Matthew 21:11

Saturday, 4 July 2026

So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matthew 21:11

“The ‘also crowds’, they said, ‘This, He is the prophet, Jesus, the ‘from Nazareth, the Galilee’.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, when Jesus had come into Jerusalem, the people asked who He was. In response, “The ‘also crowds’, they said, ‘This, He is the Prophet, Jesus.’”

This response can be taken in a couple of ways. The first is that they are claiming Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses’ words –

“And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.’” Deuteronomy 18:17-19

This was understood to be a particular prophet who would come in the future, not merely one of a line of prophets. In fact, in John’s gospel, that this is a particular individual is made perfectly clear –

“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’
21 And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
‘Are you the Prophet?’
And he answered, ‘No.’” John 1:19-21

The other option is that the words “the Prophet” refer to one of the many prophets who had arisen since the time of Moses, such as Samuel, Gad, Daniel, Jeremiah, etc. Thus, the people would be speaking in general terms. Based on His being hailed as the Messiah with the quoting of Psalm 118, the former option seems likely, but it is debatable. Along with being noted as the Prophet, it next says, “the ‘from Nazareth, the Galilee’.”

Jesus (Yeshua) was a common name at the time. To ensure He was identified more fully, the area where He was raised and performed so many miracles is affixed to His identity. The stories of great miracles being performed in the area of the Galilee would have permeated the collective conscience of the people.

Life application: To this day, it is debated who Jesus is. Islam has Him in a list of prophets leading to Muhammad. They deny His deity, and they deny that He was killed or crucified. Instead, they teach that He was raised bodily to heaven, protecting Him from death.

Mormons teach that Jesus was a man who became a god. Liberal churches teach that Jesus was a good teacher, but shy away from anything about Him that is confrontational or causes them to admit that their sinful lives will be judged by Him. They have so watered down the message of Jesus that every perversion imaginable is supposedly considered acceptable to Jesus, calling their vile teaching “loving” and “non-judgmental.”

An overwhelming number of messianic churches, along with groups like the Hebrew Roots Movement, teach that Jesus came to restore and “renew” the Mosaic covenant, thus requiring His people to continue observing the Law of Moses. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus was the archangel, Michael. He was crucified for sin and then was raised as a “mighty spirit being.” They deny a literal physical resurrection of the Man who is God incarnate.

These are but a few of the skewed and heretical ideas put forth concerning who Jesus is. But getting the “who” of Jesus right is the most important thing any human can do. So important is this issue that CS Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, used a “poached egg” analogy, illustrating the absurdity of people’s thoughts concerning Jesus.

He notes that a man claiming to be God while being merely human would be a lunatic or the Devil of hell, not a teacher. He compared the delusion of claiming divinity to the insanity of a man who believes he is a poached egg.

Either Jesus is the Lord God, or He is not. To deny His deity, if He is God, cannot be overcome in the process of salvation. The Lord alone is without sin, and the Lord alone deserves the glory for what He has accomplished. If He is the Lord God, it is our duty and responsibility to honor Him as such.

Be careful to consider who Jesus is. Get this point right, believe that God has done what He has done through Jesus, and be saved. This is important.

Lord God, may we be strong in our convictions concerning Jesus and what He has done for us. And may we stand firmly on the good news when talking to others. There is no other Savior, no other access to heaven’s glory, and no other King of the Universe than the Lord God who has come in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.