Matthew 21
The Message
The Royal Welcome
21 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”
4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion’s daughter,
“Look, your king’s on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal.”
6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”
10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”
11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”
He Kicked Over the Tables
12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:
My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.
Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.
15-16 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”
17 Fed up, Jesus spun around and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Withered Fig Tree
18-20 Early the next morning Jesus was returning to the city. He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, “No more figs from this tree—ever!” The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, “Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?”
21-22 But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”
True Authority
23 Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?”
24-25 Jesus responded, “First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans?”
25-27 They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, “If we say ‘heaven,’ he’ll ask us why we didn’t believe him; if we say ‘humans,’ we’re up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet.” They decided to concede that round to Jesus. “We don’t know,” they answered.
Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question.
The Story of Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’
29 “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.
30 “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.
31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.
The Story of the Greedy Farmhands
33-34 “Here’s another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.
35-37 “The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. ‘Surely,’ he thought, ‘they will respect my son.’
38-39 “But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all for ourselves.’ They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.
40 “Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?”
41 “He’ll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance,” they answered. “Then he’ll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it’s time.”
42-44 Jesus said, “Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:
The stone the masons threw out
is now the cornerstone.
This is God’s work;
we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
“This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed.”
45-46 When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.
Matthew 21
Worldwide English (New Testament)
21 Jesus and his disciples came near to Jerusalem. They came to the village of Bethphage by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead.
2 He said to them, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find a donkey for riding, and her young one. They are tied there. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him, "The Lord needs them. He will send them back soon." '
4 This happened, and what the prophet of God said long ago, came true.
5 He said, `Tell the people of Zion: See, your king is coming to you. He is not proud. He rides a donkey. It is a young animal.'
6 The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.
7 They brought the donkey and her young one. They put their coats on them. Then Jesus got on to ride.
8 Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut leaves from the palm trees and put them on the road.
9 People in front of him and people behind him shouted, `Praise the Son of David! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise him in heaven!'
10 When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the people there were very excited. They said, `Who is this?'
11 The people who were with Jesus said, `This is Jesus from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. He is a prophet.'
12 Jesus went into the temple of God. He drove out all the people who were buying and selling in the temple. He threw down the tables of the money changers. He pushed down the seats of those who sold doves.
13 He said to them, `The holy writings say, "My house shall be called a house where people talk with God." But you have made it a place for people who steal!'
14 Blind people came to Jesus in the temple. People who could not walk came to him. And he healed them.
15 The chief priests and the scribes saw the big works that Jesus did. They saw the children calling out in the temple, `God save the Son of David!' They were angry.
16 They asked Jesus, `Do you hear what they are saying?' Jesus answered, `Yes. Have you never read this? "You like the praise of children and babies." '
17 Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany. He stayed there for the night.
18 In the morning he went back to the city. On the way he was hungry.
19 Along the road he saw a fig tree. He went to the tree. There was no fruit on it, only leaves. He said to the tree, `No fruit will ever grow on you again!' Right away the tree died.
20 The disciples saw it and were surprised. They said, `So soon the fig tree has died!'
21 Jesus said to them, `I tell you the truth. Believe God. Do not doubt him. Then you can do what I did to this fig tree. But that is not all. You can even say to this hill, "Go and jump into the sea" and it will be done.
22 When you ask God for anything, believe that you will have it. Then you will have it.'
23 He came to the temple and went in and taught the people. The chief priests and the leaders of the people came to him. They asked, `What right have you to do these things? Who gave you the right to do them?'
24 Jesus answered them, `I will ask you a question also. If you answer me, I will answer you. I will tell you what right I have to do these things.
25 Who gave John the right to baptise people? Did God or did men?' So they talked it over together. They said, `If we say, "God gave John the right to do it," he will say to us, "Then why did you not believe him?"
26 But if we say, "Men gave him the right to do it," we have the people to fear, because all the people say that John was a prophet.'
27 So they answered Jesus, `We do not know.' Then Jesus said, `Neither will I tell you what right I have to do these things.'
28 `What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first one and said, "Son, go and work today on my farm."
29 The son said, "No, I will not go." But he changed his mind and went.
30 The man went to the second son and said the same thing. The son answered, "Yes, sir, I will go." But he did not go.
31 Which of the two sons did what his father wanted him to do?' They said, `The first one.' Then Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. The tax collectors and women who commit adultery by selling their bodies, are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32 John came to you to tell you the right way. But you did not believe him. The tax collectors and women who commit adultery believed him. And even when you saw that, you did not change your minds and believe him.'
33 `Listen to another story. A man planted a farm of vines for growing fruit called grapes. He put a fence of small trees around it. He dug a place to press the juice from the fruit. He built a high house from which men could watch over the farm. He let some men pay to use it. Then he went to a country far away.
34 `When it was near the time to cut the fruit, he sent his servants to those men. He wanted to have some of the fruit.
35 The men caught the servants. They beat one of them and killed another one of them. They threw stones at another one.
36 Then the man sent other servants. There were more than the first time. The men did the same to them.
37 `Last of all he sent his son to them. He said, "They will respect my son."
38 When the men saw the son, they said to each other, "This is the one who will have everything when his father dies. Let us kill him and we will have it all."
39 They caught him, dragged him off the farm, and killed him.
40 When the owner of the farm comes, what will he do to those men?'
41 They answered, `He will kill those bad men, and will give the farm to other men who will give him the fruit when it is time.'
42 Jesus said, `Have you never read in the holy writings "The stone which the builders would not use is now the chief corner stone. The Lord did this. It looks wonderful to us"?
43 `So I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you. It will be given to the people who do what they should do in it.
44 If anyone falls on this stone, he will be broken to pieces. But if this stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.'
45 The chief priests and the Pharisees heard the stories Jesus told, and they knew he was talking about them.
46 They wanted to catch him, but they feared the people. The people thought Jesus was a prophet.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications