"Who is This?"

Intro: How the opinions of people change so quickly.

Palm Sunday is the day is celebrated, where we will lift up the praises of Jesus, as the crowds did in as he rode into Jerusalem. “Hosanna,” which means God save us, . Rightly so, the crowd praises Jesus, and rightly so, we do well to praise Him here today in the same way.

But when Jesus shatters our expectations, will we still cry Hosanna?

The question really needs to be asked, what are your expectations of Jesus? Do they match with who Jesus reveals Himself to be?

Let’s read Matthew 20:29-21:11

Today, I want us to answer that question with two questions asked in the Bible. First...

I. Who is Jesus?

To answer this question, we must spend some time on the buildup to this question. The Triumphal Entry text is our main focus, but no doubt we need to take into consideration everything about Jesus from before this. Matthew has spent 20 chapters showing how Jesus fulfills the Scriptures. His birth, his ministry, his miracles, his teaching. Everything was a fulfillment of what the Scriptures promised. Matthew has the most OT references in all of the NT. He is building a case of Jesus fulfilling the promise of the Messiah.

So Jesus is making his way to the culmination of his ministry. And in this passage, we see some truths about Jesus that need to be seen.

Jesus comes as the fulfiller of Scripture (1-5)

Jesus is in complete control, as he always is. He is not thwarted. His face is set to Jerusalem. But he also knows what must be fulfilled. He tells his disciples the exact place and exact means by which the Scriptures must be fulfilled.

Outside of Jerusalem, probably around two miles, coming off the Mount of Olives (which is the way David came after Absalom’s rebellion as he reclaimed the throne) is in a small town. There would be the exact animals needed to fulfill the Scriptures. Whether this was planned beforehand by Jesus with the owners or not, we don’t know. Regardless, he gives the disciples instructions.

All of this was to fulfill Zechariah 9:9-10

Zechariah 9:9–10 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. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Just another notch in the belt of Jesus that shows his identity and fulfillment as the Messiah, the King of the Jews, God’s people. This reminds us that Jesus wasn’t a plan B option for the world. He has been promised since the beginning. Before the beginning as a matter of fact, as He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. All of the Bible points us to Christ. I know it say that often but it’s one thing that must be held dearly to, for there are too many nowadays that want to throw parts of the Bible away because they are deemed “irrelevant” or “out of touch.” Yet the same God from the OT is the same God of the NT. Jesus the Son existed before time, created the world, and was present in the God-head before He became flesh. He is the Great I AM from Exodus, the God of Israel.

Jesus comes as the humble king

As he comes riding in, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy, we see that this is in direct contrast to how kings would normally enter their kingdoms. They came often on warhorses, straight from victorious battle, as the people of the city would greet them with great fanfare and celebration. Pride would swell and the king rides the strongest of animals to show his strength.

Jesus yet comes to fulfill that Scripture from Zechariah, that the King of God’s people would come humbly. How? By riding on a donkey. This is in direct contrast to the strength of the warhorse and evident of who Jesus was coming as. Yes, He is king, but He is also coming in compassion, love, and coming to deliver God’s people first from the darkness of their spiritual state.

Jesus comes clearly at his first coming not as a typical conquering king, but rather, a humble king that would give his life up for the enemies, the rebels, the sinners. Rather than kill all his enemies (us by the way), he has come to put himself in our place, to seek and to save the lost, and to be a servant of all.

Jesus comes as the Messiah

In the praises of the crowd, the familiar “Hosanna,” we see what they declare Jesus to be. Son of David. This is directly related to the prophecy promised to King David in 2 Samuel 7, where he was promised that on his throne, one of his offspring would sit forever. Yet we know that there was no king in Jerusalem at this point. All the sons of David had died off. Yet the promise still remained. And the crowd attributed this promise to Jesus, and rightly so! They got it right, and they declared it so with great praise.

He comes in the name of the Lord, attributing him as God’s messenger. And that his to be praised in the highest heavens as such. Notice Jesus doesn’t stop their praise, but does accept their worship. He doesn’t correct them and say that He is not the Messiah.

