Welcome for the King of Kings

Welcome for the King of Kings

As we look at our text from the Gospel according to the ex-tax collector, Matthew, the setting is the beginning of Holy Week, the day we call Palm Sunday or the Triumphal Entry. Did you know that the lion share of each of the synoptic Gospels is given to Holy Week? From Palm Sunday to Easter just eight days, but those eight days changed history. If you are a believer it changed your history. John devoted half of his gospel to these eight days, Matthew ¼, /3, /5. There are some writers who portray Jesus as a hapless victim of circumstances, but that is far from the truth of the Word of God. If you look back to the previous chapter, (ESV) Jesus said,“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” It was under the sovereign hand of God that He was to die for our sins. Do you remember what Jesus said when Peter () cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant? (ESV) “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” Our text was the Lord’s personal announcement and appeal to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah. John MacArthur, says that “ portrays the most significant coronation the world has seen, but there is a vast difference between it and all others. It was the one that has changed the history of the world the most.” A coronation was something that was understood in their culture, but not in ours. I don’t know if any of us have ever seen the coronation of a real monarch. When we visited the Tower of London we saw the great extravagance the English went to have a coronation. Queen Victoria of England had a 309 karat diamond on her crown and a 519 karat diamond on her scepter at her coronation. As we consider the welcome of the King of Kings I would first like you to consider that it was...

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” It was His personal announcement and appeal to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah. John MacArthur, says that “ portrays the most significant coronation the world has seen, but there is a vast difference between it and all others. It was the one that has changed the history of the world the most.” A coronation was something that was understood in their culture, but not in ours. I don’t know if any of us have ever seen the coronation of a real monarch. When we visited the Tower of London we saw the great extravagance the English went to have a coronation. Queen Victoria of England had a 309 karat diamond on her crown and a 519 karat diamond on her scepter at her coronation. As we consider the welcome of the King of Kings I would first like you to consider that it was...

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” It was His personal announcement and appeal to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah. John MacArthur, says that “ portrays the most significant coronation the world has seen, but there is a vast difference between it and all others. It was the one that has changed the history of the world the most.” A coronation was something that was understood in their culture, but not in ours. I don’t know if any of us have ever seen the coronation of a real monarch. When we visited the Tower of London we saw the great extravagance the English went to have a coronation. Queen Victoria of England had a 309 karat diamond on her crown and a 519 karat diamond on her scepter at her coronation. As we consider the welcome of the King of Kings I would first like you to consider that it was...

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” It was His personal announcement and appeal to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah. John MacArthur, says that “ portrays the most significant coronation the world has seen, but there is a vast difference between it and all others. It was the one that has changed the history of the world the most.” A coronation was something that was understood in their culture, but not in ours. I don’t know if any of us have ever seen the coronation of a real monarch. When we visited the Tower of London we saw the great extravagance the English went to have a coronation. Queen Victoria of England had a 309 karat diamond on her crown and a 519 karat diamond on her scepter at her coronation. As we consider the welcome of the King of Kings I would first like you to consider that it was...

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” It was His personal announcement and appeal to the Jews to receive Him as their Messiah. John MacArthur, says that “ portrays the most significant coronation the world has seen, but there is a vast difference between it and all others. It was the one that has changed the history of the world the most.” A coronation was something that was understood in their culture, but not in ours. I don’t know if any of us have ever seen the coronation of a real monarch. When we visited the Tower of London we saw the great extravagance the English went to have a coronation. Queen Victoria of England had a 309 karat diamond on her crown and a 519 karat diamond on her scepter at her coronation. As we consider the welcome of the King of Kings I would first like you to consider that it was...

I. The procession of peace. Vs.1–3Now 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.” Matthew tells us that as Jesus and His disciples were finishing their 19 mile trek from Jericho they were getting close to Jerusalem, but stopped at the village of Bethphage. That may not sound far, but it seemed like a very desolate drive when we drove it. It must have been a difficult walk. Jesus then sent two of His disciples on to the next village to pick up a donkey and her colt. He told them how to deal with the objections from the animal’s owner.

A. The preparation plans. Vs.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.”

It appears that the Lord made precise preparation to appeal to the hearts of the Jews to receive Him as their King. The first thing that I pick up about this event is it was a planned appeal. Jesus was delivering a special message. Only in His omniscience could Jesus have known that the donkey and her colt would at that moment be where they were, waiting to be found by the two disciples. Just as Jesus saw Nathaniel under the fig tree before He ever was in his area so He saw the location of these two animals. Both animals were brought because the colt would not have willing come without his mother.

