Scripture reading: Matthew 21:1-11
Today is Palm Sunday.
It is a Sunday that falls before Easter.
We are commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
During that time, palm branches were placed in his path before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday.
This event thus marked the beginning of the Holy Week, the final week of Lent according to our Christian calendar.
And this is the time also to set aside some time of soul searching as we pray and fast drawing near to God.
Palm Sunday is recorded in the four Gospels. (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19).
In many Christian denominations, worship services on Palm Sunday include a procession of the faithful carrying palms which represent the palm branches that the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem that day.
In ancient Christianity, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory.
The Goodness of our Lord in spite of our sins and the victory that he gave us over sin and death through His sacrifice at the cross.
These palm branches were often depicted on coins and important buildings.
Solomon had palm branches carved into the walls and the doors of his magnificent temple as a symbol of beauty and elegance.
1 Kings 6:29 "On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers."
At the last book of the Bible, we read that people from every nation raise palm branches to honor Jesus.
Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."
That is what we will be doing in heaven.
We will be wearing white robes and waving palm branches before the Lamb.
People from every tribe and language.
It was a sign of their unity in never ending praises to the Lamb for his great love towards us.
It is always a Palm Sunday in heaven.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Palm Sunday is commemorated by a solemn procession of the clergy, the acolytes, the parish choir and then followed by the entire congregation.
The Mass is focused on the blessings of the palms by the priests which are saved in many churches to be burned and used in Ash Wednesday services the following year.
The Catholic Church considers the blessed palms to be a sacred sacraments.
The clothes for the day are deep scarlet red, the color of blood, indicating the supreme redemptive sacrifice of Christ at the cross.
As Christ entered the City of Jerusalem, it was to fulfill the Passion and the Resurrection for our forgiveness and redemption.
In many Protestant churches, children are given palms, and then walk in procession around the vicinity of the church while the adults watch and remain seated.
Palm Sunday is a joyous occasion in the Philippines.
Communities re-enact Jesus' triumphant entry with a procession.
There is a procession of a statue of Christ seated on a donkey (the Humenta) with the officiating priest on horseback around or towards the local church, as the faithful believers wave palm branches or "palaspas".
In some towns, elderly women spread heirloom "tapis" or aprons made for this special purpose or large cloths along the route, ideally to be treated upon by the statue or the priest.
Children dressed as angels sometimes sing Hosannah while throwing flowers all around as they passed by.
Once the palm branches were blessed by the priest, they are brought home by the believers and placed on their altars, or hung beside or above the doorways and windows of their homes.
I took some information above from Wikipedia.
The significance of Palm Sunday particularly the waving of the palm branches must never be forgotten.
It is to remember the triumphant entry of Christ the King in Jerusalem.
It was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus' day, but to Christians throughout history.
We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion.
On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey's colt, one that had not been ridden before.
The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees.
The people hailed and praised Him as the "King who comes in the name of the Lord!" as He rode to the temple, where he taught the people, healed them and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father's house a "den of robbers" (Mark 11:17).
The real purpose of Jesus in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and king of Israel in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.
His ministry is no longer private but made known to everyone.
Before that, he tells His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew 12:16), but now, He wanted them to shout His praise and worship Him openly for all the world to hear.
It was a big change of His ministry strategy.
The people responded by spreading their cloaks as an act of homage fit for a King.
Palm Sunday therefore was when Jesus was openly declaring to the people that He was their King and the Messiah that they had been waiting for.
The Book of Matthew says that the King coming on the foal of a donkey was an exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughters of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
And so, on that first Palm Sunday, Jesus was riding into His capital city as a conquering King and is hailed by the people with enthusiasm and humble submission.
The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city were open to Him that day, and like a King, he ascended to His palace, not a temporal place but as the spiritual place ushering in a Spiritual Kingdom that is eternal in the heavens.
And that spiritual Kingdom that has been inaugurated that day has been extended even to us at this very moment.
Therefore, He deserves the worship and the praise of His people because He is the King of Kings and the Lords of Lords.
However, the praise that the people lavished on Jesus did not last long.
They failed to recognize Him as their Savior from their sins.
They welcomed Him out of their desire for a messianic deliverer or a military leader to lead them in revolt against Rome.
There were too many people during that time who, though did not believe in Christ as Savior, nevertheless hoped that perhaps he would be to them a great temporal deliverer.
These are the ones who hailed Him as King with their many Hosannas, recognizing Him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord.
But when He failed in their expectations, when he refused to lead them in a massive revolt against the Roman occupiers, the crowds quickly turned against Him.
