Triumphal entry of Jesus Christ

The colt used in Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

Happy palm Sunday! Man it is a beautiful day. I hope you all had a great week. For me it’s battling a cold since Wednesday and luckily the Lord has given me strength to bring the word today.

As Christians, we are all pretty familiar with the story of Jesus’ triumphal entrance. It is something that has been taught multiple times in Sunday school classes, and obviously from the pulpit almost every every year on pal Sunday. It can be easy to tune out today as we walk through very familiar waters. So I urge you to see this time as reflection and remembrance as to why Jesus went to the cross.

For those that are not familiar with the story behind palm Sunday, no worries at all. We will be diving through this and unpacking the Scriptures before our yes today.

Now even thought we are walking through a bit of a narrative today, please see this as history as well. it is not just a story that may have happened rather it factual truth. For after all, the Bible is founded on truth. You can see it holding it’s weight in the past present and future.

Let me set the stage for you. Let’s all tap into our inner child and just start to use our imagination. Picture a stage. One that resembles something you would encounter if you were to go and see a play.

Our main characters today will be Jesus, his disciples, and the crowd that is present. Our setting will be that of Jerusalem.

Jesus makes his way down from Jericho and that is where we pick up in our story.

Jesus Christ’s instructions to his disciples

Luke 19:29–31 ESV

29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”

Jesus approaches from the East and comes to the mount of olivet and can overlook the city of Jerusalem now. It is him and his disciples. I almost like to think of these guys like the band of brothers.

I mean, if you really look back over the past three years of Jesus’ ministry, all of them have been through a lot. These guys have seen Jesus cast out demons, heal lepers, tell the blind they aren't allow to be blind anymore and restore their sight, tell the lame to now walk. They have seen Jesus himself open up a full on buffet for lunch when feeding the 5000. They witnessed Jesus walking on water and then saw Peter partake in that same event but for a brief moment. They also saw Jesus literally be God by rebuking the wind and the waves during a storm. These guys have seen it all and not one had run away thinking this is nuts.

They are hear now about to witness Jesus entering the city only to find out in a few days that the world decides to turn its back on him and have him murdered.

But I mention all of this because they fully trust Jesus. They have been through it all with him during his short brief time in ministry. So when Jesus gives this almost ridiculous ask of fetching a colt and if someone should question you, just say, “the Lord has need of it” and it will all be ok? That is kind of a crazy ask.

The obedience of the disciples

Again, I love the disciples. they have been through it all with Jesus and without any hesitation they just go and do as Jesus said. Matthew 21:6 tells us.

Matthew 21:6 ESV

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

I would too if I had witnessed all the great miracles that Jesus performed over the last three years.

“What do you think Peter?”

“Well Thomas, he hasn’t been wrong yet.”

“Good enough for me.”

I mean right, that is how I like to think the conversation transpired amongst the disciples.

Let’s just pause a moment. This ask of Jesus and then the obedience, free will, of the disciples puts an old prophecy into motion and on the cusp of being fulfilled.

We are pretty big on Bible prophecy as a church an it is not just because that is something that pastor Greg is extremely passionate about. Our Bible is 27% Bible prophecy.

That is a huge chunk so at some point you have to teach on it. Whether it be past present or future, Bible prophecy is as relevant today as it was when Jesus was fulfilling them left and right.

Let’s continue with our story and pick up in John 12:14.

Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

John 12:14–15 ESV

14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

See also Is 62:11; Zec 9:9

The disciples are successful in securing the young colt for Jesus. Now this just fulfilled two Bible prophecies. The first being

Isaiah 62:11 ESV

11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”

and the second being

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.

I mean how awesome is this! I know most of us have heard this story before but man seeing Scripture being fulfilled by other Scripture just really pumps me up and stirs my affections for the Lord. Even though this happened a few thousand years ago, my hope in what is to come is fired up. I mean God is literally carrying out his own promises before our very eyes!

Gosh it excites me. Let’s keep going before I go onto a rant about how amazing God is.

The response of the crowd to Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

Now jump back into your imagination if you will and visualize the response of the crowd. Take in the sights, the smells, the feel of the air, your view of Jesus and the response of those around you.

Matthew 21:8 ESV

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Now two things here. This is where we get palm Sunday from. The spreading of palm branches on the road the Sunday before Jesus heads to the cross. The second thing is the crowd goes nuts and it is a much bigger celebration than this section of Scripture truly paints.

What is literally happening is the

Proclamation of Jesus Christ’s kingship

2 Kings explains this well to us.

2 Kings 9:13 ESV

13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

Spreading cloaks on the road was an act of royal homage. By spreading their cloaks they are showing their recognition, loyalty, and promise of support.

