“Who Is This”
Palm Sunday Story from Matthew
- Beginning of Holy Week
- Repeatedly, throughout His ministry, Jesus has said “My time is not yet”
- With Palm Sunday, we begin to see that Jesus’ time has come
- He heads in to Jerusalem for an intense week of:
Prophetic Acts, Healings and Teaching leading up to the day of His arrest
The Story
“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on [to the Mount of Olives], Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. the Mount of Olives3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” y
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:1–11 NIV
- Who Is This
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
- Who is this Jesus, a Natural Question
- Answers in the narrative
- Not the same as the answers from the crowd
- Location, Location, Location
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, [to the Mount of Olives], ESV
- In John, from Ephraim a place where conquest was foretold: Lazarus, Mary, Martha and a Plot. Mentioned in the OT texts as a place that would be conquered, just prior to the messianic portion in Zechariah
- Where David came out of exile from: Jesus is coming out of self-imposed exile [Bible Study in the Gospel of John] His increased power an popularity was seen as a threat by the religious leader and they were looking for an opportunity to kill Him (Jesus) even Lazarus as a testimony to His power
- The Lord Needs Them
1b Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. the Mount of Olives3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
- On the surface
- A miracle that it was known by the owner of the animals
- Jesus gave them the words to say
- A miracle response: sent them right away
- Giving where the Lord has need
- God chose to place a servant in Jerusalem
- In this case as servant is one who gives there the LORD has “need”
[Use or Purpose]
Why this Way?
Why a Miracle?
- Part of the Plan
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
Matthew 21:4-5
- Pre-figured. Part of a plan set in place from old, from Zecheriah’s day
“Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,
so that none shall march to and fro;
no oppressor shall again march over them,
for now I see with my own eyes.
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.”
Zecheriah 9:8-9
Transition from Zecheriah’s day to an eternal perspective; fortelling a Messiah
Jesus Defying Expectations
- No Oppressor [Jesus, Oppression of sin, not earthly oppression]
- King is coming [Humble King, King of All Creation]
- Righteous and having Salvation
[Salvation from Judgement of sin. From Judgement under the Law. He would be the sinless PROXY for our sin]
- Humble and Riding on a Colt
[Not riding on chariots. Not a warrior in a time of peace
- “A Grand Entrance”
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. ESV
- A Pimped out Ride
- A donkey and a colt with cloaks. Not unheard of
- Arrival for the Passover generally expected to be on foot
- They had walked everywhere to this point
- Jesus is preparing. Prophetic action. The time has come
- The Red Carpet
- The Value of Cloaks, the majority place theirs. Others may not even have had cloaks
- Palm leaves
- The Condition of the Road: Stone, Dirt, Sand, Waste
- A contrast with when He washes the disciples’ feet
- Reserved for kings
- ‘Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.’ ” Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
2 Kings 9:12–13
- “Save Now!”
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!” ESV
- Hosanna!
- “Save Now” or “Save us, we pray”
Shout to the Servant of God
“This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O LORD!
O LORD, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!”
Psalm 118:24–27
- Was a proclamation of the hopes placed upon Him
- Has become a proclamation of Praise and Adoration
- Had some of that expectation, but was also a plea
- Son of David: What kind of hopes
- King
- In the spirit of Daved: Warrior King, Man after Gods Heart (But David was flawed. Jesus IS not)
- Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord
- “Blessed” - When it comes to a superior, it is giving what is due
- “Name of the Lord” – Representing
They see in Jesus what HE can do for them, but may not recognize the radical nature of what He would ask
Spiritual dedication (sometimes called circumcision of heart) repentance
Not perfection by any means; but a humility that would accept transformational change coming from a relationship with the Living God risen and poured out into the lives of those who would accept
- “Who is This”
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.” ESV
- “This is the prophet, Jesus”
Prophetic, but so much more than a prophet.
Defying our expectations
- “from Nazareth of Galilee”
Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
John 1:46
Defying our expectations
Defying the expectations of those He comes to save, even now [as His mission continues]
Some with Mercy
Some with Grace
Some with His Spirit
Some with Purpose
Some with the Challenges He will use to transform them
He will Defy expectations, challenge and transform
He will do it for us and He will do it for those around us who need to meet Him
Prayer,
Defy our expectations when they are too earthly, too low
Defy the expectations of the lost
Use us to defy those expectations
Help us to see You more clearly in this Holy Season. May Your Spirit Reign in our lives. That Your truth be proclaimed. That Your victory be sealed and That Your will be done.
Amen
Communion: can do on own, Will post our home communion,
Invite you to join.
Communion is a sign of our unity in Christ and I think it can be particularly meaningful in a moment when we can’t meet face-to-face