Illustration: When we describe people, we often use things that would help us get a feel for who the person is. Part of that is that we often ask people about their current situation. What do you do for a living? Do you have a wife or husband? Do you have kids? Where are you from. As we ask those questions and receive answers, we begin to formulate in our minds a vision of who that person is.

The Answer to the Question: So, as the crowd is stirred (strong language of almost frenzy like behavior), they ask the question “who is this?” The crowds say to those who are unfamiliar with Jesus. He is a prophet. And that is not necessarily untrue, and understandable. As a matter of fact, they may be even thinking of Deut 18:15-18

Deuteronomy 18:15–18 ESV

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— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

Application: What are the implications for us? We must all at some point identify who Jesus is, make a decision with what is presented before us. C.S. Lewis ones famously wrote this in his classic work “Mere Christianity”

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

To each of you, you must ask this question. Who is this Jesus? Church, we must ask this question of ourselves corporately, because it has implications for us in how we worship and how we do ministry. If Jesus is who He says He is, then our lives are transformed: homes, relationships, jobs, churches, ministries.

Transition: But part of that identity question also comes one that needs to be followed up with. You can say the right things about Jesus, but what do we expect Jesus to do then?

II. What Do You Want Jesus to Do?

This question in particular is asked by Jesus , and it is directly before his Triumphal Entry. And I think it’s important, because even though it is directed to two blind men in particular, there is no doubt that one thing Matthew is trying to do is also point out our own spiritual blindness and adjust our expectations of Jesus accordingly. So the question comes from Matthew 20:29-34.

Because here is the truth of the matter: Jesus shatters every expectation of him throughout his life and ministry. Over and over again he turns everything upside down.

Jesus prepares us for what to expect (Matthew 20)

Just a quick summary of chapter 20 reveals this:

Parable of the laborers in the vineyard: Jesus gives indiscrinately. Position and posture have nothing to do with the grace of God. The first shall be last and the first last.

Foretells his death a third time: He makes it clear to his disciples a third time that they are about to enter Jerusalem, and it is there that he will be delivered, mocked, crucified, and die. He also predicted he would rise again. They didn’t get it. No way that could happen. Peter even said as much that it wouldn’t happen. He’s the Messiah! The Messiah can’t die. He is supposed to be set as King and deliver!

Teaches that worldly authority does not determine position: Those that follow Jesus are not going to be lording authority over people, but rather, humbly serving one another. Why? Because Jesus did the same thing himself. He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Heals blind men, pointing to the blindness of all men: What do you want me to do? And the answer of the blind men should be the answer of all who come before Jesus. Let our eyes be opened.

Jesus wrecks our expectations (From Triumph to Crucifixion)

Jesus, after he comes with great praise and fanfare, enters to do what needs to be done in regards to His purpose, the Father’s purpose.

The people had a political Messiah in mind when it came to Jesus. They were ready for Him to take the throne, overthrow the Romans, and establish them as the most prosperous nation in the world. The King has come to save us from our oppressors. And yes, Jesus did, but not that kind of oppression. He came to deliver us from the oppression of our own sin, our own blindness, and to overthrow the greater Enemy, Satan Himself.

What does Jesus do that would cause such a stir and a radical turn from cries of praise to cries of crucifixion? His ultimate purpose.

He cleansed the temple: a place of worship had been turned into a place of commerce. People were taken advantage of. It was theft. He removed the idolatry and in its place, he restored what the place was meant to be. A place where people could come and worship, to be in the presence of God himself. God had entered the temple and reformed it, and would do so in the greatest manner of his own body, himself as the temple, to restore right relationship and worship through His own sacrifice.

Curses a fig tree: Framed alongside of the temple cleansing, he is showing that the religious actions of the people of Israel, what was happening in the temple, was not bearing fruit. He would eradicate this and show the true way of bearing fruit in a relationship with God, made possible by Himself.

