Day One: Matthew 21:1-17

Who is This?

These past few weeks have been particularly nerve-wracking. Watching Russia invade Ukraine, listening to our political and military leaders speak about our response, and trying to understand how all this impacts us directly - particularly as gas prices rise.

Well over one million people have flooded countries sharing borders with Ukraine. Words like ‘war crimes,’ ‘atrocities,’ ‘catastrophic disaster,’ ‘fear,’ fill social media.

Closer to home it appears as though homelessness, crime are on the rise and kindness and civility appear to be disappearing.

Listen to Jesus’ words prior to entering Jerusalem, recorded in Luke’s gospel:

“As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”” (Luke 19:41–44, HCSB)

Matthew 21:5

Matthew 21:5 HCSB

Tell Daughter Zion, “Look, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”

Jerusalem, the religious, cultural, educational, and political heart of God’s people, is a city on edge.

As Passover nears and thousands of pilgrims enter the city the Roman’s are increasingly nervous.

The religious leaders are always on guard during these worship festivals lest the crowd get out of control and give Rome a reason to shut the temple and subjugate the people even more harshly.

One NT scholar suggests:

Winds of revolution whipped through the air of Palestine throughout the first century, and Jesus, with his teaching authority and ability to capture the imagination of the masses, not least on account of his ability to heal and raise the dead, looked very much the part of the long-awaited Messiah.

In order to gain and maintain power, the Romans could kill—which they did quite effectively—but how could they defeat a leader who could raise the dead at will?

Kostenberger, Andreas J.,Taylor, Justin. The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Kindle Locations 410-413). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Jesus sends some disciples to secure for Him a way of entry that is a statement.

Matthew 21:6–9 HCSB

The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their robes on them, and He sat on them. A very large crowd spread their robes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed kept shouting: Hosanna to the Son of David! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

As both Isaiah and Zechariah, hundreds of years prior, prophesied the Messiah enters Jerusalem sitting on a foal, with the foal’s mother in tow.

Typically when a conquering king arrived in a city he would arrive on a horse - a symbol of power and military might. By riding the foal of a donkey Jesus signals that indeed He is entering as a king…but not in the way people expect!

People, however, have their own ideas. These Jews, oppressed for well over one hundred years by the Romans, having been treated as foreigners in land promised to their ancestor Abraham, were ready for God to act.

The pilgrims around Jesus (in front of and behind) spread cloaks and palm branches on a road built by Romans to ‘smooth’ the way of the King, creating a ‘Red Carpet’ of sorts for Jesus.

The crowds, enthused by anticipation, excited by arriving at their destination turn the arrival of Jesus into an opportunity for worship - quoting from their prayer/song book Psalms.

Matthew 21:10–11 HCSB

When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee!”

Who is This?

When Jesus was born and a handful of ‘wise men’ from a distant region came seeking him who was born ‘King of the Jews,’ the city of Jerusalem was thrown into confusion as well - Matthew 2:3

Matthew 2:3 HCSB

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

The crowds have no doubt as to who this is:

Matthew 21:11 HCSB

And the crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee!”

A House of Prayer and Praise

Matthew 21:12–16 (HCSB)

Jesus went into the temple complex and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves. And 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!”

The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple complex, and He healed them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that He did and the children shouting in the temple complex, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus told them. “Have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and nursing infants?”

Jesus’ initial visit to the Temple - which will be the draw for Passover - sets the stage for the controversy that will ultimately lead to His arrest and execution.

The Temple’s Purpose

In preparation for Passover the priests and Levites would arrange to have sheep and other animals for sale - pilgrims could hardly transport animals over long distances and keep them healthy. Also, the temple tax would be required of Jewish males. In order to pay the tax money changers would be needed to exchange local currencies for the currency used in Jerusalem.

Picture an outdoor market - animals making noises, animals causing odors, people bickering about prices, men trying to outsell one another…and crowds, crowds, crowds.

This market would have been set up in the only space open to the public. Most of the Temple was closed to all but Jewish males. The original intent of this space was to allow women, children, and even those nasty Gentiles, a place to pray, to listen to rabbi’s, and to worship.

Amidst all the noise worship and prayer would have been difficult if not impossible.

Yet, Jesus solves that problem!

His justification, coming from Isaiah and Jeremiah points to the kind of king Jesus is claiming to be.

Blind and lame people - often found begging just outside the Temple area - flocked to Jesus - and HE HEALED THEM!

As He healed them children began to raise a song of praise - just like the one they had heard from the parents a few hours earlier:

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’

How Dare You!

The religious leaders were quick to react. Their indignation, their unhappiness is voiced in vs 16 - ‘Do you hear what is being said?’

Again Jesus turns to His Father’s Word to let them know - yes, indeed, God is always being praised - particularly by those who are most innocent, most trusting, and most open to God’s presence.

In an Uproar

There is a sense in which you and I have domesticated Jesus. We read these passages again and again and our familiarity doesn’t breed contempt but rather complacency.

Our first thought: I’d never act like the chief priests and scribes!

Being the hero of our own stories and lives we would see ourselves as those drawn to Jesus. We would be more discerning than the crowds - who in just a few days will turn against Jesus.

But...

The presence of Jesus always changes things

As we try and picture the scene described by Matthew, we see Jesus -

A King, coming in peace...

The One who ‘comes in the name of the Lord!’

He is the One to whom all praise is due - HOSANNA!

He is the Son, restoring His Father’s Temple to it’s intended purpose

He is the One who heals

He is the One whom even children can see as God’s anointed

Which Jesus do you see?

We gather week after week - singing songs, reading the accounts of His life, looking at how God’s Word presents Jesus as the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

Prior to coming into Jerusalem Jesus asked His disciples a question I’m asking of you today...

Who do you say Jesus is?

He is Savior - His death on the cross in your place and His subsequent resurrection is for you - securing your righteousness, securing your connection to God - the Holy One, the Creator, the Healer...

He is LORD - He has every right to throw out all that doesn’t belong, He has the authority to insist on His house being accessible to all

He is the One who changes everything...

He wants to be Savior

Lord

Provider

He is present with us...

Receive Him as Savior: Admit you are far from God and only Jesus can bring you near;

Believe that Jesus is God’s Son, the One whose death makes you right with God, the One whose resurrection life is ours now and ours for eternity

Join those here and around the world by Confessing Him as YOUR Savior and Lord, and join us as we seek to make Him known in every corner of the world