Jericho to the Cross – Part 1 of 4

Matthew 20:29-21:46

by Paul George

Jesus and the disciples left Jericho, their destination, Jerusalem, and a large crowd followed them. From the time, Jesus began His ministry multitudes followed Him, some for love, some for curiosity, and some in expectation of the establishing of Israel as a world super-power. Two blind men hearing that Jesus was passing by cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David” (Matthew 20:30).  The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet but they cried out, even louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 20:31).

Here is an example of persistence in prayer. These men earnestly cried out for mercy. They cried out as men in a desperate situation without hope of surviving. They cast themselves upon the altar of mercy. They confessed that Jesus is Lord and therefore had the authority to deliver them from their blindness.

Like the blind men, we must expect to meet with hindrances and discouragements from within and from without, something or other that tries to silence our pleas when we earnestly seek mercy. The permitting of attempts to silence us tests our faith, patience, and perseverance. Sincere and serious seekers of mercy will always encounter the worst rebukes from those that follow Jesus. When opposition from the pretender and hypocritical place an obstacle in our path we must cry louder for mercy form the Giver of mercy.

The multitude rebuked the blind, but Jesus encouraged them. The blind would be in a sad situation if the Giver of mercy were not more loving and passionate than the crowd following Jesus. Unlike the crowd of followers, Jesus poured out His love and favor upon the blind who received rebukes and contempt from the crowd. In the hour of rebuke and contempt from man, we must never lose sight of the fact Jesus will not permit our supplicants to fall by the wayside. He will hear our cries and answer them. He is never too busy to respond to our cries. Jesus was going to Jerusalem to complete the mission the Father sent Him to earth to do and He interrupted what He was doing in order to respond to the cries of two blind men.

Jesus asked these two men what they wanted from Him. He did not ask them what they wanted from Him because He did not know what they wanted; He knew what they needed from Him before they asked. Jesus asked them what they wanted because He wanted to hear their request and confession there was no one who could fulfill the request. Jesus not only calls us to pray, He invites and joins us. He tells us, here I am what do you want me to do, ask and I will do it. Jesus is able to do for us, and willing and requires one thing from us, tell Him, even though He knows before we tell Him, what we would have Him do for us. It is the will of God that we should in every thing make our requests known to Him by prayer and supplication not to inform or move Him, but to qualify ourselves for the mercy. When the blind men made their need known Jesus healed them; the tender mercy of our Lord Jesus gave light and sight to those that sat in darkness.

Our Lord Jesus came not only to bring light to a world in darkness, but also to give sight to blind souls. As a token of this, He cured many of their bodily blindness.

When Jesus and the disciples “had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus told two disciples to ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, the Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them.’” (Matthew 21:1-3). The disciples did as Jesus told them and brought the donkey and her colt to Jesus, they laid their coats on the donkey and the colt, and Jesus sat on the coats (Matthew 21:6-7). The crowd spread their coats in the road and some of the people cut branches from the trees and laid them in the road. The people leading the way into Jerusalem and following behind Jesus were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21: 8-9). Jesus entering the city on the back the foal of a donkey fulfilled the prediction of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9-10).

“All the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds were saying ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee’” (Matthew 21:10-11). Notice the change in attitude. On the road into Jerusalem the crowd were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” now He is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth, surroundings make a big difference in some people’s testimony.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem He did not go up to the court or the palace, though He came in as a king, He went to the temple. The first thing He did when He entered the temple, He drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those selling doves (v. 12). The blind and lame came to Jesus and He healed them. However, the chief priests and scribes were finding fault with what Jesus was doing and the children were shouting in the temple, probably at the gate or in the Temple court. The blind and lame were not permitted to enter the Temple (2 Samuel 5:8).  Jesus left Jerusalem and went to Bethany.

When Jesus returned to Jerusalem, the next day, He was hungry. He saw a fig tree, expecting to find fruit on the tree because it had leaves; but, finding none, He sentenced it to an unending barrenness.

Prior to this incident, all the miracles Jesus performed were for the good of men, and proved the power of His grace and blessing, none for the terror or punishment of His enemies. In this miracle, Jesus shows His disciples all judgment is committed to Him and He is able to not only save, but also destroy.
 This cursing of the barren fig tree represents the state of hypocrites in general; and so it teaches us, Jesus expects His disciples to produce fruit and His expectations are just. He comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds barren trees and He justly punishes the sin of barrenness, with the curse and plague of barrenness. Those who do not produce fruit lose the honor and comfort Jesus gives to those who produce fruit. Those who are as the barren fig tree withers in this world because they have no root in themselves, their profession soon come to an end; the gifts wither, common graces decay, the credit of the profession declines and sinks, and the falseness and folly of the pretender are manifested to all men.

