peaceful, humble, and saving work (see Matthew 11:28–30; Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9–10).

• The crowds with Jesus saw him as a prophet, empowered by God to teach and perform miracles.

• The mention from Nazareth in Galilee emphasizes the humble beginnings of Jesus (see Matthew 2:23).

• Buying and selling happened in the temple complex, in the Court of the Gentiles.

• Money changers made profit by exchanging foreign money into the official Jewish currency. Jesus criticized this commercial activity because it dishonored the holiness of the temple (see Mark 11:11–18).

The close association of the temple cleansing (see John 2:13–16) and the cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18–19) shows Jesus as the Messiah (God’s chosen one). He confronted Israel and warned that God judges those who reject the Messiah and his message.

What Jesus did was right because people were using money in a way that desecrated God's glory.

The Jewish leaders’ refusal to believe is contrasted with the joyful faith and praise of little children (see Matthew 18:1–14; 19:13–15).

Have you never read: Jesus asked this challenging question to opponents who failed to see that his ministry fulfilled the promises about the Messiah (see also Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:42; 22:31).

• Nothing on it except leaves: Mark notes that "it was not the season for figs" (see Mark 11:13). It was spring, just before Passover. Figs start growing in spring but ripen in fall.

• immediately the tree withered: Matthew seems to have shortened the story (compare Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:13–14, 20–23). The cursing of the fig tree symbolizes God's judgment on Israel for rejecting the Messiah (see Matt 3:9; 8:11–12). The Israelites are like a fig tree that looks promising but has no fruit. This was especially true of the hypocritical leaders. They did not bear fruit, symbolic of receiving the Messiah (see 21:33–46).

Jesus was encouraging the disciples to trust in God and pray with faith. He was not promising that God would approve everything they might desire (1 John 5:14–15).

Elders of the people: This refers to the family leaders from each tribe. They were part of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council in Jerusalem (compare Ezra 5:5; 6:14; 10:8).

This section focuses on how Jewish leaders challenged the authority of Jesus. Each time, the wisdom of Jesus revealed their lack of spiritual understanding. These debates also revealed the status of Jesus as the Messiah and the consequences of rejecting him. Sadly, the leaders became more resistant with each encounter and plotted to kill Jesus (Matthew 21:23, 46; 22:15–17, 23, 34, 41).

Jesus gave a riddle. The answer solved the leaders’ question and placed them in a dilemma that showed what was in their hearts (Matthew 21:25–26). Asking a counter-question was common in debates at that time.

The minsitry of John, like the ministry of Jesus, was controversial (see Matthew 3:1, 5–6). This was true especially after John publicly criticized Herod Antipas for his sins (see 14:4). The Jewish leaders did not want to admit that John's work was from God. They had refused to believe John and repent of their sins (3:2). They also refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:29–34).

The Jewish leaders did not have the honesty or bravery to admit their beliefs about John. So, it was fair for Jesus not to answer their question.

This parable continues to emphasize why John is important.

Three parables expose the guilt of those who rejected the Messiah and lost their special status as God's chosen people. God now considers only those who accept Jesus as the Messiah as his people.

I will not: This response must have offended Jews who learned from a young age to show respect for the authority of a father (see Matthew 8:21–22).

The right way to live is to follow the will of God (Matthew 3:15; 5:20; see also Proverbs 8:20; 12:28).

In this story, Jesus refers back to Isaiah 5:1–7. The people of Israel who rejected God's Messiah lost the privilege of being God's people. Now, God has called the Christian community, made up of both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), to be his people (see Romans 9:4–8; 11:1–12).

He sent his servants: The prophets had spoken God's message to Israel. In this parable, the tenant farmers represent Israel's leaders, whom Jesus blamed for killing God's prophets (Matthew 23:29–37).

Finally: God's revelation reached its goal in Jesus (see Matthew 13:16–17; Hebrews 1:1–2).

when the owner of the vineyard returns: The vineyard owner's return symbolizes the Lord's coming for judgment (see Matthew 16:27; 24:1–36).

The Jewish religious leaders declared their own condemnation.

The cornerstone was either the first stone of the foundation or the last stone placed, like the top of an arch. The builders rejected this stone as unworthy, but it was actually the most important. Jesus was talking about his role in the kingdom of God (Matthew 21:43) and how the Jewish religious leaders rejected him.

• Taken away from you: Either the privilege of being God’s chosen nation no longer belonged to the Jews, or the religious leaders had lost the privilege of being leaders of God’s people (see Romans 9–11).

• The Christian community is a nation that will produce the proper "fruit" or right results. This means a life of trust and obedience that shows the start of God's kingdom (see Matthew 3:8; 7:15–20; 12:33; 13:8, 26).

Those who opposed the Messiah would soon win a temporary victory. But the Messiah would eventually defeat them. The stone would crush them because the death of Jesus on the cross led to his vindication and triumph (see also Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45).

This explanation fits with Matthew’s theme of God’s judgment on the Jewish leaders who misled the people of Israel (see Matthew 23:13–15).