PALM SUNDAY

Introduction:

As we ready ourselves for Easter Sunday —- Palm Sunday allows us to feel the gravity of Jesus’ declaration as Lord and as King

DA Carson gives this beautiful word picture that i’d like to use as the backdrop to our entire time together today:

STORY: Think about two jewish men on the night of the first passover having a discussion before heading to bed —- passover where God was sending judgment amongst the people who had kept His people in captivity by killing the first born child of any household that did not have the blood of the lamb painted along their doorpost —

The first man looks at his friend and says “man… are you a little nervous about what is going happen later on tonight?”

the second man says “well, God told us what to do through His servant Moses — you don’t have to be nervous! Didn’t you already slaughter the lamb, readied the doorpost, and dobbed the blood of the lamb across your doorpost as a sign of trusting in your God”

the first man looking nervously back says “well of course I have I’m no dummy… i’m prepared on that front —- but its still pretty scary with all the things that have been happening here lately with the flies, the river turning to blood…. its pretty crazy and now the threat of the firstborn son…you do know the angel of death is passing through tonight —- of course I did all the things but that doesn’t mean its not nerve racking”

The Second man looks at him and says “bring it on… I trust the promises of God!”

Here how DA Carson closes this analogy: that night the angel of death passed through the land… which one lost his son? the answer of course is neither — because the salvation of their firstborn that night was not found on the grounds of the intensity or the clarity of the faith exercised by the individual BUT ON THE GROUND OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB — that is what silences the effects of sin and death —-

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

—-PALM SUNDAY IS ABOUT THE FINAL SACRAFICE, the ULTIMATE SAVIOR, READYING FOR THE FINAL BLOOD TO BE POURED OUT FOR US!

There are a couple of things that we need to observe in this passage that if we do not identify, we could miss some real beauty within this passage:

The first half of my sermon is going to be exclusively contextual hermeneutics —— meaning I desire deeply for us to be as immersed into this text as possible. I want us to try and sit in the crowd that day with our tree palm in hand … ready for the Triumphal Entry of our Savior. YOU ready!?

i’ll do this through three observations that we must have with us when reading this passage - so think of my first point as three exegetical lenses:

MATTHEW 21:1-17

The Triumphal Entry

21 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 ain 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.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Point #1: The Humble Servant is our Rightful King - Crown Him or Kill Him?

The ‘Son of David’ Title in verses 9 & 14

Matthew 21:9-14

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 ain 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.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

this may just seem like another title amongst the many that Jesus was given or another Jesus miracle… however, this time is very different

for this is the first time Jesus allowed the title of the Messianic King to be used in public and he responds to it

The “Son of David” was the title commonly used and known for the title given to the Messiah that will come

What might not jump off the page through our first read is the clear, building, drama that is taking place in this passage

Now, why would it be that Jesus would hold back from any title that clearly represents Him properly —- We often say the King of Kings, Lord of Lords! ands we are right —-

But, Jesus, and His disciples know the clear and unrelenting consequences that come with this proclaimed title —-

have you ever been in a conversation and someone says something and your first reaction is “no way!! amazing!!! —- and then the reality of the statement set sin… and your like ohhhh noooooo!

STORY: I remember a really close friend of mine called me just after college and told me he landed his dream job…. one that he’s wanted for so so long… and that he just received this job offer —- he was going to be working for the Houston Astros…… but wait a minute…. i’m in Indiana and I knoe that the Houston Astros are in…. Houston…. NOOOOOO!

This would have been like that but on a much much larger scale… if you know the scriptures you know that Jesus’ disciples have been begging Jesus to finally just say I AM ALL THR THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING ON —- JC stop with the parables and just say I AM THE SON OF DAVID — I am the king you’ve been waiting for —- bow down to me (or whatever)

1st —- He had been doing that the entire time

2nd —- Jesus also knew that His message needed to be proclaimed and seen by many

in fact if you read the book of John it clearly depicts the “signs” Jesus was fulfilling from the Old testament as a crescendo to the cross —-

3rd — You also see in Jesus ministry that He consistently would proclaim that he is the messiah or miraculously heal someone — and then tell them to keep this quiet for now and tell no one

Why is this?

Because Jesus says “for my time has not yet come” —- meaning I know the end to this story, I know the saving work I will do upon that cross, But He also knows the consequences for His Messianic Reality —— the consequences of His claim was death

so, This encounter with these people calling Him the Son of David and Him replying “Yes” —- Now, its on — the beginning of the redemption account found on the cross begins here

2. Notice How Jesus arranges the Triumphal Entry V. 2-3

Matthew 21:2-3

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.”

