The Triumphal Entry
Notes
Transcript
The Triumphal Entry reads like a tragedy - the King arrives with so much anticipation, only to be killed just one week later. But it is so much more than that. The people do reject their Messiah, but not because they did not want a King; They reject God, but not because they do not worship Him. They reject the true repentance that God accepts, looking instead for a purely political ruler who will ignore their sinful hearts and just give them the freedom they want.
The tragedy of the Triumphal entry is then the tragedy of rejecting God while worshipping him; it is being entirely ignorant of the peace available to them while looking directly at the Prince of Peace and wanting him to lead them.
Getting the Colt
Getting the Colt
Now Jesus only starts to think about a mount when he gets near to Bethany/Bethphage. That’s only about two miles from Jerusalem, and he’s walked all the way from Galilee to get here. He certainly didn’t get the colt because he needed a ride.
Now Matthew lets us know that this colt was the offspring of a donkey, because Matthew is the one who tells us that the Messiah riding in on a donkey is the fulfillment of prophecy.
Luke, however, does not mention that it was a donkey. The Greek Word could be used of either a horse or a donkey, though Israel had more donkeys. Rather, Jesus’ riding a colt is a royal declaration that everyone would recognize as a claim to royalty; though since Jesus does not actually say the words “I am King,” the Romans still had nothing to charge him on.
And notice that this is something that Jesus prepares to do. No one makes him ride it, no one suggests that he should. He decides it is important. That is, Jesus is overtly claiming to be the Messiah, the King of Israel.
In that regard it is significant that Jesus selected a colt that had never been riden. If someone wanted to proclaim himself King, he would use the King’s horse, but of course, Jesus is taking the Throne of David; he is not taking over for Pilate.
When King David wanted to demonstrate that he was appointing Solomon to be King, he had his entourage select a Royal Mule for Solomon to ride on
The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.
There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
Now there hasn’t been a Davidic King in over 600 years, so there is no King’s Donkey to ride. The next best thing, in that case, is an unridden animal. So the reason he selected an animal that had never been riden is that it is the most Royal animal he could have picked under the circumstances.
The other thing to ask here is why the secrecy. It is possible that Jesus had arranged to get the colt ahead of time, but I’m not sure when he could have done this without the disciples knowing. It is more likely that Jesus is using his supernatural knowledge to select an owner who is eager to let Jesus use his animal. But that doesn’t explain why Jesus needed to set up this elaborate ruse to have two disciples go on ahead and secure the colt. After all, Jesus is going to be coming that way soon anyway. Why doesn’t Jesus just wait and ask the owner himself when he gets to Bethany/Bethphage?
Jesus knows that things are going to get pretty hot, especially because Judas is going to betray him. By doing it this way, he avoids getting the owner in trouble for being associated with him. Furthermore, this way he takes the royal practice of requisitioning something for his own use, thus, this is yet another way in which Jesus is proclaiming himself King.
The Praise of the Crowds
The Praise of the Crowds
It is obvious that the crowds understand the message that Jesus is communicating. They only add to the Messianic expectation. First, they throw their cloaks on the colt for Jesus to have something to ride on. This is a declaration of royalty. When Jehu was appointed King, they didn’t have anything particularly royal on them, so they spread their cloaks under Jehu as part of recognizing him as king of Israel
Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”
Those who didn’t get to use their cloaks for Jesus to sit on, put their garments on the road for him to walk over for the same reason.
Furthermore, what they said was also Messianic. They quote Psalm 118:26, which is a Messianic reference - a promise that the Messiah would come through the gates of Jerusalem. They are, of course, correct. Jesus does come in the Name of the Lord and is blessed.
But amid all the praise to God and Messianic fervor, the people do not really turn to God. They are cheering because they think Jesus will set himself up as King without first demanding that they truly follow God. They think that they do not need to change to be ready for the return of the King. He is here, and they think they are ready, so they are happy. I do not think they would be so cheerful if they really understood that only those Jews with a right relationship with God would be eligible to enter that kingdom. What they need to do is mourn for their sin, be appalled and pray that God would forgive them. Instead they cheer thinking they are good to go.
The Objection of the Leaders
The Objection of the Leaders
Now if you’re familiar with Jesus’ ministry to this point, it will not surprise you that the religious leaders don’t think all this is quite so wonderful.
