Easter
2016: Palm Sunday
Matthew
21:1-17
As
they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of
Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the
village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there,
with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.
If anyone says anything to you,
say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’
This
took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:
Say
to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding
on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’
The
disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the
colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
A very large crowd spread their
cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and
spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of
him and those that followed shouted,
‘Hosanna
to the Son of David!’
‘Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
‘Hosanna
in the highest heaven!’
Jesus
entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the
benches of those selling doves.
‘It is written,’ he said to
them,‘“My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are
making it “a den of robbers.”’
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and
he healed them.
But when the chief priests and
the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the
children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of
David,’ they were indignant.
‘Yes,’ replied
Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘“From
the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your
praise”?’
New
International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Jesus
was on His way to Jerusalem and when He reached Bethphage He
requested that two of His disciples go ahead and collect a donkey and
her colt that was ready for Him. They brought them back for Jesus and
put their cloaks on the back and Jesus rode the colt I fulfilment of
Zechariah 9:9 “See, your king comes to you, gentle
and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’
There
was a very large crowd there at the time and they began to praise God
in recognition that Jesus was fulfilling the words of the prophet.
They momentarily had hope in Jesus that He was the promised Messiah
but their hopes would soon be dashed a few days later when they would
be crying for His crucifixion.
We
will be looking at who the crowd were and why they were there tonight
in our bible study but suffice it to say for now this was the
beginning of the season of Passover and Jerusalem was filling up with
visitors on their way for celebrations.
We
live in Looe and at the moment there are more and more visitors
coming because the annual pilgrimage to the seaside is about to
begin. Next week we will have far more holiday makers than there are
residents. That is what Jerusalem was like at Passover when probably
there were more than a million pilgrims descend upon the city.
Passover was of course a time of celebration of the deliverance of
God's people and so when the crowd saw the most famous preacher in
the land riding the colt of a donkey (with it's mother as evidence)
it made them wonder whether this could possibly be Messiah.
We
will consider this a lot more tonight so please join us but for now
we will consider three qualities of the King. We know that the hopes
of the crowd were fulfilled in Jesus and that he is a King of very
different qualities to any other king that has ever lived and that He
did bring deliverance for His people during that Passover celebration
but as we shall see next weekend in a very different way to what
anybody would ever have thought.
We
will consider first the King of promise, and then the King of praise
and finally the King of love.
The
King of promise:
This
is one of the most famous and important events during the ministry of
Jesus. The people in Jerusalem at the time were witnessing the
fulfilment of the prophesy of Zechariah. God through His prophet in
chapter 9:9-17 promises judgement upon the enemies of Israel and the
kingdom of God. This will begin with a triumphal entry of the King
into the capital city of Jerusalem. His coming will cause the
children of Israel to rejoice greatly and to shout for joy because He
has come BUT it is not as to be expected.
Instead
of Jesus riding the white horse signifying victory He comes in
humility riding a beast of burden but worse still, it is not even a
mature donkey it is a foal.
Zechariah
promises that the King to come will look more like a humble failure
but yet He is King.
The
prophesy continues to tell of the work of the King. He will proclaim
peace to the nations.
His
weapon is His message.
This
is a very different King but He is the King promised by God.
Zechariah
prophesies that His work is amazing in that He will speak to and
reign over all of the earth. He will bring freedom to His people and
He will also appear in glory, He will conquer the enemy and save His
people. Finally He will beautify His people just like jewels in a
crown. They will be a truly prosperous people.
When
Jesus entered into Jerusalem on that day He preached a very powerful
sermon simply by His mode of entry. This went over the heads of those
who should have seen the spectacle and immediately thought of God's
promises made through Zechariah but they did not. Instead they were
enraged and wanted Jesus to stop the people from shouting out to Him.
Jesus
is King of all Kings, He is exactly what God has promised. He came
into Jerusalem that day as the arriving Passover lamb that would be
slain for the sins of His people.
He
was then the King of promise and He is still the King of promise. He
has fulfilled all that Zechariah proclaimed of Him and He continues
to bring peace and prosperity to His people. But you might say “I
do not see much prosperity here!” That is true but read the whole
of the promise made through Zechariah and you will see that it is
prosperity that could not be fulfilled in this world. Jesus promised
that we would become inheritors of heaven itself and would be seated
with Him in glory where we will be rich beyond all measure.
Jesus
is the promised King, are you one of His loyal subjects?
Have
you made Him King of your life?
The
King to be praised:
Why
did the people spread out their coats and palm branches on the
ground?
Coats,
am not sure that there is some biblical precedence for that but Palm
branches are mentioned. At the feast of Tabernacles the people were
to cut palm branches to make shelters to live in for 7 days as part
of their thanksgiving for the harvest. Due to the feast of
Tabernacles following the Passover.
