Sermon Cloud

 

 

On January 20^th of this year, President Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th President of the United States

• Now, whether you like our new president or whether you dislike him
• There’s one thing we can all agree on…

His inauguration into office was the largest, most glamorous, most expensive inauguration in history

• Costing some $150-170 million dollars

 

 

Three days of countless Hollywood movie stars

• Recording artists
• Parades
• Countless gala balls
• And Wall-to-wall television coverage
  • Made this into an event that was unparalleled in both media attention…and cost…
    • …all to officially begin the 4 year term of a president

 

 

…Today, we are going to talk about the inauguration of another leader

• Not a president, but a King…

 

 

 

Today is Triumphal Entry Day,

• OKA Palm Sunday…
  • This is the day that we recognize and celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem
    • This is the day that begins what is known as the Passion Week…
      • That series of events that leads up to what will take place on this Friday…
        • The crucifixion of Jesus Christ…

 

This is the day that the Kingship of Jesus is declared in a way that it had not yet been declared to man…

 

 

…this is the day…that King Jesus will enter the Holy City as be inaugurated as a King

• But not in the way that President Obama was inaugurated
  • …not in the way that any of our presidents are inaugurated
    • …nor in the way that any earthly ruler ever assumes such power
      • …King Jesus will be coronated as King…in God’s way…

 

 

 

And on this Triumphal Entry Sunday, we are going to look at that today

• Turn with me to the gospel of Matthew
  • …we will be returning to our study of the Gospel of Mark after Easter
    • …But today…we will be looking at the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 21…p. 826

 

 

Matthew 21.1-17

 

 

 

So in this story, Jesus and His disciples are doing just as Jesus has said that He must

• He is coming to Jerusalem…
• …those of us who know, as Paul Harvey used to say…the rest of the story…
  • …know why it is that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem
    • …Jesus is coming to Jerusalem to die

 

 

 

Jesus just told His disciples this in 20.17

• That, of course, is the real reason that Jesus is going to Jerusalem…

 

 

But, also…Jesus is going to Jerusalem to observe the Passover

• You see, it was the religious tradition in this day that the Passover was to be celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem
  • And so, that is why Jesus and His disciples are traveling to Jerusalem

 

 

 

Now, when they get draw near to Jerusalem, they come to the village of Bethphage

• And Jesus sends two of His disciples, we are not told which two…

 

 

 

And He tells them (v 2)

• …Go into the village and you will find a donkey, tied…with a young colt
  • …untie them and bring them to Me
    • …and if anyone asks you what you are doing…
      • …tell the ‘The Lord has need of them…’

 

 

…and then Matthew tells us why Jesus does this

• He says that this is to fulfill prophecy
  • V 4
    • This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet

 

 

 

And Matthew gives us the prophecy that Jesus is fulfilling

• The prophecy was given hundreds of years earlier by the prophet Zechariah

 

 

 

 

We read these words in Zechariah 9, and listen to the context of this OT quotation

 

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Donkey were beasts of burden

 

 

Their role in life was to carry the baggage of unimportant people…

• No person of any status or no person of means would have been seen riding a donkey…
  • That was something the lower class did…

 

 

 

And Jesus tells His disciples to bring the donkey and her colt

• And He doesn’t even ride the donkey, but instead, He rides the young colt

 

 

 

This is as humble as Jesus could possibly get

• This was more humble than simply walking into the city
  • This was an open, visible act of humility

 

 

 

We can associate with this today, can we not

• This day in which so much value is placed upon what we drive…

 

 

…What we are seen riding…

 

 

 

 

I remember in junior high school

• Knowing people who would have their parents drop them off for school and pick them up
  • …Not at the school, but down the street
    • Because they could not bear the thought of everyone seeing them get into the vehicle that their parents were driving…

 

But the King of kings perfectly fulfills what the prophets spoke about Him

• Coming into the city riding on the colt of a donkey

 

 

…Our King came as a humble King…

 

…Our King was born in a barn…

 

…Our King was put into the trough from which animals feed…

 

…Our King knelt down and washed the feet of those who would desert Him

• And betray Him…

 

…In a few days time, Our King will allow the sinful, arrogant, unclean hand of a false priest to slap the face of God…

 

 

...Our King will say nothing as the soldiers, laughing and mocking, will strike Him on the head

• And say…Prophecy…who was that struck You?...

