The Triumphal Entry

Intro: The day was the Tenth of Nisan possibly AD 30. That would be the 2nd of April for you and I. It had been a long day that started in Jericho where the poor beggar Bartimaeus was saved and a little later the rich tax collector Zacchaeus showing that Jesus had come to save all people from all walks of life.

Jesus has traveled the 22 mile course uphill to Jerusalem, as He entered the sacred city He was greeted with a royal greeting by the Pilgrims that followed along with residents of the villages and Jerusalem. We call this the triumphal entry but there is more to the story than meets the eye.

This is the Sunday before Passover, just five days before Jesus is to be crucified. This day is significant to Isreal for on this day the Passover Lamb was set aside for inspection.

Ex. 12:3-6 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. ‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. ‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.”

As the Jews selected their Lamb the “LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD ROAD INTO TOWN”

The people proclaimed Him Messiah believing He had come to set up his Kingdom but He had come to die for their sins and pronounce judgment on those who rejected Him.

I. His Procession 1-10

ILL: I wonder what the Romans were thinking as they watched Jesus ride into town. The Romans were no strangers to “Triumphal Entries” a Roman Triumph was indeed something to behold. When a Roman General returned to Rome after a great conquest in which his army killed at least 5000 enemy soldiers and gained new territory for Rome he was greeted with a parade. He would ride a golden chariot surrounded by his officers and his conquered treasure and prisoners would be on display. The Roman priest burned incense and the people shouted his name and lavished him with praises. The procession would end at the arena where the people would be entertained by watching the captives fight wild beasts many to there immediate deaths.

Our Lord’s entry was nothing like that but it was a triumph just the same, God in the flesh, the anointed King and Savior had brought spiritual conquest… He had not killed 5,000 enemy soldiers but in a few short weeks the Gospel would transform the lives of 5,000 Jews.

Acts 4:4 “But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”

Jesus’ triumph would be the victory of love over hatred, truth over error and life over death.

A. His Sovereignty

It is wonderful to know that Jesus is in control of all things. The events of this week did not take Jesus by surprise they had been designed and orchestrated before the foundations of the world. We can take rest in knowing that our Lord is in control of every situation and circumstance.

Jesus sent two disciples into Bethphage to get Him a colt (young male) of a donkey, one that had never been rode. The disciples found it just as He predicted. JESUS IS THE OMNISCIENT LORD! He knows all things! Though meek on earth He owns all things.

Hag 2:8 “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

Psalm 50:10 ““For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.”

The owners servants had no problem giving the colt to Jesus! And the animal that had never been ridden or yoked had no problem letting Jesus ride him.

The Lord hath need of Him… What a paradox.... He needed that colt in order to fulfill the Prophecy of Zech. 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

B. His Humility

The beast that Jesus rode on was not the warhorse of Rome but I want you to know He was the perfect beast for Jesus. Un-Ridden made him suitable for Jesus sacred purpose and in Israel the donkey had been used before to declare kingship.

1 Kings 1: 33-34 “The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

As the people gathered in the streets they saw Jesus coming into Jerusalem like Judah Maccabee, who in the second century B.C. entered Jerusalem bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches also fronds of palms. The people sang songs of thanksgiving to the one who brought military victory over to Israel, cleansed the Temple, and expelled the Syrian Greeks.

They thought the Messiah had come to lay waste to Rome and be the conquer of Zech. 14:3-5

“Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

But He had come offering peace, humble and endowed with salvation. Riding on the colt of a donkey.

The people shouted Hosanna which means “Please Save Us!” They wanted salvation from Rome but Jesus came to bring them salvation from the wrath of God.

ILL: I heard a story of a man and his young son who were fishing in rough seas, the boy fell overboard and the father desperately tried to save him by casting a life ring unsuccessfully to him over and over. Finally like any loving father would do He jumped into the water to save his son, He was able to reach him but by then the boat had drifted far way, he struggled with all his might finally getting his son within reach of the boat as the boy climbed back onto the boat the father was pulled away by the current and drowned.

Likewise, Jesus jumped into humanity to save his children at the expense of His own life.

The people declared the kingdom had come Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!” but they hadn't recognized their king!

II. His Examination 11

On the same day, as the Jewish people began to examine their passover lamb, the Lamb of God examined them and found them wanting.

Jesus came offering peace to those who believed in Him as Lord and Savior, but judgment to those who rejected Him.

A. Jesus Judges the City (Luke 19:41-44)

Luke’s account tells us that as Jesus approached Jersualem, He saw the city and wept over it. The Greek verb wept is klaiō it means to wail. Jesus’ cares for the people and does not desire any to perish.

But the city had rejected Him time and again, in 5 days they would have Him crucified and Jesus pronounces judgment upon them because they missed their time of visitation.

All of Scripture points to Jesus, Jesus fulfilled prophecy after prophecy in their presence. But the preconceived notions of what the Messiah looked like and would do caused them to miss what they had been looking for and hoped for, for so long.

B. Jesus Judges the Temple

I can image the excitement of the crowd as Jesus came into Jerusalem and walked up the temple mount. They knew He was going to claim His throne, but instead He walked into the temple and saw the filth and unrighteousness. He saw the Gentile court filled with merchants leaving no room for them to come to God and worship. He saw the turtle dove, the sacrifice for the poor being sold at exorbitant prices, He saw the over priced lambs and goat were not without blemish, He saw the money changers charging an exorbitant exchange rate for the temple tax.

Mark Tells us Jesus looked around and because it was late returned to Bethany for the night.

Jesus gave them another day to repent but that next day He returned and cleaned house!

Con: Jesus came to Jersualem as the Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world but the people wanted a different type of Messiah, Jesus examined the city and though He wept over it sentenced it to judgment. He found the Temple filthy and as we will see next week judged it as well. 40 years later just as Jesus pronounced Rome would utterly destroy Jerusalem and the temple.

As Jesus examined Jerusalem He examines you and I and Enigma Baptist Church, I wonder what He sees as He looks into our heart and our worship.

Perhaps He will give you another day to repent and come to him before Judgment falls.

On That day Jesus came to die, but when He comes again He will come to reign

He came on a little donkey but He will come on a warrior horse. He came a humble servant but He will come as an exalted King. He came in meekness but He will come in Power. He came to save but He will come to Judge. He came in love but He will come in wrath. He came as deity veiled but He will come as deity revealed. He came with 12 disciples but He will come with an army of angels. He came to bring peace but He will come and make war. He was given a crown of thorns but He will receive a crown of royalty. He came as the suffering servant but He will come as the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

Few bowed before Him when He came the first time. However, every knee shall bow when He comes again.

Jesus came to save you don't miss your day of visitation.