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1 And when they drewe nigh vnto Hierusalem, and were come to Bethphage, vnto the mount of Oliues, then sent Iesus two Disciples,
2 Saying vnto them, Goe into the village ouer against you, and straightway yee shall find an Asse tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them vnto me.
3 And if any man say ought vnto you, yee shall say, The Lord hath need of them, and straightway hee will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying,
5 Tell yee the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy king commeth vnto thee, meeke, and sitting vpon an Asse, and a colt, the foale of an Asse.
6 And the Disciples went, and did as Iesus commanded them,
7 And brought the Asse, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, others cut downe branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid: Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when hee was come into Hierusalem, all the citie was mooued, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Iesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12 ¶ And Iesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and ouerthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that solde doues,
13 And said vnto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but yee haue made it a denne of theeues.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, & he healed them.
15 And when the chiefe Priests and Scribes saw the wonderfull things that he did, & the children crying in the temple, & saying, Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid, they were sore displeased,
16 And said vnto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Iesus saith vnto them, Yea, haue yee neuer read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
17 ¶ And he left them, and went out of the citie into Bethany, and he lodged there.
18 Now in the morning, as hee returned into the citie, he hungred.
19 And when he saw a figge tree in the way, hee came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaues only, and said vnto it, Let no fruite growe on thee hence forward for euer. And presently the figge tree withered away.
20 And when the Disciples saw it, they marueiled, saying, How soone is the figge tree withered away?
21 Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Uerily I say vnto you, if yee haue faith, and doubt not, yee shall not onely doe this which is done to the figge tree, but also, if ye shall say vnto this mountaine, Be thou remoued, and be thou cast into the Sea, it shall be done.
22 And all things whatsoeuer yee shall aske in prayer, beleeuing, ye shall receiue.
23 ¶ And when he was come into the temple, the chiefe Priests and the Elders of the people came vnto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authoritie?
24 And Iesus answered, and said vnto them, I also will aske you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authoritie I doe these things.
25 The baptisme of Iohn, whence was it? from heauen, or of men? and they reasoned with themselues saying, If we shall say, From heauen, hee will say vnto vs, Why did ye not then beleeue him?
26 But if we shall say, Of men, we feare the people, for all hold Iohn as a Prophet.
27 And they answered Iesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said vnto them, Neither tell I you by what authoritie I doe these things.
28 ¶ But what thinke you? A certaine man had two sonnes, and he came to the first, and said, Sonne, goe worke to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered, & said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And hee came to the second, and said likewise: and hee answered, and said, I goe sir, and went not.
31 Whether of them twaine did the will of his father? They say vnto him, The first. Iesus saith vnto them, Uerely I say vnto you, that the Publicanes and the harlots go into the kingdome of God before you.
32 For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnesse, and ye beleeued him not: but the Publicanes and the harlots beleeued him. And ye when ye had seene it, repented not afterward, that ye might beleeue him.
33 ¶ Heare another parable. There was a certaine house-holder, which planted a Uineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-presse in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a farre countrey.
34 And when the time of the fruite drew neere, he sent his seruants to the husbandmen, that they might receiue the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen tooke his seruants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Againe hee sent other seruants, moe then the first, and they did vnto them likewise.
37 But last of all, he sent vnto them his sonne, saying, They will reuerence my sonne.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the sonne, they said among themselues, This is the heire, come, let vs kill him, and let vs sease on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the Uineyard, and slew him.
40 When the Lord therefore of the Uineyard commeth, what will he doe vnto those husbandmen?
41 They say vnto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his Uineyard vnto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Iesus saith vnto them, Did ye neuer reade in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders reiected, the same is become the head of the corner? This is the Lords doing, and it is marueilous in our eyes.
43 Therefore say I vnto you, the kingdome of God shall be taken from you, and giuen to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoeuer shall fall on this stone, shalbe broken: but on whom soeuer it shall fall, it will grinde him to powder.
45 And when the chiefe Priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceiued that he spake of them.
46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they tooke him for a Prophet.
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Commentary for Matthew 21
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Jesus Enters into Jerusalem
Christ enters Jerusalem. (1-11) He drives out those who profaned the temple. (12-17) The barren fig-tree cursed. (18-22) Jesus' discourse in the temple. (23-27) The parable of the two sons. (28-32) The parable of the wicked husbandmen. (33-46)1-11 This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, #Zec 9:9|. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus did not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as came to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elders afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross; but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those that take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosanna signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.
12-17 Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, #Joh 2:13-17|. His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the former. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils he would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practised under the cloak of religion, would he show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer!
18-22 This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree.
23-27 As our Lord now openly appeared as the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes were much offended, especially because he exposed and removed the abuses they encouraged. Our Lord asked what they thought of John's ministry and baptism. Many are more afraid of the shame of lying than of the sin, and therefore scruple not to speak what they know to be false, as to their own thoughts, affections, and intentions, or their remembering and forgetting. Our Lord refused to answer their inquiry. It is best to shun needless disputes with wicked opposers.
28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity.
33-46 This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask ourselves, whether we who have the vineyard and all its advantages, render fruits in due season, as a people, as a family, or as separate persons. Our Saviour, in his question, declares that the Lord of the vineyard will come, and when he comes he will surely destroy the wicked. The chief priests and the elders were the builders, and they would not admit his doctrine or laws; they threw him aside as a despised stone. But he who was rejected by the Jews, was embraced by the Gentiles. Christ knows who will bring forth gospel fruits in the use of gospel means. The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin. But God has many ways of restraining the remainders of wrath, as he has of making that which breaks out redound to his praise. May Christ become more and more precious to our souls, as the firm Foundation and Cornerstone of his church. May we be willing to follow him, though despised and hated for his sake.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.