Today as we examine the Triumphal Entry, I’d like us to consider a few key points.
Key verses found:
Matthew 21:1 (1-17)
Zechariah 9:9
Title of todays’ message is Hosanna! Hosanna!
• The shouts of Hosanna and the prophesy
• The Gospel harmony of the Triumphal Entry
• The importance of the Triumphal Entry
Prior to the Triumphal Entry, Jesus had performed many miracles.
• People were beginning to recognize him as the Messiah, so expectations were high as to what He would do.
• There was this chatter if Jesus would make an appearance in Jerusalem during Passover.
• This anticipation and speculation of what Jesus would do, included an overthrow of the Roman government, and an end to the oppression the Jewish people were suffering.
• There were 3 factions that were about to encircle Jesus.
o The religious leaders-They were jealous and even frightened by what they were seeing in how people were responding to Jesus.
o Herod-He had an enormous amount of power given him by the Roman government.
o Pontius Pilate-For all intents and purposes was just a pawn between the religious leaders and Herod.
Let’s begin in Matthew chapter 21 verse 1.
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word. Matthew 21:1 (read 1-17 from my bible)
V13 really hit me “a house of prayer”. Our children need to know and see evidence that CPC is a house of prayer!
Let’s look at that word Hosanna for a few minutes.
Psalm 118:25 Save now, I pray O LORD, O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity…“Save us”
The study of words fascinates me.
I either bore Lisa or enlighten Lisa on a daily basis about my obsession with words. She can tell you some stories…
First off, the root word of hosanna and the root word of the name Jesus is both “save”.
Next, when I do a study of a word, I look at it’s use over a given period of time.
Beginning in early 1800’s there was a spike in the use of the word “hosanna”, and it peaked in mid- 1800’s.
• I was intrigued why that was.
• With a bit of research, I pinpointed that the Second Great Awakening in America, began around 1830.
• Coincidence? Perhaps
• Then the use of the word dropped fairly dramatically, after around 1850’s.
• Until 2019 when it began to spike again.
• I couldn’t help but wonder, are we about to experience a Third Great Awakening in America?
• Could this be a part of the Second Coming?
• Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; His is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey.
• It hit me yesterday, that Jesus also rode into Bethlehem, on a donkey. Think about that!
• Zechariah’s prophetic ministry began in 520 B.C.
• Considered by many to be the most “messianic” of the prophets.
• Zechariah writes about these things in his prophecy:
o Jerusalem
o A King
o Salvation
o Donkey
I’d like us to consider some interesting facts about Jesus and the city of Jerusalem.
• Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the bible
• By accounts of most scholars, Jesus entered Jerusalem through the Beautiful Gate, that same gate mentioned in Acts 2.
• Zechariah prophesies a returned King and a new Jerusalem in Chapter 14:1-4. We’ll get to that in a few minutes. (move to closing)
We’ve briefly looked at Jerusalem and a King that Zechariah writes about in 9:9,
Let’s look at salvation.
• When the crowd was shouting “hosanna” or “save us”, they were expecting to be saved from the Roman oppression, but Jesus was there to save them, and you and me, from our sins!
• Donkey-The donkey was the symbolic representation of a peaceful entry in Jerusalem.
(Revelations 19:11-16 closing)
Y’all, I just love God’s word!
I hope during the next few days or week you will take time to read the Gospel harmony of the Triumphal Entry. Read what happens just prior to the TE, and immediately after TE, in all 4 gospels.
In the passage of the TE itself:
• Take note of the similarities as well as the differences.
• In no means am I suggestion a contradiction, but simply the differences.
• Prior to the Triumphal Entry, all but John mentions Jesus giving sight to a blind man.
o Could this also have been alluding to the spiritual blindness in Jerusalem?
o Just prior to Johns account of the Triumphal Entry, John gives the account of the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
? Could this not only be alluding to the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also to the death and resurrection of the church?
Let’s look at a brief passage found in John 12:16.
Beginning in verse 15:
“Fear not, daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt”
v.16 “His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.”
Isn’t that so us today? Being spiritually blind to prophesy? We need to get serious in our prayer and get these scales removed from our eyes! We are RACING TIME!
One last thing to look at in the harmony is in:
Matthew 21:17 set the story up.
Jesus in the temple, overturned tables, then blind and lame came to Him and were healed.
v.17 “Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.”
I couldn’t find anywhere in scripture where it tells us at any time did Jesus sleep in Jerusalem.
Why didn’t He just stay overnight in Jerusalem?
Then it was duh! He knew 4 days later He would be beaten and tortured nearly to death there!
Then I thought why Bethany?
The answer is probably found in:
John 12:1 (read from my bible)
CLOSING
Traditionally, when a King was coming to conquer, or celebrate a victory as he rides into a city, it was usually with much fanfare, a great show of force and to make a big fuss.
What the people saw that day, was a King on a donkey, no army, no weapons; just a man on a donkey!
Maybe they were thinking “He is the Messiah, He doesn’t need all that. We’ve seen and heard of the miracles.
• Jesus wasn’t there to capture the city.
• Here was there to capture their hearts.
• He was there to save them from sin, not the oppressors.
• In just four days, the shouts of “hosanna” would turn to cries of “crucify Him”.
• People are fickle. Just watch us when we don’t get our way.
• We go from shouts of praise to cries of condemnation!
• Luke 19:41-44 reads like this: (read from my bible)
o History tells us that Jerusalem was levelled in 70 a.d. Completely destroyed.
o Jesus wept for His people.
o Is He weeping for you today?
o Are you crying out Hosanna for Him to save you in your moment, or Hosanna to save you for eternity?
As we close let’s look at a different Triumphal Entry:
One is found in the Old Testament:
Zechariah 14:1-4 (read from my bible)
The other is found in New Testament:
Revelations 19:11-16 (read from my bible)
For the true believers, we should celebrate every day as Resurrection Day!
The Second Triumphal Entry will begin His eternal reign and our everlasting life with Him.
