Matthew (Written)

Friday, 17 July 2026

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: Matthew 21:24

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘I will entreat you, I also, word one, which if you should say to Me, I also to you, I will say in where-such authority these I do.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, the chief priests and elders of the people confronted Jesus, asking by what authority He was doing the things He was doing. Matthew next records, “Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘I will entreat you, I also, word one.’”

As with Hebrew, a “word” signifies more than just a word. It can signify a matter, cause, concern, inquiry, request, and so much more. Following that, English uses it in various ways as well. We might say, “What’s the good word today?” That means more than a word in a Cryptoquip or some other puzzle. We are asking about how a person is doing, what they are up to, etc.

In this case, Jesus is asking these leaders to explain something. If they will adequately respond, then He will continue in one way. If they cannot or if they refuse to respond, He will continue in another way. Their response to the word He entreats them to give is thus conditional, as He next says, “which if you should say to Me, I also to you, I will say in where-such authority these I do.”

They have asked Jesus under what authority He is acting. The answer might not be difficult to provide, but because Jesus has set a condition, it means they must be careful in how they answer. In such a situation, there will always be some sort of blowback to giving the wrong response. However, if they respond with a proper explanation to His request, they will have their answer from Him.

One could say, “That is disobedient to the rulers of the land, something the law does not allow.” Because of this, we can already guess that the question He will ask them will put them on the spot concerning the authority of the law, or it will bear on the source of the law, where it came from, or how it came about.

This is a logical assumption because if they cannot sufficiently explain His request, they will actually have no right to know under whose authority Jesus was acting. We can use this same tactic when dealing with judges, politicians, taxing authorities, etc.

Where does authority come from? In the case of these leaders, their authority is derived from the Law of Moses. It is what established them as the people of the Lord in a unique way. As such, these men must work within the confines of that body of law to justify their requests, decisions, and mandates.

Life application: In the US, the thing that establishes the law of the land is not the Congress, the judicial system, or the president. The US Constitution is the framework that establishes the government and all bodies that operate within the government.

This is why the left has attempted to call the Constitution an “organic document,” as if it is alive and changing with time and circumstance. They reject the early writings, which were foundational to understanding the purpose behind the writing and approval of the Constitution.

But there is a reason for each thing mandated in the Constitution. To reject the reason behind those mandates empties them of any reasonable purpose. And so, of course, they relish in ignoring that intent. Further, if the constitution is organic and changing, then it is up to whatever government is in power to clip it according to their supposed skill at pruning what is unnecessary.

This is how bad people operate. They have no care for the duly established basis for whatever government they live under. Instead, they work against the recognized authority. In the case of the US, the recognized authority for the operation of the government is, first and foremost, the US Constitution. In working against that, they violate the words of Scripture, which were ever on the minds of the Founding Fathers –

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Romans 13:1

John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Understanding this, it is evident why those who hate God and what is moral, just, and proper will do their best to undermine the authority and rigid structure of the Constitution.

Thank God that there is hope in Christ for a better life beyond this one. Jesus’ question will be one that deals with authority. If they cannot answer His question, they have no right to know what they have asked Him.

People ask for answers from God all the time, but unless they are asking through His Mediator, they have no right to an answer. This is the glory of knowing Jesus: we can come to God through Him and ask questions, hoping for a response that will give us wisdom, comfort, and hope. He will answer according to His wisdom. Someday, this will be in a manner we cannot even imagine at this time. Hold fast to Jesus. Great things lie ahead for His redeemed.

Lord God, some of us live in godly nations. Some of us live under difficult, ungodly rulers. You have appointed our times and places, and we must live through them as best we can and in accord with Your word. But our hope isn’t in this life. No! Our hope is in the life that is ahead when we are in Your presence under a new, eternal rule in the presence of Jesus. May that day be soon. Amen.

