THE COMING OF THE KING TO HIS TEMPLE
Matthew 21 v. 1 - 22 in this portion we see :-
1. The King’s Coming to His Temple v. 1 - 11
(a) The preparations for His coming v. 2 & 3 "the Lord hath need of him"
(b) The prophesy of His coming v. 4 - Zechariah 9 v. 9 "rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy King cometh unto thee; He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
(c) The proclamation at His coming v. 5 "behold thy King" v. 9 "hosanna to the Son of David"
(d) The praise in His coming v. 9 "blessed is He that cometh"
(e) The power through His coming v. 10 "all the city was moved"
(f) The purging with His coming v. 12. Note :-
who went? "Jesus" - where he went? house of God, and what he did when he went there? v. 13 he purged it.
1 Peter 4 v. 17 "for the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
Here is a :- a serious time "the time is come" a solemn task " judgement", a searching thoroughness "first at the house of God", a sad truth " where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" see - Revelation 1 v. 17 "behold He cometh with clouds."
2. The King’s Cleansing of the Temple v. 12 - 17. v. 12 he removed the offenders, v. 13 and he restored the order. Here was the :-
(a) Restoration of prayer in the temple v. 13 "my house shall be called the house of prayer"
(b) Restoration of power in the temple v. 14 "and He healeth them"
Note:-
(1) The disabilities - the blind like sinners can’t see, the lame like some saints can’t walk
(2) The desire v. 14 "they came to Him in the temple"
(3) The deliverance v. 14 He -it’s source, healed - it’s sufficiency - them -it’s satisfaction
(c) Restoration of praise in the temple v. 15 " the children crying in the temple" - who?, where?, what? "hosanna to the Son of David" - Lord save us now - Psalm 126 v. 1 "when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream, then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad"
(d) Restoration of preaching in the temple v. 23 - "as He was teaching"
3. The King’s Cursing of the Fig Tree v. 18 - 20 Notice here :-
(a) The reason for the curse - barreness - a profession of leaves - but no possession of fruit
(b) The rigour of the curse v. 19 "let no fruit" - Israel’s last opportunity "lo these three years am I come seeking fruit and find none, cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground"
(c) The result of the curse - presently - it lost its right to remain, its power to produce and its license to live. "so it withered away"
(d) The reaction to the curse v. 20 "how soon" - because sentence against an evil work is executed slowly - "the heart of man is fully set in him to do evil"
and
4.The King’s Counselling for the Disciples v. 22 "and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer"
(a) The scope "all things"
(b) The secret "ye shall ask" - in prayer
(c) The stipulation - " believing"
(d) The certainty "ye shall receive"
