The Passion Week of Christ Series
 #2 The Stones Will Cry Out!

Matt. 21:1-11, 14-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19

 

Most people today have little first-hand knowledge of a genuine monarchy. Those who hold the title of king or queen in modern societies are often rulers in name only having little if any governmental power or responsibility. An elaborate coronation is often the only notice they will ever have of any consequence. But until modern times the coronation of a monarch involved the display of great splendor and pageantry. The king would be dressed in the most expensive robes and jewels and would be driven through his capital city in an ornate carriage drawn by stately horses. Accompanying him would be his courtiers and foreign dignitaries, and following that would be a large retinue of the nation’s finest soldiers. In many countries high-ranking religious leaders would also participate.

 

At the climax of the events, the king would be presented with a scepter or would stand on a sacred stone or participate in some other ritual signifying the transfer of power and authority into his hands. Musicians would play and sing, and the crowds would break into spontaneous choruses of praise to their sovereign. Every part of the ceremony was designed to highlight the majesty glory power, and dignity of the king.

 

At her coronation in 1838, Queen Victoria of England wore a crown encrusted with giant rubies and sapphires surrounding a 309-carat diamond. Her scepter was capped with an even larger diamond, cut from the Star of Africa and weighing 516 1/2 carats.

 

Matthew 21:1-11 portrays the most significant coronation the world has yet seen, but it was a coronation in marked contrast to the kind just described. It was a true coronation of a true King. He was affirmed as King and was, in a sense, inaugurated into His kingship. But there was no pomp, no splendor, and a nondescript sort of pageantry.

 

Traditionally this coronation has been called Jesus’ triumphal entry. It was his last major public appearance before His crucifixion and was an extremely important event in His divine ministry on earth, an event that is frequently dramatized but seldom studied carefully or understood for its true significance.

 

(21:1-11) Jesus Christ, Last Week: Jesus began the last week of His life. He had spent the night before (the Sabbath evening) in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (John 12:1f). He was now going to deliberately demonstrate that He was the Messiah, the One prophesied to be the Savior of the world. He pictured without question that He was the fulfillment of prophecy, the One for whom all righteous men had longed and looked.

     1.  Jesus’ last week began in Jerusalem (v.1).

     2.  He deliberately fulfilled prophecy (v.2-5).

     3.  He deliberately received the homage of the disciples (v.6-7).

     4.  He deliberately received the homage of the people (v.8-9).

     5.  Conclusion: the question of the people in Jerusalem (v.10-11).

 

(Mt 21:1-11, 14-17; Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:29-44; Jn 12:12-19)

(21:1) Jesus Christ, Poverty: Jesus’ last week began in Jerusalem. Note the lowliness of Jesus. He had to depend upon friends for lodging. Up to the very end “the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58).

     He also “drew nigh unto Jerusalem” by foot. He had no stallion, no donkey, no camel—no means of transportation. He had only what God had given Him as He entered the world, His feet, to get Him where He wished to go. How God’s heart must be cut to the core by our concern for material comfort and ease. Jesus’ face was always set toward saving and helping the world. Up to the very end He went about His purpose untainted and unswerved by the world. What a lesson for us!

     1.   Christ began His last week in Bethphage (see Deeper Study #2—Matthew 21:1).

     2.   Christ sent two disciples on a special mission.

 

(21:1) Bethphage: the name of the city means “House of figs.” It was a suburb of Jerusalem, lying toward the Mount of Olives. Note that Jesus arrived in Bethphage by foot, indicating that He had no means of travel except walking.

 

Since it was Passover, there were probably about 2 million people in and around Jerusalem. This was the only time in His ministry that Jesus actually planned and promoted a public demonstration. Up to this time, He had cautioned people not to tell who He was, and He had deliberately avoided public scenes.

 

Why did Jesus plan this demonstration? For one thing, He was obeying the Word and fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Zechariah 9:9. This prophecy could apply only to Jesus Christ, for He is the only One with credentials that prove He is Israel’s King. We usually do not associate the lowly donkey with kingship, but this was the royal animal of Jewish monarchs (1 Kings 2:32ff). There were actually two animals involved, the mother and the colt (foal). Jesus sat on the colt with the mother walking beside.

 

By comparing Matthew’s quotation with the original prophecy in Zechariah, we discover some interesting facts. Zechariah’s prophecy opens with, “Rejoice greatly” but Matthew omitted this phrase. When Jesus approached the city, He wept! How could He (or the people) rejoice when judgment was coming?

 

Matthew also omitted “He is just, and having salvation.” Our Lord’s coming to Jerusalem was an act of mercy and grace, not an act of justice or judgment. He did have salvation for them, but they refused to accept it (John 1:11). The next time Israel sees the King, He will ride in great power and glory (Rev. 19:11ff).

 

This colt had never been ridden (Mark 11:2), yet he meekly bore his burden. The presence of the mother helped, of course. But keep in mind that his rider was the King who has “dominion over . . . all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field” (Ps. 8:6-7). The fact that Jesus rode this beast and kept him in control is another evidence of His kingship.

 

There was a second reason for this public presentation: It forced the Jewish leaders to act. When they saw the spontaneous demonstration of the people, they concluded that Jesus had to be destroyed (see John 12:19). The prophetic Scriptures required that the Lamb of god be crucified on Passover. This demonstration of Christ’s popularity incited the rulers to act.

 

The people acclaimed Jesus as their King both by their words and their deeds. They shouted Hosanna which means, “Save now!” They were quoting from Psalm 118:25-26, and this psalm is definitely messianic in character. Later that week, Jesus Himself would refer to this psalm and apply it to Himself (Ps. 118:22-23; Matt. 21:42).

 

Keep in mind that this Passover crowd was composed of at least three groups: the Jews who lived in Jerusalem, the crowd from Galilee, and the people who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead (John 12:17-18). Sharing the news of this miracle undoubtedly helped to draw such a large crowd. The people wanted to see this miracle-worker for themselves.

 

But the Jews still did not recognize Jesus as their King. What caused Israel’s spiritual blindness? For one thing, their religious leaders had robbed them of the truth of their own Word and had substituted man-made traditions (Luke 11:52). The leaders were not interested in truth; they were concerned only with protecting their own interests (John 11:47-53). “We have no king but Caesar!” was their confession of willful blindness. Even our Lord’s miracles did not convince them. And the longer they resisted the truth, the blinder they became (John 12:35ff).

 

With this passage we embark on the last act in the drama of the life of Jesus; and here indeed is a dramatic moment.

