Matthew 21:1-17 "The Presentation of the King"

The purpose of Matthew’s Gospel is to present Jesus as the King. Matthew wrote to Jews for this express purpose, and as we finish out Matthew’s Gospel…we see that theme ahead. Here’s an outline of the remaining chapters in Matthew.

In Matthew 21-25, we see “The King’s Ministry in Jerusalem"

In Matthew 26-27, we witness “The King’s Passion and Death”

And, we close Matthew in Chapter 28, observing “The King’s Resurrection”

In the next five chapters (21-25), we see encounters and conflicts Jesus has with various people, largely the religious leaders. Ultimately, these conflicts come to a head, in the final three chapters (26-28) when Jesus is arrested, tried, crucified, and then rises again.

Over the past several weeks, we read about Jesus’ travels from Galilee to Jerusalem…and ascending Jerusalem with a multitude of Jewish pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.

Passover is an annual Jewish holy day to remember the Exodus from Egypt…in particular the passing over of the Israelite firstborn when the firstborn of Egypt were struck down in the last of ten plagues.

In Exo 12, the Passover was initiated and a key command was each household was to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and put blood on the doorposts and lintel. When the Lord saw the blood, He would ‘pass over’ that household and not strike the firstborn.

And, very much Christ is symbolized in numerous ways in the Passover…the Lamb…the blood on the posts…in faith, by the blood, judgment passes over the obedient... the striped and pierced unleavened bread (bread with no yeast...picturesque of sinlessness)…and so forth.

If you have never attended a “Christ in the Passover Seder”…I encourage you to attend such a celebration…better yet…If you are versed and interested in leading a ‘Christ in the Passover Seder’... for our church next April... let’s talk.

Jewish pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for Passover, who brought their own lamb... they were required to have it inspected by the Priests to ensure it was “without blemish”, as instructed in Exo 12.

This just blows my mind…think about the parallels to Jesus...

John the Baptist announced Jesus as, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

28x in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the “Lamb.” Rev 5:12, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain...”

In 1 Pet 1:19, Peter reminded believers they were redeemed “...with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Paul wrote in 1 Cor 5:7 “…indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

And, just as the Jewish pilgrims presented their lamb for inspection before the Priests, in our passage today, we will observe Jesus presented to the nation and inspected by the Priests. Jesus…our Passover lamb...without spot or blemish.

The title of today’s message is “The Presentation of the King.”

Let’s Pray!

Matt 21:1 “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage [properly bayth-fag-ay], at the Mount of Olives...

Pause right there... let’s get a feel for the geography…you may remember this map of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem…

The orange line shows Jesus’ departure from Capernaum in Galilee in Matthew 19.

The green line is Jesus’ Perean ministry (also Matthew 19), and then in Matthew 20:17, Jesus began the trek up to Jerusalem, and passed through Jericho in Matthew 20:29.

Beginning in Matthew 21…the purple line...the steep ascent to Jerusalem...coming to the towns of Bethany and Bethphage…which are small villages near the slopes of the Mt. of Olives.

John records... 6 days prior to Passover Jesus went to Bethany, where Mary anointed Him with oil; Bethany is also where Lazarus was from, whom Jesus raised from the dead before they went to Jericho. Matthew omits these accounts.

On the second map... we zoom in on the Mount of Olives and these cities, and you get a feel for Jesus’ route…Bethany... Bethphage…then Jerusalem.

The Mount of Olives is 2600 ft…it’s a tall hill. Winona Lake is 817 ft, so higher elevation than us, but not heights like the Rocky Mountains…It’s the same height as Nebraska.

The Triumphal Entry is the yellow line on this map. This line should start after Bethphage since we read in Luke 19:36-37, “And as He went [out of Bethphage], many spread their clothes on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen...”

So, the Triumphal Entry is quite the long procession, and keep in mind there are about 2 million pilgrims during this time rejoicing and praising God. Quite the scene.

After descending the Mount of Olives Jesus went across the Kidron Valley…and into the city of Jerusalem.

Before we move on, there are some interesting observations about the meaning behind the names of the cities.

Bethphage is a compound word...‘Beth’ meaning “House” and ‘Pag’ means “unripe figs.” It’s the “house of unripe figs.”

Bethany can mean the “house of affliction”, but also the “house of dates”, as in ripe dates.

