Jesus Entered Jerusalem

Palm Sunday

Set Up

Today is what we would call Palm Sunday. It is exactly one week before Jesus died on the cross and rose again.

This was also the first time that Jesus allowed Himself to be publicly recognized as the Messiah, the Savior who God had sent. Before this time, Jesus refused public recognition and ministered outside of Jerusalem.

Story:

Matthew 21:1–11 (NLT)

1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.

2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,

‘Look, your King is coming to you.

He is humble, riding on a donkey—

riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ”

6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Praise God in highest heaven!”

10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Prophecy fulfilled

The prophet Zechariah wrote this about 500 years before Jesus came!

Jesus was welcomed warmly, and the people were happy to see the One who they thought would save them from all of their troubles and make things right.

However, the Luke account of this story shows us another piece to this story: how much Jesus loved Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was:

The place where Jesus did a lot of ministry

The place where He would be crucified and also rise again

The place where the church began

Listen to what Jesus says about Jerusalem:

Luke 19:41–44 (CSB)

41 As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it,

42 saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come on you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side.

44 They will crush you and your children among you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.”

Jesus was expressing His sorrow for Jerusalem. They didn’t believe in Him or receive Him. They did not recognize that it was God coming to visit them. He knew the destruction that was coming to Jerusalem one day.

What should our response be towards Jesus? We don’t to respond like those in Jerusalem who rejected the prophets that God sent and God’s very own Son, Jesus.

We should take time to be thankful that Jesus came to be our Savior and that if we trust in Him, we can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Him forever.