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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 21:14 - 21:17
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_21:14-17
14And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant 16and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself'?" 17And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
Mat_21:14 "And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them" Mat_21:14-15 are unique to Matthew, but they do show that, even at this late date, Jesus was still trying to confirm His message to the religious leaders by performing miraculous acts of love and compassion right in the Temple area. These were OT signs of the Messiah.
1. sight to the blind (cf. Isa_29:18; Isa_42:7; Isa_42:16)
2. help to the lame (cf. Isa_40:11; Mic_4:6; Zep_3:19)
3. both signs together in Jer_31:8 and Isa_35:5-6
If they simply had spiritual eyes to see, they would have seen His authority, compassion, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, but they did not.
Mat_21:15 "but when the chief priests and scribes" The usual designation of the Sanhedrin (see Special Topic at Mat_20:18) included the High Priest, scribes, and elders (cf. Mat_21:23; Mat_16:21). This was a way of referring to those in places of leadership in Jerusalem of Jesus' day.
▣ "the children who were shouting in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David,'they became indignant" Apparently the children (used of Jesus at twelve, cf. Luk_2:43) had heard the Hallel Psalms applied to Jesus the day before and they were repeating the refrain which had upset the Pharisees earlier.
Mat_21:16 "and said to Him, 'Do You hear what these children are saying'" In Luk_19:39 other Pharisees complained about this same thing. Jesus accepted these titles as another way of affirming His Messianic claims.
▣ "Jesus said to them, 'Yes; have you never read'" This was a strong statement which implied that they were not familiar with their own Scriptures. Jesus used irony and sarcasm several times in relation to the religious leaders (cf. Mat_12:3; Mat_19:4; Mat_21:42; Mat_22:31). Jesus, at this point, quoted Psa_8:2. This was not necessarily a Messianic Psalm, but it is a Psalm which asserted that children (nursing ones, possibly up to three years of age or older) will speak the truth before adults even understand it.
Mat_21:17 "He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there" In Joh_12:1-10, Jesus stayed with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha several nights during this last week of His life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive
1. Why is the Triumphal Entry so significant?
2. Why is it important that Jesus rode on the colt of a donkey?
3. Explain the significance of Psa_118:26-27. What was unique about this year's welcoming parade?
4. Why was Jesus so upset with the buyers and sellers in the Temple?
5. Why did the religious leaders not rejoice in Jesus' miracles?
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS FOR Mat_21:18-46
A. Matthew 21 begins with the Triumphal Entry and closes with the second of three parables. It was an attempt to discuss Jesus' Messiahship with the Jewish leaders.
B. It is extremely difficult to be certain whether Jesus is rejecting (1) the Jewish nation, (2) her leaders, or (3) both.
C. The cleansing of the Temple in Mat_21:12-17 was an act of rejection. The cursing of the fig tree in Mat_21:18-22 was an act of rejection. The parable of the two sons in Mat_21:28-32 was a parable of rejection. The parable of the wicked tenants, Mat_21:33-46, was a parable of rejection. The parable of the King's wedding feasts, Mat_22:1-14, was a parable of rejection. The question remains, were the leaders symbolic of all the nation or was it rabbinical Judaism in particular that Jesus was rejecting?