MATTHEW LESSON 42

     We will pick up this lesson in Matthew 21:23  "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?"

     They realized that Jesus was taking great authority in the temple
this time. They, also, had no idea who they were speaking to. The
Sanhedrin had quickly met, and decided they must stop Him any way they
could.  Instead of realizing these miracles that He performed were
authority enough, they were trying to trap Him into saying that God
authorized Him, so that they could call this blasphemy.

     Matthew 21:24 "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."  Matthew 21:25 "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?" Matthew 21:26 "But if we shall say,
Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet."  Matthew
21:27 "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."

     They were no match for Jesus. They were trapped again. They had
not  ever questioned the validity of John the Baptist's ministry. John
had proclaimed Jesus as Messiah (the Lamb of God).

     Matthew 21:28  "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." Matthew 21:29 "He answered and said, I will not: but
afterward he repented, and went."  Matthew 21:30 "And he came to the
second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and
went not." Matthew 21:31 "Whether of them twain did the will of [his]
father?  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."  Matthew 21:32 "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."

     Jesus here, made these hearers be their own judge. The man in
this, who had two sons, was symbolic of God. The two sons were symbolic
of the Pharisees and sinners. These Pharisees claimed to keep the law
perfectly. They had nothing to do with the spirit, just with the
letter of the law. The others knew nothing of the law, but eventually
accepted the spirit.

     God called His son to work in His vineyard (church). The first
son showed the repentant heart. This second son stood for the
Pharisees with their outward form, but no performance of duty. Jesus
made them judge themselves with this parable. Jesus said by this:
These repentant shall go to heaven, but you will not make the cut
unless you, like them, repent and do the first work. His rebuke, here,
was not for those who repented, but for the self-righteous who knew
the law and did not repent. John preached Christ who is the way. Some
were baptized of John, but did not walk in their salvation; but these
were not even repentant to be baptized. You could also, see the
Gentiles in the first son and the Jews in the second. Gentiles-
rebellious, but came to repentance. The Jews-having law, eager to
obey, but fell short, because of self-righteousness. In this next
parable, we will see the vineyard (church) let out to husbandmen
(preachers).
.

     Matthew 21:33  "Hear another parable: There was a certain
householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and
digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to
husbandmen, and went into a far country:"

     The householder, here, was symbolic of God, who founded a church
(vineyard); and God, Himself, built a hedge around it. Who is our strong
tower? These husbandmen, elsewhere in Scripture, would be called
sheperds. God gives authority in His church to these sheperdswais mostly
about the Jewish church, but can, also, be applicable to us, as well.

     Matthew 21:34 "And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent
his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of
it."

     These servants that went in were the prophets. God wanted to know
what have you done with this vineyard I left in your care? He had
entrusted His law to these people (what had they produced with it?)
We might ask ourselves. What have we produced with what God has given
us? Will there be a good harvest? These prophets, God sent, were to
carry back a report to God.

     Matthew 21:35 "And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat
one, and killed another, and stoned another." Matthew 21:36 "Again, he
sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them
likewise."

     Notice, who was doing this to the prophets. It was not the ordinary
people, but was rather the ones unto whom God had let out His
vinyard (church) to. We know these self righteous people did not want to
hear the messages of the true prophets. They beat them, and accused
them of not being truly sent of God. Does all this sound familiar, not
only for the Jews, but for our day right now? A true profit is
rejected by most ministers today, because the ministers would have to
clean up their acts if they received him. In our society today, instead
of killing their bodies, they try to discredit those who bring the
truth. God does not like the report He is getting on His church.

     Matthew 21:37 "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying,
They will reverence my son."

     Of course, these people were so caught up in the law, that they
could not see a loving God full of grace. Here, we see Jesus speaking
prophetically about what they would do to Him, the son of God. The sad
thing today is that we are crucifying Jesus all over again. Most
churches today do not even recognize the Son of God. They do not
reverence Him.  They make Him just a man. Not only do they not
reverence Him as God manifest in the flesh, but are bringing the
enemy's music and dance into the church. If you will, allowing the
fruit to be spoiled (compromising with the world). CHURCH WORLD LISTEN
TO THIS NEXT VERSE.

