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INTRODUCTION

In an atomic weapon, a handful of neutrons cause a chain reaction ending with the vaporization of entire cities and the deaths of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people. The chain of events happens sort of like this. A free neutron is released in the presence of Uranium atoms. Once it collides with one of those atoms, it enters Uranium’s nucleus causing it to become so unstable that the atom will split. When this happens, 3 additional neutrons are set free that end up colliding with three additional atoms of Uranium. The process occurs again netting 9 free neutrons, and before long (roughly six hundred billionths of a second) an uncountable amount of nuclear reactions will have occurred unleashing unimaginable havoc in all directions. No matter how quickly the chain reaction occurs, it would not be possible without specific sequential events that magnify in intensity.

Similarly, God unleashed a chain reaction upon unstable Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago. Based on specific sequential events that increase in intensity (detailed in Matthew 21-23), Jesus collided with the leadership of the city and the result was a city reduced to ash and rubble. Today, we jump right into the middle of that reaction and notice four specific events that occur from the end of Matthew 21 to the end of Matthew 22 that set the stage for this implosion. 

THE ONES REDUCED TO RUBBLE

While a deeper treatment of the issues is well in order, I must briefly summarize how this escalation is unfolding. Matthew 21 ends with an incredibly provocative statement by Jesus that has massive implications for how the events transpire in Jerusalem. He says: 

“Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? 43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Jesus is not only accusing them of being ignorant of the Scriptures, such as Psalm 118 where this quote comes from, but He is also demonstrating how they will be the ones to reject Him, and that He will be the stone upon which God’s Kingdom will be built. This is why Jesus can look at the Pharisees and Scribes and say that the Kingdom will be taken away from them and given to another people because they will be crushed under the weight of the rock of ages and scattered like chaff to the four winds in Judgment. 

This kind of judgment language goes well beyond the typical evangelical interpretation, where the Jews simply made a poor choice. That line of thinking might view the Jews in the same league as every other unbeliever who weighed the evidence, was not convinced, and chose wrongly. Or, if you are Calvinist, they were not elect and acted like every other reprobate who ever lived. But this is not what is happening here. These are people who had the kingdom and were losing the kingdom, which is not true for unbelievers in general. 

Jesus uses verses 43 and 44 to remind the Jews of promises made in Daniel 2, where God will cut our an eternal rock (Da 2:34), who will strike a brittle kingdom (Da 2:43), that will topple and crush the empires of antiquity to dust (Da 2:35a), that will scatter them like chaff to the ends of the earth (Da 2:35b) and will be the inauguration of God’s true kingdom (Da 2:44) that will end up capturing the entire world and bringing it under the dominion of God (2:35, 44-45). 

Jesus is telling them that He is that rock sent by God. He is showing them that He is the one who will not only bring God’s Kingdom to all the nations but will do so by striking them, crushing them, and scattering them to the ends of the earth. This is exactly what happened when God used Rome to end the nation of Judah and we are living in that eternal Kingdom that Christ Himself created. We see again that His coming is for the salvation of some and the judgment of others. 

REMOVED FROM THE WEDDING 

There is no gap of time existing between the end of chapter 21 and the beginning of chapter 22. Jesus moves from the two previous parables of judgment upon Judah to the final parable of judgment against Judah, which most fully captures His point. 

In Matthew 22:1-14, He describes a particular king, who decided to give a wedding feast for His beloved Son. And while the event was still in the future, with plenty of time for the people to respond, the king sent out His slaves to bring invitations to all the people of his realm. Yet, none of them responded or were willing to come. 

Then, as the meal drew near and the food was prepared, with the table set and all the preparations made, still no one had come. So, the King hurriedly sent another group of servants out unto the people, to plead with them to attend before it was too late. Some ignored the invitation completely and went on about their business. Others abused and killed the king’s slaves as if nothing would happen to them.

But, when the king found out, He was enraged with a perfect fury. He sent His armies to kill them swiftly and then he set fire to their city; offering the banquet to another people that He, Himself, would gather. Here again, we see Jesus speaking with terrifying accuracy about the state of cursed Judah. 

For God was and is the great King that they were rejecting. Christ was and is the Son who was being prepared for marriage and feasting with His people. This makes Judah the one who spurned the coming of the prophets, ignoring some and killing others. And this makes Jerusalem the city that would be set on fire by God, cast into the outer darkness, and incapable of participating in His new covenant wedding. Jesus’ coming produced judgment for apostate Judah, but salvation for the people He would gather.

RENDERED UNTO CAESAR 

This triad of parables incensed the Jewish aristocracy so spectacularly that they stepped away to construct a clever theological trap. Jesus had just humiliated them publicly in downtown Jerusalem and they were looking for a way to embarrass Him back. Ironically, they sent a group of their disciples and Herodians who Jesus rightly humiliated for their ignorance. How so?

Well, many have endeavored to exegete this passage already (Mt. 22:15-22). And from my estimation, they have done a fine job of it so that there is no need for me to rebuild an already good foundation. But, what I would like to do briefly, is point out an irony that often gets overlooked. When Jesus said “Render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar”, He was not simply talking about money and tax policy. He was talking about identity. 

Humans were made to render themselves unto God because God had stamped His image upon them. Yet, because of the fall of man, sinful creatures will find all kinds of images to take and render themselves to instead of our Creator. This is certainly true of the Jewish leaders who were in bed with the Romans, received their power, statuses, and appointments from Rome, and in the end, declared “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).

The irony is that the Herodians and the Pharisees unwittingly brought their idol straight to Jesus (wealth and money - e.g. Luke 16:14). And by their allegiance to Rome, they confirmed that they were the ones who were already rendered over to Caesar. In 40 years, the consequences of their allegiances would be paid in full, since God would fully render them over to the might and power of Rome.

ROUTED UNDER MESSIAH’S FEET

As the chain of events continues to ratchet up in intensity, Matthew 22 ends just before the explosion occurs. Like the Herodians, the Sadducees step up to take a crack at Jesus, only to be abashed by Him in the process. To be fair, Jesus had just delivered three devastating parables that the Jews felt obligated to respond to. Unfortunately for them, their response was not bathed in the kind of humility one ought to have when speaking to God’s beloved Son. Hence, their replies only serve to confirm their foolishness and the inevitability of their impending judgment.

The Pharisees are the last to enter the ring with Jesus in Matthew 22, and after their question is easily answered, Christ poses a question to them. He says: 

“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”’? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

As Matthew 22 draws to a tense and awkward close, Jesus again reveals that He is God. He is the one David looked to and called Lord. He is the one who will sit at the right hand of God in power and might to rule. And, He is the one who will crush all of His enemies under His stomping feet. Given the larger context of Scripture, the first enemy Jesus will crush under His feet will be Satan on the cross (Gen. 3:15) followed by Judah, whom He called children of the Devil (John 8:44).

This, as we have seen, is confirmed by the near context as well. Jesus is the King who was offered only leaves (Mt. 21:1-11); He is the priest who found the temple rotten (Mt. 21:12-17); He is the prophet who acted out Jerusalem’s parabolic judgment on a fig tree (Mt. 21:18-22); He is the God-man who they rejected (Mt. 21:23-27), and He is the true messenger of God who spoke three explicit parables of judgment upon the Jews (Mt. 21:28-22:14).

In the end, the Jews did not repent. They challenged Him. They embarrassed themselves. And instead of admitting their error they remained silent and awaited their cursing. Next week, as the Pharisees remain silent, we will see how the chain of events explodes with Jesus pronouncing 7 covenantal curses of woe.

Until then, God bless you!