What we are going to see tonight from this text is a very simple message, but one that needs to be brought to us periodically. For as we follow the biblical text, it’s great to see declarations of God’s greatness, reminders of his mercy and grace, and his promises made to his children; however, we also need to be reminded of his judgment against sin. And though the text tonight contains most of these things, I want this to be a time of examination of our hearts so that we might live in the manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called.
Therefore, tonight is nothing new, for I am going to remind you of three things from the text; it might expose something that many of us might be trying to ignore. But before I get to talking about specifically what it is that I want us to ask God to expose in us, I want to establish two things: 1) who Jesus is and 2) what this means.
Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son, God the Son (21:1-17, 22:41-46)
What is again made clear in these chapters is that Jesus is indeed the Messiah that the Jews had awaited. The promised Son of David who is God himself had come and he was/is Jesus. He first makes this clear in 21:1-11 as he enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
Now this was an interesting entrance because usually kings would ride in triumph during war on horses; however, there were times of peace when a king would ride on a donkey. Therefore, maybe Jesus was trying to give the picture that he reigns so supreme that is his kingdom there will ultimately be peace for none will be able to raise a finger against him. However, there is a clearer reason in the text why Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey – it was prophesied. Matthew writes in 21:4-5, “Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
This is a quote from Zechariah 9:9 in which God himself is promising to come to the people. Therefore, Jesus comes into Jerusalem on a donkey because this is the way in which it had been prophesied that the Messiah would enter. However, the declarations of Jesus as the Messiah do not stop there. Rather, they continue as he rides into the city and people are laying down branches and their garments for him to ride on; the multitude cries out, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:9). Now, this is most definitely a declaration by the people that they are calling Jesus the one sent as the promise from God who is in fact God himself. So if such were not the case, Jesus should have rebuked them, but he didn’t for it was/is true. Jesus is the Messiah.
Another way that Jesus shows that he is in fact God the Son is in his cleansing of the Temple. Two things happen here. One, he fights for God’s glory not to be dishonored. This is the of the very nature of God, and though we often view Jesus as simply a “sweet” person, he is passionately indignant against God’s glory being dishonored. Second, the children begin saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:15). And Jesus responds saying, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have prepared praise for yourself” (21:16). Now what’s so bold about this is that this was a quotation from Psalm 8:2 about children praising God, which Jesus acknowledges, but he does not stop them from praising him with it. Thus, he again makes a statement as to who he is.
Finally, Jesus affirms that he is the eternal God and the Messiah by pointing out to the Pharisees that the Messiah would come after David but would exist before him as his God in 22:41-46. All this (as does most of the gospel) confirms again that Jesus is the Messiah.
As the Messiah we are commanded to believe and obey him (22:15-40)
We see this in Jesus answering three questions. The first is when the Pharisees come and ask Jesus about whether or not one should pay taxes to Caesar. Now the thing we must realize is that Israel saw itself as a theocratic state. That is to say, God ruled and those who ruled over them were sent from God as his spokesmen. Therefore, if Israel was to be punished they would be under oppressive rule, and such was the case with Roman rule.
Jesus’ answer, however, begins to separate this idea. Jesus takes the coin and says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (22:21). It’s as if Jesus is saying, there is now a separation and the people of God will live under the authority of God (which does lead us to obey civil governments insofar as they do not lead us to disobey God). But the point here is that they must obey God.
Next the Sadducees come and ask Jesus about levirate marriage. As was the custom of the day, if a husband died then the brother of the husband would marry the widow. The Sadducees’ question is what if this happens several times, who will be the woman’s husband in the resurrection.
The interesting point in this, however, is that the Sadducees did not believe there was a resurrection. Therefore, in a sense they are trying to mock Jesus. Jesus corrects them, however, telling them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (22:29-30). Therefore he answers their question, showing that there is no marriage in the resurrection, but then he points out their disbelief in what the Scriptures proclaim saying, “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (22:31-32). And with that Jesus shows them the truth of the resurrection.
Finally, the Pharisees come to challenge Jesus again, asking him which is the greatest law. Again, one senses this desire to be able to say, “I’m doing the greatest commandment even if I’m avoiding many others.” Jesus, however, leaves no room for this saying that the greatest and second greatest commandments are: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (22:37-39). They were looking for a shortcut and Jesus tells them that God demands everything. To recognize Jesus as the Lord then demands that you obey him as such. He tells his disciples, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do the things that I say?” The implication – quit calling me Lord or start doing the things I say.
