Sermon Tone Analysis

Text

Sermonic Claim

There is so much I could preach about this glorious day.

I could talk about how the day began with Jesus equipping two of his disciples with GPS capabilities that enabled them to find a donkey and a colt sanctified and consecrated as his transportation into the holy city.

The text also presents Jesus as the true King of Israel and of heaven and is the fulfilment of prophecy recorded in Zec 9:9.

The occasion could also lead us up a path that would teach us that the Lord wants to use us and we should want to be used in His Service.

Another place we could park this afternoon would possibly persuade us to declare: Anyway you want to use me Lord or I can play the background.

But let’s spend our time today talking about the enormous crowd gathered on that day and the tremendous amount of noise that was taking place on this occasion.

I want to suggest as my sermonic claim today that because of THE VOLUME OF our herald and proclamation, no one should ever be confused about who Jesus is.

Verses 1-9 deals with what happens before he reaches the city.

A Very Great Multitude

It was noisy on that day because Ver. 8.

A very great multitude.—The

most part of the multitude (R.V.).

Part of the crowd had come with Him from Galilee, part streamed from Bethany, excited by the recent resurrection of Lazarus (John 12:17).

Some went before Him, some followed.

As they advanced they were met by a fresh crowd pouring forth from Jerusalem.

What is paramount to our lesson discussion is that this was no silent procession, the text say “they were shouting.”

Can’t you all here it?

it was extremely loud.

Let’s listen to:

what they were saying: See Matthew 21:9

What they meant by what they said

Ver. 9. Hosanna

Matthew (Critical Notes)

It was a kind of holy hurrah.

The word “hosanna” is the Greek form of a Hebrew phrase occurring in Ps. 118:25, and meaning “O save!”

It is thus remarkably like the aspiration or petition that is breathed in one of our national anthems, “God Bless America!”

And as salvation, in its fulness, is just life, or eternal life, the petition breathed is equivalent to Live! or Live for ever! and is thus tantamount, in the original import, to the French Vive! and the Italian Viva!

While, however, the original import of the Hebrew word is O save! the term lost, in its current usage, its precise primary idea, and came, like its modern equivalents, to be just a peculiar form of a hearty acclamation, expressive of a mingled combination of approbation, admiration, and deep desire (Morison).

He that Cometh (Habba) was a recognized Messianic title (Carr).

In the highest.—There

can be no doubt that the expression means in the highest places, i.e. in the heavens; and this is generally admitted by critics.

But the import of the entire acclamation, “Hosanna in the heavens,” is a matter of much dispute.

We could not say, “Hurrah in the heavens!”

But the Hebrews could say, most appropriately and beautifully, “Hosanna in the heavens!”

They could use such a complex acclamation because: 1. Hosanna originally means O save! and: 2. The highest salvation possible is consummated, and must be consummated, in the heavens.

But when the word hosanna, losing its original supplicatory force, came to be used as a mere acclaiming expression of the highest good feelings, the appended phrase, which owed its peculiar appropriateness to the primary import of the exclamation, just served to intensify, to the highest degree possible, the expression of good wishes.

May the richest blessings of heaven be showered upon thy head!

Grotius thus was not so very far wrong when he interpreted the expression as meaning—in a holy kind of way—three times three!

(Morison.)

Verse 10-11 are considered hinge verses connecting the events before and after the arrival into Jerusalem.

So what we see and hear is noise in stereo, that is until Jesus enters the city, now there is stereo surround sound.

Noise: An Attention Grabber

Matthew (Critical Notes)

Ver. 10.

All the city.—By a census taken in the time of Nero it was ascertained that there were 2,700,000 Jews present at the Passover.

We may picture the narrow streets of Jerusalem thronged with eager, inquisitive crowds demanding, with Oriental vivacity, in many tongues and dialects, “who is this?” (Carr).

Was moved.—The

word in the original is forcible, “convulsed” or “stirred” as by an earthquake, or by a violent wind.

Cf. 27:51 and Rev. 6:13, where the same verb is used (ibid.).

Matthew (Homilies on the Verses)

Ver.

10.—Who is this?—I.

The question:—1.

As asked then.—All the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” Thronged for feast; saw strange procession sweep towards temple.2.

As asked now.—All the world is moved, saying, “Who is this?” Procession passed, but procession of events went on.

Crucified, dead, and buried.

Then news of a resurrection, an ascension, a gift of the Spirit, and a call on all men to believe.

The story a nine days’ wonder?

No.

It spread from land to land, from age to age; survived three hundred years of persecution; rose fresh from wreck of the empire; changed all currents of thought, created new institutions, formed foremost nations, possesses civilized world.

Its best effects deeper down, in principles, characters, works, lives, deaths, “which are in Christ Jesus.”

He has become a universal presence; a vast mysterious power.

What account shall be given of it?

Who is this?

Question ever reopened.

Comes up fresh from time to time, especially now.

Talk of worn-out creeds and new accounts attempted.

A Response from the Noisy Crowd

See Matthew 21:10-11

Brothers and Sisters, it my strong contention this afternoon that we need to turn up the volume we answer the question “Who is this?”

By THE VOLUME OF our herald and proclamation, no one should ever be confused about who Jesus is.

The text says the crowds attempted to answer the question by responding “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark: Commentary (Chapter 21)

Attributing Jesus’ miraculous powers to the fact that He was a prophet was only partially correct.

He had come as Prophet (to teach), Priest (to sacrifice Himself), and King (to rule over His church).

People almost always understand in part and must be further instructed.

This is what the apostles would do after the resurrection.

Though Jesus had informed them adequately at this time, they themselves were confused as to His mission and would only understand later on.

This is the prophet Jesus’ ” (v.

11).

Yes, Jesus is a prophet like Moses, but he is more than a prophet or even the prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15).

He is, as the crowd shouts, echoing the blind men in 20:30 and the children in 21:15, “the Son of David!” (v.

9).

He is the prophet.

He is the long-awaited King.

But is he not more than prophet and king?

Is he not, as Bruner beautifully puts it, “the lowly Lord, the human God.…

Emmanuel … the true God-with-us in a truly human way, at our level: God on a donkey”?

Is he not, as I’ll put it, the Son of God on the child of a donkey, the one who came to save us (1:21)?

Hosanna.

Save us, Lord.

And is he not also the one we still long for, to come in power at the true triumphal entry?

He is!

And thus we still cry out (echoing and expanding upon Psalm 118:25, 26), “Hosanna”—“save us!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” Hosanna in the highest!

Prophet, King, Savior, come again.

The earth still shakes, and we still shout, “Come and save us.”

Make Some Noise

Jesus taught his disciples to let the little children come to him because the kingdom of heaven belonged to those with childlike attitudes.

Ain’t it true about children that when they are excited about something they make noise.

So much so, that ofttimes, we have to ask them to turn down the noise.