Jesus and His followers enter Jerusalem as the end of His ministry and time on earth are in sight. As He nears His death, He does and says things that clearly display His remarkable character. At the same time, He clearly exposes the hypocrisy and lack of character of those who oppose Him. On both counts, we see the Son of Man living out His own preaching. The way Jesus proceeds to the cross while interacting with both His followers and His enemies provides an example for everyone who desires to live by his or her theology.
19:41-44
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as He enters it. He foresees the destruction of the city that will take place roughly 40 years from now (70 AD). He says that Jerusalem will be destroyed because it doesn’t acknowledge Him as Messiah (because you did not recognize the time of your visitation). Ironically – for a city with a name that means ‘peace’ – He laments, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!” It will be destroyed violently because it didn’t accept the peace with God that Jesus brings.
It’s an amazing commentary on our Savior that He weeps for a community that’s about to brutally execute Him. He knows exactly what they’re about to do, yet He’s still filled with compassion over what will (justly) happen to them in the future. A normal person would likely say – gleefully – that judgment serves the people of Jerusalem right for their actions against Him. Jesus, though, genuinely and lovingly weeps for what the people who hate Him will endure. He sees the coming destruction for what it is; a tragically missed opportunity for people who refuse to believe.
His weeping shows that He lives what He preaches. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:44). He illustrates that here. Forty years from now, the people who condemn Him and chant for His crucifixion may be gone, but the justice of the judgment on the city will be unquestioned. Even so, Jesus loves Jerusalem and mourns its destruction. He loves His enemies.
There is another element to Jesus’ compassion in this scene. What He predicts – the siege of Jerusalem – will be horrific. Jews will endure over four months of siege during which they’ll turn on each other in a civil war, resort to eating each other as they run out of food, and then watch their city and temple razed to the ground when the Romans finally break through. For the ones who survive the siege, they will be either executed (sometimes brutally) or enslaved (many to be killed in the Colosseum games). When Jesus says that the enemies of Jerusalem will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, He means it very literally.
Since that’s the case, we may be tempted to ask the question, “How can You let this level of suffering take place?” After all, He’s not just a prophet proclaiming what will happen. He’s God; He could change it. Even more, He’s the author of it. He knows every detail of the horror that’s coming because it’s His judgment. There’s nothing about it that’s outside of His control. It’s His decision to act; His justice in action. And ultimately that’s the key to understanding His perspective on it. He won’t change anything about the coming destruction because it’s judgment for sin. Jerusalem will reject and kill the Messiah and will be judged as a result. And though the judgment is extreme, it’s for a crime that’s extreme – rejecting God’s Son.
And that will finally be the reason for all judgment in eternity. Those who reject God’s Son will be judged fairly but severely. They won’t simply undergo a four-month siege; they will be sentenced to eternal destruction. Judgment in this life looks awful until we compare it to what lies ahead. The stakes involved in the acceptance or rejection of God’s Son are beyond description.
Jesus’ compassion brings up another aspect to God’s character. He doesn’t delight in judgment. He doesn’t joyfully send unbelievers to destruction. Jesus weeps out of love for people who – if they believed and accepted Him – would be spared from what lies ahead. This isn’t the first time He’s mourned Jerusalem. He earlier said He wanted to gather her residents to Him as a hen gathers its chicks, but they won’t have it and so will be destroyed (Lk 13:34-35). He would much rather come as a loving father than a wrathful judge. God’s default setting is love (I Jn 4:8) not judgment. He longs for His people to obey Him (Deut 5:29) and wishes all to come to repentance (II Pet 3:9). He is not vindictive. We serve a compassionate, loving, merciful God who, while He doesn’t spare judgment, also doesn’t enjoy executing it.
One last item to consider. Jesus will implore His Father while on the cross to forgive those who crucify Him – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). If He means what He says, and if God honors His request, shouldn’t that mean that Jerusalem will be forgiven and spared its coming destruction? There is much to discuss about this and much to dissect when considering Jesus’ words on the cross. We will do so in full when we reach Chapter 23. For now, hold this thought (admittedly, you may need to hold it for several months) and we’ll pursue it to the fullest when we study that chapter.
45-48
After He enters Jerusalem, Jesus goes into the temple and throws out the moneychangers and merchants who profit off the sacrifices of the people [the temple has its own currency and thus anyone wanting to purchase a sacrifice (because he lives too far away to bring his own) has to first exchange his currency for the temple currency – this means he first visits the moneychangers and then the merchants – since the temple moneychangers are the only game in town, the exchange system is rife with corruption – the system can take advantage of the worshipper both in the currency exchange and in the price for the sacrifice]. Since this is Passover week, it’s likely that this is their biggest season of the year (like Christmas to a modern retailer) and thus the disruption Jesus causes is especially unwelcome (and witnessed by many people). He tells them the temple is to be a house of prayer (Isa 56:7), not a robbers’ den (Jer 7:11).
The Jeremiah passage Jesus quotes is interesting because it is part of a prophecy against Israel for assuming that the temple would deliver them regardless of their behavior (as a robbers’ den provides refuge to the criminal). God tells the Israelites through Jeremiah that because of their lawlessness and rebellion He will destroy His temple and cast the people out from His presence. This is similar to what Jesus just said as He wept over the city. By quoting part of Jeremiah’s prophecy, He again points to the city’s and the temple’s destruction.
