Sermon Tone Analysis

1

We are now entering the week called Passion week.

‘Passio’ comes from the Latin word for suffering.

Jesus has set His face to go to Jerusalem and along the way He has told His disciples what to expect, that He would be betrayed and crucified and rise three days later.

But somehow the words do not sink in.

In the previous chapter Jesus said:

Now He is among a great crowd of people following Him.

And though there is this great multitude He still has time to stop and show concern for two men whom society had cast off and which the crowd had sought to silence and He heals them and restores their sight and they join the populous in following Jesus.

Now He approaches Jerusalem which is about a mile away.

He stops at Bethphage which is at the Mount of Olives.

Bethphage is like the commuter belt due to it being close enough to go back and forth to work and because of a lack of affordable homes people from here went into Jerusalem to work.

2

Had Jesus been to Bethphage before?

Had He already made arrangements for His transport?

It is unlikely but in His Divinity He knew that there would be a donkey and a colt tied together which could be used in His service.

Not only would the donkeys be used in fulfilling God’s Word Jesus sends two disciples to get them.

Jesus, then, involves these disciples in His work.

In the same way we are also invited to participate in His work.

What was special about these disciples?

We do not even know their names.

These two, probably unbeknown to them, were fulfilling prophecy.

Some Christians think that they do not have any gifts from God to be used by Him.

Some think that they are useless.

Some think that they are not clever enough.

Some think that they have too many phobias.

Some think that they are too disabled.

Some think they are too old or too young.

Some think that as they do not think of themselves as having anything to contribute to the work of Jesus God is not able to make use of them.

But let me ask you this: Did it require intelligence to follow Jesus’ orders to go get a couple of donkeys?

Did it require them to do public speaking?

Did it require them to be gifted musically?

Did it require them to be healthy?

If none of these things, what was required?

Was it not simply to do what Jesus said?

We should never be jealous of those who seem more gifted than us, who may have ten talents when we barely have one…there is greater responsibility on those who are multi-talented to use all that they have been given and they will answer to God for them.

But what is required from everyone is obedience to what Jesus says.

And we do not have an excuse for not knowing what is required for we have the Word of God, the Bible and His Holy Spirit to help and direct us.

If this does not help there is a default position to take which is to continue what we have been doing until God says otherwise or circumstances force the issue as is God’s way sometimes.

But further to this Scripture tells us what to do:

Back to our our passage we are told in verse 6 that the two disciples went and did as they were told even having to explain why they were taking the donkeys by saying ‘the Lord has need of them’.

Were they stealing?

Were they sinning by taking the donkeys?

No, of course not.

The Lord required them.

He is Lord of all and owner of all.

The universe is His and everything in it.

Or as the Psalmist says:

The Lord always provides a way to do what He has called us to do and He utilises all that He has, which is everything.

This also means He will provide for us if we seek Him first and do what He says.

4-5

But now is the culmination of a 9-month journey on the road - a road that led to and will end in Jerusalem.

Along with the crowds there would have been newly raised Lazarus along with Mary and Martha and two newly seeing disciples as well as the scathing Pharisees.

In all of this we observe Jesus’ painstaking premeditation.

He had carefully ordered everything.

The day and hour were selected from eternity with countdown perfection.

This Triumphal Entry on the first day of the week would precipitate his terrible death on Good Friday, his “rest” in the grave on the Sabbath, and his triumphant resurrection on the following first day

He was purposely going public.

Never before had he done anything to promote a public demonstration.

In fact, he had repeatedly withdrawn from the crowds if there was any hint of this.

But now he invited it.

He courted danger and did it with calculated purpose.

Well, Jesus sits on the young donkey which is a direct fulfilment of prophecy from

This prophecy reveals who Jesus is, He is King, He is righteous and He is coming to bring salvation.

By this time Jesus had already fulfilled many prophecies: The virgin birth, the Messiah coming from Bethlehem, the escape to Egypt, the massacre of the infants as a result, John the Baptist coming before, the calling of Jesus out of Egypt, settling in Capernaum, and many others besides the very many prophecies that Jesus will fulfil in the coming week.

All-in-all Jesus fulfils well over 300 prophecies during His lifetime, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.

7

Most Kings of Jesus’ time would ride on majestic horses to show off their power and authority but, strangely, what happens?

He arrives on a donkey.

Can’t you hear the Roman soldiers garrisoned in Jerusalem snickering as they saw Jesus ride in on a donkey?

When a Roman leader came cruising into a city, it wasn’t on a donkey, no! Roman rulers rode black stallions followed by chariots and thousands of soldiers marching in step with shields gleaming and probably trailing slaves behind them.

What an honored beast that animal was:

When fishes flew and forests walked

And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry

And ears like errant wings

The devil’s walking parody

On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

I keep my secret still.

Fools!

For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

But riding this donkey is Jesus who is the King of kings, more powerful than anyone else yet comes humbly into Jerusalem.

He has every right to use the authority He has but instead comes as a lowly man.

This is the very essence of meekness, power under control, which is not used to further His own ambitions.

God releases His power when we are weak not when we think we are strong.

His power comes when we are powerless.

His power comes when we are humble not proud.

His power comes when we submit to God.

His power comes when we could use what is our every right to do but instead advance with humility instead.

8-9

And although He comes humbly the people celebrate just as Zechariah told them to.

And they treated Him as anyone should treat a King.

The palm branches represented their nationalistic desire to be delivered, for when Simon Maccabaeus delivered Jerusalem 150 years earlier, it was celebrated with praise, palm branches, and musical instruments (1 Maccabees 13:51).

The palm frond was the symbol of the Second Maccabean Revolt.

With their Hosannas and with clothing and palm branches laid down before Him, in other words He was getting the red carpet treatment.

Hosanna in the Highest!

What does hosanna mean?

It means Help! Save us!