Jesus: Behold Your God and King

The King Presented

Have someone read Isaiah 62:11, Zechariah 9:9.

Matthew 21:1-11

Alistair Begg (scottish accent) think on the incongruity of a king riding on a donkey.

Why is it significant that Jesus rode into Jerusalem?

Because He was fulfilling the prophecies as the Messiah and king in the line of David.

Is this picture of the Messiah what the Jewish people expected?

Psalm 118:22-24

Is this humble Savior the Savior you will trust?

We are naturally religious creatures. We want ceremony, we want miracles, we want big fancy churches with stained glass windows. But, Jesus didn’t come so that we can build church buildings. He didn’t come for the righteous. He came for the oppressed and low in spirit, for the addict and the sinner. The Pharisees in their pride could not accept Jesus because He dined with sinners.

Jesus’ Deity

Jesus was in the line of David, which proved His royalty. But did He really proclaim to be God? Was He just a Jewish revolutionary?

Matthew 21:12-17

Jesus here quoted a Scripture which was talking about God, and referenced it about Himself. A “good teacher” would never do this. Even a Jewish nationalist wouldn’t dare. Throughout His ministry, the Jewish leaders got more and more upset with Him. However, Jesus was not a troublemaker. He never sought to get a big crowd going to overthrow the Jewish leaders. He was far from a Jewish revolutionary. Palm Sunday is when His public attention begins to rise towards the climax. He presented Himself as their king because he knew that His time was coming soon. That week, the Jewish leaders would plot to have Him executed. Jesus could not deny the truth. A Jewish revolutionary or a good teacher would not proclaim to be God, and would not willingly be executed for it. Only someone who is the Son of God could do these things.

How do Jesus’ claims to be God change how He must be perceived?

If the claims are not true, what would that mean? What about if they are true?

Israel’s Rejection

Despite the clear signs; the miracles and prophecies being fulfilled, Israel rejected their Messiah.

John 1:11

Matthew 21:18-19

There is symbolism here that after He is presented as king, He finds a fig tree with leaves only and no fruit. Fig trees always bear fruit first or have fruit and leaves at the same time. The tree with leaves and no fruit symbolized the nation of Israel. They had “leaves”; good works and religious rituals, but no “fruit”; real heart change and faith. This goes back to the idea throughout the Old Testament that without true faith, God does not desire our good works. Isaiah 64:6 says our good works are like “filthy rags” before the Lord.

Matthew 23:25-28.

Based on these verses, what was Pharisees’ problem?

Romans 9:30-33

What is the difference between the good works of the Pharisees and the good works of a godly person?

One is from legalism, one is from the identity. One is out of duty, one is out of the heart.

What Say You?

What does your life say? Do you have the appearance of good works but a really dead inside?

Do you do good works out of a changed heart and a desire to please God? Or because you want to appear a certain way to people?

Ephesians 2:4-9 Repeat verses 8 and 9

How is that gospel different than what the Pharisees taught?

"Wealth can't get you in but wealth can keep you out; moral rectitude can't get you in but it can keep you out" - Alistair Begg (If there isn’t time for the clip)

If salvation is “free”, why is the gospel so hard to accept?

We want the glory and the riches but not the humility. We don’t want to admit that our works always come short of God’s glory. The Pharisees wanted a messiah that would affirm all the works they had done and that would deliver them from Roman rule. The messiah that came, however, was humble, and taught a gospel which condemned their hypocrisy. He came in humility because He sought to save those on the outskirts, those who had been hurt by hypocritical religious people. And His ultimate act of humility was suffering and dying the death that was supposed to be ours.

Will you accept this Messiah?