Matthew 21 - Jesus Comes Riding on a Donkey

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Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

While up to this point Jesus has kept a fairly low profile, Jesus now makes a dramatic public appearance. Jesus knew the religious leaders were plotting for his downfall, but rather than avoiding the confrontation he walks right into it. 

“Jesus could not have chosen a more dramatic moment; it was into a city surging with people keyed up with religious expectations that he came.” (Barclay)

The way Jesus entered into Jerusalem was very symbolic and communicated the message of who he was and why he had come. Jesus could have come on a "war horse" communicating his plan of a military takeover, but he came on a donkey. This was in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. 

Jesus came to Jerusalem in humility, yet with appropriate dignity. Instead of coming on a horse as a conquering general, He came on a colt, as was customary for royalty. He came to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace. - Guzik

As Jesus came in on the donkey the crowds cheered "Hosanna to to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." This term essentially meant, "Lord save us now!" It was a phrase fitting for a king. 

There was quite a stir and some it came from the fact that Jesus was from Nazareth. It would sound strange to many – especially to the religious establishment – that a prophet would come from the obscure and unnoted city of Nazareth. - Guzik

Jesus at the Temple

Jesus' first confrontation with the religious establishment happens when he enters the temple. He sees the people making a mockery of it by buying and selling at the expense of the pilgrims coming to honor their commitment to make the annual pilgrimmage Jerusalem in obedience to the Mosaic law. The people were at the mercy of the money changers and those selling animals because to satisfy those requirements. 

The children who saw Jesus were all shouting and offering him praises, while the religious leaders seeing all of the praise being heaped on him were indignent. After Jesus praised the children for their authencity, as he has done before in Matthew.  He left and withdrew to Bethany, which we later learn is the house of Mary and Martha. It was Passover time so it was a very busy time of the year, and Jesus wanted to stay away from the city. 

Jesus at the Temple

As we have said many of the things Jesus did were symbolic in nature and communicated a judgment on the leadership of the Jews. In this case Jesus cursed a fig tree because it should have been bearing fruit. Jesus was hungry and the true purpose of the tree was to bear figs for people to eat. Jesus cursed it by saying, "May you never bear fruit again." 

In the same way the Jewish people and its leaders were supposed to be the "True Vine" of God, bearing fruit for him and being a light to the nations. When the tree withered, the disciples were more interested in how Jesus did the miracle rather than the message he was trying to teach. This is not the first or last time the disciples will miss the intent of Jesus' teaching. 

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

As Jesus entered the temple, the jealousy of the religious leaders was coming to a head The anger toward him was voiced by the question, "By whose authority are you doing these things?" Rather than answering them directly, Jesus answered them by asking them a question. He asked, "By whose authority did John the Baptist do his baptizing?"

The religious leaders raised the question of Jesus’ authority, and He answered by raising the question of their competence to judge such an issue. Their ability to judge John the Baptist and his ministry was a measure of their ability to judge Jesus as well. - Guzik

The Parable of the Two Sons

This short parable reminds us that "actions speak louder than words". Many people claim to be a follower of Jesus, yet they have never really given up anything to follow him. There are others who on the outside might seem to be unworthy of Jesus' love, yet they have given up everything to follow him. Who is the true follower? 

Sometimes it is the quiet and humble person who is truly following Jesus. Whereas some who are always promoting what a great Christian they are might not be a true disciple of Jesus, or at the least not living the life Jesus called them to. This is why it is not shocking when Jesus states the tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of the so called "religous types". 

The key word is when he says, "You did not repent when you saw him."  They did not repent when they saw John, and they would not repent with Jesus. You might say, "Repentance speaks louder than words." Repentance is simply a change of heart which leads to a change of actions. 

The Parable of the Tenants

Finally, we have the ominous parable about the tenants and the landowner. The landowner rents out a vineyard to some tenants. When the time comes for him to collect its fruit, he sends his collectors, the tenants kill them. He sends more servants and they get the same treatment. Finally, he sends his son thinking that at the very least they will honor his son. But when they see the son, they thought it was an opportunity to inherit what only the Son was entitled to. So they killed him too.

So what would happen when the owner returned to the tenants. The answer is obvious to those listening and soon the Pharisees and teachers of the law realize he is talking about him and they look at a way to kill him. 

This again is a metaphor of the Jewish people, and in particular its leaders. The landowner represents God, the servants represent the Old Testament prophets, and His Son, Jesus. This is exactly how history played out, as we will see in the upcoming chapters. 

Jesus quotes the psalmist in Psalm 118, who prophesied,

“‘The stone the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Where is God calling you to bear fruit in your life as a result of repentance?