They call Jesus’ “teacher”. When Jesus is making a clear appeal to the people to be their King, and everyone is shouting that the King is here, they only call him teacher. This is not an accident; they know the Scriptures very well. They understand what Jesus is doing and what they crowds mean. They don’t agree.
They are offended at the Messianic overtones, and they warn Jesus to rebuke their disciples. They want Jesus to assure the crowds that he is not the Messiah, that he does not support their recognition of his royal authority.
But he does not do this; quite the opposite. He says that it is impossible for there to be silence. Even the stones would cry out that Jesus is King if no one else would. That is because all this is the fulfillment of prophecy. The King must come as God has said.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Again, Jesus does not use the words “I am King,” so the Romans have nothing to catch him on, but the message is unmistakable. Not only is Jesus affirming that he truly is the King, he is also saying that he is fulfilling prophecy by entering Jerusalem with royal accolades, so he is claiming that God is on his side as well.
Jesus weeps for the city
Jesus weeps for the city
Now Jesus’ weeping at this point is very out of place. Everyone is shouting for joy; the religious leaders are fuming. The air is alive with Messianic expectation. Even the disciples are cheering because they think that the Kingdom is almost here. Only Jesus is sad, and no one really understands why.
The problem is that the city of Jerusalem does not know the things that make for peace. What are those things? It isn’t that Jesus is King. Everyone is shouting that. They get that Jesus is the King, and they aren’t wrong. It’s something else. It’s the heart of Jesus’ message from the beginning; the message he has been preaching day after day for three and a half years.
Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is Near.
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Over and Over and Over Jesus has tried to warn people that there is only one way to enter the Kingdom of God - to repent of their sins and believe in himself. There has never been any other way.
Jerusalem does not get the need to repent; they think it’s only a political problem. the Romans are in charge, God needs to appoint for us someone to get rid of the Romans. It’s not a political problem, it’s a spiritual one. Before any action against the Romans can happen, the people must first be ready to turn to God.
Since Israel has not repented, there’s only one path left. Jesus is here and is ready to be their king, but he is waiting for them to actually listen to his message. Because they don’t see their own sin, their one chance to truly accept the King will pass them by. Because Jesus will not be their king, it will only be a matter of time; about one generation, in fact, that the Romans will come and destroy everything. One stone will not be left upon another. That’s exactly what happened in the Wars of the Jews in AD 66-70. Every building was demolished. The only bit left standing was the Wailing Wall. That’s because the Wailing Wall isn’t part of a building, it’s a retaining wall; and even then it’s only one small section of the original wall.
Jesus drives out the sellers
Jesus drives out the sellers
Now there was a lot of business being conducted in the outer court of the temple, the court of the Gentiles. Jews and godfearing Gentiles from all over the Roman Empire came to Jerusalem to sacrifice and worship God. Thus, there was money that needed to be changed, for the Temple only accepted the Shekel. There were animals that were sold, because people needed to buy animals for sacrifice. Josephus claims that 255,600 animals were sacrificed at the Passover of AD 66. He sometimes exaggerates but still, if he is even close to the mark, that’s a lot.
the Passover was the largest feast of the year, so the money in this festival was enormous. The Sadducees, the chief priests, oversaw the business and profited from it immensely. Since those who came to worship were required to buy animals for sacrifice, they had no choice but to do business there.
The problem with this was that what ought to have been worship to God was turned into a massive money making operation. Even if the sellers were honest, it was much more about gold than God.
When Jesus drove out the sellers, he was claiming Royal authority - not the kind of Messianic authority that people wanted him to have, but the one that was needed. As King he had the authority to carry out God’s will in the temple, and that is what he was doing. But this would have made the leadership quite angry. He disrupted their cash flow in the “holiday season.”
Jesus quotes Scripture - two passages that explain the problem. The first is from Isaiah 56:7
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
The point of that passage is that God will bring everyone to the temple, even the Gentiles, to offer sacrifices and pray to the one true God. that is, the purpose of the temple is for worship and prayer.
The second passage is Jeremiah 7:11
Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.
The point of this passage is that Israel has engaged in idolatry and violence and robbery in the Temple in Jeremiah’s day, and therefore God will destroy it the way he did the temple at Shiloh
“But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.
In other words, Jesus is saying that just like God destroyed the temple at Shiloh because the people had practiced abominable worship; just like God destroyed the first temple because the people had practiced idolatry and wickedness in the temple itself, so too God will destroy the second Temple because the people don’t really worship God in the temple. They really worship money.
