Matthew 21 | Devotional - Bible Reading and Prayer - One Chapter a Day

Matthew Chapter 21 | Best devotional materials, including: introduction, background, main content, Bible reading and prayer video, Scripture, and post-reading prayer to help you gain a deeper understanding of biblical truth.

Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to our One Chapter per day Bible reading time. 

By God’s grace, today we will read Matthew chapter 21.

In this powerful chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy, “Behold, your King is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey.” The crowds shout “Hosanna to the Son of David,” welcoming Him as the Messiah. Yet soon after, Jesus cleanses the temple, driving out those who turned His Father’s house into a place of profit. He teaches with authority through parables—the two sons and the wicked tenants—revealing how the hearts of many reject God’s call to obedience and faith.

This chapter reminds us that Jesus is the true King who comes in humility and righteousness, and He seeks a heart that genuinely honors God, not just lips that say the right words. Let us listen with reverence and gratitude to God’s Word together.

Matthew Chapter 21 Introduction:

Matthew chapter 21 marks the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry — a week that leads to His crucifixion and resurrection. This chapter is filled with powerful moments that reveal Jesus as the long-awaited King, the righteous Judge, and the merciful Savior. From His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His cleansing of the temple and His parables about judgment, Matthew 21 emphasizes both God’s compassion and His holiness.

Main Content of Matthew Chapter 21

The Triumphal Entry (verses 1–11)
Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 — that the King would come in humility, bringing peace. The crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Their praise acknowledges Jesus as the promised Messiah. Yet this same crowd would later cry, “Crucify Him,” revealing the fleeting nature of human admiration compared to true faith.

Cleansing of the Temple (verses 12–17)
Upon entering the temple, Jesus drives out the money changers and merchants who had turned a house of prayer into a place of profit. His actions demonstrate His zeal for God’s holiness and His authority over worship. The blind and the lame come to Him and are healed, while children continue to praise Him — showing that sincere worship is found not in religious formality but in humble hearts.

The Withered Fig Tree (verses 18–22)
The next morning, Jesus curses a barren fig tree, which withers immediately. This act serves as a living parable about Israel’s spiritual fruitlessness. It reminds believers that outward appearance without true faith and fruitfulness is meaningless. Jesus also teaches that faith-filled prayer can accomplish the impossible when aligned with God’s will.

Parables of Judgment (verses 23–46)
Jesus tells two parables — the Parable of the Two Sons and the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. Through them, He rebukes the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and rejection of God’s message. The leaders, though outwardly religious, disobeyed God, while repentant sinners entered His kingdom by faith. The chapter concludes with Jesus identifying Himself as the cornerstone rejected by the builders — a direct reference to Psalm 118:22 — foretelling His rejection by Israel and His exaltation by God.

Spiritual Significance of Matthew Chapter 21

Matthew 21 reveals the contrast between outward religion and true faith. It calls us to welcome Jesus not just with words of praise, but with hearts that truly surrender to His kingship. The cleansing of the temple challenges us to let Christ purify our hearts, removing anything that hinders true worship. The withered fig tree reminds us that genuine faith must bear fruit in action and obedience.

Ultimately, Matthew 21 points to Jesus as both Savior and Judge — the humble King who enters our lives to bring salvation, yet the righteous Judge who examines our hearts.

Through Matthew chapter 21, we are reminded to receive Jesus as our true King, to worship Him with sincerity, and to bear lasting fruit through faith and obedience. Each moment in this chapter draws us closer to the cross — where the King of glory reveals the fullness of God’s love and righteousness.

Matthew Chapter 21 YouTube Bible Reading and Prayer Video:

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 

“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus at the Temple

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.