This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Turn in your Bible to the Book of Matthew. you. The book of Matthew, you remember what we were talking about last Sunday night? Anybody remember what was the theme of the last Sunday night’s message was? I’m glad that I made such an impression on you. Nobody, yeah, but it was a puddle to it. There was a theme, it was a Somebody has to get the donkey. Somebody has to get the donkey. But nobody wants to go and get the donkey.

You realize a donkey is stubborn. They are so stubborn. And they had to go get the donkey. So we’re going to finish up on why did he have to go get the donkey? Well, it’s the fulfillment of a Old Testament prophecy that says that when Jesus comes into the city, they’re going to recognize him because he’s going to come meek and lowly and riding upon a donkey and they’re going to cut branches off the trees and put them into the way and they’re going to shout loud Hosanna, King David and so on and blah, blah, blah and everybody’s going to be all excited in the multitude.

Cheers and goes wild. And so that’s when he became the king and everything worked out smooth. Well it was supposed to. But he needed that donkey and somebody had to go get it, but he had to ride that donkey into the city. So he had need of it. And that’s one of the scriptures that says he hath need of it. So if he needs it, he needs it. But anyway, I want you to take your Bible looking Matthew chapter 21.

And you’ll notice it says in verse four, all this was done, all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. Saying, tell ye the daughters of Zion, behold thy king cometh unto the meek and sitting upon an ass and a coat, the fold of an ass, and the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. Brought the ass and the coat and put on them their clothes and they set him there on. a very great multitude spread their garments in the way others cut down branches from the trees, straw them in the way and the multitude that went before him and that followed cried San Joseon to the son of David.

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And when he was coming to Jerusalem all the city was moved saying, Who is this? And the multitude says this is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. there you have it. That’s the rest of the story. That’s where it all ended. No, it wasn’t over yet. It was just beginning. Now, I want you to see three main divisions in this little story here of chapter 21.

And it’s amazing how it’s broke out. And I just saw this recently and I was reading that and I said, Hey, that’s good. I lined up. And I read it again. Hey, that was good also. That’s good. That’s not a lie. So it was interesting as you read it and you see something, and so what I want you to do is jump down there with me. We’re going to kind of be scattershot tonight, here and there and a little bit of everywhere.

But you’ll notice in verse 15. And when the chief priest, see that word? And the chief priest. Remember that. Important. Looking in verse 23, when he was coming to the temple of the chief priest, say it again. verse 45. And when the chief preached, there you have it again. So there’s three times that these chief priests had something to do with them. The meaning of this chapter and why Jesus is going to say what he’s going to say. Now if you look there again in verse 15 the chief priests and it says and describes these were your people that suppose to know the law, they put to know the law.

So sometimes you have people that are against each other. But sometimes they join together if they have a common denominator to hate. You know, it’s just like we can have somebody that’s an enemy of ours, but if they are an enemy of another enemy, that’s a worse enemy than we can become friends with the enemy of the other enemy. Don’t that make sense? We’re doing that right now, but anyway, we won’t get into that. Verse 15, and when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did.

So it’s going to have to tell us something about what they saw, what they did, and why. the chief priests and describes the lawyers. Then you look in verse 23 and when he was coming to the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the chief priests are with the elders of the people. And so there’s something’s going to happen here and well it’s a little story there. And then you look over there in verse 45 and when the chief priests and the Pharisees see there’s three different groups but the Sadducees is that common denominator that is within all three of these same groups.

So there must be a reason. You see the Sadducees were Sadducees and these were the chief priests and many of them and then you had, they didn’t believe in miraculous things, they didn’t believe in miracles, they didn’t believe in the resurrection. And the Sadducees really didn’t get along too well with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the law keepers, you know strict, obey the law to the tea, and they were very proud, very proud of their humility. So they didn’t always get along, but now they have a common denominator to hate.

Just happens to be Jesus. So there’s Jesus in all three of these little stories and something to look at that I think can help. Remember now, this is the big moment, the big day when Jesus goes into the city and he’s Declare, this is the king. He’s coming. It’s the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. Now he has been crucified yet. He’s on his way. But you’ll notice when he says here in verse 12, Jesus went into the temple.

Now in every one of these little stories, there’s something about the temple because that’s where Jesus goes to. And when he came to the temple and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that so does. So remember he had made the statement, he says, the zeal of the Lord had eaten me up from the book of John chapter 2 when he also did the same thing and that was at the beginning of his ministry.