 

 

…Our King came humbly…

 

 

Paul exhorted us

• To have the mind of Christ
• …that who, being equal with God…
  • ….made Himself…nothing…

 

 

 

…and taking the form of a servant

• And entering Jerusalem on the back of the colt of a donkey…
• …and humbled Himself to the point of death…even death on a cross

 

 

Humility today is scorned and ridiculed and it is seen as a sign of weakness

• And let me say…it was no different then…

 

 

The Roman society and the Jewish society

• …both praised and honored glory and majesty and splendor

 

 

[…]

 

 

And so Jesus, fulfilling all that the prophets had spoken about Him

• Comes into the city in this humble way

 

 

The disciples in v 6 do as Jesus says

• They find the donkey and the colt, just as Jesus says

 

 

 

Then in v 7, Matthew tells us that the disciples spread their cloaks on the colt’s back,

• And Jesus sits on them

 

 

 

And then, coming into the city in v 8, Matthew again tells us that the people were spreading their cloaks for Jesus’ colt to walk on…

 

 

 

 

And we know that Matthew is telling us this

• So that his readers would remember verses like 2 Kings 9.13
  • Where we are told that that is what people did in ancient Israel
    • When a king passed through…the people spread their cloaks for him to walk on…
      • …that’s how they acknowledged that he was king…

 

 

And we read in v 8 also,

• That the people cut branches the trees and also spread them on the road

Now, John’s gospel tells us that the branches were Palm branches

• Which is why we often call this day Palm Sunday…

 

 

But look with me at what the crowds were shouting to Jesus

 

v 9

And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

 

 

The crowds are proclaiming with one voice

• Hosanna to the Son of David

 

 

Now, this name, Son of David

• This is highly Messianic
  • This is a term that the prophets closely associated with the coming Messiah
    • The Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David
    • …so they are recognizing that Jesus is of the house of David…

 

 

But this word Hosanna

• What is the meaning of this word?...

 

 

We find this word in our NTs in only three places

• Here, in ch 21 of Matthew’s gospel
• In Mark’s gospel in ch 11
• And in John’s gospel in ch 12
  • All three occurrences of this word occur in Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem
  • The only time that the NT writers recorded the word Hosanna was on this day, on this occasion

Well…what does the word mean?...

 

 

 

If we look this word up in a Greek dictionary

• We find that it is not a Greek word at all…but a Hebrew word

 

 

 

This word only occurs one time in the OT

• In Psalm 118.25

 

 

 

Psalm 118:25

Save us, we pray, O LORD!

 

 

 

Now that phrase Save us!, in the Hebrew language that is Ho-shi-ya

• And that literally means “save us, please”…”we are asking, pleading, imploring to be saved…”

 

 

And so, it originally was a plea, a request to be saved

• But the meaning of the word changed over the years
• And by the time of Jesus, Ho-shi-ya no longer meant, please save us…
  • …but now it meant…He saves…salvation is here…

 

 

 

 

And so the people were exclaiming that salvation was here

• Their Savior was among them
  • Their Messiah had arrived…

 

 

 

 

…they were exclaiming with joy the arrival of this man Jesus

• The stories of the miracles were well known
  • The 4000 that were fed
  • The 5000 that were fed
  • The demon possessed who were now in their right mind
  • The lame who were now walking around the city
  • The blind who were now seeing
  • The lepers who were now clean
    • ..all of those things were now famous in Jerusalem

 

 

And Matthew says in v 10 that the whole city was stirred up because of this…

• Now, we know that each year at the Passover, the population of Jerusalem would swell to over 2 million people…4-5x normal population 
  • …wall-to-wall people…

 

 

And Jesus was creating such a stir that Matthew says the whole city was talking about this

 

Have you heard

• Jesus is here

 

Did you see Him?

• He came riding the colt of a donkey

 

…yes, I was there

• I saw Him…the people were praising Him…

 

…Do you know this man?

• I was at a wedding in Cana, three years ago
  • And He turned water into wine

 

…I heard Him speak in Galilee…

• And it was the most powerful thing I’ve ever heard…

 

…You know, they say His mother was a virgin when she gave birth to Him…

• They say that He forgives sins…

…I heard that He raised His friend, a man named Lazarus, from the dead…

 

…I heard that He walks on water…

 

 

…No, you’re all wrong about this man

• I heard that He eats with sinners
  • …and I once heard that He forgave an adulterous woman, caught in the very act…

 

 

And everything He speaks…He teaches in parables

• And we can’t understand what He says…

 

 

[…] 

 

The whole town was buzzing with excitement over this Jesus of Nazareth…

 

 

 

And then…as if He had not created enough of a stir…

• Jesus goes into the temple courtyard…
• …and does this…

 

v 12

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

 

 

 

 

