Matthew 22:2   It is important to put this illustration into perspective. Picture not a king of a vast domain, but of a smaller dominion. This is not to minimize the extent of God’s kingdom in any way, but will help us to better understand the implications of not attending the wedding. For a mid-eastern king…

Matthew 22:1   In this chapter, Jesus’ ongoing discussion with the Jewish leaders continues. We might well wonder why he spent this much time relating parables to those who were so dull of hearing. Yet we must remember that the multitude of the people that stood by needed to understand his doctrine and his position in…

Matthew 21:46   There may be those who would not agree, but the simple fact is that the Lord was not betrayed to be crucified until it was the appointed time according to God’s timetable. Nothing in the life of Christ happened unexpectedly. He did everything just as he had planned. The actions of the Jews…

Matthew 21:45   Notice that no tinge of repentance is intimated here. They finally figured out what he was saying about them, but it meant nothing to their hard, calloused hearts. What a sad commentary on how strongly people may fortify themselves against the truth. They spent much of their time pretending to understand the very…

Matthew 21:44  The stone is Christ. He will judge those who do not accept him. Make no mistake about this. We must not heed those who say that Jesus will not judge this world, for he surely will. Bible Reading: Leviticus 1:1-4:35 Scripture Memory: James 1:19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift…

Matthew 21:43   It is quite important to understand what is being said here. This does not mean that Jews cannot be saved. It does not mean God’s promises to the Jews are no good. It does mean that the kingdom will not be dependent upon the Jewish nation. It will be dependent upon what Jesus…

Matthew 21:42   Jesus question and his quotation of this verse from Psalm 118 is yet another condemnation. It is as if he is saying, ‘you must not have ever read this verse’. It is amazing to think that the Messiah would be rejected by the spiritual leaders and ruler of the Jews. But, indeed he…

Matthew 21:41   The Jewish leaders were very specific in their answer. The Lord chose the Jews, and they are a very capable people. They knew immediately what should be done, and how to go about it. But, to see what application this had to themselves, they obviously failed to do. This just brings glory to…

Matthew 21:40   Once again, Jesus gives them a simple question. And, he knows that they will reply. He once again gets them to identify themselves, and their own condemnation. What is his intention? To either get their attention, or to condemn them further. The truth rejected is worse than the truth unknown. Bible Reading: Exodus…

Matthew 21:39   It is amazing to think that it was the Jews, the very kinsmen of Christ, that rejected him. To the Romans he was not even a person of interest. Indeed, several of the Romans had had a favorable view of him. Pilate was not interested in destroying him. The Jewish leaders had to…