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Matthew Chapter
Twenty-one
I. Content of the Chapter
The King Went into the City of
I. He rode upon the colt into the city of
II. He cleansed the
III. He judged the fig tree (v.18-22).
IV. He put the opposed to silence (v.23-27).
V. The parable of two sons (v.28-32).
VI. The parable of the wicked vinedressers (v.33-46).
II. Verse by Verse commentary
Matt. 21:1 “Now when they drew near
YLT: “And when they came nigh to
Meaning of Words: “Bethphage”: House
of green (immature) figs.
Literal Meaning: “came to Bethphage,
at the Mount of Olives,” “Bethphage” was on the east of
Spiritual Meaning: “Bethphage” in
original means the House of green figs. Figs symbolize the kingdom and the
people of
Matt. 21:2 “saying to them, "Go
into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and
a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.”
YLT: “saying to them, `Go on to the village over-against
you, and immediately ye shall find an ass bound, and a colt with her having
loosed, bring ye to me;”
The Background:
“donkey” is a docile animal. Before the Jews
used horses commonly, the donkeys were ridden by kings (See Judg. 10:4, 12:14,
2Sam. 16:2). Because donkeys were not as powerful as steeds, the Bible compared
donkeys with steeds to show the lowliness and meekness of the one who rode upon
the donkey (See Zech. 9:9-10).
Literal Meaning: “you will find a
donkey tied” The Gospels of Mark and Luke only mentioned the colt and did not
mention the donkey (See Mark. 11:2, Luke. 19:30). Usually the mother donkey
followed closely to its young colt and the feature of the Gospel of Matthew is
to “testify” that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah and therefore the
number “two” is mentioned frequently (See the note of Matt. 20:30).
“And a colt with her” “colt” is the
young and immature donkey.
Spiritual Meaning: meanings of here the
donkey and the colt are as follows:
A. “Donkey” represents the Jews and “colt”
represents the Gentiles.
B. They were “tied” there, typifying that the world,
without freedom, is tied by life, family and work.
C. The place where they were tied is the village
opposite, typifying that it is in the world.
D. The Lord asked them to “loosen” them, typifying
that the Lord sent His servants (believers) to deliver us from the world and
sins.
E. They were “brought to the Lord”, typifying that
our being saved is that we are brought to the Lord.
F. The aim that the Lord saves us is that “the Lord
has need of them” (See v.3), typifying that the Lord hopes that after we have
been saved, we could dedicate ourselves to Him for His need.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The words of the Lord are with authority and
only those who have the words of the Lord will be “loosened” and untied.
2) The one who has been untied has to be brought to
the Lord (“bring them to me”) and then the Lord can use him.
Matt. 21:3 “And if anyone says anything
to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,'
and immediately he will send them.’”
YLT: “and if any one may say anything to you, ye shall
say, that the lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.’”
Literal Meaning: “the Lord has need
of them” “the Lord” is the Lord Jesus Himself.
“And immediately he will send them.” “He”
is the master of the donkey and the colt (See Luke. 19:33). “Immediately he
will…” shows that the master was without the least hesitation, manifesting the
Lord’s authority.
Spiritual Meaning: believers were
originally under the master of the world and were tied by things of the world
and sins. However, one day, the mighty words of the Lord come to us, we are
immediately delivered from the power of darkness and dedicate ourselves to the
need of the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word: once the master of the donkey and the colt hears
that the Lord has need of them, he answered it immediately; believers should
gladly dedicate our body, intelligence, belongings and so on to the Lord
immediately when the Lord has need of them.
Matt. 21:4 “All this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:”
YLT: “And all this came to pass, that it might be
fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying,”
Literal Meaning: “which was spoken by
the prophet” is the prophecy said by God through the prophet Zechariah (Zech.
9:9).
Matt. 21:5 “‘Tell
the daughter of
YLT: “`Tell ye the daughter of
Literal Meaning: “the daughter of
“Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly.” This prophecy said that in the last week for the Lord Jesus as a man
and when He went to
Spiritual Meaning: the Lord’s riding on
a donkey spiritually means that He would reign in the hearts of His people who
obey Him and He did not force men to obey Him. If men do not have the intention
to magnify the Lord, He will “give them up”.
Matt. 21:6 “So the disciples went and
did as Jesus commanded them.”