Within just a few days, their Hosannas would change to cries of "Crucify Him!"
Those who hailed Him as a hero would soon rejected and abandoned Him.
This is how the human heart acts.
Man is sinful in the heart and very deceptive.
Transformation therefore should happen from within the hearts of men not just in the society we lived in.
Even if you change the form of government, if the people are corrupt from within, there will be no real change at all.
It would just be a cosmetic type of change.
But wants to give us a new heart and mind that could obey His will.
Praise God that on that Palm Sunday, Jesus taught us the greatest change should come from the heart.
We have learned to love others because He first loved us on the cross.
That is why the first word Christ declared on the cross was "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing."
And so, today, we are going to study the triumphant entry of Christ on Jerusalem.
What are the lessons that he wants to teach us?
How can He reign and triumph in us?
1. PALM SUNDAY REMINDS US OF GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION.
MATTHEW 21:1-2 "As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, 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."
Let us look closely what is going on here.
This incident happened on the last week of our Lord's earthly life when he made an appearance in Jerusalem as the Messiah and consequently suffered the penalty of death.
They arrived to the place called Bethphage on the Mount of Olives.
That word "Bethphage" means "House of Figs" probably because of the many figs that were growing there at that time.
Here it Bethphage.
That place was also called Bethany which was below the summit somewhat further from the city but within the bounds of Jerusalem.
It was there that Jesus sent His two disciples, probably one of them was Peter although their names were not given here.
It was as if Christ has already made previous preparations for what was about to transpire in this public presentation of His ministry.
It was quite contrary to Christ's usual habits.
Notice the minute details that Jesus gave to His two disciples on where they had to go, what they will find there and what they will do with it right away.
He spoke with authority and demanding obedience.
Every minute details have been properly planned and thought of.
It did not just happen by instant decision just like most of us do sometimes.
It was a deliberate, pre-meditated and meticulously planned event in the ministry of Christ.
In the same manner, God has a great plan for our salvation.
He knows that we have no ability on our own to go to Him because of our sins.
Our relationship with God has been blocked.
There is a dividing wall that separates us from God.
That is why God's plan has been revealed publicly on that Palm Sunday.
God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the God-man so that by His suffering and death, we might have life, life abundantly.
We must therefore submit to His plan and appropriate His plan of salvation for all of us.
And there are many people who have not yet heard of God's great plan of salvation.
We must share this great plan to everyone.
What then is His plan for our salvation?
THERE IS A PROBLEM: WE ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD. Isaiah 59:2 (NIV) " But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
God is holy but we are sinful.
Because of this, there is a big gap that separates us from God.
That word "separate" means we have been disconnected or set-apart from God's presence.
We cannot enjoy His fellowship and no amount of good works from our part can bridge the gap of separation.
This is a big dilemma we are all facing.
THE SOLUTION: CHRIST DIED FOR US. Romans 5:8 (NIV) " 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
God reached out to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
His death on the cross was a demonstration of His great love in spite of our sinfulness.
The way has been made clear and the bridge to life had been made.
God has provided a way for our salvation.
There is no other way to be saved but through Christ.
WHAT WE MUST DO: REPENT AND BELIEVE. Acts 3:19 (NIV) " 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Now that the way has been made clear for us to take, we must repent from our sins and believe in the Lord Jesus.
Repentance requires sincerity in the heart of a person who wants to turn away from the corruption of sin.
It requires a voluntary change of heart through the grace of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the believer.
Through repentance, a person experiences a personal renewal and inward transformation.
RECEIVE GOD'S SON. John 1:12 (NIV) "12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
This repentance is accompanied by receiving Christ to dwell in the heart of a person.
This then is the new birth experience when he receives the inheritance of becoming a child of God.
No longer enemies but he has been adopted into God's family forever.
This is the plan of salvation that Christ initiated for the redemption of mankind.
That is why if we go further on, we can notice that Jesus told His disciples that in that village, they will find a donkey tied there.
Some Bible scholars believe that this donkey or "ass" represents the Jewish people, which had long borne the yoke of the Law for many years.
The donkey should be loosed and brought to the Lord.
It was as if the Jewish people were loosed from the slavery of sin and brought to the Lord through Christ as their Messiah.
But not only the Jewish people but this gift of eternal life has been extended to all humanity as well.
Praise God, we have been set free from the slavery and the condemnation of sin.
This is ultimately better than the overthrow of the Roman empire that the people at that time were expecting of Christ.
