BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Today, Matthew begins an epic showdown scene—Jesus, the Messiah, confronting rulers who were expecting a different kind of savior. Pay special attention to design patterns in these two chapters. You’ll find a triad, or three sets of three that all connect: Jesus does three sign acts, then teaches three parables, and finally clashes three times with religious “experts.”

The sign acts include riding a donkey into Jerusalem (see Zech. 9:9), flipping money changers’ tables at the temple and driving people out of the holy space, and cursing a fig tree. All three portray Jesus as Israel’s long-anticipated king. All three also show how Jesus failed to meet popular expectations about what the messiah should be doing.

They wanted the warrior king who would wipe out every enemy, not a humble king who would teach people to love and care for enemies. Today, the crowds praise him, singing, “Hosanna! Hosanna!”

In a few days, they’ll instead chant, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

After the sign acts, Jesus teaches three parables that envision God’s Kingdom, again in a way most did not expect. Notice the warning in each story: Don’t assume you already understand how God’s Kingdom operates, and don’t regard it as a minor thing. This kingdom is like none other and more important than all else.

Finally, the experts and teachers of God’s law try to entrap Jesus with three Bible questions. They designed these questions to humiliate Jesus and tank his credibility no matter how he answered. Jesus sees and avoids each trap, ultimately showing himself to be a far greater expert and teacher of God’s law.

Notice how today’s final literary unit (Matt. 22:41-46) pulls all three sets of the triad (three sign acts, three parables, three clashes) into one concluding point: Jesus is the Messiah from David’s line, which makes him Lord and King over all creation. That’s fantastic news for many, but it’s a significant threat to the elite power brokers, as we will see.

Jesus has entered the city. The showdown is underway. Buckle up because the next several chapters get intense.

Reflection Questions

• When the religious leaders try to trip Jesus up with a question about taxes, Jesus tells them that since the image on the coin belongs to Caesar, the coin also belongs to Caesar. What does the Hebrew Bible reveal about God’s image? What does this tell us about what humanity owes to God?
• The crowd expects Jesus to defeat Rome and expel them from the land, but Jesus has a bigger foe to conquer. What has Jesus done and taught that shows he has a different agenda than the crowds?