The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW 21:16

MATTHEW 21:27

1537

16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, 1 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings THOU ( JEHOVA- HAWDONE hast 2 perfected praise? PF CHRIST returns to Bethany (S/A - Mk 11:11) Date - Sun, Apr, AD 32 17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. CHRIST curses the fig tree on his way to Jerusalem (S/A - Mk 11:12-14) Date - Mon, Apr, AD 32 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a 3 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. READ NEXT - Matthew 21:12-13 The cursed fig tree withers (S/A - Mk 11:19-26) Date - Tues, Apr, AD 32 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them,

1. Quoted and fulfilled from the OT - Psa 8:2 2. or, “provided thyself with praise” 3. or, “Israel” - Mt 21:18-22 & Jere 24 & Joel 1:7 4. Mt 17:20 5. Jms 1:6 6. I Cor 13:2 7. or, “obeying”- Jn 15:7,16 & Jms 5:16 & I Jn 3:22 8. Mk 1:4 & Jn 1:29- 35 & Acts 10:37 & 13:23-24 & 19:3-4

Verily I say unto you, 4 If ye have faith, and 5 doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, 6 but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, 7 believing, ye shall receive . CHRIST’S authority is challenged (S/A - Mk 11:27-33 & Lk 20:1-8) 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? 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 bywhat authority I do these things. 25 The 8 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? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 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 .

21:16 According to Psalm 8:1-2, “ THOU ” refers to Jehovah . Thus, Jesus is Jehovah and part of the Triune Godhead ( Gen 2:4 ). 21:19 a As you know, trees have no moral responsibility; therefore Jesus used the “ fig tree” as an object lesson concerning Israel, which does have a moral responsibility before God. Israel had been given much but had borne no spiritual fruit. The sentence, which He now passed onto the fig tree, and its immediate fulfillment, were symbols of the sentence and the doom which were about to befall Israel in AD 70 via the Roman Empire, for the Jews, in their show of the “leaves” of outward devotion, in the absence of the “fruits” of righteousness, were as that barren tree –unfruitful despite every advantage. Whenever God grants spiritual privileges like He did to the nation of Israel, He has a right to expect fruit, or cut it down and use something else (the Jewish/Gentile Church - Rom 11). 21:19 b Jesus made a promise to the nation of Israel that her “privileged” people (who at that time were responsible for the written Word and the proclamation of the salvation message) would never again be used as a “vehicle” to proclaim the Kingdom “ WORK ” ( Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever ). From that day forward, because Israel rejected salvation when she rejected the person of Christ, God would use a different “vehicle” to proclaim the message of salvation to a lost world. God would now use the Jewish/Gentile Church to bring the Kingdom “ WORK ” message to the world (Mk 11:12-14 and Eph 3:3-6 ). According to the Bible, there are four “vehicles” that God has used (and will use) to reach the world with the Gospel (SOS 6:3): (1) (2) (3) (4) Prophets and/or heads of families The Nation of Israel The Jewish/Gentile Church God’s presence (from c. 4000 - 1500 BC) (from c. 1500 BC - AD 33) (from AD 33 - 2015) (Millennium) (Lk 11:49-52/Jn 8:56) (Josh 5:13-15; John 4:22; Rom 11) (Eph 3:1-6; Mt 21 :17- 19b ) (Isa 2:3) NOTE – While it is true that the nation of Israel will be restored to her former glory during the 1,000-year Millennial Reign of CHRIST , it is also true that the nation of Israel will NEVER be used again to be the “vehicle” God uses to proclaim the Gospel message to a lost world (the meaning behind: Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever ).