Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry

1Now #Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–38when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at #(Zech. 14:4)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5“Tell#Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9; John 12:15 the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6#Mark 11:4So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, #2 Kin. 9:13laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; #Lev. 23:40; John 12:13others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

#Ps. 118:26; Matt. 23:39‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

10#John 2:13, 15And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, #(Deut. 18:15, 18); Matt. 2:23; 16:14; Luke 4:16–29; John 6:14; 7:40; 9:17; (Acts 3:22, 23)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12#Mal. 3:1; Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–47; John 2:13–16Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the #Deut. 14:25money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, #Is. 56:7‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a #Jer. 7:11‘den of thieves.’ ”

14Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the #Matt. 1:1; John 7:42Son of David!” they were indignant 16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

#Ps. 8:2; Matt. 11:25‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17Then He left them and #Matt. 26:6; Mark 11:1, 11, 12; 14:3; Luke 19:29; 24:50; John 11:1, 18; 12:1went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

18#Mark 11:12–14, 20–24Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19#Mark 11:13And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20#Mark 11:20And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, #Matt. 17:20if you have faith and #James 1:6do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, #1 Cor. 13:2but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22And #Matt. 7:7–11; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; (John 15:7; James 5:16; 1 John 3:22; 5:14)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

23#Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and #Ex. 2:14; Acts 4:7; 7:27said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25The #(John 1:29–34)baptism of #John 1:15–28John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we #Matt. 14:5; 21:46; Luke 20:6fear the multitude, #Matt. 14:5; Mark 6:20for all count John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my #Matt. 20:1; 21:33vineyard.’ 29He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, #Luke 7:29, 37–50“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32For #Luke 3:1–12; 7:29John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; #Luke 3:12, 13but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

33“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner #Ps. 80:9; Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and #Matt. 25:14went into a far country. 34Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35#2 Chr. 24:21; 36:16; (Matt. 23:34, 37; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess. 2:15); Heb. 11:36, 37And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37Then last of all he sent his #(John 3:16)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, #(Ps. 2:8; Heb. 1:2)‘This is the heir. #(Ps. 2:2); John 11:53; Acts 4:27Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39#(Matt. 26:50); Mark 14:46; Luke 22:54; John 18:12; (Acts 2:23)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41#Luke 20:16They said to Him, #(Luke 21:24)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, #(Matt. 8:11; Acts 13:46; Rom. 9; 10)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

#Ps. 118:22, 23; Is. 28:16; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; (Rom. 9:33); Eph. 2:20; (1 Pet. 2:6, 7)‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43“Therefore I say to you, #(Matt. 8:12); Acts 13:46the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44And #Is. 8:14, 15; Zech. 12:3; Luke 20:18; (Rom. 9:33); 1 Pet. 2:8whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, #(Is. 60:12; Dan. 2:44)it will grind him to powder.”

45Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they #Matt. 21:26; Mark 11:18, 32feared the multitudes, because #Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 7:40they took Him for a prophet.

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Matthew 21: NKJV

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