YLT: “And the disciples having gone and having done as
Jesus commanded them,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Towards the Lord’s words, we should trust and
obey His words without any doubt.
2) No matter what the Lord commands, as long as we
obey it, it shall be even as it was told.
Matt. 21:7 “They brought the donkey
and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.”
YLT: “brought the ass and the colt, and did put on them
their garments, and set [him] upon them;”
Literal Meaning: “laid their clothes
on them” Here they used clothes to replace the saddles.
“And set Him on them.” According to the
literal meaning, it seems that Jesus was riding on two donkeys (them). Actually,
one man is unable to sit on two donkeys, He must ride on the colt (See Mark.
11:7) and because that colt had been sat by no men (See Mark. 11:2), its mother
had to accompany it, aping it at every step.
Spiritual Meaning: “clothes” symbolize
our external glory and behaviors. The Lord sat on the cloths, showing that: 1)
He was highly exalted and glorified; 2) men were able to personally experience
His kingship through obedience; 3) we should walk for the manifestation of His
glory.
The disciples brought the donkey and the
colt, however, when the Lord went into the city, He sat on the colt (See Mark.
11:7, Luke. 19:30-35). It symbolizes that the Lord is magnified in the Gentiles
(the colt). Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all
Matt. 21:8 “And a very great
multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the
trees and spread them on the road.”
YLT: “and the very great multitude spread their own
garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were
strewing in the way,”
Literal Meaning: “a very great
multitude spread their clothes on the road” “a very great multitude” Probably because
the Passover was coming, many people from various regions came to
“Others cut down branches from the trees
and spread them on the road.” Spreading clothes on the road is the expression
to welcome the king (See 2Kings. 9:13).
Spiritual Meaning: the Lord sat on the
colt and men spread clothes and branches of trees on the road. The meaning of
this case is as follows:
A. Human beings (clothes), animals (donkey)
and plants (branches) are the representation of all, showing that the Lord
might have the first place in all things (Col. 1:18) and all things are under
His feet (Eph. 1:22).
B. Clothes represent men’s outward
behaviors of righteousness (Rev. 19:8) and branches are the branches of palms
(See John. 12:13) and they represent men’s inward joy (See Lev. 23:40) and the
overcoming life (See Rev. 7:9). “Spreading…on the road” shows to separate Him
from the earthly things. The whole sentence shows that believers, in life and
behavior, should show the difference between what is of earth and what is of
the Lord.
C. Believers magnify Christ by their
beings and deeds, making the world know the being and deeds of Christ.
Matt. 21:9 “Then the multitudes who
went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna
to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!’”
YLT: “and the multitudes who were going before, and who
were following, were crying, saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is
he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’”
Literal Meaning: “Hosanna to the Son
of David” “Hosanna” is “beseech for salvation immediately” (See Ps. 118:15). However,
it can be used as praise and it means “you are mighty and only you are worthy”.
“The Son of David” means that He is the Messiah who was sent by God to save the
whole land (See Ps. 132:10-11). The multitudes rejoiced and sang praise because
they thought that Jesus was the savior of their race who came there to reign
and lead the Jews to resist the domination of
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
LORD” This song of praise was originally the blessing to the pilgrims (See Ps.
118:26). Here the multitudes mentioned this and the praise for the Messiah
together and therefore “He who comes in the name of the LORD” is the coming
Messiah, i.e. Jesus who appeared before them.
“Hosanna in the highest!” It means that:
1) because of the coming of the Messiah, they glorify God who is in the
highest; 2) the angels and the hosts of heaven (See Ps. 148:1-2) sing “Hosanna”
loudly in heaven.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When the Lord sat on the colt (v.7), the multitudes
spread clothes on the road (v.8) and then the multitudes praised Him. In like
manner, when we fully obey the Lord, the Lord will be highly exalted above all
and become the center of praise.
2) When the glorious Lord appears to us, we can’t
help rejoicing and singing praise.
Matt. 21:10 “And when He had come into
YLT: “And he having entered into
Meaning of Words: “was moved”: quake (it
is used to describe the earthquake), stir.
Literal Meaning: “when He had come
into Jerusalem” From this verse to chapter 27 in which it recorded that Jesus
was crucified, it was His last week as a man and today men call it “the
suffering week”.
