20
Jesus, form an inclusio for the whole conflict. The sequence of events fits into groupings
of three, a typical feature of Matthew's rhetoric: three action parables, three questions for
entrapment, three stages to the speech in chapter 23, three reasons for not following the
Pharisees' example, three groupings of six examples of how the Pharisees do things for
show, and three concluding enthymemes. This narrative epitomizes where historiography
and rhetoriography happily cooperate. Though not a judicial speech, the narrative strongly
reflects arrangement and inventional character of a judicial speech with an epideictic
conclusion. The ordering of the parts of the narrative, like an oration, maximized the
persuasive power of the arguments within it. This narrative brilliantly enhances the
Matthew's intent of the Gospel.
The aperture Matthew provided of Jesus in the Temple allowed readers then and
now to see Jesus the rhetor. Jesus ever less-cloaked words and deeds during these days
in the Temple result in an important, though partial, fulfillment of his messianic self-
revelation. Jesus' overall rhetorical effectiveness is ironic. He won each rhetorical battle
decisively, but Israel's leaders were not moved to repentance and acceptance of him as
Messiah. Neither were the crowds cons trained to believe truly in him they proved to be
easily dissuadable (27:20). From a human perspective, Jesus won so well that he lost his
life. If he had been thwarted rhetorically and left the Temple courts shamed and silenced,
as his opponents had intended, there would have been little need to kill him. The ends to
which the chief priests and the Pharisees went bears tribute to the rhetorical prowess
Jesus demonstrated in the Temple. Yet, as Peter boldly proclaimed, Jesus' murder was
essential to the history of salvation. God the Father got the last word in the Resurrection,
thus vindicating Jesus and making him "both Lord and Christ" (28:6; Acts 2:23-24, 36).
Jesus had all authority after all (28:18). The resurrection is the ultimate proof of that.