Matthew 21-22

Notes for BSF

LET OUR FAITH MOVE MOUNTAINS (Matthew 21:18-22)

Religious hypocrites are the tree with leaves but no fruit
Like the fig tree that bore no fruit, the religious hypocrites bore no fruit either. They claimed they loved God, but they did nothing for God. They produced no works; they did not do the will of God, and they therefore had no fruit. Worse, they used God's name for selfish gains. Their faith was not based on their love for God.

Great faith moves mountains

Matthew 21:21
If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

Pray in faith and receive

Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

It is tempting to take this verse out of context -- and many people do. They think that as long as they pray for it, this verse tells them that they will therefore receive it. However, when understood within context, we will learn that HOW we pray is critical.

1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we now that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him.

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Prayer -- FAITHFUL prayer -- is not just us asking God for anything we want, treating God like He is a glorified Santa Claus. Faithful prayer is praying in God's will, with humility, with the heart of God, craving to fulfill His will (not our own).


JESUS COMES IN HIS OWN AUTHORITY (Matthew 21:23-32)

As we have seen in previous passages, the religious leaders continuously sought ways to discredit Jesus. In this passage, they straight out asked Jesus, "Who do you think you are?" They want to know on whose authority Jesus comes, because their reputation derives from their authority being the religious leaders. If Jesus wasn't preaching and teaching based on their authority, then what confidence could people have in Jesus' words?

It is very ironic that the very people who claimed to know God best were also the ones who remained the blindest to God incarnate, Jesus.

Jesus did not need to come in anyone's authority. He is God. He came in His own authority. But the religious leaders weren't interested in the answer to their question. They were interested only in making Jesus look bad. Knowing this to be their true motive, Jesus trapped them in their own scheme.


DO THE WILL OF GOD, NOT JUST OFFER LIP SERVICE (Matthew 21:28-32)

The first son...
* Said he wouldn't work but repented and went to work
* According to Jesus, did the will of the Father
* Is representative of the disciples

The second son...
* Said he would work but never did
* Did not do the will of the Father
* Is representative of the religious leaders

It is interesting that the religious leaders could tell Jesus which son did the work of God and which son did lip service -- yet, they still remained blind to their own spiritual blindness.


THE WICKED VINEDRESSERS KILL THE LANDOWNER'S SON (Matthew 21:33-46)

Again, the religious leader could correctly identify the fate of the wicked vinedressers who not only killed the landowner's servants but his son as well. They even deduced that Jesus was speaking of them through these parables. However, instead of letting the message sink in, they remained focused on getting rid of Jesus -- exactly as this parable foretold!

The symbolism used in this parable:
Landowner = God
Vineyard = House of Israel
Tenants = Israelites
Landowner's servants = Prophets
Heir = Jesus

Little to their knowledge, this parable would become a reality through the course of history.

The Israelites continued to stray away from God's path, despite the numerous prophets God sent to Israel. And eventually, they also rejected Jesus, Son of God, and nailed Jesus to the Cross.

Matthew 21:43
The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Jesus pronounced this judgement on the Israelites, revealing that the kingdom of God will be given to another nation who will bear the fruits of it.

Before the coming of Jesus, the Bible divided people into Jews/Israelites and Gentiles. God called the Israelites as His people, not because they were deserving, but because He loved them.

Deuteronomy 7:7
The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a might hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

And through the Israelites, the rest of the world was to come to know God and receive salvation. Unfortunately, instead of being a good influence to the rest of the world, the Israelites fell away from God and became corrupted with the world. And so, God sent prophets after prophets warning the Israelites of the coming judgement of their non-repentance -- to which the Israelites did not heed. This all culminated at the 1st coming of Jesus, when Israel as a nation rejected Jesus as their messiah. This was why Jesus wept over Jerusalem:

Luke 19:41-44
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!

And because Israel rejected Jesus, the mission of the kingdom of God has been given over to the Gentiles. In this new era, the Bible now divide people into Christians (those who follow Christ) and non-Christians.

Studying this passage, we must be very wary of Replacement Theology. Supporters of this theology claims that Christians have "replaced" Israelites in the fulfillment of God's prophecies and even go as far as condemning Israelites, calling them unworthy of God's kingdom. Bottom line, Replacement Theology calls God a liar, taking all the promises of God and throwing it out the window.

Deuteronomy 7:7
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Romans 11:17-18
And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Why? Because God promised, all the way in the beginning:

Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family,and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

As Paul explained in Romans 11, God is not done with Israel. This is best reflected in the book of Revelation, where after the Rapture, the Bible returns to dividing people as Jews/Israelites and Gentiles. Why?

Matthew 23:39
For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Jesus will not return until the Israelites are ready to receive Him as their Messiah. When that day comes, God will first judge Israel (and the world) for their trespasses, bringing forward the Tribulation period, before restoring their place in the kingdom of God. But until that day comes, we are in the era of Grace.

See my notes on Daniel 9 for detailed discussion of God's timeline.


MANY ARE CALLED, FEW ARE CHOSEN (Matthew 22:1-14)

Upon the 2nd coming of Jesus, everyone will be "judged."

Those who are in Christ, we will be judged by Christ at the Mercy Seat. We are all saved because we are all covered by the blood of Christ, so instead of condemnation, at this judgment, we will be rewarded for all the works we have done in His name. At this "rewards ceremony," we will also party like there's no tomorrow at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb -- which is described in this parable.

Those who are not in Christ, they will face the Great White Throne judgement. Because these people are not covered by the blood of Christ, they will each have to answer for the sins they have committed. Since they have chosen to walk apart from God, they will not be able to enter into God's kingdom and will not partake in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast is along the same line of warnings Jesus had been given to the religious leaders. God set out calling the Israelites as His people, yet the Israelites didn't take it seriously, squandering their opportunities. 

Matthew 22:8
The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

The "invitation" was then sent out to everyone else (Gentiles).

The attendees of this Wedding Feast are only those in Christ, who are clothed in white linen, garments of salvation, robe of righteousness ("wedding garment") (Isaiah 61:10; Philippians 3:9; and 2 Corinthians 5:21).

We are all given the chance to receive Jesus, but not all of us choose to receive Jesus.