One Palm Sunday, a little boy had a sore throat and had to stay home from church with a babysitter. When the rest of the family came home, they were carrying palm branches; and the little boy asked what they were for. His father told him that people waved them in celebration as Jesus passed by. Disappointed, the little boy said, “Wouldn’t you know it? The one Sunday I missed; Jesus showed up!”
When we read through the account of what happened on Palm Sunday, what we see is a celebration and a time of worship, concerning the arrival of the one true King in Jerusalem. This morning, we are going to learn some things about how to worship, concerning what we should be thankful for and what we should celebrate when we find ourselves in the presence of the one true King, Jesus Christ. I have entitled our Palm Sunday message, “Celebration of the King,” and at this time, I want to invite you to stand in honor of God’s Word, as we read through Matthew 21:1-11.
The Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11)
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey’.” 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
This passage is known as “The Triumphal Entry,” as Jesus finally entered Jerusalem with His ministry; and as He entered, you might say it was an overtly public display! Back in Matthew chapter 16, when Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, we read that “He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ” and “from that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (vv. 20-21). Up until this moment, Jesus had cautioned his disciples not to tell anyone who He was.(1) He understood that it was His assignment to die for the sins of mankind, and He explained as much to His disciples. But He also knew that His arrest, trial, and crucifixion (called “The Passion”) would commence shortly after He was publicly declared to be the Messiah, especially in Jerusalem!
In John 7:1, we read, “Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him,” and in that same chapter, in John 7:6, He stated the reason as being that “My time has not yet come.” So, “The Triumphal Entry” in Matthew chapter 21 denotes that the time “had” come; and this public display forced the Jewish leaders to act.
So, did Jesus organize this rally! Did He send word ahead for people to gather and command them to be waiting? No! They had gathered there after hearing about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead! The only one who could do such a miracle had to be the Messiah, and they wanted to catch a glimpse of Him as He rode into town. We read in John 12:17-19, that “for this reason” (because Jesus had raised up Lazarus) “the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign” (v. 18). And what was the response of the Jewish leaders? John 12:19 tells us, “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves . . . ‘Look, the world has gone after Him!’” You see, “when they saw the spontaneous demonstration of the people, they concluded that Jesus had to be destroyed. This demonstration of Christ’s popularity incited the rulers to act.”(2)
The Messiah Prophesied (vv. 1-7)
So, now that the scene has been set, let us get started by tackling verses 1-7, as we look at the spiritual significance of the prophetic and symbolic actions that take place. First, we read in verses 1-2 that when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, that Jesus sent two of His disciples into a neighboring village to retrieve a donkey and her colt that were tied up together. We are going to get to the donkey soon enough; but let us begin by looking at the significance of the location, which is the Mount of Olives (v. 1).
Easton’s Bible Dictionary says, “No name in Scripture calls up associations at once so sacred and so pleasing as that of Olivet. The ‘mount’ is so intimately connected with the private and devotional life of the Savior, that we read of it and look at it with feelings of deepest interest and affection. Here, He often sat with His disciples, telling them of wondrous events yet to come, of the destruction of the Holy City; of the sufferings, the persecution, and the final triumph of His followers; [and] here, He gave them the beautiful parables of the ten virgins and the five talents.”(3)
The Mount of Olives will also be the place of His return. According to Zechariah 14:4-5, the return “will begin with the personal appearance of the Messiah when His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, the very place from which He [also] ascended.”(4) The Mount of Olives is a place of communion with God, of prayer and worship, and of revelation and the manifestation of God’s glory. And what better place for Jesus to reveal Himself as the long-awaited Messiah – to be exalted, worshipped, praised, and glorified by the people! The Mount of Olives reminds us of our need to worship and God’s expectation that we worship the Lord Jesus.
So, let us now look at the significance of the donkey? When we recall “The Triumphal Entry,” we often envision Jesus riding on a single donkey; but “there were actually two animals involved; the mother and the colt. Jesus sat on the colt with the mother walking beside.”(5) “Now, most people today think of a donkey as nothing but a humble beast of burden, but in that day, it was looked on as an animal fit for a king.”(6) For example, we read in 1 Kings 1:32-34 where David commanded that his son Solomon ride his own donkey down to Gihon to be anointed as king over Israel. So, when Jesus showed up in Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey, it signified the arrival of royalty. The donkey reminds us that when we bow before the Lord in worship, we are in the presence of royalty and the King.
