Matthew

Chapter 21
{The Temple Discourse - Chapters 21-23}
{Matthew's description of Palm Sunday - Verses 1-11}
21:1-2~~Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples {not the man, but the message}, 21:2~~ saying to them to their advantage, "Go to the village ahead. Right away you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me."

21:3~~"If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

21:4~~This was done in the past with results that last forever . . . to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet {Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9}: 21:5~~ "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Look, your King is coming to you, oriented to grace and seated on an ass/donkey, and on a colt, the foal of an ass/donkey.'"

{Note: Matthew says this fulfills the saying. Jesus does not say this. SideNote RBT did not explain why this is important. Someday!}

21:6~~So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

21:7~~They brought the donkey and the colt, and placed their cloaks on them, and placed Him {Jesus} there upon.

21:8~~A great crowd spread their cloaks on the way {as homage to a king}. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the way.

{Note: The ones who were spreading their cloaks were looking for Jesus to get rid of the yoke of the Roman Empire - make this life better for me! They were not interested in Him as the Messiah. The others spreading the branches indicated they recognized the Messiah-ship of Jesus.}

21:9~~The crowds that went ahead of Him and those following were shouting, "Save now! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest {2nd Advent part of Psalm 118 - another attempt to put the crown before the cross}!"

21:10~~As He entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar and kept on saying, "Who is this?"

21:11~~And the crowds were saying {incorrectly}, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee {Jesus was also really from Bethlehem -they were saying 'this is just another prophet'}."

{Note: Where did they learn the answer they gave? In the temple. Religion teaches the wrong answer as far as the person of Christ. The temple is next. SideNote: Christianity is a relationship with God based on what He did for us on the cross. Religion is man reaching out for the approbation of God based on man's works.}

{2nd Cleansing of the Temple at the end of Jesus' ministry - also see John Chapter 2}
21:12~~Then Jesus entered the temple area and physically threw out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves {the dove was the poor man's offering -the moneychangers were fleecing the rich AND the poor}.

{Note: 'Of God' is not in the original. Apostasy had removed the possibility that the temple was 'of God'.}

21:13~~And He {Jesus} said to them, "It was written in the past with the result that it stands written forever {Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11}, 'My house {everything in the temple spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ} shall be called a house of prayer', but in contrast, you keep on making it a den of robbers {a robber takes by force and pressure, not a thief who sneaks up on you}."

{Temple was cleansed so now Jesus again presents His messianic calling card}
21:14~~The blind and lame came to Him {Jesus} in the temple courts, and He healed them.

21:15-16~~But when the chief priests and the scribes/'experts in the law' saw the wonderful things He did, and heard the children singing out in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant/sore/displeased . . . 21:16~~ and said to Him {Jesus}, "Do you hear what they are singing?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never studied {Psalm 8:2}, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants, you have perfect praise'?"

{Note: These children are believers. When THEY sing the song, this time it is meaningful.}

21:17~~And leaving them {forsaking them - walked out in disgust}, He {Jesus} went out of the city to Bethany {because the religious leaders wanted to kill Him}, and spent the night there {with Lazarus}.

{The Unproductive Fig Tree}
21:18~~ Now early in the morning, as He {Jesus} returned to the city {of Jerusalem}, He was hungry.

21:19~~And seeing a fig tree by the road He {Jesus} went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, "Let no fruit come to be from you! {Custodianship of the Word of God is no longer their responsibility}" And the fig tree {representing Israel} withered immediately.

{Note: Fig trees grow the fig fruit FIRST. Then the leaves grow later and indicate it is ready for harvest. In the analogy, the figs represent is a production of Grace - what divine good God wants them to produce. The Jews were the fig tree. They wanted to show their leaves but because of religion they did not understand grace. Therefore, this withered fig tree becomes a prophecy of the 5th cycle of discipline . . . because of a lack of Israel not having true custodianship of client nation production. See also Revelation 6:13. The 'leaves only' represent 'human viewpoint' as with the first act of Adam and Eve in the garden after the fall.}

{Production of the remnant of believing Jews}
21:20~~When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"

21:21~~Jesus answered them, "I tell you the truth {point of doctrine}, if you have faith {faith rest technique} -maybe you will, maybe you will not - and do not receive doubt, you will not only do {logical future - faith rest results in divine production} what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain {this ONE mountain -the Mount of Olives}, 'Receive moving NOW {receive from God the moving} and thrown into the sea,' it will happen {at the 2nd Advent of Christ}."

