by Mark Rater
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Palm Sunday is the day that the church celebrates and remembers Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem, the center of religious life for God's chosen nation of Israel. He is entering Jerusalem in the final week of His life. Jesus has been born. Jesus has now been ministering to the people. Healing the sick, feeding the masses, raising the dead, and preaching about His coming kingdom. Preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He's being praised and honored for all the mighty works that the people had witnessed him performing. He is being hailed as king by the people. Just five days later, the crowd will not be shouting for his coronation as king. They will be shouting out for His crucifixion. Jesus knows this. He has been telling His disciples that He will be betrayed and crucified.
Many Israelites had long anticipated Messiah's coming. Had long anticipated the rule and reign of their promised king. God had promised throughout scripture that He would provide His Messiah, His own Son, to rule and reign, to be an everlasting King descended from David, who would take away the sins of Israel and the whole world. The people have heard the promise. They have witnessed His works. They are expecting that Jesus will free them from the power and rule of the oppressive Roman empire. They expect a political king. A political savior.
Jesus enters Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover week, which celebrates God's deliverance of the nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery. They are expecting Jesus to now free them from the bondage of Roman rule. But Jesus has come not just to free His people in national and political matters, but to free them from the bondage of sin and death. He'll do exactly that by the end of the week.
Jesus knows this. This is all part of God's sovereign plan. In chapter 18 of Luke's gospel, Jesus tells His disciples exactly that just before the account of His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem in chapter 19. (Luke 18:31... "And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.")
Jesus is about to accomplish fully what He had come to earth to do. Up to this point, He had generally discouraged people from proclaiming that He is the Messiah. The time has now come for Jesus to be presented to Israel as that Messiah. The triumphant Messiah that has been long expected. The Messiah that will soon triumph over sin and death.
Let's take a look at Matthew's account of the coronation of Jesus and notice...
1. God is sovereign and orders the circumstances how He chooses
(Matthew 21:1-3)
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
See Luke 18:31-33 again...how Jesus knew exactly what would happen in in God's plan of salvation, that His death and resurrection would occur and how it would occur
Jesus knows there will be a donkey and a colt
Jesus knows the reaction and response of the villagers, that they may ask questions and that they will send the donkey and colt
2. God is sovereign...He tells us beforehand what will happen and it happens (this event fulfills one of a multitude of prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ)
Matthew 21:4-5
This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt,the foal of a beast of burden.’”
fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9
the promised king has come!
notice the humility of Jesus, riding not on a stallion or any creature of honor, but on a lowly service animal, yet...
notice the honor set aside for the King
Mark and Luke record that the donkey is one in which "no one has ever sat." It is implied in John's gospel by the phrase "young donkey." In scripture, this speaks of purity for a sacred task as in Numbers 19:2 and Deuteronomy 21:3
3. God allows people to be used in accomplishing His purposes
Matthew 21:6
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
Notice the obedience of the discipes. Because of their obedience, they are blessed to be a part of God's program
The disciples honor Christ by placing their cloaks on the donkey and colt for Him to sit on...an act of submission and humility toward the King.
4. Christ is honored as King
Matthew 21:8-11
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
now the crowds show honor and submission to the King by spreading their cloaks on the ground as the disciples had offered theirs
other gospel accounts specify that the branches spread on the road were palm branches
palm branches were a symbol of Jewish nationalism and were connected historically with Jewish victories over enemies
palm branches were associated with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, appeared on Jewish coins, and were part of the decoration of the synagogues where Jews would worship
these palms are spread on the road as a symbol of Messiah's anticipated triumph over Roman oppression on behalf of His people (how much better that Christ triumphed over sin and death on behalf of His people and all those who would become His children by faith!!)
the crowds shouting in verse 9 are making reference to Psalm 118:25-26.
"Hosanna" can be translated "save now," "please save," or "o save." Used here as a term of honor and adoration of the promised savior
(again, they are expecting only a political savior despite scripture repeatedly proclaiming their need for and the future provision of a savior that will save them from the wrath against sinners of a holy and just God)
"Son of David" refers to and was understood by Jews to refer to the coming Messiah from the line (family) of David
2 Samuel 7:12-16 (the Davidic Covenant) promises a coming king from the line of David who's rule would have no end
they are recognizing Christ as such, even as they misunderstand the far reaching implications of the salvation that the King is about to accomplish
5. A fickle following:
Remember though, that five days later the shouts of acclaim will turn to shouts of "crucify!"
Salvation is only by grace through faith! Though the fickle crowd has witnessed and heard what Christ has done and thus "loves" and honors Him and goes to Jerusalem to do so (Luke 19:37, John 12:18), they quickly turn and follow the objections of the Pharisees (Luke 19:39. John 12:19) and by the end of the week are rooting for His death
6. Jesus will be given glory!
(Luke's account of the Triumphal Entry, or what John MacArthur accurately refers to as the "Coronation of the King" is found in Luke 19:28-44)
Luke 19:39-40
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Jesus will be glorified! He doesn't need man to do it, the very creation itself will do it if we do not!
7. Jesus weeps for unrepentant Jerusalem
Luke 19:41-44
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
notice Christ's sorrow for the fact that judgment must come because Jerusalem will fail to recognize their deepest need for their Messiah though it was made clear to them throughout scripture and manifested to them in the person and work of Jesus Christ
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ. Such significance in the official presentation and coronation of Jesus Christ, who is "the King who comes in the name of the Lord" (Luke 19:38). The long awaited Messiah, the Son of David. The long-awaited Ruler of Israel. The Savior of the world. The fulfillment of all of God’s promises.
This Palm Sunday, may we give glory, honor, and praise to the one who has offered salvation to the Jew and the Gentile through the cross. May we be submit ourselves to and be thankful for the King who came in the name of the Lord, the one who humbly offered Himself up and submitted to the will of the Father to go to the cross for us, to bear our sin and give us His righteousness by grace through faith. To Christ, who was raised from the dead, defeating sin and death and giving righteousness and life to all who believe, as we will remember and celebrate next week on Easter Sunday! To Him be the glory forever and ever, amen!
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