Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
Theme: Palm Sunday
Title: God's Planned Parade
In Matthew's account of the Triumphant Entry we see
a. God's pre-meditated plan coming towards full fruition
b. God sounding forth a public proclamation for everyone to see and hear concerning the Lordship of Jesus and the Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven
c. God's beautiful picture for humanity coming fully into view
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world!
Nearly everyone loves a parade. Each year across our nation there are thousands of parades far and near. There are the big parades like the Macy Thanksgiving Parade in New York City and The Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. There are midsized parades like the Pegasus Parade that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky. And there are the small parades that are celebrated all around rural America like the Wooly Worm parade that takes place in my hometown of Beattyville, Kentucky.
There are almost as many reasons to have a parade as there are parades. Some parades and festivals are to celebrate a special holiday while others are to push forth some type of social or political agenda. Most of the time we call those type of parades by another name - "a march". There are those parades that remind us of our history like those that take place around the 4th of July and there are those parades that are dedicated to remembering the sacrifice made by those in our military like those that take place around Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. And finally, there are those parades that remind us that we are to continue the fight against terminal diseases like the Relay for Life festivals and parades.
Each parade of course is different and each have their own individual flavor. For example, the Macy Day parade features these amazing hot air balloons while the Pegasus Parade focuses on the majesty and wonder of horses and their history. The St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City showcases some of the best High School and College Marching Bands in our country while the Mardi Gras Parades in New Orleans showcases some of the most interesting looking floats and costumes you could see anywhere. Believe it or not, in St. Louis there is a parade dedicated solely for pets. It is called the Beggin Pet Parade. Its purpose is to allow people to showcase their beloved pets and also raise money for needed animal care facilities and sanctuaries in the area.
Every four years, we Americans have a national parade celebrating the beginning of a new presidential term of office. After a long hard fought campaign the new or returning President gets to begin his or her new term of office with a national address and a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. There is always a spirit of hope and adventure in the air. Millions of people all around the country are hoping and anticipating that this new president will be some kind of new savior, a national messiah or at least they will be able to lead America back to the Promise Land of happiness and prosperity.
The ancient people of Israel were no different than we are today. Like us, they too loved festivals and parades. Each year around Passover, thousands of Jews would come from all over the known world to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Of all the Jewish festivals, Passover was the most sacred and revered. Passover was that time of the year that the Jewish people would commemorate the time of Moses and the Exodus. It was that time of the year that they would celebrate how God rescued His people from slavery. It was that time of the year that they would celebrate how God broke into history and redeemed his people and then began leading them to the Promise Land to live out a life of progressive holiness and prosperity.
Our passage this morning in Matthew 21:1-11 involves a particular parade that happened around the festival of Passover. It was a parade that spoke volumes about the Kingdom of Heaven and had at its focal point a certain well known prophet/rabbi from Nazareth named Jesus. It was a parade that reveals to us how the LORD once again broke into human history. Only this time it was to set about the final steps of mankind's salvation. The LORD through His Only Son Jesus would do everything necessary to - rescue, redeem and make it possible for people everywhere to once again be restored into His Holy Image. It was a parade that all of creation had been looking forward to since the fall of Adam and Eve. And it was a parade that would lead us towards all the events that would take place during Holy Week - the last teachings of Jesus, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
We of course this morning call this parade - THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY. And we call the day that we celebrate its anniversary as Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. In our church tradition it is seen and celebrated as a day of excitement, a day of endorsement and enlightenment. It is a day in which we remember Jesus proclaiming His Kingship and the Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. It was a day in which we see:
a. God's pre-meditated plan coming towards its full fruition
b. God sounding forth a public proclamation for everyone to see and hear concerning the Lordship of Jesus and the Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven
c. God's beautiful picture for humanity coming fully into view
I. We see first of all that Palm Sunday reminds us that God had a premeditated plan
Matthew along with the other Gospel writers take great pains in sharing with us that this parade, Jesus' Triumphant Entry in Jerusalem was not something that happened on the spur of the moment. It wasn't simply something that was spontaneous, impromptu or off the cuff.
As you read Matthew's Gospel, you get the overwhelming feeling that everything around Jesus was a part of a very definitive divine plan. The other day for morning devotions I sat down and read the Gospel of Matthew in one setting. Dr. Tom Wright, one of our world's leading Bible scholars has recently challenged us as Christ followers to carve out some time and read whole books of the Bible in one setting. He believes that by doing so we will be able to get a better picture of what each of our writers wanted to say and wanted us to understand.
He and others believe that so often we tend to piece meal the Scriptures into little snippets and by doing so, we fail to see the over picture of the Good News or of one of the books as a whole. I have to say it is a challenging task to read any entire book in one setting but one that I would encourage each one of us to try this morning. Take some time out and sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and begin to read one of the Gospel all the way through or one of Paul's letters all the way through. I think you will be encouraged and new insights and revelations will be open to you.
You may be tempted to say that there is no way we could possibly do that but at the same time we find ourselves watching TV for hours on end or we go to a movie for a couple of hours or watch a sports event for an hour or two. Surely, if we can find time to do those things then we should be able to find some time to be in God's Word. After all, which should have more importance in our lives - movies, TV shows, hobbies, sports or shopping? Just a thought this morning...
Anyway, let's get back to Matthew and his gospel. One of the things that you notice about Matthew is how through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he chose his words and stories very carefully. He knew that in order for us to understand the mission and message of Jesus we need to know some of Jesus' history along with some of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. Matthew is also careful to point out along the way that each step in Jesus life lines up with a fulfillment of ancient Holy Scripture. He shares with us over and over again how this event or that event has already been foretold by one of the prophets of old.
Throughout his gospel, Matthew deliberately and carefully shares with us Jesus' words as Jesus explains His mission and message. We have for example, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus shares with us what a life of progressive holiness can look like. We have a number of parables and other teachings that focus on the fact that the Kingdom of God was getting ready to break in on human history. And we have story after story of how the LORD through His Son Jesus breaks into our world to rescue and redeem humanity. Matthew is careful to share with us story after story of Jesus casting out demons, forgiving sin and bring healing and wholeness.
It is all a part of God's divine plan. As was Jesus' parade. This parade did not happen by accident. Jesus had planned it very carefully. In chapters 20 - 21 Matthew shares that Jesus knew that this would be his final Passover. Jesus knew that in only a few days He would be laying down his life for all humanity. Matthew tells us that Jesus knew that it was time for Him to proclaim both His Kingship and the fact that He was Israel's Messiah. Matthew tells us that Jesus knew that it was time for to confront and destroy the power and presence of evil for all time.
In verses 1-6 we see how the LORD Jesus had orchestrated everything. Jesus had made prior arrangements that when his disciples showed up at a certain man's house that they would be given a special donkey and its colt. Matthew tells us that all of this was a part of a divine plan. It was a plan that had been in place since the time of Zechariah back in 520 BC. Now, some 550 years later it was all coming to pass.
We need to understand that everything that happened to Jesus, everything Jesus said and did was all a part of God's plan of salvation. Nothing happened that surprised God or was not under God's control. It was all a part of God's plan to rescue all of us, to provide a way of redemption and to lead us through the infilling power of the Holy Spirit to be restored into the image of Jesus.
II. Secondly, we see Jesus' making some very important proclamations in this parade concerning His Lordship and Messiahship
Biblical scholars tell us that Jesus' parade was not the only one going on that day. While Jesus and his followers were coming in from the east there was another parade coming into to the city from the west. Each year during the time of the Passover the Roman government held its own parade along the streets of Jerusalem. It was a parade that was full of all kinds of pageantry and ceremony and was designed to show Rome's power and might over the Jewish people. It was a parade to remind them that Rome was in charge of everything including their very own existence.
This year of course the parade would be lead by Roman's perfect, Pontius Pilate. For the past six or seven years he had been Rome's governor in charge of the area around Judea. It was his task to make sure that there was law and order and that everyone obeyed the will of the Roman government. Rome needed peace in the Middle East for its own survival. One of the secrets about Rome was that while it was great a creating armies and governments it was lousy with being able to grow food and produce clothing goods. Caravans carrying grain, food supplies and other materials from Egypt were essential and part of Pilate's job was to make sure that they could travel with ease and safety. It was his job to make sure that there were no uprisings or even thoughts of terrorism or anarchy.
At the same time it was quite natural for all the Jews around Passover to begin thinking about becoming their own governing nation. Each year as they would celebrate Moses and remember Egypt, the plagues and the Exodus event they would hunger for a new Moses to arise to power. They would hunger for a new prophet that God would use to rescue his people from the violence and iron fist of the Roman government. And with so many Jews coming in from every corner of the earth, Passover was always a ripe time for either an uprising or two or a number of terrorists attacks against Rome.
To counteract all of this and to make sure that every Jew understood the true superpower of that area, Rome would start the Passover season off with their own parade. Riding into the city would be Pontius Pilate along with other dignitaries surrounded by a legion of some of Rome's best Calvary and foot soldiers. Accompany them would be a show of all of Rome's military might and power. Each of the soldiers would make sure that their spears were held high and their swords gleamed from their sides. Added to all of that people would look up and see high above their heads sign after sign proclaiming Cesar Tiberius as both the Son of God and High Priest of Rome. If Israel was looking for either a Messiah or a King, Rome wanted the Jews to know that they had one in the person of Cesar Tiberius.
Anyone who protested or got into Rome's way was either quickly pushed out of the way or at times killed right there on the spot. It was all done to send a message. The message was simple - Rome was in charge. Any thought of a new nation, a new Passover or a new prophet leading the Jews towards becoming a free nation was foolishness at the very least and mortally dangerous at most. Every Jew knew what happened to those who opposed Rome. Their roads and hillsides were littered without crosses to remind them that Rome was in charge.
The two parades could not have been more different. The Romans were coming from the west as a symbol of man in all his glory and honor. A glory and honor that came from violence, self-centeredness and intimidation. Opposite them Jesus was coming from the east on a donkey proclaiming a message of humility, self- sacrifice and agape love.
Matthew makes clear to us that in organizing this parade, Jesus was proclaiming His Kingship and Messiahship. We hear the calls of the crowds around him calling for Him to save them - Hosanna! They are calling for Jesus, who they proclaim to be the Son of David to come and save them. The word "Hosanna" is not only a word of praise but it is also part of a prayer for salvation. They are calling for Jesus the prophet from Nazareth to rise up and save them. They want Jesus to take up the mantle of Moses and lead the people of Israel to freedom and power.
Jesus answers their prayers but not quite as they understood. They were looking for a new Moses who would tear down the Romans and set a new Davidic Kingdom. They were looking for a military leader who would supernaturally put down Pontius Pilate and who would reconcile the other areas of power in the Promise Land and rule like King David of old. They were looking for a warrior king Messiah. Instead, Matthew shares with us that:
Jesus would ride in as a King - but one lowly full of humility and ready to give His life as a sacrifice for His People. Jesus would be Israel's Shepherd King who would become the paschal lamb - the Passover Lamb.
Jesus would wear a crown but it would be a crown of thorns.
Jesus would wear a royal robe but it would be a robe meant for ridicule after his body had been beaten and bruised for all our iniquities
Jesus would stretch forth his hands in power but it would be hands that would be impaled by Roman nails.
Jesus would be lifted up but it would not be on a human throne but on the cross of Redeemed called Calvary.
As sure as Rome proclaimed its power, might and majesty the Lord Jesus was proclaiming his humility, his sacrifice and his agape love for all of humanity. In the short run it looked like the violence, the arrogance and the evil of Rome won but now 2,000 years later, Rome is mere footnote while the Church of Jesus Christ is alive and well here on planet earth. In the short run it looked like Jesus was a mistaken and foolish rabbi but 2,000 years later the heavens are still declaring Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Yes, Jesus was making a proclamation that day. Jesus was proclaiming His Kingship and His Messiahship. Jesus was coming into Jerusalem that day to do battle with the most evil of all powers in creation. While ancient Rome may have thought it was powerful and mighty, it paled in comparison with the ancient evil that resided on the earth and was gearing up to take down the Son of God. The Devil was using Rome to do his bidding. The Devil was using Rome to get rid of Jesus at least that is what the Devil thought. Little did the Devil know that everything was going as the Father had planned.
In his parade Jesus was announcing that he along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit that they had had enough. They had enough of Rome, of Oppressors, of Evil and Sin. In his parade Jesus was announcing that God was once again breaking into History to change History. In His parade Jesus was announcing that God was once again breaking into History to forever make a way for all mankind along with all of creation to be rescued, redeemed and restored.
You could literally say that from the foundations of the world this parade had been planned. It was just one more step into God breaking into rescue man from his enslavement to sin. It was just one more step into God breaking into rescue man from the penalty and power of sin.
III. Finally, this morning in Jesus' Parade we see the first glimpses of God's perfect picture for humanity and for all of creation
In these verses we get only a glimpse of what will and can continue to be a reality after the Resurrection but even in these verses we see:
a. God's guidance and direction followed by man's obedience
b. God's enthronement and man's surrender and praise
c. God's plan for the spreading of the message of the Good News/Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven
How do we see all of that?
+Jesus plans and directs and then his disciples and the man with the donkey obeys. It is the perfect picture of true discipleship.
+Jesus sits on the donkey as people everywhere proclaim him King and bow down before him - they surrender their cloaks and they raise their hands in praise and worship. It is the perfect picture of worship and celebration.
Did everyone obey Jesus? Did everyone and everything go smoothly. Of course not. Matthew tells us at first the disciples balked at the very idea of Jesus laying down his life; especially St. Peter. Matthew tells us that one of those closest to Jesus named Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus. And then when Jesus was arrested all the rest of disciples bailed on him big time. They all either denied him or abandoned Jesus. Not one of his disciples joined Jesus on the cross. They all saved their own skins rather than stand up for Jesus.
You see as Tom Wright writes, "The disciples want(ed) a kingdom without a cross." They wanted Jesus to proclaim His Lordship and Messiahship but they wanted him to do it with all the pomp and majesty as Rome was doing it in the west. But that was not the way that the LORD wanted it to happen. The LORD knew that there would never be a kingdom without a cross. The only way to save mankind was for Jesus to come to earth, to become the perfect Israelite, the Messiah and then lay down his life for all of humanity.
Today, we are tempted to do a similar thing only in the opposite direction. We are tempted as Tom Wright writes to "have a cross without a kingdom". We are tempted to look at the victory that took place on the cross, the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit and forget that all of that should lead us to building God's Kingdom here on earth. We forget that on the cross the LORD JESUS CHRIST began the building of God's Kingdom here on earth. On the cross Jesus made it possible for us to be rescued, redeemed and restored. On the cross Jesus led the way for us to be born from above, to be infilled with His Holy Spirit and to take the fire of the Holy Spirit all over the world.
We who live in the United States in recent days have forgotten that the LORD wants us to build His Kingdom here on earth. We hear more today about escaping this earth than we do in evangelizing, rescuing and redeeming this earth. We hear more about us leaving the planet rather than us living out the Great Commission. We hear more about God burning this planet with fire than we hear about how we as God's Spirit filled and Spirit led people taking the fire of the Holy Spirit out into our world.
We read the book of Revelation but we forget to read that in the midst of it all that God did not nor will He ever abandon our earth. The LORD could have abandoned it after the Garden of Eden and the Great Flood but He didn't. He could have abandoned it at the Tower of Babel but He didn't. He could have abandoned it after Israel sinned in the Wilderness but He didn't. He could have abandoned it after the Babylonian Exile but He didn't. He could have abandoned it on the Cross when His Son was dying for all of us but He didn't.
Instead, the LORD came, lived among us and died for us. The LORD rose again and sent His Holy Spirit with fire to convict, cleanse and recreate our earth.
People are all ready to leave our earth and what they don't know is after the Resurrection the LORD has planned for us to live on this earth - of course, it will be the New Earth but the fact remains that there will be a New Jerusalem and as Revelation chapter 22 reminds us the LORD will dwell with us.
+ The question we have to ask ourselves this morning is - Are we watching Jesus' parade from a safe distance or have we accepted His invitation to be a part of Jesus' parade?
+Have we surrendered ourselves to Jesus and are we praising Him as our Savior and LORD?
+Have we joined with those following His resurrection and repented of our sins, been born from above, baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and received the gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, minds and souls?
+Have we been actively praying for and inviting others to join in and enjoy the fruits of being a Christ follower?
This morning, Jesus' parade is our parade. It is a parade that tells the world that the LORD loves them. It is a parade that tells the world that they can be free from the penalty and power of sin. It is a parade that tells them that they can repent of their sins and be infilled with the very Spirit of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. It is a parade that tells them that they can be rescued, redeemed and restored into the image of the LORD JESUS.
In verse 10 Matthew tells us that all of Jerusalem was abuzz. The whole city was stirred up because of Jesus' parade.
As we go forth this morning - isn't it time that we once again cause a buzz in our places of work, in our communities, in our homes and in our own lives because of the presence of Jesus in our hearts, minds and souls? Isn't it time that more people hear the name of Jesus as a praise instead of a curse word? Isn't it time that we stand up for Jesus - not to condemn our world but that through Jesus our world can be rescued, redeemed and restored into God's image?
This morning, as we close let us ask ourselves some very important questions:
+ Are we a part of Jesus' Parade?
+Have we accepted Jesus as Savior and LORD of our lives?
+Have we allowed Jesus to forgive us of our sins and have we received the infilling presence of His Holy Spirit?
+Are we active in sharing the Good News and building God's Kingdom here on earth?
This morning, as we close let us spend some time with the LORD and allow His Holy Spirit to speak to us.