 

It was the Passover time, and Jerusalem and the whole surrounding neighbourhood was crowded with pilgrims.  Thirty years later a Roman governor was to take a census of the lambs slain in Jerusalem for the Passover and find that the number was not far off a quarter of a million.  It was the Passover regulation that there must be a party of a minimum of ten for each lamb which means that at that Passover time more than two and a half million people had crowded their way into Jerusalem.  The law was that every adult male Jew who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem must come to the Passover; but not only the Jews of Palestine, Jews from every corner of the world made their way to the greatest of their national festivals.  Jesus could not have chosen a more dramatic moment; it was into a city surging with people keyed up with religious expectations that he came.

 

Nor was this a sudden decision of Jesus, taken on the moment.  It was something which he had prepared in advance.  The whole tone of the story shows that he was carrying out plans which he had made ahead.  He sent his disciples into "the village" to collect the ass and her foal.  Matthew mentions Bethphage only (the pronunciation is not Bethphage with the age as in the English word page; the e at the end is pronounced as ae; the word is Bethphagae).  But Mark also mentions Bethany (Mark 11:1).  No doubt the village was Bethany.  Jesus had already arranged that the ass and her foal should be waiting for him, for he must have had many friends in Bethany; and the phrase, "The Master needs them," was a password by which their owner would know that the hour which Jesus had arranged had come.

 

(21:2-5) Prophecy: the Lord deliberately fulfilled prophecy.

     1.   Christ sent two disciples into the city to secure a donkey and her young colt. He borrowed the two animals from another man, probably another disciple. One of three things happened that led the man to loan the animals.

a.  The man was a disciple who would allow the Lord to borrow his animals. The emphasis, “The Lord hath need of them,” points rather strongly to this fact being at least part of what happened. The Lord (o kurios) would be a strong expression to use with an unbeliever. It was equivalent to Jehovah.

b.  The Lord had made previous arrangements with the owner to borrow the animals. This was, or course, possible; but the possibility that the disciples would be questioned about borrowing the animals makes this unlikely.

c.  The Lord demonstrated His Divine omniscience to further validate His claim of Messiahship. As God, He knew exactly where the animals would be, the questioning about loaning them, and the fact that the owner would loan them. This could easily be part of what happened.

     The important thing to note is the strength and authority of Christ throughout this whole event. He assumed the position of Messiah, the Lord God (Jehovah) of all men, of their will and their property, even of their animals.

 

Every mission of the Lord—every task, no matter how small—is important. Going to fetch the animals was a small task, yet it was critically important in the proclamation of Christ as King. No task should ever be thought too small in the service of our Lord.

 

Note two things.

1)   Jesus encourages and comforts us with the presence of others. He seldom sends us out alone.

2)   How often has Christ had a mission to be done and there was no one present to do it, especially the small and insignificant missions such as this one?

 

The colt was borrowed. Again, Jesus had nothing of this world’s goods. In order to fulfill the Scripture that the Messiah was to enter the city riding a colt, Jesus had to borrow the colt. How materialistic we become, thinking we must have things in order to live! We even think we cannot minister effectively without the latest material things of the world (machines, equipment, methods). How unlike Christ!

 

Note a significant fact: when the proclamation of His Messiahship was at stake, Christ let nothing stand in the way. It was essential that the people know that He was the Messiah. He did not own a donkey to fulfill the prophecy, so He went out to find one. Such determination and unswerving purpose should grip us in proclaiming that He is the Messiah.

 

     2.   Christ had a reason for making such detailed preparations to enter Jerusalem. He was deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of Zech. 9:9. The prophecy said four things.

a.  “Tell ye the daughter of Sion [that is, Jerusalem]”: Jerusalem was to be told, given a threefold warning. Why must she be warned? Because what she expected was not going to happen, not like she anticipated.

b.  “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee”: this was the first warning. Jerusalem’s King was coming, coming just as Jerusalem had expected. The people were correct in this part of their expectation. But there is danger in expectation, the danger of being so fervent in our own ideas that we miss what really happens. Fervent expectation can miss the event when the event occurs a little differently than what was expected. “Thy King cometh,” but He comes somewhat differently than expected.

c.  “Thy King cometh...meek”: this was the second warning. The Messiah was coming in meekness not as a reigning monarch. He was coming to win men’s hearts and lives spiritually and eternally, not physically and materially.

d.  “Thy King cometh...sitting upon an ass [donkey], and a colt”: this was the third warning. The Messiah was coming not as a conqueror riding a white stallion, but as a King of peace riding a donkey. He was coming to save the world through peace, to reconcile the world to the God of love, not to the God of hate and retaliation and war. He was not going to kill men and overthrow their governments (the Romans and Gentiles). He was coming to win men’s hearts and lives through the glorious news (gospel) that God loves and reconciles.

Note the prophecy and the careful preparation Christ made to fulfill the prophecy. This is significant, for it means that Christ was dramatizing His Messiahship—dramatizing it so clearly that men could not fail to see that He was God’s Messiah. This was God’s will prophesied generations before Christ came. God wanted His Son to proclaim His Messiahship so clearly that the people could not mistake what He was doing.

 

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, God’s very own Son. The great pains He took to fulfill this prophecy clearly showed what He was claiming. He was deliberately working out God’s will. He was doing exactly what God said He wanted His Son to do centuries before (Zech. 9:9). He was making the claim to be God’s Messiah in a dramatic way. He was painting a picture so clearly that man could not fail to see what He was claiming. A deliberate decision is now required of us. We either accept His claim or not. As He deliberately fulfilled the prophecy, so we now deliberately accept or deliberately reject His claim.

 

Note two very significant things.

1)   Christ did not come to execute justice, but to save men spiritually through the forgiveness of sin. Christ came not as a judge to judge men for ignoring, neglecting, rejecting, and misinterpreting God; but He came as the Messenger of Peace to reconcile men to God by the cross.

2)   Christ is coming again, coming as Judge to execute justice among all men, both the saved and unsaved.

 

So Jesus rode into Jerusalem.  The fact that the ass had never been ridden before made it specially suitable for sacred purposes.  The red heifer which was used in the ceremonies of cleansing must be a beast "upon which a yoke has never come" (Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3); the cart on which the ark of the Lord was carried had to be a vehicle which had never been used for any other purpose (1 Samuel 6:7).  The special sacredness of the occasion was underlined by the fact that the ass had never been ridden by any man before.

 

The crowd received Jesus like a king.  They spread their cloaks in front of him.  That is what his friends had done when Jehu was proclaimed king (2 Kings 9:13).  They cut down and waved the palm branches.  That is what they did when Simon Maccabaeus entered Jerusalem after one of his most notable victories (1 Maccabees 13:51).

 

They greeted him as they would greet a pilgrim, for the greeting:  "Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 118:26) was the greeting which was addressed to pilgrims as they came to the Feast.

 

They shouted "Hosanna!"  We must be careful to see what this word means.  Hosanna means Save now! and it was the cry for help which a people in distress addressed to their king or their god.  It is really a kind of quotation from Psalm 118:25:  "Save us, we beseech Thee, O Lord."  The phrase, "Hosanna in the highest!" must mean, "Let even the angels in the highest heights of heaven cry unto God, Save now!"

