Grace Bible Church Expository Sermon Notes
The Messiah Enters into Jerusalem
cf. Matt. 21:1-11
The Lord's Day 4/20/97 AM
This lesson deals with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.1 The Lord orchestrated the events of His ministry in Jerusalem in detail. As the sovereign King, He left nothing to chance but prepared each detail so as to culminate His ministry with majestic fulfillment of the OT prophecies that pointed to this week of the Lord's passion.2 Here we see: the Lord's Careful Preparation; the Purpose of the Lord's Preparation; and the Lord's Impact on Jerusalem.
The Lord's Careful Preparation
Matthew 21:1-3 And when they drew near unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village opposite you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say anything unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
A census from 60 A.D. indicated that about 260,000 lambs were sold in Jerusalem for sacrificial Passover meals during these years. Because tradition required that one lamb was to be sacrificed for ten people, the crowds swelling Jerusalem for a Passover week, have been estimated as high as 2 and 1/2 million Jews.3 No doubt the people journeying to Jerusalem had no idea that God's Passover Lamb of the ages was making His way to the city to offer Himself for the "sins of the world." The two disciples were sent on this errand, laced with the authoritative command of Christ the Lord. This is the only time in Matthew, with the exception of 28:6 where the term Lord (Greek, kurios) is used for Christ and He commands its use to identify Himself to the owners of the colt. Either Jesus had pre-planned this or in His omniscience knew that His two disciples would be asked about their borrowing the colt. The Gospel of Mark adds...
And certain of them that stood there said unto, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them, even as Jesus had commanded; and they let them go.4
This seems a peculiar way to enter Jerusalem, unless viewed within the historical context. During NT times, it was customary for a King to enter a city on a donkey, when he wanted to symbolize peace; riding on a horse or chariot indicated war or subjection, but riding on a donkey was emblematic of peace. This was simply typical of the whole of Jesus' public ministry, i.e., one of peace! But there is another reason that overshadows this cultural or historical purpose. Matthew writes...
The Purpose of the Lord's Preparation
Matthew 21:4-5 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.
According to Matthew, Jesus' orchestration of these events was to fulfill on OT prophecy.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.5
As Jesus would ride the colt of the ass, He would illustrate the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy and His "lowliness," in contrast to the prominence of Roman kings.
The Lord's Impact on Jerusalem
Matthew 21:6-11 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their cloths, and they set Him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
It was also customary among the Jews to herald the approach of a king by spreading one's garments in the road. This symbolic act was one of submission to his sovereignty over their lives and illustrated their willingness to be placed under his complete authority, even to the point of the king trampling over them.6 Today we have trouble understanding what submission to a king or sovereign was like during NT times. Our democratic form of government works against us here, as we clamor for our own rights and protect our freedom of choice. But during Biblical times the people realized that submission to an earthly king was a total submission to his lordship. And the crowds throwing their garments in the road, for Jesus to travel over, was a symbolic gesture of submission to the Kingly Messiah. Others "cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way." These as John's Gospel adds, "took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him."7 The crowds understood the somewhat recent deliverance of the Maccabeans and wished the same would happen by the Messiah. And the people cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" The shout of "Hosanna" is the cry of a people in bondage wanting to be saved. Translated, it means "save now!" As a quote from Psalm 118:25, the cry of the people, unfortunately, was for deliverance from Roman bondage.8 The people, acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but because their view of the Messiah was a skewed or one-sided concept of a delivering monarch, their cry here isn't as encouraging as it seems. We get our English word seismic from the word translated "stirred." The city felt a mental earthquake when Jesus rode into the city! The city was in an uproar, but this is nothing to the physical earthquake the city will experience when Jesus rides into the city at His second coming! Some have claimed the crowds failed to acknowledge who Jesus was, i.e., only a "prophet from Nazareth," but they had already sang that He was Israel's King. Unfortunately for them, four short days from Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, these same crowds would cry out for His crucifixion and the Passover Lamb of the ages would "die for the sins of the nation and world."
Main Idea: The Lord Jesus orchestrated the events of His entry into Jerusalem in fulfillment of OT prophecy, declaring Himself Israel's King, the Prince of Peace. Unfortunately the crowds, through emotionally acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah and a prophet. Being impacted emotionally by Jesus and even mentally acknowledging His Kingship is a far cry from dedicating our lives to His Lordship.
Exploring the Bigger Picture
The Suffering Savior by F. W. Krummacher (Moody Press, 1978) is a classic devotional work on the events of Holy Week, written about 150 years ago by a popular German preacher.
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim (Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971) is another historical and devotional work on Jesus' final week (Part Two in the current 1 volume).
What Should We Do About this Passage?
