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Week 16 — Day 1
24 And Jesus answered and said to [the chief priests and elders of the people], I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, from where did it come, 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?
26 But if we say, From men, we fear the crowd, for all hold John as a prophet.
27 And they answered Jesus and said, We do 1not know. He too said to them, 2Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 But what do you think? A man had two children. And he came to his first son and said, Child, go today and work in the vineyard.
29 And he answered and said, I do not want to; yet later he regretted and went.
30 And he came to the other and said likewise. And he answered and said, I will, sir; yet he did not go.
31 Which of the two did the will of the father? They said, The 1first. Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the harlots are going into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came to you in the way of 1righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. And you, when you saw it, did not later regret it to believe him.
271 This was a lie.
272 This indicated that the Lord knew that the Jewish leaders would not tell Him what they knew; hence, neither would He tell them what they asked. They lied to the Lord in saying, “We do not know.” But the Lord spoke the truth wisely to them, exposing their lie and avoiding their question.
311 In Luke 15:1-2, 11-32, the Lord likened the leaders of Judaism to the firstborn son, and the tax collectors and sinners to the second son; but here the Lord likened them in the opposite order. This indicates that the Jews were the firstborn of God (Exo. 4:22) and had the birthright. However, because of their unbelief the birthright was shifted to the church, which has become God’s firstborn (Heb. 12:23).
321 The Gospel of Matthew, as the book on the kingdom, stresses the matter of righteousness, for the kingdom life is one of strict righteousness, which we must seek (5:20, 6; 6:33). John the Baptist came in the way of such righteousness, and the Lord Jesus was willing to be baptized by John to fulfill such righteousness (3:15).
The events in chapter twenty-one took place during the last week of the Lord’s life on earth (John 12:1). In this period of time He willingly presented Himself to the children of Israel for a thorough examination.…According to Exodus 12, the passover lamb had to be examined four full days. In the Jewish calendar, four days could also be considered six days, for part of a day was counted as one day.…During the last week of His life, Christ was examined for six days. Then He was crucified on the day of the Passover. This indicates that He was the real Passover Lamb; the lamb in Exodus 12 was a type.
First the Lord was examined by the chief priests and the elders.…The chief priests represented the religious power, and the elders represented the civilian power. These two powers came together to test Christ. [They] asked the Lord where He had received His authority and who had given it to Him. The Lord Jesus did not answer them directly, but with another question.…In this way, the Lord Jesus passed the first test, and no defect was found in Him. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 669-671)
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 669-672; Hymns: #108, #181
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Day 2
33 Hear another parable. There was a man, a 1householder, who planted a 1vineyard and put a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower; and he leased it out to 1vinedressers and went abroad.
34 And when the time to harvest the fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the vinedressers to get his fruit.
35 And the vinedressers took his slaves and 1beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
37 Then later he sent to them his 1son, saying, They will respect my son.
38 But the vinedressers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, 1This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take possession of his inheritance.
40 Therefore when the master of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?
41 They said to Him, He will miserably 1destroy those evil men and will lease the vineyard to 2other vinedressers, who will give the fruit to him in their seasons.
42 Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, “The 1stone which the 1builders rejected, this has become the 2head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes”?
43 Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a 1nation producing its fruit.
44 And 1he who falls on this stone shall be broken to pieces; but on 2whomever it falls, it shall crush him to powder and scatter him like chaff.
331 The householder is God, the vineyard is the city of Jerusalem (Isa. 5:1), and the vinedressers are the leaders of the Israelites (v. 45).
351 This was the persecution suffered by the Old Testament prophets (Jer. 37:15; Neh. 9:26; 2 Chron. 24:21).
371 This is Christ.
381 This statement indicates that the Jewish leaders, wanting to maintain their false position, envied Christ because of His rights.
411 This was fulfilled when the Roman prince Titus and his army destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
412 These were the apostles.
421 The stone is Christ, who is for God’s building (Isa. 28:16; Zech. 3:9; 1 Pet. 2:4), and the builders are the Jewish leaders, who should have been working on God’s building.