 

It may be that the word hosanna had lost some of its original meaning; and that it had become to some extent only a cry of welcome and of acclamation, like "Hail!"; but essentially it is a people's cry for deliverance and for help in the day of their trouble; it is an oppressed people's cry to their saviour and their king.

 

This is only the second event of the life of Jesus to be recorded in all four Gospels. The first was the feeding of the 5,000. The disciples know something significant is about to happen. Jesus walked wherever he went. Yet now, less than two miles from his final destination, he mounts a donkey?! Suddenly this Palestinian peasant looks like a conquering king as he rides into the holy city. The crowds are eager… but for what?

 

1. Preparation Mk 11:1-17 with Mt 21:2; Lk 19:33-34 -- 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a [donkey with herMT] colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it [themMT] here. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’" 4They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5some people [its ownersLK] standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6They answered as Jesus had told them to [[saying] the Lord needs it,LK] and the people let them go. 7When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.

 

After healing the two blind men in Jericho and leading Zaccheus to Himself, the Lord made His final journey to Jerusalem. As He approached Jerusalem, He also approached the end of His three years of ministry which had been preceded by thirty years of obscurity. He was about to reach the final goal set before Him by His heavenly Father. As the multitudes followed along with Him to celebrate the Passover, little did they know they were accompanying the Passover Lamb Himself.

 

Jesus approaches Jerusalem from Bethany, about two miles to the east. In between the two cities stands the Mt. of Olives at 2,600´. It provides an impressive, panoramic view, especially of the temple courts which lay 300´ directly below. In the next few days, Jesus will make a lot of memories on this mountain. Here he will weep over Jerusalem, give the "Olivet Discourse," pray in Gethsemane, and ascend to heaven.

 

John tells us that Jesus visited Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany “six days before the Passover” (John 12:1-3), making it probably Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. As He faced the coming week of pain and death, He sought out the comfort and companionship of those three beloved friends.

 

But even in that brief time of respite, the stabs of hell continued to afflict Him. While Mary anointed His feet with costly perfume and wiped them with her hair, the traitor Judas, who was also a thief, made a hypocritical objection to that beautiful act by feigning concern for the poor. No doubt with deep anguish of heart for Judas’s hardened unbelief, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Let her alone, in order that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me” (John 12:3-8).

 

Probably on the next day which would have been the first day of the week, or Sunday a great number of Jews came to Bethany to see Jesus and also to “see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead” (John 12:9). And because Lazarus was a living testimony of Jesus’ supernatural power, and therefore a dramatic witness against their rejection of Jesus’ messiahship and a threat to their authority “the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also” (v. 10).

 

It was therefore probably on Monday the next day after the crowd visited Him in Bethany (John 12:12), that Jesus came to Bethphage and prepared to enter Jerusalem through the East Gate of the city. According to this chronology the triumphal entry was on Monday rather than “Palm Sunday” as Christian tradition has long maintained.

 

This chronology also eliminates the problem of what is often referred to as “silent Wednesday” so called because the gospel accounts would have no record of Jesus’ activities on Wednesday if the triumphal entry had been on Sunday. In what was by far the most momentous week of Jesus’ ministry such a gap is difficult to explain.

 

Additional support for a Monday triumphal entry is found in the Mosaic requirement that sacrificial lambs for Passover were to be selected on the tenth day of the first month (originally called Abib but after the Exile called Nisan) and kept in the household until sacrificed on the fourteenth (Ex. 12:2-6).

 

In the year Jesus was crucified (whether taken as a.d. 30 or 33), the tenth of Nisan was the Monday of Passover week. If Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphally on Monday, He was received into the hearts of the Jewish people as a nation much as a family received the sacrificial lamb into the home. In so doing our Lord would have fulfilled the Passover symbolism even in that small detail, being received by His people on the tenth of Nisan. Continuing that perfect fulfillment, He was then crucified on Friday the fourteenth of Nisan, as the true Passover Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world.

 

On the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives is a small village called Bethphage. From there Jesus sends two unnamed disciples (likely Peter and John) to fetch a donkey and her colt.10-2 Matthew mentions that they actually bring two animals.10-3 Mark explains why. The colt has never been ridden.10-4 If Jesus is going to keep from getting thrown off, they had better bring the colt’s mother along to calm its nerves, especially in the midst of this raucous crowd.

 

We may then take it that Jesus's actions in this incident were planned and deliberate.  He was following a method of awakening men's minds which was deeply interwoven with the methods of the prophets.  Again and again in the religous history of Israel, when a prophet felt that words were of no avail against a barrier of indifference or incomprehension, he put his message into a dramatic act which men could not fail to see and to understand.  Out of many Old Testament instances we choose two of the most outstanding.

 

When it became clear that the kingdom would not stand the excesses and extravagances of Rehoboam, and that Jeroboam was marked out as the rising power, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite chose a dramatic way of foretelling the future.  He clad himself in a new garment; he went out and he met Jeroboam alone; he took the new garment and tore it into twelve pieces; then of the pieces he gave to Jeroboam ten and two of the pieces he kept; and by this dramatic action he made it clear that ten of the twelve tribes were about to revolt in support of Jeroboam, while only two would remain faithful to Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:29-32).  Here is the prophetic message delivered in dramatic action.

 

When Jeremiah was convinced that Babylon was about to conquer Palestine in spite of the easy optimism of the people, he made bonds and yokes and sent them to Edom, to Moab, to Ammon, to Tyre and to Sidon; and put a yoke upon his own neck that all might see it.  By this dramatic action he made it clear that, as he saw it, nothing but slavery and servitude lay ahead (Jeremiah 27:1-6); and when Hananiah, the false prophet with the mistaken optimism, wished to show that he thought Jeremiah's gloomy foreboding altogether wrong, he took the yoke from Jeremiah's neck and broke it (Jeremiah 28:10, 11).

 

It was the custom of the prophets to express their message in dramatic action when they felt that words were not enough.  And that was what Jesus was doing when he entered Jerusalem.

 

There are two pictures behind Jesus's dramatic action.

 

(i)  There is the picture of Zechariah 9:9, in which the prophet saw the king coming to Jerusalem, humble and riding upon an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.  In the first instance, Jesus's dramatic action is a deliberate Messianic claim.  He was here offering himself to the people, at a time when Jerusalem was surging with Jews from all over the country and from all over the world, as the Anointed One of God.  Just what Jesus meant by that claim we shall go on to see; but that he made the claim there is no doubt.