Thursday, 16 July 2026

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” Matthew 21:23

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having come, Him, into the temple, they approached Him, teaching, the chief priests and the ‘elders, the people’, saying, ‘In where-such authority these, You do? And who to You, He gave the authority, this?’” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples, “And all, as much – if you should ask in the prayer, believing, you will receive.” With that thought now complete, it next says, “And having come, Him, into the temple.”

The very place He was surely referring to in metaphor in the previous verses is where He has come to again. Once in the temple, “they approached Him, teaching.”

The temple complex was massive. Being the time of the Passover, there would have been innumerable visitors there to see the sights and to join in conversations, meet old friends, etc. Jesus may have picked a spot and started teaching His disciples. As He talked, others walking by might be curious and start listening as well. Because of this, any number of people might gather around to hear. This is something Jeremiah was instructed to do –

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, ² ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. ³ Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’” Jeremiah 26:1-3

Jeremiah would have begun speaking, and the people would have flocked to hear what was being proclaimed. Jesus likewise spoke in the temple. When He did, they came, “the chief priests and the ‘elders, the people’.”

When Jeremiah spoke, it is noted in Jeremiah 26 that “the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah.” Later, the princes of Judah came to judge the matter of Jeremiah’s proclamation in the New Gate of the Lord’s house. Thus, this being challenged by the leaders at Jesus’ time is something that is not without precedent. There is a teaching going on that has come to the attention of the chief priests and the elders. Therefore, they were “saying, ‘In where-such authority these, You do?’”

These men had a right to maintain order in the temple complex. Thus, it is a natural question for them to ask. They have heard Jesus’ words and are questioning His authority to say what He was saying. In Jeremiah’s case, he was accused of wrongdoing. Therefore, his response was, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard” (Jeremiah 26:12). As for those confronting Jesus, they continue, saying, “And who to You, He gave the authority, this?”

Again, it is a natural question to ask. If Jesus is at the temple teaching, He must feel He had a right or commission to do so. His response to them will show, however, that they are doing more than just trying to maintain order. From what He says, it can be deduced that they already knew Him and His teachings, just as the people would have known Jeremiah claimed to be a prophet of the Lord.

Therefore, Jesus’ answer will be one that challenges their own positions on matters that had transpired in the recent past. What He asks them will be intended to get them to consider their stand concerning those things. There is nothing disrespectful in His words. Rather, they are intended to probe them in an attempt to reveal their state before the Lord as His representatives in the religious and civil lives of the people.

Life application: When Jeremiah spoke to the princes and people, he plainly told them why he was speaking as he did. After doing so, he said –

“Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. ¹⁵ But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” Jeremiah 26:13-15

His job was to proclaim the word of the Lord. Jesus, the Lord, spoke to the people about matters that He was sent by the Father to convey to the people. In hearing the word of the Lord, choices then have to be made. The main thing we must determine is, “Is this the word of the Lord or a doctrine in accordance with it?”

At Jeremiah’s time, there were false prophets galore. The people had to listen to what was said, determine who was telling the truth, and then go forward from that point. The same was true in Jesus’ time. Now, these things are recorded for us to read and consider. Is the Bible the word of God? If it is, then it should be listened to.

God doesn’t force us to accept His word. He has put it out for people to read and consider. Other religions have their own supposed sacred texts as well. Within the greater umbrella of Christian faith, there are writings that some claim are supposedly on the same level of authority as the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church has teachings that they hold to as preeminent in their theology, which are separate from the Bible.

The Mormons have a third “testament” that they claim is inspired. The Seventh-Day Adventists have the supposedly inspired writings of Ellen G. White. Many people accept extra-biblical writings, such as the Apocrypha, the Book of Enoch, etc. It is our responsibility to consider God, if He has given us His word, and what that word is or is not.

This sacred task has been given to humanity, and we should carefully consider what we will believe and why. Jesus is being asked about His authority. If God gave Him authority to convey God’s word, we should be willing to listen. These things are important. Let us pay heed to the word that God has given for us to know Him, treating it with respect and care.

