The Arrival Of The King Series

THE ARRIVAL OF THE KING

MATTHEW 21:1-17

APRIL 14, 2019

A PASTOR’S SON CAME TO HIM AND ASKED IF HE COULD USE HIS DAD’S CAR. HIS DAD LOOKED AT THE YOUNG MAN AND SAID, “I’LL LET YOU USE THE CAR IF YOU COMPLETE THESE THREE REQUIREMENTS. FIRST: GET YOUR GRADES UP. SECOND: KEEP YOUR ROOM CLEAN. THIRD: GET A HAIRCUT.

SO, THE PREACHER’S SON BEGAN WORKING VERY HARD, AND AFTER A PEROD OF TIME WENT BACK TO HIS FATHER TO ASK FOR THE USE OF THE CAR. HE SAID: “DAD, I’VE DONE ALL YOU ASKED ME TO DO. I’VE GOTTEN A’S AND B’S ON MY REPORT CARD, AND MY ROOM HAS BEEN SPOTLESS FOR WEEKS. CAN I USE THE CAR NOW?”

TO THIS HIS FATHER REPLIED, “YES YOU HAVE SON, AND I’M VERY PROUD OF YOU. BUT IF YOU RECALL OUR CONVERSATION, THERE WERE THREE REQUIREMENTS, AND YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN A HAIRCUT!”.

THE SON LOOKED AT HIS FATHER AND SAID, “BUT DAD, JESUS HAD LONG HAIR!” THEN HIS DAD LOOKED INTENTLY AT HIM AND SAID, “YES HE DID, BUT OUTSIDE OF ONE DONKEY RIDE, HE WALKED EVERYWHERE HE WENT.”

TODAY IS PALM SUNDAY AND IT MARKS THE DAY THAT JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM TO BEGIN WHAT WE CALL “HOLY WEEK.” IN JUST A FEW DAYS HE WOULD BE ARRESTED, TRIED, FOUND GUILTY UNDER JEWISH LAW OF BLASPHEMY AND ROMAN LAW OF SEDITION AND TREASON, AND EXECUTED OUTSIDE JERUSALEM’S WALLS AT CALVARY.

THIS ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CHARACTER FOR JESUS. HE DID NOT MAKE IT A POINT TO BE NOTICED BY CROWDS IN THIS MANNER. HE WAS BY NATURE VERY HUMBLE AND LOWLY. A COMMON STATEMENT BY JESUS TO THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM WAS

JOHN 2:4: “MY HOUR HAS NOT YET COME.” MEANING THE TIME HAD NOT COME FOR THE FULFILMENT OF HIS DESTINY ON EARTH.

THIS ARRIVAL INTO JERUSALEM WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. IT WAS A PLANNED EVENT. JESUS PLANNED TO ANNOUNCE HIMSELF AS KING. AS WE SHALL SEE, THE TIMING, THOSE PEOPLE PRESENT, THE HUGE CROWDS, RIGHT DOWN TO THE LOCATION OF THE TWO DONKEYS WERE ALL ORCHASTRATED BY GOD.

THIS DAY OF JESUS’ ENTRY WAS ALSO VERY DELIBERATE. THE LAW STATED ON THE TENTH OF THE MONTH THAT THE PASCHAL LAMB WAS TO BE TAKEN AND SET APART FOR THE SACRIFICE OF PASSOVER.

THE DAY THAT JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM AS KING WAS THE TENTH OF THE MONTH. IT WAS A PRELUDE TO HIS PASSION.

THIS TIME WAS ALSO A FULFILMENT OF A PROPHECY IN DANIEL.

DANIEL 9:24-27:

“SEVENTY ‘SEVENS’ ARE DECREED FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR HOLY CITY TO FINISH TRANSGRESSION, TO PUT AN END TO SIN, TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS, TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO SEAL UP VISION AND PROPHECY AND TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY PLACE. 25 “KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS: FROM THE TIME THE WORD GOES OUT TO RESTORE AND REBUILD JERUSALEM UNTIL THE ANOINTED ONE, THE RULER, COMES, THERE WILL BE SEVEN ‘SEVENS,’ AND SIXTY-TWO ‘SEVENS.’ IT WILL BE REBUILT WITH STREETS AND A TRENCH, BUT IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. 26 AFTER THE SIXTY-TWO ‘SEVENS,’ THE ANOINTED ONE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH AND WILL HAVE NOTHING.

JESUS ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM ON PALM SUNDAY FULFILLED THIS PROPHECY TO THE YEAR. THE LAST SEVEN IS YET TO BE FULFILLED AND THAT IS THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.

THIS PASSAGE IS GOING TO SHARE THREE IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY:

1. THE PARADE WHICH IS JESUS ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM

2. JESUS DEALING WITH THE MONEY-LENDERS

3. JESUS CURSING OF THE FIG TREE.

POINT ONE: JESUS ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM

THE FIRST 11 VERSES DESCRIBE JESUS’ ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. WHEN JESUS CAME TO BETHPHAGE ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, APPROXIMATELY 5/8 OF A MILE FROM JERUSALEM, HE SENT TWO OF THEM AHEAD TO BRING A DONKEY FOR HIM TO SIT ON AS HE ENTERED.

THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOLIC GESTURE. KINGS ARRIVING AFTER A GREAT MILITARY VICTORY WOULD COME IN ON A BEAUTIFUL WHITE STALLION. IN TIMES OF PEACE, THE KING WOULD OFTEN RIDE IN ON A COLT TO SYMBOLIZE THAT PEACE PREVAIL. JESUS WAS ENTERING JERUSALEM AS THE PRINCE OF PEACE. QUESTION: WHAT IS A PRINCE. ANSWER: A PRINCE IS A KING IN WAITING.

JESUS WOULD FULFILL A NUMBER OF PROPHECIES DURING THIS LAST WEEK, ONE OF THEM COMING FROM THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH.

ZECHARIAH 9:9: REJOICE GREATLY, DAUGHTER ZION! SHOUT, DAUGHTER JERUSALEM! SEE, YOUR KING COMES TO YOU, RIGHTEOUS AND VICTORIOUS, LOWLY AND RIDING ON A DONKEY, ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.

THIS WAS PROPHECIED HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE CHRIST WAS BORN.

MARK’S GOSPEL TELLS US THAT THIS COLT HAD NEVER BEEN RIDDEN. IN THIS CULTURE ONLY UNUSED ANIMALS, IN THIS CASE AN ANIMAL THAT HAS NEVER BEEN RIDDEN, COULD BE USED FOR SACRED PURPOSES. JESUS COMING INTO JERUSALEM ON A DONKEY THAT HAD NEVER BEEN RIDDEN HELPED TO SHOW JESUS AS BOTH PRIEST AND KING.