Seeking the Visitation of Christ the King - April 9, 2017

Seeking the Visitation of the King

Matthew 21, 22, 26, 27

April 9, 2017 @NC3

INTRODUCTION – Open Bibles to Matthew 21

What have you waited expectantly for in your life? Maybe marriage, baby, graduation, summer break…?

The unfolding of Jesus’ identity has taken over 3 years of public ministry. He has challenged people (especially) the spiritual leaders before. Now, in His last week, before crucifixion, Jesus comes boldly into Jerusalem as her rightful king and challenges everyone to settle the question of His identity once and for all.

What kind of response does the King get when He visits His capital city?

Who does ____________ say Jesus is? [from Palm Sunday to Good Friday]

Who do the crowds (largely from Galilee) say Jesus is? (entering Jerusalem 21:1-11; cf. Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15)

They declare Jesus to be the Messianic king of Israel and, thus, the Son of David (O.T. fulfillment from Zech. 9:9) – cf. the competition this was to Herod the Great and would be for Herod Antipas.
They call Him a/the prophet from Galilee (perhaps alluding to Deut. 18:18-19?)

Who does Jerusalem say Jesus is? (entering Jerusalem 21:1-11; cf. Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15)

Inhabitants of Jerusalem ask “Who is this?” – they don’t know (remember Jesus spent most of His ministry in Galilee coming down to Jerusalem for the feasts)

Who do the children say Jesus is? (at temple 21:12-16)

They praise Jesus calling Him the Son of David after seeing His “wonderful” healings in the temple – notice how the children say (as the crowds did) “Hosanna to the Son of David.” This psalm of praise would be quoted year after year in anticipation of Israel’s deliverance, when pilgrims would come for the feasts in Jerusalem. Here the significance is special, since Jesus is being addressed as the fulfillment of such expectations – the Messiah King has come in the name of God.

according to some scholars, “Hosanna” became a word of praise in addition to a cry for deliverance – cf. Carson, EBC, p. 443 and Blomberg, NAC at Matt. 21:6-9: “Hosanna” originally meant God save us but by the first century was probably just a cry of praise to Yahweh. [1]

Jesus claims to have authority over the temple, God’s house (O.T. fulfillment from Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11) – Jesus’ called His presence as the bringer of the kingdom “something greater” than the temple (Matt. 12:6-8).
Jesus seems to accept the praise of children by sharing the praise aimed toward God (claiming an O.T. fulfillment from Psalm 8:2 (LXX) which is attributed to Yahweh God; cf. EBC, p. 443 and Blomberg, NAC at Matt. 21:14-17)

Who do the chief priests and elders say Jesus is? (at temple 21:23-27)

Like those from Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, these guys don’t really know who Jesus is, or at least don’t sincerely want to know.
Jesus puts the responsibility on them – charging them to decide whether John’s, and His, ministry are from heaven.

Who do the Pharisees say Jesus is? (at temple 22:41-46)

They don’t really say, but they admit that the Christ/Messiah, whoever He is, will be the Son of David. They knew this from the Scriptures.
Jesus is challenging the Pharisees to see that the Messiah was predicted all along to be more than a man, more than just a descendant of David. And so they must come to grips with the concept of a Messiah who is greater than David – his Lord, the Lord (Psalm 110:1)

Who does Judas Iscariot say Jesus is? (in garden of Gethsemane 26:47-50)

Judas calls Jesus “Rabbi” (teacher). Whereas the other disciples are still calling him Lord.
Jesus in return calls Him “friend” (not necessarily a closely relational term, more like companion/comrade/acquaintance – only occurring 3 times in N.T.)

Who does Caiaphas say Jesus is? (Caiaphas’ house/Sanhedrin 26:57-68)