Jesus sends his disciples to Bethpage & Bethany were 2 villages just outside of Jerusalem

Bethany which is right next to Bethpage, was the home of Mary Martha and Lazarus —- meaning Jesus knew this place very intimatley

If you were looking for a place that had known the mighty acts of Jesus clearly —- you’d go to Bethpage or Bethany — because they had all seen or heard how Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead —- they would also be the perfect representation of Jesus’ resurrecting power —— which will be the preparation of His story wouldn't it?

So, when Jesus sends His disciples into this place to get a donkey He knew where they would be and He clearly expects the people in this town would gladly give anything to those who came asking in His name

look at verse verse 8 —- 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. — and in verse 10 we are told the entire city was stirred for His arrival why?

This crowd was not from Jerusalem for they knew nothing of His arrival —- no this crowd was from Bethany and Bethpage for they knew He was coming!

Notice it says in verse 9 the crowds who “went before him” —- they heard of Jesus needing the donkey and they hurried to worship Him -

So, Jesus, in many ways sent for the crowd and not just the donkey —— Jesus is preparing the stirring of His arrival

Jesus has arranged a show down with the opposing officials of both His reality of the full King who has come and Him being the true Messiah, and the arrangement of His final strike on Satan, which would be the cross

3. Notice the choice of Jesus’ mode of transportation

He calls for a donkey as His choice of transportation into His Triumphal Entry

The disciples had to be a bit confused…. YES, FINALLY HE IS PROCLAIMING HIS FULL KINGSHIP …. But, a donkey Jesus, really?

A proper mode of transportation for a King was not a donkey…. it was a War Horse.

you know who rode donkeys? servants exclusively rode donkeys.

So, we have the king who is now boldly proclaiming that He is the messianic King who is worthy to be worshipped, but he comes in riding a servants donkey?

Oh, how precise our savior is in this moment, right!?

look with me in verse 5:

Matthew 21:5 ESV

“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.’ ”

Think about the confrontational nature of Jesus’ kingship —— He is the King not the one who wears the crown

Think about the paradoxical nature of Jesus’ Kingship ——- He is the rightful king, but he comes humbly as a servant

Point #2: The 3 Responses to King Jesus: the readied worshippers, the robbers, or the others

there are only 3 options when it comes to the beautifully confrontational truth of Jesus’ Messianic Claims:

1) the readied crowd:

Matthew 21:8

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 ain the highest!”

2) Robber:

Matthew 21:13

13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

The Robbers had disgraced the house of worship, where praise was meant to fill the space, and instead they auctioned the place off as a make-shift market —- you see they saw no value in what it was meant to be—- so they just changed it with no care for it

Matthew 21:12-16

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise’?”

3) The Others

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road

The key word for the title of “other” is the the word most — Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road

many were prepared to worship and exalt the name of Jesus —-

however, the others were split into two different groups

the others who were just there to see the theatrics of it all

the others who were wildly disappointed in the fallacy of this perceived fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

THE 1st OTHERS: lets first look at the others standing around for the theatre of it all:

some of them new the work that Jesus had done over the last couple of years —- they had heard from or seen in person the grace and experienced the miracles of Jesus

and yet —- for them — this was just another event they wanted to experience or they were interested in the excitement it brought — but they did not believe that He was who He claimed to be —- the savior of the world

James 1:22-25

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

APPLICATION: there are people who find Jesus fascinating, there are people who even like to listen to sermons, but they have not given their life to follow Him and to know Him and to walk in His ways

THE 2nd OTHERS:

This is the portion of the crown who were awaiting the War Hero to overtake the existing kingdoms and reign as an earthly king who comforts and protects via mass-war and power

see these were those who miss-understood the promises of God

for it is one thing to read the word —- but it is another thing to know the truth of Gods Word

the incarnate Christ sits atop the promised donkey, on the way to his promised death, and ready to send death to death forever on the first Easter Sunday and this portion of the crowd thought it was a mockery of the true savior that would come later on

APPLICATION:

know your savior and know the Word that is given to us to edify us and shape us into the king on the donkey that day

FInal Word:

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our savior next Sunday I ask that you moments right now and this week to identify clearly what the savior has accomplished on your behalf

identify where in your life that you’d like to become more like Him —- identify sin in your life that needs to be sanctified so that you can shine brighter His beauty

let us not celebrate His resurrection without actively living for what He accomplished upon that criminals cross