JESUS ENTRY TO JERUSALEM
MATTHEW 21: 1-11 [Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-42; John 12:12-14]
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
Psalm 24:7–10
Scene:
Exodus 12
Israel had been in slavery in Egypt for years. In answer to the prayers of the Israelite people, God sent Moses to Pharaoh with this command: “Let my people go!”
But of course Pharaoh wouldn’t listen and so God brought 10 terrible plagues upon Egypt and Pharaoh to convince them that it was in their best interests to honor His request.
This passage of Scripture from Exodus 12 we’ll be looking at this morning describes the beginning of the 1st and most important festival in the history of the Jewish people called the Passover.
From the day of Moses, until today - every year Jewish God-fearing families have partaken pf the Passover meal as closely as possible. Their Passover meal celebrates the love of their God who freed their ancestors from slavery and who passed over their homes because they obeyed Him in putting the blood of a sacrificed lamb upon the doorframes of their homes.
But Passover was only the first feast day in a week long festival called “The Feast of Unleavened Bread” And that’s what we’re going to be looking at today.
During Passover time, Jerusalem was crowded with visitors. Every Jewish adult from a twenty mile radius was obligated to attend the celebrations, and this number was added to by many, many more who would crowd in from further a field for the occasion.
William Barclay tells us that the city was teeming with people, as many as two and a half million might have been in Jerusalem
Barclay, [The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 1. P. 262]. They were there to commemorate Passover, an event that had taken place fifteen hundred years earlier…when God delivered His people from the land of bondage in order to lead them to the Promised Land.
The Triumphal Entry, as it is called, occurred on Sunday of Passion week. It is one of the events that all four Gospels record giving the occasion great significance. Jesus, the Passover Lamb, heads into Jerusalem [for the last time].
Himself to be King of Israel (CIT). Keep in mind that normally Jesus moved quietly and preferred obscurity, many times charging those He healed to “tell no man” (Mt. 8:4). Here, however, He sets in motion a huge crusade. Why? It probably was so the Jews would never be able to say, “If we had only had the opportunity to embrace You as our King, we certainly would have done so.” He stripped away that excuse from the Jewish nation when He rode into Jerusalem and publicly offered Himself to them as their Messiah.
This passages emphasizes that Jesus is the King of Glory: the King comes in peace (21:1-5); the King is acclaimed by the people; and the King is crowned with praise. This event is the inauguration of the Prince of Peace as King of kings.
I. HE ENTERED JERUSALEM IN PEACE, (MTH:21:1-5.).
II. HE ENTERED JERUSALEM WITH THE CROWNED OF PRAISE, (MTH:21: 9-11).
Verses 6 & 7 note the obedience on the part of all the disciples involved. “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.
Notice that the disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. That is what all disciples of Jesus are to do. The disciples got the animals, then threw their garments on them to make saddles. When Jesus mounted up the disciples and the Galilean crowd then recognized the prophetic allusion,
Most of these people were pilgrims from Galilee on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They were familiar with Jesus and the many miracles He had performed in Galilee. The crowd’s spreading garments and palm branches on the road, as was often done in triumphal processions, is a hopeful acknowledgment of Jesus’ kingship (1 Kgs 1:32–40; 2 Kgs 9:13). Many were anticipating that Jesus’ was coming to set up His reign in Israel’s capital.
Obviously w/ the treatment of Jesus that occurs later in the wk most of this crowd’s real hope was to cash in on this prophet who feed the multitudes and preformed miracles of healing. The same thing happens today, for there can be a tendency within the heart of each of us to cash in on Jesus’ blessings. If you are expecting Jesus to be a “good luck charm” for you, if you expect Him to help you financially, physically, socially or vocationally, you will be disappointed when things don’t go the way you thought they would.
III. HE ENTERED JERUSALEM WITH THE ACCLAIMED BY THE PEOPLE, (MTH: 21:6-8).
They shouted [ekrazon] to Jesus and to each other, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” “Hosanna” is from the Hebrew hôsi‘âh na’, “Save-deliver (us), we pray” [taken from Psalm 118:25]. It was an acknowledgment of power as well as petition. It was a prayer for deliverance though their thinking was probably from the Romans instead of from their slavery to sin.
Jesus is also called “the Son of David” identifying him as of the royal line, recognized Him as the Messiah who was to inherit the Davidic Covenant and reign on an eternal throne Another messianic title is “the one who comes” (3:11; 11:3; 23:39; Ps 118:26) in the name of the Lord’, quoting Psalm 118:26, a Psalm chanted at all the main festivals and carrying an implicit identification of Him as Messiah and that He comes as Yahweh representative.
“Hosanna in the Highest” references the One whom angels on high acknowledge or call upon. They are asking that heaven joins them in praising God for sending Jesus. All these designations reference that Jesus is Yahweh’s representative, His Messiah or Christ.and ever.
IN CLOSING,
Jesus finally approached the ultimate destination of His trip from Galilee, the city where He had predicted again and again that He would be crucified (16:21; 19:1; 20:18–19; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:29–44; John 12:12–19).
One wonders how many of those who enthusiastically cried, "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday were shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" a few days later on Friday. Some people must have been disappointed, even resentful, that Christ didn't overthrow the Romans and set up an earthly kingdom. After all, hadn't He Himself created a golden opportunity to rally support as He rode into Jerusalem? In contrast to His earlier actions, He didn't try to dampen this jubilant demonstration. Yet He didn't capitalize on the fervor of the crowd and issue a call to arms. No wonder those who longed only for release from foreign domination were disillusioned! The Messiah had not fulfilled their expectations. [For this reason the Triumphal Entry was also a tragic entry.