“All the city was moved.” Jesus moved
all the
Matt. 21:11 “So the multitudes said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.’”
YLT: “And the multitudes said, `This is Jesus the
prophet, who [is] from Nazareth of Galilee.’”
Literal Meaning: the multitudes here
may be Galileans who came to the feast. They knew Him for a long time because
the Lord preached and healed the sick in the north.
Matt. 21:12 “Then Jesus went into the
temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and
overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold
doves.”
YLT: “And Jesus entered into the
The Background:
at that time the priests of the
Literal Meaning: “He drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple.” “
“The seats of those who sold doves” “doves” are used to sacrifice for the poor
(See Lev. 12:8, 14:22, 15:14, 29).
Spiritual Meaning: God’s temple is the
place where God inhabits (Eph. 2:21-22), however, there were a group of people
who bought and sole in the temple and held gain to be piety (1Tim. 6:5); the
behavior that the Lord Jesus cleansed the Holy Temple shows that God cannot
have rest in this kind of temple.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When we are willing to let the Lord reign in our
hearts, all the dirtiness, adulteration and sins in our hearts will be cleansed
by Him.
2) The Lord dislikes us to make money (exchange
money) through any spiritual thing and quench the spirit (sell the doves) and
so on.
Matt. 21:13 “And He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a
house of prayer,' but you have made it a ‘den
of thieves.’”
YLT: “and he saith to them, `It hath been written, My
house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did make it a den of robbers.’”
Meaning of Words: “den of thieves”:
the lair of robbers.
Literal Meaning: this verse puts Is.
56:7 and Jer. 7:11 together.
This was the second time for the Lord to
cleanse the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God saves us to be His “temple” (See Heb. 3:6, “the
house of God” is “the
2) “A house of prayer” is the place where men have
communion and work with God and glorify God; “a den of thieves” is the place
where men usurp the benefits of God and it is with a foul atmosphere and God
has no peace and quiet there.
3) The church and our hearts should be the house of
prayer, if Christ is not allowed to dwell there (See Eph. 3:17), they may
become dens of thieves.
4) Personal prayer is very important, however, the
prayer of the church is much more powerful than personal prayer. Therefore we
should always pray with other believers.
Matt. 21:14 “Then the blind and the
lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.”
YLT: “And there came to him blind and lame men in the
temple, and he healed them,”
Literal Meaning: “the blind and the
lame in the temple” These blind men and lame men should be at the gate of the
temple or in the yard of it because they are not allowed to enter into the temple
(See Lev. 21:16-24).
Spiritual Meaning: “the blind and lame
in the temple” It is a freehand brushwork, showing that temple which was
impressive only in appearance was filled with those whose thoughts were blinded
by the god of this world (2Cor. 4:4) and who were unable to walk. Only when we
come to the Lord sincerely will we be healed.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) There are two troubles for believers to keep the
will of God: a) “the blind”------they are unable to see the will of God
clearly; b) “the lame”------they are unable to keep the will of God by themselves.
2) The moment the Lord came into the temple, these
things happened: a) those who bought and sold were driven out; b) the disabled
were healed; c) children praised the Lord (v.15). The moment the Lord comes
into our hearts, these things will happen all the same: a) our sins are
removed; b) our hearts are healed; c) we will praise Him wholeheartedly.
Matt. 21:15 “But when the chief
priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children
crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of
David!’ they were indignant”
YLT: “and the chief priests and the scribes having seen
the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and
saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David, ‘were much displeased;”
Literal Meaning: “and the children
crying out in the temple and saying” In the temple men were not allowed to say
loudly; please note that the priests and scribes were not indignant about
crying of children but the content of their crying.
Spiritual Meaning: “the priests and
scribes” represent religious leaders. “Children” represent those who are spiritually
young and purely seek the Lord. Once the latter ones see the work of the Lord, their
hearts are easily welling forth good matters. However, the former ones become indignant
and jealousy instead of praising because they are restrained by religious
ceremonies and blinded by traditional concepts.
Matt. 21:16 “and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes.
Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes
and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?’”
YLT: “and they said to him, ‘Hearest thou what these
say?’ And Jesus saith to them, ‘Yes, did ye never read, that, Out of the mouth
of babes and sucklings Thou didst prepare praise?’”
