We should once again be amazed at the depth of Matthew’s understanding of the Old Testament. Gleason Archer identifies approximately 60 Old Testament quotations in Matthew, and we find four of them here! An understanding of the entire Bible is important for a mature faith, but we must always remember the New Testament is the key to unlocking the Old.
Here the crowd seems to recognize that Jesus is a king, based upon the cloaks on the road (2 Kings 9:13) and the branches (John 12:13). Matthew helps us to understand that this is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 62:11, Zechariah 9:9). Although the crowd is correct, they misunderstand Jesus’ mission. He is not going to set up an earthly kingdom at this time. That comes later! He is coming to set up a spiritual kingdom and to rule in people’s hearts.
There appear to be two cleansings of the temple. John records one at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and Matthew (as well as Mark and Luke) record the one at the end. This is one of the events during “holy week” that propels the religious authorities to move against Him. There seem to be two problems Jesus is addressing. First, there was a marketplace atmosphere for pilgrims who were coming to worship. Second, the fact that people needed the right kind of currency and proper animals to sacrifice was being abused and they were being cheated. As you can imagine, ordinary people rejoiced at what He was doing, but the religious leadership was not amused. I imagine that God is still upset by these kinds of things today.
Matthew condenses the account of the fig tree from two days into one. Although it speaks directly to the nation of Israel and the coming judgment for their fruitlessness, it can also serve as a warning for us. We should fear divine discipline if we aren’t living for God. His disciples are amazed by what happens, and Jesus uses it as an illustration for prayer. But here is where knowing and understanding the rest of the Bible is important. We are warned in other places that there are things in our lives that hinder prayer, and we are also warned that we are to pray with the right attitude (Psalm 66:18; James 4:3). What we have here is an encouragement to believe in both the goodness of God and the power of prayer. This is not a blanket statement that we get whatever we want! There is only one way to get what we want, and that is to align our prayers with what God wants.
Up until this point Jesus has been trying to keep the religious leadership somewhat at bay for His “hour had not yet come” (a favorite expression of John). That explains why He is somewhat secretive and doesn’t always want others to talk about His miracles. But that has all changed. His time has now come! He is publicly proclaimed as a king with the triumphal entry. He cleanses the temple. He defends His authority. He proclaims that the tax collectors and prostitutes are more righteous than the religious authorities. And finally, He proclaims God’s judgment on the nation for their past refusal to listen to God’s prophets and their present refusal to listen to God’s Son. Is it any wonder that they want to arrest Him?!?!?!?
And it’s the last parable that prompts Jesus to make His ultimate point. Since the majority of Israel’s people and leadership reject their Messiah, the kingdom will be taken from them as a nation and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Jesus is referring to the bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and their inclusion in God’s kingdom. But that doesn’t mean that God completely rejects the Jewish people. The church is made up of both Jew and Gentile, with God accepting all who are willing to believe in Jesus!
Thought for the day: God’s amazing grace is for all people!
Romans 9:23-26 (WEB) “and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.’ “
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