Jesus responded to the Jewish leaders' challenge to his authority with three parables that spoke of consequences on those who oppose Christ. In telling this second parable, Jesus turned the tables on the leaders, revealing their rejection of God—a rejection that would lead to a reconstitution of God’s people by the one who has all authority.

Through His entrance into Jerusalem and clearing of the temple, Jesus is making clear His authority. He is the King. But in our passage today, we find the religious leaders challenging the very notion. “Who does Jesus think He is? Is He in charge of this place and what happens here?” The answer is yes, Jesus is. But these leaders think that is preposterous.

Many things can masquerade as the real thing but fail upon closer inspection. Jesus deals with this kind of charade in this shocking episode in Matthew: the cursing of the fig tree. In this inverted miracle, we learn the stakes of giving a fruitful impression but failing to back it up.

If you have ever wondered how you get from Psalm Sunday, when everyone was cheering Jesus, to Good Friday, when Jesus hung on the cross, the answer is what happened on the days in between. And especially what happened on Monday, when Jesus cleared the Temple. This was not Jesus meek and mild. This was Jesus in a righteous rage.

This Lord's day, we celebrate the significance of the empty tomb. Jesus has risen!

As we gather for Good Friday this year, we will reflect on how Jesus experienced physical and spiritual suffering that he might accomplish all that we need for our salvation.

Though Jesus came as a king, he was not the kind of king that most people expected. He didn’t come to provide immediate political and military victory. Jesus was different from other earthly kings. In our study of Matthew 21:1-11, we'll see that, despite our expectations, Jesus Christ is precisely the kind of king we need.