In Bethany... Jesus had many followers (Mary, Martha, Lazarus,... Simon the Leper)…many true followers. Truly a “house of (ripe) dates.”

Contrast this with Bethphage the “house of unripe figs”, which is associated with the boundaries of Jerusalem where there were many unbelievers and national rejection of jesus…truly a House of unripe figs…and next week we will look at Jesus cursing the fig tree for not bearing fruit, and how that symbolism applies to Israel.

Interesting observations and contrasts between these two cities.

So, with this setting established, let’s read VSS 1-5...

Matt 21:1-5 “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you [ESV renders this “in front of you”…Bethphage], and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion [a metaphor for Israel], ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

In the past, Jesus averted the crowds…now that His time has come…He formerly announces Himself.

Jesus tells the disciples to go to Bethphage to find a momma donkey with her colt (a male donkey less than 4 years of age)…untie them and bring them to Him…if someone says, “Hey…what are you doing with my donkeys!?!” Just tell them, “The Lord has need of them.” And, he will immediately give up his donkeys.

And, the disciples were questioned. Luke records, Luke 19:33-35 “But as they were loosing the colt, the owners [plural] of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” 35 Then they brought him to Jesus.”

No argument whatsoever. They hear, “The Lord has need of him,” and they send the donkeys ahead.

Question: ‘How did Jesus know about the donkeys, and about the owners’ willingness to give them up? Was this natural or supernatural?’

Some think Jesus knew this man ahead of time and had a plan… the thought goes Jesus met a man on an earlier trip and asked him to have a donkey ready. And, often God works in very natural ways.

Now, there is no indication that Jesus knew this man or had a plan, but the last verse in John’s gospel…John 21:25 states, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

So, just because it’s not recorded, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be. If you subscribe to this first explanation, I won’t fault you…J. Vernon McGee subscribed to this first thought, and he was a great scholar.

But, I lean towards Jesus supernatural knowledge on display here. Jesus knew many future events. To what extent we cannot say because He was limited in His humanity, yet still divine.

One scholar wrote, “There is a paradox in that he was both divine and human in one person and we cannot exhaustively determine the relationship between his two natures and his knowledge. Some things we just have to take on faith.”

But, reflect on these displays Jesus’ divine knowledge...

Jesus knew of His coming betrayal and death.

He knew there would be a coin for the taxes in the mouth of a fish.

He knew what was in all men.

He knew of the Samaritan woman’s five previous husbands, and she was living with a man not her husband.

He knew to cast the net on the right side of the boat for a great catch. And so forth...

So, could Jesus know that there was a donkey and it’s colt in the town ahead, and a man willing to give them up for the Lord? Absolutely.

And, I think it’s marvelous that this man was open handed with his donkeys. Once he heard they were for the Lord, he willingly let his donkeys go…a great model for us to be open-handed with our possessions for the Lord.

But, don’t be fooled by charlatans…who promise if you plant a $1000 seed of faith you’re going to get a return. If you want to give…give to a reputable ministry…not a TV evangelist who is lining their own pockets.

And, don’t give with the wrong motive of a return. The owner of these donkeys just gave…there’s no indication of return.

Giving should be motivated by love for the Lord, and cheerful giving despite the cost is the right attitude.

When David foolishly took a census, I like his attitude in buying the threshing floor to build an altar and withdrawal the plague… 1 Ch 21:24 “Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”

David wanted his giving to have a cost…for there to be a sacrifice. And, the owners of the donkeys had the right attitude as well…knowing it was for the Lord “immediately” they sent them.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I find it a bit humorous that Jesus chose a young donkey for His grand entrance…His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

Could there not be a more humble way of presenting oneself? A grown man sitting on a young donkey? Feet dragging on the ground…plodding along…the donkey Heehawing.

If you are a grown man...and go to the County Fair...and pay for a donkey ride…shame on you…turn in your man card at the end of service.

If I were the God of the Universe, I’d ride in on a rhinoceros…or do something impossible like ride a Great White Shark…or bring back the T-Rex…why not? Nothing says “God of the Universe” like riding a T-Rex.

Normally, kings and Roman General rode into the cities they conquered on war horses…chariots pulled by white horses…

And, when Jesus comes in His 2nd coming…He will be riding a white horse (Rev 19:11) with ten thousands of His saints (Jude 14)... who are also on white horses (Rev 19:14)…that’s you an I…and that day will be glorious.

