The King’s Triumphal Entry

Easter is arriving soon, in seven weeks.

Seven is a good biblical number (days, sabbath, etc.)

Introduction

Introduce the verse, Matthew 21:9, and its connection to Psalm 118:25-26, and Psalm 148:1.

Matthew 21:1–11 ESV

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “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.’ ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Explain the context of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the people's expectation of a Messiah

Our verse we are going to look at today is Matthew 21:9.

Matthew 21:9–11 ESV

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!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Question: Did you catch the problem:

Jesus refers to a verse in Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11, that discusses salvation and the king coming

They see him as a prophet.

The Expectation of the People

What the people say reveals what the people are thinking.

As I said, what they say comes from a Psalm. Psalm 118 and Psalm 148.

Psalm 118:25–26 ESV

Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

I don’t have time to dig into the entire Psalm, so here are the salient points.

Surrounded by enemies:

The psalmist cries out to the LORD for help, surrounded by enemies (Psalm 118:5-7, 10-12)

Israel's enemies have besieged her, seeking to destroy her (Psalm 118:10-12)

The psalmist acknowledges the LORD's past deliverances, but feels overwhelmed by current circumstances (Psalm 118:5-7)

The LORD’s deliverance and victory:

The psalmist expresses confidence in the LORD's deliverance, citing past victories (Psalm 118:14-16, 21-22)

The LORD's coming is celebrated as a time of joy and salvation (Psalm 118:24-26)

The psalmist invites others to join in praising the LORD, who has given Israel the victory (Psalm 118:1-4, 28-29)

Image suggestion: a picture of a triumphant procession, with people waving palm branches and celebrating

Key verse: "This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Connection to Matthew 21:9: The crowd's cry of "Hosanna" (Psalm 118:25-26) as Jesus enters Jerusalem is a recognition of him as the LORD who comes to deliver and save his people.

Hoshiah-na “Cause salvation, please” (Hiphil imperative with the interjection please)

Their expectation of The King:

Descended from David (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 2:7)

Rooted in Old Testament prophecies and promises (Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6)

Expected to:

Expel Romans, Samaritans, and other non-Jews

Restore Jerusalem to its former glory (Ezekiel 34:23-24, Zechariah 9:9-10)

Image suggestion: a picture of a king's crown or a throne, with a background image of Jerusalem or a Jewish temple

Key verse: "I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5)

Notes: This expectation was deeply ingrained in the Jewish people's understanding of the Messiah, and was based on a long history of prophetic promises and scripture.

The Expectation Never Changed

The Israelites ask Samuel for a king to rule over them, despite God being their King (1 Samuel 8:4-5)

The motivation is to be "like all the nations" and have a human king to lead them in battle (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

Samuel warns the people of the consequences of having a human king, including taxation, conscription, and loss of freedom (1 Samuel 8:10-18)

Despite the warning, the people insist on having a king, rejecting God as their King and ruler (1 Samuel 8:19, 22)

Image suggestion: a picture of a crowd of people looking to a human leader, with a subtle image of God or a divine presence in the background being rejected or turned away from

Key verse: "But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king to rule over us. Then we will be like all the nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.’" (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

1 Samuel 8:19–20 ESV

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

Notes: This event marks a significant turning point in Israel's history, as they reject God's direct rule and opt for a human king, leading to a mixed legacy of good and bad kings, and ultimately contributing to their spiritual decline.

The Timing of God's Plan

Explain how the people's expectation was not wrong, but rather the timing of God's plan was not yet fulfilled (Acts 1:6-7, Revelation 20:1-6)

Acts 1:6–7 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Discuss how Jesus' first coming was to establish the kingdom of heaven, while his second coming would be to establish his earthly rule (2 Timothy 4:1, Revelation 19:11-16)

Nothing has changed for us…

Which is why I press so hard into serving…

Jesus’ approach is opposed to every single system:

Conclusion and Call to Follow

Summarize the main points of the sermon and the people's expectation of a Messiah

Emphasize that Jesus is indeed the King of heaven, and his kingdom is one of love, kindness, and repentance (Romans 2:4, 1 John 4:8)

End with a call to follow Jesus, the King of heaven, and look forward to his second coming, when he will defeat evil and restore peace on earth through his kindness (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4)

The King’s Triumphal Entry