 

(ii)  There may have been another intention in Jesus's mind.  One of the supreme disasters of Jewish history was the capture of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes about 175 B.C.  Antiochus was determined to stamp out Judaism and to introduce into Palestine Greek ways of life and worship.  He deliberately profaned the Temple, offering swine's flesh on the altar, making sacrifices to Olympian Zeus, and even turning the Temple chambers into public brothels.  It was then that the Maccabees rose against him, and ultimately rescued their native land.  In due time Jerusalem was retaken and the desecrated Temple was restored and purified and rededicated.  In 2 Maccabees 10:7 we read of the rejoicing of that great day:  "Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto Him that had given them good success in cleansing His place."  On that day the people carried the palm branches and sung their psalms; it is an almost exact description of the actions of the crowd who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.

 

It is at least possible that Jesus knew this, and that he entered into Jerusalem with the deliberate intention of cleansing God's house as Judas Maccabaeus had done two hundred years before.  That was in fact what Jesus did.  He may well be saying in dramatic symbol, not only that he was the Anointed One of God, but also that he had come to cleanse the House of God from the abuses which defiled it and its worship.  Had not Malachi said that the Lord would suddenly come to his Temple (Malachi 3:1)?  And, in his vision of judgment had not Ezekiel seen the terrible judgment of God begin at the sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6)?

 

Jesus had prepared them for the inevitable—someone was bound to ask why they were taking the animals. They are to say, "The Lord has need of it." The word "lord" might refer to the owner of the animal, who perhaps had come out to follow Jesus.10-5 However, since Luke says "its owners" were standing there and asked the two disciples what they were doing, it is more likely that the word "Lord" refers to Jesus.

 

We must remember that Jesus has spent the last six months in the area of Judea and Perea. He has raised Lazarus from the dead and his seventy commissioned preachers have healed hundreds or perhaps thousands of people in the area. In other words, Jesus was well-known and well-liked. It is therefore, reasonable to assume that Jesus sends the two disciples to one of his local supporters to appropriate the animals on loan.10-6

 

It is late March and the Feast of Passover is near. The time has come for Jesus to be delivered up. No Jewish feast is more important to the people, and no feast could be more appropriate for the culmination of Jesus’ life and ministry.

 

Passover comes at the beginning of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven days. It commemorates the exodus of the people of ancient Israel from their captivity in Egypt.

 

On the Passover, the paschal lamb is slain, just as it was at the beginning of the exodus, at which time its blood was sprinkled over the doors of the Israelites. When death passed over Egypt and the firstborn of each household was killed, God spared only those households whose doors were covered by the blood.

 

Historians tell us that it was not unusual to have between 2 and 3 million people in Jerusalem for Passover. During a census taken about ten years after this time, the number of sacrificial lambs slaughtered at the Passover was determined to be some 260,000. Because one lamb was allowed to be offered for up to ten people, the worshipers in Jerusalem that week could have numbered over 2,000,000.

 

It is not likely that the number then would have been much higher than during this last Passover that Jesus celebrated, indicating that the city was teeming with people. Wherever a Jew might live it was his ambition to observe Passover in Jerusalem. On one occasion a census was taken on how many lambs were killed and it was 256,000, with a minimum of 10 people per lamb.

 

As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus himself is about to be slain for the salvation of all who would recognize and accept the power in his blood. Even as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, his enemies are plotting his death. But the suffering will not come until Jesus has entered the city in triumph.

 

Riding on a lowly colt, Jesus is met by multitudes who shout praise to God for having sent this "great prophet" in whom they now believe.

 

Jesus knows that most of them still do not understand the true nature of his messiahship and deity, and that there are many more who still do not believe in him at all.

 

As Jesus is now given the greatest welcome of his ministry, his enemies fear his popularity and let him have his day of glory.

 

John’s account in chapter 12 of this event places greater emphasis on the action of the multitude than the other accounts...most of the people had either witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus out of the tomb or had at least heard about it! Now this miracle worker was coming to their city!

 

"To liberate the Jews from Roman domination required a mighty deliverer...by raising Lazarus, Jesus had proclaimed that He had that kind of power."

 

Three groups of people are present:

1. The multitude of foreign pilgrims

2. The multitude of residents

3. A small group of religious leaders

 

 2. Prophecy Mt 21:4-5--4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5"Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’"

 

From this text and many others it is clear that Jesus was always in control of the events that affected His life. He initiated His own coronation when He sent two disciples to procure the mount on which He would ride into Jerusalem. He thereby set into motion a series of climactic events that culminated in the voluntary gracious sacrifice of Himself on the cross that had been divinely planned from eternity past. From beginning to end the gospels completely belie the contention of many liberal interpreters that Jesus was carried away by the enthusiasm of the mob and became caught up in a tragic web of religious and political intrigue that caught Him by surprise. He was not a well-meaning moral teacher who went too far in rankling the Jewish leaders and was helplessly swept away to an untimely execution.

 

The two disciples were told to go into the village opposite them, where they would immediately… find a donkey tied… and a colt with her. Although the village was nearby the two animals obviously were out of sight, or Jesus would simply have pointed to them. The mother donkey was brought along no doubt in order to induce her offspring to cooperate. The young colt would not easily have left its mother and would have been even more difficult to handle than donkeys normally are.

 

Only in His omniscience could Jesus have known that the donkey and her colt would at that moment have been where they were, waiting to be found by the two disciples. Jesus also knew the disciples would be questioned about taking the animals. He therefore further instructed them, “If anyone says something to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

 

Mark reports that “some of the bystanders,” who Luke says were the owners, did indeed ask, “‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission” (Mark 11:5-6; Luke 19:33). Because the owners readily gave permission for use of the animals when told the Lord had need of them, it seems likely they were believers in Jesus. We also learn from those other two gospels that the colt had never been ridden (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). It was a gesture of respect and honor to offer such an animal to someone, as if to say “This animal has been reserved especially for you.

 

Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, Matthew explains. Jesus’ entire life and ministry were marked by two overriding purposes, to do His heavenly Father’s will (Matt. 26:39, 42; John 4:34; 5:30) and to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s first coming (Matt. 5:17; Luke 13:33; 24:25-27; Acts 3:21).

 

The daughter of Zion refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, which was sometimes referred to as Zion, because Mount Zion is the city’s highest and most prominent hill. The prophecy quoted in verse 5 is from the prophet Zechariah, who 500 years earlier had predicted that the people of Jerusalem would hail the Messiah as their King as He was coming into the city and that He would be gentle, or humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden (see Zech. 9:9).

 

It seems incongruous and totally inappropriate that any king, much less the King of kings, should make His triumphal entry mounted on a donkey rather than a beautiful white stallion or in a regal chariot. But that is what God’s prophet predicted and that is what God’s Son did, because that was the divine plan. He was not at that time intended to come in earthly splendor or to reign in earthly power. He did not come in wealth but in poverty; He did not come in grandeur but in meekness; and He did not come to slay Israel’s enemies but to save all mankind. The incarnation was the time of His humiliation, not the time of His glorification.

