The Moving Man

MATTHEW 21:1-11 “THE MOVING MAN”

A) The event that is so much a part of this day, Palm Sunday, is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels!

* I wish that somehow we could all go to Jerusalem and relive the events of that tremendous day.

* How exciting it would be to be a part of the crowds, and walk down that winding road from the

Mt. of Olives, past the Garden of Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley .......

* And up through the great Eastern gate into the city of Jerusalem ... It would be a parade that we

would never forget.

B) As a nation, we love parades, don’t we?

* On Thanksgiving and New Year’s we turn on our TV sets to watch parades ... We line the streets.

* We even honor Super Bowl or World Series teams with parades in their home cities.

* Parades are often held to celebrate victories and honor returning heroes ... And in this parade

Jesus was the main attraction.

C) That reminds me of the story about an elderly missionary returning to the U.S. to retire!

* He and his wife had spent over 40 years serving in Africa, but now he was alone.

* His wife and two children had long since found their final resting place in the soil of Africa.

D) As he got off the plane he saw a great crowd of people waiting at the gate!

* Some were holding signs, others were waving banners, and he could even hear sounds of music

above the shouting voices.

* For a few seconds he thought, “Can it be? ... After more than 40 years of service, all of these

people have actually come out to welcome me home?”

E) But no, that was not the case ... On his plane was a politician returning from a visit to Africa! * During his visit the politician had been catered to and waited upon and all his needs had been met. * And now he was being welcomed back with all the ceremony his nation could provide.

F) As he waited and waited at the airport, the contrast was almost more than the old missionary

could bear ... For a moment he began feeling sorry for himself, and he started to pray!

* He said, “Father in Heaven, why? ... I’ve served You faithfully and for so long, and yet, look.”

* “I don’t expect much ... But is it wrong to desire that there be some kind of a welcome home?”

* Then, almost as if God had spoken out loud, the old missionary heard Him say, “But my son,

you’re not home yet.”

G) It’s true ... This world is not our home ... We’re just passing through!

* And as children of God, someday we want to hear Jesus say, “Well done thou good and faithful

servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

* But every once in a while wouldn’t it be nice if our peers, our colleagues, or our brothers and

sisters in the Lord would just pat us on the back and we could just hear the applause of the crowd?

H) Watching my grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they grow make me even more aware

of the value of praise!

* In learning to walk they stumble and fall ... Applaud and encourage them and they get back up

and keep on trying until they get it right.

* You see, everybody appreciates applause ... And Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem provided

an opportunity for the people to lift their voices in praise to God.

I LOVE TO READ THIS STORY OF JESUS AND HIS TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

A) As Jesus was nearing the city, He sent two of His disciples into the village of Bethphage!

* Jesus said, “When you get there, you will find an ass tied and a colt with her.”

* Jesus knew what He was doing ... He acted with divine foreknowledge ... That is, He knew

exactly where the animal would be found.

B) He said, “Loose them and bring them unto me.”

* In that area, there were very few horses and those few horses were never used as beasts of

burden ... They were used in war.

* The donkey, the mule, and the camel were beasts of burden.

* In fact, that is still true in the Jerusalem area and in other Eastern countries today.

C) Riding on an ass or a mule was an emblem of peace, whereas riding on a horse was

indicative of war ... Even kings and princes rode on donkeys in times of peace!

* For example: Judges 10:4 “Jair, the 8th judge of Israel had 30 sons that rode on 30 ass colts.”