Questions authority: Jesus doesn’t need to explain himself, about where his authority comes from. He knows the hearts of the religious leaders and their desire for power. They don’t like people following Jesus because they are losing their influence. Jesus takes away concern about worldly power and places us in a relationship to Him

Declares the kingdom of God is not theirs because they have rejected the cornerstone and rejected his invitation to the feast. But only those that are made righteousness, given the right clothing can sit at the table.

Declares that he is not challenging the Roman government head on. Pay your taxes. Give to God what is God’s. He isn’t here to overthrow them. Yet.

Declares what the Law is really about. Loving God and loving others.

Questions their view about the Messiah. They are looking for a human son. Jesus fulfills that, yet is more. He is the Lord of David himself, God.

Declares woes upon the religious leaders for their wrong theology and their religious oppression.

Foretells the destruction of the temple, a centerpiece of their worship, though it had been wrongly appropriated for worship.

Declares that the signs of the end of the age will include disaster and suffering for his followers. Quite opposite of what they were expecting from their Messiah. They expected prosperity and power. Jesus promises that those that follow Him will be delivered up to tribulation and to death.

Judgment comes for those who do not know Him. It’s not what we do or the things we did that matter, but the reorientation of our hearts toward the least of these, for we are the least of these.

Again promises that He will die

This is radical reversal. This is living out “the first will be last and last will be first.” Jesus confronts us and our expectations of God.

Application: What is your expectations of Jesus? Who is He is important, but what about what do you want me to do? The proper answer is that of the blind men. Open our eyes. But many don’t desire that. They want to box Jesus into what they want Him to be. Eugene Peterson makes this observation:

The way of faith does not serve our fantasies, our illusions, or our ambitions. Faith is not the way to God on our terms, it is the way of God to us on his terms.

Do you expect Jesus to be your personal genie who blesses you and gives you everything you want, as long as you come to church periodically and crack open a Bible every once in a while and pray when you are in trouble? Do you expect him to shower blessings on you just because of that?

Do you expect Jesus to smite all of your enemies that disagree with you? How about that atheist co-worker that says bad things about Christianity? Or that politician that called you a “Bible thumping bigot” on the TV the other night?

Do you expect Jesus to make life comfortable as a follower of Him? Hey Jesus, I come to church most Sundays. I’m giving a whole morning up to you. That’s sacrifice. Beyond that, I can’t do anymore. I’m too busy. I got family stuff I need to take care of. Got to make sure my kids have plenty to do. They might be on a professional team on day! I got friends I need to hang out with. I’ll give the church some money, sing these songs, listen to that guy preach for too long, and go home. That’s enough for me. You’re okay with that, right Jesus?

Is Jesus just your get out of hell free card? I’m saved, right? All sins are forgiven. That means I can do whatever I want now and still go to heaven.

Yet the overriding purpose of Jesus was this: He sacrificed his life, his perfect life, to save you and redeem, to transform you, to make you followers of Him. And the question remains “What do you want me to do?”

Jesus, would you give me a heart and passion for you? That you are LORD, and I am not. That whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.

Jesus, would you show me who you are and how I should live in light of that? Give me a hunger for your Word, as it reveals you as you really are, not my own imagination.

Jesus, would you reveal to me the importance of serving you? In my home. In the church. In my workplace. In my community.

Jesus, would you open our eyes that we would submit every part of our lives to you. Would you empower us to follow You.

This book ends with Jesus, the fulfillment of Scripture, the crucified Messiah resurrecting and commissioning His followers, His people, to go and be a light to the nations. How? By doing the dangerous work of the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So who is this Jesus? Do you praise Him as He truly is, or what you define Him to be? And what do you want Him to do? I hope the answer is this: He is the Son of God, the Messiah, our Savior who died for me to save me from my sins and give me eternal life. And I want Him to transform me to be a faithful follower of Him, whatever He wants me to do, to fulfill the Great Commission in my home, His church, my workplace, my community.

Amen.