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In this lesson:
It is now Monday; Jesus will be arrested on Thursday and crucified Friday. Jesus uses a fig tree to rebuke false faith (21:18-22). The chief priests and elders question Jesus' authority (21:23-27). Also, the intriguing parable of the two sons (21:28-32). Study Tip: Putting difficult passages into your own words helps you grasp the meaning of each verse and to retain it longer. |
Parable of the two sons.
By an unknown artist. |
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The King James Bible
The King James Bible
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Matthew 21:18-32
Jesus is challenged 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. |
Margin notes:
"He returned into the city." (21:18) - It's Monday morning, and Jesus is walking the two miles from Bethany, where He spent the night, to Jerusalem. "Presently the fig tree withered away." (21:19) - "Instantly, the fig tree withered away." "How soon is the fig tree withered away!" (21:20) - "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" "Verily." (21:21) - Means "truly." "If ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." (21:21) - Faith can move mountains. Jesus repeatedly taught us about the power of prayer (Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; John 15:7) and faith (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6). "By what authority doest thou these things?" (21:23) - The chief priests and elders are setting a verbal trap for Jesus. If Jesus claims His authority comes from God, they will accuse Him of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. If He says His authority comes from man, the crowds will abandon Him, believing He is a false prophet. "I also will ask you one thing." (21:24) - Jesus answered the chief priests and elders' question with a question. "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?" (21:25) - With this question, Jesus counters with His own verbal trap for the chief priests and elders. If they answer "God," they condemn themselves for opposing John the Baptist. If they say "men," they deny John the Baptist's validity and risk alienating the crowd. "All hold John as a prophet." (21:26) - "Everyone considers John (the Baptist) a prophet." "A certain man had two sons." (21:28) - This is the opening of the Parable of two Sons. Jesus aimed this parable at the Jewish religious leaders "Whether of them twain." (21:31) - "Which of the two." |
You can read Mark's account of Jesus being challenged in Mark 11:27-33. Luke's account can be found in Luke 20:1-8. There is a second account of Jesus cursing the fig tree in Mark 11:12-14.
New Living Translation
Matthew 21:18-32
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,
19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
21 Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.
22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?"
24 "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.
25 "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"
They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn't believe John.
26 But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet."
27 So they finally replied, "We don't know."
And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things.
Parable of the Two Sons
28 "But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
29 The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
30 Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go.
31 "Which of the two obeyed his father?"
They replied, "The first."
Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,
19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
21 Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.
22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?"
24 "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.
25 "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"
They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn't believe John.
26 But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet."
27 So they finally replied, "We don't know."
And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things.
Parable of the Two Sons
28 "But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
29 The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
30 Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go.
31 "Which of the two obeyed his father?"
They replied, "The first."
Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.
The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Key verses from this passage
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (21:22)
"For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." (21:32)
"For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." (21:32)
Today's Questions:
1. Why did Jesus condemn the fig tree? (21:19)
2. What is the point of the parable of the two sons? (21:28-32)
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1. Why did Jesus condemn the fig tree? (21:19)
2. What is the point of the parable of the two sons? (21:28-32)
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Answers: (Do you agree?)
1. At first glance, the parable seems to be about a hungry Jesus who became upset that the fig tree had no fruit for Him. But there is a deeper meaning. The fig tree is a lesson to believers who appear to be bearing fruit for God (spreading the Gospel, etc.) but aren't. Even though the fig tree was green and full of leaves, it bore no fruit and therefore served no purpose. Christians are expected to bear fruit by sharing God's message and living according to His tenets. There is a similar parable about a fig tree in Luke 13:6-9.
Additional note: Some Bible scholars believe the fig tree represents Israel (Hosea 9:10) and her spiritual inadequacies. Regardless, the message is still poignant today.
2. The parable of the two sons is a powerful message about obedience and repentance. It was meant for the Jewish religious leaders in Jesus' time and believers today. The religious leaders prepared themselves for the promised Messiah but ultimately rejected Him, while others embraced Him. Jesus' message is still applicable today. The parable of the two sons emphasizes the importance of repentance and teaches that words alone are not enough. God expects us to act on our faith and live it out (7:16-20; James 1:22-26), not just talk a good game.
Application thought for the day:
In the parable of the two sons, one son says he will work for his father but fails to do so. Despite his good intentions, he accomplishes nothing. God expects our actions to match our words.
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen, published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series," published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham, published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Atlas of the Bible" edited by Joseph L. Gardner, published by Readers Digest, Pleasantville, New York; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible," published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The New Testament" Recovery Version, published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California; "The Living New Testament," published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation," published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; the "Life Application Study Bible," published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible," published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The New Scofield Reference Bible," published by Oxford University Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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© 2025 evolke