Who is THIS? (Matthew 21:7-16)
Gary McManus, 04/10/2022Part of the Holy Week series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
April 10, 2022 Matthew 21:7-16 Palm Sunday
God's Word reminds us (2 Timothy 3:16):
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. . . Matthew makes it look like Palm Sunday. That factoid might not mean much. But the city dwellers’ question was: “Who is this?” Matthew will now ANSWER that question.
The crowds with Jesus had ideas about Jesus’ identity. The people of Jerusalem did not. The word on the streets of Jerusalem is. . .”who is THIS guy, Jesus?”
None of us has ever attended the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. So what is going on here? There was a lot of activity on the Temple Mount right before Passover. Worshipers would
bring livestock for their offering. What if a person didn’t have any or was traveling to Jerusalem? No problem. Purchases could be made in the Temple precincts.
The priests sold booth space or tables or tables space for selling items. But who is “minding the store?” No one. Could there be price gouging the crowds at the Temple? Where else would they go to buy pure offerings?
And the priests may not have wanted “unholy” coins; coins with other gods, their temples or Caesar as God on the coin. So, for a fee, the priests allowed money changers space at the Temple for providing acceptable coins. But the priests don’t monitor the transactions.
Are the priests violating the Temple?
No. At least Jesus still intended to worship there.
Jesus didn’t protest to the priests. (The Essenes HAD
given up on the temple worship as tainted. Jesus was not one of the Essenes.)
Jesus saw the vendors themselves as criminals.
They may have even priced the poor out of worshiping. It was okay for the Temple and priests to make money by selling booth space, but the priests did let just anyone with money buy the spaces. (Or bid on them?)
Jesus drove out/ cast out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. “Cast out!” Jesus cast out the perversions of Holy activity within the Temple precincts.
Was this a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-4?
Matthew did not say. Maybe Matthew didn’t have to, his congregation knew!
Was Jesus refining the sons of Levi by driving out,
casting out, those who are doing evil and polluting the sacrifices to the One True God?
Jesus spoke “against” the Temple (Matthew 26:60,
Matthew 24:1-3). Jesus claimed to be the Messiah
(Matthew 26:62-64).
Matthew finished his report, vss 14-16.
The children were chanting, “Hosanna to the Son of David”
What did Jesus say before? Matthew 18:3
(See Mark 10:15)
See Psalm 8:1-2, Psalm 118:26 and 27. Fulfilled?!
WHO is This Jesus of Nazareth?
Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« We Can Be Happier Pt 2 | None | Jesus Messiah » |