CHAPTER 20
. THE AUTHORITY
OF JESUS
QUESTIONED, AND HIS
REPLY—PARABLE
OF THE WICKED
HUSBANDMEN.
(See on .)
2. these things—particularly
the clearing of the temple.
4. baptism of John—his whole
ministry and mission, of which baptism was the seal.
5. Why then believed ye him
not?—that is, in his testimony to Jesus, the sum of his whole
witness.
7. could not tell—crooked,
cringing hypocrites! No wonder Jesus gave you no answer (). But what dignity and composure does our Lord display as He
turns their question upon themselves!
9-13. vineyard—(See on ). In Matthew 21:33
additional points are given, taken literally from Matthew 21:33, to fix down the application and sustain it by Old Testament
authority.
husbandmen—the ordinary
spiritual guides of the people, under whose care and culture the
fruits of righteousness might be yielded.
went, &c.—leaving
it to the laws of the spiritual husbandry during the whole length of
the Jewish economy. (See on Matthew 21:33.)
10. beat, c.— () that is, the prophets, extraordinary messengers raised up
from time to time. (See on .)
9-13. vineyard—(See on ). In Matthew 21:33
additional points are given, taken literally from Matthew 21:33, to fix down the application and sustain it by Old Testament
authority.
husbandmen—the ordinary
spiritual guides of the people, under whose care and culture the
fruits of righteousness might be yielded.
went, &c.—leaving
it to the laws of the spiritual husbandry during the whole length of
the Jewish economy. (See on Matthew 21:33.)
13. my beloved son—Mark () still more affectingly, "Having yet therefore one son,
his well-beloved"; our Lord thus severing Himself from all
merely human messengers, and claiming Sonship in its
loftiest sense. (Compare .)
it may be—"surely";
implying the almost unimaginable guilt of not doing so.
14. reasoned among
themselves—(Compare Genesis 37:18-20;
John 11:47-53).
the heir—sublime
expression of the great truth, that God's inheritance was destined
for, and in due time to come into the possession of, His Son in
our nature (Hebrews 1:2).
inheritance . . . ours—and
so from mere servants we may become lords; the deep aim
of the depraved heart, and literally "the root of all evil."
16. He shall come, &c.—This
answer was given by the Pharisees themselves (), thus pronouncing their own righteous doom. Matthew alone
(Matthew 21:43) gives the naked
application, that "the kingdom of God should be taken from them,
and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"—the
great evangelical community of the faithful, chiefly Gentiles.
God forbid—His whole
meaning now bursting upon them.
17-19. written—(in Psalms 118:22;
Psalms 118:23. See on Psalms 118:23). The Kingdom of God is here a Temple, in the erection of
which a certain stone, rejected as unsuitable by the spiritual
builders, is, by the great Lord of the House, made the keystone of
the whole. On that Stone the builders were now "falling"
and being "broken" (Psalms 118:23), "sustaining great spiritual hurt; but soon that Stone
should fall upon them and grind them to powder" (Daniel 2:34;
Daniel 2:35; Zechariah 12:3)
—in their corporate capacity in the tremendous destruction
of Jerusalem, but personally, as unbelievers, in a more awful
sense still.
19. the same hour—hardly able
to restrain their rage.
. ENTANGLING
QUESTIONS ABOUT TRIBUTE
AND THE RESURRECTION—THE
REPLIES.
21. we know, &c.—hoping by
flattery to throw Him off His guard.
25. things which be Cæsar's—Putting
it in this general form, it was impossible for sedition itself to
dispute it, and yet it dissolved the snare.
and unto God—How much
there is in this profound but to them startling addition to the
maxim, and how incomparable is the whole for fulness, brevity,
clearness, weight!
27-34. no resurrection—"nor
angel nor spirit" (Acts 23:8);
the materialists of the day.
34. said unto them—In , the reply begins with this important statement:—"Ye
do err, not knowing the Scriptures," regarding the future state,
"nor the power of God," before which a thousand such
difficulties vanish (also ).
36. neither . . . die any
more—Marriage is ordained to perpetuate the human family; but
as there will be no breaches by death in the future state, this
ordinance will cease.
equal—or "like."
unto the angels—that
is, in the immortality of their nature.
children of God—not in
respect of character but nature; "being the
children of the resurrection" to an undecaying existence
(Romans 8:21; Romans 8:23).
And thus the children of their Father's immortality (Romans 8:23).
37, 38. even Moses—whom they
had just quoted to entangle Him.
38. not . . . of the dead, . . . for
all, c.—To God, no human being is dead, or ever will be but all
sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him. But the "all"
here meant "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that
world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God,
which cannot be dissolved. In this sense our Lord affirms that
for Moses to call the Lord the "God" of His patriarchal
servants if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy
of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if
He had not prepared for them a city" (). How precious are these glimpses of the resurrection
state!
39. scribes . . . well said—enjoying
His victory over the Sadducees.
they durst not—neither
party, both for the time utterly foiled.
. CHRIST
BAFFLES THE PHARISEES
BY A QUESTION ABOUT
DAVID AND MESSIAH,
AND DENOUNCES THE
SCRIBES.
41. said, c.—"What think
ye of Christ [the promised and expected Messiah]? Whose son is He [to
be]? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How
then doth David in spirit [by the Holy Ghost, ] call Him Lord?" (Matthew 22:42
Matthew 22:43). The difficulty can
only be solved by the higher and lower—the divine
and human natures of our Lord (Matthew 22:43). Mark the testimony here given to the inspiration of
the Old Testament (compare Matthew 22:43).
47. devour, &c.—taking
advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character, to
obtain possession of their property, while by their "long
prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above
"filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation"
awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the
true successors of "the scribes!"
CHAPTER 20
. THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS QUESTIONED, AND HIS REPLY—PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.
