WE ARE STUDYING THE FOUR GOSPELS MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN TO KNOW THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.
TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM.
INTRODUCTION
There is no reason to doubt that this Gospel was written by Matthew. It presents the narrative of our Lord’s life from the standpoint of the pious Jew; and the evident design of the writer is to show how completely and continually our Lord fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. No other Gospel contains so many quotations from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. In it the predominant aspect of our Lord’s character and work is the Messianic. He was great David’s Greater Son. The keyword of the book is “Behold your King.” As King, His line is traced through the kingly race. As King, He proclaims the kingdom of heaven. As King, He promulgates the laws, describes the subjects, and announces the rewards of the Kingdom. When describing His own action at the last, when He sits on His throne and all nations are gathered before Him, He speaks of Himself as King, Mat_25:40. It was on His avowal of kingship that He was condemned to die. From every viewpoint this Gospel is one of the most precious documents in the world.
By F.B.Meyer
{e-Sword Note: The following material was presented at the end of Matthew in the printed edition}
Find the outline of our Bible study on The Gospel of Matthew at the link below.
Outline Of The Gospel According To Matthew
The King of the House of David
III. FACING REJECTION, Matthew 16:13-25:46
3. Questions, Discourses and Parables of Judgment, Matthew 17:10 to Matthew 25:46
NB !Note:The Judean ministry of Jesus, which lasted almost one year, is not discussed by Matthew. This one year period is covered in John 1;1 to the end of John 4: and fits between Mat_4:11 and Mat_4:12. Matthew takes us from the temptation directly to the Galilean ministry.
Today we will look at the following question in the outline starting with
Matthew 21:23-32
73. What was Jesus’ purpose in telling the parable of the two sons?
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
And Jesus answered and said unto them,
I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them,
Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
73. What was Jesus’ purpose in telling the parable of the two sons?
They say unto him, The first.
Jesus saith unto them,
Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Comments by F.B.Meyer
Matthew 21:23-32
Authority Which Silenced And Condemned
Our Lord always refused to gratify idle curiosity. When an earnest seeker for truth, like Nicodemus, approached Him to know the way of life, He was willing to give time and thought without stint. But of what use was it to endeavor to satisfy these men who had refused to acknowledge the divine mission of the Forerunner! They would not speak out their inner convictions, because of the effect it would have on their worldly prospects. For such as these Christ has nothing. At all costs, we must be true to the inner light, that is, to God’s Spirit within us.
The answer for 73. What was Jesus’ purpose in telling the parable of the two sons? As presented by F.B.Meyer.
The parable of the two sons teaches that hard hearts may lie under fair words, while those of whom we expect least and whose first greeting is abrupt and disappointing, may later prove to be the most devoted and hopeful disciples. If a man repels the gospel with violence, he is more likely ultimately to be won than he who gives a polite and facile assent.
Believer’s Bible commentary
Book by William MacDonald
E. Jesus’ Authority Questioned (21:23-27)
21:23 When Jesus came into the court outside the temple proper, the chief priests and the elders interrupted His teaching to ask who gave Him the authority to teach, to perform miracles, and to cleanse the temple. They hoped to trap Him, no matter how He answered. If He claimed to have authority in Himself as the Son of God, they would accuse Him of blasphemy. If He claimed authority from men, they would discredit Him. If He claimed authority from God, they would challenge Him. They considered themselves the guardians of the faith, professionals who by formal training and human appointment were authorized to direct the religious life of the people. Jesus had no formal schooling and certainly no credentials from Israel’s rulers. Their challenge reflected the age-old resentment felt by professional religionists against men with the power of divine anointing.
21:24, 25 The Lord offered to explain His authority if they would answer a question, “Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men?” John’s baptism should be understood as meaning John’s ministry. Therefore the question was, “Who authorized John to carry on his ministry? Was his ordination human or divine? What credentials did he hold from Israel’s leaders?” The answer was obvious: John was a man sent from God. His power came from divine enduement, not from human endorsement.
The priests and elders were in a dilemma. If they admitted that John was sent by God, they were trapped. John had pointed men to Jesus as the Messiah. If John’s authority was divine, why hadn’t they repented and believed on Christ?
21:26 On the other hand, if they said that John was not commissioned by God, they adopted a position that would be ridiculed by the people, most of whom agreed that John was a prophet from God. If they had correctly answered that John was divinely sent, they would have had the answer to their own question: Jesus was the Messiah of whom John had been the forerunner.
21:27 But they refused to face the facts, so they pleaded ignorance. They could not tell the source of John’s power. Then Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Why should He tell them what they already knew but were unwilling to admit?
F. Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-32)
21:28-30 This parable is a stinging rebuke to the chief priests and elders for their failure to obey John’s call to repentance and faith. It concerns a man whose two sons were asked to work in the vineyard. One refused, then changed his mind and went. The other agreed to go, but never did.
21:31, 32 When asked which son did the will of his father, the religious leaders unwittingly condemned themselves by saying, “The first.”
The Lord interpreted the parable. Tax collectors and harlots were like the first son. They made no immediate pretense of obeying John the Baptist, but eventually many of them did repent and believe in Jesus. The religious leaders were like the second son. They professed to approve the preaching of John, but never confessed their sins or trusted the Savior. Therefore the out-and-out sinners entered the kingdom of God while the self-satisfied religious leaders remained outside. It is the same today. Avowed sinners receive the gospel more readily than those with a veneer of false piety.
The expression “John came to you in the way of righteousness” means that he came preaching the necessity of righteousness through repentance and faith.
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