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Explanation for:
Matthew
21
:
46
And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes: because they held him as a prophet.
9
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"At one point, when they wished to apprehend Him, He moved through the crowd and became unseen; on another occasion, He manifested Himself and halted their resolve to slay Him, a resolve that distressed them greatly. They were astonished and wondered, ‘Is He truly the Christ? Look, He speaks openly, and no one speaks against Him’ (John 7:25, 26). However, in this instance, constrained by the fear of the multitude, Christ chose not to perform a miracle as He had done previously, nor did He blend into the crowd or become invisible. He did not desire to constantly exhibit divine power so that the reality of His humanity might be recognized. Yet, neither the populace nor Christ's words prompted the Jews to reconsider; they felt no shame regarding the prophets' testimonies, their own evaluations, or the opinions of the people. Their greed, arrogance, and attachment to earthly possessions had rendered them blind."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Despite their hardened hearts and their refusal to accept the truths spoken by the Son of God due to their disbelief and wickedness, they were unable to ignore the clear teachings and recognized that the judgments of the Lord were aimed at them. Consequently, they plotted to kill Him, but they feared the multitude, who regarded Him as a prophet. The crowd, always in flux, does not hold firmly to its purpose; it is like the ocean waves, swayed by the shifting winds. Those who previously honored Him and called Him a prophet later cried out, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him' John 19:6."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Across the world, people are more concerned with the opinion of others than with God. Christ communicated through parables and fulfilled prophecies, hoping that their fear might lead them to abandon their sinful ways, yet they instead intensified their desire to eliminate Him. He was aware that they would not alter their ways, but still, He carried out His mission tirelessly, leaving no obligation unmet."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The crowd held a deep respect for the Lord as a prophet, and due to a sense of unrest, they worried that the actions of the chief priests and Pharisees against Him could incite a rebellion, something to which the Jewish populace was often predisposed."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"They left the Lord bearing expressions akin to those of men faced with public disgrace, yet they still sought to avoid universal disdain. However, the Lord continually responded to His adversaries with compassion. What might have transpired had He openly proclaimed Himself the Messiah, as the scribes and Pharisees desired? Their aim was, of course, to leverage such a declaration as a feeble rationale for accusing Him before the Romans. But what peril were they putting both Jerusalem and themselves in? If the people had heard Him claim to be the Messiah, insurrection against their oppressors would have erupted, putting the chief priests and scribes at great risk. Foreseeing all of this, the Lord knew His enemies would eventually hear Him proclaim, ‘I am the Son of God’, yet they would comprehend this only when it would incite no public uproar, merely leading Him to His own crucifixion. In the meantime, the Sanhedrin had acquired all the knowledge they needed. It was evident from the Lord's parables that He was indeed the Messiah; He understood the secrets within their hearts, recognized their plots against Him, and willingly accepted death. Had they been attuned to their conscience, it would have revealed that Jesus was the Son of the Living God, the genuine Messiah. Yet they chose ignorance and marched toward inevitable destruction. The consequences were severe: forty years after Christ’s Ascension, Jerusalem faced annihilation, Judea experienced devastating tribulations, hundreds of thousands of Jews perished, and a million were taken captive. The kingdom of Judah no longer existed. The prophetic words of Christ’s parable were fulfilled: ‘He will put these evildoers to an evil death, but He will give the vineyard to other vinedressers,’ namely His apostles. Thus, the kingdom of God was taken away from the Hebrew people and entrusted to ‘a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’ And who is this people chosen by God to succeed the ungrateful and treacherous Israel? It is us Christians; we are the new vineyard planted by the Lord Himself, as He stated, ‘I am the Vine, and ye are the branches.’ We are the descendants of the new Israel; to us belong all the privileges and benefits of the ancient Israelites, indeed, even greater blessings. We are, as the apostle states, ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood ... a people for His own possession’; we are “heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ”; and we are “the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells” within us (1 Pet. 2:9; Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:16). Every provision has been granted to us for bearing good fruit: the Holy Church, ‘the pillar and foundation of the truth’ (1 Tim. 3:15), serves as our protection; the life-giving blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of the Holy Spirit flow from the Church to nourish souls yearning for the truth. To enable us to produce the fruits of faith and acts of goodness, the Lord has entrusted us to spiritual leaders—pastors and teachers—tasked ‘with the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry’ (Eph. 4:12). Thus, all has been provided for us to lead lives of holiness and purity, rejecting ungodliness and worldly passions, as befits the children of this new gracious kingdom. Yet these privileges belong only to those who live up to their esteemed status. If we are merely nominally different from the unyielding Jews, if we profess Christ verbally but stray from Him in our hearts and actions, if, having been redeemed by the Savior’s sacrifice on the cross, we subject Him to a second crucifixion through our sins and ingratitude, then not only will the judgments and condemnations decreed by God against the obstinate Jews apply to us, but we will face an even more devastating fate..."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The high priests and Pharisees, filled with rage towards Jesus for His public criticism of them, were eager to seize Him and put Him to death themselves. However, they feared that the crowd, who respected Him—if not as the Messiah, then at least as a prophet—would defend Him."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The significance and intention behind these parables were made increasingly apparent to them, stirring within them a desire for retribution. Yet, they were held back by fear, as Christ continued to be regarded as a prominent prophet among the populace."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The high priests, scribes, and Pharisees recognized that the Savior's parables were directed at them. The disgrace of their nation fueled their animosity toward the Lord Jesus Christ, leading them to desire His capture, yet they feared the populace who regarded Him as a prophet. Through the Lord's wise warnings, they grasped essential truths: the Messiah they spurned identified Himself as the foundational stone upon which the joy of the new Israel would be built; He was aware of their malicious and murderous intentions; and the suffering and death that awaited Him did not deter Him, for He was resolved to accomplish all that was ordained for the redemption of humanity by God's prior providence. Rather than reflect upon their consciences and objectively reconsider the matter over which they quarreled (Lk. 2:34), Christ’s foes allowed resentment to fester within them."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"To emphasize the theme of the chosen people's rejection due to their persistent defiance, the Lord referenced the prophet and Psalmist, who had long ago predicted the astonishing reality that those responsible for construction would dismiss the very stone destined to be the cornerstone. He further indicated that different workers would be called upon for the harvest of the Lord's vineyard. Drawing from the imagery in the psalm, He expressed this idea by stating: \\"He who falls on this rock will be broken, and on it he will fall.\\" This reflects the initial brokenness of repentance leading to a turn towards the kingdom of the Messiah, and the subsequent brokenness - the judgment of God - reminiscent of the vision revealed to Daniel, which occurred when the stone struck the feet of the statue (Dan. 2:45 cf. Is. 8:14-15)."}]}
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