Matthew 21
The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Matthew 21:9 NIV
Here it clearly shows the fickle nature of a mob, and humanity in general. This chapter describes the crowd as heralding Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna in the highest. Less than a week later, the same people would turn on Him and shout “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22-23).
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. Matthew 21:19 NIV
Jesus withers the fig tree because it looked appealing from far away, but up close it was obvious that it would not bear fruit. This acted-out parable described people that appear very religious on the outside, but are actually spiritually barren. We need to make sure that our faith and devotion to God are genuine, and that we aren’t just putting on a facade to impress others. In addition, we need to be ready to bear fruit at any command from our Lord or risk severe consequences: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (John 15:5-6).
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 NIV
Jesus is telling us here that anything is possible through faith and prayer. There may be situations in our lives that seem insurmountable, but nothing is impossible with God’s help. The apostle Paul once prayed: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Remember to focus on the Creator of the universe rather than obsessing about your problem. If we truly believe, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer, providing it is in God’s will. Don’t be discouraged if your prayers are not answered in the way you would like; in all likelihood God has an even better plan for you!
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32 NIV
In this parable, both of the sons sinned. The first son disobeyed his father, but then repented. The second son lied to his father and did not do what he was told. Both sinned, just as we all have sinned: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This parable reminds us that God looks at our hearts. He knows what we are thinking and He knows if we are truly sorry for our sins. When Samuel was looking for the next King of Israel, he went to Jesse to anoint one of his sons. To Samuel’s surprise, God had chosen the least likely son, based on physical stature alone. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him (Eliab). The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). What will He see when He looks at your heart today?
“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” Matthew 21:33-44 NIV
This parable is a recap of Jewish history, and a prediction of the future. God took good care of the Israelites and sent prophets and priests to them, who were rejected and sometimes killed by the Jewish religious leaders. God then sent His Son, but the religious leaders rejected and killed Him as well. Because of this God hands the Kingdom over to the gentiles who will bear fruit for Him (See Romans 11).