Lord God, we are humans, limited by time and the ability to obtain and remember knowledge. We desire to honor You in the way that You expect of us. Therefore, lead us to Yourself through Your word. May we not be misdirected from this task all our days. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And all, as much – if you should ask in the prayer, believing, you will receive.” (CG)

In the previous verse, it was noted to the disciples by Jesus that if they had faith without doubt, they could do what was done to the fig tree and have a mountain removed and cast into the sea. Jesus next says, “And all, as much – if you should ask in the prayer.”

The definite article before prayer limits this statement to something particular. If it said, “And all, as much – if you should ask in prayer…” it would be an open promise for any and every prayer. But that is not the case. As such, the surrounding context needs to be considered. Jesus just gave two examples of what “the prayer” consisted of –

“Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, if you should have faith, and not you should waver, not only the ‘the fig tree’ you will do, but and-if the ‘mountain, this’, you should say, ‘You be borne, and you be cast into the sea, it will become.’”

As discussed in that commentary, the two thoughts, meaning the fig and the mountain, equate to overcoming the law. The first was the ending of the Levitical system of the temple sacrifices as the spiritual connection to God (the fig).

The second, the mountain (explained as Horeb), equated to the ending of the law in one’s life. Understanding this, “the prayer” is one of trusting in something new to bring restoration between the pray-er and God. Therefore, Jesus continues, “believing, you will receive.” This is beautifully reflected in Hebrews 4 –

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. ³ For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
‘So I swore in My wrath,
“They shall not enter My rest,”’” Hebrews 4:1-3

Prayer cannot be actualized into reality without faith. Without it, the words, “believing, you will receive,” equate to, “lacking faith, you will not receive.”

Those of Israel who stand with one foot in the grace camp and one foot in the law camp have not believed. They are trying to merit God’s favor through two conflicting camps. In essence, “Well, if Jesus doesn’t work out, I always have the law to fall back on.” This is why Hebrews 6:6 says –

“if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

One cannot “fall back” on the law. If he does, there is no suitable sacrifice under that obsolete economy to save him. Jesus’ sacrifice is a one-time-and-for-all-time sacrifice. To go back to the law is to recrucify Him because He would have to die again for the law to be fulfilled in that person’s life. Such will never be the case.

Life application: Jesus is speaking to people who are under the law. The law had not yet ended through His sacrificial death. He is doing what the prophets of old did by using metaphor to convey truths to the people.

That metaphor is then to be properly understood when it is fulfilled in Jesus’ completed work. This is how the lesson of the fig tree is to be considered and understood. The verse being evaluated today has been so misapplied and abused by people that it means (in their thinking) that anybody with faith should be able to do anything or get anything they want.

“I can, by faith, receive a big bank account.” Actually, you probably should get to work and start saving for that.
“I can overcome any obstacle, including this. I claim this problem will go away.” Well, maybe the Lord sent that problem to chastise you and get you to learn a lesson, just as the Bible says will happen.
“I claim this promotion.” What if there are two Christians vying for it and they both “claim” it?

Do you see the fallacy in thinking regarding such things? Jesus did not give us an unlimited spending credit card for prosperity and fulfilling selfish desires. He gave His disciples a very specific promise based on a truth that explains the final thought. Without maintaining the context, what is said has no meaning at all. They are just words without any connection to reality.

Be circumspect in your understanding of what is happening in Scripture. It is not about us individually, even if it affects us as individuals. It is about what God is doing to restore people to Himself. The audience in this case is the Hebrew people, under the law, who need to be brought out from that unproductive economy and into a glorious new one. Keep the context!

Glorious Lord God, thank You for providing everything necessary for us to be saved through the work of Jesus Christ. Through faith in the gospel, we have full, final, finished, and forever release from the need for us to do anything except believe to be brought back to You. Thank You that it is so. Amen.