{Note: You don't work up doubt in side you, you receive it (passive tense). You need to just boot it out and don't accept it in for dinner! Otherwise in comes doubt and out goes doctrine!}

{Note: In the siege of Jerusalem, there will be some who say to the mountain, "be removed" (Zach.14:1-4) and it will split in half from a fault has been found that runs through the mountain (the Mount of Olives) all the way down the Ariba {sounds like Air ee baa} . The Mediterranean will come in and move over to the Dead Sea and all the way down to the Red Sea, so that Jerusalem will be a seaport in the millennium ("and be cast into the sea").}

{Power of the Faith Rest Technique today - we use it in Prayer}
21:22~~"And whatever you ask in the sphere of prayer, believing {indicating the habitual use of the faith rest technique}, you will receive {another logical future tense}."

{The Second Day in the Temple - 3 parables that denounce Religion}
{Religious People are always Rude and Vicious and Ruthless}
21:23~~Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and they kept on saying {and interrupted Jesus - rudeness}, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority? {heckling}"

{Jesus discredits the Hecklers - Debater's technique answer a question with a question}
21:24~~Jesus answered, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer Me - maybe you will, maybe you will not - then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things."

21:25~~"Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven or from men?" They discussed this with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' "

21:26~~"But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people, for they consider John to be a prophet."

{Note: Religion always fears what other people think! Not what is true!}
21:27~~So they answered Jesus, "We are not able to say and never will we be able to say." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

{3 Parables to the Religious Hierarchy - on Rejection}
{1st - The Parable of the Two Sons - verses 28-32}
21:28~~"What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard {Isaiah 5 - represents Israel and the religious leaders know this} today.' "

 21:29~~"The boy answered, 'I will not.' But later he regretted {metamellomai} what he said and went."

{Note: 'Metamellomai' is the Greek word for 'repenting WITH emotion involved'. This son did feel sorry for saying no to his Father. Picture of the publicans and prostitutes being saved earlier in Matthew.}

21:30~~"The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 'I will, sir,' but did not go."

{Note: Religion gives lip service to God but does not get saved. Represents the unbelieving religious leaders to whom Jesus is talking.}

21:31~~"Which of the two did the will of The father?" They {the religious leaders} said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "I {Jesus} tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do!"

{Note: They answer correctly but do not realize THEY are the second son! They are 'sincere' but not saved! Look pious but are hypocrites. The lower classes of society who have accepted Christ and are saved! They are NOT saved unless/until you accept Christ as your savior!}

21:32~~"For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not have any regret about your decision not to believe him {about Christ}."

{2nd - Rejection Parable to the Religious leaders- verses 33-42 - The Parable of the Tenants}
21:33~~"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard {Israel again Isaiah 5}. He put a fence around it {protected it}, dug a winepress in it {expected production}, and built a watchtower {protection from foreign powers}. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and went on a journey."

21:34~~"When the harvest time was near, he sent his servants {prophets} to the tenants {Chief Priests} to collect his portion of the crop."

{Note: Principal is God expected production from Israel.}

21:35~~"But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another."

21:36~~"Then he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way."

21:37~~"Finally he sent his son {Jesus Christ} to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' "

21:38~~"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and get his inheritance!' "

21:39~~"So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him {the cross}."

21:40~~"Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

{Note: This is not the 2nd Advent here. This is a spanking! The 5th cycle of discipline in 70AD.}

21:41~~They said to Him, "He will put those evil men to a miserable death, and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants {the Church} who will give him {God the Father} his portion at the harvest {production of divine good}."

21:42~~Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures {Psalm 118:22-23 -the verses they omitted in their singing on Psalm Sunday}: 'The Stone/Rock {Jesus Christ} the builders rejected has once and for all become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? "

{Note: One wall is Israel. Christ is the heir of David as David's Greater Son and legitimate Ruler of Israel. The other wall is the Church and Christ is the ruler of the Church, which He purchased with His own precious blood. Therefore, Jesus in the stone in the corner - cornerstone.}

21:43~~"For this reason I tell you {the religious rulers} that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people/nation {the Church} that will produce its fruit."

21:44~~"The one who stumbles over this stone {rejection of Jesus} will be broken to pieces and the one on whom it falls will be ground to a powder {2nd Advent - baptism of fire}."

21:45~~When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His {Jesus} parables, they perceived {to know from experience} that He kept on speaking concerning them {wow are they smart!}.

21:46~~They wanted to arrest Him {Jesus}, but they were afraid of the people, because they regarded Him {Jesus} as a prophet.

{Note: Public opinion keeps religion alive and religion therefore fears the people.}

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