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Matthew 21

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

What does Matthew 21:18 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 21:18 narrates a simple, literal event where Jesus, having spent the night in Bethany, is returning to Jerusalem in the morning and feels hunger.

This isn't a parable or teaching moment in itself, but it sets the stage for the events that follow, particularly the cursing of the fig tree.

On a deeper level, this verse illustrates Jesus' humanity in that he experiences physical hunger, just like any other person.

Additionally, it foreshadows the imminent lesson on spiritual fruitfulness that Jesus imparts through his actions with the fig tree.

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

The verse takes place during Holy Week, the last week of Jesus' life before his crucifixion.

Jesus had been staying in Bethany, a village on the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.

The Gospels often depict Jesus and his disciples traveling between these locations.

During this time, Jesus would have been teaching daily in the temple courts and engaging with various groups, including his disciples, the general populous, and religious leaders.

This period is marked by escalating tension between Jesus and the Jewish authorities.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints may emphasize various aspects of this verse:

Incarnational Theology: Emphasizes the true humanity of Jesus, who experiences hunger like any human being.
Eschatological Theology: Some might see this moment as part of the eschatological (end times) journey of Jesus towards the fulfillment of his mission, with physical hunger representing a minor but necessary part of his path to the cross.
Covenantal Theology: Could focus on the symbolism of the fig tree and how Jesus's actions later might represent the state of Israel and the expectation of fruitfulness in accordance with the covenant.

Practical Applications

This verse can remind believers of the humanity of Jesus and encourage them to see him as relatable and empathetic to human needs.

It also serves as a prelude to understanding that actions should match one’s profession of faith, as exemplified by the story that follows of the fig tree, teaching that spiritual fruitfulness is expected from those who follow Christ.

Cross-References

Mark 11:12-14: "And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.

And his disciples heard it."

Matthew 4:2: "And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred."
Matthew 21:19-22: The continuation of the narrative where Jesus curses the fig tree.

Language Study

The Greek word for "hungered" in this verse is "ἐπείνασεν" (epeinasen), which is the third person singular aorist active indicative of "πεινάω" (peinaō), meaning to be hungry or to suffer want.

The use of the aorist tense indicates a past action, and in this case, it reflects a simple statement of Jesus feeling hunger at that moment.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In some ancient myths, gods occasionally take on human form with human needs, but typically, these stories serve different purposes, often to interact with humans in some deceitful or powerful way.

In contrast, in Christian interpretation, Jesus' hunger is not about demonstrating power or deceit, but rather about sharing in the full human experience and showing humility and servanthood.

Scientific Perspectives

Hunger is a physiological response to the body's need for nourishment, regulated by complex hormonal signals and the hypothalamus in the brain.

From a scientific standpoint, this verse confirms that, according to the Gospel narrative, Jesus had a fully human physiology with the requisite biological needs for sustenance.

commentaries

Matthew Henry’s Commentary: Henry views this event as practical, highlighting Christ's humanity as he felt real hunger.

He also points to the spiritual teachings that arise from the subsequent cursing of the fig tree as a result of this hunger.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: This commentary regards the fig tree event that follows as a symbol for the spiritual barrenness of Israel and the judgment that entails.
The MacArthur Study Bible: MacArthur suggest that Jesus was seeking more than just physical nourishment, potentially indicating a desire to find spiritual fruitfulness in Israel, symbolized by the fig tree.

Matthew 21

Matthew 21

What does Matthew 21:18 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 21:18 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?