Eight Days That Changed the World (Pt 1)

Series: “The Gospel Truth”

Text: (Mt 21:1-22

Introduction: (What)

To this point we have been walking with Jesus and His disciples since their call and His training and teaching designed to get them (and us) ready to fulfill the role of disciple. Now I’m inserting a “series within a series” as Jesus makes a huge transition in His earthly ministry. We will look at the beginning of eight days that literally changed the world. Matthew deemed these days so important that he devoted ¼ ( 8 chapters) of his gospel to them. Fasten your seat belts. We are in for a ride.

Examination: (Why?)

1. Who is this Jesus? (vv 1-20)

Mt 21:1-20 “1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: 5 Tell Daughter Zion, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Mt 21:10-20 “10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12 Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 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!” 14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus replied, “Yes, have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?” 17 Then he left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. 18 Early in the morning, as he was returning to the city of Bethany and spent the night there. Early in the morning, as He was returning to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And He said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ At once the fig tree withered. When His disciples saw it they were amazed and said, ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’”

In next week’s message we will consider some of the particulars of the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple. Today we will look at what this passage tells us about the revelation of who Jesus really is (or was in that time period).

In vv1-3 He is revealed as The Divine King. When He told the disciples what to say if someone questioned their taking the donkeys He said, “the LORD needs them”. This was His declaration that He was, in fact, the Messiah, the promised King.

In vss 4-5 He is revealed as the Prophesied King. Matthew tells us that this event fulfilled the prophesy of Zec 9:9 “9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

These verses also tell us that He is the “righteous and victorious King” which means that He is also our Savior King who delivers us from sin and death. This is emphasized in the response of the people as He entered the city. in vs 9 they cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The word “hosanna” means “save now”. They were actually quoting Ps 118:25-26 “25 Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success! 26 He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the Lord we bless you.”

Jesus also entered the city on a lowly donkey thus declaring Himself to be the Gentle King. When a military king entered a city he would be on a war horse and be surrounded by his charioteers and foot soldiers. Jesus came on a donkey surrounded by his rag-tag band of followers. In that day a king riding on a donkey would signify that He came in peace, therefore Jesus came also as the peaceful King. In Isa 9:6 He was identified as the Prince of Peace. “6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

He also came as the Global King. In Zec 9:10 “10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”

He also came as the Messianic King. The declaration of the people “Hosanna to the Son of David” depicted Him as the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come through the line of David.

He came as the Compassionate King. In Luke 19:41 we are told that“41 As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it,” He did not weep for Himself although these who were lauding Him as Messiah would soon be crying out “Crucify Him!” He wept for those He came to save, including you and me today.

In v 11 of our text He is identified as the Prophetic King. In answer to the question “Who is this?” the crowd responded, “This is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus was also revealed as the Holy King. In 1 John 3:5 “5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him.”

Next week we will see Jesus as the Authoritative King who had every right to cleanse the temple.

2. Why should I care? (vv 21-22)

Mt:21:21-22 “21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.””

When the disciples noted the fig tree that Jesus had cursed was withered, they were amazed and asked how this could happen. In essence Jesus replied, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” He was not referring to what He would do personally later, but rather to what He would do through the disciples if they had faith. That message is to us also as those who have believed because of the testimony of the disciples. It means that we can change the path of our world today through believing prayer. We can change the hearts and minds of political leaders through believing prayer. The truth of the matter is that we don’t live up to our position as children of the king. 1 John 5:14-15 “14 This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.”

3. That’s My King! (Video)

One of the most amazing people I’ve had the privilege of meeting, Dr. S. M. Lockridge, preached a sermon entitles “That’s My King!” that resonates with the identity of Jesus. We’ve seen it before, but I want us to experience it once again today to bring home who Jesus really is and how we should respond to Him. (play video)

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Is Jesus YOUR King? Have you surrendered your life, your will, your desires, your family, your business, your retirement to Him? Until you surrender, you are an adversary, not a follower.