Literal Meaning: “out of the mouth of
babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise.” This verse is quoted from
Ps. 18:2, however, the Hebrew word “power” here is translated as “praise”.
Spiritual Meaning: the Lord quoted the
word in Ps. 8:2, proving that He is the savior in incarnation who was predicted
in Ps. 8 (See Heb. 2:6-10).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) They asked the Lord that He did not hear and the
Lord asked them that they had never read. Reading the Bible (hearing the voice
of God directly) is more important than hearing the word (hearing the voice of
God indirectly).
2) Though babes and nursing infants are little and
weak in men’s eyes, God values their praise out of their mouth. No matter how
spiritual and excellent His words are, God cannot be satisfied without their
praise. Therefore, in the church, we should encourage the new believers to open
their mouth to pray and praise because these are very sweet upon God’s ears.
Matt. 21:17 “Then He left them and
went out of the city to
YLT: “And having left them, he went forth out of the
city to
Meaning of Words: “
Literal Meaning: “He went out of the
city of
Spiritual Meaning: the city of
“
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A normal church should be full of life
(Lazarus), love (Mary) and service (Martha) and then it could make the Lord have
a rest.
2) Christ only dwells in our hearts by our faith
and love (See Eph. 3:17).
Matt. 21:18 “Now in the morning, as He
returned to the city, He was hungry.”
YLT: “and in the morning turning back to the city, he
hungered,”
Literal Meaning: “as He returned to the
city,” “returned to the city” indicates to return to
Spiritual Meaning: “He was hungry”
symbolizes that the Lord was unsatisfied.
Matt. 21:19 “And seeing a fig tree by
the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away.”
YLT: “and having seen a certain fig-tree on the way, he
came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and he saith to it, `No
more from thee may fruit be to the age;’ and forthwith the fig-tree withered.”
The Background:
under normal circumstances, fig tree begins
to bear fruits in February in normal solar calendar and then sprouts and has
leaves. In April and May it is full of dense green leaves and under every leave
there is a fruit. Most of the fruits grow up until June, however, some of the
fruits are precocious. According to the time recorded in this chapter, it was
near to the Passover (See Matt. 26:2) and was about between March and April in
solar calendar. Therefore, as usual, that fig free should not have nothing but
leaves.
Literal Meaning: “seeing a fig tree
by the road” Fig tree is the emblem of the
“Let no fruit grow on you ever again,”
It predicted that
The words of the Lord had been really fulfilled in
history. In A. D. 70, the city of
Spiritual Meaning: God planted
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today, among believers, probably there are many,
just like
2) If believers do not bear fruits, they will be
taken away, cast out and dried up (John. 15:2, 6).
3) The value of the existence of all is to satisfy
and please the Lord of all, otherwise, there is no need for them to live.
Matt. 21:20 “And when the disciples saw
it, they marveled, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither
away so soon?’”
YLT: “And the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying,
`How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?’”
Matt. 21:21 “So Jesus answered and
said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, 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.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering said to them, `Verily I say to
you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree
shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast
into the sea, it shall come to pass;”
Spiritual Meaning: “this mount”
indicates the obstacle and difficulties which block the way of believers and
seem to be too large to be removed.
“Be removed and be cast into the sea”
Removing the mount and casting it into the sea indicate to overcome large and
obstinate difficulties.
The Lord Jesus said this dialogue of
faith closely after He had cursed the fig tree and this includes deep spiritual
meaning. It is a sign to remove the mount and cast it into the sea. It must be
done by God instead of men. However, if we want to move God’s finger to remove
the mount for us, we have to satisfy His needs first. Faith is the only thing
by which we could satisfy God. The Jews wanted to satisfy God by the Law
(leaves) and consequently they were rejected by God; we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand (Rom. 5:2) and therefore faith is the “fruit” which
satisfies God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Faith is able to move God’s finger. As long as
we could move God’s finger, we shall not worry that we could not move the large
mountain.
2) No matter how difficult the trouble is, as long
as one has faith, he will overcome it.
3) Sometimes we need to speak to the difficulty
directly and refuse and rebuke the difficulty by faith.
Matt. 21:22 “And whatever things you
ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’”
YLT: “and all as much as ye may ask in the prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.’”
