MATTHEW LESSON 41

     We will begin this lesson in Matthew 21:1 "And when they drew
nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of
Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,:

     This was the beginning of the last week of the life of our Lord
before the crucifixion.  The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
is what we, Christians, celebrate as Palm Sunday.  "Bethphage" means
house of figs.  The Mount of Olives is just outside the wall of the
old city of Jerusalem.  This time Jesus entered Jerusalem as
Messiah.  "Messiah" means anointed.  They called him King of the
Jews in Jerusalem this time.  The names of the two disciples were not
known.

     Matthew 21:2 "Saying unto them, Go into the village over against
you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her:
loose [them], and bring [them] unto me."   Matthew 21:3 "And if any
[man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them;
and straightway he will send them."

     Jesus was to fulfill the prophecy to the very last letter.  Not
only were they to get an ass, but the colt of an ass, as well.  Many
feel that the spiritual implication, here, was that the older animal
represented the Jews and the younger animal represented the Gentiles.
Jesus sent for both Jew and Gentile.  The Jews rejected Him as a
whole.

     This man, who had the animals, was either someone who was already
a follower of Jesus, or someone God had divinely placed at this place
at this specific time for this specific purpose.  I believe,
personally, that the latter was true.  It had been prophesied by
Zechariah in the 9th chapter that He would be riding on the colt of an
ass.  These two disciples were to walk up to the first ass with a colt
and just unloose them and bring them to Jesus.  This had to be
preplanned of God.

     Matthew 21:4 "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, saying,"  Matthew 21:5 "Tell ye the
daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."

     Zion is sometimes spiritually symbolic of the church.  You see,
Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies.

     Matthew 21:6 "And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded
them," Matthew 21:7 "And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on
them their clothes, and they set [him] thereon."

     The disciples never questioned, they just did whatever Jesus told
them to do.  They knew that whatever He told them to do, it was right.
They took their clothing and made them into something like a saddle
blanket for Jesus to sit on, on the colt.  This was humbleness to the
utmost.

     Matthew 21:8 "And a very great multitude spread their garments in
the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed [them]
in the way." Matthew 21:9 "And the multitudes that went before, and
that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed
[is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

     This multitude with Jesus was not only His disciples, but many of
them who had been healed by Jesus.  This was a very triumphant
entrance into Jerusalem.  Their worship of Him was so great that they
removed their garments and put them on the road for the ass and colt
to ride over.  "Hosanna" means save now.  This word has been used in
services of both Christians and Jews.  These people were still calling
Jesus "son of David".  This is a physical description, not a spiritual
understanding of who He is.

     Matthew 21:10 "And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city
was moved, saying, Who is this?"  Matthew 21:11 "And the multitude
said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

     This was quite a procession of adoration.  The people in
Jerusalem knew there was some reason for all of this attention being
given, so they wanted to know who He was.  The multitude did not
really understand themselves who He was.  They called Him a prophet.
The only thing that they knew for sure was that He had healed the
sick.  They had seen it with their own eyes.  That was why they were
shouting Hosanna, not because they knew who He was.

     Matthew 21:12  "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,"
Matthew 21:13 "And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

     Jesus came into the temple this time with great authority.  He,
by force, chased those out who were in there for self-gain.  He
reminded them that the house of God is a place of prayer.  I just
wonder what He would do today, if He would come into the churches.  So
many are not a house of prayer.  The world and its ways have crept
into the house of God.  Compromise is everywhere.  I am sure that He
would be displeased and do some house cleaning, as He did there in
Jerusalem.  We forget that God is holy and must be worshipped, not
entertained.

     Matthew 21:14 "And the blind and the lame came to him in the
temple; and he healed them." Matthew 21:15 "And when the chief priests
and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children
crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they
were sore displeased,"

     How dare God the Word to come into the place of worship and
actually heal people.  How dare the people praise God and cry, because
they were touched by Him.  It almost sounds like some of the churches
today.  The reason they did not like it, was because they were jealous.

     Matthew 21:16 "And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?
And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth
of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

     Jesus was speaking of babes in Christ.  Those who had not studied
the law.

     Matthew 21:17  "And he left them, and went out of the city into
Bethany; and he lodged there."

     Bethany (house of unripe figs) was about two miles out of
Jerusalem, and it was a convenient place to spend the night, so that He
could come back to Jerusalem the next day.

     Matthew 21:18 "Now in the morning as he returned into the city,
he hungered." Matthew 21:19 "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he
came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto
it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the
fig tree withered away."  Matthew 21:20 "And when the disciples saw
[it], they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!"

     The fig tree is symbolic of the Jews, physical Israel, if you
will.  This is symbolism of the rejection of Jesus by the Jews.

     Matthew 21:21 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this
[which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be
done." Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

      Jesus reminded them once more, here, that their faith gets answers
 to prayers.  No problem (mountain) is too great for a miracle answer,
 if we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and believe in
 our hearts, it will come to pass.



















                         Matthew 4l Questions


1.  What city was near the Mount of Olives?
2.  How many disciples did Jesus send to the village?
3.  When is Palm Sunday?
4.  What does it celebrate?
5.  What does Bethphage mean?
6.  What would Jesus be called in Jerusalem?
7.  What two animals would the disciples find?
8.  What were they to do with them?
9.  What do many believe the spiritual implication of the two animals
    was?
10. Who does the author think the owner of the animals was?
11. Which prophet prophesied this?
12. "Zion" spiritually means what?
13. What did the disciples put on the animal?
14. Who came into the city with Jesus?
15. What were they crying?
16. What did their calling Jesus "Son of David" signify?
17. When the people in Jerusalem asked who He was, what did they
    reply?
18. What did Jesus do in the temple?
19. What did Jesus say the house of God should be called?
20. Who came to Jesus, and He healed them?
2l. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things He
    did, how did they act?
22. Why did they feel this way?
23. Where was Bethany?
24. What tree is symbolic of the Jews?
25. What causes our prayers to be answered?
26. What is the mountain symbolic of?