The barren tree also represents the state of the nation and people of Israel. They were a fig tree planted in God’s vineyard. God incarnate came among them, expecting to find some fruit, something that would be pleasing to Him; He hungered after it and His expectations were frustrated; He found nothing but leaves. They called Abraham their father, but did not do the works of Abraham. They prayed for the coming of the promised Messiah, but, when He came, they did not receive Him. After they rejected the Messiah they became worse and worse; blindness and hardness increased to the point their nation was rooted up; their beauty was defaced, their privileges and ornaments, their temple, and priesthood, and sacrifices, and festivals, fell like leaves in autumn.

Before you point a finger at the people of Israel in the days when Jesus walked among the people, look inward at the professing church that is like a barren fig tree, covered with leaves; thousands come Sunday after Sunday to have their felt needs met. What about the spiritual need, is it being met?

The disciples admired the effect of Jesus’ curse, they marveled, no power could do what Jesus did. They marveled at how quickly the fig tree withered away. There was no visible cause of the fig tree's withering, it was not only the leaves of it that withered, but the body of the tree; it withered away in an instant and became like a dry stick. What a sad thing it is when churches that were once filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and because they no longer produce fruit have withered and become like a dry stick. They have the form but lack the power.

Jesus told the disciples if they have faith and do not doubt they will not only do what was done to the fig tree they will be able to move mountains (vv. 21-22). Before we go off the deep end and try to move physical mountains, we need to understand Jesus was speaking figuratively. Moving a mountain is a proverbial expression; intimating that we are to believe that nothing is impossible with God.

The challenge by the high priests and elders (vv. 23-27)
 
Following the incident with the barren tree, Jesus went to the temple. When He entered the temple, the priests and elders came and asked Him who gave Him the authority to do what He did when He drove out those who were buying and selling in the temple and over turn the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those selling doves and teach in the temple. Who gave Him the authority to ride into Jerusalem like amidst the shouts of hosannas; did Caesar or the high priest give Him the authority expressed in His acts?

Jesus answered their demand with His own (vv. 24-25). Jesus put His enemies between the rock and the hard place. Two things they considered in this reasoning with themselves, their credit, and their safety. If they said the source of John’s baptism was from heaven they knew Jesus would ask them, before all the people, why they did not believe John. John had testified to them who Jesus was.  If they should say that John's baptism was of men they would turn the people against them because they believed John was a prophet sent by God. After weighing the pros and cons they answered Jesus, “We do not know” (27). Jesus told them He would not tell them by whose authority He did all these things (27). Jesus avoided the trap chief priests and elders laid for Him and justified His refusal to answer their question.

The parable of the two sons (vv. 28-32)

Turning to the disciples, Jesus asked them, “What do you think?” A man had two sons and sent them to work in the vineyard. What is the point Jesus is attempting to make in this parable?  The parable represents two types of people. They both have the same father, the father is God. There are favors they both receive from Him and obligations to Him that are alike. They both had the same command given them; work in the vineyard, a creditable, profitable, and pleasant occupation. One of the sons said, he would not go, but went and worked in the vineyard. The second son said he would go and did not go.
Both of these sons had their faults, one was rude and the other was false, but the question is, which was the better of the two, and the less faulty? The disciples said the first, his actions were better than his words and the end better than his beginning.

In this parable, Jesus proves that John's baptism was from heaven and not of men. Remember, by their fruits you shall know them, the fruits of their doctrines, the fruits of their doings. It was evident that John came in the way of righteousness by his ministry. In his ministry, he taught people to repent, and to work the works of righteousness. In his conversation, he was a great example of strictness, and seriousness, and contempt of the world, denying himself, and doing good to every body else. Jesus therefore submitted to the baptism of John, because it became them to fulfill all righteousness.  Now, if John thus came in the way of righteousness, could they be ignorant that his baptism was from heaven, or make any doubt of it?

Jesus proves that John came in the way of righteousness by the success of his ministry; the publicans and the harlots believed. If God had not sent John the Baptist, He would not have crowned his labors with such wonderful success, nor have made him as instrumental as he was for the conversion of souls. If publicans and harlots believe his report, surely the arm of the Lord is with him.

The parable of the landowner (vv. 33-46)

In the parable of the landowner we have here the privileges of the Jewish nation, represented by the letting out of a vineyard to the husbandmen; they were as tenants of God. God provided the vineyard, furnished all things requisite to an advantageous management and improvement of it. He planted this vineyard. He planted the choicest vine.  He hedged it round about. He dug a wine press and built a tower. He entrusted the care of the vineyard to the chief priests and elders; he let it out to them as husbandmen, not because he had need of them but because he would try them, and be honored by them. He planted the vineyard and then went into a far country. 

The landowner’s expectation was a reasonable expectation. His expectations were not hasty; he did not demand a deposit. He did not threaten a forfeiting of their lease if they ran behind-hand production, but he sent his servants to remind them of their duty, and of the rent-day, and to help them in gathering in the fruit, and prepare it for market. These servants were the prophets of the Old Testament, who were sent, and sometimes directly, to the people of Israel to reprove and instruct them. They were not hard; they came only to receive the fruit due the landowner. He did not demand more than they could make of it, but some fruit of that which he himself planted, an observance of the laws and statutes he gave them. Israel became a wild vine bringing forth wild grapes.