Spiritual Meaning: this verse shows that
the sign of removing the mount and casting it into the sea is done by God; if
men pray with faith, he will receive the answer of sign from God. If men
satisfy God by “faith”, God will reward men and men will receive.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Prayer is that men ask God. And the prayer with
faith is the prerequisite for God’s answer. Men draw God’s promise through
faith.
2) God will do great things if men trust Him
without doubt. Prayer will not be fulfilled without faith. God does things according
to our capacity and how much we have been prepared.
Matt. 21:23 “Now when He came into the
temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was
teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You
doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’”
YLT: “And he having come to the temple, there came to
him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, `By
what authority dost thou do these things? and who gave thee this authority?’”
Literal Meaning: “the chief priests
and the elders of the people confronted Him.” “The chief priests”, “the elders”
and “the scribes” (See v.15) constitute the three kinds of members of Judaic
council.
“By what authority are You doing these
things?” “These things” indicate that Jesus taught men and cleansed the temple
in the first day.
Spiritual Meaning: the chief priests
were leaders in Judaism and they represent characters in religious circles; “the
elders of the people” were leader of common people and they represent worldly
characters. These two kinds of men confronted the Lord that by what authority
He taught men and cleansed the
Matt. 21:24 “But Jesus answered and
said to them, ‘I also will ask you one
thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do
these things:”
YLT: “And Jesus answering said to them, `I will ask you
I also one word, which if ye may tell me, I also will tell you by what
authority I do these things;”
Literal Meaning: to those who had
hardened their hearts and did not know the Lord intentionally, the Lord did not
answer their question directly and contrarily asked them a question in reply so
as to put them to silence.
Enlightenment in the Word: when men ask what they should not ask, believers should
imitate the Lord and ask in reply so as to help us out of a predicament.
Matt. 21:25 “The baptism of
John--where was it from? From heaven or from men?’
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘If
we say, ‘From heaven,' He will say
to us, ‘Why then did you not
believe him?'”
YLT: “the baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven,
or from men?’ And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, `If we should say,
From heaven; he will say to us, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?”
Literal Meaning: “the baptism of John—where
was it from?” The Lord meant that the place the authority of John the Baptism
was from is where His authority is from. If the opposed could answer the
question where the authority of John the Baptist was from, they will naturally
know where His authority was from. Jesus asked in reply because if they
confessed that John the Baptist was sent by God, they should receive his
testimony for Jesus (See Matt. 3:11-12). Therefore they would naturally know that
His authority is from God.
“From heaven” indicates from God; the
Jews usually replaced God with heaven.
Spiritual Meaning: “the baptism of John”
is to bury those who had repented (See Matt. 3:6-11), i.e. to put the old man
into death. The Lord Jesus asked this question with the aim of making them
confess that it is of God. He also implied that the true authority of God is
from death and resurrection, otherwise, it is only authority of men.
Matt. 21:26 “But if we say, ‘From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a
prophet.’”
YLT: “and if we should say, From men, we fear the
multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.’”
Matt. 21:27 “So they answered Jesus
and said, ‘We do not know.’ And He said to them, ‘Neither
will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
YLT: “And answering Jesus they said, `We have not known.
‘He said to them he also `Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these
things.”
Literal Meaning: the Lord did not say
that “I do not know” but “neither will I tell you”. The chief priests and the
elders of the people were fully aware of the answer and declined that they did
not know. It was lying. The Lord knew it and He did not tell them. It was true.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If our hearts are not upright, the Lord cannot
speak to us.
2) Today men may prevaricate the Lord’s questions,
however, in future we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and
each of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:10-12).
Matt. 21:28 “‘But
what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’”
YLT: “`And what think ye? A man had two children, and
having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my
vineyard.’”
Spiritual Meaning: here “a man”
indicates God the Father. He has two sons and one represents
God has a farm of life (vineyard) in
this universe. God Himself is the husbandman (John. 15:1) and He also called
men to work with Him together (1Cor. 3:9).
Matt. 21:29 “He answered and said,
"I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.”
YLT: “And he answering said, `I will not,’ but at last,
having repented, he went.”
Spiritual Meaning: the first
contradicted his father first and he was unwilling to go and then he regretted.