 

Because He was a King like no other king, His coronation was like no other coronation. By the standards and purposes of the earth’s kings, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was anything but triumphant; but by the standards and purposes of God, it was exactly as it was meant to be. Jesus’ entry on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden was not a put down by His rejecters. It was the sovereign choice of God the Father and of God the Son, who Himself willingly came to earth as the Servant Savior, to take upon Himself the sin of the world. Nothing could have been more appropriate than that the Bearer of the world’s sin burden would enter God’s holy city of Zion riding on a lowly beast of burden.

 

Although Matthew was speaking specifically of Zechariah’s prophecy concerning Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, it is significant that the triumphal entry also fulfilled another prophecy. Through Daniel, the Lord predicted that the time from Artaxerxes’s decree ordering the rebuilding of the Temple until the coming of the Messiah would be “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25; cf. Neh. 2:6), that is, 69 weeks total. The literal translation is “seven sevens and sixty-two sevens,” seven being a common designation for a week. In the context of the passage, the idea is 69 weeks of years, or 69 times 7 years, which comes to 483. Two different systems of reckoning have endeavored to determine the chronology of the 483 years after Artaxerxes’s decree. They are Sir Robert Anderson’s The Coming Prince and Harold Hoehner’s Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ.

 

None of the disciples, including the two sent for the donkey understood the Lord’s purpose in this or in the other great events of the coming week. “These things His disciples did not understand at the first,” John said; “but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him” (John 12:16). But the two obediently went and did just as Jesus had directed them, and brought the donkey and the colt. Because they had no blankets to pad the animals’ backs and were not sure which one He would ride, they laid on both of them their garments, on which He sat. Jesus chose the colt, the smallest and lowliest of the two, and mounted it with the help of the disciples (Luke 19:35).

 

The book of Zechariah predicts the Messiah with astounding clarity.10-7 This passage in particular was interpreted by many rabbis as Messianic. Matthew shows how this triumphal entry fulfills Zechariah 9:9. He also shows, however, that although Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the prophets, he is not the Messiah expected by the people. They were looking for the king to ride into Jerusalem10-9 on a war horse (cf. Rev 6:4; 19:11). What they were promised was a Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) riding on a donkey—a symbol of kings and of peace (Judg 5:10; 1 Kgs 1:33).

 

Points to be made:

· Matthew, Mark, and Luke say very little about Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem....spending time mainly on His ministry in Galilee. John gives us the clear picture of that ministry and especially during the great

feasts.

· In Jerusalem, He focused on His Messiahship while in Galilee He taught on many subjects.

· In ancient days the colt or donkey was a noble animal...used as a beast of service to carry the burdens of men and used by Kings and their emissaries when they entered a city in peace. Some suggest that it was a

symbol of peace, a symbol of service, and also a symbol of sacredness, because it was rarely (one writer suggesed never) riden by humans.

 

The multitudes did two things:

1. They received Him as King. This is shown by two acts which were always done for Kings entering a city: they stripped off their cloaks and cut down tree branches, spreading both out on the highway before Him. They wished to honor and pay Him the homage of a King....they received Him as the promised King of Israel.

 

2. They received Him as Messiah. This is seen by what they shouted to Jesus:

· Hosanna: which means "save" or "save now"

· Son of David: the title of the Messiah

· Blessed is He who is sent of the Lord

 

(21:6-7) Homage—Obedience: Christ deliberately received the homage of the disciples. The disciples paid Him homage (reverence, recognition). They did exactly what He asked despite the uncertainty of the matter. They had no money to buy or rent the animals, and they were to be questioned about why they wanted the animals. Yet they obeyed—not questioning, not doubting.

     Note the other act of homage: there was no saddle for their Lord. They cared about Him and His comfort, so they took their own outer garments and threw them across the animals. Again, this was an act of homage (reverence and recognition). In following Christ, the two men had lived a life of poverty, so they had little clothing. It cost them to use their clothing for such a humble act. The clothing would be soiled and smelly, but they cared and they worshipped through this act.

     The point is that Christ was now unmistakably claiming the dignity and rights of a King. He was not washing feet now; He was deliberately accepting their homage and reverence.

     But note something of critical importance. In claiming the dignity and rights of a King, He was doing it in the most humble practice of His day: entering the city as a King of Peace. This was symbolized by riding a young colt, instead of riding the conqueror’s stallion. He was disclaiming all ideas of an earthly and material kingdom. He had come to save Jerusalem and the world through peace, not war.

 

There are three clear lessons in this event.

1)   We are to give homage to the Lord by obeying His commands. They may sometimes be difficult to understand and somewhat embarrassing, yet we are to trust and obey just as the two disciples did—not doubting or questioning.

2)   We are to give homage to the Lord by giving Him the best we have. He is worthy of all and due all, so we are to do as the disciples did, give Him all—even the very best of our clothing if needed.

3)   We worship and pay homage to Christ when we give the clothes off our back. Such is a most noble ministry and assures great reward.

      But note: there is a difference in giving old unusable clothes and in buying new clothes, or else giving the clothes off our backs. In order to minister the disciples gave what they had to minister. They gave the clothes they were wearing (cp. the widow’s mite, Luke 21:1-4).

 

3. Praise Mt 21:8 with Lk 19:36; Jn 12:13; Mk 11:8 --[36As he went along,LK] 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut [palmJN] branches from the trees [in the fieldsMK] and spread them on the road.

 

Lk 19:37 --37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.

 

Mt 21:9 with Lk 19:38; Mk 11:10 -- 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "HosannaNIV-10-2 to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he [the kingLK] who comes in the name of the Lord!"NIV-10-3 ["Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"MK] "[Peace in heaven and gloryLK] HosannaNIV-10-2 in the highest!"

 

(21:8-9) Homage—Messiah: Christ deliberately received the homage of the people. And note: it was a “very great multitude” (Matthew 21:8). Apparently what happened was this. The multitude had begun to gather since early morning, excitedly looking for Him who had raised Lazarus from the dead. John told us this. In fact, he said there were so many people that the Pharisees said, “the world is gone after Him” (John 12:17-19). There was the crowd of disciples already accompanying Him and the pilgrims on their way to the Passover Feast who had joined His caravan. There were also the residents of Bethany and Bethphage who had heard of His presence and the miracles, and those who were already in Jerusalem, citizens and pilgrims who were rushing out and searching for Him.

     We are led to imagine an enormous crowd of teeming thousands lining the roadway as Christ was helped atop the donkey and began His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. There are several facts that point toward this conclusion.

     1.   Two or more million pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem every year for the Passover Feast. Thousands upon thousands were strict religionists, believing in the Jewish Messiah.

