_CHRIST RIDETH TO JERUSALEM, UPON AN ASS; DRIVETH THE BUYERS AND SELLERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE, CURSETH THE FIG-TREE, PUTTETH TO SILENCE THE PRIESTS AND ELDERS, AND REBUKETH THEM BY THE SIMILITUDE OF THE TWO SONS, AND THE HUSBANDMEN WHO SLEW SUCH AS WERE SENT UNTO THEM._ _Anno Domini 33._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY DREW NIGH UNTO JERUSALEM— The _multitude_ which attended our Lord in this journey, ch. Matthew 20:29 having increased prodigiously as he advanced towards Jerusalem, he did not now shun them, and enter the city privately, as he had always done on former occasions.The people were to hono... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STRAIGHTWAY HE WILL SEND THEM— _And He_ (_the Lord_) _will quickly send them back again._ See Beza, Schultens, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THIS WAS DONE, &C.— See the note on Zechariah 9:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BROUGHT THE ASS— The exact knowledge which our Lord shewed of so many minute and most fortuitous particulars, must surely impress the minds of these messengers greatly, and establish the faith of his followers. It is observable,that many such things occurred before his death, which, considered i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A VERY GREAT MULTITUDE SPREAD THEIR GARMENTS— When the multitude saw Jesus mounted, they immediately bethought themselves of shewing him the honours which kings and conquerors obtained in their triumphal entries; for, as they all firmly believed that he would take the reins of government into hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MULTITUDE SAID, THIS IS JESUS, &C.— _The multitude_ is the appellation which the sacred historians commonly give to Christ'sfriends; wherefore, as they are here said to have called him _the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee,_ we may suppose that they did it with a view to mortify his enemies; a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPLE— See the notes on John 2:14; John 2:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF THIEVES— The Jews, reckoning the lower and outer court of the temple as a place of no sanctity, because it was designed for accommodatingthe Gentile proselytes in their worship, not only kept the daily market there, of such things as were necessary in offering sacrifices... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BLIND AND THE LAME CAME TO HIM, &C.— The opinion that Jesus was the Messiah now prevailed generally; for, while he was in the temple, the _blind_ and the _lame,_ and other diseased persons, were brought to him from all quarters, to be healed. Many such, no doubt, would be waiting in the seve... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IN THE MORNING, &C.— I shall postpone the remarks on this miracle to Mark 11 as it is there related with some circumstances which require particular notice; observing that our Lord cursed the fig-tree in the morning of the day on which he cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple: and though... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, WHEN HE WAS COME, &C.— The rulers, much alarmed at the proceedings of Jesus, were very desirous of putting him to death; but they wished to do it under the pretext of law. See Matthew 21:46 and Mark 11:18. In consequence of their intentions to do so, the chief priests, scribes and elders, that... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER TELL I YOU— "I do not think it at all necessary to tell you by what authority I do these things; for the other question concerning John, naturally requires to be determined first; and when you think proper to decide that, you may easily perceive that the same answer will serve both:" which w... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHAT THINK YE? A CERTAIN MAN, &C.— Because the chief priests and elders had said that they did not know whence John's baptism was, Jesus sharply rebuked them for disbelieving him: he conveyed his reproof under the parable of two sons, who were commanded to work in their father's vineyard; and by... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAY UNTO HIM, THE FIRST— It seems that the Pharisees did not perceive that by this answer they condemned themselves, till Jesus made a direct application of the parable in that sharp, but just reproof, _Verily, I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR ANOTHER PARABLE— Not satisfied with shewing the rulers the heinousness of their sin, in rejecting the Baptist, Jesus judged it proper likewise publicly to represent the crime of the nation, in rejecting all the messengers of God, from first to last; and among the rest his only-begotten Son: at... [ Continue Reading ]
LAST OF ALL, HE SENT UNTO THEM HIS SON— That no means might be left untried, God sent unto them his own Son; whose authority, clearly established by undeniable miracles, ought to have been acknowledged with cheerfulness and joy by those wicked men. The question is not here, how prudent it would have... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE HUSBANDMEN SAW THE SON— It would hence seem, that the Jews knew Jesus to be the Son of God. Yet Peter says both of the rulers and the people, that they crucified the Lord ignorantly, Acts 3:17 and our Lord himself prays for them as not knowing what they did. It is evident indeed, that the r... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE LORD THEREFORE—COMETH— According to St. Mark and St. Luke, Jesus answered this question himself; which, according to St. Matthew, the priests answered: this apparent inconsistency may be reconciled by supposing, that after they had said to him, _God forbid!_ as St. Luke tells us, they repea... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, &C.— "For the reason that God has expressly foretold this judgement shall happen to you, and because it is a most righteous and equitable judgement, I assure you it will fall upon you, however you may despise or disbelieve it. The theocracy,—the outward oeconomy of religion... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY PERCEIVED THAT HE SPAKE OF THEM— One would think they could have been at no loss for the interpretation of the parable, considering how nearly it resembles that in Isaiah 5:1. &c. with which they were doubtless well acquainted: only it is to be observed, that there _Israel_ is the _vineyard;_ h... [ Continue Reading ]