📖 Passage

Matthew 21:1–22
Read Matthew 21:1–22 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

Following His triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple, Jesus faces direct challenges from the religious leaders. They question His authority in the very place He just purified, revealing their hardness of heart. The two parables in this section—the Two Sons and the Wicked Tenants—expose Israel's rejection of God's messengers and ultimately His Son. This passage takes place during Passion Week, with tension building toward the cross, as Jesus makes His messianic identity and divine authority unmistakable.

🌿 Key Themes

• Authority of Christ – Jesus' authority is divine and cannot be undermined by human challenge.
• Hypocrisy Exposed – Outward religiosity without obedience is condemned.
• Rejection of God's Messengers – A long pattern of resistance to God's prophets culminates in the rejection of His Son.
• Kingdom Transfer – God's kingdom will be given to those who produce its fruit.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Matthew 21:23–27 – Questioning Jesus' Authority

"By what authority are you doing these things?"

• Direct Confrontation – Religious leaders challenge Jesus in the temple courts.
• Divine Origin – Jesus' authority comes from the Father, not from human appointment.
• Revealing Motives – His counter-question about John's baptism exposes their fear of the crowd and lack of conviction.

Matthew 21:28–32 – Parable of the Two Sons

"The tax collectors and prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you."

• Obedience Over Words – The son who initially refused but obeyed represents repentant sinners.
• Religious Pride Condemned – The son who said "yes" but did not obey represents unrepentant religious leaders.
• John's Witness – John the Baptist's ministry prepared the way, yet the leaders refused to believe.

Matthew 21:33–41 – Parable of the Wicked Tenants

"They will respect my son."

• Prophetic History – The tenants represent Israel's leaders, the vineyard God's people, and the servants the prophets.
• The Son Rejected – Jesus foreshadows His own death at their hands.
• Judgment Pronounced – The vineyard will be given to others who will produce fruit.

Matthew 21:42–46 – The Stone the Builders Rejected

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

• Messianic Prophecy – Citing Psalm 118:22–23, Jesus applies it to Himself as the foundation of God's kingdom.
• Kingdom Transfer – Those who reject Christ will face judgment; those who believe will bear fruit.
• Escalating Hostility – The leaders understand He is speaking about them, fueling their resolve to arrest Him.

🔍 Trusted Insight

"The parables here are not gentle moral tales; they are cutting indictments that demand a verdict. Jesus is pressing His hearers to see that to reject Him is to reject God Himself." — RC Sproul

Sproul emphasizes that Christ's words confront every heart with a choice: submission to His authority or rejection leading to judgment.
Summary: Jesus' authority is divine, and rejecting Him is rejecting the God who sent Him.

🧩 Review Questions

1. Why do the religious leaders question Jesus' authority?
2. How does the Parable of the Two Sons expose the difference between lip service and true obedience?
3. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, what does each figure or element symbolize?
4. How does Psalm 118 connect to Jesus' identity as the cornerstone?
5. What warning does this passage give to those who resist God's call to repentance?

🔍 Definitions

• Cornerstone – The foundational stone upon which a building is aligned; symbolically, Christ as the foundation of the Church.
• Vineyard – Common biblical metaphor for Israel as God's covenant people (cf. Isaiah 5:1–7).
• Lip Service – Outward agreement or religious talk without corresponding obedience.
• Prophets – God's messengers sent to call His people to covenant faithfulness.

🙋 Application Questions

1. How do you respond when God's authority confronts your own plans or desires?
2. Are there areas where your words to God say "yes" but your actions say "no"?
3. How can you ensure you are producing the fruit God desires in His kingdom?
4. What does it look like to honor Christ as the cornerstone in your daily life?

🔤 Greek Keywords

• ἐξουσία (exousia) – "Authority" or "right"; denotes legitimate divine power.
• μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai) – "To change one's mind"; used for the son who repented.
• καρπός (karpos) – "Fruit"; evidence of genuine faith and obedience.
• ἀκρογωνιαῖος λίθος (akrogōniaios lithos) – "Cornerstone"; key structural stone symbolizing Christ.

📚 Cross References

• Isaiah 5:1–7 – The vineyard parable as background.
• Psalm 118:22–23 – The rejected stone becoming the cornerstone.
• Acts 4:11–12 – Peter applies cornerstone imagery to Jesus.
• 1 Peter 2:4–8 – Believers as living stones built upon Christ.
• John 1:11 – Jesus came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → Matthew 22:1–22