WHO IS HE?
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
• Matthew 21:1-11 (NIV)
[1] As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, [2] saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. [3] If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." [4] This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
[5] "Say to the Daughter of Zion, ’See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ "
[6] The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. [7] They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. [8] A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [9] The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
[10] When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" [11] The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
INTRODUCTION:
Retell the events of Palm Sunday; Jesus coming into the city created quite a commotion!
The people asked “Who is this?” Who is Jesus?
The people of Jesus’ day wondered, “Could Jesus be the one God has promised to come and save His people? God’s word spoke of the coming of a great prophet; could this be Jesus?
• Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV)
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
God had also promised He would send an heir to David’s throne—a deliverer for His people. Could Jesus be the promised king?
• Isaiah 11:10 (NLT)
In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, for the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem it was obvious who the people believed He was. Jesus was both the prophet and King! All the people needed was a crown to put upon His head; their promised King had come to Jerusalem!
• Matthew 21:9, 11 (NIV)
"Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" . . . "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
Hosanna has a dual meaning; it is an exclamation of adoration and praise. But it’s root meaning is a cry for help. Literally Hosanna means “save us now.”
With palm branches waving, this was not only a celebration of praise for Jesus, but it was also the cry of the people that Jesus would save them from the oppression of the Romans. They were ready to follow Jesus to war if necessary! The palm branch was a symbol of the Jewish nation, so with the Romans looking on the people were waving palm branches crying out to Jesus for their independence.
The crowd was convinced that Jesus was the one God had promised to send as their deliverer.
Jesus’ popularity had grown. His teaching appealed to the people; He taught with authority, and with power. Miracles proved to many that Jesus was someone special. Who else could open the eyes of the blind, make the deaf to hear, the lame to walk? Jesus cleansed the lepers.
Jesus’ power was not limited to sickness. One day as Jesus traveled to a town called Nain. As Jesus approached the city a funeral procession was carrying out a dead body. Jesus’ heart was filled with compassion for the mother; not only was she now grieving the loss of her only child, but she was also a widow. Jesus comforted the mother, went over to the coffin and said, “Young man, get up.” Immediately the dead man was raised to life and sat up. After Jesus gave this young man back to his mother was from the dead the crowd was amazed!
• Luke 7:16 (NIV)
They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."
The crowds following Jesus continued to grow as the word spread about him. One day over 5,000 people gathered along the sea of Galilee to listen to Jesus. As the day was getting late the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people home so they could eat, but Jesus told them to feed them!
No small task! One of the disciples calculated that it would eight months wages to provide enough food for everyone to just get a bite of bread. Another said he found a small boy with a lunch of five loaves and two fish—but how far would that go among so many. Jesus told his disciples that was more than enough!
Following the feeding of the 5,000:
• John 6:14-15 (NIV)
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." [15] Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Now the opportunity had come. Jesus came to Jerusalem during the Passover celebration, and the people welcomed Him as their King. In the minds of the people it was time for Jesus to lead the nation to victory over the Romans. Jesus was a prophet who spoke the word of God with authority. Jesus had power to heal the sick and raise the dead. Jesus would be their king.
While that was the plan and hope of the people in Jerusalem; Jesus had other plans. Instead of Jesus leading a rebellion against the Romans Jesus turned His attention to the Jewish temple!
The religious leaders were already looking for a way to have Jesus killed, and they were further infuriated when Jesus entered the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers and released the doves and animals being sold for sacrifices.
The religious leaders devised a plan to have one of Jesus’ disciples hand Him over to them. With Jesus in their custody, they stirred up the crowd to turn against Jesus. Many who had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem went along with the Jewish leaders. The people became an angry mob wanting Jesus to be crucified.
• John 19:18-19 (NIV)
Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. [19] Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.
Jesus’ death was not the end of the story. His death was all part of God’s plan to provide for our forgiveness. Jesus took our place; we deserved to die for our sin. Because Jesus had made the final payment for sin—once and for all on the cross, God was now ready to conquer death itself. On the third day, Jesus was resurrected. The power of death was broken.
• Philippians 2:8-11 (NIV)
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He created a commotion among the crowd so some asked, “Who is that?” Today Jesus is not entering a city to be hailed as King; instead Jesus comes to the hearts door of individuals to bring salvation. When Jesus comes into our lives, He stirs things up. Things don’t remain the same. With Jesus in our lives people should ask of us, “WHO IS THAT?” So who are you?
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
We’ve been changed from the inside out!
• 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.
This morning we have 11 individuals who are no longer the same because Jesus has made a change in their lives. They have a new way of talking, a new way of living. Because of the change Jesus has made we can do a double take and ask, “who is that?”
These 11 people are living a new life—the good life. Their sins have been forgiven, and they are alive in Christ.
• Romans 6:1-4 (GW)
What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness will increase? [2] That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence? [3] Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should live a new kind of life.