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. Matthew 21:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, if you should have faith, and not you should waver, not only the ‘the fig tree’ you will do, but and-if the ‘mountain, this’, you should say, ‘You be borne, and you be cast into the sea’, it will become.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, the disciples marveled and wanted to know how the fig tree desiccated so quickly. With that, Matthew next records, “Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘Amen.’”

When Jesus begins a thought with Amen, He intends for His hearers to pay close attention. The matter is something that they should more than just listen to, but consider it carefully. In this case, He next says, “I say to you, if you should have faith, and not you should waver.”

The author of Hebrews defines what faith is –

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Faith is something that requires confidence that something will take place. A person may say, “I have faith that you will pay me back.” It is unknown if that will actually take place, but because of past performance, a trust in the individual, the surety of consequences for failure to comply, or some other reason, the person trusts that the debt will be repaid.

Wavering is a state of letting one’s faith weaken for any multitude of reasons. We may have faith that a wedding will take place, but because of ten thousand little things creeping up, we may start to question if there aren’t forces behind the scenes working to ensure the wedding never takes place. In such a case, we can double down and say, “I am confident of this outcome.” In the case of Jesus’ words, He continues, saying, “not only the ‘the fig tree’ you will do.”

In other words, if His disciples have faith that they can do what Jesus did to the fig tree, it will come to pass. If the withering of the fig tree was a metaphor of the ending of the Levitical system of sacrifices under the law, and that a new and better connection to God through Jesus’ work has been established, then if they believe in Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, they will have that new and better connection to God.

There is no reason to assume that Jesus is speaking of literally killing a fig tree to make a point. It is the metaphor that matters. Jesus’ work is what ends the law in the lives of His disciples. Jesus’ work is what allows full, final, and forever access to God through the better connection He establishes. From there, He next says, “but and-if the ‘mountain, this’, you should say, ‘You be borne, and you be cast into the sea’, it will become.”

A new word is seen here, the conditional particle, kan, and-if. It is derived from kai, and, and ean, if. Combining the two results in kan, “and-if.” As for the conditional words, there is no reason to assume Jesus is speaking about a literal mountain, as if the disciples had the authority to have mountains physically moved at their command.

Jesus was heading to Jerusalem. The place where the Temple Mount was. For all we know, He may have pointed at the city, or even the temple visible within the city, and said His words. The term “mountain of the temple,” or literally “mountain, the house,” is something that would have been known to them from Micah 3:12. Thus, this is not a stretch at all. Whatever took place, He is essentially stating that the mountain of the law, described by Paul in Galatians 4, is what He is referring to –

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Galatians 4:21-26

The Law was given at Horeb. It is what Jerusalem and the temple worship were all about. Jesus just made a metaphor using the fig tree to make a point concerning a spiritual connection to God. There is no reason to assume He is not continuing the use of metaphor. If one believes in the full, final, finished, and forever all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ, the “mountain” of the law will be cast into the sea (a picture of chaos).

The law is an obstacle to a relationship with God, not a means of a right relationship with Him, except as it is fulfilled in Jesus’ work. As such, Jesus is giving advanced instruction in what He was about to accomplish and how it would eventually be realized through the use of metaphor.

Life application: By taking verses such as Matthew 21:21 out of their intended context, people make many wholly inappropriate claims concerning spiritual matters, as if they have the authority to do even the most unrealistic things.

At the same time, others arrogantly hint that those around them are lacking faith because they haven’t claimed their way into health, prosperity, etc. This type of theology is wholly inappropriate and demonstrates a shallow understanding of the word of God.

Catchy verses are pulled out of their intended context and thrown around like talismans. If the entire Bible is read while keeping passages in their intended dispensational context, people would find out that those being butchered in Africa are just as loved and tended to as those who have million-dollar houses, fancy cars, and who take long vacations.