     2.   The news being spread throughout the city and surrounding area concerned the miracles Christ had performed, a concentration of miracles for some days now which included the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1f; John 11:55-56). The very atmosphere was electric with the exciting news that Jesus was God’s promised Messiah. Multitudes had heard that He was in Bethany and Bethphage (Mark 14:1-9). As said above, there was the multitude who had turned around from Jerusalem to meet Him (John 12:17-19); there was the multitude already travelling with Him (Matthew 21:29); and there was the multitude of citizens in Bethany and Bethphage who had begun gathering around Him (Mark 14:1-9; John 12:1f). The whole thrust of the picture points to teeming thousands searching for Him and rushing out to welcome Him when they heard He was coming. (Note the words of Matthew, “the multitudes that went before, and that followed” Matthew 21:9.)

 

     The multitudes did two things.

     1.   They received Him as King. This is shown by two acts which were always done for Kings entering a city. They stripped off their cloaks and cut down tree branches, and they spread both out on the roadway before Him. They wished to honor and pay Him the homage of a King. They wished to show Him that they received Him as the promised King of Israel.

     2.   They received Him as Messiah. This is seen in what they shouted about Christ.

Þ  They shouted out “Hosanna” which means save now, or save, we pray.

Þ  They called Him “the Son of David” which was the title of the Messiah.

Þ  They shouted out “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” This means blessed is He who is sent by God to save His people; blessed is He who is sent with the authority of God.

Þ  They shouted out “Hosanna in the Highest” which means “God save, we pray. Thou who art in the Highest, save now through Him whom You have sent.”

 

There are several critical lessons in this point.

1)   We must proclaim Christ as our King. He is to be the King of our hearts and lives, to rule and reign over us. But note the critical question: What do we mean by King? The people of Christ’s day were willing to accept him as an earthly King; that is, they were willing to accept what authority and power He would use in their behalf. The farthest thought from their mind was the spiritual rule and reign of their lives. They wanted earthly and material benefits. How much like so many of us! We want His kingly power when in need (physically or materially), but we want nothing to do with His kingly authority over our lives.

2)   We must welcome Christ as God’s true Messiah, the One who has come to truly save us. But again, what we mean by save is critical. We should not presume upon His earthly care and deliverance unless we are first willing to receive His spiritual care and deliverance (salvation and rebirth, the surrendering of all we are and have).

3)   Every man should cry out, “Hosanna, save now, I pray O Lord.”

4)   We must make two confessions.

Þ  Christ is the Blessed (who) comes in the name of the Lord.

Þ  “Hosanna in the highest”: salvation is “in the highest”; it is in Christ whom God has sent.

5)   We must lay all that we are and have before Christ, not only our clothes.

 

As Jesus climbs the Mt. of Olives, the people are prepared to proclaim him Messiah and King. This is the second time such a thing has happened. A year ago, when Jesus fed the 5,000 (men), a crowd was prepared to make him king by force (Jn 6:15). That was up in Galilee. This is on the doorstep of the temple.

 

It was no accident this crowd is assembled. The Passover pilgrims poured into Jerusalem over this very hill. They had come filled with political and religious fervor. That’s especially true this year. Jesus has spent the last six months in an itinerant ministry in Judea and Perea. His entourage of disciples has grown steadily.

 

Furthermore, the rumors of Lazarus have raised quite a stir. In fact, the word on the street is that the Sanhedrin wants to assassinate both Jesus and Lazarus. People are curious, expectant, and jubilant. They want a Messiah very badly. And this man, with his ability to perform such miracles, is their primary candidate.

 

Some in the crowd laid their garments on the ground. Others cut palm branches (cf. Rev. 7:9; 1 Macc 13:51; 2 Macc 10:6-7) from the trees in the adjacent fields and laid them down for the colt to walk on.10-10 From John 12:13 we learn that the branches were from palm trees, symbolic of salvation and joy and picturing the magnificent tribute that the “great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” one day will present “before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches… in their hands” (Rev. 7:9).

 

There was great excitement and ecstasy as the multitude proclaimed praise to the Messiah, to the Rabbi from Galilee who taught with such authority and who had healed their diseases and even raised the dead. Both of these are political and regal gestures. In other words, the crowds welcome Jesus as King in the Holy City (2 Kgs 9:13).

 

As Jesus crests the Mt. of Olives, this huge multitude breaks into jubilant shouts which echo across the city. Its sheer volume has attracted everyone’s attention, and its Messianic implications have generated excitement. From Psalm 118:25-26, viewed by the Rabbis as Messianic, they borrow such phrases as "Hosannah" and "blessed is he who comes."10-11 And they add to these such Messianic words as "David," "Kingdom," "Peace," "Glory in the highest." Their message rings out loud and clear. Predictably the Sanhedrin is fit to be tied. Jesus will deal with them shortly.

 

In addition to the Sanhedrin, this parade of praise no doubt catches the attention of the Roman garrison. They are stationed in Jerusalem as peace-keeping forces. They are especially cautious during Jewish feasts, when the political and religious sentiments of the Jews are at fever pitch. Now they will watch carefully the man who rides into town with such acclamation. We are probably not far off when we picture a thick line of bodies on either side of the path from the base of the mountain to its peak. As Jesus moves down the mountain the crowd falls in line behind him forming an ever-growing, impressive parade heading straight for the temple courts.

 

Seemingly with one voice, the whole multitude was crying out, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!” The Hebrew word hosanna is an exclamatory plea meaning “save now” But the crowd on that day was not interested in Jesus’ saving their souls but only in His saving their nation. Like the Twelve, they had long wondered why if Jesus were truly the Messiah, He had not used His supernatural powers against the Romans. Now at last, they thought, He will manifest Himself as Conqueror. They were about to celebrate Passover, which commemorated the Lord’s miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. What better occasion could there be for the Lord’s Anointed, the Messiah, to make the ultimate and final deliverance of His people from tyranny?

 

The people wanted a conquering, reigning Messiah who would come in great military power to throw off the brutal yoke of Rome and establish a kingdom of justice and righteousness where God’s chosen people would have special favor. But Jesus did not come to conquer Rome but to conquer sin and death. He did not come to make war with Rome but to make peace with God for men.

 

Although the shouts of the multitude were entirely appropriate and were, in fact, fulfillment of prophecy, the people had no idea of the true significance of what they were doing, much less of what Jesus would soon do on the cross in their behalf. They neither understood the Lord nor themselves. He intentionally did not enter Jerusalem with a powerful retinue of soldiers who would fight for Him to the death. He entered instead with a ragtag multitude of ordinary people, most of whom, despite their loud proclamation of His greatness, would soon turn against Him, and none of whom would stand by Him.

 

The multitude acknowledged Jesus as the Son of David, which was the most common messianic title. They were crying out for Messiah’s deliverance, pleading, in effect, “Save us now great Messiah! Save us now!” They were quoting from a popular praise psalm from the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), in particular Psalm 118, which was also a psalm of deliverance, sometimes called the conqueror’s psalm. More than a hundred years earlier, the Jews had hailed Jonathan Maccabeus with the same psalm after he delivered the Acra from Syrian domination.

