Notes from my teaching on Palm Sunday:
Matthew 21:1-11

:1-3

As they approached Jerusalem

It is time for the sacrifice of Jesus life for the sins of the world to proceed.
He will enter Jerusalem in fulfillment of the plan of God.
He will stir the crowd and send a message all at once.
The crowd stirred in his favor will enter into the timing of His death…for the rulers of the city who want to kill him…also want the crowds favor. He will be able to do some final things in those days that otherwise might not have been possible.
So he will ride into the city….
-interesting…that is the way conquerors did…after a significant battle…to the cheers and acclaim of everyone…to the honoring of the city…
*Napoleon…the General and Emperor of his time in France (mid 1700-mid1800) – was famous and to this day (Louvre) painted with hand in his vest…mounted on a white stallion…he was a little man and did everything he could to appear larger than life….


Not so with Jesus - he approached Jerusalem…..
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, 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.
If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Bethphage…a very small suburb of Jerusalem..legally tied to the city
We are talking blocks of walking today…not miles…..
And it seems very likely that Jesus might have arranged this in advance.
A donkey was worth up to two years in income to purchase.
The colt would have probably never been ridden on.
No further explanation than the Lord has need…was needed. A code?

:4
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“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.”

What is transpiring is fulfilling prophetic words spoken over the city…
Daughter of Zion…the people of Jerusalem

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.
So cloaks are placed on both animals…and other texts of this event tell us, Jesus sat on the foal…
Not a fully grown animal…but a gentle, young, never ridden beast.

8 – A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
-Palm branches…and cloaks begin to turn the dusty road into a kingly, colorful, verdant pathway…
-it is a busy and noisy event….spontaneous, filled with excitement, cries and waving arms…children and adults…
Lasted only a short time (several hours?)
…only a short distance
…but while it did it was truly an exclamation point…the event of the day indeed


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!”
- It is here that we start to see a contrast….
- Hosanna….God save us
- Son of David…the qual of a King
- GOD SAVE US…KING TO BE
-
They were looking for strength…
for rescue from the heel of Roman occupation
They were looking for miracles to change their lives
They were ready to shout for one who could deliver the goods…and bring change.

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.”
Galilee…where so much of His ministry had unfolded…..

The whole city was stirred….it was abuzz – with the thought of temporal relief.

And Jesus…
1. Came to fulfill the word of God…
2. Came to face the wrath of the devil and his host…and it would kill him
3. Came to bring change to people but only from the inside out
4. Not with any appearance of power…but gentle, meek, riding an unbroken animal…
It was the ultimate fulfillment of his promise at the start of it all…
Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden
…and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls.

The crowd that day did well to praise Him…but were motivated selfishly.
*We get that way too….we come here and take inventory of ourselves as to whether, how and how much we will praise Him and worship…whether we will give him our full attention and be lavish in our praise or whether we will just sing songs….and never really lose sight of ourselves.

Let’s imagine it is Palm Sunday all over again…
And we are the crowd…
But there is this huge difference….
we know who He is…and what is going to happen
….and that what does happen will change the world and millions of people in it forever
….and I do mean forever.

So we worship him…
To thank him for his gentleness that lets us near.
To thank him for his sacrifice that sets us free.
To thank him for his unswerving obedience that makes Him the Lord we can follow.