422 Christ is not only the foundation stone (Isa. 28:16) and the topstone (Zech. 4:7) but also the cornerstone.
431 This is the church.
441 This is a person who stumbles on Christ; referring in particular to the unbelieving Israelites (Isa. 8:15; Rom. 9:32).
442 These are the nations, the Gentiles, that Christ will smite and break into pieces at His coming back (Dan. 2:34-35). To the believers Christ is the foundation stone, the One in whom they trust (Isa. 28:16); to the unbelieving Jews He is the stone of stumbling (Isa. 8:14; Rom. 9:33); and to the nations He will be the smiting stone.
At the end of this parable, the Lord Jesus not only indicated that the kingdom would be taken from Israel and given to the church; He also referred to God’s building.
The church is the life-pulse of the kingdom. This means that just as the body dies when the pulse stops, so the kingdom is wholly dependent upon the church. The church, in turn, is completely dependent upon the building. If there is no building, there is no practical church life. The church life is not simply a matter of meeting together or of having a little fellowship. In whatever locality we are, we need to be builded. For this, we must enjoy and experience our Christ as the stone.…In Him and through Him we are built together. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 674, 678)
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 672-679; Hymns: #199
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Day 3
2 The 1kingdom of the heavens has become like a 2king who prepared a 3wedding feast for his 2son.
3 And he sent his 1slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, yet they would not come.
4 Again, he sent other slaves, saying, Tell those who have been called, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my 1oxen and my 1fatted cattle have been slain, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast.
8 Then he said to his slaves, The wedding feast is ready, but those who have been called were 1not worthy.
9 Go therefore to the crossroads, and as many as you find, call to the wedding feast.
11 But when the king came in to look at those reclining at table, he saw there a man who was not clothed with a 1wedding garment.
13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind his feet and hands, and 1cast him out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are 1called but few are 1chosen.
21 The parable of the vineyard in ch. 21 refers to the Old Testament, in which was the kingdom of God (21:43), whereas the parable of a wedding feast in this chapter refers to the New Testament, in which is the kingdom of the heavens.
In the foregoing parable (21:33-46) the Lord illustrated how the Jews, who were in the kingdom of God, would be punished, and how the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to the kingdom people. Another parable was needed for Him to illustrate how the kingdom people, who are in the kingdom of the heavens, will be dealt with strictly. Both parables indicate that the kingdom is a serious matter.
22 The king is God, and the son is Christ.
23 In the foregoing parable the Old Testament was likened to a vineyard, with the focus mainly on the matter of labor under the law; in this parable the New Testament is likened to a wedding feast, with the focus mainly on the matter of enjoyment under grace.
31 These are the first group of New Testament apostles.
41 Both the oxen and the fatted cattle refer to Christ, who was killed so that God’s chosen people could enjoy Him as a feast.
81 The rejection by the Jews made them unworthy to enjoy the New Testament (Acts 13:46).
111 This wedding garment is typified by the embroidered garment in Psa. 45:14 and is signified by the fine linen in Rev. 19:8 (see note 2 there). This is the surpassing righteousness of the overcoming believers, mentioned in 5:20 (see note 1 there). The man not clothed with a wedding garment is saved, because he has come to the wedding feast. He has received Christ as his righteousness that he might be justified before God (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 3:26), but he has not lived Christ out as his subjective righteousness (Phil. 3:9) that he might participate in the enjoyment of the kingdom of the heavens. He has been called to salvation, but he has not been chosen for the enjoyment of the kingdom of the heavens, which is for the overcoming believers only.
131 To be cast out into the outer darkness is not to perish; it is to be dealt with dispensationally, to be disqualified from participating in the enjoyment of the kingdom during the millennium, for not having lived by Christ an overcoming life. In the millennium the overcoming believers will be with Christ in the bright glory of the kingdom (Col. 3:4), whereas the defeated believers will suffer discipline in outer darkness (see note 122 in ch. 8).
