The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 16: Matthew 21:1-46, by Kevin M. Williams
The Pharisees, in attempting to rebuke Yeshua to silence his disciples, were instead bringing sin upon their own heads.
John goes on to say that the Pharisees turned to each other and said, “… you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” (John 12:19).
By Jewish tradition then and now, the Messiah will not announce himself, but will be hailed as the Messiah. The evidence will be so apparent that the Messiah will not need to be self-promoting—others will proclaim His reality. According to the threatened Pharisees, “the world” had gone after him, certainly meaning the Israelites.
And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the multitudes were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matthew 21:10-11).
For the Israelite, this answer built on Yeshua’s credibility as the Messiah, son of David. Isaiah 9:1-2 claims that out of the Galilee will come a “great light.” The importance of Nazareth shows up earlier in Matthew 2:23, likely alluding back to Isaiah 11:1 and the netzer in Hebrew, or “branch” in English. The pomp and circumstance, even the answers to the questions that day, all proclaimed Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel.
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And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My House shall be called a House of Prayer; but you are making it a robbers’ den” (Matthew 21:12-13).
There has been much speculation as to what was going on here. Why would Yeshua, the loving Redeemer, get so angry? Does that preclude modern houses of worship from selling Bibles or selling other merchandise?
Perhaps we can answer those questions, at least in part. Passover takes place in the month of Nisan, at dusk on the 14th of Nisan to be precise. On the first day of the prior month, the month of Adar, the temple began collecting the God ordained and required temple tax, specifically, the holy half-shekel. This was no common half-shekel because the holy half-shekel was minted from the purest silver possible, whereas the common shekels and half-shekels were pressed from “common” silver.
Category: Biblical Studies, Pneuma Review, Winter 2005
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