Matthew 21 is a pivotal chapter in the Gospel, marking the beginning of Jesus’ final week before His crucifixion. It is filled with significant events, powerful teachings, and dramatic confrontations that reveal Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah while challenging the religious leaders and their authority. Through this chapter, we see the fulfillment of prophecy, the demonstration of Jesus’ divine authority, and His call for genuine faith and obedience.
The chapter begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As He approaches the city, He instructs His disciples to bring Him a donkey and its colt, fulfilling the prophecy from Zechariah: “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This act is deeply symbolic—unlike earthly kings who enter cities on warhorses, Jesus comes in peace, signifying His role as a humble and righteous King. The crowd recognizes Him as the long-awaited Messiah, spreading their cloaks on the road and waving palm branches as they shout, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Their cries reflect their longing for salvation, yet many misunderstand the nature of Jesus’ kingdom, expecting a political liberator rather than a suffering Savior.
Immediately after entering Jerusalem, Jesus heads to the temple and drives out the merchants and money changers. He overturns their tables and declares, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” This forceful action is not just about commercial corruption—it is a dramatic rebuke of the religious leaders who have allowed the temple, meant for worship, to become a place of exploitation. His cleansing of the temple signals a call to true worship and holiness, challenging the hypocrisy of those who claim to serve God while profiting from His people.
Following this event, Jesus performs miraculous healings in the temple, restoring the blind and the lame. Even children continue to praise Him, crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” This further enrages the chief priests and scribes, who demand that Jesus silence them. Yet Jesus responds with Scripture, affirming that God has ordained praise from the lips of children. Their rejection of Him highlights the contrast between those who recognize Jesus with childlike faith and those whose hardened hearts refuse to accept Him.
The next morning, Jesus encounters a fig tree that, despite its leafy appearance, bears no fruit. He curses the tree, causing it to wither instantly. When His disciples express amazement, Jesus uses the moment to teach them about faith, saying, “If you have faith, and don’t doubt… even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will be done.” This symbolic act serves as a warning—just as the fig tree appeared healthy but was barren, so too were the religious leaders who outwardly practiced religion but lacked true righteousness. God desires genuine faith and fruitfulness, not empty rituals.
Jesus then faces a direct challenge from the chief priests and elders, who question His authority. They ask, “By what authority do you do these things?” Instead of answering directly, Jesus counters with a question about John the Baptist’s ministry, forcing them into a dilemma. When they refuse to answer, Jesus declines to reveal His authority to them. This exchange highlights their unwillingness to acknowledge God’s work, even when it is evident before them.
To further expose their hypocrisy, Jesus shares the Parable of the Two Sons. In the story, a father asks his two sons to work in his vineyard. The first son initially refuses but later obeys, while the second son agrees to go but never does. Jesus asks which son did the will of the father, and they reply, “The first.” He then declares that tax collectors and prostitutes will enter God’s kingdom before the religious leaders because they, like the first son, repented and followed God’s will, while the leaders, like the second son, only gave lip service to obedience.
Jesus continues with another parable—the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. A landowner rents out a vineyard to tenants, but when he sends servants to collect the harvest, they beat and kill them. Finally, he sends his son, believing they will respect him, but they kill him too, hoping to take his inheritance. Jesus asks what the landowner will do, and they respond that he will destroy the wicked tenants and give the vineyard to others. Jesus then applies the parable to them, quoting Psalm 118: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” He warns that because they have rejected God’s Son, the kingdom will be taken from them and given to those who will bear its fruit. This pronouncement enrages the religious leaders, who realize He is speaking about them, but they fear the crowd and do not act immediately.
Matthew 21 encapsulates the tension between Jesus and the religious authorities, illustrating His divine authority and their growing hostility. It challenges us to consider the state of our own faith—are we like the barren fig tree, appearing religious but bearing no fruit? Are we like the second son, saying we will obey but failing to act? Or are we willing to humble ourselves, recognize Jesus as King, and truly follow Him?
This chapter reminds us that Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet—He is the promised King, the cornerstone of God’s kingdom. Yet His rule is not marked by political power or force, but by humility, righteousness, and a call to true repentance. As we reflect on His triumphal entry, His cleansing of the temple, and His call to faith and obedience, we are invited to welcome Him into our lives not just with words, but with genuine transformation.