Palm sunday

Matthew 21:13

Welcome.

Today is palm Sunday and we are rapidly speeding into Holy Week.

Traditionally we would hand out palm crosses to remind us of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

Many of us will have seen the images in children’s animations or picture bibles that depict the massing crowds all shouting Hosanna (means Save) - we get the mental picture of that celebratory processing that a football team may have as the move through the city on an open top bus, with fans shouting, cheering, throwing scarves and banners in from of them. A sea of unified celebration.

Matthew 21:1–10 CSB

1 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 colt. 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.” 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. 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! 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?”

I am not sure that this image a great celebration is the totality of the picture that the bible paints.

The story goes on

Matthew 21:12–17 CSB

12 Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves!” 14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus replied, “Yes, have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?” 17 Then he left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

It is clear from the passage that not all were happy to see this Jesus enter the city, he was not here to ideally stand be celebrated He was here to see God’s kingdom established and there were people who would not want that.

Rather than the image of a celebration moving through the city I think a think a better mental picture is that of protest and counter protest. A mix of celebrators, dissenters, fans, wana-be fans, plotters, rivals and a throng of simply people caught up in the event unsure of what is happening and who this man riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is but going along with the event feeding off the people they were immediately surrounded by.

Amongst those cheering for Jesus or for what they believed he stood for were those that recognised his as a would-be king, a messiah.

The scattering of clothes and branches in Jesus’s path recalls the way in which kings entered their royal cities (2Kg 9:13).

These words of celebration Hosanna echo Ps 118:25–26. Amongst them would be people that had pleaded for salvation from God and now blessed God for sending a deliverer who came in the name of the Lord. There would of been others cheering for the Messiah too, but they were less interested in a Godly rule and more interested in any one that could overthrow the current ruler’s they looked for Jesus to give them a leg up in society - nothing more.

We sometimes take as simplistic view that the people cheering Jesus are good, and the the money changes are bad but life then, like know is more nuanced.

Even within those cheering Hosanna we see those seeking God and those seeking personal advancement.

They made all the right noises but had missed the point

At least with the money changers it is a little more clear cut .

Since Roman currency had idolatrous images stamped on it, the temple accepted only idol-free Tyrian currency. Money changers exchanged pagan coins for acceptable currency for a fee. Merchants sold sacrificial animals to those who had traveled long distances. Doves were sacrificed by poor pilgrims who could not afford lambs (Lv 5:7).

This seams like a valuable service one that kept the temple idol free and provided a ready source of animals, people can’t be expected to travel miles with them. I think that is probably how it started out.

But it changed.

The money changes extended the rules to cover any coin used outside the temple. There exchange rates increased. - They became a barrier to those seeking God

The merchants charged the poor disproportional more for the doves than they charges the rich, their stock may not have been a1 grade. they prayed on the poor and those needing God causing hardship.

Although the merchants and money changers normally performed their services outside the temple precincts, they occasionally set up shop in the court of the Gentiles. They changed the Character of the temple. Such extortion was completely contrary to the temple’s purposes, theJesus overturned their tables and benches in the outer court of the Gentiles (see sketch) while quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11

You can bet these people were not thrilled to see Jesus enter the temple again. - Remember this was not the first time.

Jesus had previously cleared the temple at the beginning of His ministry [John 2:14–16].)

The money changer can represent those that start well but do not finish well.

Having done this Jesus then goes on to heal the blind and the lame - the significance of this event should not be lost.

Jesus had just removed the source of animals for sacrifice yet he restores these people a for showing that he is the all sufficient sacrifice.

These people were barred from entering the temple, as the temple officials prevented them under an extension of rules in Leviticus. Jesus is paving the way for people to be restored to God without the need for the structures of the temple. He was recognising the imperfect as a creation of God.

Of course both of these actions undermined the authority and earning power of those more interested in serving the temple of God than the serving the God of the temple.

This was to be a house of prayer and it was not just the vendors and money changers that were standing in the way of this.

As Jesus healed those who came to Him in the temple, children gave praise to Him, shouting … Hosanna to the Son of David, clearly a messianic title - amazing how the children saw this and the scholars the priests were blind to it.

The priests were enraged by it. Their question to Jesus, Do You hear what these children are saying? implied a request that Jesus make them stop. Probably many of the “children” in the temple were there for the first time, celebrating their becoming men in the society. Such influence on young minds was not thought to be in the best interests of the the nation

Represent those that who are too concerned with the status and the Staus quo to let God break in.

Jesus left the leaders and departed from the temple. He returned to the town of Bethany, about a two-mile walk over the Mount of Olives, where He spent the night, probably in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Each of the gospels recount the events from the provision of the donkey onwards, but each has additional detail and give focus to certain parts of the story. The event that we have just read about probably took place over the three days Sunday - Tuesday. And the story continues into the Wednesday of what we know as Holy week.

Matthew 21:18–27 CSB

18 Early in the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, he went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” At once the fig tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did John’s baptism come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we’re afraid of the crowd, because everyone considers John to be a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

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The events of what we know Palm Sunday is not the simple welcome which the primary schools stories depict. It was set against the backdrop of a society with every sort of person present. I suppose you could say that it is a new testament story set within real life, but then aren’t they all

It is a story of believers finding their way in a broken world. Of those with a desire to seek and to serve God.

There are those that set out with good intentions but fell away distracted by power, wealth and position.

There are the out and out ‘ i’m only in this for my self brigade’

The trouble makers and stirrers.

Surrounding all of those are the by standers, the watchers, they interested but confused, the down trodden and disadvantaged. Every shape, type, colour, personality and back ground of human you can think of.

All present all looking at this Man Jesus and all forming their personal opinion of who he is. An opinion that would affect their immediate and eternal future.

We are present some 2000+ years later and as the events of Easter 2021 unfold you can guarantee they are watched by the same people types as in Jerusalem the day that colt carried Jesus into the city. There will be the

Seekers

The servants

The encouragers

The what’s in it for me?

The diminishers

The head understanders

The dismissers

The deniers

The self determined unclean and imperfect.

And like 2000 years ago the simple question they need to face is who is this man Jesus.

The answer to that question will determine their immediate and eternal future and that includes us, you and me.

Who is Jesus to us. Is he the one who we would make a public spectacle of ourselves for by lining up in Lincoln shouting Hosanna - Save us, save our city our village our nations. Would we be welcoming Him with praise and adoration. or is He someone who we keep at arms length in case his calling or his presence rocks our world?

Are we actively living our Hosanna — Save us. or are we bystanders going along with those around us. The kingdom seekers one day, the let’s not rock the boat brigade the next?

Today - this Palm Sunday I want you to recognise the complexity of the situation Jesus enters into and the simplicity of the choice - Behold, your King is coming. Do you recognise Him, Do you welcome Him. Will you serve Him?

PRAY

UNUSED

Isaiah 56:7

Don’t focus on the outcome - focus on the giver You can be who you are are be a fire brand for god. God doesn’t expect you to throw away you. God can use you and transform you as you