The same is true here, if your eyes have been opened to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, then you must obey his every command. He is your Lord.
Finally, therefore, know that the Lord does not ignore hypocrisy and will judge it (21:18-22:14; 23:1-39)
This is the main teaching of the text. I will briefly run through Jesus’ warnings in this area.
First of all, we see it with the barren fig tree in 21:18-22. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he becomes hungry and looks ahead and sees a fig tree. Now, when a fig tree produces leaves, it usually means that it has just produced figs. They are probably not ripe yet, but that is what producing leaves usually means. Therefore, as Jesus sees the leaves, he is drawn to go and get figs off the tree. What he soon discovers, however, is that there are no figs on the tree. Now, if it were fig season, then he could have gone to the next one, but it is not. Therefore, though the tree advertised having figs, it had none and there were none to be eaten. Jesus then curses the tree, teaching his disciples a lesson about faith. But the lesson of hypocrisy should have been clear as well. For it probably seems harsh to us that Jesus would curse this fig tree, but it is preparation for us to see Jesus’ refusal to ignore hypocrisy and his cry that it will be judged.
Second, we see this in the elders coming and asking Jesus by what authority he had healed and cleansed out the Temple in 21:23-27. Jesus asks them a question instead of answering theirs. In verses 24-25 he says, “I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” Matthew then sheds light on the problem it caused the elders. For they obviously thought it was not from heaven or they would have obeyed, but they feared the people’s torment (for they regarded John as a prophet) if they said “from men.”. Therefore they didn’t answer and Jesus tells them that he won’t answer either. In a sense, he was telling them that they weren’t worthy of hearing the answer, because of hypocrisy in their heart. These men were the ones who instructed the people and were publicly about the things of God (e.g. this question to Jesus); however, they were still ruled by public approval and opinion. What they spoke on the outside sounded great, but inside they were hypocrites, fearing man more than God.
Third, Jesus shows this in a parable about the two sons who did different things (21:28-32). The first said that he would do what his father instructed him but didn’t. The second said he would not do what his father said but later did. Then Jesus asked them, “Which of these two did the will of his father?” (21:31), and they rightly answered, “The latter.” And then Jesus turns it to those who, like the disobedient son, speak well on the outside but whose internal desires and actions show them to be hypocrites, and such were Jesus’ opponents.
Fourth, Jesus teaches the same lesson with the men who were to be the vineyard’s harvesters for the master and yet showed themselves to be vicious murders (21:33-46). He then showed that this was a clear picture of the religious leaders of the day (21:42-44).
Fifth, Jesus teaches this as he tells the parable of the wedding guests being invited, refusing, and then being left out (22:1-14). To the Jews who rejected Christ, this is a clear lesson that the gospel would come to the Gentiles. However, it becomes a reminder to the Gentiles as well in the latter part of the parable that we must come rightly, for the one not in wedding clothes is cast out into outer darkness (22:11-14). It is another lesson of trying to dress one way and attend a feast that demands another. It is another lesson in hypocrisy and the Lord’s judgment thereof.
Finally, the entire 23rd chapter is Jesus’ pronouncement of judgment against the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. He calls them hypocrites seven times and tells them also that they are “full of hypocrisy” (23:28). And his judgment is fierce. These are cries of condemnation. It is the pronouncement of present declaration and future judgment that will one day be manifest in eternal hell under the wrath of God. Jesus is indeed not going to overlook hypocrisy and will judge it.
Therefore, I want us to end tonight in a time of reflection. Allow God to examine our hearts and show us if we are declaring the need for purity while unrepentantly engaging in immorality, if we are crying out for unity in the body while creating division with our gossip, slandering, and laboring against one another, if we are quick to see the speck in our brother’s eye but are content to ignore the large plank in our own. As a church, I believe we will stand strong in the face of adversity coming from the persecution of the world, but we cannot endure hypocrisy from within. Is the message that we long for this body to proclaim to the world the same thing we are laboring for in our actions (to love the Lord your God with everything and to love your neighbor as yourself)? I fear honestly that our greatest threat is in crying out for unity while creating division through our gossip, slandering, backbiting, and scheming.
However, just as Jesus spoke judgment on the scribes and Pharisees with tears streaming down his face (23:37-39), so may we be broken over our own sin as God points it out and find our hearts fertile and repentant tonight.
Seeking his grace, Amen.