(See on .)
2. these things—particularly the clearing of the temple.
4. baptism of John—his whole ministry and mission, of which baptism was the seal.
5. Why then believed ye him not?—that is, in his testimony to Jesus, the sum of his whole witness.
7. could not tell—crooked, cringing hypocrites! No wonder Jesus gave you no answer (). But what dignity and composure does our Lord display as He turns their question upon themselves!
9-13. vineyard—(See on ). In Matthew 21:33 additional points are given, taken literally from Matthew 21:33, to fix down the application and sustain it by Old Testament authority.
husbandmen—the ordinary spiritual guides of the people, under whose care and culture the fruits of righteousness might be yielded.
went, &c.—leaving it to the laws of the spiritual husbandry during the whole length of the Jewish economy. (See on Matthew 21:33.)
10. beat, c.— () that is, the prophets, extraordinary messengers raised up from time to time. (See on .)
9-13. vineyard—(See on ). In Matthew 21:33 additional points are given, taken literally from Matthew 21:33, to fix down the application and sustain it by Old Testament authority.
husbandmen—the ordinary spiritual guides of the people, under whose care and culture the fruits of righteousness might be yielded.
went, &c.—leaving it to the laws of the spiritual husbandry during the whole length of the Jewish economy. (See on Matthew 21:33.)
13. my beloved son—Mark () still more affectingly, "Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved"; our Lord thus severing Himself from all merely human messengers, and claiming Sonship in its loftiest sense. (Compare .)
it may be—"surely"; implying the almost unimaginable guilt of not doing so.
14. reasoned among themselves—(Compare Genesis 37:18-20; John 11:47-53).
the heir—sublime expression of the great truth, that God's inheritance was destined for, and in due time to come into the possession of, His Son in our nature (Hebrews 1:2).
inheritance . . . ours—and so from mere servants we may become lords; the deep aim of the depraved heart, and literally "the root of all evil."
15. cast him out of the vineyard—(Compare Hebrews 13:11-13; 1 Kings 21:13; John 19:17).
16. He shall come, &c.—This answer was given by the Pharisees themselves (), thus pronouncing their own righteous doom. Matthew alone (Matthew 21:43) gives the naked application, that "the kingdom of God should be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"—the great evangelical community of the faithful, chiefly Gentiles.
God forbid—His whole meaning now bursting upon them.
17-19. written—(in Psalms 118:22; Psalms 118:23. See on Psalms 118:23). The Kingdom of God is here a Temple, in the erection of which a certain stone, rejected as unsuitable by the spiritual builders, is, by the great Lord of the House, made the keystone of the whole. On that Stone the builders were now "falling" and being "broken" (Psalms 118:23), "sustaining great spiritual hurt; but soon that Stone should fall upon them and grind them to powder" (Daniel 2:34; Daniel 2:35; Zechariah 12:3) —in their corporate capacity in the tremendous destruction of Jerusalem, but personally, as unbelievers, in a more awful sense still.
19. the same hour—hardly able to restrain their rage.
. ENTANGLING QUESTIONS ABOUT TRIBUTE AND THE RESURRECTION—THE REPLIES.
20-26. sent forth—after consulting (Matthew 22:15) on the best plan.
spies—"of the Pharisees and Herodians" (Matthew 22:15). See Mark 3:6.
21. we know, &c.—hoping by flattery to throw Him off His guard.
22. tribute—(See on ).
20-26. sent forth—after consulting (Matthew 22:15) on the best plan.
spies—"of the Pharisees and Herodians" (Matthew 22:15). See Mark 3:6.
25. things which be Cæsar's—Putting it in this general form, it was impossible for sedition itself to dispute it, and yet it dissolved the snare.
and unto God—How much there is in this profound but to them startling addition to the maxim, and how incomparable is the whole for fulness, brevity, clearness, weight!
20-26. sent forth—after consulting (Matthew 22:15) on the best plan.
spies—"of the Pharisees and Herodians" (Matthew 22:15). See Mark 3:6.
27-34. no resurrection—"nor angel nor spirit" (Acts 23:8); the materialists of the day.
34. said unto them—In , the reply begins with this important statement:—"Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures," regarding the future state, "nor the power of God," before which a thousand such difficulties vanish (also ).
36. neither . . . die any more—Marriage is ordained to perpetuate the human family; but as there will be no breaches by death in the future state, this ordinance will cease.
equal—or "like."
unto the angels—that is, in the immortality of their nature.
children of God—not in respect of character but nature; "being the children of the resurrection" to an undecaying existence (Romans 8:21; Romans 8:23). And thus the children of their Father's immortality (Romans 8:23).
37, 38. even Moses—whom they had just quoted to entangle Him.
38. not . . . of the dead, . . . for all, c.—To God, no human being is dead, or ever will be but all sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him. But the "all" here meant "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God, which cannot be dissolved. In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "God" of His patriarchal servants if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" (). How precious are these glimpses of the resurrection state!
39. scribes . . . well said—enjoying His victory over the Sadducees.
they durst not—neither party, both for the time utterly foiled.
. CHRIST BAFFLES THE PHARISEES BY A QUESTION ABOUT DAVID AND MESSIAH, AND DENOUNCES THE SCRIBES.
41. said, c.—"What think ye of Christ [the promised and expected Messiah]? Whose son is He [to be]? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit [by the Holy Ghost, ] call Him Lord?" (Matthew 22:42 Matthew 22:43). The difficulty can only be solved by the higher and lower—the divine and human natures of our Lord (Matthew 22:43). Mark the testimony here given to the inspiration of the Old Testament (compare Matthew 22:43).
46, 47. Beware, c.—(See on and Luke 20:1).
47. devour, &c.—taking advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character, to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation" awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the true successors of "the scribes!"