2. PALM SUNDAY REMINDS US THAT HE IS OUR KING
3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
There might be a possibility that the disciples will encounter some opposition along the way.
Jesus then instructed his disciples how to overcome it by saying the right word.
They should explain that it was the Lord who needed it.
That word "Lord" is equivalent to "Jehovah" or the King or the "Messiah."
That means that the owner of the animal might also be a disciple who acknowledges the claims of Christ.
That simple announcement that the donkey was needed for God's service would silence all refusal.
Indeed, Christ is after all the real owner of all that they possess.
He is the Creator of us all who existed from the very beginning.
And so, the disciples must act at once and execute the orders of Jesus as of greatest importance.
That is why Palm Sunday reminds us that Christ is our King.
He reigns over us all and deserves our full allegiance.
This world system and earthly kingdom does not recognize Christ as King.
They despised Him and rejected Him.
That is why His kingdom is not of this world.
And we are therefore not citizens of this world.
We are citizens of His eternal Kingdom in heaven.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CHRIST TO BE OUR KING?
1. HE IS THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. Rev. 1:5 (NIV) " 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood."
Imagine, the presidents or leaders of the world governments have a time table for their stay in power.
Our president here in the U.S. is limited to only four years per term.
If he is elected for another term, he gets another four years.
After that, he had to vacate his office for another person to take over leadership.
But Christ is the ruler of all the earth.
He had been there in power even before we were born and will continue to be in power after we all die.
He had been a faithful witness of changes in governments in various countries.
2. HE IS THE LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS. Rev. 17:14 (NIB) " 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
This Palm Sunday, we have to be reminded also the he is the King of all the Kings of this earth.
Even if they don't presently recognize Him as King, and wage war against God.
But someday, they will all be defeated and will bow down and give their respect to Him.
3. HE IS THE MIGHTY AND AWESOME GOD. Deuteronomy 10:17 (NIV) " 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes."
Look at the description regarding Christ as our King - he shows no partiality and he accepts no bribes.
"Shows no partiality" means that Christ has no favoritism, no special inclination to support one party over another.
There is no Republican and there is no Democrat - all are equal before His sight.
And the words "accepts no bribes"means that he does not need any bribes because He owns every thing.
Therefore, he cannot be corrupted with evil.
There is no human leader who could equal to that.
4. HE IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY RULER. 1 Timothy 6:15 (NIV) " 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords."
And so, we have to be reminded that only Christ is King of all the earth.
Let us examine what the Scripture says further of Christ.
Matthew 21:4 "4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:"
That word "fulfill" means all the words of the prophecies has been accomplished or bring to completion in Christ that day.
What the prophets foretold have been a reality in Christ.
The disciples however did not know at that time that they were fulfilling prophecy or having any such purpose in mind.
They were just obeying Christ.
But the knowledge of this revelation came afterwards by the power of the Holy Spirit of wisdom when they reflected that incident after Jesus has ascended into heaven.
Matthew 21:5 “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.’”
That "daughter of Zion" refers to Jerusalem and its inhabitants, named from the chief of the hills on which the city was built.
That word "See" or Behold refers to the unexpected or suddenness of the event whereby the King is made known.
That King is the one who is foretold by the prophets who was to occupy the throne of David and will reign for all eternity.
But it is said that the King will not come with pomp or warlike greatness but with meek and lowly in heart.
Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth.
His goal is to save the people from their sin not from the military ruler.
That is why many people missed that truth.
I pray to God that you will not miss this great truth.
Because this was the only way to deliver the people from the cycle of sin that we talked about from the Book of Judges.
If the deliverer will be in terms of military victory over their enemy, the result will be short lived because sin (the real problem) will never be vanquished in the hearts of the people.
But the cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, deliverance and peace, and sin again will keep on and on.
The reason why Christ came is to destroy the works of the devil.
This then is the eternal kingdom that Christ established in the hearts of men as distinct from the Kingdoms of this world.
And then, look at what the disciples did.
Matthew 21:6 "The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them."
Those words "went and did" are wonderful words of obedience to Christ which we need to apply.
They simply obeyed the order, not yet knowing the impact they are doing for future generations ahead.
And that is what Christ desired from all of us.
Obedience should come from our heart.
We obey because we love Him.
We obey because we adore Him.
We bey because he deserves our loyalty.
Obedience therefore is the duty of every believer in Christ.
Once we recognize Him as King, our action is complete obedience and submission to His Lordship.
First, Palm Sunday reminds us that God has a great plan for our redemption.
Second, Palm Sunday reminds us that Christ is the King of Kings.
3. PALM SUNDAY REMINDS US THAT WE HAVE TO RECEIVE HIM WITH HUMBLE ENTHUSIASM.
Matthew 21:7 "They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on."
Notice what the disciples did in obedience to Christ's command.
They stripped off their heavy outer garments and put them as trappings on the two beasts (the donkey and the colt), not knowing on which their Master meant to ride.
It was an expression of their humble submission to the Lord's plan.
It was also a sign of respect and paying homage to their King.
It does not matter that it was their simple cloths given to Jesus and not the best garments from Egypt.
It does not matter that it was only a colt or a donkey that Jesus was riding upon that Palm Sunday and not the most expensive and bullet proof limousines that the leaders of our government often used.
Christ is satisfied with the cloaks given by the love of His disciples.
What Christ is looking for is the heart of obedience from His subjects.
And that is the kind of heart that God wants to see from each of us - pure, committed, dedicated and sincere.
And because of that, the entire crowds followed as well to give their respect to Jesus, the King.
Matthew 21:8 "A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road."
They saw what the disciples did and they were motivated to do the same thing.
They spread their garments as well on the road fired with enthusiasm and excitement.
This crowd was probably composed of pilgrims who were coming to the festival at Jerusalem that day.
The energy was electrifying.
They voluntarily wanted to make a carpet over which the savior would pass.
It was an honor that was often given to great men as if arriving from a great conquest.
And it is an honor that we need to give to Christ as well.
With that, there was a unison of worship to Christ from the crowd.
Matthew 21:9 "The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
You could feel the excitement among the crowd as they went ahead of Jesus and shouting
Hosanna to the Son of David.
Hosanna to the Highest heaven.
Probably, they could still remember that this same Jesus was the one who raised Lazarus from the dead.
When they heard that He was in the neighborhood, they wanted to met Him to give Him honor.
That word "Hosanna" is compound of two words meaning "save" and "now."
It was originally a formula of prayer and supplication, but later became a term of joy and congratulation.
And so, in here, the words "Hosanna to the Son of David," means "Jehovah Bless on the Son of David."
It became the first Christian hymn that was given to Palm Sunday.
The same thought is given in Psalms 118:26 (NIV) " Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you."
It means "Blessings on him who comes with Divine Mission, sent with the authority of Jehovah!"
In the same manner, when we come to fulfill our mission on earth, we have the full blessing of God, Jehovah.
And when we bless others, we cry to God to ratify in heaven the blessing which we invoke on earth.
It again asserts the claims of Christ as the Messiah.
No wonder, Christ was received with great enthusiasm.
Matthew 21:10 "When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
It is interesting to note that the whole city was stirred when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
We remember the first time when the entire Jerusalem was also stirred and troubled when the Wise Men walked through the street, inquiring "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" Matthew 2:2.
But during this time, the excitement is far greater and more general in aspect.
The Romans probably expected some public uprising that might come.
The Pharisees was stirred to new envy and malice over the popularity of Jesus.
And the entire population probably was looking forward to the idea that there is hope ahead.
This Messiah might lead them into victory over the Romans.
But many are still asking "Who is this?"
They still don't know who this Messiah is and what was His purpose for coming.
And so, let me ask you this question. Do you know Him?
Is He your Lord and your Savior?
Do you know the true purpose of His coming?
Listen to the conclusion of the crowd:
Matthew 21:11 "The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The crowd gave his name (Jesus), his title (prophet) and his dwelling place (Nazareth).
They call Him the prophet probably because He has been commissioned by God.
They told about his earthly dwelling place in Nazareth.
But they did not declare that Christ was their King and the awaited Messiah.
No wonder, their enthusiasm was being dampened.
And one week after, the same crowd raised their voices to crucify Him.
They missed the point.
We must learn from their mistake.
We must develop the attitude of praise in our lives.
Not just for a moment, but for all eternity.
WHY SHOULD WE PRAISE THE LORD?
1. BECAUSE HE COUNSELS US. Psalms 16:7 "
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
May you receive counsel from the Lord every single day and night.
2. BECAUSE OF HIS HOLY NAME. Psalms 103: 1( NIV) " Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
3. BECAUSE OF ALL HIS WORKS AND HIS DOMINION. Psalms 103:22 (NIV) "Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul."
Dominion means His power, His authority, His rule, His control and dominance.
His dominion is eternal, universal and includes ruling over nature.
Christ is worthy of all the glory we could give Him because He is God.
4. BECAUSE HE IS CLOTHED WITH SPLENDOR AND MAJESTY. Psalms 104:1 (NIV) " Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty."
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