He symbolizes that: a) all the “sinners”; b) specially the tax collectors and harlots
and other sinners who followed the Lord at that time. The tax collectors and harlots
and other sinners originally went against the will of God, committed sins and
did evil. Then they repented, confessed their sins and obeyed God.
Matt. 21:30 “Then he came to the
second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I
go, sir,' but he did not go.”
YLT: “`And having come to the second, he said in the
same manner, and he answering said, I [go], sir, and went not;”
Spiritual Meaning: here the second
indicates the priests, the scribes, the Pharisees and the elders of the people
who specially opposed the Lord. They drew nigh unto God with their mouth, and
honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from God (See Matt.
15:8).
The religious leasers of the Jews obeyed
God apparently, but actually they did not receive the one whom God has sent.
Matt. 21:31 “Which of the two did the
will of his father?’ They said to Him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots
enter the
YLT: “which of the two did the will of the father?’ They
say to him, `The first.` Jesus saith to them, `Verily I say to you, that the
tax-gatherers and the harlots do go before you into the reign of God,”
Literal Meaning: the Pharisees were
like the last who pretended to be obedient but actually were disobedient. Tax
collectors were like the first who went against the Father first and then
regretted.
“Enter the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord values the true repentance of men and
dislikes those who do not really mean what they have said.
2) The
Matt. 21:32 “For John came to you in
the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and
harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and
believe him.”
YLT: “for John came unto you in the way of
righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the
harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last to believe
him.”
Literal Meaning: “John came to you in
the way of righteousness,” “The way of righteousness” is the way that accords
with the working principle of God.
“You” in this verse indicate the
Pharisees, the scribes and so on. They first heard the righteous preaching of John
the Baptist and did not believe him. Then they saw the wonderful changes of
sinners who had repented and still remained unmoved. The Lord condemned them
because the hardness of their hearts.
The words of the Lord in this verse
actually answered the question asked by Himself in v.25.
Spiritual Meaning: John the Baptist was
the forerunner of the Lord Jesus and his work was to introduce the Lord to men,
lead them to repent and prepare the way of the Lord in men’s hearts (See Matt.
3:1-12). Therefore believing him is to receive that the Lord Jesus is the only
way of righteousness (John. 14:6, Heb. 10:20). The way of righteousness is that
men come to God with faith and are willing to repent, confess their sins and
believe in the Lord, then they could live in the
Matt. 21:33 “‘Hear
another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a
hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to
vinedressers and went into a far country.”
YLT: “`Hear ye another simile: There was a certain man,
a householder, who planted a vineyard, and did put a hedge round it, and digged
in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went
abroad.”
Literal Meaning: “set a hedge around
it” is to protect the vineyard from attack and breaking of wild beasts and
robbers as well as the invasion of others (See Job. 1:10).
“Dug a winepress in it” indicates to saw
a place to press and keep wine by firm rock. “A winepress” has two layers, the
upper is to step and press grapes and there is a small hole in the upper for
the flow of the juice of grapes which has been pressed to the lower.
“Built a tower” indicates to set up a
watchtower by wood to guard in the time when grapes are mature.
Spiritual Meaning: “the landowner”
indicates God; “vineyard” indicates the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The vineyard was “leased” to vinedressers and
its lordship still belonged to the landowner. The Lord has put His church to
His servants for stewardship and the lordship of the church is still in the
Lord’s hands.
2) Service is our duty, however, we should not
trespass the Lord’s lordship in service and we should obey the Lord’s guidance
in everything.
Matt. 21:34 “Now when vintage-time
drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive
its fruit.”
YLT: “`And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he
sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,”
Spiritual Meaning: “he sent his
servants” “His servants” indicate the prophets in the time of the Old Testament.
“They might receive its fruit” shows
that we should give account to God with service. “When vintage-time drew near”
shows that we should give account to God on time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God has entrusted (leased) His spiritual inheritance
to us and asks us to bring forth fruits in our seasons. And we should dedicate
the fruits to God and should not keep them for our own.
2) What God hopes in us to render to Him fruits
------we should live Him out manifest Christ.
Matt. 21:35 “And the vinedressers took
his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.”
YLT: “and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one
they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.”
The Background:
“stoned another” The Jews usually stone
false prophets (See Deut. 13:5, 18:20, Lev. 20:2).