In that day, the false religious systems…the compromised government and economic systems…the people who shake their fist at God…in that day Jesus will “strike the nations” and “rule them with a rod of iron.” He will conquer.

But, in Jesus’ 1st coming He comes riding a donkey…why?

An obvious answer is V4, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet...” So, one reason is to fulfill prophecy…specifically...

Zech 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just [or righteous] and having salvation, Lowly [meaning “afflicted or humble”…perfect descriptions of Jesus] and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

One other prophecy, many scholars believe Jesus also fulfilled is Dan 9:24-27 as Jesus’ Triumphal entry into Jerusalem happens on the exact day prophesied in Dan 9. If you want to do a deeper dive into this prophecy, a book recommended by Chuck Smith and Joe Focht is “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson.

And, regarding prophecy...can I just say, that God calls us to faith, but not to blind faith. The number of evidences He has provided us with is overwhelming. Even just Zech 9:9…Zechariah’s prophecies began in 520 B.C....500 some years later…exactly fulfilled. Amazing evidences.

So, fulfillment of prophecy is one reason Jesus rode the colt. Also, historically, when a king entered a city on a donkey or a mule…this symbolized three things:

One...it was a sign of royalty or leadership, so Jesus riding a donkey symbolized He was their King.

There are many OT examples of leaders and kings riding donkeys (Judges 5:10; 10:4; 12:14; 2 Samuel 16:2, and so forth).

Two…king’s rode donkeys in times of peace, and Jesus was coming in peace.

Jesus fulfilled Zech 9:9 being lowly and riding a colt…Jesus did not come to conquer the people, but came to bring peace between man and God by conquering sin...

But, in the Millennium…He will bring peace on earth as well…Very interesting, Zech 9:10 speaks about this peace when Messiah establishes His kingdom, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. [No need for weapons of war] He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’” [Truly peace on the whole earth].

Zech 9:10 is fulfilled in the Millennium, but if the Jews would have embraced Jesus as their King in the first coming…this is the peace we would be experiencing today…this is the sentiment Jesus expressed as He wept over Jerusalem.

The Third reason Jesus rode a donkey...king’s rode donkey to express they were the servant of the people, and Jesus was the suffering servant.

At Solomon’s coronation as king… David instructed 1 KI 1:33 “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.” (A key spring in Jerusalem where Solomon was anointed).

Solomon was becoming the king, this was a time of peace, and he was numbered among those who served.

So, riding the colt carried a lot of meaning and fulfilled prophecy.

Two more quick observations…the fact that Jesus rides a colt is miraculous. Critics suggest Jesus rode the donkey most of the way…perhaps just the colt as they entered the gates... because how could the colt bear the weight of Jesus?

I think that’s the wrong question. I think the right question is why do the critics lack faith that the God of the universe could ride a colt?

Jesus made the colt, and can strengthen the colt to bear His weight. If Jesus can rise the dead and cleanse the lepers, I have faith a colt can bear His weight.

Also, notice the colt does not buck. Normally, an unbroken animal will put up a fight…but this colt submits to His Master…Jesus tames nature…just as He calmed the wind and the seas.

If the colt was not bucking... critics, then why are you?

And, this colt is a contrast to the religious leaders, who also bucked against Jesus…which we will soon observe.

Let’s continue to VSS 6-11...

Matt 21:6-11 “So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. [In times past, they questioned Him, now they submit…that’s progress! They’re not bucking either.] 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them [forming a saddle], and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [Jn 12:13 tells us these are Palm branches]. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! ’Hosanna in the highest!”

Here we witness what is called, “The Triumphal Entry.” Some would argue...Jesus’ true Triumphal Entry is when He returns the 2nd time.

But, let’s not forget Jesus was triumphant over sin, hell, and death in His first coming.

And, this is a significant event… recorded in all 4 Gospels...one of just a handful of events.

What we see here is Jesus leaving Bethphage, and making a public declaration that He is the King and Messiah of Israel…fulfilling Zech 9:9.

The crowds honor Jesus all along the way leading up to and entering Jerusalem…just as they would a king.

Spreading their clothes on the road was an act of homage…a custom for announcing a king (as they did for Jehu in 2 Ki 9:13).

