Matthew 21

Matthew 21:1-11

The death and reformation of Jesus Christ are the true grand hinges upon unkind our education turns; and therefore the higher of his sufferings, even unto death, and his rising again, is more particularly recorded by all the Evangelists than any other part of the days. We have here, 1. The public entry which he made into Jerusalem, upon the first day of the pagson-tueck, ver. 1—11. 2. The an-

therity be conveyed there, in changing the temple, and driving out of it the buyers and sellers, ver. 12—16. 3. The emblem he gave of the State of the Jewish church, in carrying the barren fig-tres, and his discourse with his disciples thereupon, ver. 17—22. 4. His justifying his own authority, by appealing to the baptism of John, ver. 23—27. 5. His showing the infidelity and abhority of the chief priest; and others, with the repentance of the public-cure, illustrated by the parable of the true sins, ver. 29—31. 6. His reading the deem of the Jewish church for its untruthfulness, in the parable of the vineyard let out to unthankful by-bundance, ver. 33—40.

1. AND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over-against you, and straightway ye shall find an as tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. ‘Tell ye the daughter of Son, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and fitting upon an as, and a colt the fool of an as. 6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7. And brought the as and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; 9. there cut down branches from the trees, and steered them in the way. 10. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, ‘Hosanna to the son of David: Bleffed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. 11. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 12. And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Being about to offer himself as the true paschal Lamb for the sins of his people, our blessed Lord determined to make his triumphant entry first unto Jerusalem, as a prelude to those more exalted honours, to which on his resurrection from the dead he should be advanced. We are told on his approaching the suburbs, where he halted.

1. The preparations he ordered to be made. We find no heralds first to clear the way; no guards surmised his glittering car; no music fills the air with harmony; no officers of State with gorgeous robes attend their mighty sovereigns. The lovely Jesus despised this pageantry; it fitted not his State of humiliation; and therefore, though he could in an infant have commanded down cherubic legions to attend his steps, and made the clouds his charlons, he chose his poor disciples to be with him, and seated on an as a colt, nor even that his own, determines thus to make his public entry. Yet even here he takes occasion to display his divine omniscience, and influence over the spirits of men; sending his disciples to the village over-against them, directing them where to find the as tied with her foul; assuring them, that if any man offered to quellum them for loosing the as, it would be sufficient to say their Master wanted them, and he would immediately let them go.

2. The fulfilment of the scripture herein is particularly remarked. Long before had the prophets Isaiah and Zechariah presided this event; Tell ye the daughter of Zion glad tidings of great joy: Behold, admire and adore him, thy king, the long-expected Messiah, cometh unto thee, bringing salvation; meet as a lamb, to bear every indignity for Zion’s sake, and gentle to rule with a scripture of love in the hearts of his people; fitting upon an as, and a colt the fool of an as; like one of the ancient judges of Israel, and in such humility as was best suited to that character he bore. Note, Christ is Zion’s king: his happy subjects may well rejoice in his power and love; but let his enemies tremble; though he comes now like a lamb, he will shortly roar against them as a lion.

3. The disciples having obeyed their Master’s orders, and brought the as with her colt, they spread their garments on them, and seated him thereon; and with every expression of exultation and joy, which this poor and, to human view, despicable multitude could shew, they suffered him into the city, spreading their garments instead of carpets on the ground, or hanging them by the way-fide; cutting down boughs of trees, and stewing them by the road; carrying palm-branches in their hands, (John xii. 13.) as in the feast of tabernacles, and uttering with loud Hosannahs their triumphant soaps of praise, welcoming their ardent Messiah, the Son of David, who came with divine authority from on high; willing him all prosperity, honour, happiness, and glory; praying for the appearing of his kingdom, and that his throne might be exalted over all; and calling on the heavenly hosts to join in their blessings, praise, and adoration. Note, (1.) The coming of Jesus into the sinner’s heart

4. Christ answers their demand by another. He knew how to confound them, whilst they thought to silence him, and is ready out of their own mouths to condemn them. The benefits of John, was it of heaven, or of men? Was he commissioned from heaven, or went forth at his own will, or under merely human authority? The question was short, but the dilemma to which it reduced them, was inextricable. They plainly saw, if they should say, John acted under a divine commission, then Christ would have an immediate proof of his own, and they would be inexcusable for not receiving him as the Messiah, to whom John bore witness. On the other hand, their own honour, lives, and safety, were at stake; the people being fully persuaded of John’s prophetic character, which should they deny, they justly apprehended least they should be shamed like blasphemers; and therefore, contrary to their own convictions, they chose to confess ignorance, and tell a lie, rather than own the divine mission of the messenger, which would, in its consequence, devolve the divine authority of Jesus. But if they thus wilfully chose to appear ignorant in one case, our Lord was fully vindicated in refusing to give them farther satisfaction about himself, seeing it was in vain to talk with those, who had first resolved not to be convinced. Nate, (1.) Worldly minds are uniparkably more influenced by the fear of men, than by the fear of God. (2.) Many are more afraid of shame than sin, and therefore hesitate not at a lie concerning their thoughts and apprehensions, their affections and intentions, their remembering or forgetting things, &c., because they flatter themselves nobody can disprove them: but there is a searcher of hearts, from whom no secrets are hid. (3.) If men wilfully shut their eyes against the truth, it is in vain to reason with them any farther.

