Matthew 21:1-11

Scripture Reading: Psalm 118

Introduction

Everyone of Us have Been Given…

Some of the Best Advice We could Ever Receive

But Every Single One of Us have Refused to Take it

What is that Advice?

Live Everyday like it’s Your Last

Have You Ever Imagined What You’d Do…

If You Knew Today was Your Last Day?

If You’re Like Me, You’d Probably Change a Few Things

Take Some Things More Seriously

Take Other Things Less Seriously

Love More

Serve More

Sacrifice More

It’s a Shame We Don’t Take that Advice, isn’t it?

Christians Ought to Live Everyday like it’s Our Last

In Our Text, We’re Entering into the Last Week of Jesus’ Mortal Life

And in this Final Week…

We’re Going to See Some Differences in His Behavior

Primarily, He’s No Longer Keeping His Identity a Secret

It’s Time for the World to Know Who He Really is

Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus has Been Making His Way to Jerusalem from Galilee

He, Along with His Disciples & a Large Crowd of People…

Are on Their Way to Celebrate the Passover

But Many of Them have More than Just the Passover on Their Minds

They’re Eagerly Expecting Him to Establish His Kingdom/Reign/Rule

And They’re Not Wrong

He is Going to Establish His Kingdom

But They’re Very Wrong about How He’s Going to Do it

Matthew 21:1–3 (NASB95)

1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

Jesus, His Disciples, and the Crowds Following Him…

Are Now on the Outskirts of Jerusalem

They are Across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is a Little Higher in Elevation than Jerusalem…

So Being on the Mount of Olives Allowed Them…

To Look Down and See Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

They’ve Come to a Little Village Called Bethphage

Without Entering the Village…

Jesus Sends in 2 of His Disciples to Retrieve a Donkey’s Colt for Him

“The Lord has Need of Them” was Probably a Prearranged Password…

That would Tell the Owners of the Donkeys…

That the People Taking the Donkeys were Jesus’ Disciples

John’s Gospel Account Tells Us that the Day Before Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem…

He Spent Some Time in Bethany (South East of Bethphage)

Why?

To Stay with His Friends, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary

And Before That, He’d Been to Bethany to Resurrect Lazarus from the Dead

We Know from John’s Account…

That Jesus had Spent Some Time in this Area

So, it’s Very Possible that Jesus could’ve Made a Prior Arrangement…

To Borrow These Donkeys

But Why Did Jesus Need Donkeys?

Matthew is Going to Tell Us the Prophetic Purpose of These Donkeys

Matthew 21:4–7 (NASB95)

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.

So, the 2 Disciples Give the Password…

And Get the Momma Donkey and Her Colt for Jesus

Then They Lay Their Coats on the Colt…

To Make a Saddle for Jesus to Sit on

But Before Matthew Tells Us that…

He Wants Us to Know that this is the Fulfillment of a Prophecy

Notice the Details of this Prophecy:

Zechariah 9:9–10 (NASB95)

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. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

This Prophecy Says:

The King is Coming Victoriously into Jerusalem…

To Bring Salvation to God’s People

But He’s Not Coming with a Chariot, a War Horse, or a Battle Bow

His Victory/Salvation isn’t Won By Military Power/War

He’s Coming into Jerusalem on a Donkey’s Colt…

Bringing Victory/Salvation Through Humility & Peace

And He will Rule Over the Entire Earth

Jesus was About to Make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

As King, He was Coming to Bring Victory/Salvation to His People

He was Coming to Declare Victory Over the Enemies of God’s People

But His Victory was Not Won Through War But Through Peace

This would’ve Reminded the People…

Of Solomon, the Last Anointed King of Israel…

Who Rode into Jerusalem on a Humble Beast of Burden…

To Be Declared King and Usher in an Era of Peace

Matthew 21:8–9 (NASB95)

8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”

The Crowd Begins Forming a Make-Shift Red Carpet for the King’s Entrance

They Laid Their Only Coats Down on the Dirty Road

John Tells Us the Branches They Laid Down were Palm Branches

This was the Sunday Before His Crucifixion on Friday

We Still Call the Sunday Before Passover/Easter “Palm Sunday”

This was Very Reminiscent of the Victory Parades of Triumphant Kings of the Past

200 Years Prior, Judas Maccabaeus Conquered the Pagans…

Who had Oppressed and Defiled Jerusalem

The People Welcomed Him into the City with Palm Branches

The Crowds were Expecting Jesus to Ride into Jerusalem…

And Proclaim Victory Over Their Pagan/Roman Oppressors

They were Shouting a Piece from Psalm 118

Psalm 118 was Known as a “Psalm of Ascent”

This Psalm was Sung By the Israelite People…

As They Ascended to Jerusalem During the Passover

“Hosanna to the Son of David”

“Save Us, Son of David”

“Save Us, Messiah (Anointed One)”

“Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord”

“Blessed is the One Who is Sent from God”

“Blessed is the One Who Represents God”

“Blessed is the One Who Comes to Fulfill God’s Will

In Mark’s Account They Shout:

“Blessed is the Coming Kingdom of Our Father David”

In Luke’s Account They Shout:

“Blessed is the King Who Comes in the Name of the Lord”

There is No Doubt as to What They’re Saying:

They are Claiming that Jesus is the Messianic King…

Sent from God to Claim His Throne

And Luke Tells Us that They Began to Shout Out These Praises…

From the Moment Jesus Began to Descend the Mount of Olives

Luke Also Tells Us that There were Pharisees in the Crowd…

And They Fully Understood What the Crowds were Saying About Jesus

Luke 19:39–40 (NASB95)

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

Pharisees: “Jesus, Tell These Crowds to Stop Praising You as the Messiah!”