They are waving Palm branches…thus “Palm Sunday.” Growing up Catholic, I enjoyed Palm Sunday…we got palms leaves and wove them together…it broke up the monotony.

By definition, this is a date palm, which has been part of the vegetation of Israel for thousands of years. Dried dates…so good!

During The Feast of Tabernacles, in September, palms were used to rejoice before the Lord... and to make the booths (Lev 23:40; Neh 8:15).

Palms have been said to symbolize victory and triumph. 1 Maccabees 13:51; 2 Maccabees 10:7; Rev 7:9.

The pilgrims were singing Hallel Psalms / Praise Psalms (Psalms 113-118) along the way during this joyous time.

Ps 118: 24-26 “This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!”

“Save now, I pray”...That’s what’s reflected in their cries, “Hosanna to the Son of David! [Jesus’ Messianic title] ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! ’Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna was a plea for salvation. We read “...the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out..” They are screaming…shouting…entreating the Lord.

Hosanna is a Greek word with Hebrew roots in Ps 118:25 “Save now, I pray.”

“Save now” = yâsha (meaning “deliver, save”)

“I pray” = ânnâ (meaning “I beg/ beseech you”)

The people are pleading with Jesus to save them…

But, many are misguided. Most of them are welcoming Him as their political Messiah…their Savior from Rome…

Our nation does the same thing with politicians… “lower my taxes…support my causes…bring us peace.” Politicians are not going to save us.

And, when the multitudes realize Jesus is not going to bring the prosperity they are expecting, they are going to turn on Him and in just a few days…many of these same people will shout, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

But, in this moment, the people are excited about Jesus…except for the Pharisees. They are like a wet drip.

At this point, Luke 19:39-40 records, “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

The Pharisees understood that the people were calling Jesus their Messiah, and they wanted it to stop. But, this moment was prophetically etched in time…if they didn’t praise the coming King…the very stones of the earth would.

Luke is the only gospel writer to record Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. If you want to make a note... between Matt 21: VSS 9 & 10...note Luke 19:41-44.

Luke 19:41-44 “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. [Jesus weeps over their spiritual blindness to recognize Him as their Messiah. They could have had peace.]. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Literally fulfilled about 40 years later in 70 A.D. when Roman soldiers destroyed the Temple and much of Jerusalem.

Now in V21, Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Matt 21:10-11 “And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved [Gk. sĕiō the root word for sĕismŏs…where we get our English word “seismic”…earthquake. The idea is the whole city was shaken emotionally and spiritually by Jesus’ presence], saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

In VSS 10-11, Jesus is in the city, there is a stir, and the crowds are trying to figure out what’s going on and who this is?

We don’t know their intentions in V11…but, they title Jesus “the prophet from Nazareth.”

Is this a compliment? Are they suggesting Jesus is the prophet like Moses? Deut 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.”

Or, is this a downgrade? They were calling Him “Son of David”/Messiah and now he’s simply a prophet.

People can be fickle. Jesus was not the conquering King they were hoping for…He’s not coming on a war horse, but a colt…He comes in peace.

Are we seeing the beginnings of people turning from Jesus mentally? Certainly, within the week, they will turn on Jesus and call for His death.

I lean towards they are beginning to turn from Jesus, but difficult to say exactly.

V11 marks the end of Palm Sunday. Mark 11:11 concludes this day with, “And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.”

So, Jesus enters the city, checked out the Temple, and then left the city for a short walk back to Bethany with the disciples, and He would return to the Temple the following day.

Starting in V12, Matthew gets out of chronological order, but that’s ok…he wrote thematically proving Jesus was Messiah. Mark would place the cursing of the fig tree (which we will look at next week) prior to cleansing the temple.

But, continuing with Matthew V12...

Matt 21:12-13 “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

This is the second time Jesus cleansed the temple. The first cleansing was at the beginning of His ministry…John 2:13-25. That time Jesus made a whip of cords to drive everyone out... and He alluded to His death and resurrection, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

That was the first Passover in His ministry…here in Matt 21…this is the third Passover in Jesus’ ministry.

The temple referenced in V12 is the Temple area…the “Court of the Gentiles,” also called the “Outer Court” in Rev 11:2… this is not the Temple proper where the Holy Place was. I have a slide of Herod’s Temple... the Court of the Gentiles is simply labeled “court.”

