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The One Year New Testament

February 21

Matthew 21:1-17

Matthew 21:1-17

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Reflection

In what is known as the “Triumphal Entry,” Jesus enters Jerusalem being celebrated as the “Son of David” who comes “in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 21:9). In other words, the crowds are praising Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, the Savior-King that God had promised to his people (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16).

After entering the city, Jesus severely confronts the corrupt practices at the temple (Matt. 21:12–13), heals those in need (v. 14), and willingly receives the praises of children who— like the crowds— recognize that he is “the Son of David” (vv. 15–16), Israel’s Messiah. The public confrontation between the religious leaders and the true King of Israel is reaching its height. The note of victory that rings in these verses will turn astonishingly sour as Jesus is seemingly conquered in crucifixion within a matter of days. But the gospel teaches us that God’s victory was cloaked in weakness, for the salvation of his people was actually purchased by the death of their King (cf. John 12:24).

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Reflection

It seems that the members of the Corinthian church are especially attracted to eloquent speech (1 Cor. 1:17; 2:1, 4). However, Paul reminds them that when he first came to Corinth, he did not preach to them with “lofty speech or wisdom” (v. 1). His presentation of the message was anything but impressive (vv. 2–3), and yet God’s Spirit had made a powerful impression on the Corinthians (v. 4). Ultimately, our ongoing faith in Christ is not the result of human wisdom or eloquence. The decisive factor is the powerful movement of God’s Spirit in the heart as the gospel (the good news about Jesus) is proclaimed (v. 5).

The church in Corinth had lost touch with its roots. Dependence on Christ’s work at Calvary is not a temporary stage in our spiritual development. We begin the Christian life with the gospel, and that same message is what provides ongoing power for living the Christian life (cf. 15:1–4). The truth about “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2) is therefore not a basic teaching to be left behind as we mature, but a lens through which we should view all of Scripture (1:19, 31; 2:9, 16) and all of life.

Psalm 72:12

Psalm 72:12

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.

Thoughts For Prayer

Only those who are willing to admit that they are weak truly qualify for God’s blessing. Allow this truth to free you to be honest and specific with God about your sins, temptations, and shortcomings.

Missions Prayer Requests More

  • September 16, 2025

    Supported Workers: Kep & Debbie James in Africa, Europe, and the Americas

    Countries:

    Praise God that when Kep spoke with Pastor Sebastian in Colombia, Sebastian said that everywhere he goes he sees evidence of God’s grace transforming Colombia as people study the Bible, live it, preach it, and teach it in their local churches. Thank God for the ILC Church planted by Kep and Debbie in La Paz, Bolivia, and pray they will continue to grow as a church grounded in Christ and focused on evangelism and discipleship. Pray for Kep and Debbie as they travel to Fortaleza, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; and then to Peru for ESI leadership and training meetings the last two weeks of September and first week of October.

    New Caledonia (Pacific). Population: 295,333 Believers: 7.0%. Most Kanaks are Christianized, and most villages have a church, but the gospel is often confused with Western culture. Animist practices usually underlie a Christian veneer. Pray for pastors to discern between tradition and the pure gospel and that a truly biblical, truly Kanak church may continue to grow and demonstrate the power of Jesus over the evil one. Northern Mariana Islands (Pacific). Population: 43,541 Believers: 12.7%. The indigenous Chamorro majority were baptized as Catholics, but their deeper beliefs and worldview betray an underlying animist outlook. Pray that the light of the gospel may shine on this people. Although Catholicism’s influence is waning, evangelical outreach is only recent. Pray for the ministry of the numerous Bible-believing churches from various denominations. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org

The One Year New Testament Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, used by Permission. NIV Bible copyright International Bible Society.