5. ¶ But what think you? A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir; and went not. 31. 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. 32. 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.

Matthew 21:28-32

Having silenced their cavils, he makes an attack upon their conscience, in a parable, with an application to them.

1. We have the parable itself. A certain man had two sons, whom he sent into his vineyard to work: the one appeared at first refractory, unatistical, and refused to obey his father’s commands; but afterward, reflecting on his ill conduct, he was sorry, repented, and went to his work: the other no sooner was bid to go than with profound respect he promised immediate obedience, but never went. The question which did his father’s will was too evident to admit of hesitation, and they allow the penitent to be the dutiful son. Nate, (1.) God is our father; he commands his children to serve and glorify him; by our relation to him obedience is our duty, and should be our delight. The day of life is the day of labour, and should therefore diligently be improved by us. But, (2.) Such is our vile nature, that we are rebellious children, reside to bearers, yea, dare to say, We will not serve him, but our own lusts and pleasures, and infinitely turn from him, every one in his own way. (3.) Whenever by divine grace we are led to repent and return, God in Christ is graciously pleased to receive us, to forgive our wickedness and insolence; again he permits us to be employed in his service, and restores us to his regard. (4.) Whilst some prove better than they promise, others prove the very contrary; make fair professions of love to Christ and his service, but never go farther; Christians in word and in tongue, but not in deed and in truth.

2. Christ applies the parable to those who were before him; the primary scope of which is to shew, that publicans and harlots, repenting, would enter the kingdom sooner than they; and probably he hath an eye here into the Gentiles, who would repent and be converted by the gospel, when the Jewish nation, for their impenitence and unbelief, would be rejected. And this had evidently appeared in the effects of John’s ministry, who came as the way of righteousness; his life remarkably exemplary, his doctrine directly tending to lead men to repentance, and saith in the Messiah; whereby he proved his mission from God: but notwithstanding ye believed him not: though you pretend such respect for God, as the second son did for his father, you did not receive John’s testimony, nor believe the doctrines he preached; but the publicans and harlots believed him, were convinced of their guilt and danger, received his testimony concerning Jesus, repented and were baptized: and, notwithstanding

those remarkable fruits of his ministry, which served to evidence the divine power and authority which accompanied his word, ye, whom ye had seen it, repented and afterward, that ye might believe him, but continued ultimately hardened against every method of conviction. Nate, (1.) The success of our ministry is one of the best testimonials of our mission from God. (2.) Formal professors are much more difficultly wrought upon, and seldom converted, than curable sinners. Servicemen in the ceremonials of religion, and the pride of duties trusted upon for righteousness, are among the thought holds of lixten in the human heart. (3.) Wherever the gospel comes in power, converting publicans and harlots, there will it leave those inexcusable who, beholding its efficacy on others, still contradict, and blaspheme, and reject the counsel of God against their own souls.

33. ¶ Hear ‘another parable: There was a certain houtholder ‘which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to hushandmen, and went into a far country. 34. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the hushandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35. And the hushandmen took his servants, ‘and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36. Again he sent other servants, more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38. But, when the hushandmen saw the son, they laid among themselves, ‘This is the heir, ‘come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39. And they caught him, and ‘cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40. When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those hushandmen? 41. They say unto him, He will miserably destray those wicked men, and ‘will let out his vineyard unto other hushandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seations. 42. 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? 43. Therefore say I unto you, ‘The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44. And ‘whosever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but ‘on whomsever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45. And when the chief priests and Pharsises had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because ’they took him for a prophet.

Matthew 21:33-46

Another parable, nearly of the same import as the former, is here delivered. We have,

1. The priviless which the Jewish church had long enjoyed, represented by a vineyard let out to hushandmen. They had been planted in a pleasant land, stoned round by God’s peculiar care, blessed with the means of grace; in the midst of them he had set up his altar, manifested his presence, depusted his lively oracles, instituted divine ordinances, appointed a holy ministry: nothing that could conduce to their fruitfulness or defence was lacking: and therefore, having settled their consituation at Sinai, or at the dedication of the temple, retiring between the cherubim, he committed to the chief priests and essers the care of his church, for the edification of which they were required, as hushandmen in a vineyard, to labour. Nate, (1.) Christ’s church is his vineyard, and under his especial care, whilst the world in general lieth in wickedness. (2.) Ministers in the church must labour in the word and doctrine: a life of safe, indolence, and self-gratification, is inconssient with this sacred employment.

2. Enjoying such means and mercies, God justly expected their profiting should appear, and sent accordingly his prophets to remind them of their obligations, and stir them up and direst them to the discharge of them, that they might, in the fruits of grace and righteousness, render that tribute to God which was so much his due.

3. The hascness and cruelty of the hushandmen to these divine mestengers was astonishing. They abused, insulted, and perfected the prophets, and even went so far as to imbrue their hands in their blood, Yor. xx. 2. Nek. ix. 26. 2.Chrns. xxiv. 21. and when the Lord, in his patience and pity, sent others in succession, to see if at last some change might be wrought, the rising generation repented all the wickedness of their forefathers. Nate, (1.) It hath been the lot of all God’s faithful ministers from the beginning to suster perfection; and none have been deeper in this transspension than those who by testine and prosestion filled the most distinguished places in his church. (2.)

God’s