Matthew 21:15

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? For the exposition, see Luke 19:1 after 5:44; and the notes at Mark 11:12. Now commences, as Alford remarks, that series of parables and discourses of our Lord with His enemies, in which He develops, more completely than ever before, His hostility to their hypocrisy end iniquity: and so they are stirred up to compass His death....

15._When the chief priests and scribes saw. _Luke relates that the Pharisees began to grumble, while he was still on the road. (17) It was the disciples that were then crying out: the others wished to have them silenced. Christ replied, that it was in vain for them to make opposition; because God would rather make _the stones cry out _than permit the reign of His Son to be forgotten. It is probable that, as the _crying out _was not diminished, and as even _the children _now joined in it, _the scribes and priests _were roused to still fiercer indignation, and then commenced a new attack on Christ. They appear indirectly to reproach him by alleging that he is desirous to obtain the praises of _children. _ But we must observe whence their displeasure arose. That it was connected with ungodly malice and outrageous contempt of God is evident from the fact, that his miracles gave them

12-17 Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, John 2:13. His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the former. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils he would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practised under the cloak of religion, would he show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer!...

Verse Matthew 21:15. _THE CHIEF PRIESTS - WERE SORE DISPLEASED_] Or, _were_ _incensed_. Incensed at what! At the purification of the profaned temple! This was a work _they_ should have done themselves, but for which they had neither _grace_ nor _influence_; and their pride and jealousy will not suffer them to permit others to do it. Strange as it may appear, the _priesthood_ itself, in all corrupt times, has been ever the most forward to _prevent_ a reform in the Church. Was it because they were conscious that a reformer would find them no better than _money-changers_ in, and _profaners_ of, the house of God, and that they and their system must be _overturned_, if the true worship of God were restored! Let him who is concerned answer this to his conscience....

This paragraph contains the account of the barren fig-tree, and of the cleansing of the temple. See also Mark 11:12; Luke 19:45. Matthew 21:12 AND JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPLE OF GOD ... - From Mark 11:11, it is probable that this cleansing of the temple did not take place on the day that he entered Jerusalem in triumph, but on the day following. He came and looked round upon all things, Mark says, and went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the day following, returning from Bethany, he saw the fig-tree. Entering into the temple, he

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.) MATTHEW 21:1 We have come to the last week of our Lord's earthly life, when he made his appearance in Jerusalem as Messiah, and suffered the penalty of death. If, as is believed, his crucifixion took place on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the triumphal entry must be assigned to the ninth, which day was reckoned to commence at one sunset and to continue till the follow-lug evening. Th

AND WHEN THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES,.... The inveterate enemies of Christ; who upon hearing the shouts of the people at Christ's entrance into the city, and passage through it to the temple; and understanding that it was Jesus of Nazareth that was come thither, they came also to awe the people, and pick up what they could against him: who, when they SAW THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE DID; as the overturning the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those that sold doves, without any opposition, when these traders were so many, and in great power, and he a single person, and unarmed; and that the blind received their sight, and the lame were cured, AND THE CHILDREN CRYING IN THE TEMPLE; who came from the various parts of the city, with their parents, to see the sight; who, when the multitude had done, they began the same ditty: AND SAYING, HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID; proclai...

9. THE KING ENTERS INTO JERUSALEM. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Householder and His Vineyard. CHAPTER 21 1. The King Enters Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1 .) 2. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. (Matthew 21:12 .) 3. The Fig tree Cursed. (Matthew 21:18 .) 4. His Authority Impeached and His Question. (Matthew 21:23 .) 5. The Parable of the Two Sons. (Matthew 21:28 .) 6. The Parable of the Householder. (Matthew 21:33 .)

THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE (Mark 11:15 *, Luke 19:45; John 2:13). Mt. here omits the first part of Mk.'s divided account of the figtree, and links the Temple incident with the entry. It is the temple of God (Matthew 21:12), and the phrase for all nations (Matthew 21:13) is omitted, though, as Lk. also omits, this need not be pressed as an indication of Mt.'s exclusiveness. Matthew 21:14. Mt. only; he is fond of healings (cf....

THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST ACT (Matthew 21:1-11)...