The King Has Come: The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday, Here Comes King Jesus.

I. Introduction

A. Explanation of Palm Sunday and its significance in the Christian faith: Palm Sunday is a day when Christians commemorate Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which marks the beginning of the Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. It is a day of celebration and joy as we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

B. Reading of the Triumphal Entry account in Matthew 21:1-11: Lets Read The Triumphal Entry account in Matthew 21:1-11

Matthew 21:1–11 ESV

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

We find parallel accounts in Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 19:28-44 also provide additional details of the Triumphal Entry and the events leading up to it.

Luke 19:28–44 (ESV)

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

C. Importance of understanding the context of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem: To fully appreciate the significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry, we need to understand the historical and cultural context in which it took place.

A King of Revolution: By Sword or By Peace

1. The events of the Triumphal Entry Fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-11 , which describes the coming of a king who would be humble and riding on a donkey.

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. Zechariah was a priest and a prophet who lived in Jerusalem during the post-exilic period, after the Babylonian exile, Which, as Pastor Nick used to say all the time, was a thing. He was likely born in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem with the exiles who came back to rebuild the temple and the city.

Zechariah's prophecies are a mix of apocalyptic, eschatological, and messianic themes, with a heavy emphasis on visions and symbolic imagery. But, the prophecy that he is most known for is the one fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Zechariah is also known for frequently referencing the temple and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and encourages the people to repent and return to the ways of God.

Zechariah 9:9–17 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. 14 Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

However, the religious leaders of the time saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and conspired to have him arrested and killed. Understanding this historical and cultural context helps us to see the significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry and its ultimate purpose, which was not to establish an earthly kingdom but to bring about spiritual salvation through his sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

2. At the time, Jerusalem was a city under Roman occupation, and tensions were high between the Jewish people and their Roman rulers. The Jewish people were looking for a political and military savior who would free them from Roman rule and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. The Triumphal Entry took place during the Passover celebration, which was a time when many Jews gathered in Jerusalem to commemorate their liberation from Egyptian slavery and to pray for God's deliverance from their current oppressors.

3. In this context, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey was a significant political and religious statement. By riding on a donkey, Jesus was symbolizing that he came in peace, not as a conquering military leader. The crowd's response to Jesus, waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna," was a demonstration of their belief that he was the long-awaited Messiah who would deliver them from their oppressors and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel.

II. Jesus as the King

Jesus is the Righteous King

A. The significance of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey: Jesus' choice to ride on a donkey instead of a horse symbolizes his humility and peaceful intentions, as opposed to a conquering king who would ride on a horse.

B. Jesus' identity as the King of kings and Lord of lords: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a powerful statement of his identity as the long-awaited Messiah and the King of kings and Lord of lords that is Prophesied throughout the Prophets and specifically here in Zechariah 9.

III. The Ultimate Purpose of Jesus' Triumphal Entry

The Jesus Method

A. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem marked the beginning of the end of his earthly ministry: Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of the end of his earthly ministry and the culmination of God's plan of salvation for humanity.

B. Jesus came to save humanity through his death and resurrection: Jesus' ultimate purpose in coming to earth was to save humanity from sin and death through his sacrificial death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

C. The ultimate victory of Jesus over sin and death through his sacrificial death on the cross: Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem foreshadows the ultimate victory that he would achieve over sin and death through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

IV. The Response of the People

Motives Matter

A. The excitement and joy of the crowd as they welcomed Jesus: The people who lined the streets of Jerusalem on that day were excited and joyful, recognizing Jesus as their long-awaited King and Savior.

B. The contrast between the people's response and the religious leaders' rejection of Jesus: While the people welcomed Jesus, the religious leaders of the day rejected him and plotted to have him killed.

C. Motive Matters. The People rejoiced and the religious leaders scoffed and planned murder, yet all of them cried crucify on that sorrow filled day. The reason why is because motive matters. The people wanted to use Jesus for a quality of life improvement. To have something to hold over others and as a symbol of their superiority and ultimately their ascension to higher status in the world through Jesus. The leaders saw Jesus as a reduction to their power and were afraid of disrupting the status quo. both are problematic. What is your motive for following Jesus? What will your life reveal about your hopes for Jesus?

V. Application for Today

A. Embracing Jesus as our King and Savior: Just as the people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as their King and Savior, we too must embrace Jesus as our King and Savior, however, we must also submit our lives to his lordship, not just the idea of Him.

B. Recognizing the importance our Motives: We must always question and take hold of our motivations. Proverbs 16:2 and Proverbs 21:2 remind us an important truth.

Proverbs 16:2 ESV

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Proverbs 21:2 ESV

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

I tell the youth all the time, why do people repeat things? Because repetition helps us learn, so we repeat important things. Here is representation of the principle in the book of Proverbs.