Smoodock's Blog

A cursory read of Matthew 21:18-22 would allow one to believe everything mentioned took place on a single day, but a comparison of Matthew’s narrative with the other three Gospels, both Synoptics and John, would reveal Matthew 21:18-22 covers three days, the Sabbath day (implied), the following day, “in the morning,” when Jesus was hungry, which immediately precedes his Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, and, finally, the day of the withered fig tree. This was the day after the Triumphant Entry.

In our previous study we left Jesus in Bethany; a meal was prepared for him there, and he and his disciples lodged at Martha’s home.[1] Jesus arrived in Bethany on the 9^th day of the first month just before the beginning of the Sabbath day (John 12:1). The weekly Sabbath fell on the 10^th day of the month that year. It was on the 10^th of the month that the Passover lamb was chosen and it was continually inspected for blemishes, until it was slain on the 14^th of the month, Passover Day (cp. Exodus 12:3, 5-6).

While he was in Bethany, on the morning of the 10^th day folks came to see both Jesus and Lazarus, whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead (John 12:9; cp. John 11:39-44). No one could journey to Jerusalem on this day, because Jerusalem was further away than Sabbath day’s walk permitted.[2]

With these things in mind, Matthew’s “in the morning” (Matthew 21:18 points to the first day of the week or the 11^th day of the month. Jesus spent the whole Sabbath day (the 10^th of the month) in Bethany at Martha’s home. Therefore, “the next day” was the day after the Sabbath or the 11^th of the first month. Thus, the “next day” in John’s narrative (John 12:12) is the same as “in the morning” of Matthew’s narrative (Matthew 21:18), and Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, but this time from Bethany (cp. Mark 11:12).

According to the text, Jesus was hungry and tried to get some fruit from a fig tree along the way, but, when he came to the tree, it had no fruit. Therefore. Jesus cursed the tree, and presently it withered away (Matthew 21:19). Nevertheless, although Jesus’ disciples noted that Jesus cursed the tree (Mark 11:14), the withering wasn’t noticed by the disciples until the following day, which was the 12^th day of the month (Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:20-21).

Speaking to his disciples on the 12^th day of the month, vis-à-vis the day after his Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, he told them that, if they had faith, not only would they be able to curse a tree and cause it to wither, but they could say to ‘this’ mountain, “Be you removed and cast into the sea,” and it would be done, because the prayer of faith would bring it to pass (Matthew 21:21-22).

Jesus’ point in saying ‘this’ mountain seems to point to a mountain that was near him and in his sight. Nations are often figuratively referred to as mountains in scripture: “the mount of the Amalekites (Judges 12:15), the mountain of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 1:20), the mountain of Israel (Joshua 11:16), the mountain of Judah (Joshua 20:7) etc. Jesus wasn’t speaking of Mount Olives, because what would be the point of casting a literal mountain into a literal sea? Instead, Jesus spoke of the judgment of the mountain of the Jews, which would occur in AD 70, when Rome destroyed the Jewish nation/mountain, and the Jews were cast into the sea, vis-à-vis scattered throughout sea of the nations (cp. Daniel 7:2-3; Revelation 8:8; 18:21).

Jesus’ Three Entries into Jerusalem
Enters Jerusalem	Curses Fig Tree	Cleanses Temple	Goes to Bethany	Tree Withered
Matthew 21:1-11		Mat. 21:12-13	Matthew 21:17
Matthew 21:23	Mat. 21:18-19a
Mark 11:1-11
Mark 11:12	Mark 11:13-14	Mark 11:15-17
Mark 11:20, 27				Mark 11:20-26
Mat. 21:19, 23				Matthew 21:19b
Luke 19:28-40
Luke 19:41-44		Luke 19:45-48
John 12:12-15

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[1] My earlier studies in the Gospel of Luke have Martha married to Simon Zelotes, one of Jesus’ disciples; see Who is Simon the Pharisee?

[2] See my earlier study in the Gospel of Luke, A Sabbath Day’s Journey and Jesus.