     Matthew 21:38 "But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said
among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us
seize on his inheritance."

     People, do you recognize the teaching that would make us Gods? We
are not God; We never will be God. We cannot take away His position in
the church. We belong to the Son, we are not Him, and we never will be
equal with Him. He can share His inheritance with us, but it is His
inheritance.  Here, again, this passage has many meanings.  One of
which was that these self-righteous, self-appointed authorities felt if
they could do away with Jesus, they could take His place. This was the
very thing Lucifer was thrown of heaven for.

     Matthew 21:39 "And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the
vineyard, and slew [him]."  Matthew 21:40 "When the lord therefore of
the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

     This spoke of the Jewish church, how it rejected Jesus, and how
ultimately killed Him on the cross. I say, again, we can see what is
happening in our churches, as well. You can hardly find Jesus in most
of them today. He has been tossed out in favor of things of the world.
You can readily see what God had already begun to do to these husbandmen.
Look all around you.

     Matthew 21:41 "They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those
wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen,
which shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

     They had told their own doom. The church was taken from them and
let out to others. Jesus was making a point here that the Jews rejected
Jesus, so God turned to the Gentile. Look on down in history to our
day. God wants a church without spot or wrinkle (holy people). God is
taking His vineyard back, again, and letting it out to those who will do
the will of the landowner. God will not allow the vineyard to be owned
by others.

     Matthew 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the
scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous
in our eyes?" Matthew 21:43 "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the
fruits thereof."  Matthew 21:44 "And whosoever shall fall on this
stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind
him to powder."

     You see, the cornerstone fastens and holds securely two walls
together. I believe these two were symbolic of the Jew and the Gentile.
God is the architect. The builder might reject this stone for the
corner, but ultimately, the architect has the say and the builder has
to bow to His wishes. This symbolism of falling on the stone means-we
humble ourselves before God, being brought down by the stone (Jesus
Christ).  The next symbolism is saying total rejecting of this
cornerstone (Jesus Christ). The next symbolism is saying total
rejection of this cornerstone (Jesus) makes the wrath fall on you and
will pulverize you. Jesus is Judge of the world. When His judgement
falls on the unrepentant sinner, it is their total destruction.

     Matthew 21:45 "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard
his parables, they perceived that he spake of them." Matthew 21:46
"But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude,
because they took him for a prophet."

     We, like these chief priests and Pharisees, must see that He
speaks to us, as well. Instead of destroying Him, fall on this rock
and be broken of Him so that He will not fall on us at judgement and
condemn us to destruction.


































                      Matthew Questions 42

1.  What did the chief priest and Pharisees ask Jesus in the temple?
2.  Who had quickly met and decided to destroy Jesus?
3.  Why were they trying to get Him to say that God authorized Him?
4.  What was Jesus' reply to them?
5.  Whose baptism did Jesus use to make the point?
6.  Why did they not discredit John?
7.  Who had John said that Jesus was?
8.  These two sons, in the first parable, were symbolic of whom?
9.  Who was the man symbolic of?
10. Jesus said what 2 went into the kingdom before these self-
    righteous Jewish leaders?
11. What was the vineyard symbolic of?
12. Jesus was not rebuking the repentant, but whom?
13. Who were the husbandmen symbolic of?
14. What were these husbandmen called in other Scriptures that means
    the same?
15. When did he send the servants, in the parable?
16. What happened to the servants?
17. Who were the servants symbolic of?
18. Who was doing this against God?
19. Who was the last sent?
20. What did they (the husbandmen) do to Him?
21. What is sad about our churches today?
22. Why did they want to kill the Son?
23. What reminds us, in our churches, of why Lucifer was thrown out of
    heaven?
24. What is God doing today with the evil husbandmen?
25. Jesus is making a point that the Jew rejected whom?
26. What did Jesus call Himself pertaining to the building?
27. What does this do to two walls of a structure?
28. What were the two walls symbolic of?
29. What is the symbolism of falling on this stone?
30. What does it symbolize for the stone to fall on you?
31. What did the priests and Pharisees think about these parables?
32. Why did they not destroy Jesus then?