Matt 21:23 And when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?
Matt 21:24 And Yeshua (Jesus) answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Father had sent him. All knowing, He knew they could not answer His question; therefore, He did not have to tell them by whose authority. Pretty cleaver. Can you imagine trying to win a debate with G-d in the flesh?
Matt 21:25-27 The immersion (baptism) of John, where was it from? From heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we will say, From heaven; He will say to us, Why did you not then believe him? But if we will say, of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Yeshua (Jesus), and said, we cannot tell. And He said to them, neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Matt 21:28-31 But what do you think? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Which of the two did the will of his father? They say to him, the first. Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, Truly I say to you, that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of G-d before you.
The truth sometimes cuts like a knife. Many considered themselves righteous and say they keep the instructions perfectly and really do not. This was true of many of the Pharisee’s of this time. Prostitutes already know they are not good enough on their own to get to the other world. They know they need help to get there. It is not hard for them to humble themselves. Their help comes from our perfect Messiah and only through His perfect and divine power can we get there through what He did on the execution stake. He took our sentence of guilty and put it on Himself. He brought PEACE (Shalom) between man and Adonai. Once we have trusted in this we can no longer be found “guilty” when it comes to getting to the other side. Sin can still affect our relationship with Adonai but our sin cannot keep us from the kingdom. If it could Yeshua would have to be offered again and again. This is one reason it is a better covenant. He offered Himself once and for all. Yeshua did not have to be diplomatic or did not hold back the truth because of fear of these men. Yeshua, the son, did the will of Adonai. As we are also His children we should also follow Yeshua’s example.
Matt 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him.
Fear G-d more than other people. Please don’t let this be how Adonai will talk to you.
Matt 21:33-41 Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it (protection), dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' "But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?" They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers (gentiles) who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."
Adonai is the Father. Yeshua is the Son. He can take away our protection if we continue in disobedience. He commanded His Son to die for us. He says if we reject His Son, He will reject us. The fear of Adonai is the beginning of all wisdom! Not only the Romans had a hand in it. It was a collective decision to try to kill Yeshua. We also killed Him, in a sense, because He died for us. Remember it was also the will of Adonai.
Matt 21:42 Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Tehillim (Psalms) 118:22-23 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the L-RD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Yeshua is the cornerstone.
Matt 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of G-d will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
How to get to the Kingdom was taken away from the “nation” as a whole. There was still a remnant who told others how to get to the other world. Gentile nations later provided the good news and the fruits of the Spirit. (Provision)
We are under the instruction of the Messiah. We were told to listen to Him.
Gal 5:22-6:1 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (instruction). And they that are Messiah’s (Christ's) have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.
We are at liberty to keep the instruction; however, the temple required by Levitical law was destroyed. We now have our bodies, which are now the temple for the Spirit to dwell in.
Heb 8:10-11 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the L-rd; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a G-d, and they will be to Me a people: And they will not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the L-rd: for all will know me, from the least to the greatest.
The New Covenant is in the heart and will be eventually received by Israel.
Heb 8:12-13 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that He said, A new covenant, He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.
The old instruction is for the disobedient, ungodly, sinner and the uncircumcised in heart. The man who thinks he is righteous will never receive eternal salvation for they do not understand the true purpose of the instruction. We understood we were sinners by these instructions and that we needed a Savior TO TAKE AWAY our sin. This fact led us to the Messiah and the good news. (Basar) This good news is the same news that Moshe said to listen for. (Deut. 18:15-19) When it comes to our eternal salvation the instruction for believers has served its purpose. The animal sacrifices will still serve a purpose in the future for the ungodly and for us it will be a remembrance of the consequences and the ugliness of sin. The Tanakh and the New Covenant should still be studied.
Some hide the complete meaning of the Messiah and His duel mission. First- He was to suffer, to die and then to bring spiritual peace. Second- to a later generation He would also bring physical world peace and worship on earth as in heaven.
1 Tim 1:7 -11 Desiring to be teachers of the law (instruction); understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law (instruction) is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel (good news) of the blessed G-d, which was committed to my trust.
We cannot reach this eternal salvation or the other world through the Mosaic or Noahic law. However, the Mosaic Law does reveal to us all that we are sinners and cannot reach the goal. Then it points us to our only hope- Yeshua HaMashiach. Once we receive this truth we are then under Him. If we follow Yeshua we are following the Father.
D’varim (Deuteronomy) 31:26 Take this book of the law (Torah), and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the L-RD your G-d, that it may be there for a witness against you.
Yeshua is the cornerstone.
Matt 21:44 And who ever will fall on this stone will be broken: but on whomsoever it will fall, it will grind him to powder. (cf. Isaiah 8:14)
Isaiah 8:14 He is there to be a sanctuary. But for the houses of Israel He will be a stone to stumble over, a rock obstructing their way; a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. Many of them will stumble and fall, be broken and trapped and captured.
The choice will be yours. Choose today whom you will serve.
Matt 21:45-46 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Yeshua’s (Jesus') parables, they knew He was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that He was a prophet.
They took Him for a prophet. He sometimes used the same tone as the prophets of the Tanakh. (Ex: Isaiah 1:4)