We now come to the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem. He didn’t come with a grand army and riding on “a white horse” (Revelation 19:1111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Revelation 19:11)), but rather as a meek man, sitting upon an ass! Children saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” really upset the religious leaders, because they were full of envy.
However, man’s hatred did not stop the Lord’s love from flowing out, and after cleansing the temple the second time, He then heals the blind and the lame before leaving the city to spend the night in Bethany.
The next morning, He was hungry and seeing a fig tree with plenty of leaves, He expected to find fruit but found nothing but leaves. What a picture of the nation of Israel - a great profession of religion but no fruit for God!
When the Lord entered the temple again, the chief priests and elders questioned His authority. Since they couldn’t even determine the authority for John’s mission, how could they determine His? He exposes their hearts to others, for they pretended to go and do God’s will, but went not. Others who had a very bad beginning repented and went, for repentance will take action.
This wasn’t all that He had to say to the chief priests and Pharisees, because in the closing parable He draws a picture of Israel’s history in their rejection of God’s prophets, and finally, when the husbandmen saw the son, they slew him. What an awful judgment awaits those who reject the Son of God. “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish” (Psalm 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)).
We’d better take a break on our journey to think about what we’ve been learning and to find the following verses.
1. Who did the prophet say would come to Sion “meek, and sitting upon an ____________ , and a colt the foal of an ass” ? Matthew 21:___
Tell
Matthew 21:___
And
3. When the Lord found ____________ but leaves on the fig tree, what did He do to it? Matthew 21:___
And
4. The first son rebelled at the beginning. What did he do after he ____________ ? Matthew 21:___
He
5. What did the ____________ say about the one they intended to kill?
Matthew 21:___
But