Palm Sunday 2003

PALM SUNDAY 2003

April 13, 2003

Three of the four Gospels tell us about Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, we will use Matthew 21: 1-11

MATTHEW 21:1-11

1When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.

3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them."

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ’BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’"

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,

7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.

8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.

9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

"Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

The day which we call Palm Sunday was originally "Lamb Selection Day", the day when Jewish families chose the lamb with which they would celebrate Passover. The feast of Passover started when the children were still in Egypt. We find this in Exodus 12: 1-13, we find they were told to find a Lamb without blemish. We also find that the Lamb it’s self was not what saved them, but the blood of the Lamb is what saved.

EXODUS 12:12-13

12 "For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments -- I am the LORD.

13 "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This, what we call Palm Sunday was an important day for them, a time they picked their Lamb for Passover, to remember their salvation from Pharaoh.

But much more important for us, it was the day that our Lamb was picked for us by God, and the Lambs blood would save us from our sins.

MATTHEW 21

1When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples

2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.

3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them."

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ’BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’"

The prophecy here quoted is found in ZECHARIAH 9:9. It was always, by the Jews, applied to the Messiah.

ZECHARIAH 9:9

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

He is just and endowed with salvation,

Humble, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

MATTHEW 21

7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.

8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.

The placing of the coats on the road and the colt is symbolic of their submission to Christ. By placing their coats on the road they were saying to Christ and the world that they were excepting Christ as their Lord.

MATTHEW 21

8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road

As they used to do at the feast of tabernacles, in token of liberty, victory, and joy

Lev 23:40