SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). This King is a different kind of king (vs 1-9).
(2). This King knows who He was and who He is (vs 10-11).
(3). This King came as part of a master strategy (vs 4-5).
(4). This king demands your response (vs 5)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A story is told of an ancient king out hunting with a group of men,
• They had wandered quite away from their base,
• And rather than go all the way back there for food,
• The king suggested they stop at the next farm and buy some eggs.
• The farmer produced the eggs and asked for thirty pounds for just a few eggs.
• The king was surprised and replied that "Eggs must surely be scarce in that town."
• "No, your majesty," replied the farmer, "but kings are."
• TRANSITION: Matthew in his gospel portrays Jesus as a king.
• We see that for example in his birth, his life and his death:
i.e., Matthew chapter 2 verse 2:
• The Magi / wise men come looking for a baby,
• They ask the question "Where is he born to be KING of the Jews".
• Herod was only king because he was rich, and he purchased the position off the Romans.
• But this baby will be born king – it is his kingdom by rights!
i.e., Matthew chapter 4 verse 23:
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the KINGDOM, and healing every
disease and sickness among the people."
• Jesus speaks again and again about; "The Kingdom of heaven".
• If you have a kingdom; then you need a king!
• Matthew in his gospel tells us who that king is!
i.e., Matthew chapter 27 verse 11:
"Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," replied Jesus".
i.e., Matthew chapter 27 verse 37:
• On the cross a sign was nailed,
• "This is Jesus, the KING of the Jews".
• Yet the wrote the sign in three languages (Greek, Latin and Hebrew)
• The most common languages of their day.
• e.g., Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire.
• It represented human government, power, and conquest.
• e.g., Greek was the international language of culture & literature.
• It represented human wisdom, art, and commerce.
• e.g., Hebrew was the religious language of the Jews.
• It represented the Jewish people and their covenant with the Law of God.
• TRANSITION: This man was a king like nonother,
• King of the Jews but relevant for all people.
• In the verses before us,
• Jerusalem and her residents are about to meet their king!
• The triumphant entry is a remarkable event recorded by all four Gospels.
• It is the first and only time Jesus allowed a public demonstration on his behalf.
• Up until this time Jesus had deliberately withdrawn from any public display of him.
• e.g., John chapter 6 verse 15 15.
“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force,
withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
(1). This King is a different kind of king (vs 1-9).
Ill:
• Revealed on Channels 4 documentary Secrets of the Royal flight an expert revealed:
• “For her 44,000-mile commonwealth tour in 1953
• The Queen’s luggage weighted… (any guesses) …12 tonnes.”
• Well Liz has cut back a bit since then, but did you know that wherever she goes,
• “The Queen currently travels with at least three outfit changes a day,
• As well as an all-black one for the purposes of mourning is always included too just in case.”
• TRANSITION: Jesus was a different kind of king.
• e.g., He was a king who organized his own travel arrangements.
• We read in verses 1-3 that he arranged for two of his disciples to bring him a donkey,
• And this mode of transportation was no accident.
• It was quite calculated and deliberate.
• Matthew reveals to us in verse 5,
• That Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy spoken centuries before in the Old Testament.
• (Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11).
“‘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.””
• Matthew declares to his readers,
• (His gospel was written primarily with a Jewish audience in mind),
• He declares out the events of that day, “Your King has come!”
Note:
• We tend to think of a donkey as a lowly animal,
• But to the Jew it was a beast fit for a king:
• e.g., Israel’s greatest King, David rode on one (1 Kings chapter 1 verses 33-34).
• In war, kings would ride horses, but in peace, they entered the city riding donkeys.
• King Jesus deliberately chose this animal as his vehicle of transportation.
• He was aware that the horse stands for war; and that’s what the people wanted.
• They yearned for a leader who would set them free from the yoke of Rome.
• King Jesus rode a donkey, a symbol of meekness, of peace.
• He had bigger enemies to fight than the Roman’s who were oppressing his people.
• He had come to fight and destroy, sin, death and the devil.
• And he would destroy all three when he hung upon a cross.
(2). This King knows who He was and who He is (vs 10-11).
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’
The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’”
Ill:
• Who is Jesus? Vox Pop Street Interviews UK.
• YouTube:
• TRANSITION: Well, those people might not know,
• But Jesus precisely who he was and who he is!
Most kings aren’t that certain about themselves.
• I say that because in most cases, royalty have inherited their positions.
• That can bring uncertainty when a certain lifestyle is imposed upon them.
• e.g., Our own Prince Harry is a classic example of that!
• Or perhaps, at the other extreme,
• Royalty can have a kind of bravado and strutting about them,
• That comes from years of grooming by palace functionaries.
• TRANSITION: Jesus was different, he knew precisely who he was.
• He knew that he was the Messiah spoken of by the Old Testament Scriptures
• And in verse 10 the people of the city pick up on this.
• Notice in verse 11 how the crowds interpret the actions of Jesus.
• They are quite clear that he is, “the prophet from Nazareth”.
• Not, “a prophet” like Elijah or Jeremiah, but “the prophet”
• That is one greater than all the other prophets.
• The promised one that they had been waiting for.
Ill:
• I believe they are referring back to the Old Testament.
• God promised Moses that in a future time, God would raise up another prophet like him.
• (Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 15 & 18.)
Ill:
• The religious heavyweights (Jewish leaders) were constantly looking for this prophet,
• At one time they thought they had found him!
• They came to John the Baptist and they ask him the question, ‘Are you THE Prophet?’
• (John chapter 1 verses 19-22).
• And John the Baptist answered, ‘No.’
• He was simply the forerunner, for “The prophet” who was to come.
• John the Baptist knew that one to come was Jesus.
• The disciples discovered that truth,
• Twice in the book of Acts (chapter 3 verse 22; chapter 7 verse 37).
• The apostles Peter & Stephen tell us that Jesus fulfilled that prediction.
• TRANSITION: When Jesus made his entrance into Jerusalem,
• He is openly declaring himself to be the ‘prophet,’ the ‘Messiah’ of Israel.
Quote Ken Gire in his book 'Intense moments with the saviour':
"In so coming Jesus forces the hand of the religious aristocracy.
After this public act, they would have to cast a public vote.
No more meetings behind closed doors. No more plotting in private.
They would have to come out in the open.
They would have to confess him or curse him.
Crown him or kill him".
By entering Jerusalem in the manner Jesus did:
• He is removing all doubts from the religious leaders’ minds,
• He is making his claim as the Messiah and king perfectly clear.
• He declared in no uncertain terms, by his posture and bearing, “I am the King.”
(3). This King came as part of a master strategy (vs 4-5).
“This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:
‘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.”’”
Ill:
• I'm going to give you a quick quiz.
• Don't worry, it's easy! I will give you a word and you give me the opposite.
• The opposite of Fast is... Slow.
• The opposite of Long is... Short.
• The opposite of Cold is... Hot.
• The opposite of Young is... Old.
• The opposite of Soft is... Hard.
• The opposite of Sour is... Sweet.
• The opposite of High is... Low.
• The opposite of Rich is... Poor.
• The opposite of Accident is... plan.
• TRANSITION: Jesus himself and the Old & New Testaments are quite clear about this,
• That the death of Jesus was no accident it was part of a plan, a scheme, a strategy.
The Jewish leaders knew their Bibles as did many of the people of the city,
• Without the distraction of TV, radio and social media,
• Religion, stories and synagogue were key parts of the people’s lives.
• Jesus was deliberately dropping clue after clue to his real identity,
• And those who were able to put two-and-two together were rewarded.
• They would have remembered the words of Zechariah the prophet,
• Just as Matthew records in his gospel.
• Would know that the quotation goes on to say,
• NIV: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious”
• NLT: “He is the Righteous One, the Victor!”
• NASB: “Righteous and endowed with salvation”
• KJB: “He is just, and having salvation”
• The Hebrew reads, “He is righteous and saved.”
This coming one will bring or rather obtain salvation!
• That salvation would not be political but spiritual.
• It would not happen on Palm Sunday but rather on Good Friday.
• That crowd will not be joyfully cheering and welcoming,
• But instead, their cheers would be vicious and hateful and condemning.
Ill:
• I have never worn rings, but when I got married, I agreed to have a wedding ring,
• A couple of days into our honeymoon we are sunbathing on a beach,
• And I noticed it was no longer on my finger.
• Well, we searched, and we searched and eventually we found it,
• And twenty-four years later it is still on my finger.
• I mention that because a story I came across reminded me of it.
• A Swedish woman who lost her wedding ring 16 years ago,
• Was flabbergasted when she found it again,
• She was pulling up carrots in her garden and suddenly found one,
• A carrot had grown up, through and around her ring.
• Although the ring no longer fits, she plans to have it enlarged.
Question: How can one man die for the sins of the world?
Answer: It all depends on who is dying!
• Compare a stainless-steel ring with a 24-carat gold ring.
• They may be exactly the same shape and size, but the gold ring is worth far more.
• Question: Why?
• Answer: The value lies in the quality of the metal.
• TRANSITION: The value of Jesus' life (eternal perfect Son of God),
• Is worth far more than every person who ever lived (flawed, sinful human beings)
• That's why he and he alone could pay the price.
• Then the death of the eternal Son of God will affect all eternity!
(4). This king demands your response (vs 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.”’”
• Your King is coming! His approach demands your response.
• Either you are with Him or you are not.
• There is no neutral ground!
• TRANSITION: Sooner or later we must all make a choice regarding Jesus.
• We too either crown him or reject him and there is no neutral ground!
• Quote: William James
• “When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.”
• This choice, this will be the most important choice you ever make!
• For it affects not just this life but the whole of eternity!
• For either Jesus is the one and only saviour of mankind or he is not!
Palm Sunday is forever linked with that expression, ‘hoshiya na’.
• Although all four gospels record the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem,
• Only three of the four gospels tell us the people shouted out that word.
• Luke omits the word, "Hosanna" in his account.
• John chapter 12 verse 13: "Hosanna!"
• Mark chapter 11 verses 9-10; "Hosanna in the highest!"
• Matthew chapter 21 verses 9&15: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
ill:
• Our English word "hosanna" and the Greek word "hosanna"
• Both come from a Hebrew phrase ‘hoshiya na’.
• And that Hebrew phrase is found in only ONE solitary place in the whole Old Testament,
• Psalm 118 verse 25, where it means, "Save, please!"
• It is a cry to God for help.
• e.g., Like when somebody pushes you off the diving board before you can swim,
• And you come up hollering: "Help, save me” or “Hoshiya na!"
But something happened to that phrase, ‘hoshiya na’.
• Over the years the meaning changed
• From a cry of help to an exclamation of praise.
• And the very next verse in Psalm 118 (#26) best explains why.
• The cry, "Help, save me” is immediately followed by the shout:
• "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
• The cry for help, ‘hoshiya na’.,
• Was answered straight away,
• We can say even before it came out of the psalmist's mouth.
• So, the word changed its meaning from, "Help, save me”.
• To, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!"
• So, was a cry like when somebody pushes you off the diving board before you can swim,
• But because you could see the lifeguard coming to save you!
• You knew that salvation was on the way, so thank you!
• Question: Who is our lifeguard, our rescuer/saviour.
• Answer: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The Son of David, Jesus is our salvation!
• And "Hosanna in the highest!" means,
• "Let all the angelic beings of the highest heaven join in this song of praise.
• Salvation! Victory! Hope is ours through Jesus Christ!
Note:
• So, when we sing "Hosanna" now, let's make it very personal.
• Let's make it our praise and our confidence.
• The Son of David has come.
• He has saved us from guilt and fear and hopelessness.
• He has saved us from judgement and punishment and hell.
• Salvation! Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son!
• Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!
Your King is coming! His approach demands your response.
• Either you are with Him or you are not.
• There is no neutral ground!
• Sooner or later, we must all make a choice regarding Jesus.
• We too either crown him or reject him and there is no neutral ground!
• The story is told of a man living in London during the Second World War.
• Every night German planes appeared overhead,
• They were dropping countless bombs on the city below.
• As you can imagine buildings burst into flames, sirens wailed incessantly,
• Entire blocks were reduced to rubble.
• One Londoner was spotted sitting in the wreckage of his home.
• The walls remained, but the roof was gone.
• The man himself was near despair.
• His home ruined, his city devastated, his country under attack. T
• As he sat there, he heard a knock on the door.
• The man opened the door and was shocked to see a small regal figure.
• It was the king! King George VI!
• King George VI refused to move away from London during the war,
• His wife, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, stayed with him in the Buckingham Palace,
• While his two daughters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret,
• Stayed in Windsor Castle.
• The King and Queen visited army barracks, munition factors,
• And many bomb sites across the United Kingdom.
• This day he was touring the war-damaged neighbourhood,
• And had stopped at that particular house.
• The startled man welcomed the King of England into what was left of his home.
• TRANSITION: Jesus is a king like that.
• He comes, of his own accord, to the ruin that I am,
• And knocks firmly on the door of our lives waiting to be invited in.
• He is knocking today,
• Will you let him in?
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=O4xJAVh33pYT3oSJ6tlSXx8jfIgnuyiP
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/xP1_zAUblhM