He doesn’t seem to know either, and His questions to Jesus are intended to clarify the claims that others have been making about Him. Caiaphas wants a straight answer from Jesus’ own mouth.
Jesus affirms that the claims are true (“you said so” is interpreted as a clear “I am” in Mark 14:62). We may have something similar in our culture when we agree with something someone said but want them to own it: “You said it! Not me!” Matthew probably preserves the more original Aramaic style of Jesus’ answer (see Blomberg below), which, although sounding ambiguous, is designed to put the responsibility back on Caiaphas to own up to his admission and believe it Himself. Caiaphas had probably seen, heard, and known enough to answer to his own question. So why ask it? What matters is not just that Jesus is who people say He is, although that’s important. What also matters is that people like Caiaphas (and you and I) see the truth for themselves in order to find salvation as well. Just knowing who Jesus is isn’t enough, so Jesus leaves it to every person to “believe” it for themselves!!! Recall Jesus’ discussion with Peter in Matt. 16 where He asks Peter “who do YOU say that I am?” Jesus cares about people being saved by faith in Him more than just “proving” Himself to those who are skeptics and don’t really care. (Remember how He “couldn’t”, or wouldn’t, do many miracles in Nazareth?) That may seem like a lame way to do ministry, but it seems to be the only way, because He is looking for those who are searching for the truth. That is how the kingdom grows as faith receives the word. It is more real, more powerful, and more permanent when a person can conclude for himself that Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, and Savior rather than just hearing someone say so. Those of us who are teachers know that a student learns better and retains the subject matter longer when he/she discovers the truth himself instead of the teacher just standing in front of the class shouting information to them and expecting them to understand it and internalize it properly. One day, Jesus will blow everyone away and prove Himself to be the glorious Son of God so that there will be no ambiguity or doubt again. But, unfortunately, it will be too late then. Faith won’t be necessary anymore when sight becomes all too clear. What good will it be to “believe” in Jesus then, when you have no choice but to believe by that point. It would be like saying you “believe” in gravity . . . duh! Jesus He goes even further, declaring Himself to be the Son of Man (a heavenly being spoken of by Daniel who will rule over ALL the earth and receive glory and a kingdom over all peoples and nations) – Dan. 7:13-14.
Blomberg (NAC) – Probably again, therefore, Jesus’ original Aramaic formed a veiled affirmative, indicting the original speaker. In other words, Jesus is telling Caiaphas, That is your way of putting it (cf. RSV, “You have said so,” Rieu, “The words are yours”). And Caiaphas is correct, up to a point. But Jesus owns none of the nationalistic, anti-Roman associations which the Sanhedrin no doubt still links with “Messiah.” So he qualifies his affirmative with a strong adversative (plēn) “but” and goes on to quote Dan 7:13 and Ps 110:1. He is the Christ, the Son of God, when those titles are rightly interpreted. But correct interpretation must allow for him also to be the heavenly Son of Man who occupied the most honored position in the universe, next to the very throne of God, second only to his Heavenly Father, and who will return to earth as judge of the cosmos. Jesus then will judge those who now judge him. Obviously, this kind of Messiah is far more than a human revolutionary. Jesus introduces the quotes with the words from now on you will see (NIV, less literally, “in the future you will see”), perhaps alluding to his more immediate exaltation (28:18) long before his actual return as judge (25:31)[2]
Nolland (NIGTC) – Why does Matthew prefer an equivocating answer to the clear affirmation in Mk. 14:62? The language is the same as Jesus’ answer to Judas’s question in Mt. 26:25. And as there, though formally noncommittal, it is to be taken as an obliquely expressed affirmative. The question of the basis of Jesus’ [claimed] authority was taken up in 21:23–27. There too Jesus’ response was indirect. The point there was, ‘What one has a right to be told depends on what one does with what one already has and what one intends to do with what one might get’. Much the same is likely to be involved here. The high priest is interested in the question only in connection with how he may use it against Jesus. Jesus’ language raised obliquely the question of how the answer might affect the high priest’s own situation.[3]

Who does Pilate say Jesus is? (Pilate’s praetorium 27:11-14)

Pilate, like Caiaphas before him, asks whether the claim “King of the Jews” is true.
Jesus again responds with “You have said so,” . . . . again meaning “yes, but do you believe that for yourself? Again Jesus is calling friends and enemies alike to trust in Him for their salvation even as He is being accused. I think the apostle John brings out the ulterior motive in Jesus’ cryptic responses best: John 18:33-37.

Who do the spectators of Jesus’ crucifixion say Jesus is? (Golgotha 27:38-44)

They mock Him but use the same titles we heard during this Passion week – e.g., Son of God, King of Israel/King of the Jews.
Jesus does not respond. The claims and miracles have all been finished. There is no more evidence needed. He is not here to defend Himself but to die as a sacrifice for sinners, even those who ignorantly mock Him now.

CONCLUSION

In the last and most intense week of His life, Jesus used or accepted such titles for Himself as Messiah, King of Israel and Son of David. He received praise from children. He took ownership over God’s own house/temple, casting out the crooks and healing the blind and lame. He challenged His enemies to see Him as even more than the Son of David, more than a human Messiah – in fact, David’s “Lord.” He accepted the title Son of God from the very mouths of His enemies. And finally, He claimed to be the divine Son of Man, seen by Daniel, who sits at God’s right hand and rides on the clouds coming one day to judge the world. All this was enough. His enemies knew what He claimed to be and called it blasphemy from His own mouth (Mark 14:64). All this led to Jesus’ death that Friday morning. What a welcome for a King who had come to visit His people!!

So Who does YOU say Jesus is? And I don’t mean:

who does the Bible say He is,
or who did the apostles say He is,
or who do your parents say He is,
or who does your pastor say He is,
or who does your neighbor say He is.

But who do YOU say He is? All of the others may be correct on who Jesus is, but that doesn’t help you any.

In the end, this is the only question that will matter. How you answer this question for yourself will determine your eternal destiny. How you answer this question for yourself will determine the course of your life from here on out. If you haven’t answered that question yet, today is the day! Will you be like the children who received Jesus with joyful praise, or will you be like the selfish, proud, and ambivalent spectators of the world who are too busy living out their own agendas that they have no time or room to surrender to a different King, even if He be the heavenly and rightful one?

Our story today ends at Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. But there is more to the story. The one group of people we didn’t talk much about today were Jesus’ own disciples. They became more convinced than ever of who Jesus was three days later – on Easter Sunday – when they witnessed his final proof – a miracle that no one has ever been able to repeat to this day. Stay tuned for next week’s message – a message that the whole world needs to hear and then our King will come again to visit us for good! I am expectantly waiting His return, are you?

Blomberg, C. (1992). Vol. 22: Matthew. The New American Commentary (313). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. ↑
Blomberg, C. (1992). Vol. 22: Matthew. The New American Commentary (403). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. ↑
Nolland John. (2005). Preface. In The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (1131). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. ↑