Jesus
however was to die at Passover and so this event is logically not
related to the feast of Tabernacles but we do find in Revelation 7
that in heaven the great multitude who were singing praises to the
reigning Lamb of God were holding palm branches in their hands. At
that time throughout the surrounding nations a conquering king would
return home to the accolade of his people. Today we might have little
paper flags but they would cut down a branch and wave it furiously in
recognition of the great victory. This is something of what we find
in Revelation, the Lamb has been sacrificed, He has conquered sin,
Satan and death and He is reigning supremely.
The
crowd on that day in Jerusalem caught a glimpse of the conquering
King coming in victory but in humility with a job yet to do!
It
is not until we are in heaven that we will see the enormity of that
victory but in great hope the people of Jerusalem on that day
applauded the King in the great hope of deliverance. They looked to
Jesus in the hope of salvation to come.
But
we look to Him as the victor over sin and who has accomplished
salvation how much more appropriate is it for us to praise Him for
what He has achieved on the cross!
Look
at what the crowd shouted! Hosanna or save. I am sure that they were
expecting their king to eventually rid the land of the occupying
forces of Rome but Jesus' mission was far greater. Zechariah said
that it would be effective across the whole world. We must always
remember that Israel is the Old Covenant Nation of God and is
therefore the incomplete fore-runner to the church.
Israel
was a nation chosen by God through whom He would display His glory.
God's glory is always found in the person of Jesus. He came not
merely to rescue a single nation but to save a people from every
tribe, nation and language. The enemy of the world is Satan and sin
from which Jesus came to save His people from the effect that it has
on them. That is why at that point in Revelation 7 the multitude are
praising the Lamb. It is by blood sacrifice that sin is atoned for
and our atonement is made secure by the Lamb of God who now reigns in
glory!
“Blessed
is He who comes in the name of the Lord” is what the crowd sang
quoting Psalm 118:26 but they added to it in true Jewish style. They
said in parallel to “blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord” “Blessed is the King of Israel.”
The
truth of Israel was that they only really recognised God as their
King. Herod was the puppet who ruled but only God is the true King.
Therefore they are praising Jesus here as King. He is the promised
one that would come seated on the colt of a donkey. It is this king
who will bring salvation to all of His people and so they praise Him.
So much so that when the opposition want Jesus to quieten them Jesus
tells them that if they should stop then even the stones would cry
out. It is often said at this point that the road would burst into
song but that is not likely to be what Jesus is referring to. The
Temple was now in view, the temple made of stones cut by human hands.
The temple was the place where God made His presence known amongst
His people. His presence had long gone from within her four walls but
Jesus was saying that even the temple would declare His praises.
It
is no wonder that Jesus taught that He was building His church (the
place where He now makes His presence known) the building blocks of
which are His people. His people will sing His praises in life and in
death and even more so in eternity!
Unbelievers
hate it when the church praises God. The enemy would love to silence
us but it is our duty to sing praise to the King of kings and Lord of
lords.
We
will sing praise to our God while we have breathe.
The
King of love:
Luke
19:41-42 records Jesus approaching Jerusalem and seeing the city!!
Jesus saw the city. It is important at this moment to stop and
consider what he saw. He saw a numerous people going about their
daily business but He also saw the hearts of the people. He knew that
every intention of all was evil and that evil would be directed to
Him in just 1 week's time. Their praises would change to demands of
execution. They would want Him dead but yet He wept for them! If only
they knew what the cost of their hoped for peace would be!But it was
hidden form their eyes.
It
is still hidden from the eyes of unbelievers, they still do not
understand the cost of forgiveness of sin and the importance it has
for their eternal security. Jesus' love is demonstrated so clearly
here. If only Jerusalem might know the cost. He would have loved to
be able to show them the love He had for them but yet He knew their
hearts. His love is unconditional, it is parental just as a mother
hen loves her chicks then so the King of glory loves His people and
wants to protect them and keep them secure.
He
did not come in order that they be condemned but that through Him
they might be saved. But they would not listen! They would demand
that He died at their command rather than as a self sacrifice for
them.
As
we consider this passage His love pours out of the page. The quote in
our notices is from William Dyer a 17th century pastor who
rather graphically catches the enormity of the love that Christ had
for His people and how powerful His passover sacrifice really is
“Christ
bled love at every vein! His drops of blood were drops of love. The
more bloody He was; the more lovely. He was most lovely upon the
cross because there He showed most love to us.”
William
Dyer: Christ's famous titles.
The
King of love our Jesus is, have you experienced His love personally?
Apply
the gospel.
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