Spiritual Meaning: God sent His
prophets (servants) from ages and from generations to the people of
Matt. 21:36 “Again he sent other
servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.”
YLT: “`Again he sent other servants more than the first,
and they did to them in the same manner.”
Spiritual Meaning: these other servants
were the Lord’s twelve apostles and the seventy men who were sent by the Lord.
Matt. 21:37 “Then last of all he sent
his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’”
YLT: “`And at last he sent unto them his son, saying,
They will reverence my son;”
Meaning of Words: “respect”: turn to,
hear, honor.
Spiritual Meaning: it means that God
sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to come to the Jews.
Matt. 21:38 “But when the vinedressers
saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This
is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'”
YLT: “and the husbandmen having seen the son, said among
themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess his
inheritance;”
Spiritual Meaning: when these leaders
of the Judaism (vinedressers) saw Jesus Christ, they became jealousy and
indignant (See v.15) and sought to kill Him (Luke. 19:47).
Matt. 21:39 “So they took him and cast
him out of the vineyard and killed him.”
YLT: “and having taken him, they cast [him] out of the
vineyard, and killed him;”
Spiritual Meaning: “cast him out of the
vineyard and kill him” “Out of the vineyard” typifies the outside of the city
of
Enlightenment in the Word: The most important thing in the church is our
attitude towards Christ: do we respect Him (v.37)? Or do we cast Him out and
not seek Him?
Matt. 21:40 “‘Therefore,
when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?’”
YLT: “whenever therefore the lord of the vineyard may
come, what will he do to these husbandmen?’”
Matt. 21:41 “They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his
vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their
seasons.’”
YLT: “They say to him, `Evil men he will evilly destroy
them, and the vineyard will give out to other husbandmen, who will give back to
him the fruits in their seasons.’”
Spiritual Meaning: “and lease his
vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their
seasons.” These other vinedressers should not be another race and they should
be God’s new people------the Lord’s church.
God punished the obstinate and
disobedient Judaic leaders and people. It was partially fulfilled in A.D. 70, the
Raman prince Titus led soldiers to ruin the city of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Now God has passed on His spiritual inheritance
to believers and we should never recommit the same error: a) Seize the fruits
of service and usurp God’s lordship; b) Persecute and kill God’s servants; c)
Dishonor God’s son.
2) Anyone who usurps God’s lordship, persecutes God’s
servants and dishonors the Lord will be laid aside (“destroyed”) from the will
of God and lose what God has entrusted (“lease”
to other vinedressers).
Matt. 21:42 “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the
chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?”
YLT: “Jesus saith to them, `Did ye never read in the
Writings, A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner;
from the Lord hath this come to pass, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Spiritual Meaning: “builders” indicate
the chief priests, the scribes and the Pharisees; “the stone” indicates the
Lord Jesus. The Lord was rejected by the leaders of Judaism and was crucified
on the cross. But God made Him be raised and become “the head of the corner”
(See Ps. 118:22, Acts. 4:11), which, in the building of church (house), is the
most fundamental and important cornerstone in whom all the building fitly
framed together (Is. 28:16, Eph. 2:20-21, 1Pet. 2:4-7).
Matt. 21:43 “‘Therefore
I say to you, the
YLT: “`Because of this I say to you, that the reign of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit;”
Meaning of Words: “nation”: state,
country.
Spiritual Meaning: “you” indicates
Judaism; “a nation bearing the fruits of it” indicates the Gentile church. Because
the leaders of Judaism rejected the Lord Jesus, the reality of God’s kingdom
has been transferred to the Gentile church and what had been left to Judaism
was only the appearance and empty housing of God’s kingdom.
Matt. 21:44 “And whoever falls on this
stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’”
YLT: “and he who is falling on this stone shall be
broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.’”
Meaning of Words: “grind”: to winnow,
to pulverize, to triturate.
Spiritual Meaning: to the Jews who do
not believe in the Lord, the Lord is the stumbling block (See Is. 8:14-15, Rom.
9:32-33, 1Cor. 1:23, 1Pet. 2:8). When the Lord comes back, the Lord is the
stone which breaks them to pieces to nations who do not believe in the Lord,
(See Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).
