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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 21:46 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 21:46 portrays a tense moment where the chief priests and Pharisees are plotting against Jesus. They desire to arrest him because they are threatened by his teachings and the influence he has over the people.

However, they are hesitant to take action because Jesus is popular with the masses, who regard him as a prophet.

On a literal level, this verse shows the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of his time.

On a deeper level, the verse illustrates the struggle between established power structures and prophetic truth.

Despite the desire of the leaders to maintain control, they are aware of the people's reverence for Jesus and are fearful of potential backlash.

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Historical Context

This verse is set in the context of the week before Jesus's crucifixion in Jerusalem. During this period, Jesus was actively teaching in the temple and attracting large crowds.

The religious leaders, including the chief priests and the Pharisees, felt threatened by his teachings and the challenge they posed to their authority.

The cultural and historical influence of prophets in Israel was significant, as they were traditionally seen as messengers of God.

In the context of this scripture, the multitude's perception of Jesus as a prophet made it politically dangerous for the authorities to arrest him in a public and forceful manner.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse reflects on the theme of prophecy and its reception.

It underscores the tension between institutional religion, represented by the chief priests and Pharisees, and the role of a prophet, embodied by Jesus.

Different theological viewpoints might focus on the integrity and courage of Jesus in the face of opposition from those in power or alternatively consider the shortsightedness and fear that can accompany institutional authority when it encounters prophetic truth.

Practical Applications

In contemporary terms, this verse encourages individuals to discern and stand by the truth, even in the face of opposition from those in authority.

It may also serve as a cautionary tale about the risks of valuing social or political stability over justice and righteousness.

Believers can apply this teaching by advocating for what is right and supporting those who speak out against injustice, even when it is not the popular thing to do.

Cross-References

Matthew 26:3-5: "Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.

But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."

John 7:30: "Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come."
Matthew 14:5: "And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet."

Language Study

The Greek word for "feared" used in this verse is "ephobounto" (ἐφοβοῦντο), an imperfect verb which indicates an ongoing state of fear.

The term for "multitude" is "ochlos" (ὄχλος), referring to a crowd or throng of people.

The phrase "took him for a prophet" is "eichon auton hos propheten" (εἶχον αὐτὸν ὡς προφήτην), where "eichon" is an imperfect verb depicting the people's continued regard for Jesus as a prophet.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Cultural and religious comparisons can be drawn between the Jewish expectation of prophets and similar roles in other ancient religions.

Many cultures in the ancient Near East had figures who were considered intermediaries between the divine and the human. The way Jesus is seen by the multitude parallels how prophets in other cultures may have been revered and protected by those who believed in their divine message or insight.

Scientific Perspectives

The scientific approach to this verse would typically revolve around the study of crowd psychology and sociology rather than its content, as these fields explore the dynamics of how leaders may respond to the collective beliefs and behaviors of groups.

Understanding the multitude's reaction and the leaders' fear from this perspective could shed light on similar scenarios in the modern context.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians have various interpretations of this verse, with many acknowledging the chief priests' and Pharisees' fear of Jesus's influence over the people.

Some commentaries reflect on the irony of the situation: the religious leaders are theologically educated yet fail to recognize the prophetic work of Jesus, while the simple people recognize his divine role.

Others may focus on the political implications, such as the potential for unrest and how it constrained the actions of Jesus's opponents.

Matthew 21

Matthew 21

What does Matthew 21:46 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 21:46 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?