The Kingdom of God Taken from Religious Rulers - Matthew 21:43

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders of Jerusalem, “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?”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse forty-three of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem, “the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth fruits” where we read:

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,

and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

The verse reads, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, ...” Matthew began with the word, “Therefore” which means “by these grounds and reasons by something that is or is not done” “say I” or “utters, declares and proclaims Jesus” “unto you” which means “to the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem”, “the kingdom” which means “the royal power, kingship, dominion and rule” “of God” or “belonging to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “shall be taken” which means “will be borne away and carried off” “from you” or “from the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “chief priests and elders” would have God's Kingdom stripped from them.

The verse goes on to say, “... and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Matthew added the words, “and given” which means “and granted, supplied and furnished” “to a nation” which means “to a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus, tribe or people group” “bringing forth” or “producing, bearing, shooting forth” “the fruits thereof” which means “the effects and results of planted fields”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said the “Kingdom of God” would be granted to another group of people who would produce “fruits” within it.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus desires to find “fruit” in His field. God's field is the world, and the people living within it are His desired “fruit”. Those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall be “saved” and have become “fruit” in God's “vineyard”. God wants abundant “fruit”, and He has entrusted people within His church with the responsibility of sharing His truth. If they function in the same manner as these “chief priests and elders”, no one should be surprised if their responsibilities are taken from them and given to someone else.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus tells the chief priests and elders, “whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.