The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 21 Part 6 Prayer & Preaching Go Together

Matthew 21 began with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and Jesus receiving loud "Hosannas" and praise from the people and from children.

He healed very many people and the scribes and priests expressed their extreme displeasure.

Jesus replied that if He silenced the loud shouts of praise that the stones would cry out.

On the way to Jerusalem the next morning, Jesus saw a very healthy looking fig tree and looked for fruit on it, however, the tree was barren.

We noted that this pictures Christ examining our lives to see if His fruit is being produced in how we think, speak and act.

The barren tree was judged for lacking any figs and it soon withered from the roots up.

What happens next is when Jesus and His disciples arrived in Jerusalem that morning so that He could teach the scriptures to the people.

Predictably, the chief priests and elders of the ruling council confronted Jesus.

Matthew 21:23  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?

Resistance to Jesus began to mount in Jerusalem. As soon as He entered the temple and started teaching the Word, Jesus was accosted by religious leaders of the Jews.

These were men who promoted Judaism which was built on the traditions of men.

Leviticus 10:10-11  And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11  And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. 

Psalm 103:17-18  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18  To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 

They set aside the authority of God's Word and did not teach it to the Jewish people as God commanded them to do (See Deuteronomy 33:10; Malachi 2:7).

Therefore, instead of pursuing holiness as God commanded, they sought their own righteousness by keeping traditions of men (See Matthew 15:1-9).

Judaism focused on externals, doing certain things as taught by scribes and priests.

Matthew 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

For example, Pharisees prayed standing on a street corner at a busy intersection in order to be seen praying by other men (See Matthew 6:5-7).

Matthew 6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Pharisees required a horn or cymbal to sound when they put in their offering in the Temple so that everyone would notice that they gave an offering to God (See Matthew 6:1-4).

Matthew 6:16  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

When they fasted, the Pharisees and scribes disfigured their faces so that all who saw them would immediately know they were fasting and think highly of them (See Matthew 6:16-18).

John 12:43  For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

John's gospel gives us the whole body of man centered logic behind the false religion of Judaism. 

Pharisees, scribes and many priests loved to be admired and seen by their peers because they loved hearing man's accolades more than receiving the praise of God.

Thus, religious hypocrites are the ones who are confronting Jesus in the Temple!

Matthew 21:23  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?

They demanded of Jesus to know the basis for His authority to cleanse the temple, receive praises from children and to heal the sick and afflicted.

They demanded that Jesus tell them who gave Him authority to teach the scriptures to the people.

There was an air of defiance and hostility in their questions.

When Christ was teaching the people, the priests and elders came upon him, and challenged His authority to teach and do miracles.

John 9:16  Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. 

John's gospel records Jesus healing a man who was born blind and had to beg for alms every day.

Jesus healed him on the Sabbath and this angered the Jewish religious leaders.

Some said Jesus could not be sent by God because He did not keep the sabbath according to their man made traditions.

Others confessed that no man could heal this blind man unless He was of God.

Had these men paused to consider the many wonderful miracles that Jesus did, perhaps they would have admitted that no man could do this except he be sent from God.

The hand of Satan was in this, actively seeking to hinder Jesus in his kingdom work. 

We must also note that Jesus began teaching in the Temple that He called His Father's house of prayer.  

Acts 6:4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

This reminds us that when we gather as a local church, praying and preaching must always go together, for they are highly complementary to each other. 

Our communion with God is maintained by speaking to Him in our prayers, and by hearing what He has to say to us through preaching and teaching of His Word.

Those who seek to be faithful ministers of the gospel must dedicate themselves to the Word and to prayer.

Pastors, evangelists, missionaries and church leaders must devote themselves to prayer and Bible study in order to rightly lead a congregation.

Parents and family members who seek to instill God's truth in their young loved ones must dedicate themselves to prayer and sharing the Word.

Acts 2:41-42  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

As individual Christians, we must devote ourselves to spending time in prayer and Bible study, for this is how God matures us and molds us into useful vessels for His service.

Here is the Biblical model we have from the beginning of the New Testament church.

After Peter finished preaching the first sermon, three thousand people were born again.

Here is Luke's record of what they did as individuals who were born again and joined together as a community of faith in Christ..

They continued stedfastly, consistently, and diligently in hearing the Word preached by the apostles.

They continued in fellowship with one another and spending much time in prayer communing with God. 

Acts 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 

Peter and John were arrested by these same religious leaders for preaching and healing in the name of Jesus Christ.

They maintained a good testimony and told the leaders that they must listen to God's command to preach, and not yield to their oppression against the gospel.

The Jews had to release Peter and John and when they re-joined with other believers they gave an account of what transpired.

The early church responded with praise and prayer to God.

They prayed earnestly and the whole place was shaken as the Holy Ghost filled them to preach the Word of God with boldness.

Thus, prayer and preaching are joined together multiple times.

Colossians 4:2-4  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4  That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 

Paul wrote to the church at Colosse that they continue praying with thanksgiving to God that He would open a door for the apostle to preach the Word of God to more people.

Mark 1:35-38  And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36  And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37  And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38  And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 

Finally, we see from Mark's gospel that prayer and preaching were joined together by Jesus, such that this was His pattern of life.

He rose up early in the morning to spend time communing with His Father in prayers and later when His disciples found Him, Jesus said He must now go to preach the gospel.

Matthew 21:24  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. 

Jesus replied that He required them to answer one simple question and if they answered correctly, He would answer both of their questions.

Jesus asked them if the baptism of repentance preached by John the Baptist was from heaven or of men.

This immediately put the scribes, Pharisees and priests in an untenable position.

If they answered rightly and said that John's ministry was from heaven, then Jesus would ask them why they refused to believe him.

They knew that the people who heard John preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins believed it was from heaven and that John was a prophet of God.

If the religious leaders said John the Baptist's ministry  was of men, they feared a harsh reaction against the people for saying that.

John 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Even one of their own leaders named Nicodemus, came to Jesus at night and acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher from God and that God gave Him authority to teach and do miracles.

The truth is that the Pharisees, scribes and priests were angry, because Jesus exposed their spiritual condition as bankrupt and useless.

They did not want to be pinned down by unbelief so they avoided Jesus question by answering that they could not tell where John's baptism originated.

Matthew 21:27  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. 

If they answered Christ's question, it would answer theirs. 

If they should they say, against their own consciences, that John's baptism was of men, then Jesus could say John did no miracle but Christ did many (See John 10:41).

If they should they that John's baptism was from heaven then their demand was answered, because John gave clear testimony to Christ.

Thus, Jesus' simple question exposed unbelief that gripped their hearts. 

They knew the truth about these things but they would not acknowledge it because they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.

We see that we must determine to always spend time in prayer with our Lord, seeking His strength, His help and His grace for each day.

We must pray asking that the Spirit of God will show us His ways and teach us His paths and that He lead us as we read and study the Bible.

We must determine to sit under the weight of what God says to us as His children

Praying and preaching, will renew our minds and fill our hearts with the joys of heaven and of our Lord.

Praying and preaching will always be used of God to expand His kingdom when sinners hear the gospel and come to repentant faith in Christ.

Praying and preaching will transform us and those with whom we share God's Word.

Let us encourage our church leaders in this ministry of praying and preaching, and let us practice this in our own individual lives as followers of Jesus.

Bob