In the political arena, the public opinion polls seem to have the ability to shape policy. Politicians are constantly watching their job approval ratings to determine whether or not policy changes are in the best interest of their political future. As our text begins, Jesus’ popularity is at an all time high. As He enters Jerusalem, the crowds are stirred with emotion. All four of the Gospel writers stress the importance of the triumphal entry and the events that take place in the week following. In fact the Gospels indicate that everything Jesus has done up to this point is preliminary, for without this final series of events in Jerusalem, nothing else Jesus did would have mattered. Jesus enters a city that is literally overflowing with people. Jerusalem’s normal population was estimated to be around two-hundred thousand people but during the week of Passover the population would balloon to almost three million people. Into this great throng of people Jesus courageously rides allowing His disciples the opportunity to publicly proclaim Him to be the Messiah. Many historians have concluded that there are two major longings that are evident throughout the course of human history, longing for a new leader and a new order. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, He does so as a new leader ushering in a new order, the Kingdom of God. As we examine our text today I would like for us to see both the leader and order as well as how quickly public opinion can change.
I. An Unexpected King enters the gates of Jerusalem.
A. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem marks a time of transition in His ministry.
1. Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem marks an important transition from Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the completion of his journey to Jerusalem.
2. As He makes this transition Jesus pays careful attention to all the details to insure that He receives the desired outcome.
3. Everything seems to point to the fact that Jesus intends to deliberately stage the manner of His entrance into Jerusalem in terms of the prophetic expectations of Zechariah 9:9.
4. Jesus not only knows that a donkey and a colt will be available for his service in the next village, he is also confident that any questions concerning the requisition of these animals will be fully satisfied merely by the explanation, the Lord needs them. Thus, with Jesus’ authoritative command everything is put at his disposal for the orchestration of His entry into Jerusalem.
5. The plan goes off without a hitch as the two disciples do as they have been told. They place their cloaks on the animals while the crowd paves the road with theirs, adding tree branches to their festive carpet.
B. Matthew makes it clear by a fulfillment citation that Jesus’ staging of events is calculated as a challenge to Jerusalem to receive her kingly Messiah.
1. A king who conquers through bloodshed and warfare would come riding a white stallion so the world would praise his triumph. A conqueror that comes riding a humble donkey comes in peace.
2. Jesus made a very clear statement that He was the Messiah by the manner in which He entered Jerusalem.
3. As Jesus entered the city on a donkey’s colt He affirmed His messianic royalty and humility.
4. When Jesus came to Jerusalem He did not fulfill the people’s hopes of a delivering king that would drive the Gentiles from the land.
5. Jesus did enter the city as a great king but not in a nationalistic sense. He was the king who would bring peace through His own suffering.
II. The long awaited Savior enters the gates of Jerusalem.
A. The crowds react by extending Him honor and prestige due the extraordinary nature of His person.
1. Crowds of people had already gathered on this stretch of road a mile outside of Jerusalem, going to the city for the feast of unleavened bread and Passover.
2. They honored Jesus as royalty by spreading out their cloaks on the path and cutting the branches from the trees and waving them in the air. Only John records that they used palm branches.
3. Jesus, in effect is escorted into the capital city in a manner befitting royalty. The actions of these Galilean pilgrims clearly constitute a challenge to the residents of Jerusalem to welcome Jesus as their Davidic Messiah.
4. The whole picture conveys celebration and honor, reminiscent of the victory parades with which triumphant kings and generals in the Old Testament and intertestamental times were welcomed.
5. Whereas Jesus by riding the donkey implies his renunciation of revolutionary aspirations, the crowd’s use of palm branches, an allusion to the Maccabean triumphs, implies that they still see Him in more revolutionary messianic terms.
6. The political implications of the event may be suggested by the waving of palm branches, recalling the action of the first Hanukkah, celebrating the cleansing of the temple from Seleucid control.
7. This is not a small gathering, the crowd is characterized as being multitudes of people shouting and welcoming Jesus.
B. The crowd’s acclamation is that He was truly the long awaited Messiah.
1. The crowds acclaim Jesus as Messiah with regal, Davidic terminology by referring to Him as the “Son of David.”
2. The term hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew word (h̃šı̂˓āh nāʰ) originally meaning “please help or save.”
