The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on ActsMatthew 21

Mt 21:1 CV. JESUS' TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. (From Bethany to Jerusalem and back, Sunday, April 2, A.D. 30.) Mt 21:1-12,14-17 Mr 11:1-11 Lu 19:29-44 Joh 12:12-19 Bethphage. See TFG "Mr 11:1".

Mt 21:2 Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. See TFG "Mr 11:2".

Mt 21:3 And if any one say aught unto you, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:3".

Mt 21:4 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet. A combination of Isaiah and Zechariah (Isa 62:11 Zec 9:9).

Mt 21:5 Zion. The poetical name for the city of Jerusalem. Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an ass. The prophecy is a combination of Isa 62:11 and Zec 9:9. He entered in meekness, for the ass was a symbol of peace as the horse was of war (Job 39:19-25), but there was nothing degrading about riding such a beast. This is the only instance in which Jesus rode. The Eastern ass is smaller, but livelier, and better framed than the specimens found in our country. They constituted a chief asset in the property of the wealthy (Ge 12:16 30:43 Job 42:12 1Ch 27:30 1Ki 1:38). (TFG 574)

Mt 21:7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments. See TFG "Mr 11:7". (TFG 574)

Mt 21:8 And the most part of the multitude. Matthew would have us know that the demonstration was no small affair, but was well-nigh universal. Josephus estimates that the number present at one passover was three million, or about one-half the population of Judaea and Galilee. The language of the Pharisees in \\#Joh 12:19\-"the world"--shows that there must have been indeed an immense multitude. The people had always been ready to acknowledge Jesus as king, and, seeing that he had now an evident disposition to accept their homage, they hastened to render it. Spread their garments in the way, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:8". (TFG 576)

Mt 21:9 The multitudes that went before him, and that followed, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:9". The Son of David. See TFG "Mt 9:27". Hosanna in the highest. See TFG "Mr 11:10".

Mt 21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem. See TFG "Mr 11:11".

Mt 21:12 Jesus entered into the temple of God. Here Matthew tells of the cleansing of the temple, which evidently occurred the next day. See TFG "Mr 11:15". (TFG 579)

Mt 21:13 My house shall be called the house of prayer, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:17".

Mt 21:14,15 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, etc. Matthew mingles this scene with events which apparently occurred on Monday, but the enthusiasm and the Hosanna cry evidently belonged to the triumphant Sunday. The presence of our Lord in the temple should, indeed, have been heralded with joy, for as that was the day in which the paschal lamb was presented and set apart, it was fitting that Christ our passover should be presented there amidst rejoicing. (TFG 580)

Mt 21:15 The children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David. (TFG 580)

Mt 21:16 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Ps 8:2 as rendered by the Septuagint. (TFG 580)

Mt 21:17 He left them, and went forth of the city into Bethany. See TFG "Mr 11:11".

Mt 21:18 CVI. BARREN FIG-TREE. TEMPLE CLEANSED. (Road from Bethany and Jerusalem. Monday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Mt 21:18,19,12,13 Mr 11:12-18 Lu 19:45-48 Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered. See TFG "Mr 11:12".

Mt 21:19 And seeing a fig tree by the way side, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:13". Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. See TFG "Mr 11:14".

Mt 21:20 CVII. FINDING THE FIG-TREE WITHERED. (Road from Bethany to Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Mt 21:20-22 Mr 11:19-25 Lu 21:37,38 When the disciples saw it, they marvelled. See TFG "Mr 11:20". Saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away? See TFG "Mr 11:21".

Mt 21:21 Even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:23".

Mt 21:22 All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:24".

Mt 21:23 CVIII. IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) A. INTRODUCTION Mt 21:23-27 Mr 11:27-33 Lu 20:1-8 When he was come into the temple, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:27". By what authority doest thou these things? See TFG "Mr 11:28".

Mt 21:25 The baptism of John, whence was it? etc. See TFG "Mr 11:30". If we shall say, From heaven, etc, See TFG "Mr 11:31".

Mt 21:26 But if we shall say, From men, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:32".

Mt 21:27 We know not, etc. See TFG "Mr 11:33".

Mt 21:28 CVIII. IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) B. PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS. Mt 21:28-32 But what think ye? By these words Jesus put them on notice that he was about to propound something which would require an answer, and therefore demanding the strictest attention. A man had two sons. The two sons stand for the Jewish rulers and the Jewish common people. (TFG 588-589)

Mt 21:29 I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went. The common people made no special pretension to religious excellence, and the rulers regarded them as very careless about the will or law of their Father, God, and made disparaging contrasts between their own conduct and that of the people (Joh 7:48,49). But this very same common people repented and did the will of God when they heard the preaching of John the Baptist (Mt 3:5,6). (TFG 589)

Mt 21:30 And he came to the second. The rulers. I go, sir: and went not. The rulers, though all the while professing to be very zealous for the will of God, utterly refused to enter the kingdom or to work therein as God bade them to by the voice of John the Baptist (Mt 3:7-9). (TFG 589)

Mt 21:31 They say, The first. They gave the true answer and did not perceive that in so doing they confirmed a parable which condemned themselves. That the publicans and the harlots. The very worst representatives of the common people. Go into the kingdom of God before you. Rather than you. (TFG 589)

Mt 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness. The term "righteousness," as Plumptre observes, seems used in a half-technical sense, as expecting the aspect of righteousness which the Pharisees themselves recognized (Mt 6:1), and which includes, as its three great elements, the almsgiving, fasting, and prayer that were so conspicuous both in the life and the teaching of the Baptist. Surely they could have presented its demands in a form more acceptable to the Jewish rulers. The parable of this subdivision is the outgrowth of the preceding subdivision. These rulers had demanded that Jesus show his authority for his assumption of right as teacher, prophet, etc. The parable is an indirect response to this demand, as if Jesus said, "It is in vain for me to tell you that I act under the authority of the Father, for despite all your great profession to the contrary, you really and actually, in your persistent rejection of another (the Baptist), who also acted under it, repudiate utterly his authority; though in so doing you see yourselves condemned by the conduct of even the publicans and harlots, who have felt the force of the Father's authority, and have repentantly obeyed it." The situation must have given great force to the parable; for the rulers in their private conversation had just admitted to each other that the people recognized and obeyed the divine authority of John, while they, the rulers, rejected it. (TFG 589-590)

Mt 21:33 CVIII. IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) C. PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN. Mt 21:33-46 Mr 12:1-12 Lu 20:9-19 There was a man that was a householder, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:1".

Mt 21:34 He sent his servants to the husbandman, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:2".

Mt 21:35,36 The husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:3".

Mt 21:37 But afterward he sent unto them his son, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:6".

Mt 21:38 This is the heir; come, let us kill him, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:7".

Mt 21:39 And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. See TFG "Mr 12:8".

Mt 21:41 He will miserably destroy those miserable men, etc. See TFG "Lu 20:16".

Mt 21:42 The stone which the builders rejected, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:10".

Mt 21:44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. The stone, of course, represents Jesus, and the two fallings set forth his passive and active state. In the day when he passively submitted to be judged, those who condemned him were broken (Mt 27:3-5 Lu 23:48 Ac 2:37); but in the great day when he himself becomes the acting party and calls his enemies to judgment, they shall prefer, and pray, that a mountain fall upon them (Re 6:15-17). (TFG 594)

Mt 21:46 When they sought to lay hold on him, etc. See TFG "Mr 12:12".