Mateus 21

Mateus 21

Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Another Chart from Swindoll THE LIFE OF JESUS AS COVERED BY MATTHEW (shaded area) Source: Borrow Ryrie Study Bible Matthew 21:1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, when: Mk 11:1 Lu 19:28 the Mount of Olives Mt 24:3 26:30 Zec 14:4 Lu 19:37 21:37 Joh 8:1 Ac 1:12 Related Passages: Mark 11:1-11+ (TRIUMPHAL ENTRY) As they *approached (historical present tense) Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent (historical present tense) two of His disciples, 2 and *said (historical present tense) to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a {donkey with her - Mt 21:2} colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it {them - Mt 21:2} here. 3 “If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” 4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied (historical present tense) it. 5 Some of the bystanders {its owners - Lk 19:33} were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them{[saying] the Lord has need of it - Lk 19:34}, and they gave them permission. 7 They *brought (historical present tense) the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. Both Bethphage and Bethany are east of Jerusalem on the other (east) side of the Mount of Olives (picture) (which is east of Jerusalem, directly opposite Temple Mount [picture] and about 280 feet higher [Mount of Olives - Wikipedia = Highest point - see picture = 826 meters or 2,710 ft versus Temple Mount - Wikipedia = Highest point = 740 m 2,430 ft] separated by the Kidron Valley (picture, picture 2) (John 18:1). The exact location of Bethphage ("house of unripe figs" but some sources actually give this as the meaning of "Bethany"!) is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany (beth = Hebrew for house; several meanings noted - "house of misery," "house of the poor," "house of dates," “house of Ananiah”), about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem. Bethany was two miles southeast of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho (John 11:18) and was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus whom Jesus had just recently prior raised from the dead (John 11:11-23, 24, 25, 26-34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45) and Jesus would stay there during the final week of His life (Mk 11:11+). (Related - What happened to Lazarus after Jesus raised him from the dead?) Bethany to Bethphage to Temple Mount Source: Insights on Matthew Luke 19:29-40+ (TRIUMPHAL ENTRY) When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. 31 “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. 37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, 38 shouting: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (ED: THE REACTION OF THE PHARISEES - THEY ARE "FIT TO BE TIED" A BIT IRONIC IN THAT JESUS IS RIDING AN UNTIED COLT! John 12:19+ ADDS "So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”) 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” 41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” John 12:12-19+ (TRIUMPHAL ENTRY) On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first (ED: THE DISCIPLES ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE FERVOR TO MAKE JESUS KING AND SURELY THOUGHT NOW HE WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH. THEY WILL NOT TRULY UNDERSTAND UNTIL AFTER JESUS IS GLORIFIED); but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” Location of Bethany - About 2 Miles East of Jerusalem Mount of Olives is Between Bethany and Jerusalem JESUS ON THE "LAST LAP" When they had approached (eggizo - drew near) Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage (only here, Mk 11:1, Lk 19:29), at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent (apostello) two disciples (mathetes) - Mark 11:1+ adds "and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives." Both Bethphage and Bethany were about two miles to the east of Jerusalem, on the other (east) side of the Mount of Olives (picture) (which is east of Jerusalem, directly opposite Temple Mount [picture] and about 280 feet higher [Mount of Olives - Wikipedia = Highest point = 826 meters or 2,710 ft versus Temple Mount - Wikipedia = Highest point = 740 m 2,430 ft] separated by the Kidron Valley (picture, picture 2) (John 18:1). The exact location of Bethphage ("house of unripe figs" but some sources actually give this as the meaning of "Bethany"!) is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany (beth = Hebrew for house; several meanings noted - "house of misery," "house of the poor," "house of dates," “house of Ananiah”), about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem. Bethany was two miles southeast of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho (John 11:18+) and was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus whom Jesus had just recently prior raised from the dead (John 11:11-45+) and Jesus would stay there during the final week of His life (Mk 11:11+). (Related - What happened to Lazarus after Jesus raised him from the dead?) Note that at some point as Jesus approached Jerusalem, Luke's Gospel records the profound pathos felt by our Lord writing... When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept (DEEP SOBBING) over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. (JESUS POINT IS THAT THE JEWS COULD HAVE KNOWN THIS DAY! SEE DISCUSSION OF THIS DAY IN COMMENTARY ON LUKE'S GOSPEL) 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Lk 19:41-44+) Two disciples (mathetes) - We are not told who Jesus dispatched, or "commissioned", on this mission. What is stated in the following section is that the two who were sent went in obedience even though it was surely to them somewhat of a strange order by Jesus. There is a possible clue in Luke 22:8 (which mentions Peter and John sent on a mission) but we cannot be dogmatic. In the depiction above imagine Bethany and Bethphage to the extreme right, east of the Mount of Olives which at 2600 ft elevation "provides an impressive, panoramic view, especially of the temple courts which lay 300′ directly below. In the next few days, Jesus will make a lot of memories on this mountain. Here he will weep over Jerusalem, give the “Olivet Discourse,” pray in Gethsemane, and ascend to heaven." Significance of city of Jerusalem – everything in the Gospel of Mark has been targeted towards this entrance into Jerusalem – Jesus had to avoid publicity in his earlier healings and instruct people to keep quiet so he didn’t draw too much attention to himself … because he was not yet at Jerusalem for this final passion week … but no longer; He doesn’t tell Bartimaeus to be quiet; he doesn’t try to hush the crowd; the time has come for open confrontation with the Jewish leaders in the city of God -- Jerusalem (Paul Apple) Stein - Mount of Olives lies directly east of Jerusalem 2,660 feet above sea level. To reach Jerusalem one would proceed west down the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and into the temple area through the Eastern Gate, later called the Golden Gate (see picture). (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Alan Carr: Historians tell us that the population of Jerusalem was around 80,000 at this time. During the Passover, between two and three million people would crowd into the city for the celebration. The people came in anticipation; they were looking for God to do something while they were there. God would do His greatest work of all during this Passover, but most people would miss it altogether. (Behold Thy King Cometh Unto Thee) William