3. Although the term “became an exclamation of praise” it nevertheless retained an element of urgency for help and divine assistance. Hence their shouts of adoration are mixed with nationalistic hopes of Jerusalem’s liberation.
4. The “He who comes in the name of the Lord,” like the “coming one” of whom John the Baptist spoke, refers to the Messiah.
5. While the crowd correctly saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the words of the prophets, they still misunderstood the nature of His mission.
C. The whole procession has a powerful impact on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, even though they are used to huge crowds of festival pilgrims.
1. This not is the first time that Jesus had this type of impact on Jerusalem. After His birth when the wise men came seeking Him the entire city was stirred as well.
2. “Stirred” is a rather mild translation for eseisthē which is most generally used to refer to earthquakes and apocalyptic upheavals.
3. While Jesus’ ministry has prophetic significance, the reader knows that the crowds’ assessment, though not false, fails to adequately communicate to the city Jesus’ messianic significance.
4. The conclusion of the crowds was sufficient to raise the concerns of Israel’s leaders and is anticipatory of the prophetic manner in which Jesus confronts Jerusalem.
5. Although the crowd may have the idea that Jesus is the King Messiah, He was not perceived as Suffering Servant. In the expectations of the day, it was fairly easy for the crowd, after hearing Jesus’ preaching and seeing His miracles, to ascribe messiahship to Him as much in their hope as in conviction.
6. Why was there such a commotion? Jesus was the one that they had been waiting for, the promised one from God.
III. The shouts of praise will turn to shouts of anger in a matter of a few days.
A. For one brief moment it seems as though all Israel greeted Jesus with enthusiasm and honor, respect and celebration.
1. The enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd had to be something to behold.
2. Jesus is truly their Messiah; He is their Savior and King. He has come to save His people but in a way that they do not anticipate.
3. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to fulfill their hopes of the Messiah delivering them from Roman oppression they would turn against Him.
4. A few days after His praises were shouted, a similar crowd would be shouting “crucify Him!”
B. This passage is very rich in application for modern day Christians.
1. Even today many people call themselves Christians but have not pressed far enough into Jesus’ teachings to understand the real character of His lordship or His demands on their lives.
2. The praises of the masses are good, but it is the disciples who truly submit to Christ’s will—those who read His kingship in light of the cross—who will carry out His purposes in the world.
3. Those people who laid down their garments before Christ were not afraid of getting their garments messed up. But sometimes we do not want to lay our stuff. We are afraid that Christ might take it. We are afraid that it will get messed up, if we bring it to Christ. We do not want to make that sacrifice before Christ, because we are still clinging on to material things.
4. Some people will only be rewarded in this life. Others will receive a finer, better reward in heaven. Jesus was not often rewarded in this life. But now He is glorified, exalted, cheered and praised and will be for all eternity.
5. The coming of Jesus Christ to earth was not an afterthought but a part of God’s original plan to rescue mankind from the mess they had gotten their selves into.
Gene A. Smith, an American historian, authored a book entitled, “When The Cheering Stopped.” The book told of Woodrow Wilson, and the events surrounding WWI. At the end of the war, people were optimistic. They believed that the last war had been fought. The dream was that the world had at last been made safe, and the way had been paved for democracy and freedom everywhere.
When Woodrow Wilson paid his first visit to Europe, he was greeted by large crowds, and he was cheered every place he went. In many people’s eyes he was more popular than the greatest war heroes throughout the land. He was viewed as an icon of hope.
In all, the cheering lasted for about a year. Then it began to stop. The political leaders throughout Europe were interested more in their own agendas than a lasting peace, and the people slowly lost hope. On the home front, Wilson met opposition in the Senate, and his league of nations was never ratified. Under tremendous stress, his health began to fail. In the next election, his party lost. Woodrow Wilson, who almost two years earlier was heralded as a hero, came to his last days as a broken and defeated man.