In this very instant the crowd is proclaiming Jesus is king! Not just in a heavenly sense but in a here and now. They want Jesus to be king.

Now this definitely complicates things sense Jerusalem is under Roman rule. In a way it is like the colonies stepping up and choosing George Washington to be our leader and now we are to break off from the king of England.

By the the crowd proclaiming Jesus as king has now triggered a movement. But that is not all they are proclaiming. It goes much deeper than just an earthly king.

Proclamation of Jesus’ messiahship

Matthew 21:9 ESV

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!”

Hosanna, the Hebrew expression meaning “Save us, we beseech thee”.

This crowd is proclaiming Jesus as king and also calling out for him to save them.

Like a declaration of salvation.

Psalm 118:25-26 lays this out. Let’s take a look at this scripture.

Psalm 118:25–26 ESV

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The crowd is officially proclaiming that Jesus is in fact the one that has been sent by the LORD!

They want him to be king. They want him to save them from this sinful world.

When the Psalmist wrote this, he was writing about a person that would come whom divine power would be exerted to accomplish the salvation and secure the success of God’s plan.

When reflecting back on Jesus’ ministry, he did many things with the divine power of the Lord. Many had said he was the messiah. John the baptist in Matthew 11:3 had asked if Jesus was the Messiah or if they should look and await for another.

What Jesus had done throughout his three years had spread like wildfire and now the people were ready for his saving grace.

In fact they thought the fight was over.

Proclamation of Jesus Christ’s victory

John 12:13 ESV

13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Now, some more background on this time of Jesus’ triumphal entry. It is during passover time.

John: An Introduction and Commentary (2nd Ed.) iv. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19)

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. It was the day after the anointing at Bethany, and the pilgrims in Jerusalem for Passover heard that Jesus was approaching. The population of Jerusalem swelled enormously at Passover time. Josephus, a first-century Jewish writer, says that when a count was taken on one occasion, the numbers present for Passover reached 2,700,000, a figure which is hard to believe, given the size of first-century Jerusalem. Certainly, vast numbers of people came to Jerusalem for this festival. No doubt influenced by Jesus’ growing fame, They took palm branches and went out to meet him. Palm fronds were used by pilgrims at the Festival of Tabernacles and the Festival of Dedication as part of the worship (see commentary on 7:2 and 10:22–39). Palm branches were also used as symbols of victory and kingship. By meeting Jesus with palm branches, the crowd showed that they were welcoming him as king. Earlier in his ministry, he had eluded the crowds who wanted to make him king (6:15), but now he accepted their gesture and its significance.

As well as waving palm branches, the crowd was shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ This acclamation is based on Psalm 118:25–26. The literal meaning of ‘Hosanna’ is ‘save now’. By the first century the word may have lost its literal sense and been used, as it is today, simply as a shout of praise. The words Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! in their original context are addressed to pilgrims coming to the temple:

Jn 12:13 Palm branches were used in celebration of victory.

One thing that gets me excited is in Revelation it says that we will lift up palm branches in victory once Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom.

Revelation 7:9 ESV

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

How amazing is that who cannot wait for this day Amen?

Now, as amazing as this day was for Jesus and his followers, not everyone was on the same Spiritual level.

The response of the Pharisees to Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem

Luke 19:39–40 ESV

39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The pharisees were to caught up in their legalistic mosaic law that they were blind to the very miracle and blessing that was unfolding right before their very eyes.

They were so blind in fact that it only took them a few days to turn the whole city against Jesus.

If that does not show you Man’s wickedness and sinful nature I do not know what will.

Just think of what has happened in our country this past year. One person gets killed by a cop and it absolutely brings out the worst in people and riots happen all over the US.

Here the Pharisees are to worried about their power and country club of a temple and now plot to get rid of this Jesus problem.

If anything, it shows why we need a savior.

Honestly we are our on worst enemies. Our insecurities constantly get in the way ad cause us to stumble. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And if you think otherwise you are a fool.

This is what the people, the crowd that gathered understood about Jesus. They understood that he was indeed the one true Messiah that can save them from their selves.

After Jesus enters the city, more prophecies now will have to be fulfilled in order for salvation to be secured for all of man kind. During this week, reflect on that.

Understand that Jesus is aware that he has just entered into this city as the blameless spotless lame that is to be slaughter by weeks end.

Understand that he knows his days are numbered before God turns his back on him and allows all of humanity to truly show their true sinful nature and unleash it all upon Jesus.

But also understand that Jesus is truly the Messiah and even though all that is evil was cast upon him, he rises victorious over the grave.

For the wages of sin is death and ultimately that is what Jesus is prepared to do, die for all of humanities sins so that we may live.

But lastly understand that Sunday is coming…Sunday is coming…Let’s pray.