God’s love for a person does not necessarily transfer to wealth, health, and overall prosperity. His love for His people is based on their faith in Him. The Bible promises a future where all trials, sadness, and difficulties will be behind us. But this is not a promise for our lives at this time. If those things come about, that is great. We can thank God for the abundance.

But it is better to live in poverty with strong faith in Jesus than to live in wealth without it. Fix your eyes, hearts, and affections on Him regardless of what you are going through. Have faith in His promises at all times. This is what will please the Lord more than anything else.

Lord God, help us to be people of faith, not just when things are going well, but at all times. May our lives and actions be honoring of You while we walk in faith, anxiously anticipating what lies ahead. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Monday, 13 July 2026

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” Matthew 21:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having seen, the disciples, they wondered, saying, ‘How, straightaway, it desiccated, the fig tree?’” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus cursed the fig tree, telling it that no fruit would grow on it again. Matthew recorded that the fig desiccated straightaway. As noted, Mark’s gospel gives more detailed information on the event. Unfortunately, the Pulpit Commentary says, “St. Mark’s more accurate account.”

There is a world of difference between a “more detailed account” and a “more accurate account.” There is nothing inaccurate about Matthew’s record. The word translated as “straightaway” means that it took place forthwith. For example, in Acts 16:33 it says, “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately [parachréma] he and all his family were baptized.”

The event happened straightaway, but it wasn’t like they were standing there and were suddenly baptized. It was the next event in their lives that took place. This is just what was the case in the life of the fig. It went from being alive and vibrant with leaves to being desiccated and dead. Understanding there is nothing inaccurate about Matthew’s words, he next records, “And having seen, the disciples, they wondered.”

In Mark 11:21, it says, “And Peter, remembering, said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.’” Of this, Barnes says, “Peter said this, Mark 11:21 Matthew means only to say that this was said to him; Mark tells us which one of them said it.”

Barnes equates Matthew’s words to Peter’s exclamation. That is incorrect. Peter noticed it and made his exclamation, but all of the disciples, once they noticed the tree, would have wondered at the matter, just as Matthew records.

Again, there is no contradiction, just more detailed information. Once this was noticed by all of them, they were “saying, ‘How, straightaway, it desiccated, the fig tree?’”

Even if someone put poison around a tree, it may die immediately, but it would take time for it to desiccate. In the case of this fig, it died and desiccated overnight. By the morning, as they passed it again, it was completely desiccated.

This is what happened to the Law of Moses and the effectiveness of the temple to bring restoration between God and men. Jesus’ passion began in the morning. By the afternoon, He had died on the cross. At that time, Matthew records –

“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:51

Jesus was tried, sentenced, and crucified. From there, the next thing to take place, meaning straightaway, was that the law was ended. Free, full, and forever access to God was granted, and the temporary and cumbersome connection to God that came through the Law of Moses was ended. The metaphor of the fig tree was realized in its fullness just a few days after Jesus gave it.

Life application: As you can see, commentaries are tools for us to learn information, but they are written down by fallible humans. No one is without errors in thinking. All of us are subject to biases, presuppositions, and cognitive dissonance.

When reading commentaries on the Bible, be careful to sift through them, asking questions as you go. Questions like, “How did they come to this conclusion?”, “Why did they say that?”, “Why did they say, ‘more accurate?’”, etc., are important questions to ask when we read something that doesn’t sound right.

Such questions will cause us to slow down and think through what we might otherwise have taken for granted. Once we do that, we form a brain squiggle that acknowledges that their commentary is correct. From that point on, it becomes more difficult to overwrite that bad information.

So don’t assimilate thoughts without thinking them through. You will benefit in your study by going slowly, carefully, and methodically through whatever you are reading. God’s word is important. We should not make unfounded assumptions, nor assimilate others’ unfounded assumptions concerning it.

Lord God, may our time in Your word be methodical, precise, and carefully considered at all times. It is far too precious not to spend it wanting to know Your intent for us. It is a great, wonderful, and precious word that tells us of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.