[1] And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, [2] Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. [3] And if any man say ought unto you, you shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. [4] All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, [5] Tell you the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Verse 1 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, | |
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| Question | Answer |
| They came from Jericho. What is the elevation of Jericho? | About 800 ft. below sea level. |
| What is the elevation of Jerusalem? | 2,474 ft. |
| What is the elevation of the Mount of Olives? | Wikipedia: 2,710 ft. Latlong.net: 2,582 ft. |
| What is the distance from Jericho to Jerusalem? | According to one web site: "The straight-line distance from Jericho to Jerusalem is 15 miles; however, the precipitous mountain road between the two cities takes the traveler much further. It winds a hazardous path from 800 feet below sea level to 2,500 feet above sea level at an elevation of 3,300 feet. It was, at one time a dangerous road to travel, frought with rugged terrain and the fear of marauding bandits." |
Verses 2-3 Expanded Bible Comments
| Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. [3] And if any man say ought unto you, you shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What did Jesus instruct his disciples to do? | Locate the ass with her colt, loos them and bring them to Jesus. |
| What does this tell us about who Jesus was? | It tells us that he had "superhuman power by designating where and how the animals would be found." R2745 |
| What were they to do if anyone challenged them? | Tell them "The Lord has need of them." |
Verses 4-5 Expanded Bible Comments
| All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, [5] Tell you the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Why did Jesus have his disciples bring the two animals? | To fulfill Zech. 9:9. |
| What did this say about who Jesus was? | 1) That he was indeed their King. 2) That he was their Messiah (see Zech. 9:9) which adds "having salvation." |
[6] And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, [7] And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. [8] And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way. [9] And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. [10] And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? [11] And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Verses 6-7 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, [7] And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Is there anything unusual about this account of Jesus riding the ass? | In this account, perhaps not. In Mark's parallel account (Mark 11:2) we are told of this colt "whereon never man sat." The significance of this is there is no record of this animal attempting to remove its rider. This proves that Jesus was a perfect man who had dominion over the animals. |
Verse 8 Expanded Bible Comments
| And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| We have seen several times before that "great multitudes followed him." What is different about this time? | This account says "a very great multitude." There may have been as many as 1 million Jews in Jerusalem for Passover. |
| Is there any significance of the them "spreading their garments be in the way." | This was done so that neither he nor the animal carrying him would have to walk directly on the ground. This is not that different from "rolling out the red carpet" for a dignitary to walk on, except in this case it was their own garments. Indeed they were hailing him as their king. |
| Why did they "cut down branches from trees, and spread them in the way?" | Palm branches are associated with the feast of tabernacles (a little like the American holiday Thanksgiving.) It was a feast of rejoicing (Lev. 23:40.) Palm branches are also associated with victory. In the case of the feast of Tabernacles it is rejoicing for the victory over Egypt resulting in their release from slavery. R3677 |
Verse 9 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| How many "went before" Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem? | We are not directly told other than it was "multitudes." However we may assume many thousands because much of the people of Israel (those who had enough faith) were gathered there for Passover. |
| What does "Hosanna" mean? | Strong's G5614 ὡσαννά hōsanna ho-san-nah' Of Hebrew origin [H3467] and [H4994]; oh save!; hosanna (that is, hoshia-na), an exclamation of adoration: - hosanna. |
| Who did the multitudes say was entering the city? | "The son of David," i.e., the Messiah. |
| What prophecy were the people quoting as they shouted? | It would appear they were quoting Psa. 118:26 |
| Why did the multitudes also say "Hosanna in the highest?" | This would appear to be a repetition with emphasis, especially by adding the phrase "in the Highest." |
Verses 10-11 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? [11] And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Does this verse tell us that all the residence of Jerusalem were questioning "Who is this?" | No. It says all of the Jerusalem was so moved. This would include not only the residence, but also the enormous number of visitors their for Passover. |
| What response was given to their question? | "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." |
| Who gave the response? | "The multitude said.." |
| How many were included in "the multitude?" | According to the historian Josephus, "that sometimes the population of Jerusalem on such an occasion [as Passover] was swelled to the number of two millions." – R4122 |
[12] And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. [14] And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. [15] And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, [16] And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? [17] And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Verses 12-13 Expanded Bible Comments
| And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Did Jesus go to Herod's palace and demand that he vacate his throne because the new king – Jesus – had come? | No. |
| Where did he go and why? | Jesus went to the temple of God, because it was the House of His Father. He was the Messiah and this was the appropriate place for him to be. |
| What did Jesus do when he got to the temple? | He overthrew the money-changers. |
| Was this in violation of the Law? | No. Please see R2746 |
| Was His action strictly for those who were there at that time? Please explain your answer. | Absolutely not. This was in the year 33 A.D. and it was typical of Jesus at the Second Advent cleansing the nominal temple in 1878. – Rev. 18:4 |
| Who, at the Second Advent, might be pictured by the money-changers? | Those in the church nominal who are making merchandise of God's Word. Teachers of false doctrine for filthy lucre's sake. – Titus 1:9-11 |
| Our Lord said "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer." Where is it thus written? | Isa. 56:7. |
| Into what had they turned the Lord's house? | "A den of thieves." Jer. 7:11 |
Verse 14 Expanded Bible Comments
| And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What did our Lord do next? | He healed those blind and lame who came into the temple. Note: they had to come to him in the temple first. |
| Of what was this work typical? | It was typical of the fact that in the parallel year of 1878 our Lord now accepted into His true sheep-fold those who were considered by the elite nominal churches to be blind (not able to "see" their false doctrines) and lame (not able to walk in their worldly paths.) These are the very ones who saw the Lord's Truth and left the nominal systems and came into the Lord's True Temple. |
Verses 15-16 Expanded Bible Comments
| This combines the wording from the Matthew and Luke accounts. | |
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| And when the chief priests, the scribes and the Pharisees from among the multitude saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Master, rebuke your disciples. [16] And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Yea; have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise? | |
| Question | Answer |
| What did the chief priests, the scribes and the Pharisees witness? | "The wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David." |
| What was their reaction? | "They were sore displeased." |
| Why did they have this reaction? | Because Jesus was now the center of attention by the people. Remember these are they who love to have the attention and respect of the people. Luke 11:43; 20:46-47 |
| What did they tell Jesus to do? | To "rebuke your disciples." |
| Why did Jesus say "if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out?" | This had to take place! So much so that if the people were silent, the stones would cry out, because this is the fulfillment of God's Word! Isa. 55:11 |
| Is there a Second Advent fulfillment of this? | C375:2 |
| What did Jesus mean by the last sentence? | Out of the mouth of the common people (as opposed to the learned and self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees) comes the Praise to God at the arrival of Messiah to Jerusalem. It is similar at the end of the Gospel Age. The Truth and the praising of God comes not from the Self-righteous Clergy class, but from the common people. |
| From where is Jesus quoting? | Psa. 8:2 |
Verse 17 Expanded Bible Comments
| And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. | |
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| Question | Answer |
[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 you 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 you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. [22] And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
Verses 18-19 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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 you henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| At what time of day did Jesus come to the fig tree? | In the morning. This is suggestive of Jesus coming to the Jewish house early in the morning of the Gospel Age. |
| Did the fig tree have fruit? | No. It had leaves (professions) only. This would seem to picture the Jewish nation which should have developed the fruit of righteousness but had not. |
| What did Jesus say to the fig tree? | "No more, from thee, let fruit spring forth, unto times age-abiding" - Roth. "No more by thee fruit may be produced to the age." - Diaglott. This pictures the rejection of the Nation of Israel (as a nation, not as individuals) during the Gospel Age. |
| Did the drying up of the fig-tree happen immediately? | No. Remember that Jesus had been with them for 3 years and it was not until the fourth year that they were rejected. Luke 13:6-9. Mark 11:13-14,19-20 |
Verses 20-22 Expanded Bible Comments
| 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 you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. [22] And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| What happened that made the disciples marvel? | The fig tree had dried up. |
| What did Jesus tell them in response to their remarks about the fig tree? | That if their faith were strong enough they could "say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." |
| Would this apply to any mountain? | If it was the will of God, yes. But we think not. |
