Easter: The Sufficency of the Story (Matt. 21:1-11)

Intro:

Matt 21:1-11 f

Mark 11:1-11k

Luke 19:28-40l

John 12:19l

Hope, what if hope is falling in your life? We talked about what we would say if the “E” at the front here were to fall while we are preaching. Maybe this week the “E” in your life has fallen and you feel like your hope is failing.

Why did you come today or turn on the service?

Sufficiency- definition and 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:3-4

Outline:

History: “Fulfilled Prophecy” (vs. 1-5)

Hosanna: “” (vs. 6-11)

Summary: Historical geography and writings are not the source of hope but rather confirm the hope of Jesus

Prayer:

History: “Fulfilled Prophecy” (vs. 1-5)

Historical Geography (vs. 1-3)

Now when they drew near

to Jerusalem (MAP)- compound word, “pillar” and “peace”, “Foundation of Peace”

and came to Bethphage- “House of unripe figs”, seen as the outer limit of Jerusalem

To the Mount of Olives- they have traveled from the lowest of low in Jericho, to the highest of heights. What a journey

Jesus sent two (2) disciples

Saying to them

Go into the village in front of you- the settlement outside the city wall.

Immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her (Matthew is the only Gospel that mentions both).

Untie them

Bring them to me

If anyone says anything to you

You shall say

“The Lord needs them”- the secret password

And he will send them at once

Historical Writtings (vs. 4-5)

This took place to fulfill

What was spoken by the prophet (Zechariah 9:9, Isa. 62:11)

Say to the daughter of Zion (inhabitants of Jerusalem)

Behold, your king is coming to you,

Humble, and mounted on a donkey- This is the key to the prophecy, “Mumble or meek”

On a colt (donkey)- a symbol of peace

The foal of a beast of burden- not a horse or a chariot. He is not riding a white steed because he is not coming in military victory or political conquest. Horses are associated with war and judgment in Zechariah 6. Zechariah is a mirror to Revelation. They are used by priests or merchants. It is not a well-bred animal for the wealthy.

Application/Implications:

This happened at an actual location with actual people. It is recorded by reliable sources and we have those sources today.

We have more copies and manuscripts of the Bible than any other ancient literature, we have an imbarasment of riches compated to other literature

Take the New testament alone if we were to stack all of our manuscripts on top of each other it would be over a mile high. Were as any other greco writings from the same time would only be 4 feet.

Where has your history taken you geographically? At this point, God has led you to Brantford and the surrounding areas. Why do you think that is? God wants to use you to accomplish His-Story. Just as God orchastrated the coming of Jesus into the world, His earthly ministry, and His movement towards Jerusalem so He is orchastrating your involvement in His story.

Are you in the lowest place you have been in a while or the highest place? are you moving through the house of unripe figs in order to get to the foundation of Peace? Who or what are you celebrating in your life right now? who or what are you looking to as your foundation of Peace? Even though Jerusalem is called that doesn’t mean that the location guaranteed peace, history tells us the exact opposite. Sometimes we look to a location or a destination to give us what only the journey with Jesus can. What I mean by that is going to Jerusalem will not give you peace with God. Going to Jesus will!

If only I could go back to that time in my life when...

If only I could get to this place in my life, then...

You can trust the sufficiency of the story because it did not begin with us, it has been around for many years! We celebrate what Jesus did by faith but that does not mean that we are lacking the evidence of the historicity of Jesus. This is not a myth. Jesus is not a myth.

Perhaps you are in need of the same hope that was given in Genesis and all the way through to today, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble

Transitional phrase: Historical geography and writings both point to the sufficiency that we have around the account of Jesus. These places existed and they still do to this day. We have to writings that prophecied this would happen. You can go and see them with your own eyes. Yet, the account of Jesus is more than history and geography, it is meant to give us faith today...

Hosanna: “Urgency Needed” (vs. 6-11)

Urgent Obedience (vs. 6-7)

The discipels went and did as Jesus had directed them- I don’t think they sat there and wondered Hmm, how is this going to work in fulfillment to God’s great story of redemption...” No they obeyed immediately in that moment.

They brought the donkey and the colt

Put on them their cloaks

and He sat on them

Urgent Preparation (v. 8)

Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road- what is the deal with the cloaks?

Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road- what is the deal with branches? These people would more than likely be pilgrims from Gailee on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. They would have been familiar with Jesus’ ministry.

another Gospel’s specific mention of palm branches (Jn 12:13) is significant, for they normally were more in use at the Feast of Tabernacles—or for triumphal entries. Whereas Jesus by riding the donkey implies his renunciation of revolutionary aspirations, the crowd’s use of palm branches, an allusion to the Maccabean triumphs, implies that they still see him in more revolutionary messianic terms (1 Macc 13:51; 2 Macc 10:7; Rev 7:9; Cullmann 1956b:38; Stauffer 1960:110).

Craig S. Keener, Matthew, vol. 1, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), Mt 21:7–11.

Urgent Deliverance (vs. 9-11)

And the crowds that went before him

and that followed him were shouting

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Hosanna- The term is a compound transliteration from heb “hosa”- save and the cnclitic percative particle “na”- now (urgency) “Save now please!”

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!- Ps 118:26 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

Hosanna in the highest! Ps. 118:25 “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!”

When He entered Jerusalem

the whole city was stirred up- shaken

Saying “Who is this”?- Jesus has avoided Jerusalem up untili this point, not everyone would be familiar with him. The religious leaders would be but that is about it.

and the crowds said,

This is the prophet Jesus,- the one promised my Moses (Deut 18:15 ““The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—”

From Nazareth of Galilee- This is prophecied in Daniel 9:25-26 “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.”

Jesus has arrived exactly when God wanted Him to.

Application/Implications:

The sufficiency of the story of Jesus gives us hope to urgently obey Jesus today with what we know.

The sufficiencey of the story of Jesus gives us hope to urgently prepare the way for others to follow Jesus.

The sufficiency of the story of Jesus gives us hope in upheaval that we have a saviour who will always be with us.

Which one of those do you need Jesus’s help with the most this week? Do you need to pray:

Lord, I need your help to obey what I know this week

Lord, I need your help to share the gospel this week

Lord, I need your help to trust that in my upheaval you will be there.

Transitional phrase:

Summary

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

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