MattheW 21:1 | 1571
I have the right to do what I want with my own money ? Or are you en vi ous be cause I am gen er ous ?’
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“ So the last will be first , and the first will be last .”
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
20:17-19pp — Mk 10:32-34 ; Lk 18:31-33
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Now Jesus was go ing up to Je ru sa lem . On the way , he took the Twelve aside and said to them ,
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“ We are go ing up to Je ru sa lem , and the Son of Man will be de liv ered over to the chief priests and the teach ers of the law . They will con demn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gen tiles to be mocked and flogged and cru ci fied . On the third day he will be raised to life !”
A Mother ’ s Request
20:20-28pp — Mk 10:35-45
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Then the moth er of Zeb e dee ’ s sons came to Jesus with her sons and , kneel ing down , asked a fa vor of him .
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“ What is it you want ?” he asked .
She said , “ Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the oth er at your left in your king dom .”
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“ You don ’ t know what you are ask ing ,” Jesus said to them . “ Can you drink the cup I am go ing to drink ?” “ We can ,” they an swered .
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Jesus said to them , “ You will in deed drink from my cup , but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant . These plac es be long to those for whom they have been pre pared by my Fa ther .”
20:14 I want to give the one who was hired last By ignoring when the workers started , the owner demonstrates grace — giving some more than they deserve .
20:17 – 19 Matthew includes a reminder that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem .
20:17 Jesus was going up to Jerusalem This journey apparently began in Galilee ( see note on 19:1 ). Travelers on this route would start uphill at Jericho ( see v . 29 ; compare note on Mk 10:32 ). From there , it was about a ten-mile ascent to Jerusalem . See the event line “ Jesus ’ Journey to Jerusalem ” on p . 1616 . 20:18 Son of Man See Mt 8:20 and note . chief priests Prominent priests who were involved in Jewish religious government . teachers of the law See note on 2:4 .
20:20 – 28 The mother of James and John boldly asks Jesus to give her sons positions of honor in his kingdom of heaven . Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach about humility .
20:20 the mother of Zebedee ’ s sons She apparently was traveling with Jesus and her sons ( 27:55 – 56 ). 20:21 at your right and the other at your left Refers to preeminent positions of authority and honor — the first and second in importance after Jesus himself . 20:22 the cup I am going to drink Refers to suffering ( 26:39 ; compare Jn 18:11 ; Ps 75:8 ; Isa 51:17 ; Zec 12:2 ). We can The disciples probably didn ’ t understand exactly what Jesus was talking about .
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When the ten heard about this , they were indig nant with the two broth ers . 25 Jesus called them to geth er and said , “ You know that the rul ers of the Gen tiles lord it over them , and their high of fi cials ex er cise au thor i ty over them . 26 Not so with you . In stead , who ev er wants to be come great among you must be your ser vant , 27 and who ev er wants to be first must be your slave — 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served , but to serve , and to give his life as a ran som for many .”
Two Blind Men Receive Sight
20:29-34pp — Mk 10:46-52 ; Lk 18:35-43
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As Jesus and his dis ci ples were leav ing Jer i cho , a large crowd fol lowed him . 30 Two blind men were sit ting by the road side , and when they heard that Jesus was go ing by , they shout ed , “ Lord , Son of Da vid , have mer cy on us !”
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The crowd re buked them and told them to be qui et , but they shout ed all the loud er , “ Lord , Son of Da vid , have mer cy on us !”
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Jesus stopped and called them . “ What do you want me to do for you ?” he asked .
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“ Lord ,” they an swered , “ we want our sight .”
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Jesus had com pas sion on them and touched their eyes . Im me di ate ly they re ceived their sight and fol lowed him .
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
21:1-9pp — Mk 11:1-10 ; Lk 19:29-38 21:4-9pp — Jn 12:12-15
As they ap proached Je ru sa lem and came to Beth pha ge on the Mount of Ol ives , Jesus
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20:23 You will indeed drink from my cup Both men ultimately suffer . James was executed as a martyr by Herod Agrippa ( Ac 12:1 – 2 ). John was persecuted and banished to the island of Patmos ( Rev 1:9 ), but it is not clear whether he was martyred . According to writers in the early church , John died as an old man in Ephesus ( see note on Jn 21:23 ). 20:26 must be your servant Another paradoxical statement of role-reversal ( compare Mt 19:30 ; 20:16 ). Rather than exercising authority , a godly leader willingly becomes a servant of others . 20:28 but to serve Jesus does not merely instruct his disciples about what they should do ; he models it for them .
20:29 – 34 In the final episode before Jesus ’ arrival in Jerusalem , Jesus is again shown to be the Messiah from David ’ s line . Jesus continues to show his concern for the castoffs of society and heals two blind men whom the crowds attempt to silence .
20:29 Jericho Northwest of the Dead Sea , about ten miles from Jerusalem . 20:30 Son of David A Messianic title . See note on 1:1 .
21:1 – 11 At the height of Messianic fervor , Jesus enters the holy city amid great pomp and pageantry . See the event line “ Jesus ’ Passion and Resurrection ” on p . 1698 .
21:1 Bethphage Likely located near Bethany on the