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Conflict between Jesus and the Leaders of Israel - Matt. 21 and 22
Conflict between Jesus and the Leaders of Israel - Matt. 21 and 22
I have tried to briefly summarize each of these events. It would have been a wild week in the city of Jerusalem that was filled with ‘normal people’ who had come to observe the Passover.
1-11 Triumphant Entry: with this the King is declared publicly but there is a division! The PEOPLE praise Him, the leaders condemn him.
12- 13 Cleansing the Temple: The action of the KING. Again, the leaders have ‘authorized’ these things but they have no such authority! This action on the part of Jesus is a direct challenge to their authority!
14-17 Out of the Mouth of Babes: What the learned leaders of Israel have missed, the children have discerned and proclaimed!
18-22 Barren Fig Tree: God expected His chosen people to bring forth fruit, because of their failure to do so, they will be condemned.
23-27 Authority Challenged: A direct response to Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. THEY (the leaders) acted on the ‘established authority’ of their leadership, WHO authorized Jesus? The answer was plain, but they rejected the evidence: GOD.
28-32 Parable of Two Sons: (WHICH SON ARE YOU): God has set before each the choice of life or death: life is in the SON, they CHOSE death. Which ‘son are you?’
33-41 Parable of the Landowner – destroy those miserable servants! This is simply the application of the barren fig tree illustration.
42-46 Applied – the Rejected Stone: The rejection of Jesus was NOT ‘unknown and unplanned’, but foretold and the very way that God would save us from our sins: IF we accept Jesus.
Chapter 22 continues this conflict between Jesus and the leaders of Israel.
1-14 Parable of Marriage Feast – the rejected son! We continue the application of the barren fig tree and the rejection of Jesus by the leaders! It was NOT God’s that rejected them, but THEM that reject God and His son.
HOW can the leaders regain the ‘upper-hand’? The above events were not done in a corner, but publicly, right in the temple are in front of the people. They respond by trying to trap Jesus into teaching something that would turn the people against him. This results in a day of public debates:
- 15-22 Tribute to Caesar? - Pharisees & Herodians:
- 23-33 Who’s wife in the resurrection? – Sadducees
- 34-40 Greatest Commandment? - Pharisees & ‘lawyer’
- 41-46 The Christ: David’s Son or David’s Lord – Jesus’ question!
I don’t know if anyone actually observed ALL of these conflicts, but YOU have had the privilege of reading ALL of them. With such evidence, you must now choose: Jesus – the Son of God or blasphemer worthy of death? Which do you choose?
Hugh
