By What Authority?

Text: Matthew 21:1-27

Thesis: Through His actions, Jesus boldly declares His kingship.

Application: We must recognize and submit to Christ’s authority.

Reading of the Word

Matthew 21:1-10

Intro: Jesus’ Actions Speak for Themselves

Many critics of Christianity state that Jesus never claimed to be God and never claimed to be king. This critique is used in an attempt to lead people to believe that Jesus was just an ordinary person whose followers elevated into a religious figure post-death. Unfortunately for these critics, that notion is laughable, at least as far as the Bible is concerned.

You see, these critics are leaning into something which is true in that Jesus did not go from town to town shouting that he was God or that he was a king. No, Jesus did not assert his divinity or kingship in a loud or brash way like we would expect from many others. In Jesus’ day there were many people who claimed to be the messiah, but in the end, it was revealed to be empty talk. Jesus took the opposite approach from these other leaders. Jesus simply let his actions speak for themselves, and in doing so, proclaimed a more reliable and trustworthy message. Jesus allowed his teachings, miracles, and circumstances do the talking, and people understood the message that he was sending.

This is why the gospels depict such strong reactions from the people who encounter Jesus. Everyone knew that Jesus was making bold and bombastic claims: claims to be one with God, claims to be the savior king, claims to be able to forgive sin, etc. There are three kinds of responses to Jesus’ bold actions:

Some people are confused by Jesus because they recognize his power but he isn’t acting like they think he should.

Some people outright reject Jesus because they do not want him to be God and/or king.

Some people believe that Jesus is God and that he is the savior-king.

Matthew 21 presents us with three clear claims from Jesus through his actions. Each of these claims have to do with Jesus’ status as king. What you are going to see is that in this passage, Jesus claims to be the King of Jerusalem, the King of the Temple, and the King of the Universe. The question will then be, how will you respond to these claims?

The King of Jerusalem

Matthew 21:1-11

This is the story in which churches all around the world are reading, and discussing, and celebrating this day. Many of you have heard this story throughout your entire lives. Jesus rides a donkey into the city, the crowds lay down their cloaks and palm branches on the road for him to tread on, and the city is alive with the shouts of many saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” While it may seem strange to us today, this is a clear picture of how Jesus is boldly proclaiming his kingship without having to say a word.

During the time of the Bible, kings would make grand entrances into a city, especially if they were returning to their capital city from a war. In order to communicate victory, and that peace had been won, kings, and other kinds of rulers, would make their entrance on a donkey. You can find this in Judges where multiple Judges have their descendants rule over the land on donkeys demonstrating that their oppressors have been defeated and that there is peace. This same symbol is used in connection to King Saul and King David, and the prophet Zechariah clearly speaks of Jesus’ kingly entrance on a donkey in Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The claim was as clear as day. Through this simple action, Jesus was claiming to be the King of Jerusalem. Not only that, Jesus was claiming to be a victorious king bringing peace.

Application on peace.

The King of the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

Next, we see Jesus enter the temple, and what does he do? Jesus flips tables, grabs a whip, and drives out the merchants who had set up shop. Throughout the history of Israel, the king has always had an interesting relationship in regards to leading Israel’s worship. On one hand, the role of the king was distinctly separate from the role of the priest. This is something which King Saul is condemned for because he oversteps his bounds and positions himself to be a priest. But on the other hand, the primary metric for which the kings are judged is whether or not they led Israel in a pure worship of their God. In King David’s story, you see him function as a priestly king, and his son Solomon is the one to lead the construction of the temple. While being separate, there is a connection between priest and king, which Jesus ultimately fulfills.

By entering the temple, driving out the merchants, and claiming control Jesus is declaring himself to be not just king of the city, but the king of the temple. In this action, Jesus is actually pointing back to a man named Melchizedek who lived thousands of years before him. If you are unfamiliar with Melchizedek, Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem during the time of Abraham, and he also held the role of priest. Melchizedek approaches Abraham holding bread and wine which for us on the other side of the story is such an on-the-nose reference to Jesus and the Last Supper. This reference is so on-the-nose that some people believe Melchizedek to be a Christophany, that is a manifestation of Jesus himself. The author of Hebrews is going to pick up on this in his sermon when he quotes Psalm 110 saying that Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

In taking control of the Temple, Jesus is not only claiming to be a King over the city, he is claiming to be the Priest-King who will restore Israel’s worship and relationship with God.

And look at how Jesus does this: Jesus drives out those who were profiting off of broken people and instead makes it a place where broken people can be healed.

Application on worship being restorative, not for profit.

The King of the Universe

Matthew 21:18-22

Lastly, we see Jesus have this strange encounter with a fig tree. Jesus is hungry, and he wants to eat some figs. However, the tree has no fruit for Jesus. Then such an odd thing occurs; Jesus curses the tree! The tree immediately withers away, and the disciples are astonished at this power.

This is a fascinating moment in the ministry of Jesus, and there are several points that we could draw from this encounter. We could do an entire sermon series on what happens to this tree! However this is the main point I want you to understand in this moment: by doing something so supernatural, Jesus is displaying an authority and power over nature itself. In doing so, Jesus is claiming to be the King of the universe. It’s not just a city or a country that is under Jesus’ authority. Nature itself - the trees, the wind, the waves, etc. bows before Jesus and submits to his will.

Application on submitting to Christ’s rule.

The Challenge

Matthew 21:23-27

From Bob:

It’s not enough to simply KNOW Jesus is King. It’s not enough to simply BELIEVE Jesus is King. We need to have the faith, the courage, and the determination to not only Believe that Jesus Christ is KING, but also let that belief impact our life and the lives of those around us; we need to but what we believe into practice. How do we do that?

By:  -          Pray every day -          Love our wife/honor our husband -          Love/Serve others in whatever capacity God provides -          Give out of our blessings -          Be humble in our thoughts, words and deeds -          Walk the path of sickness/loss with a strong faith -          Rejoice in all things – even the things we don’t like. -          Etc. (edit as you see fit these are just ideas.)

When we do these things, we proclaim through our attitudes, words, and actions that Jesus truly IS our KING, rather than some knowledge we claim to possess. And because Jesus is our king we can have peace, because Jesus is our king our relationship to God can be healed, and because Jesus is our king we are called to submit to his authority.