M.v.p.

Matt.21:1-11

M.V.P.

INTRO:

If Jesus had of entered into one of our modern cities, leading the parade, He would have been arrested immediately. He would be a wanted man. The FDA would want Him for turning water into wine without a license; the EPA for killing fig trees; the AMA for practicing medicine without a license; the Dept. of Health for asking people to open graves, for raising the dead and for feeding 5000 people in the wilderness without a food permit; the NEA for teaching without a certificate; OSHA for walking on water without a lifejacket; the SPCA for driving hogs into the sea; the NATIONAL BOARD OF PSYCHIATRISTS for giving advice on how to live a guilt free life; the N.O.W. for not choosing a woman disciple; the ABORTION RIGHTS LEAGUE for saying that whoever harms children, it is better that they had never been born; the INTERFAITH MOVEMENT for condemning all other religions, and by the ZONING DEPT. for building mansions without a permit. (W. Wiersbe).

Jesus would be a wanted man today. Well let me tell you, He was a wanted man on this day 2000 years ago. While the crowd was praising Him, the religious leaders of the day were plotting to kill Him……It is Passover. Up to 2 million people in and around Jerusalem. And up to now Jesus has avoided any public demonstration. But now He does. Why? Couple of reasons. (1) One is, He is fulfilling prophecy-Zech.9:9. (2) Second reason for this public demonstration is that it forced the Jewish leaders to act. When they saw the demonstration of the people they concluded that Jesus had to be destroyed (John 12:19). Now what were the Romans thinking as they watched this festive demonstration? After all the Romans were experts at parades and official public events. No Roman would have called this a triumphal event. When a Roman general came back to Rome after a complete conquest of an enemy, he was welcome with an elaborate parade. War prisoners would be bound behind him while he rode a white horse or chariot. He would have had to kill 5000 enemy soldiers. But you see Jesus is on a peaceful mission. When a king rode a donkey into a town it symbolized that he was on a peace mission. Jesus is on a peace mission to reconcile man to God. And by Acts 4:4 5000 lives would be claimed for the Gospel. It would be a victory of another kind-love over hatred, truth over error, life over death.

Now, who is the most important character in this story? The chanting crowd? They cry ‘crucify Him’ in just a few days. The two disciples? They fled and denied Him just like all the others. The most important character is the colt. You see, the donkey is a beast of burden. And she represents the Jewish people which had long bore the yoke of the Law. Now the colt represents the time of the Gentiles, the Church. The one that will bear the Gospel to a lost world. The donkey represents the Old Covenant and the colt the New Covenant. This new colt had never been ridden. That’s important because donkeys that had never been ridden were regarded as especially suitable for religious purposes (Deut.21:3). So it was most fitting that Jesus sent for the colt to perform the royal task of carrying Him into Jerusalem. So, the colt is the most important character because of his mission. ETS: His mission was to carry Jesus. ESS: Did you know our mission is to carry Jesus. As a child of God that’s your mission. How are we to do this? We’re to be like the colt…

1. WE’RE TO BE UNTIED vs.2

What’s tying you down? What’s tying our people down? What binds us? Sin binds us!!! You

can not be an effective witness for Christ when you are bound by sin. It’s first sin of omission.

Omitting the things we’re supposed to do. Sins of omission then lead to sins of commission.

You see when you stop doing the things you know you’re to do…pray, read your Word, be in

God’s house, love Him and serve Him with a whole heart…when you stop doing these things it

then leads to sins of commission. Then you begin committing sin. And the end result is "no

mission". Folks, we live in a post-Christian society. People are apathetic about church because

Christians are apathetic in Church. They are tied by sins of omission, commission which leads

to no mission. It’s sIn, with a big "I" in the middle. Oh my friends the solution is confession.

Repent of those sins today. Be loosed and be on mission for Jesus.

2. WE’RE TO BE OBEDIENT vs.6-7 & Obediently Serve

The donkey and her colt obediently followed these two disciples. Did some research on donkeys.