 

The multitude knew who Jesus was, but they did not understand or truly believe what they knew. They were right in their belief that He was the Messiah, the Son of David, and that He had come in the name of the Lord. But they were wrong in their belief about the sort of Deliverer He was. They knew He was a king, but they did not understand the nature of His kingship or His kingdom. They did not realize any more than Pilate that the kingdom He came then to bring was not of this world (John 18:36). That is why when it dawned on them a few days later that Jesus had not come to deliver them from the Romans, they turned against Him. When they clamored before Pilate for the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus (John 18:40), they shouted, in effect, the words Jesus had predicted in the parable of the nobleman: “We do not want this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

 

The people wanted Jesus on their own terms, and they would not bow to a King who was not of their liking, even though He were the Son of God. They wanted Jesus to destroy Rome but not their cherished sins or their hypocritical, superficial religion. But He would not deliver them on their terms, and they would not be delivered on His. He was not a Messiah who came to offer a panacea of external peace in the world but to offer the infinitely greater blessing of internal peace with God.

 

Many people today are open to a Jesus who they think will give them wealth, health, success, happiness, and the other worldly things they want. Like the multitude at the triumphal entry they will loudly acclaim Jesus as long as they believe He will satisfy their selfish desires. But like the same multitude a few days later, they will reject and denounce Him when He does not deliver as expected. When His Word confronts them with their sin and their need of a Savior, they curse Him and turn away.

 

The Romans were godless and cruel oppressors, and the Lord would not allow them to survive indefinitely. But they were not His people’s greatest enemy. Their greatest enemy was sin, and from that they refused to be delivered. God would allow the holy Temple of His chosen people to be destroyed long before He allowed their pagan oppressors to be destroyed. He would, in fact, allow those very pagans to destroy the holy Temple.

 

On the day after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem Jesus “entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer;” but you are making it a robbers’ den’” (Matt. 21:12-13). That cleansing of the Temple was purely symbolic and had little lasting effect. The mercenary moneychangers and sacrifice sellers were doubtlessly back in business the next day. But less than forty years later, in a.d. 70, the Romans would utterly destroy the Temple, after which, just as Jesus foretold, not one stone of it was left upon another that was not torn down (Matt. 24:2). Not until modern times, nearly two thousand years later, could even its ruins be identified.

 

As far as the true intent of the people was concerned, Jesus’ coronation was a hollow empty pretense. The words of the multitude were right, but their hearts were not. In any case, He had not come at that time to be crowned but to be crucified.

 

He will be crowned one day in a way that is perfectly befitting. The times of rejection will be over, and at His name “every knee [will] bow of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and… every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). The first time He came, He came to provide men’s salvation. But when He comes again, He will come to display His sovereignty.

 

His great and ultimate coronation in that day is described by John:

And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev. 5:8-14)

 

To conclude our study of this incident, let us look at Jesus in its setting.  It shows us three things about him.

 

(i)  I shows us his courage.  Jesus knew full well that he was entering a hostile city.  However enthusiastic the crown might be, the authorities hated him and had sworn to eliminate him; and with them lay the last word.  Almost any man in such a case would have considered discretion the better part of valour; and, if he had come to Jerusalem at all, would have slipped in under cover of night and kept prudently to the back streets until he reached his shelter.  But Jesus entered Jerusalem in a way that deliberately set himself in the centre of the stage and deliberately riveted every eye upon himself.  All through his last days there is in his every action a kind of magnificent and sublime defience; and here he begins the last act with a flinging down of the gauntlet, a deliberate challenge to the authorities to do their worst.

 

(ii)  It shows us his claim.  Certainly it shows us his claim to be God's Messiah, God's Anointed One; very probably it shows us his claim to be the cleanser of the Temple.  If Jesus had been content to claim to be a prophet, the probability is that he need never have died.  But he could be satisfied with nothing less than the topmost place.  With Jesus it is all or nothing.  Men must acknowledge him as king, or not receive him at all.

 

(iii)  Equally it shows us his appeal.  It was not the kingship of the throne which he claimed; it was the kingship of the heart.  He came humbly and riding upon an ass.  We must be careful to see the real meaning of that.  In western lands the ass is a despised beast; but in the east the ass could be a noble animal.  Often a king came riding upon an ass, but when he did, it was the sign that he came in peace.  The horse was the mount of war; the ass was the mount of peace.  So when Jesus claimed to be king, he claimed to be the king of peace.  He showed that he came, not to destroy, but to love; not to condemn, but to help; not in the might of arms, but in the strength of love.

 

So here, at one and the same time, we see the courage of Christ, the claim of Christ, and the appeal of Christ.  It was a last invitation to men to open, not their palaces but their hearts to him.

 

4. Ignorance of the Disciples

Jn 12:16-18--16At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

 

17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

 

The disciples are as excited about all this as the crowds are, and for the same wrong reasons. They too share the popular misconceptions about the Messiah. In fact, they won’t get it straight until after Jesus is glorified (i.e., ascended). The beauty of this event is not in what it could lead to (an earthly kingdom) but what it comes from (OT prophecies).

 

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ entry closes with an element of perplexity. After the great shouts of acclamation had somewhat subsided and Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the residents of the city began asking, “Who is this?” The best response the multitude of celebrants could give was, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Obviously most of them had paid little attention to what they had been shouting so vociferously.

 

They had barely finished proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of David, who came in the name of the Lord. But they did not comprehend what they said, and when the mass emotions subsided, they were hard put to say who Jesus really was, other than a prophet who came from Nazareth in Galilee. They no longer called Him the Son of David or praised Him as the great Deliverer. He was now no more than a prophet.

 

The people knew but they would not believe, and because they would not believe they ceased to know. Like their forefathers to whom Isaiah preached, they heard but did not perceive and saw but did not understand, because their hearts were insensitive (Isa. 6:9-10). They heard Jesus’ message, they attested to His miracles, and they even acknowledged His divinity but they rejected His saviorhood and His lordship. They were totally earthbound, materialistic, and self-satisfied They were interested only in the kingdoms of this world, not the kingdom of heaven They would have accepted Jesus as an earthly king, but they would not have Him as their heavenly King.

 

5. Pharisees

Lk 19:39-40-- 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

 

40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Jn 12:19 --19So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

 

The Pharisees are fit to be tied. They understand the implications of both the actions and words of the crowds. They know both their culture and their Scriptures. They view all of this as blasphemous. Yet Jesus allows it. In the mind of the Pharisee, Jesus has an obligation to call a halt to his disciples before their inadvertent excitement crosses the line into blatant blasphemy.