141 To be called is to receive salvation (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 4:1), whereas to be chosen is to receive a reward. All believers have been called, but few will be chosen to receive a reward.
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 681-690; Hymns: #1304
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Day 4
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them,
42 Saying, What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David’s.
43 He said to them, How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying,
44 “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet”?
45 If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?
46 And 1no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question Him anymore.
We have seen that the last time the Lord Jesus came to Jerusalem He came not to work, but to present Himself to those who were to slaughter Him.…As portrayed in 21:23—22:46, during His last visit to Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, Christ was surrounded by the chief priests, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, along with a lawyer, all of whom endeavored to ensnare Him by asking puzzling and insidious questions. First, the chief priests, representing the authority of the Jewish religion, and the elders, representing the authority of the Jewish people, asked Him concerning His authority (21:23). Their question was according to their religious concept. Second, the Pharisees, the fundamentalists, and the Herodians, who were zealous in politics, asked Him a question related to politics [22:15-17]. Third, the Sadducees, the modernists, questioned Him concerning fundamental belief [vv. 23-28]. Fourth, a self-approved lawyer asked Him a question concerning the law [vv. 34-36]. After answering all their questions wisely, He asked them a question concerning the Christ. This is the question of questions. Their questions were related to religion, politics, belief, and the law. His question was concerning the Christ, who is the center of all things. They knew religion, politics, belief, and the law, but they paid no attention to Christ. Hence, He asked them, “What do you think concerning the Christ?” This question of questions must be answered by everyone.
When the Pharisees were asked this question by the Lord, they replied that Christ was David’s son (v. 42). No doubt, according to the Scriptures, this answer was correct. Then the Lord said, “…If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?” (vv. 43-45). The question here is how a great-grandfather could call his great-grandson Lord. This was one question the Pharisees did not know how to answer.
Christ is God; in His divinity He is the Lord of David. He is also a man; in His humanity He is the Son of David. The Pharisees had only half the scriptural knowledge concerning Christ’s person, i.e., that He was the Son of David according to His humanity. They did not have the other half, i.e., that He was the Son of God according to His divinity.
Do not think that we can understand Christ adequately today. No, He is too wonderful and too far beyond our comprehension. We do not even fully understand ourselves, much less Christ. Do you know where your spirit is, or where your soul is?…When I was very young, I thought I knew myself thoroughly. But the longer I have lived, the more I realize how little I know. If we cannot understand ourselves, how can we adequately understand Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God?…Jesus Christ is the Son and…He is also called the Father [Isa. 9:6].…He is one person with two natures and two lives. However, it is beyond our ability to understand this thoroughly. We simply believe whatever the Bible says and praise Him for being so wonderful! We need to worship Him, take Him in, enjoy Him, and experience Him as the wonderful One. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 669, 695-698)
461 Christ’s question of questions concerning His wonderful person muzzled the mouths of all His opposers.
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 695-698; Hymns: #501
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Day 5
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
2 Saying, The 1scribes and the 2Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ seat;
3 Therefore all that they tell you, do and keep; but do not do according to their works, for they say things and do not do them.
5 And all their works they do to be seen by men, for they broaden their 1phylacteries and enlarge the 2fringes of their garments.
8 But you, do not be called Rabbi, for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in the heavens.
10 Neither be called instructors, because One is your Instructor, the Christ.
11 And the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And he who will exalt himself shall be humbled, and he who will humble himself shall be exalted.
