A Deliberately Staged Demonstration

Background to passage: Jesus has been moving toward Jerusalem for some time now. He has come down from Galilee on his final approach. From Jericho (their last stop), it would have been a 6-8 hr walk uphill covering 15 miles and over 3000’ of elevation. He had predicted his death and resurrection and determination to proceed to Jerusalem to accomplish what he came to do.

His arrival was a statement about his kingship setting up a battle of sorts between rival forces. Matthew takes up a quarter of his gospel content on this last week. There are so many themes. Today’s text is always preached on Palm Sunday, but I want to see it from a different angle today. This whole section of interactions and teaching is a direct affront to the authorities in Jerusalem. It is a series of acts and teaching that confronts the religion of the Pharisees and Sanhedrin. It’s a declaration of his kingdom and a set up for his death. The fickle crowds that welcomed him within a week would call for his crucifixion, his destiny from before time began.

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.”

Opening illustration: on Oct 1 of last year, the International Longshoremen Association decided to go on strike because of a needed pay raise, and protection agaist

Main thought: This morning we will look at the set up for a confrontation between Jesus and the rulers and authorities, as well as the Jewish concept of a Messiah who would bring deliverance from Roman oppression.

1) King (v. 5)

Matthew 21:5 ESV

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.’ ”

1) King (v. 5)

Explanation: Jesus clashed with the Pharisees throughout the gospels - over who can forgive sin, purpose of Sabbath, fasting, exorcism, eating with sinners, rules on giving and taxes, signs from heaven, divorce, and others. But this was a declaration of war. The fact that this Galilean teacher, whom they hate, is coming into their city during the Passover celebration is a prepared, staged demonstration of a clash. The rule following and rule creating of the Pharisees was categorically in opposition to Jesus’s ministry. Thus their blind obedience cuts them off from a religion of a changed heart and life. Their legalism made them prideful and judgmental rather than loving and merciful.

Over and over Jesus had told people not to tell others that he was the Christ, not to tell people about healings or other miracles. Not today. Jesus announces his kingship and messianic role in several unmistakable ways that ensure a confrontation that will ultimately end in his death. In the next three chapters he aims directly at their hypocrisy and false teaching.

He announces his role as King and Messiah in several ways that any Jewish reader would not miss. 1) Direct reference to Zechariah 9:9 about the king come on a donkey’s foal. 2) The coats and palm branches before and behind. 3) The shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David.” 4) His coming through the Eastern Gate from the Mt of Olives.

We must remember the messiah that the crowds desired was vastly different from that of scripture. Sometimes what we get used to as religion, it not far from biblical

Luke 9:53 ESV

53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

Matthew 12:14 ESV

14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Illustration: MY EARLIEST MEMORY of the Easter season is as a child visiting a rather large church. All of us little children were given palm fronds, and we then lined up and walked down the aisle of the church with the choir singing at the top of their lungs. We stood on either side of the aisle, with our palm fronds extending out and above us, forming a canopy. This seemed to me like a very fun way to do church! Then I was absolutely stunned, because down the aisle came a man in a long robe riding a donkey! Riding a donkey into church! That is a good memory. It was a happy procession of children and choir and a man on a donkey, almost like a celebration. It seemed like everyone loved Jesus on that Palm Sunday. But memories of childhood aren’t all exactly correct. Several years ago someone gave me a story of a Sunday school teacher who decided to ask her little preschool class what they remembered about Easter. The first little fellow suggested that Easter was when all the family came to the house and they ate a big turkey and watched football. The teacher thought that perhaps he was thinking of Thanksgiving, not Easter, so she let a little girl answer. She seemed to think that Easter was the day when you come down the stairs in the morning and saw all the beautiful presents under the tree. At this point the teacher was really feeling discouraged. But after explaining that the little girl was probably thinking of Christmas, she called on a little boy with his hand tentatively raised in the air. The teacher’s spirits immediately perked up as the boy said that Easter was the time when Jesus was crucified on a cross and buried. Finally, she felt that she had at least gotten through to one child. Then the little boy added, “And then he came out of the grave, and if he sees his shadow we have six more weeks of winter!”

Application: 1) the kingship of Jesus in our lives and the advancement of the kingdom, and kingdom values.

2) clash of worldviews to this day. Moral, religious, political, authority (humility). Their will be a cost to discipleship. From a religious standpoint, we sometimes get so caught up in routines and traditions that we miss the fact that God is doing something right in front of us.

3) it requires/calls for a response from us. Are we going to receive him as his entourage, ask questions like the crowds inside Jerusalem, or seethe with anger against a threat to our personal power and autonomy.

4) expectations that we put onto Jesus in our lives vs. welcoming him into every situation like this inviting his will to be done.

Closing illustration: John Wesley ordained a priest in 1728 at 25. Went to GA in 1735 and came back in 1738. During his trip, during a storm he was shaking by the fact that the Moravian missionaries were of good confidence in their salvation, and fully prepared to die should the ship sink. They sang. Shortly thereafter attended a meeting at Aldersgate Street in London where while reading the preface to Martin Luther’s Commentary on Romans that he “felt his heart stangely warmed.” Thirteen years after his ordination to the service of the Anglican church, he was saved.

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