This scene is amazing from several perspectives. First, it’s incredible that He does this with no fear of ramifications. Who in the world walks into the most important building in the country and physically throws people out of it with no concern over what might happen to him as a result? He has no official authority and yet doesn’t hesitate at all to take radical action. Second, how does He do it physically without getting any pushback? He just grabs the guys and turns over tables (Matt 21:12) and no one fights back or tries to hurt Him? It’s an amazing commentary both on His physical presence and ability to intimidate but also on the type of guys taking advantage of rural peasants. Third, this is the SECOND TIME He’s done this (Jn 2:13-17 seems to be a separate occasion early in His ministry). You’d think after the first time that He wouldn’t risk it again, but He doesn’t hesitate. He plows right in and takes matters into His own hands (“Remember Me, fellas?”). It could be – if the first instance did in fact occur early in His ministry – that it’s been a couple of years and He’s been in Jerusalem on other occasions without any issue, so no one thinks to prepare for another outburst. This may lessen the chances at repercussions. Fourth, this event – along with the triumphal entry – shows that Jesus invites publicity. This is not the action of a man who wants to quietly attend Passover. He wants as many people as possible to know He’s there and to witness what is about to happen. The moneychangers have presumably been in the temple on other occasions when Jesus has been in Jerusalem. That He decides to clear them out on the biggest holiday of the year shows how much He wants His presence known and felt. The more people know that He’s in Jerusalem, the better. This also announces loud and clear that He’s not worried about a confrontation with the religious leaders.
The temple cleansing shows both His divinity and His standing with the people. He may have no official authority in the temple, but He has divine authority over HIS house. He doesn’t fear ramifications because He’s the Son of God in a place that was built for worship of Him. That He gets away with this also shows the esteem He holds among the people. He’s at the height of His fame – as the triumphal entry just showed – and many now accept that He’s the Messiah. As such, He can assume authority others can’t. Also, practically, He knows He’s days from death so what’s the downside to stirring things up?
This also shows something else. John cites Psalm 69:9 in his recounting of the first time Jesus cleanses the temple. That verse says “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.” Jesus isn’t just a little perturbed by the presence of the merchants. He’s enraged. He’s consumed by zeal because they corrupt a place set apart for prayer and the worship of His Father. And nothing is more important than those things. It should perhaps sober us in our approach to Sundays to consider Jesus’ actions here. It’s not that we have a sacred house to go to but a sacred occasion not to be taken lightly. Jesus’ actions in defense of a place of worship and prayer should be on our minds when we gather with the saints for worship and prayer.
After throwing the merchants out, He returns to the temple daily to teach (first you clean up, then you make yourself at home). It’s another display of how remarkably unconcerned He is over the effects of His actions. You’d think He would want to avoid the temple for a while. Instead, He goes back every day.
His teaching mesmerizes the people, but the religious leaders want to destroy Him (it’s probably fair to assume they share in the profits of the moneychangers and merchants that He just threw out – the chief priests are the leaders of the temple – so it’s one more reason to want Him eliminated). This fact brings up an amazing thought: imagine hearing the Son of God teach and your only thought is to kill Him. How far gone into darkness does one’s heart and mind have to be for that to be the only response?
20:1-8
Jesus comes into the temple on one of the days and begins to teach (and preach the gospel – likely a reference to the good news of God’s kingdom having arrived). A loaded religious delegation (one that would intimidate just about anyone it confronts) – chief priests, scribes, and the elders (elders are lay members of the Sanhedrin) – comes to Him and asks Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” These things probably refer to cleaning out the temple but could also include His healings (that Matthew says He’s been doing along with His teaching – Matt 21:14). The group confronting Him may be some of the same men who told Him to rebuke the disciples who were praising Him during His entry into Jerusalem (vs 39).
Jesus, in rabbinic fashion, answers their question with a question. He asks them whether John the Baptist’s ministry was of God (from heaven) or man (the term baptism in this case refers to John’s entire ministry). The question is loaded and masterful. If the leaders answer that John’s ministry was of God, they then must admit that Jesus is who He says He is because John’s ministry pointed to Him. This would in turn answer their question about Jesus’ authority to do the things He is doing. Jesus has answered their question if they are willing to answer His truthfully. If, however, they answer that John’s ministry was of man – the preferred answer from their standpoint – they must face the crowds who are with Jesus and who believe John was a prophet (and who apparently belief passionately in John as the religious leaders fear being stoned if they disrespect him). They are stuck between acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah or risking their safety and standing.
The leaders show their backbone by replying that they don’t know the answer to Jesus’ question. Jesus – knowing their hearts and knowing that THEY know He just answered their question – replies, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” He effectively tells them that they are not worthy of additional revelation if they can’t discern what John already gave them.
In one sense the Sanhedrin enjoyed not only the right but the duty to check the credentials of those who claimed to be the spokesmen for God. But because they misunderstood the revelation already given in the Scriptures and rejected the witness of the Baptist, the leaders proved unequal to their responsibility. They raised the question of Jesus’ authority; He raised the question of their competence to judge such an issue. – DA Carson; Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew
This scene, beyond showing the cynicism and staggering unbelief of the religious leaders, signals that the gloves are off in the ongoing battle between them and Jesus. They no longer try to hide their intent. Their question about His authority isn’t masked; its obvious intent is to discredit Him. For Jesus’ part, He responds to them with disdain. He’s never hidden His disgust over their hypocrisy and has called them out for it publicly, so in some ways this isn’t new behavior. But His blatant disregard of their authority and standing reaches a new level.
Closing Thought
This text highlights various aspects of Jesus’ righteous character. He weeps over the missed opportunities of those who reject Him. He angrily confronts those who dishonor His Father and corrupt His worship. And He disdainfully dismisses those whose hypocrisy and blindness cause them to oppose Him. The contrasts are stark and yet consistent with who He is. His mission is to die for sinners and glorify the Father. Thus He has compassion on sinners He came to save but anger and disdain for those who stand in the way of His redemptive work. His responses are all about His mission, not Himself. He stands as an example to all of us in how His character and emotions are grounded in the Father’s work, not selfish pursuits.