After the Lord had been examined and tested by the religious leaders, in His wisdom He muzzled them. Eventually, He reached the point where He did not talk to them any further. Rather, in chapter twenty-three, He gave them a final word.…In His rebuke of the Jewish religionists, the Lord first spoke against their hypocrisy (23:1-12). [He exposed their hypocrisy in the following areas: 1) seating themselves in Moses’ seat and saying but not doing (vv. 2-3); 2) binding heavy burdens and laying them on the shoulders of others, but not moving them with their finger (v. 4); 3) doing all their works to be seen by men (v. 5a); 4) broadening their phylacteries and enlarging the fringes of their garments (v. 5b); 5) loving the place of honor at the dinners and the chief seats in the synagogues (v. 6); 6) loving the salutations in the market places and being called Rabbi by men (v. 7); and 7) a behavior that is in contrast to the humility of the kingdom people (vv. 8-12)].
In 23:13-36 the Lord pronounces an eightfold woe upon the scribes and Pharisees. In chapter five we have a ninefold blessing, but here we have an eightfold woe.
The Lord’s rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees affords us an accurate picture of today’s religion. Everything found in 23:1-36 resembles the situation today. Remember, this rebuke is found in the book of the kingdom. Matthew’s intention is certainly to present the negative in order to reveal the positive. The kingdom life must be the opposite of what is exposed in 23:1-36. It must be an absolute contrast to this black and hellish picture. Only by the mercy and grace of the Lord can we escape the situation portrayed here. Thus, we all need to pray, “O Lord, save me! Rescue me! Take me away from this terrible situation.” (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 699, 702, 705)
21 …Those who knew the Scriptures (Ezra 7:6).
22 The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect of the Jews (Acts 26:5). This sect was formed about 200 B.C. They were proud of their superior religious living, devotion to God, and knowledge of the Scriptures. Actually, they had degraded into pretension and hypocrisy (23:2-33).
51 Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing parts of the law written on parchment. According to Deut. 6:8 and 11:18, they were worn on the forehead as a frontlet and on the left arm. The scribes and the Pharisees broadened them and considered them a charm.
52 The law required the Israelites to make fringes on the borders of their garments with a band of blue. The fringes signified that their conduct (typified by the garment) was regulated by the heavenly rule (indicated by the band of blue), and they were to be a reminder to them to keep God’s commandments (Num. 15:38-39). The scribes and Pharisees enlarged the fringes, pretending that they were keeping God’s commandments and were being regulated by them to a surpassing degree.
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 699-705; Hymns: #944
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Day 6
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often 1I desired to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your 1house is left to you desolate.
39 For I say to you, You shall by no means see Me from now on until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
371 It was always God Himself who cared for Jerusalem, as a bird flutters over her young (Isa. 31:5; Deut. 32:11-12). Hence, when the Lord Jesus said, “I desired to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her brood under her wings,” He indicated that He was God Himself.
381 Since house here is singular, it must denote the house of God, which was the temple (21:12-13). It had been the house of God, but now it was called “your house” because the Jews had made it a den of robbers (21:13).
After the Lord had been tested and examined and after He had rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, He forsook Jerusalem with its temple. In 23:37-39 the Lord spoke a final word to Jerusalem. After this word, the Lord had nothing more to do with her.
As the Lord Jesus was declaring this final word to them, He was still like a loving hen, stretching out His wings to brood over the little ones. But they were not willing to be gathered under His wings.
In ancient times, according to the book of Ezekiel, God left His temple. The same thing was happening here. In chapter ten Ezekiel saw in a vision the glory of God leaving the temple. Thus, the temple was left desolate for the rebellious Jews, and eventually it was burned and destroyed. Here in Matthew 23 the Lord [who is the real glory, the manifestation of God], was once again about to leave the house desolate. Not too long afterwards, the temple was destroyed by the Roman army under Titus. Thus 23:38 corresponds to 24:2, which indicates that not one stone was to be left upon another. Both of these verses refer to the desolation of the temple in Jerusalem.
The Lord’s word here is brief, but it includes a number of things from the destruction of Jerusalem until the Lord’s second coming. Here the Lord made a clear declaration that He, the very glory of God, was leaving the nation of Israel and that they would not see Him until His coming again. Nearly two thousand years have passed since that time, and Israel still has not seen the Lord Jesus. Some may ask, “Does this mean that the Jews have no opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus?” As individuals, the Jews still have the opportunity to believe, but as a nation they do not have this opportunity today. As a nation, Israel is through with the Lord. Thank the Lord that He is still merciful to the Jews. Even though He has left the nation of Israel, the back door is still open for individual Jews to come to Him. Today no Jew has the position to come to God as a representative of his nation. But when the Jews are persecuted by their enemies at the end of this age, they will cry out to their God. Then Christ will descend and place His feet on the Mount of Olives, which will be cleft like the waters of the Red Sea. This will enable the Jews to escape from persecution. At that time they will repent to the Lord and call upon Him, and the nation will be saved. This salvation will be not only for individuals, but for the entire nation. However, before the Lord’s coming back, it is impossible for the nation of Israel to repent. But, as we have pointed out, individual Jews can still repent today and come into God’s grace. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 705-708)
Suggested daily reading: Life-study of Matthew, pp. 705-708; Hymns: #1302
Enlightenment and inspiration:
Week 16 — Prophecy
IV. The King’s being rejected (12:1—27:66)
IV. The path of rejection (16:13—23:39)
4. In Jerusalem (21:12—23:39)
d. Tested (21:23—22:46)
(1) By the chief priests and elders concerning His authority (21:23—22:14)
(a) The shifting of the birthright (21:28-32)
(b) The transfer of the kingdom of God (21:33-46)
(c) The kingdom’s wedding feast (22:1-14)
e. (2) By the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians concerning giving tribute to Caesar (22:15-22)
f. (3) By the Sadducees concerning resurrection (22:23-33)
g. (4) By a lawyer concerning the great commandment in the law (22:34-40)
h. (5) Muzzling all the testers by the question concerning Christ (22:41-46)
5. Rebuking the religionists (23:1-36)
(1) Their hypocrisy (vv. 1-12)
(2) Their eightfold woe (vv. 13-36)
6. Forsaking Jerusalem with its temple (23:37-39)
The events in chapter twenty-one took place during the last week of the Lord’s life on earth (John 12:1). In this period of time He willingly presented Himself to the children of Israel for a thorough examination. Then He was crucified on the day of the Passover. This indicates that He was the real Passover Lamb; the lamb in Exodus 12 was a type.
As portrayed in Matthew 21:23—22:46, during His last visit to Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, Christ was surrounded by the chief priests, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, along with a self-approved lawyer, all of whom endeavored to ensnare Him by asking puzzling and insidious questions. In responding to the chief priests and elders regarding His authority, He spoke three parables: the parable of the shifting of the birthright, the parable of the vineyard, and the parable of the wedding feast. After answering all their questions wisely, He asked them, “What do you think concerning the Christ?” This is the question of questions. The Pharisees replied that Christ was David’s son. Then the Lord said, “If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?” The question here is how a great-grandfather could call his great-grandson Lord. This was one question the Pharisees did not know how to answer. As God, in His divinity, Christ is the Lord of David; as a man, in His humanity, He is the Son of David.
After the Lord had been examined and tested by all His opposers, in His wisdom He muzzled their mouths. Eventually, in chapter twenty-three, He rebuked the Jewish religionists, first speaking against their hypocrisy (23:1-12), and then pronouncing an eightfold woe upon the scribes and Pharisees (vv. 13-36). This rebuke (vv. 1-36) affords us an accurate picture of today’s religion. The kingdom life must be the opposite of what is exposed in these verses. Only by the mercy and grace of the Lord can we escape the situation portrayed here.
In 23:37-39 the Lord forsook Jerusalem with its temple. As He was speaking a final word to Jerusalem, He was still like a loving hen, stretching out His wings to brood over the little ones, but they were not willing to be gathered under His wings. Here He made clear that He, the very glory of God, was leaving the nation of Israel and that they would not see Him until His coming again.
Composition for prophecy with main point and sub-points:
