Lecture 11

JESUS’ AUTHORITY QUESTIONED (Matthew 21:23-27)

Another trap is set by His enemies, but Jesus’ reply silences them. Jesus replies to a question, with a question – a good way of putting enemies on the back foot which led to their trap back-firing! They were the losers when it came to question time! ‘Was the baptism of John from heaven or of men?’ Was he a prophet raised up by God, in other words. The enemies were now trapped in a corner. If they said he was raised up by God then they should have received and believed his message as fore-runner to the Messiah Jesus and accept Jesus as Messiah. They would not do that. If John was a deluded man in their opinion, they would become out of favour with the people who had accepted John. Their reply was, ‘we cannot tell ‘. Jesus said, ‘then I will not tell you where my authority comes from to do what I did in the Temple’. His enemies knew that Jesus claimed Divine authority for His actions.

PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS (Matthew 21:28-32)

Jesus exposed the unbelief of the religious authorities by relating three parables – the parable of the two sons here; the parable of the householder, which follows and the parable of the marriage feast, (22:1-14).

This is still in the context of John the Baptist (v32). The second son is the picture of the chief priests and religious leaders who professed obedience, but inwardly were rebellious, both against John and Jesus. The first son is the picture of the outcasts believing John’s message pointing the way to Jesus as the way to salvation. These people will enter the Kingdom of God – the place only for believers to enter. Religious leaders will not enter that Kingdom, it is only for believers. Their mutual enemies saw John and heard him, but did not repent and turn to follow Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life (Matthew 3:7-10). These enemies were cornered and condemned.

THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED VINEDRESSERS. THE REJECTED SON

(Matthew 21:33–46)

The landowner is the God of Israel. The Vineyard is Israel (READ Isaiah 5:1-7). God expected the fruit of repentance and obedience. Again, think of the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:8 & 10), John’s words again. The servants are mainly the prophets. The Son is Jesus whom Israel’s leaders killed. Remember John the Baptist was also killed, on Herod’s instructions Jesus is pictured in verses 38-39. What will God, the owner do ? He will destroy them (v40-41). Verse 41 is linked to verse 43. A future faithful remnant generation of Israel will call upon Him and receive Him (Zechariah 12:8 to 13:1).

Verses 42 to 44 – the “Stone” – see notes on Daniel 2 for detail. Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23, which He will fulfil when He comes again, crushing the nations, as was Israel in AD 70. He allowed the Romans to crush Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple. He is the ‘smiting stone’ of judgment destruction, Daniel 2:34, but also the foundation stone for life and salvation.

Verse 45 says, ‘when the chief priests & Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He had spoken of them’. They could not seize Him yet because of the people believing He was a prophet, perhaps THE Prophet and expected Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:18).

PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST (Matthew 22:1-14) – A continuing Controversy

Those first invited refuse to attend the wedding, ‘making light of it (v5), even at the second invitation. Contained in this parable is a parallel idea to servants in the previous parable, those servants were killed (v6). The king heard of this and was furious. He destroyed the murderers and the city (v7). ‘Those invited were not worthy, so the invitation was extended far and wide with much response. One man who ‘gate-crashed’ the wedding was exposed, not having a wedding garment on. The king had him cast out into outer darkness, weeping in agony. When an eastern royal wedding was arranged, every guest would receive a special beautiful wedding garment which they had to put on before they could meet the king. This man in focus was not coming in by the right way, responding correctly to the invitation and receiving the appropriate wedding clothing for entry into the wedding celebration. He was easily spotted in his own clothing.

Again, many are called (Gentiles) – few are chosen (Israel), verse 14. The parable was again against those who are clothed in their self-righteousness the religious leaders, who want to come their own way to be accepted by the Lord.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, chief priests and Scribes were all included here. They hated each other, but they hated Jesus more!

HASSLED BY THE HERODIANS (Matthew 22:15-22)

A political question by cunning politicians with double-talk and devious treatment of Jesus. Should the Jewish people pay taxes to Caesar? (v17). The Herodians thought they had Jesus trapped here. If He said ‘yes’, He could be accused of supporting Roman law against the Jews. If He denied the payment of taxes as Roman Tribute tax money, then Jesus could be accused again of rebellion against Rome. The tax was a small amount. Jesus asked for a coin. A denarius was produced with the inscription of Caesar on it, thus tax should be paid to Caesar, being the currency forced upon them and thus they had to acknowledge payment of taxes. Caesar Rome ruled over the country and people. Using Roman coins meant being subject to Rome and must therefore pay the prescribed tax due. Israel was under Roman domination.

CONTROVERSY WITH THE SADDUCEES (Matthew 22:23-33)

Same day event – wave after wave of opposition intent on trapping and discrediting Jesus and His claims. They did not believe in resurrection life, thus they made up a story based on Deuteronomy 25:5-10. See also Ruth 4:1-12, concerning the regulation involved in the marriage of Ruth to Boaz. The woman in the parable had seven husbands, each dying, leaving the widow childless (v28). The Sadducees question was, ‘which of the seven husbands would have her as his wife during the ‘supposed’ resurrection experience’. Their view made the thought of resurrection life an absurdity and wrong. Jesus replied saying, ‘you do not know the Scriptures (which teaches resurrection), neither the power of God (who can raise the dead and will do so). There is no marriage in heaven’ (v30). Angels do not marry either. Jesus’ answer makes the Sadducees appear very small and rebuked. God is God of the living. He is – not was – the God of the living, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Though Abraham had died, God was the God of Jacob and Isaac, who were all alive with the Lord in the spirit having a temporary body, awaiting their new eternal bodies resurrected at the second coming of Christ, their Messiah. There is a continuity identity – same as Moses and Elijah were recognised at the Transfiguration scene. The Sadducees could not attack any teaching concerning Abraham particularly as he was highly regarded, even revered, by Jewish people. The Sadducees were trapped by their own hypocrisy – not so clever after all! The Sadducees were silenced (v34).

CONTROVERSY WITH THE PHARISEES (Matthew 22: 34-46)

Still His enemies come in an attempt to discredit Jesus. A Lawyer brings a question on theological law (v36). There was a controversy among the Lawyers as to which was the greatest Law. Some said the third commandment was the greatest. Jesus replied with two answers, not in the commandments!! (v37-39). The Law and the Prophets are the Word of God – focus on these truths (v40). The Pharisees were silenced . Jesus asked them a follow-up question (v43). ‘If the Messiah is son of David and David in the Spirit called Him LORD (quoting Psalm 110:1), how could the ‘son of David’ be greater than David – which of course He is. The Pharisees moved away defeated and in confusion.

JESUS CONDEMNS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES (Matthew 23: 1-12)

Verse 2 means they usurped the seat of Moses authority and took it over trying to establish their own traditions more than Law and the commands of God given through Moses. Jesus exposed their hypocrisy – do not be like them – all words and no right actions. They lay impossible burdens upon ordinary people. They enjoy the praise of men (v5). Only Christ Messiah was their Master and God their Father. The Pharisees had forgotten God’s pre-eminence. Pharisaic authority was hypocrisy and false. The greatest is one who is a willing servant. The perfect example is Jesus. God is a great equaliser and reverses situations.

JESUS ANNOUNCES EIGHT ‘WOES’ (Matthew 23: 13-36)

These are recorded in verses 13,14,15,16,23,25,27 and 29.

Verse 13. They prevented men entering the Kingdom of Heaven and they did not enter themselves. They even hindered those who wished to enter. They make ‘sons of hell’, twice as bad as themselves by their proselytising (v15). They made minute detail supremely important, yet denied weightier matters of importance (v23), that is, justice, mercy and faith. They appear clean and holy on the outside, yet they are ‘dead men’s bones’ on the inside – white graves marked out for all to see in order to avoid them! They were also blind leaders of the blind – lawless hypocrites! What a withering condemnation in verse 33! ‘you serpents (poisonous creatures) you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell!’

JESUS WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM (Matthew 23:37-39)

Jesus’ heart breaks with emotion over His beloved city and people despite recent controversies. What love is this? The city of peace will be filled with turmoil, bloodshed and destruction in AD 70 because He was rejected. The verbs ‘kill’ and ‘stone’ are in the present tense. The intention of the religious authorities was to kill Jesus. In the time of the early Church the religious authorities stoned Stephen to death.

Jesus wanted to gather them in protective care like a mother bird would do to her young. See Deuteronomy 32:10-12 and Psalm 17:8 – ‘hide me under the shadow of your wings’. It is similar in Psalm 61:4. The people stubbornly refused God’s way and protection. The Lord departs like the departure of the Shekinah Glory and leaves the city and nation alone, desolate and vulnerable to enemies.

There is a ray of light and hope (v39) , ‘I say to you, you shall not see from now on, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord’. This has reference to the future generation of Israel. Here is the link with Matthew 21:43, ‘I say to you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’ In Luke 20:16 Jesus says, ‘He will destroy those vine-dressers and give the vineyard to others’. The Greek word used here means ‘others of the same kind’, meaning Jews and not Gentiles. It certainly does not refer to the idea of the Church replacing Israel as if often interpreted, and wrongly so. The Greek word, ‘heteros’, meaning ‘another of a different kind’, denoting generic distinction, is not used here. This future generation of the nation of Israel will one day desperately seek the Lord and find Him, when He eventually comes to them again. Zechariah chapters 12-14 and Revelation 19; Deuteronomy 30:1-6 will be fulfilled for that generation to come.

This same revival and new life, spiritually, in the Kingdom of heaven is found in several places in the Old Testament prophetic promise (see Isaiah 65:18-25; Jeremiah 30:1-11; 31:1-14; 27-37. Zechariah 8; 12:10 to 13:1; 14:9-21. In the New Testament see Romans 11:25-36 and Revelation 14:1-5). These verses and references focus on Israel’s triumph, settled on Mount Zion. Luke 19:42-44 say that Israel did not know the day of their Messiah King’s visit, predicted in Daniel 9:24-27. It was that special day designated as the fulfilment of the sixty nine ‘weeks’ of years, 483 actual years, since Nehemiah 2:1-5, 444BC, when Nehemiah rebuilt the wall and the streets of Jerusalem in times of trouble until that special day when the Messiah King entered Jerusalem as ‘Messiah, the Prince’ of Israel (Daniel 9:25). The future remnant generation of the nation of Israel who will seek, acknowledge and welcome their Messiah Redeemer King, crying out for Him to come, really meaning ‘Hosanna’ again – ‘save now’. They will be the godly remnant of the new nation of Israel, seeing the final triumph of their coming King – His second coming, this time to Jerusalem and Israel, intending to sit, rule and reign from the throne of David (see Matthew 25:31). That future generation of Israel will experience the blessing of a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:23-28), when Christ the King establishes His Millennial Messianic Kingdom of Heaven.

This tragic ending of Matthew 23, with all the condemning woes against hypocrisy and the evils of religion, plus the glimmer of light and hope at the end of a long tunnel of time, paves the way for the great prophecy of the End Times of this Age (Matthew 24 & 25). This tremendous discourse is given privately to His own disciples. These dramatic and vivid two chapters detail the prophecies. Their fulfilment will be like birth-pangs that are irreversible and not preventable. They are ongoing until the birth of the Kingdom of Heaven, with the second coming of the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, to establish His earthly throne and reign as Son of Man, Son of David and Son of God, Messiah and Redeemer of the future generation of Israel.