Palm Sunday 2022

This morning we are going to be starting in Matthew 21 and then we will be jumping over to Revelation. So if you have your Bibles open them to Matthew 21, but be ready to turn to Revelation 7 as well. If you do not have a Bible, you can grab one of the ones on the window sills at the outside ends of the rows.

As you do that, I have a question for you. What do you live for? If I somehow had the ability (I don’t) to look into your soul and see what makes you tick, what drives you in this life, what would I find?

Would I find that your primary motivator is that you want to leave a legacy where people will remember you after you’re dead and buried, so you strive to raise up the next generation or two or to build wealth to leave behind? Are you dedicating your time, skills, and money to an organization so that it can live on after you? Do you live for your legacy?

Would I find the opposite, that instead of living for legacy and looking to the future you’re living for the moment you are in right now, spending your money, energy, and time on entertainments and activities? That you are building skills that are only useful for a short time or only useful in leisure? Do you live for pleasure?

Would I find that your driving motivation is to find acceptance by people around you? Do you work and work and work just to try to be useful and so be desirable? Do you live for pleasure?

Would I find that deep down you fear losing the people who mean the world to you? Would I find that this drives you to choose to avoid any sort of risk and that it causes you to cling tightly to the good things God has given you instead of holding them with a grateful open hand? Do you live for safety and comfort?

Would I find that your deepest desire is to find that thing that will finally satisfy you? That you are looking within yourself to find satisfaction in life? Is there a “only God can judge me” mindset that you live your life by? Do you live for yourself?

What do you live for? Meditate on that question today as we study God’s Word together.

This morning we’re taking a break from our series in Judges to celebrate Palm Sunday. In case you don’t know, Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter where we remember Jesus entering into Jerusalem and beginning His final week of ministry before His crucifixion.

Jesus and His followers were coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the day described in Exodus 12 when the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and the Angel of the LORD came through the whole land and killed the firstborn of every living creature that was not in a home that had a lamb’s blood on the doorposts.

We’ll get more into that later because it’s an incredible foreshadowing of what was to come in the week following the original Palm Sunday, but I actually think we miss something really important if we don’t also look forward to what Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem really points at: Christ’s Second Coming. Let’s begin by reading Matthew 21:1-11.

Matthew 21:1–11 (ESV)

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Why Branches (palm leaves)?

We know from John’s telling of this event that the branches being used were palm fronds. But why?

It was common practice to welcome home a king or war hero by laying palm branches on the road as he returned to his city. Upon entering the city, it was customary for the people to line the streets and lay down palm branches or wave palm them as the king returned to his palace.

Where was Jesus’ palace?

Matthew 21:12–13 ESV

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

Matthew 21:12–13 ESV

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

What did Jesus do upon entering His palace? He cleansed it.

Why is this important? The nations who came to worship Yahweh were impeded.

What is significant about this?

Revelation 7:9–17 (ESV)

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 21:1–8 (ESV)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

What does all this mean? I’m glad you asked, because I have four points to share with you.

Jesus is God

Jesus is the Lamb

Jesus is King

The King is Returning