| Would saying "be removed from here to Damascus" be the same thing? | No. This was approaching Jerusalem. Damascus, or any other city for that matter, bore no such import as Jerusalem. Jerusalem was associated with the church-nation of Israel. It therefore was a picture of Christendom. What our Lord was apparently referring to was the destruction of Christendom (falsely so-called) and their being brought down to the level of the sea class, the irreligious masses of mankind. |
| Has such a thing ever been done? | Yes. That is exactly what Pastor Russell did. For nearly forty years he preached the destruction of Christendom and that it would be brought down to the level of the sea class. |
| When Jesus "all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive," did He mean that God would change His plans to grant you your request? Just what does this mean? | No. It means that if we are able to get our own minds so in tune with the will of the Father that His will becomes fully our own will, then whatever we asked for would be in harmony with His will and would therefore be granted. This was the case with our Lord Jesus and the Father. |
[23] And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority? [24] And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you 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 you 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 do you think? 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 you did not believe him: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him. [33] Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: [34] And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. [35] And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. [36] Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. [37] But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. [38] But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. [39] And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. [40] When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? [41] They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. [42] Jesus saith unto them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? [43] Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. [44] And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. [45] And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. [46] But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
Verse 23 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority? | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who came to Jesus in the temple? | The chief priests and the elders of the people. |
| What question did they ask of him? | Who gave you authority to teach? |
| Why did they ask him when he was in the temple? | We suggest that one of the reasons was that the chief priests felt they were on their "home turf" and thus had greater boldness. |
| What were they implying by this question? | That Jesus did not have the right to teach, especially in the temple. |
| Does this have a counterpart at the second advent? | Yes. The teachers of the nominal church did not want to accept the teachings of the brethren (especially Pastor Russell) because the Lord's people did not have some form of a religious degree from one of their "recognized" institutions. |
Verses 24-27 Expanded Bible Comments
| And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you 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 you 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. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Did Jesus give them a direct answer to their question? If yes, what? If no, why not? | No. He knew this was intended as a trap so he turned it around on them. |
| What question did Jesus ask of the chief priests and elders? | Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? |
| How did they respond and why? | They said "We cannot tell." This they did because "they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did you not then believe him? [26] But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet." |
| What was their motivation for giving the answer they did? | 1) Fear. – "we fear the people." 2) Envy – What they felt was "their place" was being taken by Jesus. The people were following Jesus instead of them. |
| How did Jesus respond to their non-answer? | "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." |
Verses 28-32 Expanded Bible Comments
| But what do you think? 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 you did not believe him: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him. | |
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| Question | Answer |
| Who is pictured by the "certain man" who had two sons and a vineyard? | God. |
| Who are pictured by the two sons? | Two classes if Israelites. (1) Those who did not claim to be serving God, i.e., publicans and sinners. (2) Another class which claimed to serve God and made great efforts to show this to others, but inwardly their hearts were more interested in the praise of men, i.e., the Scribes, Pharisees and others like them. The first son corresponds to the prodigal son in that parable while the second corresponds to the elder son. |
| What is the significance of them being told to work in their father's vineyard? | This suggests that this applies during the harvest time and that their would be similar groups during the harvest of the Gospel Age. |
| Which one did the will of his father? | The first. |
| Did Jesus indicate that publicans and harlots would go into the kingdom of God but the elders and chief priests would not? | No. He indicated that these disrespected classes would get into the kingdom before the chief priests. |
| Why were the publicans and harlots to have precedence in getting into the Kingdom ahead of the chief priests and elders? | Because they believed John the Baptist and repented while their leaders were too arrogant to do so. Or as someone has said: "Pride makes you stupid." |
Verses 33-36 Expanded Bible Comments
| Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: [34] And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. [35] And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. [36] Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. | |
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| Question | Answer |
Compare this to Isa. 5:1-7. | |
| Who is the householder? | Jehovah God. |
| Who or what is the vineyard? | The house of Israel. |
| What does it mean to hedge it about? |
|
| What is the winepress? |  |
| What is the tower? | The tower was for a lookout to be able to see afar off and give warning when needed. God was Israel's high tower. – Psa. 18:2 |
| After all this work, what did the householder do? | He leased out the vineyard to husbandmen (farmers) for them to work the vineyard. |
| What does this picture? | The Lord left the care of the house of Israel with the religious leaders, those who "sat in Moses' seat," (the scribes and Pharisees.) They were supposed to help the vine to grow and bring forth ripe fruit. |
| What happened "when the time of fruit drew near?" | He sent his servants to receive the fruit that had been developed to that time. |
| How were his servants treated? | They were beaten and stoned. |
| Who is pictured by "his servants?" | Prophets and leaders. The ancient worthies. |
| What did the householder do next? | He sent even more servants. |
| What did the husbandmen do to these? | The same as before. |
| What does this picture? | God's dealings with the nation of Israel during the Jewish Age. He made all the arrangements for their care, protection and development. He sent prophets and teachers to help them. But they (and especially their leaders) rejected them. |
Verses 37-41 Expanded Bible Comments
| But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. [38] But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. [39] And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. [40] When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? [41] They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who is "his son?" | Jesus. |
| Did they reverence "my son?" | No. |
| How did the husbandmen treat the son? | "They caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him." |
| How did the chief priests and elders respond to Jesus' question about what will the lord of the vineyard do? | He will destroy them and lease the vineyard to others to bring in the fruitage. |
| Was their answer correct? | Yes it was. |
| Who is pictured by the husbandmen? | The Jewish nation, especially those who "sat in Moses' seat." Matt. 23:2 |
| Did the Lord "miserably destroy" those wicked husbandmen? | Yes, in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman army under Titus. |
| Who is pictured by the "other husbandmen?" | Other leaders and teachers during the Gospel Age, who will help the Lord's people to see the Truth and develop the true Christian character. |
Verses 42-44 Expanded Bible Comments
| Jesus saith unto them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? [43] Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. [44] And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| Who or what is pictured by "The stone which the builders rejected?" | Our Lord Jesus. |
| Who are "the builders" who rejected this stone? | The religious leaders of Israel. Actually it was the nation of Israel, the Jews, who rejected Him, but they were led astray by their leaders. |
| What does it mean to "become the head of the corner?" | The only building that has a single headstone is a pyramid. With a pyramid, the head-stone (top-stone) is itself a perfect pyramid. It would be made first and then the remainder of the structure is built to conform to the lines of that chief stone. – Jesus became "the head of the corner," the true church. |
| Who made this happen? | "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." Psa. 118:22-23 |
| What did our Lord mean by "the kingdom of God shall be taken from you?" Weren't they, at that time, under the Roman empire? What kingdom could be taken away from them? | Yes they were subject to the Roman empire. That does not change the fact that they were still a kingdom. Remember that they had Herod for their king. They actually had God as their king if they had been able to realize it. Rom. 11:7 |
| ".. And given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." What nation is Jesus speaking about? | The New Creation, Spiritual Israel. Rom. 11:7 |
| Of what stone is Jesus speaking? | Jesus Christ, the head of the true church.Isa. 8:14; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6-8; Eph. 2:20-22 |
| Who would fall on this stone? | The nominal Jewish house at the first advent. The nominal Christian house at the second advent. One cannot stumble over a stone that is not there. In both cases, the stone (our Lord Jesus) was present. |
| Was any one or any group "broken" at the first advent? | Yes. Israel as a nation and those individuals who rejected Him. |
| Did the stone fall on anyone at the first advent? | Shortly after, in 70 A.D., Israel's capital, Jerusalem was destroyed, along with the temple. |
| What about at the second advent? | Christendom was destroyed after the Lord had been present for 40 years, i.e., in 1914-18. |
| What is meant by "On whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder?" | Not only was Christendom destroyed but this was done in connection with the fulfillment of Dan. 2:42-45. The "breaking into pieces" there corresponding to the "grinding him to powder" here. |
Verses 45-46 Expanded Bible Comments
| And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. [46] But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. | |
|---|---|
| Question | Answer |
| What did the chief priests and Pharisees realize about Jesus' parables? | That these parables were about them. |
| What action did they take? | None, because they feared the people who took Jesus for a prophet. |