Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening Scripture

Introduction

Today is traditionally known as “Palm Sunday,” and it marks the beginning of our“Holy Week” or “the Passion Week.”

Palm Sunday is the beginning of a great crescendo of Jesus’ redemptive mission on earth.

Mission | 3:16 is going to be greatly amplified as Jesus clearly reveals himself as the prince, the rightful King who is bringing redemption and restoration to humanity.

Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Holy Word.

We will be reading from Matthew 21:1-11.

Prayer of Invocation

This morning, we are focusing on the triumphant arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Today, we are going to see Jesus as the rightful King of the Jews, and so much more!

Jesus had entered Jerusalem many times before, but this time was going to prove very unique.

Palm Sunday celebrates the day, over 2000 years ago, that our Lord entered into the holy city of Jerusalem, the city of the great King, the center of Israel’s spiritual identity and messianic hope in order to set the stage for the fulfillment of his earthly mission.

In His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus melds four messianic indicators into one person.

He is our Prophet, Priest, King, and Lord.

He alone brings peace, salvation, and restoration!

As we begin this morning, let us remember that it was currently Passover season in Jerusalem.

There were upwards of 2 million people visiting Jerusalem during the Passover.

People from all over the region journeyed there to remember the Exodus from Egypt.

Messianic hope was at an all-time high.

Up to this point in his ministry, Jesus had been somewhat secretive about his messianic identity.

He had deliberately warned people against telling others what they had learned about who he was as he performed miracles and taught with uncommon authority.

Yet, we also see in our passage today, that in this instance he changed his stance and truly marketed himself.

Why?

Why does he do the things we just read about?

Things that will certainly draw attention to his identity!

Why change course now?

The answer is very simple, his hour has come!

He wants to reveal his true identity and mission.

This is his time, this is what he was sent to accomplish.

He is turning up the volume!

He is amplifying his mission as he melds four powerful messianic indicators into one person.

1. Jesus is the Lord of All! (21:1-3)

Look at verses 1-3!

Jesus and his disciples are now in Bethany, a village about 2 miles away from Jerusalem and very near the Mount of Olives.

Jesus has walked all the way from Caesarea Philippi to Bethany.

That is quite a walk, well over 100 miles between those two areas.

Now remember, Jesus walked everywhere he went.

Yet, here Jesus is sending two disciples into Bethphage, in order to bring back a donkey and her young colt.

Jesus told them exactly where they would find the two animals tied up.

They were to untie them and bring them back to Jesus.

If anyone questioned their actions, they were commanded by Jesus to say, “The Lord needs them.”

By calling himself “the Lord,” Jesus is implying that he is the sovereign Lord of all creation.

This was not merely, “your Lord,” but “the Lord.”

Jesus is the Lord of all, with the right to claim anything and everything for his own purposes.

When he orders these two disciples to go and fetch these two animals for him, he is exercising his right of requisitioning whatever he needs to complete his redemptive mission.

What do you have that Jesus may request to fulfill the great commission?

Each of you have time, money, expertise, along with other gifts and talents, so be prepared, the Lord Jesus will seek to requisition you for his kingdom purposes.

When he does call on us, we would be wise to obey him!

Before we find out if the two disciples accomplish their mission, Matthew marks this entire event as a fulfillment of prophecy.

In doing so reveals that….

2. Jesus is the Counter-Intuitive King! (21:4-5)

Look at verses 4-5!

This whole event took place to fulfill what was written through the prophet!

Matthew is quoting primarily from Zechariah 9:9.

Daughter of Zion is a reference to Israel.

Look your KING is coming to you.

Righteous and humble upon the back of a donkey’s young colt.

The Zechariah prophecy reveals the messianic identity of the King who is to come offering peace and salvation, not military might and conquest.

Through this event, Jesus declared to the people very clearly that he is the rightful heir to the Davidic line.

He is the promised Davidic Messiah.

Gently, he came upon the back of a donkey’s young colt to bring about reconciliation between God and man.

In days past, rulers would ride a stallion into battle, but when they were making peace they rode a donkey as an expression of gentleness and peace.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Jesus is our heavenly King of Kings!

As Genesis 49:11 prophesies,

Jesus was determined to go to the cross.

He planned to have a triumphant entry into Jerusalem so that the people would know who he truly is.

The religious leaders would surely know who this King was, and if you remember, wise men told them about this King years earlier.

The result, they sought to have Jesus killed then and they will try again now.

In provoking them by fulfilling this prophecy we learn that…..Not only is Jesus Lord of All, Not only is Jesus the counter-intuitive King, Jesus is also the confrontational prophet.

3. Jesus is the Confrontational Prophet! (21:6-11)

Look at verses 6-7!

The disciples have returned with the donkey and its young colt.

They have laid their garments on the back of the animals.

By mounting and successfully riding the unbroken young colt, Jesus was demonstrating his control over the beasts of the earth as we learn from Psalm 8:6-7.

He is truly the Lord of all and this young animal knew this very well.

Why did Jesus ride this young donkey after having walked so many miles?

Was he tired?

Of course not!

This is all a demonstration that he is the Messiah who is about to go, suffer and die on behalf of humanity.

On behalf of those who would believe!

He didn’t want the people to miss his mission.

But even the disciples did not understand what he was doing until after he had risen from the dead and been glorified according to John 12:16.

John states:

Look at verses 8-9!

Jesus is treated as royalty by the people as they lay their garments down on the ground before him.

Others cut palm branches and laid them down in his path.

This was the Jewish red carpet treatment for royalty.

The people who had gathered with him in Bethany were excited about the miracle that had recently happened in their presence: the raising of Lazarus from the dead after 4 days.

Many others who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem had heard about this miracle and the other works of Jesus Christ.

When they heard that he was coming to Jerusalem for Passover, many came out to see him.

They all had great messianic hopes in the person of Jesus Christ.

This is witnessed by the words they shouted in his honor.

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

Hosanna means “save now” or “save, we pray.”

Their attitude was something like this, “O Lord, save us now, grant us victory over our political rivals and prosperity as a people and nation.”

Here in this shout prayer and praise are combined.

The people partially saw Jesus as the Davidic Messiah.

They understood the donkey’s symbolism, but they missed the fact that deity was riding in on a donkey.

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”