211 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, unto the mount of the Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, 'Go on to the village over-against you, and immediately ye shall find an ass bound, and a colt with her—having loosed, bring ye to me; 3 and if any one may say anything to you, ye shall say, that the lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.' 4 And all this came to pass, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 'Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo, thy king doth come to thee, meek, and mounted on an ass, and a colt, a foal of a beast of burden.' 6 And the disciples having gone and having done as Jesus commanded them, 7 brought the ass and the colt, and did put on them their garments, and set 'him' upon them; 8 and the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way, 9 and the multitudes who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.' 10 And he having entered into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, 'Who is this?' 11 And the multitudes said, 'This is Jesus the prophet, who 'is' from Nazareth of Galilee.'
12 And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and did cast forth all those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers he overturned, and the seats of those selling the doves, 13 and he saith to them, 'It hath been written, My house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did make it a den of robbers.' 14 And there came to him blind and lame men in the temple, and he healed them, 15 and the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David,' were much displeased; 16 and they said to him, 'Hearest thou what these say?' And Jesus saith to them, 'Yes, did ye never read, that, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou didst prepare praise?' 17 And having left them, he went forth out of the city to Bethany, and did lodge there,
18 and in the morning turning back to the city, he hungered, 19 and having seen a certain fig-tree on the way, he came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and he saith to it, 'No more from thee may fruit be—to the age;' and forthwith the fig-tree withered. 20 And the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying, 'How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?' 21 And Jesus answering said to them, 'Verily I say to you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass; 22 and all—as much as ye may ask in the prayer, believing, ye shall receive.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 21:1-22
Commentary on Matthew 21:1-11
(Read Matthew 21:1-11)
This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zechariah 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus did not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as came to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elders afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross; but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those that take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosanna signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.
Commentary on Matthew 21:12-17
(Read Matthew 21:12-17)
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 2:13-17. 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!
Commentary on Matthew 21:18-22
(Read Matthew 21:18-22)
This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree.