We’ve come to a crucial crossroads in our journey through the book of Matthew. Everything that Jesus has taught and done has been leading to this point. You could say that the events we read about today are the beginning of the end that leads to the beginning.
In cosmic terms – the Lamb of God, slain before the foundations of the earth is coming to lay down His life to give life to all. He is coming to His own – those He created, as King of Kings – though riding on a donkey. It is fitting, then, that this event be surrounded by worship, praise, and adoration. Despite the things that would soon happen, the plotting, the betrayals, the accusations, the turning away, and the beating and torture – this was a time to recognize that something special is taking place – like the point in a movie where the hero is about to undertake the final quest to save the girl or the town or the nation – our hero is riding into town.
How he does it, and how the people react teaches us about how we react to Jesus riding into our lives – about worship, and about what it is we get out of our relationship with God.
21:1 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.’"
This is from Isaiah 62:11, and Zechariah 9:9. It’s important because Jesus is taking off the wraps on who He is – we’ll talk more about that in a moment. But notice how He comes. The people expected a conquering king as their Messiah – but their own Scriptures told them that their king would not come this way – but gentle, riding on a donkey.
Anyone who has ridden a donkey knows you don’t ride in to conquer a city on one. Never-the-less – this was a sign of a king – but one coming in peace.
Now there will be a time when Jesus again rides onto the scene at Jerusalem. We find that in Revelation Chapter 19.
Rev 19:11-16
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Obviously from the text – this coming of Jesus will be as a conquering king – to conquer all those who oppose Him. No one might be afraid of a guy riding into Jerusalem on a donkey – and we shouldn’t be frightened of Jesus either as he approaches our life.
He describes Himself as "gentle and humble at heart" someone who gives "rest." None of us should be frightened of Him – He is a welcoming Savior who wants to be our king if we will let Him.
BUT – if you reject Him – then you should be afraid – very afraid. Make no mistake – Jesus IS the powerful person riding on the white horse coming to conquer and tread the winepress of the fury of God Almighty. He may be wrapped in humility in this scene, but it is the same person.
– You’re going to meet one Jesus or the other – The question is which Jesus it going to be?
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.
Isn’t it amazing that Matthew records this so matter-of-factly? We read in the other gospels that someone challenged the disciples from stealing what amounted to a car – but with a word "the Master has need of it" the owner let them go. It’s possible that Jesus spoke to the owner beforehand – or it’s possible that He was so well known that saying "The Master has need of it" was enough – but isn’t it neat that Jesus took the time to make sure no one was put out. He is the king of the universe after all – He didn’t have to take their feelings into consideration. But that’s Jesus – He is a gentleman. Are we?
Something else - sometimes doing God’s work involves things that are truly miraculous. Though we should never take it granted – it shouldn’t marvel us so much that the God of the universe will sometimes bend that universe in ways to serve His purposes – and that He’ll use us to do it!
In other words: just obey – and don’t ask questions. So now comes the big moment.
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!"
As you will remember, Jesus has spent a lot of time either making only references His Messiahship, or telling people pointedly NOT to tell others about what He had done. But this is the time and place for Jesus to announce to the entire universe that He indeed is the Messiah, the Christ. He does that in several important ways and to fulfill several important prophecies.
The spreading of the cloaks on the road suggests majesty – in 2 Kings 9 the people spread their cloaks on the bare steps for Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat and declared him as king.
The branches were probably cut from fig or olive trees – not palm trees. This was part of the celebration of Passover, but was also done to welcome a liberator as a sign of victory. The act, and what they said, comes from the Psalms:
Psalm 118:27
25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
"Lord, save us," is the Hebrew Hosanna. It’s likely that they didn’t mean God save us right now – but it was like saying "Praise the Lord" – an expression.
They said: "Son of David" because in 2 Samuel 7 the Lord promises to send the Messiah from David’s offspring.
Another prophecy fulfilled here is found in the book of Daniel.
9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;
Seventy weeks are seventy weeks of years. This is one of the most crucial prophecies in the Bible. Daniel wrote these words in 538 BC – the first year of Darius, king of Persia. About 95 years later, in 445BC, Ataxerxes gave the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem after the 70 year Babylonian captivity of the Jewish nation. We know the exact date of this proclamation as found by the archeologist Sir Rolandson – it was March 14, 445BC.
Why is this important, you say? The prophecy says there will be a total of 69 weeks of years from the command to the coming of Messiah the Prince. So any Jew who was really paying attention could have calculated 483 years from March 14, 445BC and come up with an exact day in which the Messiah would come riding to Israel’s capitol city as a king.
