In the previous passage, Jesus had cleared out the temple. He removed the money changers, the sacrificial animal hustlers and destroyed the temple business of worship upon His entry into Jerusalem. Jesus retreated after that and went back to rest in Bethany. In this section of Scripture, we’ll be looking at what happened the next morning when Jesus returned to the Temple.
BY WHAT AUTHORITY?
Jesus goes back to the temple the following morning to teach and is immediately confronted by the chief priests.
Matthew 12:23 – When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
We must remember that this is not the first time this question has been asked. The chief priests already know the answer as to what Jesus claims. Just one day prior, they asked Jesus if He heard what the children were saying about Him and Jesus confirmed that He did and that they were correct in their praise to Him. The children were celebrating Jesus’ arrival as the Messiah! They wanted to arrest Him on the spot. But they were unable to due to His popularity with the crowd. So, this question is not being asked with sincerity. The chief priests are asking in order trap Jesus once again and finally take Him down. They believe if He will just clearly claim to be the Son of God, they’ll finally have Him. This question is a trap.
Matthew 21:24-27 – Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
As we’ve seen previously in the Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has a way of turning the trick questions around on those who ask them. In this case, Jesus makes a deal with the insincere chief priests. He says He’ll give them the answer they want if they will answer a question for Him. His question back to the priests is forcing them to do one of two things. 1.) Confirm John the Baptists ministry as legitimate therefore that Jesus’ authority came from God. Which would completely legitimize Him as being from God. 2.) They would have to deny that John’s ministry was not legitimate therefore causing an uproar among the people because John was highly revered. Either way, the chief priests would condemn themselves. So, they attempt to preserve themselves and just simply say they do not know the answer. Jesus makes it clear, if you won’t condemn yourself before the people, neither will I condemn myself before you by directly answering your question. However, Jesus does answer the question by using two parables.
WHO DID THE WILL OF THE FATHER?
Parables have a two-fold purpose. Going back to Matthew 13 Jesus began using parables at times to teach. Each parable contained a message. To those who had ‘ears to hear’ and understand it enhanced their ability to understand a concept. To those who didn’t have ears to hear and understand it was confusing and didn’t make sense. Parables will reveal a message to some and conceal a message to others. The first parable had to do with what obedience to the will of God looks like.
Matthew 21:28-31 – “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And He answered ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered and said ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. Which of these two did the will of his father” They said, “The first”. Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
Jesus compares two sons in this parable. One says the wrong thing but does the right thing, the other does the opposite. His question is obvious, which one obeyed his father? The obvious answer is the one who did what was asked despite what each one said. The priests answer correctly. And Jesus explains to them in the following verse that they are like the son who said the right thing but didn’t believe and obey.
Jesus then confirms that John came in righteousness, and they rejected him. They approached John in pride and indignation despite using language that honored God. Meanwhile the worst sinners of society, the tax collectors, and prostitutes, came in humility and remorse and believed him and repented. Therefore, they will be the ones inheriting the kingdom.
THE WICKED VINEDRESSERS
Jesus sets up a more complex parable, but one that will certainly finish off His response. This parable refers to Isaiah 5:1-2 where a vineyard is used as an illustration of Israel. This is imagery that would have been quite familiar to the chief priests who were present and listening. In this parable the owner had built a wine press and all that was needed to produce wine. But he needed fruit from the vineyards.
Matthew 21:34-40 – When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. The vine growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again, he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ They took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the Vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?”
In this parable, the slaves that are killed represent the prophets of God that were sent in the Old Testament. They were killed by the people they came to bring the Word of God. So, then the Landowner, who is God, sends His own Son, Jesus. And they kill Him too. But the Priests aren’t necessarily tracking with who the characters are in the parable. Yet.
Matthew 21:41 – They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to other vine- growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper season.”
The priests see the injustice and terrible unrighteousness of the vine-growers and they proclaim that they should be judged for their wickedness. But they don’t realize just yet where Jesus is going with this parable.
CONCLUSION
Jesus concludes this parable by bringing it home with Messianic Scriptures.
Matthew 21:42 – Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief cornerstone; This came about from the Lord, And it is Marvelous in our eyes?
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22, a Messianic prophecy they would have understood. He connects the Son in the parable to the rejected stone, the Messiah. The next two verses say that the kingdom will be removed from those who reject the Messiah and given to those who produce fruit for it. Those who believe and follow the son. And He pronounces judgement on the builders who rejected the stone. That’s when they finally get it.
Matthew 21:45-46 – When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.
The chief priests understand that Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah, which they believe is blasphemy. However, Jesus makes this claim via parables that they finally understand. They have already determined in their hearts that they would destroy Jesus. There was no convincing them otherwise. But Jesus is still popular with the crowd so they can’t arrest and dispose of Jesus.
Jesus offers forgiveness to sinners. Those who believe and accept the Son will be forgiven!