Matthew 21: The End of the Beginning (7)
Pray Psalm 146.1, 2.
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Sing Psalm 146.1, 2, 10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior: Man of Sorrows
Praise the LORD, my soul, give praise! While I live, His Name I’ll raise
and exalt Him all my days—God forever reigns in Zion!
Read and meditate on Matthew 21.1-46.
Meditate on the idea of authority. What kind of authority does Jesus have?
Prepare.
1. How was Jesus greeted as He entered Jerusalem?
2. In this chapter, what did Jesus teach about life in the Kingdom?
Meditate.
Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shouts of people who proclaimed Him as the Son of David and King of Israel. Contrary to what we have seen on previous occasions, Jesus did nothing to discourage that acclaim. The King had indeed arrived at Jerusalem, but it was not here that He would be enthroned, because His Kingdom is not of this world.
Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom over which He rules is unlike earthly ones. Its focus is on honoring God, not making life easier for people. He demonstrated that God is to be honored through prayer by all nations, and He rejected the expediency and commercialization of faith which the religious leaders of the day encouraged and allowed. He expects fruit from those who follow Him, fruit which comes from hard work in the Lord’s vineyard—sowing, cultivating, pruning, and preparing souls for the harvest.
The religious leaders of the day sought to thwart Jesus’ work by challenging His authority. Since He was neither schooled in religion nor credentialed for preaching and teaching, they hoped to discourage His followers and bring His ministry to a halt. He frustrated and embarrassed them at each stage. The King had come, and He would not be stopped. His Kingdom had been proclaimed, and He was making preparations to bring it. Nothing the religious leaders could do would be able to impede Jesus’ work or prohibit the coming of His Kingdom.
Not even the cross.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
In Matthew chapter 21, Jesus proclaimed and reiterated His authority
through a prediction, a parable, and preaching.
The prediction (vv.1-7), fulfilled on the spot, was to solidify His Word and His trustworthiness.
His Word was fulfilled, “just as He said” (Matt. 28.6).
The parable (vv. 28-40) taught His followers how to obey Him—not in word only, but in deed:
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn. 3.18).
The preaching (vv.42, 43, 44, 13, 16) was straight from the Old Testament and spoke clearly of the truth of His Authority—as God, as the Chief Cornerstone—and about the proper praise due Him, and of the purity of God’s House.
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes” (vs. 42; Ps. 118.22, 23).
“Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you
and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken;
but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (vv. 43, 44; Is. 8.14, 15; Is. 28.16).
“It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’
but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (vs. 13; Is. 56.7; Jer. 7.11).
“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise” (vs. 16; Ps. 8.2).
The King prophesied, parabled, and preached to unpack His Authority.
“Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom over which He rules is unlike earthly ones.
Its focus is on honoring God…”
“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your Name, O Most High” (Ps. 9.1, 2).
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8.9).
Our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, declared before His ascension,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28.18).
“Go therefore…” (Matt. 28.19). Yes. I will.
Reflect.
1. How do we as Christians acknowledge the authority of Jesus?
2. How far does Jesus’ authority extend? Who is subject to it?
3. Can people submit to Jesus’ authority if they don’t know they should? How can they learn about this?
Although [the chief priests and the Pharisees] were hard of heart and on account of their unbelief and wickedness blunted in their understanding against the Son of God, nevertheless they were unable to deny Jesus’ straightforward statements and understood that all the judgments of the Lord were directed against themselves. So they determined indeed to kill him… Jerome (347-420), Commentary on Matthew 3.21.46
Pray Psalm 146.3-10.
Use this psalm to renew your faith in Jesus as King and Lord, then commit your day to follow and serve Him in everything you do.
Sing Psalm 146.3-10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows
Trust we not in prince or man, no salvation’s in their hand;
death shall take them, breath and plans—God forever reigns in Zion!
Blessed are they whose hope resides in the LORD, Christ at His side.
By Him heav’n and earth abide—God forever reigns in Zion!
He is faithful evermore; He gives justice to the poor,
feeds the hungry from His store—God forever reigns in Zion!
Jesus sets the pris’ner free, heals blind eyes that they may see,
lifts those burdened painfully—God forever reigns in Zion!
He the righteous loves the best; wand’rers in His grace are blessed;
needy ones in Him find rest—God forever reigns in Zion!
But the wicked who defame His eternal blessèd Name,
them He brings to ruin and shame—God forever reigns in Zion!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is working through a study of the role of reason in the life of faith. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