This slide displays a real-life, massive model of 1st Century Jerusalem…you can see the handrails in the foreground. It’s a popular tourist stop in Jerusalem. And, it’s quite fantastic!

The next slide labels the various areas in the temple. To help you understand how massive the Temple was…take a look at the bottom right corner…the black rectangle represents a football field…massive area- 1,550 feet by 1,000 feet—about 35 acres.

Now, the Temple had been given a derogatory name: “The Bazaars of the Sons of Annas.”

Annas was High Priest from 6-15 A.D. and kept the priesthood…kept power in his family until they lost it in the Jewish-Roman War in 66 A.D.

After Annas, the High Priest was either his sons, son-in-law (Caiaphas), or his grandson.

And, they had a racket! They were known to be tremendously wealthy from ripping people off...it’s not surprising they came so hard against Jesus…He was a threat to their enterprise.

Three times a year it was required to come to Jerusalem for feasts, and these guys knew how to play the people. You’d bring a lamb to sacrifice, and sure enough they would inspect it and find a spot or blemish, so you would be forced to buy a “temple approved” animal…at premium price. And, they justified this by verses such as...

Lev 22:21-22 “And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. 22 Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD...”

And, that may seem ridiculous…I mean who would give God “scabby the little lamb”? But, the people were doing this…Mal 1:8 (a rebuke) “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts.”

The priests and the people were all corrupt. This reminds me of a sweatshirt design I saw recently… “You’re all naughty!” Rom 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one...”

So, Annas and his crew…they would inspect and reject your lamb and tell you to buy one of theirs. So, you suck it up, knowing they are ripping you off, and then they tell you to go exchange your money for a temple shekel because you have Roman coins…and they have the image of Caesar…that’s a graven image! You can’t use that in the temple!

Then, the money changers rip you off again with outrageous exchange rates.

When Jesus says, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” This was a very accurate portrayal.

Jesus quotes two scriptures here:

The last line of Isa 56:7 “For My house shall be called a house of prayer [notice Isa says] for all nations.” The court of the Gentiles was so all could worship God here…and they made it a Bazaar.

The other scripture... Jer 7:11 “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD.”

At this point Luke adds, Luke 19:47-48, “And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”

Let’s wrap up with VSS 14-17...

Matt 21:14-17 “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’? 17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.”

This is a beautiful scene. The temple is finally being used how it was intended. The religious typically kept the blind and lame outside the temple. You see them in various verses begging at the gates of the temple, but not in the temple.

Now they are in the temple, and children are echoing what the people were crying out during The Triumphal Entry… “We beg you, save us Messiah!”

But, the religious leaders are indignant…they were “sore displeased” the King James states.

‘It was ok to have money changers and other rip off artists in the temple area, but healing and songs of praise? Heaven forbid!’

They say, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. ...”

“Yeah, I hear them.” Like, so what?

Jesus doesn’t rebuke the kids and the disabled…He rebukes the religious...

“Have you never read…?” Matthew loved recording when Jesus said this…the religious leaders read all the time! Divine sarcasm...

And, Jesus quotes Ps 8:2, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength.”

And, this carries a similar idea to 1 Cor 1:27 “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.”

In the perfection of their praise...that’s what these children did to the ‘wise’ religious leaders…they put them to shame.

At some point in your life, King Jesus, the Passover Lamb, was presented to you and you examined Him. And, as we reflect on this account today, who do you relate to?

The people…initially zealous, but fickle and quick to turn?

The religious…too comfortable to set aside tradition and turn to truth?

Or, the children… crying out to the Lord…the perfection of praise?

As we take communion today…I encourage you…be child like. Perfect your praise.

Let’s pray!

Communion Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-29

“...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

As the communion elements are being distributed, please take a moment to praise Jesus…remembering His broken body and shed blood for you on the cross. And, examine yourself…take communion in a worthy manner. Is there anything you need to confess privately to God and ask forgiveness for?

Once you have prayed, go ahead and take the communion elements, when you are ready. Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you are not saved, if you have never confessed Jesus is your Lord, you have a couple options, either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option... accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. Pray to God and tell Him you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and then take communion. If you pray that prayer today, if today is your day of salvation, tell us that great news afterwards.

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