Now these years were based on the Babylonian calendar of 360 days – so translating 483 years into days would yield 173,880 days. Calculating from March 14, 445BC lands you at April 6, 32AD. What happened on that day? We’re reading about it today. Wow! Talk about proof text for the reality of who Jesus is – any reasonable person should at this point fall down and like the folks outside of Jerusalem proclaim Jesus as their king!
So it’s a big deal – a very very big deal. But let’s get back to our story.
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."
There was, of course, a lot of curiosity after this spectacle. A lot of folks coming to Jerusalem would have seen what happened – and a lot more probably witnessed what took place next.
12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 "It is written," he said to them, "’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’"
Those who were in God’s house were there for their own profit and gain. What had happened is that the people were supposed to bring an animal to be sacrificed at Passover. We’re not talking just a few – the Jewish historian Josephus tells us that 225,600 lambs were offered in 66AD.
Not everyone could bring their own animal so the priests allowed markets to be set up where you could buy a "spotless" lamb. You also had to use temple currency to pay the temple tax – so money changers provided that service. Unfortunately profit took priority over worship and the merchants and moneychangers charged exorbitant rates.
As often happens when we allow the principals of the world into the church – the markets eventually ended up in the court of the Gentiles – the only place where non-Jews could worship. The market filled the court so that it was impossible to worship. So Jesus drives them out. But after Jesus drove them out, those that really needed to be there came.
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
It is those that need God that should be free to come to Him without cost. The moneychangers put up barriers to reach God. Jesus is saying, there are no barriers to My healing of all who need it.
The question is: why are you coming to the house of God? Is it for what you can gain or for what a relationship with Him can bring?
16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, ’From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?" (comes from Psalm 8)
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Apparently the kids who gathered at the commotion, started repeating the praise – not knowing the true meaning, yet what they said was true. Sometimes we don’t know totally what we are doing when we worship – and worship shouldn’t be just rote memorization – but praise to God is praise to God, even if it comes from children who don’t necessarily know all the ins and outs of theology.
For us – don’t be discouraged if you are a young believer – don’t think that you have to know everything before you can anything. God can use rocks, for heavens sake – so He can use us no matter how mature or young we are in Him – as long as we are in Him.
Conclusion
I want to conclude by looking at the various parts of this story and how they relate to us relating to God.
The people called out "Hosanna" but Jesus defied their expectations by riding in on a donkey, not a chariot or a horse. They wanted the yoke of Rome taken off their shoulders but Jesus wanted to take the yoke of sin off the world.
When Jesus refused to do their bidding, they turned against Him. The question is: do you demand that God pay attention to your wants, disregarding His plan? He is not a genie, or a personal deity. Yes, He wants us to take our needs to Him and He does answer – but in everything we always need to seek His will, even if it means harm or sorrow now.
Even though the people didn’t understand – look at the praise they bestowed upon Jesus. They waved branches, they put their coats on the road so that the colt would ride over them – they really rolled out the red carpet for Him.
Do we do the same for our Savior? How spontaneous and how expressive are we in our praise and worship of the Lord. Do we feel free to wave our hands, or kneel down before Him? That is the focus of our worship here at Living Waters – that we would be freed up to freely express our joy and adoration. Yes – everything should be done decently and in order and you shouldn’t call attention to yourself – instead you should call attention to Jesus.
The merchants and moneychangers – and even the Jewish priests – were on the inside of the religious system – a system which they bent to their own wishes and for their own profits – making it impossible for people who really wanted to seek God to express that.
The question for us is: what do you get out of your relationship to God? Are you in it because you meet a lot of people that you can do business with? Are you in it because you can have power and control over other people? Are you in it, not because you want to give your heart to God, but because you think that you can work the system without personally having to change?
Check your motives – we come to God because He is the source of life. We come to God because He is God and we’re not – we’re helpless. We come to Him because He has provided salvation and we want to fully invest ourselves in that saving/transforming work.
Sometimes, like the children at the Temple, we need to express praise even though we don’t totally understand God or what He’s doing in our lives. In fact, that’s one of the best times to worship. Instead of worrying – worship. Instead of pouting – praise.
Don’t be a fair weather worshiper – stick with worship even in the storms
Don’t be a squelcher of other’s excitement for God, catch theirs instead
Don’t work the system, but let God work you
Finally – Worship, even if you don’t understand the whole plan
