Previously, we examined Monday of the same week (See https://godcherishesyou.com/it-is-monday-of-the-week-of-christs-journey-to-the-cross/t is Monday of the Week of Christ’s Journey to the Cross). In it, we saw Christ mysteriously cursing a fig tree, driving charlatans out of the courtyard of the Temple, receiving spontaneous worship from children, Jesus’ proclamation that His crucifixion was imminent, and other events.
On Tuesday morning, Jesus and the apostles journeyed from Bethany to the Temple in Jerusalem. Along the way, they came upon that fig tree that He cursed the day before for not having fruit. Peter was astonished because the tree is completely withered in only one day. Now, we get to see Jesus’ object lesson:
Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power] but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. For this reason, I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. Whenever you [stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others]. Mk. 11:22 – 25. AMP
The fig tree was an object lesson about faith-based prayer and its efficacy (if your prayers align with God’s will), and if you perform them with a mind that is not entertaining any ill will towards anyone.
(Some biblical scholars interpret this lesson as the importance of prayer when faced with obstacles in life (the mountain as metaphor), to remove them. Others have equated it as a representation of a ‘virtue-signaling church’ that looks good outwardly, but fruitless in the eyes of God.)
Arriving in the Temple, Jesus begins to preach. But then, He is confronted by the chief priests and church elders, demanding to know by whose authority is He preaching, seeing as how He was not a priest or scribe.
Jesus enjoined them with a question of His own:
“The baptism of John—from where did it come? From heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?” And they began debating among themselves [considering the implications of their answer], saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe John?’ Mt. 21:25 AMP
Christ is putting His detractors in a spiritual pickle. If they answered, ‘from heaven’, they would have to acknowledge that He was the Son of God, as John the Baptist professed. If they declared it was only from Man, they would disenfranchise John as a prophet, in front of a crowd who vehemently believed that he was.
So, they took the easy way out by saying that they didn’t know the answer. Thus, Jesus did not answer them either. Instead, He barraged them with parables.
In the first one, Jesus tells of a man who owned a vineyard, who asks his two sons to go work in it. The first son refuses but later has a change of heart and obliges his father. The second son said he would work in it but doesn’t. Jesus asks them to identify the ‘obedient son’. Rightly, they claim that it is the first son. Jesus responds:
“For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.” Mt. 21:32, 33. NLT
Jesus is impugning that ‘repentant sinners’ would enter His Kingdom, but access would be denied to the hypocritical and self-righteous, like the priests.
He then presses in with another parable, this one of a landowner who leased his land to vinedressers. When it came time to harvest, the landowner sent 3 of his servants to procure his share of the wine, which was stated clearly in the lease.
However, the vinedressers reneged on the lease – killing one servant and badly beating the other two. The landowner sends 3 more servants – same outcome. Finally, he sends his own son, thinking they’d treat him well, but the vinedressers kill him.
This is a metaphor for how the Israelites had killed the prophets God sent them, and for the imminent murder of His Son.
Christ pauses, turns to the priests, and asks them how the landowner should handle these vinedressers. They replied by saying that the vinedressers should be killed and replaced with honorable ones. He responds by asking them if they’ve ever read Ps. 118:23, which He then quotes:
‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ Mt. 21:42 NLT
This Psalm is a Messianic prophecy that Jesus is declaring fulfilled, where He has become the Cornerstone of the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, He is identifying the priests as part of those who reject Him. Then, Jesus reveals the cost of that rejection:
I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” Mt. 21:43 – 44. NLT
The ugly truth is that the Kingdom of God will, at this very moment, be ripped out of the religious hierarchy in Israel, and be given to His Jew and Gentile followers in other nations.
Finaly, Jesus hits them with a 3rd parable, whereupon He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to having a king who sends out his servants to bring the guests that were invited to the wedding of His son. However, the guests decide they have more important things to do.
The king sends his servants a second time, declaring that an excellent feast has been prepared. Not only do they still refuse, but they also kill the servants. In retaliation, the king has his army slay the guests.
The king then has other servants go out into the streets (some good, some evil) to fill the wedding hall. But one guest is ejected because they had no wedding garment, whose final disposition is elucidated by Christ:
Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].’ Mt. 22:13 AMP
At this point, Jesus directly addresses the priests:
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Mt. 22:14 CSB
Thus, like the second parable, this one illustrates (again through metaphor), God calling the Jews to come to Him – first through His prophets, and now through His Son. How so? The Jews killed many of God’s prophets and are about to crucify His Son.
Subsequently, corporate Israel has now lost its chance for salvation during the time of Jesus’ earthly visitation. Instead, salvation is now offered to the Gentiles and the believing Jews (i.e., those ‘wearing the wedding garments’ – i.e., those with faith in God and Christ).
The Pharisees and high priests are besides themselves over Christ’s verbal assault. They counter by trying to get Him to blaspheme Himself, by asking Him, (in front of those loyal to Herod, the governor of Judea), if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
The trap that they were trying to put Jesus in was that if He said ‘yes’, He would be betraying the Temple, that advocated for all taxes to be paid to it. If He says ‘no’, Jesus would be accused of being a traitor to the occupying Roman empire. Jesus is not fooled:
But Jesus, aware of their malice, asked, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius [a day’s wage]. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “[The Emperor Tiberius] Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” Mt. 22:18 – 21 AMP
The naysayers are coming out in force against Jesus. The other major Jewish religious sect, other than the Pharisees, are the Sadducees. They did not believe in a ‘resurrection after death’ and wanted to present to Him why they believed that way, hoping to discredit all His teachings.
They began by quoting a Mosaic Law that said a brother-in-law of a childless widow must marry her and have children by her to perpetuate the deceased brother’s lineage. Then they twisted it. The Sadducees asked Jesus if a childless widow was married to her 6 surviving brothers in law, (because each of them died sequentially, with none of them leaving children behind), who would be her husband in heaven.
Jesus replies:
“You are all wrong because you know neither the Scriptures [which teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [for He is able to raise the dead]. For in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven [who do not marry nor produce children]. Mt. 22:29, 30. AMP
And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. Lk. 20:36 NLT
“But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” Mt. 22:32, 32. NLT
Jesus is admonishing them, saying from their present point of knowledge, they are unable to comprehend the transcendent relationships of the children of eternity.
When the Pharisees witnessed Jesus’ rebuttal to the Sadducees, they sent over a scribe (religious lawyer) to ask Him which of the Ten Commandments was the greatest. He answers:
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” Mt. 22:37 – 40. AMP
His response is met with a grudgingly approval. But now it’s Jesus’ turn to ask a question:
“What do you [Pharisees] think of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” Mt. 22:42 AMP
Jesus Counters:
“How is it then that David by the inspiration of the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
‘The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah), “Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies under Your feet”’?
“So then, if David calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord,’ how is He David’s son?” Mt. 22:43 – 45. AMP
Christ is quoting Ps.110:1, a very well-known messianic prophecy written by King David, who, in this psalm is showing that the Messiah cannot be a mere man, because David calls Him ‘Lord.’ Moreover, Jehovah God (LORD) says that this ‘Lord’ will sit at His right hand – the only place reserved for His Son.
So, we come full circle in this very extended answer to why Jesus had the authority to preach and teach in the Temple.
Goodnight and God bless.