Who Is This Jesus -- God Dwelling With Us (Matt 21-22)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Even the most holy of objects can become an idol. In Matthew 21-24, the judgement of Jesus reaches a climax in one of the most scathing passages against the temple and its leadership. But, you’ll miss it if you don’t take the time to explore the old testament passages imported into this narrative.

The Donkey Speaks

The passage opens up with Jesus asking his disciples to bring him a donkey, to fulfill the passage in Zechariah, “Behold your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9) Read on its own, this might seem like not much more than another proof text. What was really going on was that Jesus was making a prophetic statement.

Zechariah 9 opens up with a judgement against Tyre and Sidon (two nations Jesus has referenced before). From there, it transitions in verse 9 to praise for the King of Zion is coming, speaking peace and humility. The prisoners are set free and God promises to save His people. From what? you ask. The answer comes in chapter 10. “My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish their leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock…” (10:3).

So, Jesus riding on the donkey carries duel meaning. For those that accept Jesus as their king, this is good news! Salvation has come! But, for the wicked shepherds, the Jewish leadership that oppressed the people, Jesus is coming in “hot with anger.” The subsequent cleansing of the Temple was no fit of emotion—it was premeditated. Jesus rode in that day with a particular purpose, and that purpose He accomplished.

Unfortunately, space does not allow to pursue this line of thought further in Zechariah noting several allusions to the suffering servant in the subsequent chapters, more detail on judgment against the shepherds, cleansing from all sin and idolatry, and the promise that God would once again say “They are my people” and the people respond “the LORD is my God.” But, I would encourage you to read Zechariah 9-14 looking for these themes.

Blessed is He

As Jesus rides in on the donkey, the people pick up another passage on their lips—Psalm 118. Their cry comes from verses 25-26. On its own, it is a praise that Jesus is surely worthy of. But, when read in the context of the rest of the Psalm, we find a response to the Zechariah prophecy. As Zechariah prophecies salvation is coming, the Psalmist declares, “The LORD is my strength and song; he has become my salvation” (and if you want to dig deeper, check out the connections between this Psalm and the song of Moses in Exodus 15). And as Zechariah speaks of the God who has become our cornerstone, the Psalmist declares “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

“Open the gates of righteousness” and “let Israel…the house of Aaron…and those who fear the LORD say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’” This should have been the response of the people. But, as we shall see, not all were happy with the King that was coming to them.

Den of Robbers / House of Prayer

Jesus cites two passages as he passes judgment on the Temple. We’ll start with the second in Jeremiah 7. This phrase “den of robbers” is part of a larger indictment against the leadership and temple of Israel (“Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD”). Jeremiah 7 chastises Israel for placing their trust in the temple (v. 4, 8-10). The passage goes on to declare judgment against the temple, prophesying its destruction just as the Tabernacle before it was destroyed (v. 12-15). The temple had become an idol in the eyes of Israel and a justification for oppression. Israel was trusting in their sacrifices, all the while persisting in their disobedience.

Contrast this with Isaiah 56. While Jeremiah pronounces judgment on the gatekeepers of the temple, Isaiah extends an invitation to the outsiders. The foreigners and the eunuchs who attach themselves to the LORD will have “in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons or daughters” and will be made “joyful in my house of prayer.” How can this be? Perhaps with the same healing power that Jesus used for the blind and the lame who came to him that same day in the temple. The shepherds, meanwhile, are declared by Isaiah to be “blind” and having “no understanding…each to his own gain.” With this all comes the admonition to “keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come.”

Jesus, our Cornerstone

Moving forward, we see Jesus curse a fig tree for failing to bear fruit. This story seems to come out of nowhere and its meaning is not entirely clear on the face of it. But, again, if we explore the old testament connections, we’ll see it all start to connect. For the fig tree is another sign act alluding back to Jeremiah 7-8. Specifically, 8:13 mentions the LORD going to gather figs from the tree but finding none. This is again an indictment against the people of Israel for failing to bear fruit.

This sets the stage for the parable of the tenants later in Matthew 21. The servants who failed to bring forth the fruit of the vineyard will be thrown out and replaced by others who will bear fruit. Which brings us back to Psalm 118.

In concluding the parable of the tenants, Jesus cites Psalm 118, bringing the cornerstone to the forefront (as has been hinted at twice now). With this, Jesus ties in Isaiah 8:14-15, forming what makes for an astonishing statement. Isaiah 8 tells us that “the LORD of hosts….he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense….” Two things. One, Jesus, in the context of judgment upon the earthly temple, is making himself to be a new sanctuary for the people of God. He is the cornerstone, the rock of offense upon which this new temple is founded. Paul later expounds upon this in Ephesians 2:19-22 and Peter in 1 Peter 2:4-10. Two, in identifying himself with this rock of offense, Jesus is declaring himself to be God—the LORD of hosts, our sanctuary. Again, we see John expound upon this in Revelation 21:22, stating that because the Lord and the Lamb are the temple, there was no need for a physical structure in the New Jerusalem.

Jesus, the High Priest

All of this surely made the Pharisaic and Sadducean leadership furious. But, Jesus was still not done. As the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, hoping to entangle him in his words, Jesus continued his indictment, putting them to shame at every turn. I’ll stick to just two comments on these arguments—both related to the role of the priest in the temple.

First, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus in a political tangle asking “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” Jesus turns this around, pointing to the denarius and using it as an object lesson. “Whose image is this?” Caesar’s. So, give to Caesar his due. But, where is God’s image to be found? On the faces of each and everyone one of us. From the beginning, we were made to be image-bearers in the garden-temple of God. So, give to God his due.

Second, after the Pharisees and Sadducees had finished questioning Jesus, Jesus turned the tables and asked them a question. How can David call the Christ Lord if he is also his son? Again, on the surface this may look like just a clever question to trip up the Pharisees. But, notice the Psalm Jesus is quoting from—Psalm 110. It’s in this passage that we have the prophecy about the priest after the order of Melchizedek. Given the temple background just a chapter earlier in Matthew, I think Jesus is also making a statement about his role as King and Priest. Just as the physical temple is being judged and being replaced with a new temple built on the cornerstone of Jesus, so too the old priesthood is passing away and being replaced with the new order of Melchizedek led by Jesus as high priest. Perhaps I am stretching the text—but the author of Hebrews takes up this same Psalm to make exactly this point.

What shall we say then?

Two points. To those of us who consider ourselves religious, remember that anything can become an idol. When ceremony and ritual become the goal in and of themselves, we have made those things into idols. When holiness becomes an excuse to judge and oppress, it has become an idol. When we imagine that our sacrifice and devotion earns of some merit before God (or that the lack of such makes us any less before God), these things have become idols. And make no mistake, God will tear down every idol of this world, no matter how religious, how holy, how anointed it is. All worship will come to God and God alone.

Two, Christ is our cornerstone. We are being built up into a dwelling place for God upon the foundation of Jesus Christ—his work and his person. So, make him the cornerstone of your life. Build your life upon the foundation of his love. Anchor yourself to his words and his presence. Seek him with all that you are, hear his words and follow, that you may be well established. Abide in Christ, our faithful and merciful high priest.