- Application Recommendations -
An emotional reaction to Jesus Christ and even a mental agreement as to His Person falls short of a dedicated saving faith which results in obedience.
 | Jesus warned about some whose faith was only a shallow emotional reaction falling short of enduring conviction (cf. Matt. 13:5-6, 20-21). Do you know someone like that? Is this you? |
| James warned about some whose faith was only a mental agreement of Gospel facts, failing to show itself in good works (cf. James 2:14-26). Do you know someone like that? Is this you? |
Children growing up in a Christian home have the advantage of a Christlike example but all too often limit their faith to a mental and/or emotional trust.
| Sit down with each of your children this week and explain the danger of an emotional or simply mental non-saving faith, teaching them Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21, using Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and soon crucifixion as an illustration. |
The philosophy of existentialism has given our culture a distinct stress on emotional experience; the theology of neoorthodoxy has given our churches a stress on emotional religion.
| Oratorical rhetoric is replacing our evangelical heritage of Scriptural reasoning, careful argument, logic and studied reflection. What are you doing to reverse this trend in your own life? |
| We are a generation is desperate need to reclaim our resolve to our convictions. Religious creeds do not save and even the Gospel itself doesn't save, apart from a sincere mental, emotional and volitional commitment of trusting faith. |
Footnotes
1. Some have called it the triumphant entry, as Jesus offers Himself officially as Israel's Messiah and King and others have called it the tragic entry, as Jesus is soon to be rejected by the same adoring crowds and crucified as "king of the Jews."
2. Chronology of Passion Week: 1.) from Jericho to Bethany, where Jesus spent the sabbath with Lazarus, Mary and Martha on Friday evening with supper in honor of Jesus on Saturday evening, cf. John 12:1-11. 2.) entry onto Jerusalem on Sunday, with Jesus cleansing Temple and teaching Monday through Wednesday, cf. Matt. 21:1-23:39; Mark 11:1-12:44; Luke 19:28-21:4; John 12:12-50. 3.) Olivet and Upper Room discourses to the Apostles on Thursday evening, Matt. 24:1-26:29; Mark 13:1-14:31; Luke 21:5-22:46; John 13:1-18:1. 4.) agony in the garden, arrest, trials and crucifixion on Friday, Matt. 26:30-27:66; Mark 14:32-15:47; Luke 22:47-23:56; John 18:2-19:42.
3. On Tuesday April 15, 1997 fire driven by high winds destroyed 70,000 tents, killed almost 400 and injured 1,290 Islamic pilgrims outside Mecca, Saudi Arabia. An estimated 2 million Muslims journey to Mecca each year during hajj, their Holy Week to visit various holy sites. Muslim teaching requires that every adult Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca once during their lifetime. In 1990 there was a panicked stampede which killed 1,426 worshipers. And in 1994 a stampede killed 270 as worshipers surged toward a cavern in the symbolic "stoning of the devil."
4. cf. Mark 11:6. Some claim a contradiction, as Matthew has "an ass tied and a colt with her," but Mark and Luke mention only a "colt." Jesus did not sit on two animals but one, a colt. Matthew thought often in Hebrew parallelism which would use the conjuction allowed the translation, "an ass tied, even a colt." The NASV reflects this: "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey , Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. '" (NASB)
5. "It is very significant that Matthew does not quote Zechariah 9:9 in its entirety. He carefully and prudently omits, He is just and endowed with salvation, a sentence equivalent to "He is righteous and endued with salvation." Although the the Lord is ever righteous, He did not come at this time to bring Israel's national salvation. Israel rejected its King; therefore Matthew omits this part of the prophecy." cf. Stanley Toussaint, Behold the King (Multnomah Press, 1980), p. 239.
6. This also was laced with historic significance. When Simon Maccabaeus entered Jerusalem following his victory to restore the temple from the desecrations and abominations of Antiochus Epiphanes IV, the extra Biblical book of First Maccabees records that the people cut down and waved palm branches. I think this symbolic act takes on added significance as we read the next paragraph in Matthew's Gospel, which records Jesus cleansing the temple. would cleanse the temple, at least temporarily. This is a custom originating at least as far back as the anointing of Jehu over Israel, who would destroy the house of evil Ahab and Jezebel. After Elisha sent to inform and anoint Jehu as king, we read: "Then they hastened, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king!" (cf. 2 Kings 9:13)
7. When the temple was cleansed at the Maccabean movement, we read: "Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto Him [that is God] that had given them good success in cleansing His place." (2 Macc. 10:7)
8. During Passover the concluding Hallel Psalm was quoted: "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord! O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, who hath shown us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee; thou art my God, I will exhalt thee. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever." (cf. Psalm 118:25-29) This One to be worshipped with Hosanna's shouts, would give Himself as a sacrifice on the altar of God, to make a way for the "mercy of God" to endure forever! "...according to Jewish tradition, Ps. 118:25-28, was also chanted antiphonally by the people of Jerusalem, as they went to welcome the festive pilgrims on their arrival, the latter always responding in the second clause of each verse, till the last verse of the Psalm was reached, which was sung by both parties in unison, Psalm 113:17 being added by way of conclusion." cf. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), Part Two, p. 368.