There is a lesson of humility seen in the donkey. “Corrie ten Boom was once asked if it were difficult for her to remain humble. Her reply was simple. ‘When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?’ She continued, ‘If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in His glory, I give Him all the praise and all the honor’.”(7) When we worship in the presence of the King of glory, may we have the humble and submissive attitude of that donkey.
It is important for us to realize that this riding of a donkey’s colt by the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis. Allow me to read Genesis 49:10-11: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.”
In this prophecy, “The ‘scepter’ was a symbol of kingship”(8) (Psalm 45:6). When Shiloh came the scepter would be removed from among men (from among Judah) and be transferred to its rightful owner. And who is that rightful owner? “The ancient rabbinical scholars took Shiloh to be a name of the promised Messiah, who alone had the right to claim rule over God’s people Israel.”(9) So, the rightful owner of the scepter is the King of Kings and He would arrive riding on a donkey’s colt!
Now, Genesis is not the only place where this was prophesied. In our main passage, in Matthew 21:4-5, we read, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey’.” Matthew was quoting, almost verbatim, from a prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. When we worship, we are not only worshipping the King, but also the Messiah and deliverer; and so, we must acknowledge Him as Savior and praise Him as Lord.
The prophecy in Genesis foretells the arrival of the King of Kings, but it also alludes to His purpose. Genesis 49:11 says, “He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.” King Jesus entered Jerusalem in glory, but He would soon humble Himself and submit to die on a cross and shed His precious blood for sinners like you and me. Genesis says that His garments, pure and white, that symbolize the purity and sinlessness of the Lamb of God, would be stained like wine. This would occur as He bore the sins of the whole world on that old rugged cross. 2 Corinthians 5:1 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” When we worship our Messiah and Savior, let us reflect on the price He paid for our spiritual freedom; let us remember His sacrifice.
The Messiah Proclaimed (vv. 8-11)
Let us now look at verses 8-11. Back in verse 1, we read that Jesus came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. This location was about “two miles from Jerusalem. The elevation at this point is about 2,600 feet, and from it you have a breathtaking view of the Holy City.”(10) According to Luke’s gospel, the multitude began to spread their clothes on the road as He was “drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives” (Luke 19:36-37). The descent is where the hill begins dropping off in elevation. Here, as they turned down to the city, the grand view stirred the crowd to incredible enthusiasm. This was the first sight of the Holy City on this route, which was soon obscured as they continued with the descent.(11) We need to note that Jesus was at the highest height, and this is where they began to praise Him; which speaks to us about exalting the Lord in worship – elevating His name to the highest heights.
This is what the multitude did at the Mount of Olives; they worshipped Him! So, let us look at their worship. First, we see how the multitude “spread their clothes on the road” (v. 8). One commentary says they spread their clothes as a substitute for carpet, which is what kings normally would have ridden upon.(12) However, there is a scriptural example of people spreading out their clothing for a king. In 2 Kings 9:13, we read that when Jehu was anointed king, that “each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps.” So, right here, when the multitude spread their clothes on the road, they were proclaiming Jesus to be King.
Something else to note about how they “spread their clothes on the road” (v. 8) is the value of their clothing. The laying down of their clothing represents submitting something of worth. Commentator Matthew Henry said, “Those that take Christ for their King must lay their all under His feet; the clothes [being] in token of the heart; for when Christ comes . . . it must be said to the soul, ‘Bow down, that He may go over’.”(13) We read in Joel 2:13, “So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God.” The word rend means “to tear,” and Joel 2:13 is speaking of repentance; but I believe the Lord also wants us to render our heart unto Him, which means “to give” our heart. So, when we come before the Lord in worship, let us humble our heart and offer our lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
The next thing they did is they “cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (v. 8). The gospel writer John is more specific in what kind of branches they were. He said they “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him” (John 12:13). This is the reason why we remember “The Triumphal Entry” on what we now call “Palm Sunday,” because they celebrated the arrival of the King of Kings with palm branches.
In researching this passage I found that they not only laid them on the road, but they waved them as well. The waving of palm branches is something the Jewish people did to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This was not the Feast of Tabernacles, but rather Passover; nevertheless, it was common for the Jews to signify their joy on any occasion by waving palm branches. So, this tells us that their worship was saturated with joy and having joyful hearts, just as ours should be when we come before the King.
As they worshipped Jesus, they “cried out, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!” This may surprise you, but the word hosanna is not a title or a name ascribed to God. It is a Hebrew word that means “Save now!”(14) It originates in Psalm 118, which Bible commentators tell us is a messianic prophecy. So, when the people cried out “Hosanna,” they meant to acknowledge and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. But the term hosanna has another meaning. The same Hebrew word that meant “Save now!” was also the term used for the palm branches themselves.(15) So, as they were crying aloud hosanna, they were simultaneously waving their hosannas! As a cheerleader waves their pom-poms in celebration, the multitude was waving their palm-palms to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah!
Let me give you an example from the Bible on how these palm-palms were used. The term hosanna originates with Psalm 118. As the priest recited the words of Psalm 118, the people shook their palm branches at two different statements. The first time is when the priest opened the passage by saying, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD” (Psalm 118:1), and the second time is when he closed the passage by directly using the term hosanna, saying “Save now, I pray, O LORD” (Psalm 118:25).(16)
So, the priest would read verse 1, which says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” And the people would recite the end of verse 2, by echoing, “His mercy endures forever,” while simultaneously shaking their palm branches. And then, near the close of the passage, the priest would read verse 25, which says, “Save now, I pray, O LORD.” Of course, “Save now” in Hebrew is hosanna. The people would then recite the second half of the verse, in which they would declare, “O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity,” while simultaneously shaking their palm branches. I must point out that even though the term hosanna is not a name for Jesus, it still reminds us that Jesus had come to save and how the people recognized Him as Savior.
Now, Matthew closes by saying, “When He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ So, the multitudes said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee’” (vv. 10-11). I think it is important to point out the contrast presented here between two different groups – the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the multitudes. You have the people “inside” the city, and then you have the people “outside” who met Jesus along the road atop the Mount of Olives.
One commentary says the group that met Jesus along the road and accompanied Him from Olivet was comprised of visitors from Galilee (or Gentiles) who were coming to Jerusalem for the Passover festivities; and also, the people who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead.(17) So, you have a faith-filled group of “outsiders” and then a skeptical group of “insiders.” The insiders – or the Jewish people inside the walls of Jerusalem – were “moved,” the Scripture says, meaning they were curious, but they would soon fall into doubt, fail to recognize their Messiah, and then crucify Him. If we have been an insider for quite some time, it is all too easy to lose our excitement and forget how amazing the Lord is. When we approach Him in worship, let us pray for eyes to see Him afresh, like those who saw His miracles and who stumbled upon the festive “Triumphal Entry.”
Over in the gospel of Luke, the physician closes by presenting the response of some of the Jews who were inside the city walls. In Luke 19:39-40, we read, “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out’.” Some will doubt the Messiah; even those who have been insiders and attended church their entire life. They may tell us to be quiet and not talk about Him, or to not be so excited; but we need to be as the stones and immediately cry out His name in worship! Truly, “The Triumphal Entry” is a passage that teaches us how to worship our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Time of Reflection
Jesus entered Jerusalem as King, but He would soon humble Himself as a servant and willingly lay down His life. Revelation 19:16 calls Him, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The Bible teaches us that Jesus is Lord and God. He came as God in human form. We read in Philippians 2:5-8 that “Jesus . . . being in the form of God . . . made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
The Bible tells us that all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are supposed to die for our sins. It is a spiritual death, and spiritual death means spending eternity separated from God in a terrible place called hell. But Jesus took our place in death. In human form, He died on the cross taking on Himself the punishment for our sin; and this payment for our sin (this atonement) takes effect in our life if/when we choose Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
The passage in Philippians chapter 2, continues to say in verses 9-11, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” God exalted Jesus by raising Him from the dead. Neither sin nor death could hold His body down; and if we confess Him as Savior and Lord, then just as Christ arose, we will too, from spiritual death into spiritual life.
Romans 6:4 tells us “that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” If we want to be raised into spiritual life and one day enter heaven, then we must “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
NOTES
(1) Warren Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 62.
(2) Ibid., p. 62.
(3) M. G. Easton, “Mount of Olives,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Oak Harbor, WA: 1996, taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
(4) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc., 1983, 1985, taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
(5) Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” p. 62.
(6) Ibid., p. 120.
(7) “If I Can Be the Donkey,” The Pastor’s Workshop: https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-on-palm-sunday (Accessed March 24, 2023).
(8) W. A. Criswell, ed., Holy Bible Baptist Study Edition (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), p. 74.
(9) Warren Wiersbe, “The Complete Old Testament in One Volume,” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 137.
(10) Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” p. 120.
(11) A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1930).
(12) John Gill, John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/matthew-21-5.html (Accessed March 23, 2023).
(13) Matthew Henry, “Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible,” Power Bible CD (Bronson, MI: Online Publishing, Inc., 2007).
(14) Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” p. 62.
(15) John Gill.
(16) Ibid.
(17) Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” p. 121.