When the landowner sent his servants to receive what was due Him, the tenants abused them. They beat Jeremiah, killed Isaiah, and stoned Zechariah.  This was God's old quarrel with the Jews, misusing his prophets (2 Chronicles 36:16). How do you think the Lord views those who abuse His servants in the ways they do today?

God revealed His goodness to the abusers of His servants when He sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the sending of His Son. All the prophets were forerunners sent to prepare the people for the coming of the promised Messiah. The reception of the Messiah, the Son of God, would be a powerful and effectual revealing of fruitfulness and obedience, because He comes with more authority than the servants do, judgment is committed to Him, that all men should honor Him. There is a greater danger in rejecting Him than disobeying the Law given to Moses.

The vine-growers when they saw the Son, said amongst themselves this is the heir let us kill Him and seize His inheritance (v.38). Pilate and Herod, the princes of this world, did not know what they were doing, if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). However, the chief priests and elders knew that Jesus was the Messiah; at least some of them knew Jesus was the Messiah. The motivating factor behind their hatred of Jesus was envy. They hated and feared Jesus because of His interest in the people and thousands were following though most were not truly committed to Him. They followed Jesus as many do today for what they can profit by following Him. They pretended that He must die, to save the people from the Romans (John 11:50). Their true purpose for wanting Jesus dead is to cover up their hypocrisy and tyranny from that reformation which the expected kingdom of the Messiah would certainly bring with it. He drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple; therefore let us kill Him. He comes to receive what belongs to Him therefore let us kill Him and seize His inheritance.

In the fullness of time, the enemies of the Lord executed their plan to kill the Lord of glory (v. 39). Though the Roman power condemned him, the chief priests and elders were not only the prosecutors, but also the principal witnesses against Him. They looked upon Him as unworthy to live and cast Him out of the vineyard. Those who persecuted the servants persecuted the Son and their doom comes out of their own mouths (vv. 40-41).

Jesus asked the disciples, ‘When the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine-growers” (v. 40). They answered, He will bring these wretched to a wretched end and rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will give the owner of the vineyard what is due him (v. 41). The Romans fulfilled this in destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. It will be fulfilled upon all that walk the path of wickedness; hell is everlasting destruction, and it will be the most miserable destruction to all that have enjoyed the greatest share of church privileges, and have not improved them.

God will have a church in the world, notwithstanding the unworthiness and opposition of many that abuse the privileges of it. The unbelief and abuse of man shall not make the word of God of no effect. The servants of the enemy may destroy the servants of the Lord, but they cannot destroy the church. The chief priests and elders imagined that they were the people and without them wisdom and holiness would die. However, when God makes use of any to bear up his name, it is not because He needs them.

Jesus ends the parable of the landowner with a reference to Psalm 118 beginning with verse 22. The builders' rejecting of the stone is the same with the vine growers abusing of the son that was sent to them. The chief priests and the elders were the labors, God the builder and they would not allow His Son a place in their labors, would not admit His doctrine or laws into their constitution; they threw Him aside as a despised broken vessel, a stone that would serve only for a stepping-stone, to be trampled upon. The advancing of this stone to be the head of the corner is the same with giving the vineyard to other vine growers. He who the Jews rejected the Gentiles embraced. They accepted His authority over the gospel church, and influence upon it, His ruling it as the Head.

The hand of God was in all this, even the rejecting of Him by the Jewish builders was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; He permitted and overruled it. He advanced the rejected stone to the chief corner stone. God’s right hand and His holy arm brought it about; God Himself exalted the name of Jesus above every name.

To Israel the oracles of God (Romans 3:2), the sacred trust of revealed religion, and bearing up of God's name in the world God committed into the care of Israel, but now it shall be so no longer. They were unfruitful in the use of their privileges, but under pretence of them, opposed the gospel of Christ, and so forfeited them. It is a righteous thing with God to remove privileges from those that not only sin against them, but also sin with them (Revelation 2:4-5). The kingdom of God was taken from Israel, for a time set by God, by the temporal judgments that came upon Israel, and the spiritual judgments that came upon, blindness of mind, hardness of heart (Romans 11:8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:15). They who had not been a people, and had not obtained mercy, became favorites of Heaven. This is the mystery which The Apostle Paul was so much affected with (Romans 11:30, 33) and which the Jews were so much affronted by (Acts 22:21-22). At the first planting of Israel in Canaan, the fall of the Gentiles was the riches of Israel, the fall of Israel was the riches of the Gentiles (Romans 11:12).

The Stone rejected by the builders is set for the fall of many, some through ignorance others through unbelief, this is the greater sin. This Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, will break in pieces all opposing power (Daniel 2:34-35). Christ will destroy all those that fight against Him.

Read Part 2

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