In Matthew chapters 21 and 22 we have the fulfillment of a type in the Old Testament with which many are not familiar. Before the Passover, according to God's commandment, the people of Israel must prepare a lamb at least four days in advance (Exod. 12: 3, 6). During that period of preparation, the lamb was thoroughly examined for any spot or blemish. The lamb must be absolutely perfect to qualify for the Passover. We know that the Passover lamb was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb. Before He went to the cross to fulfill the Passover, He spent about six days in Jerusalem, and that through which He passed during these days was the fulfillment of the examination performed on the Passover lamb. During this time the people put Jesus on probation. Matthew 21 and 22 reveal the examination to which He was subjected. He was examined by leaders and representatives of all the current social, political, and religious parties. Let us see who they were.
First of all there were the chief priests and the elders of the people (21:23). The chief priests were those who held authority in religion; they were the ones who served God in the temple. The elders were those with authority among the people, the community. Thus, the first ones to examine Jesus were those with authority in religion and authority in the community—the chief priests and the elders. It was they who asked, "By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?" (21:23). The second examination was made by the Pharisees, the strongest religious party, together with the Herodians, a political party. Religion combined with politics (strange bedfellows) to put Jesus through the second examination. The third examination was performed by the Sadducees, the ancient modernists. In today's Christianity there are many who do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who died on the cross, shedding His blood for our redemption, and who was raised physically and literally from the dead. The modernists are today's Sadducees, and the Sadducees were the ancient modernists. They did not believe in the Word of God nor in the power of God; they did not believe in resurrection, or in angels or spirit (Acts 23:8). Lastly, in the fourth examination, one of the prominent Pharisees, a lawyer, put Jesus to the test.
Have you seen the picture? The chief priests and the elders among the people, the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians, the Sadducees, and then a lawyer, an expert among the Pharisees, all surrounded this little Jesus. All these learned people with the highest attainments, knowledge, position, names, and power combined to examine Christ and find some fault in Him. Jesus had never received a degree. He came from a despised town in a despised area and stood thus in the midst of these leaders. But praise the Lord, though He was small outwardly, He was not small inwardly. He had no pretentious form without, but He had tremendous power within. He had no outward knowledge, but He had infinite inward wisdom. He answered all the questions and He passed all the tests. He was put on probation and examination by so many leaders, and He passed through triumphantly.
Eventually, He put them to the test, and by one stone He killed all the birds. By one question He shut all their mouths. They put Jesus to the test four times, and the Lord Jesus put them to the test once. By all these questions, four plus one, we may see how very much Christ was versus religion.