…Now, during the Passover celebration

• All of the Jews would come to the temple and offer up sin offerings, sacrifices to atone for their sins…
• …but not just any sacrifices…

 

 

…Leviticus tells us that the people could offer a lamb as atonement for their sins

• Or, Leviticus 5 tells us that if they could not afford a lamb
  • They could offer a pigeon…
    • But…the catch was that the offering had to be approved by the Levitical priests…

 

 

 

God instituted this system of doing sacrifices to make sure the people were not offering to God inferior sacrifices

• Lambs with broken legs
• Or lambs born blind
• Or pigeons with broken wings
  • …God says…bring Me you firstfruits…the best that you have
    • Not the leftovers…
      • Not those animals that are sick, and would die anyway…

 

 

 

And so, the priests were supposed to approve of the animals before they were offered

 

 

 

 

Now, the town is flooded with people

• And they all need to offer up sacrifices
  • And, as you would expect…
    • There are people with their little tables set up in the temple courtyard..selling animals for the sacrifices…

 

 

Now, that seems logical

• But the only catch is that the priests have now entered into an agreement with the street venders
  • …they will only approve those animals that are bought from them…in the temple courtyard….
    • …at an inflated price…some say up to 4x the normal market value for a pigeon or a lamb…

…And then, the priests would receive a portion of the revenue from the street venders

• And only those animals that they sold would be accepted by the priests

 

 

…and oh, by the way

• If you came with foreign currency
  • …then you would have to have it exchanged at the money tables for an additional 25% fee

 

 

 

…Sounds a little like organized crime…

• You must sacrifice to God
• And the priests will only accept sacrifices bought here in the temple courtyard at outrageous prices

 

 

 

And so, Jesus, outraged by this

• Turns over their tables
• Scatters their baskets of money
• Kicks over their cages holding pigeons and lambs…

 

 

 

…we can see this scene in our head, can’t we?

 

Throngs of people all around

• All the noise and excitement…sort of like being in NY’s Times square on New Year’s Eve
  • People and animals everywhere

 

 

And then, suddenly, there’s the sound of shouting, and crashing

• And then pigeons flying loose, and lambs running through people’s legs
  • And lose money rolling everywhere
    • And tables overturned…  
      • …and no one knows quite what to do…

And in the confusion, people are grabbing money and trying to grab lambs

• And then there’s this guy…shouting these words…
  • And it sounds like…

 

 

"It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

 

 

 

…I’ve heard that before…

• Where have I heard that?

 

The prophet Isaiah said that…

 

 

 

He said…

…these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

 

 

…yes, that’s what He said

 

 

But what is going on with this man

• Isn’t this that man, Jesus
• The one everyone is talking about?...
  • …If He’s a prophet, why is He attacking those at the temple…

 

Didn’t Jeremiah also say something about this;

 

Jeremiah 7:11

Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?

 

[…]

Our King comes humbly, riding on a lowly donkey

• He comes fulfilling prophecy

 

…and Our King comes giving us access to God

• My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people

 

 

I spoke this through the prophet Isaiah and I speak this to You now…

• My house will not be a house in which forgiveness of sins is sold for a price
• My house will not be a house in which those anointed by God take advantage of My people
• My house will not be a house in which My people are robbed…

 

 

…I am declaring My kingship

• I am declaring that this house is My house and you will not pervert My house…

 

 

[…]

 

And then…

• If there were some still around who did not get the point…
• Matthew tells us in v 14

 

 

v 14

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

 

 

 

The blind and the lame…

• We’re not talking about people with sore throats and headaches and toothaches and ingrown toenails…
• …they were blind…they_could_not_see
• …they_could_not_walk…
  • …And King Jesus heals them…

[…]

 

 

Who is this man Jesus?

• Who is this man…is He the One…could He be the Christ?...

 

 

 

John the Baptist asked a similar question

• When he was thrown into prison
  • And the trials of following Jesus, and the suffering that he was enduring
    • Caused him to ask the same question

 

 

And so, in Matthew 11

• John sends messengers to Jesus to ask
  • Are You the One, are You the Christ?

 

 

And Jesus sends word back to John, saying this

• Tell John what you see and what you hear
  • The lame walk and the blind see

 

 

 

Why?

• Why does the healing of the blind and the lame come in the temple
• …after Jesus comes into Jerusalem riding on the foal of a donkey?...

 

 

…Because God, through the prophet Isaiah, had spoken these words…

 

Isaiah 35:4-6

4  Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come…and save you."

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer…

And so Jesus comes into the temple

• Proclaiming His fulfillment of prophecy
• Proclaiming His kingship
• Healing the lame, restoring the blind
• And saying…in Me…is real healing

 

 

 

…in Me is true sight and true strength and true healing

• Not only physically
  • Because the physical healing that you have seen
    • It’s only to illustrate to you the true healing that you need
      • Because…you’re all blind
      • You’re all lame
      • You’re all unclean lepers
        • …And I am the One who brings true healing

 

 

 

Just as He said to John, who asked…

• Are You the One…
  • …go and tell John what you have seen
    • The lame walk and the blind see…
      • …I am King Jesus…

 

 

 

 

…and then, the chief priests and the scribes rejoiced because the Promised One was here…

• …no

 

v 15

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant,

and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"

 

So, even though the crowds have now dispersed somewhat

• There are still these children that are following Jesus
• And they’re saying…Hosanna to the Son of David…

 

 

 

And the chief priests, they are offended by this

• And they say to Jesus
  • You’d better stop that…
    • You had better stop that
      • Because if you don’t…then You will be guilty of blasphemy

 

 

If You allow them to continue saying that You are here to save us…

• …Then You will be guilty of blasphemy…
  • You had better stop this…

 

 

 

[…]

 

 

…and then Jesus answers…

 

 

…….Have you never read?

 

 

Have you never read your Scriptures that say…

 

"'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"

 

 

 

Jesus is quoting from Psalm 8

• And if you’re not familiar with Psalm 8
  • Psalm 8 is one of the most precious of all Psalms
    • It begins and ends with the same words

Psalm 8.1

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 

 

And the last verse in the Psalm reads;

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 

So, guess what the subject of Psalm 8 is…

 

 

 

Psalm 8 is about God

• And the Pharisees rebuke Jesus
  • And they say…stop these children from proclaiming that You are some kind of god
    • And Jesus quotes Psalm 8 that says that even out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, God will receive praise

 

 

 

The Psalm is talking about praising God

• And Jesus applies it to Himself
  • He has just called Himself God…

 

 

 

…and now…….He’s a dead man…

• …He’s dead…

 

 

 

The Pharisees have hated Him for years

• And they’ve wanted to destroy Him
• And they’ve plotted against Him
  • …but it wasn’t His time

 

 

 

But now, Jesus has come into the city of Zion

• And His time is now here
  • And He has just made certain…that they will kill Him…

 

Because that is why He came

• Jesus came…to die

 

 

 

Jesus said;

• I did not come to be served, but to serve…and give My life a ransom for many
• No man takes My life…I give it freely…I lay it down on My own accord…

 

 

And now, Jesus leaves…

 

v 17

And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

 

 

Jesus forces Himself on no man

• He will not stay where He is not wanted…
• …neither in the temple
• …nor in Jerusalem
• …nor in your life…

 

 

 

So He goes away…

• But He will return

 

 

King Jesus comes to us in Matthew 21 and declares His kingship;

• He declares it by fulfilling prophecy
• He declares it by healing the lame, and restoring the blind…
• He declares it by quoting Scripture that speaks of Himself…

And He comes as a King that is lowly, and humble

• A King that is the illustration of His own words in;

 

 

Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

 

 

He comes lowly, riding on the foal of a donkey

• He comes with open arms, welcoming all to come to Him…

 

…But He will come again in another day and in another way…

 

 

 

 

He will come again and declare His kingship in a completely different way…

 

 

Revelation 19:11-16

11  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

12  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.

13  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

14  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

15  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

16  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

 

 

 

 

That is how Jesus is coming again to declare His kingship

• Not on a donkey…but on a white horse of war
• Not to give His life as a ransom…but to wage war against His enemies
• Not wearing a robe that will be stained with His own blood…but with a robe dipped in the blood of His enemies
• Not accompanied by a group of rag-tag, misunderstanding disciples that will desert Him…but accompanied by the armies of heaven…arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, and following Him on white horses

 

There will be no switching sides on that day

• And on that day…you do not want to meet the King of kings as a rebel…

 

 

[…]

 

 

But that day is not today…

 

 

We are still in Matthew 21

• For one_more_day…
• For one_more_hour…
  • We are still in Matthew 21
  • We are still in a season of salvation
    • A time in which the Savior is humble, and meek, and mild
      • And offers redemption of your sins
        • And cleansing from your unrighteousness…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the King is returning…

 

And when He returns, there will be no switching sides…

 

Now is the acceptable time…

• Today is the day of salvation…

 

 

 

We will all proclaim Hosanna to the Son of David

• We will proclaim He saves…
• Whether we are rejoicing in the salvation that He has brought to us
  • Or whether we are lamenting, that we could have been saved by this King who came so humbly