The Entry of the Triumphant King

Introduction:

Pastor Dennis update

Beginning of Holy Week

Cantata tonight

Background

The appointed time

Other times Jesus said it is not time.

Predictions

Many OT prophesies.

Many point to this week

Several point to the Triumphant entry.

Christ is the Fulfillment of the OT Prophesies

Opening Prayer

Read

Matthew 21:1–11 ESV

1 Now 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.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 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!” 10 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.”

Daughters of Zion

Those in Jesusalem

The faithful

Focus today on Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Prophesy not only fulfilled here, there are many, but it is directly quoted as such.

Behold the King

We are told to behold the King several times

It is clear, and with all the info we have that Jesus is Christ Messiah

He is the King of kings

He is the King that comes to us

He has already come

Come as an infant

Come to minister

Come to Jerusalem

And he will come again

God is the revealer. We must behold our King but he reveals himself to us. Christ here has stopped telling the witnesses to be silent, and instead declares he is Messiah. (v3b - the Lord needs them)

The people recognizes him and behold their king

Lay their coats and palm branches - sign of respect, similar to a red carpet

Isaiah 6

Behold Our God (Song)

The Humble King

See this through his ministry

Born in a cave

Born to a lowly family

Does not fully reveal himself

Wears the clothes of a laborer

Preaches as a humble servant

See this in other parts of Zechariah and other prophets such as Is. and Jer.

Teaches others to serve like this

He as the King of king humbles himself

The 1st will be last

James and Jude

King of Peace

Riding on a donkey

Sign of peace

See other passages in the OT of leaders riding on donkeys

Judges 5:10, 10:4, 12:14; and 2 Samuel 16:2

Solomon doing this in the 1st triumphant entry

Solomon’s entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey across the Kidron Valley and the Gihon Spring (1:33, 38) declares the true king.

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus retracing Solomon’s path across the Kidron Valley and entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Matt. 21:1–10). It’s certainly a picture of humility—entering on a donkey instead of a war horse (Zech. 9:9). And it certainly evokes a contrast between God’s kingdom and the sort of entrance that Herod or Pilate would’ve received as they entered the city that week.

But as a reflection of Solomon’s coronation, Jesus’s triumphal entry teaches us even more. It testifies that the scribes and Pharisees—the religious leaders who opposed him—are phonies.

Riding on a stallion shows a battle

Aa king riding on a donkey shows a time of peace

The donkey is also a beast of burden, showing Christ as the suffering servant

Christ is declaring he has not come to conquer man by force but as the King of grace and peace

Pauls greeting

Conclusion

We must behold our humble king of peace

This event was not for nothing

Christ was declaring who he was and fulfilling prophesies, but more

He was riding in not for a temporal victory over man

Instead he entered for an eternal victory over sin and death

He came to be our sacrifice, and to triumph over death

In his humility, in his suffering, he triumphed over sin and death not only for our benefit but to glorify God.

As the triumphant king he gave all to save us from our own sin for which we deserve death