MATTHEW 21:1-11 “THE MOVING MAN”
A) The event that is so much a part of this day, Palm Sunday, is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels!
* I wish that somehow we could all go to Jerusalem and relive the events of that tremendous day.
* How exciting it would be to be a part of the crowds, and walk down that winding road from the
Mt. of Olives, past the Garden of Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley .......
* And up through the great Eastern gate into the city of Jerusalem ... It would be a parade that we
would never forget.
B) As a nation, we love parades, don’t we?
* On Thanksgiving and New Year’s we turn on our TV sets to watch parades ... We line the streets.
* We even honor Super Bowl or World Series teams with parades in their home cities.
* Parades are often held to celebrate victories and honor returning heroes ... And in this parade
Jesus was the main attraction.
C) That reminds me of the story about an elderly missionary returning to the U.S. to retire!
* He and his wife had spent over 40 years serving in Africa, but now he was alone.
* His wife and two children had long since found their final resting place in the soil of Africa.
D) As he got off the plane he saw a great crowd of people waiting at the gate!
* Some were holding signs, others were waving banners, and he could even hear sounds of music
above the shouting voices.
* For a few seconds he thought, “Can it be? ... After more than 40 years of service, all of these
people have actually come out to welcome me home?”
E) But no, that was not the case ... On his plane was a politician returning from a visit to Africa! * During his visit the politician had been catered to and waited upon and all his needs had been met. * And now he was being welcomed back with all the ceremony his nation could provide.
F) As he waited and waited at the airport, the contrast was almost more than the old missionary
could bear ... For a moment he began feeling sorry for himself, and he started to pray!
* He said, “Father in Heaven, why? ... I’ve served You faithfully and for so long, and yet, look.”
* “I don’t expect much ... But is it wrong to desire that there be some kind of a welcome home?”
* Then, almost as if God had spoken out loud, the old missionary heard Him say, “But my son,
you’re not home yet.”
G) It’s true ... This world is not our home ... We’re just passing through!
* And as children of God, someday we want to hear Jesus say, “Well done thou good and faithful
servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
* But every once in a while wouldn’t it be nice if our peers, our colleagues, or our brothers and
sisters in the Lord would just pat us on the back and we could just hear the applause of the crowd?
H) Watching my grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they grow make me even more aware
of the value of praise!
* In learning to walk they stumble and fall ... Applaud and encourage them and they get back up
and keep on trying until they get it right.
* You see, everybody appreciates applause ... And Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem provided
an opportunity for the people to lift their voices in praise to God.
I LOVE TO READ THIS STORY OF JESUS AND HIS TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
A) As Jesus was nearing the city, He sent two of His disciples into the village of Bethphage!
* Jesus said, “When you get there, you will find an ass tied and a colt with her.”
* Jesus knew what He was doing ... He acted with divine foreknowledge ... That is, He knew
exactly where the animal would be found.
B) He said, “Loose them and bring them unto me.”
* In that area, there were very few horses and those few horses were never used as beasts of
burden ... They were used in war.
* The donkey, the mule, and the camel were beasts of burden.
* In fact, that is still true in the Jerusalem area and in other Eastern countries today.
C) Riding on an ass or a mule was an emblem of peace, whereas riding on a horse was
indicative of war ... Even kings and princes rode on donkeys in times of peace!
* For example: Judges 10:4 “Jair, the 8th judge of Israel had 30 sons that rode on 30 ass colts.”
* Judges 12:14 “Abdon, the 12th judge of Israel had 40 sons and 30 nephews that rode on
threescore and ten ass colts.”
* Judges 5:10 “To ride on a white ass denoted nobility and authority.”
D) 1 Kings 1:33 – When Solomon was inaugurated as king, he rode on his father David’s mule!
* So, riding an ass denoted not only the appropriate way for Jesus to enter the holy city Jerusalem,
but it was also the foreordained way.
* This was all settled before His birth ... It was prophesied in Zech. 9:9 “Rejoice greatly .......”
E) Another amazing thing is, when they untied the donkey, Mark’s gospel says those that saw
them get the donkey said, “What are y’all doing taking the donkey?”
* They said, “The Lord hath need of her,” and they said, “OK,” and let them go.
* They brought the donkey to Jesus and saddled it up with their own outer garments and sat
Jesus on the donkey.
* And here He comes riding into the city, and a very great multitude was escorting Him into
the city – v.8, and they were spreading their garments in the way ... These people were excited.
F) Some that had no outer garments cut down branches from palm trees and strawed them in
the way ... Now watch this .......
* People were walking in front of Him and others were following behind Him, and they all were
singing, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
* WHAT A GATHERING ... WHAT A CELEBRATION. (LET’S HAVE CHURCH – SING)
G) v.10 “Who is this?” ... I sure would like to go back 2000 years and tell them who He is!
* They said He is Jesus, they said He was a prophet, they said He was of Nazareth of Galilee.
* They didn’t know Him, they missed it a thousand miles.
* He is a whole lot more than what they said He was.
H) He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother!
* He is the Lily of the Valley, The Beautiful Rose of Sharon, The Altogether Lovely One ... He
is the Lord of lords and King of kings, He is the Saviour of the World.
* When He came to Jerusalem, “All the city was moved.”
* I’m talking about “THE MOVING MAN.” – Things move when Jesus shows up .......
(1) A “CITY” WAS MOVED! * v.10 .......
A) To me, that means that every person in the city was stirred!
* They had some uncontrollable desire to go out and meet this man Jesus.
* People stood on tiptoe to look over and through the crowd to catch a glimpse of Him, as voice
after voice took up the glad cry of, “Hosanna.”
B) Nobody had ever moved Jerusalem like that before!
* The people cried out, “Who is this?” ... The city was moved.
C) Jeremiah’s tears never moved the city ... Elijah’s fire never moved the city!
* The power of David never moved the city.
* One day Jesus arrived, and the city has never been the same since.
* You say, “Ain’t nobody can move the place where I’m at.” ... The Moving Man can.
D) In Acts 17, Paul preached in the city and was accused of turning the world upside down!
* That’s because the Moving Man came into the city and it was moved.
(2) A “CENTURION AND COMPANY” WAS MOVED!
A) Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching .......”
* His captains, his sergeants, his privates, all of them was moved.
* These were harden soldiers sent to do a job ... Nothing moved them, until .......
B) They saw the MAN ... They heard the MESSAGE ... They saw the MIRACLES!
* Yes ... The centurion and company was moved.
* Story of man that said, “This knee will never bow and this tongue will never confess.”
* The Moving Man can move you.
(3) A “CHURCH” WAS MOVED! * Acts 2:1-2 .......
A) In Acts it was moved and ain’t never been the same ... Start of NT church!
* Still our need today ... We need the breath of God, the wind of God to blow.
* When Jesus is in the church, it will move ... The church should be on the move.
* The Temple was moved here in our text ... Matthew 21:12-15 .......
(4) A “CAPTIVE” WAS MOVED! * Mark 5:4-5 ....... Man possessed with demons.
A) Lived in the graveyard ... Could not be bound with chains and fetters ... Kept breaking them!
* Night and day he was in the mountains and tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones.
B) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him!
* Jesus cast the demons out ... Sent him home a new man.
* I remember when I was tied up in sin and the moving man came by ... Sent me home a new man.