Another meaning of this verse: the first
sentence indicates believers. Their old creation is broken on the stone the
Lord. They were born from above and become the new creation. The last one
indicates unbelievers and they will be ruined by Him the stone in the Day of
Judgment finally.
Matt. 21:45 “Now when the chief
priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking
of them.”
YLT: “And the chief priests and the Pharisees having
heard his similes, knew that of them he speaketh,”
Literal Meaning: “heard His parables”
“Parables” indicate the above-mentioned two parables.
Matt. 21:46 “But when they sought to
lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a
prophet.”
YLT: “and seeking to lay hold on him, they feared the
multitudes, seeing they were holding him as a prophet.”
Enlightenment in the Word: Though religious
believers were fully aware that the Lord’s words were specially said to them,
they did not want to repent at all and on the contrary they sought to kill Him.
It shows that the understanding of mind and knowledge is totally different from
the sight of inner hearts. Every time we read the Bible, we should read it with
right attitude and then we can profit from the Lord’s words.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
The Comparison of God’s Two Kinds of People
I. The first
comparison------whether they respected the authority of the king:
A. One group of people magnified the
Lord (v.1-11).
B. However, the other group confronted
His authority (v.23-27).
II. The second
comparison------whether they afforded the dwelling place for the king:
A. One group of people had the
appearance of temple instead of the reality of it (v.12-16).
B. However, the other gave the Lord a
dwelling place of rest (v.17).
III. The third
comparison------whether they made the king have enjoyment:
A. One group of people only had the
appearance of trees instead of fruits (v.18-19).
B. However, the other group satisfied
God by faith (v.20-22).
IV. Seeing the
comparison of two groups of people from the Lord’s parables:
A. The parable of two sons------the
problem of the accordance of one’s words and deeds (v.28-32).
B. The parable of the
vinedressers------the problem of rendering fruits in their seasons (v.33-46).
C. The parable of the wedding
feast------the attitude of being called (Matt. 22:1-14).
The Descriptions of the King of the
I. The glory of the
king:
A. Jesus went into the city of
B. Some people laid their clothes on the
donkey and colt (v.7).
C. Some people spread their clothes and
branches of trees on the road (v.8).
D. The multitudes cried out, saying “Hosanna!”
(v.9).
E. All the city of
II. The work of the
king:
A. He cleansed the
B. He healed the blind and the lame
(v.14).
C. He made the children in the
III. The authority
of the king:
A.
He cursed the fig tree which did not bear
fruits (v.18-20).
B. If one prays with faith, he is able
to use this authority (v.21-22).
IV. The wisdom of the
king:
A. Religious believers confronted Jesus that
by what authority He did these things (v.23).
B. Jesus asked in reply and put them to
silence (v.24-27).
V. The order of the
king:
A. The first answered that he would not
go, however, he regretted it and went (v.28-29).
B. The last answered that he would go,
however, he did not go (v.30-32).
VI. The salvation of
the king:
A. The vinedressers who did not render
fruits killed the servants and son of the owner of the vineyard (v.33-39).
B. The owner of the vineyard destroyed the
wicked vinedressers miserably and leased the vineyard to others who will render
to him the fruits (v.40-46).
The Lord values Spiritual Reality
I. The temple is the
reality of the city:
A. The city of
B. However, the
II. Fruits are the
reality of tree:
A. There were only leaves on the fig
tree (v.19).
B. However, the fruits cannot be found
on it and it cannot satisfy the Lord’s hunger (v.18-20).
III. Action is the
reality of promise:
A. The first did not promise orally but
he did it later (v.28-29).
B. The last did promise orally but he
did not do it (v.30).
IV. Rendering fruit
is the reality of leasing the vineyard:
A. The wicked vinedressers did not
render fruits and contrarily killed the son of the owner of the vineyard
(v.34-39).
B. The owner of the vineyard leased his
vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits (v.40-41).
The Lord Is the Stone
I. To the leaders of
Judaism------the stone which the builders rejected (v.42a) ------the Lord was
rejected by them.
II. To
believers------the chief cornerstone (v.42b) ------the Lord is the basis to
build the church.
III. To
unbelievers------whoever falls on this stone will be broken (v.44a) ------the
Lord is the stumbling block (See Is. 8:14-15,
IV. To the reins of
government of nations------on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder
(v.44b) ------the Lord is the stone who breaks men (See Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren