It’s Not about the Palm Branches
Matthew 21:1-11
Intro.
All across the world today churches are either waiving Palm
branches or laying them in the aisle of the church.
They are doing it to celebrate Palm Sunday
I’m not sure exactly where the name came from except maybe from one verse in the Gospel of John.
John 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:
Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
None of the other accounts of the Triumphant Entry mention
Palm branches.
And even the word for “palm tree” in John is very generic.
For one thing, there are no palm trees in Jerusalem, the altitude is
too high.
There is palm trees in Jericho and a few other cities in Israel.
So, why their waiving palm trees is a mystery to me.
They did throw their clothes in the road. Matthew 21:8
This was to give Jesus a smooth ride into town, it was a Kings
welcome.
It's not about the palm branches.
I. The preparation. Vs 1-3
A. Jesus sent the disciples into the city to get a donkey colt
B. This one the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9
Zech. 9:9 ¶ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh
unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an
ass.
II. The Person
A. Jesus as King
1. “Thy King Cometh unto thee” Zech. 9:9
2. He was being treated as a King coming into Jerusalem
B. Jesus as Savior
1. Zech. 9:9 “having salvation”
2. Matt. 21:9 “Hosanna” meaning “Oh Save” or “Save Now”
3. They were probably hoping for victory over the Roman
Government, and not necessarily salvation from their sin.
III. The People
1. There was a “very great multitude”. Vs 8
2. They were throwing their clothes in the road, probably their outer garments.
3. They were throwing branches out into the road.
a. Only John mentions branches of Palm trees. (John 21:13)
b. They were making the road as smooth as possible for the “King”
4.They were both in front and following vs. 9
IV. The Proclamation. Vs. 21:9
A. This was also from a verse in the Old Testament.
B. Psalm 118:20
Psa. 118:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the
LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
C. Hosanna - Save Now!
V. The Perplexity
A. The city was shaken up, “moved” by this event.
B. Saying “who is this”?
C. This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth.
D. He was/is so much more.
Conclusion
Many will see or hear of Jesus and not really know who he is.
He is King of King and Lord of Lord
Rev. 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
He deserves a Kings Welcome
He is the Saviour.
In only a few days he would die for the sins of the world.
1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father
sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
I wonder how many people waiving and throwing palm
branches really know Him as King and Savior?