 

Far from stopping them, Jesus says, "Their praise is both accurate and inevitable. If they stop the stones will start." They demand that Jesus suppress the crowd. But Jesus stands nose to nose with them and calls their hand. On this day, they are a few cards short. They have neither the popular appeal nor the official power to do anything but stand idly by and watch. The battle lines are drawn and they’ll not be idle long.

 

"Stones will cry out:"

  

(Matthew 3:9 and Luke 3:8) "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

 

(John 8:59 and 10:3) "At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds."

 

(John 10:31) "Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,"

 

(1 Peter 2:5) "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

 

Nature has cried out since the creation and nature cried out when He hung upon the cross:

 

(Psalms 69:34) "Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,"

 

(Isaiah 44:23) "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel."

 

(Matthew 27:45) "From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land."

 

(Matthew 27:51-52) "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. {52} The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life."

 

6. Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Lk 19:41-44 --41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you."

 

We are tempted to rejoice in Jesus’ victory over the Pharisees. But Jesus doesn’t gloat; he weeps. The word itself indicates deep sobs. His interest is not in winning an argument, but a people. On the surface it seems that he has done just that. But he knows their hearts. Within five days, many of those shouting "Hosanna" will change their tune to "Crucify him!"

 

As he stands over the city, perhaps looking directly into the temple courts, he pleads for her peace. Not a political peace at the end of a bloody uprising, but peace with their God. That is his ultimate goal, but their eyes are blinded to this. When Jesus refuses to be the Messiah they want, they will kill him. As a result, the vengeance of God will fall full upon the very stones of this city. Within forty years, the Romans will see to it that not one stone remains upon another. Jesus will describe this in more detail in just three days, from this very spot (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21). But for now, his prophetic warning gives way to tears. Surely this would have greatly confused his disciples, if indeed, any of them notice.

 

If you have ever wondered whether Jesus cares about those who have chosen to be lost, look at these verses:

· He looked intently at the city from an area that looked down upon it...realizing the terrible state it was in

· The word ‘wept’ means to burst in to tears, to weep out loud, to sob...Jesus was heartbroken over Jerusalem

· This was occuring while the entire scene before Him was of feasting and fellowship

 

Some words of Jesus midway through His ministry comes to mind: (Matthew 13:15) "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise

they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'"

 

 * He was not weeping because He was to suffer and die.

"There are things that make for peace, things which can bring peace both to the hearts of men and to the society and world of men."

 

The people here had closed their eyes and mind...refusing to see what Jesus had wanted them to see.

 

But it is even more vital that we realize a major point: God counted Jerusalem as having lost its opportunity. He had shown patience for generation after generation; now the time for judgment had come.

 

"God hid the things of peace and turned Jerusalem over to their blindness."

 

Three major things point to the cities’ destruction:

1. The city would have a trench dug around it, serving as a protective wall for the Romans

2. The city was to be completely destroyed...note again the ‘stone’ phrase

3. The people were to be personally judged; the prediction was very personal.

 

These things were literally fulfilled in AD 70. Josephus says over 1 million people died and 97,000 were taken captive.

 

Why did these things occur? Because they rejected the Messiah!

 

What did this event and His entrance mean to Jesus?

This was the only time in His ministry that Jesus actually planned and promoted a public demonstration. Up to this time, He had cautioned people not to tell who He was, and He had deliberately avoided public scenes.

 

 Why did Jesus plan this demonstration?

1. He was obeying the Word and fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Zechariah 9:9.

2. It forced the Jewish leaders to act. When they saw the spontaneous demonstration of the people, they concluded that Jesus had to be destroyed (see John 12:19). The prophetic Scriptures required that the

Lamb of God be crucified on Passover. This demonstration of Christ’s popularity incited the rulers to act.

 

R.C.Foster lists the following attributes of the Kingdom as suggested by the triumphal entry:

humility love power righteousness peace joy

 

Hendriksen outlines the event this way:

 

But the Jews still did not recognize Jesus as their King. What caused Israel’s spiritual blindness?

· For one thing, their religious leaders had robbed them of the truth of their own Word and had substituted man-made traditions (Luke 11:52).

· The leaders were not interested in truth; they were concerned only with protecting their own interests (John 11:47-53).

· "We have no king but Caesar!" was their confession of willful blindness. Even our Lord’s miracles did not convince them.

· And the longer they resisted the truth, the blinder they became (John 12:35ff).

 

 "The whole world goes out to Him!"

The Pharisees couldn’t believe their eyes! They had always taught that the Messiah would come down from heaven on a white charger, taking command of the kingdom of Israel. But the people were paying homage to a local man riding into town on a donkey.

 

What does all this have to do with me?

1. We need to be certain that we do not close our eyes to the message of a Messiah

2. We need to realize that we, too, have had so many great advantages.

 

(Romans 9:1-5) "I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- {2} I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. {3} For I could wish that I myself were

cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, {4} the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. {5} Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen."

7. Entrance into the Temple

Mt 21:10-16-- 10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

 

11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

 

14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. 16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "‘From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise’?"

 

Mk 11:11 with Mt 21:17 --11[Jesus] looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out [of the cityMT] to Bethany [where he spent the nightMT] with the Twelve.

 

By the time Jesus makes it through the city gates, everyone is buzzing about him. The niv translation of verse 10, "The whole city was stirred" is somewhat understated. The word translated "stirred" is used elsewhere in reference to the shaking of an earthquake (Mt 27:51; Rev 6:13). The Jerusalem residents and the Passover pilgrims ask those at the head of the parade, "Who is this?" "Jesus the prophet from Nazareth" is all the answer they need and the one they already suspect.

 

The sick of the city make their way to the outer court of the temple, the only one in which they were allowed. It was common for the sick and lame to sit at the temple gates and beg from those entering (cf. Acts 3:2). Somehow they find their way to Jesus through the mass of bodies and crooked necks. As if there wasn’t enough excitement already, Jesus heals them. Even the children have formed a choir to echo their parents’ praise.

 

The Pharisees, who have already accosted him, are now bolstered by the Sadducees. Since Jesus is taking over their territory in the temple, they must ask him to quit in spite of the fact that he is doing wonderful things! Such hypocrisy is too flagrant to be gentle with. Jesus responds by saying, "Have you never read?!" That’s like accusing a preacher of not knowing John 3:16. Based on Psalm 8:2, they should have been more sensitive to the praise of these kids. It is not that this passage is so famous, but that this event is so obvious. What a contrast! On the one hand you have the praise of the people, the sick being healed and children worshiping God. And on the other hand you have the religious leaders wanting to put a stop to it because it is out of their control.

 

Such hypocrisy deserves more than this minor rebuke. It will, however, have to wait until the next day. Jesus has already used up the bulk of the afternoon with the Triumphal Entry and this healing service. He merely scopes out the problem, returns to Bethany with his inner band of twelve, and sleeps on it. But the fireworks are coming on Monday!

 

Tuesday, April 18, 2006