Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1–9 CSB

When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her foal. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.” This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Tell Daughter Zion, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. They brought the donkey and its foal; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Jesus came to be a different kind of king.

(CSB)

21 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her foal. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”

21 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her foal. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:

5 Tell Daughter Zion,

“See, your King is coming to you,

gentle, and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt,

the foal of a donkey.”,

Jesus came wanting the people to identify him as the messiah, the promised king.

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:

5 Tell Daughter Zion,

“See, your King is coming to you,

gentle, and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt,

the foal of a donkey.”,

Illus: Christ coming as a king is an important statement. God promised that a king would come from the line of David. This was a promise the people had held for over 1000 years.

God also foretold that Jerusalem Israel would be conquered by Assyria, Babylon, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. There was hope though.

With the promise of their capture and captivity, God promised that He would raise up a king who would rule the nations and bring peace.

While under roman occupation, the people of Israel were looking for this promised king. When Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem he was making an emphatic statement.

(CSB)

THE COMING OF ZION’S KING

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!

Look, your King is coming to you;

he is righteous and victorious,

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the horse from Jerusalem.

The bow of war will be removed,

and he will proclaim peace to the nations.

His dominion will extend from sea to sea,

from the Euphrates River

to the ends of the earth.

Jesus road a donkey to define what kind of King he intended to be.

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:

5 Tell Daughter Zion,

“See, your King is coming to you,

gentle, and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt,

the foal of a donkey.”,

Illus: In our day and time if a powerful man wanted to make a statement he would put together a parade with military men marching down the street. He would follow them with tanks, and ballistics. He would surround himself with as great a picture of physical power as possible.

200 years before Jesus, Hannibal was often riding on the back of an elephant as a picture of might.

Julius Cesar would ride his war horse down the main avenue of any city he conquered as a sign of his strength.

Alexander the great famously rode a black horse that famously could not be tamed. He was always depicted on this horse as a symbol of his ability to conquer what was considered unconquerable.

You get the picture. The animal that a king rode communicated what kind of king they intended to be.

So why did Jesus ride a donkey? Kings rode horses if they were going to war, but they rode donkeys if they came in peace.

Jesus is making the distinct statement of what his mission was as king, not to win through force, but instead to become a peaceful sacrifice.

(CSB) 36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

The crowd celebrated Jesus for all the wrong reasons.

(CSB)

8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted:

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name

of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

The people of Israel were looking for a political freedom while God was providing eternal freedom.

(CSB)

8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted:

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name

of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Illus: I want you to place yourself in the shoes of the Israelites.

You live in a country that has been occupied by a foreign nation your whole life. You can’t walk to the market without a seeing a roman soldier, you have to pay taxes to a government which you do not support.

On top of that, roman soldiers had complete authority over you. If a roman soldier decided he needed you to work for him for the day, you had drop everything you were doing to serve him.

Then Jesus came, he did miracles, and had an enormous following. ON top of that, he claimed to be the rightful king of Israel.

The problem is, that was not what Jesus came to do.

The people of Israel were thinking to small. Where they were looking for political releif, God was working on eternal salvation.

That is why the people turned on Jesus, they cared more for their temporary satisfaction than they did for God’s eternal plan.

(CSB) 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

(CSB) 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Do you settle for earthly pleasures when God desires to give you eternal glory.

(CSB) 8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

Illus:C.S. Lewis quote: It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

(CSB) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

Jesus came to be a crucified king.

A WARNING ABOUT THE WORLD

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. Jesus came to be a crucified king.

Jesus came to be a crucified king.

(CSB)

9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted:

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name

of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

What is the desire of your heart?

What is the desire of your heart?

Illus: The triumphal entry is in my opinion one of the saddest stories in the bible. It is the story of a whole city missing who Jesus was because their hearts were so set on temporal things.

Jesus has placed before us the abundant life that was purchased on the cross. The question is whether we are willing to leave behind our selfish desires to attain God’s gift.

Isaiah 53:5–6 CSB

But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.