Now at the end of it, he’s still burning. It’s still the zeal of the Lord has eaten me up. And he makes this statement, he says, he says, this is my father’s house. It’s a house of prayer and you have turned it into, what did he turn it into. A den of thieves, thieves. And he was upset. So he got a little angry and he did something about it. So he says in verse 13, he said to them, it is written, my house, I’ll be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves and the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.

But there was somebody that was there and they were watching. And when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, they were filled with amazement and bowed down and worshiped him. That’s what they should have done, right? That they didn’t do that. And the children crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sword displeased. They were not happy about it. Listen, there’s people that are blind and they can be able to see.

Lame been able to walk and they’re very displeased. It’s like some of these politicians that are a little upset because Donald Trump is still all the oxygen out of the room, getting all the attention. Well, there’s some people that are just plain jealous that just can’t stand it. It’s taken away their power. So they weren’t very happy about the situation. And that’s why Jesus said this. And Jesus said in verse 16, here’s what these say, and Jesus said unto them, Yay, have ye not read out of the mouth of babes and succent thou hast perfected praise?

And he left them and went out of the city into Bethany and he lodged there. So he left the tampon. Left Jerusalem, went back toward the Mount of Olives and up toward Bethany and he lodged there. Now the next morning they got up, they all went to the village inn, got them a big old, you know, pancakes and some eggs and sausage. Got them a big old full meal because it was going to be a long day and they headed back into Jerusalem.

They jumped there was no village inn there and no waffle house. What had it been, you know, if you was God and you knew the future and you know what, man, I just snapped my thing and just let one be there, just for the moment, just so you can, you know, you know what I did the other day. Yeah, it was yesterday. So far ago, I can hardly remember when it was, but I sat down at this little restaurant, I had to go get my eye checked, you know, I’m sitting there and this little girl sitting there beside me, and I looked over at the table, she looked up you in the little thing, gave me a big old smile, little Oriental girl.

She just got a smile on her face and talked to them and just smiled at me, and I looked on her plate and she had this pancake. I bet he doesn’t usually let me eat pancakes. But I looked at that pancake, I could taste it. Oh, I was ready to take it off that kid’s plate. I didn’t know a pancake could smell so good. I haven’t had one in so long. But I looked at that pancake and I said, honey, I could eat the other half of that pancake.

So she said, we’ll just get what you want. I’m going to get what I want. That lady came and I said, I want a pancake. I did that pancake. And that little girl, I said, I’m going to get a pancake like you. She was so thrilled that she influenced my judgment. And sometimes little kids, they’re colorblind. They don’t worry about who’s black and white and painting green and chartreuse and pen and strike and poke it out and all that.

They don’t worry about all this stuff. They just get along and play and forget all about it. And, but out of the mouth of babes. And he says, they were singing, praise the Lord and Hosanna and so forth. Hey, the Lord’s there. But now the kids could see it, but these big shots, these know it all, these prideful individuals, you know, the leaders, they couldn’t see what was happening right in front of them. really didn’t know who he was.

As I’ll say, they wished not who it was. So anyway, in verse 18, in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. That’s why I was talking about he always had something got something to eat. Don’t they eat breakfast? You know, before you leave. Well, I’ve been in Israel six times when we got up out of bed, you know, in our five-star hotels, and we all went down to breakfast. They had five different kinds of fish that you could eat for breakfast.

Have you ever eaten fish for breakfast? Over there, that fish is so good. I could just eat and eat and eat. Oh, it tastes so good. Five different kinds of fish and you could just eat all you wanted to do. And then of course we had all kinds of stuff in table up to table. I thought, isn’t this what Jesus had when he was here? I don’t think so. He didn’t have that. He didn’t have a buffet every time he stopped to eat someplace.

But now notice in verse 19 when he saw fig tree, he came to it and he found nothing there on but leaves only and said unto it, let no fruit grow on it henceforth forever and presently the fig tree weathered away. Now the purpose of the fig tree is to produce something. Leaves was the purpose of a fig tree. To have figs, you want figs on the tree. I’ve got a fig tree in my yard. I planted it with my own little hands.

And it would be real big in producing fruit today if I hadn’t accidentally with Milan more ran over it about three or four or five times. I forget all about it and I’m just a singing and just running the next thing. No, I don’t run over my fig tree. It was just starting to come up. But anyway, win some, lose some. But the Bible does say in the kingdom we’ll all have our own little fig tree to send under.

I won’t mind. anyway, here’s a fig tree. And many people think that the fig tree is kind of like a picture of the nation of Israel. He has presented himself as the king to the nation of Israel and the leaders, the leaders, the Pharisees and the elders and the Sadducees. All of them, they rejected him and says, the fig tree, there’s no fruit on it. Remember, he also made the statement that there is going to be a cutting down of every tree that bring not forth fruits of righteousness.

Well, that’s every individual in the world because we’ve all sinned and so therefore everybody dies. So he was looking for this fruit of righteousness on this tree. Israel as a nation should have accepted their Messiah. He had it fulfilled from a scripture how they could clearly know if they did believe their scriptures. He’ll come writing into the city on a donkey and this is what they’re going to say. And it happened and they saw it, but they couldn’t put it together.

Something’s missing upstairs. And so they were a little upset. So now he’s talking about a fig tree and so that fig tree withered immediately, withered. Now I also believe that as a Christian we’re not just to have nice foliage on our tree. You know some people are just so concerned about we got to have good character which we ought to have good character. But the purpose of that tree and you and I are a tree of life is to have some fruit.

People that trust Christ the Savior from our tree. We’re a tree and we’re not just to be here so we can have pretty foliage on it. Now he says there’s no fruit on it. Let it wither. And I believe this is what causes a lot of Christians to wither in their Christian life because they have no fruit in their life. And that will make you one big sour puss. I mean you are going to shrivel up and you’re not going to have the peace, the love, the joy, the happiness, excitement about your life because you don’t have fruit.

You’ve got to have some fruit. But anyways, we’re moving right along. In verse 21 he makes this statement. This is a powerful verse by the way. They were already there and they could see the Mount of Olives because that’s where Beth and he was and here’s Jerusalem and there’s a little Kidron Valley that runs through there. And so they, he says this in verse 21, Jesus answered, send to them, Verily I send to 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. You ever wanna try that? He says, all you gotta do is believe, but you have to believe that whatever it is you wanna do, is the will of God. True? And you must love the Lord and it has to be for God’s purpose. And if you do all things according to His will and pray according to His will, so if you know positively that it is God’s will for that mountain to be moved, then you can pray and ask for it.

It’s going to happen. But of course you’ve got a problem. You’ve got to figure out a few things in advance. But remember this, when He said this about this mountain, He was telling the truth. Because remember in Zechariah chapter 14, when he comes back again in his feet, touch upon the Mount of Olives, what’s gonna happen to that mountain? It’s gonna split. And the water from the Mediterranean sea is gonna go all the way down through there and right into the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is way lower, Mediterranean here. And there’s gonna be a river and there’s gonna be water and there’s gonna be life and the people gonna pitch their tents, run it and go fishing. I’ve been to the Dead Sea, I’ve squam in the Dead Sea. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea. I even tried to go under and I couldn’t even go under the water. I could have drowned if I’d have turned myself upside down and put my face down first, but I wasn’t gonna do that.

First time I went in there was with Hank Lindstrom, and I don’t even know if we ever got any pictures of me and Hank out there knowing we got some. I got some pictures of when we went. And the potions were this. And if I get out, shake off the dust off of them and try to, it’s a video. It’s a video. Maybe we’ll show them one of these days. He even looks younger too. I look a lot younger.

But now in verse 22, and all things whatsoever, you shall ask in prayer, believe in, you shall receive. Now he also makes a statement in the book of Revelation in chapter 6. He says at the end of the tribulation period the stars are gonna fall and the heavens are gonna shake and the mountains and are all are gonna move. The whole earth is gonna shake and move. So if you can ask him to shake any mountain and move any mountain, you know yet your prayers are gonna be answered because he didn’t say when but it’s going to take place.

Now in verse 23 When he was coming to the temple, that’s where he was, that before, the day before, now he’s doing it again, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching. So God is showing that he came legitimate offer and you had the lawyers, you had the Pharisees, you had the Sadducees, you had the elders of the people, every one of them had their moment with the son. And they all rejected him.

So I believe there’s more here than just you know just read nice little story and you go through the book of Matthew. But he says here, they came to him and asked him a question. Who gave you the right to do what you’re doing? Who gave you this authority? It wasn’t them and they didn’t give it to you. Where did you get it from? That’s a good question isn’t it? So they’re asking Jesus. Jesus, where did you get the right to do all this and speak with just power and so forth?

Who do you think you are? So Jesus said to them, He says, I got a question for you. If you answer my question, I’ll answer your question. That sounds good. I said, you one time. How come every time you ask a Jew a question, you always have to ask another question. He says, why not? So in verse 24, Jesus answered instead of them, I also will ask one thing, which if you tell me I and like God will tell you what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, which was it? Heaven or man? So now they reason among themselves. So if we shall say from heaven, he will say unto us, why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say of men, we fear the people for all whole John as a prophet. So the bunch of scaredy cats. They didn’t want to go out on a limb. So they said, we can’t tell. See in verse 27, we can’t tell. We don’t know.

So Jesus says, I ain’t going to tell you either. He says, neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. That sounds like fair game. So, but this is written because there’s these groups of people And Jesus is confronting each and every one of them in the legitimate place as a nation of Israel. He came in like he was supposed to as prophesied. So then he says there in verse 28, this little parable is a response to these Pharisees, these chief priests and the, you know, these elders and these lawyers describes.

explaining that to him so he uses an illustrator he says but what think he’s still talking to them certain men had two sons came to the first said son go work today in my vineyard he answered and says I will not but afterwards he repented in both anywhere and he came to the second said likewise and the answer says I go sir but he went not which of the two did the will of his father they said on him the first Jesus said of them barely I say unto you that the the Republicans and the harlot.

Now that’s not among these groups of the elders, the leaders, and they’re not the Pharisees and they’re not the Sadducees. These are tax collectors and harlots. But look at the comparison. He said, I came to you and you would not believe it. John the Baptist came and you would not believe him. So he says here in verse 31, I’m barely asking you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness.

You believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye when you had seen it, repented not afterwards, that you might believe him. So you can see that you have to repent in order to believe, change their mind. But they could have believed. See that? That you might believe Him. You are the one that determines whether or not you believe or you don’t believe. He puts it right back into their face and says, this is what you have done.

The harlots, the tax collector, they saw it. They believed it. Look at you. No. Whether or not they got the picture or not that he was talking about them, they really get it later. So he doesn’t let up. He said, let me tell you another little story. So the parable is a story. When you’re speaking to a mixed multitude and you want those who want to really want to get it, they can understand the truth. Those that really don’t want to know truth, they can’t get the meat of it.

All they heard is a story. So it’s a way of teaching truth in a mixed multitude where some get it and some don’t. But look in verse 33, here another parable. There was a certain house holder, which planet of Ingrid hedged it round about dig the wine press in it, built the tower and let it out to a husbandment and went into a far country. He’s had some land, he built him a wine press, leased it out to somebody and he went.

Now sooner or later, you know, he’s gonna want something, For what he owns, it’s his. So in verse 34, when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits of it. In other words, we have a right to it, it’s ours. You’ve been working for me. Now I come time. Get something from it. Just like when he came to the tree. There was to be something there and it wasn’t there.

He came to the nation of Israel and looking for the fruits of righteousness, and there was none. He presented himself as a the king and they were to accept him as their king and they refused to do so. They come up short. All of these little stories is actually one big story. These are just little sub-topsics and sub-stories in order to get the big picture. So he says here in verse 35, and the husband men took his servants and he beat one, killed another, stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did unto them likewise. And last of all, he sent unto them his Son, saying, they will reverence my Son.” Now, do you see maybe a possibility that he could have talked about Old Testament, Saints, and how he sent the prophets and how that they were killed and rejected? And last of all, he sent his Son, do you think they’re going to figure this out yet? Well, they are hard-headed bunch.

But you and I, we can read that story and we can pick it up just like that. We can say that, hey, we know what he’s talking about. I know what he’s referring to. I know he’s hitting him right between the eyes. So in verse 38, and when the husband saw the son, they said and among themselves, this is the come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance. So the man sent his son and they killed him.

You think he’s referring to anything? Look at verse 30 then they caught him, cast him out of the vineyard. Remember Jesus was taken outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem. You’ll also see that in the book of Hebrews 13th chapter where he was taken outside of the city. This is what he’s talking about, out of the vineyard and slew him when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh. What will he do unto those husband? Now he’s given them an illustration, so can you figure this out?

So he says, this man owned a piece of property. He built him a vineyard and he has a wine press there and he’s got some people that work for him and he went into a far country and afterwards when it was time for the get the fruit he sent his servants and they killed him he did it again same thing but last of all he sent his son and they killed him what do you think that the head man is going to do to those servants Are you a new listener to Bibleline?

Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Mail.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you, and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.