Jesus: “If They Don’t, the Rocks will!”

What Happened to the Messianic Secret?

Up Until Now, Anytime Someone Recognized Jesus as the Messiah…

He’d Strictly Command Them to Not Tell Anyone

But Now a Huge Crowd is Shouting to the Highest Heaven…

Right Outside the Gates of the Capital…

That He’s the Messiah…

And He’s Glad They are

It’s the Final Week of Jesus’ Mortal Life…

And His Behavior has Totally Changed

The Time of the Messianic Secret is Over

There’s No Reason to Hide it from the Authorities Anymore

It’s Time for Everyone to Know Exactly Who He is

Matthew Tells Us that Jesus had Crowds in Front & Behind Him

John’s Account Gives Us Some Helpful Details

The Crowds were Made Up of:

Pilgrims Who were Traveling from Galilee and All Over the Map…

To Celebrate Passover

People Who Witnessed Jesus Raise Lazarus or Who Heard of it

Those Little Details about the Crowd are Helpful Because:

Most of the People Throwing this Welcome Parade for King Jesus…

Were Not Residents of Jerusalem

Some of Them Probably were…

But it Seems that Most Weren’t

Matthew 21:10–11 (NASB95)

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

When They Heard the Triumphal Parade Entering the City…

The People of Jerusalem were “Stirred”

“Stirred” is Not the Best Translation

“Stirred” = seiō (see-yo)

It’s Related to the Word seismos = “Earthquake”

The People of Jerusalem were Quaking & Shaking

They were Deeply Concerned about What was Going on

Why were They so Concerned/Scared?

Imagine the Situation with Me:

You Live Under the Rulership of the Ruthless Romans…

Who Don’t Take Kindly to Insurrections

All of a Sudden, One of Your Jewish Countrymen Comes Riding into Town…

And is Joined By an Enormous Parade of People…

Who are Treating Him and Quite Literally Calling Him:

“Our King Who is Coming to Establish His Reign”

Not Only would Rome Not Like this…

But When the People Started Asking Who this Guy on the Donkey is…

They are Told, “The Prophet from Nazareth in Galilee”

The Religious Leaders aren’t Going to Like this Either

A So-Called Prophet from a Know-Nothing Town like Nazareth…

With a Parade of People Calling Him the Messiah

This is All a Recipe for Civil/Religious Unrest

It Makes Sense Why the People of Jerusalem are Nervous

Jerusalem is on the Verge of Being Turned Upside-Down

Application

Not One Person, Not Even His Disciples…

Yet Realized the Significance of the Donkey

His Beast of Burden Symbolized Peace…

Not Insurrection, War, or Violence

He Came to Establish His Kingdom, Yes

He Came to Rescue His People from Oppression, Yes

He Came to Take Dominion Over the Entire World, Yes

But He wouldn’t Accomplish this Through Violence/Coercion

He would Accomplish it Through Submission

By Submitting to the Will of His Enemies

Referring to Jesus’ Crucifixion, Paul Said:

Colossians 2:15 (NET)

15 Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

By Submitting to Death on the Cross, Jesus:

Disarmed All Rulers and Authorities

Made a Public Disgrace of Them

Led Them in Triumphal Procession

Through His Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension to the Throne of Heaven:

Jesus Established His Kingdom

Jesus Rescued His People from Oppression to Sin and Death

Jesus Became Ruler of Heaven and Earth

Jesus Instituted Universal Peace

And We Know that Jesus is Coming Again…

In the Greatest Triumphal Procession of All Time

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (NASB95)

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Meet = apantēsis = the Act of Being Present at the Arrival of Someone.

It Often Refers to the Public Welcome of an Important Figure…

Exactly Like the Triumphal Entry Jesus Received in Jerusalem

The King is Coming

He May Return Today

Or it May Be a Thousand Years from Today

Regardless, Live as if Today is Your Last Day

When Jesus Returns…

Let Him Find Us Waiting at the City Gates…

Ready to Lay Down Our Coats and Palm Branches

He will Once Again Make a Triumphal Entry:

To Defeat His Enemies

To Establish Everlasting Justice, Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

To Give Everlasting Life to His People in a Perfect Paradise

To Make All Things New

Let’s Live Today and Everyday…

Ready for His Arrival to Give Him a Triumphal Entry