B. The particular point. Vs. 2b and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. There was a message Jesus was communicating in the choice of a donkey. The horse was the symbol of power and a conquering king would ride into the city he had conquered on a white stallion. Jesus chose the colt of a donkey the symbol of humility and peace. Jesus came to break down the wall of hostility between God and people. describes our status with God, before Christ, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son." Jesus was communicating that His reign in a life would bring peace with God and inner peace for that person. says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." It seems inappropriate that any king, much less the King of Kings should make his triumphal entry on a donkey instead of a white stallion or in a fancy chariot. The message that comes forth so clearly is that His kingdom is like none other this world has ever seen. It is a kingdom where those who are servants will be the greatest and those who are last will be first and those who lose their lives for Christ's sake and His kingdom will truly find life. There is one other aspect that Jesus is communicating by riding on the donkey, and that brings to the next thing I would like for you to notice... II. The promise from prophecy. Let's read verses 4-7 together. "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them and Jesus sat on them." [the cloaks not both animals]. Matthew just quoted the promise of the prophecy and not the response the people were to make to such good news. What he left off was, "Rejoice greatly, 0 Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!" The prophet Zechariah 500 hundred years before predicted that the people of Jerusalem would hail the Messiah as He rode humbly mounted on a donkey.

A. The prophetic pledge. Vs 4a The prophecy of contains the reason for praise. The reason was the promised Messianic King had arrived. "Your king comes to you..." says that the Messiah would have the Spirit of the Lord rest on Him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power," At His baptism the Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus. It was His anointing as the King of Kings. The people were amazed at His wisdom for they said of Him; no one ever spoke like this man. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power was on Jesus. Jesus demonstrated that He was the long awaited Messiah by having power over nature, demons, disease and death. In His teaching He declared that He had come to fulfill the message of the prophets. Now He was acting out the prophet's message and there was big news.

B. The potential deliverance. The King is here! The prophet also said, "Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!" There is reason to be excited. Salvation has come. The prophet was like a cheerleader calling the people to a great expectation. They had a temporal deliverance in mind, but He had an eternal. Salvation was something to be excited about, it still is. I can never understand how any worship service that celebrates Jesus' great work of redemption can be somber and drab. I believe we the people who know God's salvation have something to be excited about. Shout! Shout for joy, your redemption draws near. What a promise to get excited about; we will not perish.

The next thing I would have you notice is...

III. The proclamation of praise. Let's look at verses 8-11. "A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!' When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'"I think there was some confusion in their minds. Do you remember when Jesus asked His disciples in (ESV) “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Not only was the crowd unclear, but they were emotionally caught up in the moment and that is what added to their fickleness. In just a few days they are calling for His crucifixion.

A. The people’s response. Vs. 8–9 “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 in the highest!”

This appears to have been a welcome for royalty. It is much like the red carpet that is laid down for very special people. Mostly it is a courtesy that is given to heads of state when they visit another nation. We use the words "red carpet" to indicate very special treatment. There is a real estate company that has taken that name to convey that they provide special care to their customers. It has become a proverb for special treatment. They laid their cloaks before Him. They certainly had the right idea. John is the one that tells us the branches were palm. We know this is royal treatment from other literature. In the last of the five Hasmonean brothers, Simon was given a similar welcome in Jerusalem. "He made his entry, with a chorus of praise and the waving of palm branches with lutes, cymbals, and zithers, with hymns and songs, to celebrate Israel's final riddance of a formidable enemy."

B. The powerless praise. Vs. 10-11 “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.” We know that this was a faulty reception. This crowd responded from their understanding of the Messiah. Their understanding was that the anointed one would come and establish the throne of David and oust the conquering Romans. As an oppressed people they wanted their freedom so desperately that emotion drove their responses. There was a great anticipation that he would make his presence know at Passover time. This is probably why when it became clear this was not the type of kingdom Jesus was going to establish, this crowd so easily turned from shouting "hosanna" to shouting "crucify." The word "hosanna" means save now. They expected and believed that Jesus would over throw Rome right then. The sheer numbers of people made it very threatening to Pilate. Jerusalem was teaming with people during Passover time. One survey done of the number of lambs killed a few later years later by Roman officials estimated that 2 million people were in Jerusalem for that Passover. We know this was a flawed reception by the response to the question, "Who is this?" The answer was given, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

He didn’t meet their expectations so that is why they so quickly turned on Him. People have faulty expectations of Him today largely because of the false teachers who say that Jesus promises health and wealth. These are the so called “name it and claim it” teachers. I had a Pastor friend who believed that if you asked God to heal you and it didn’t happen it was your lack of faith. He so strongly believed that that when his wife died of cancer and a son died from leukemia his faith was so shaken he left the ministry. Many have the expectation that when one becomes a Christian their troubles are over in this life. The question every person should ask themselves. Who is this Jesus Christ? Their answer showed that they really didn't have a grasp of the evidence. How could you say of any person who could command the wind to be still and it obeyed or who touched the blind and they saw or could call the dead from the tombs and they came to life, just another prophet? How could you call a man who took five small loaves, two fish and fed five thousand people just an ordinary prophet? How could you say of any person who said He was the only way to God just an ordinary prophet? The answer is you couldn't, but they did, which indicates that they hadn't seriously weighed the evidence. Have you weighed the evidence and considered your relationship to Jesus Christ? If you are seriously considering whom He is, I believe the evidence will convince you to receive Him as Savior and Lord.