Transcript

Matthew 21:6-10 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: The Gospel of Matthew chapter twenty one six ten The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and they put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and others had cut branches from trees and spread them on the road, 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. And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred up saying, Who is this? And the crowd said, This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee. The Gospel of the Lord. Well the triumphal entry has begun. Jesus has sent two disciples ahead to retrieve a donkey and her cult, now they're returning, and the prophetic moment unfolds in epic historic proportion. The scene is deliberate and every moment of it symbolic. Jesus doesn't simply sneak into Jerusalem. He doesn't just casually arrive. No, this arrival communicates some very specific and important meanings. The very large crowd, they spread their cloaks on the road, and others had cut branches down from trees to spread them. This crowd's response echoed the royal processions of the great kings of old. When Jehu in 2 Kings 9 was proclaimed king, the people did the same thing. They spread their cloaks on the ground before him. The spreading of cloaks and branches created this carpet of honor. But now not just any king, the king of kings is entering Jerusalem. And the crowds that went before him, And that followed him shouted this very specific blessing and phrase, Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. You know, Hosanna literally means, Save now, I pray, O Lord. It's this cry drawn from Psalm 118, and it's sung usually during the great feasts. The crowds are applying this messianic language to Jesus, identifying him as the great son of David, the expected king of the Who would restore Israel's glory and reign. And when he enters Jerusalem, well the whole city is stirred up, saying, Who is this? But the Greek word translated here as stirred up is the word seismos. It's the same word that's the root for earthquake. Jesus' entrance shook the city. The atmosphere must have been electric. You could tell something epic was about to happen, and you could feel the tension in the air. And That things would never be the same again. You know, for Matthew's original readers, every detail is loaded with meaning. Jesus chose a donkey, rather than a great and mighty war horse. This fulfilled Zachariah's prophecy of a humble king. The crowds also recognized the significance, but they didn't yet understand fully the meaning. But the joy of what we call Palm Sunday would prove to be short-lived. Within days the same crowds that shouted Hosanna would be shouting crucify him. The same city stirred by his arrival would conspire in his death and would quite literally shake as the temple veil was torn in two. The triumphal entry reveals both Jesus' true identity and the fickle nature of human acclaim. Jesus' chosen mode of entry is also instructive. He could have come in great military splendor, but instead he rides a borrowed donkey. The King of Kings entered his capital city in deliberate, intentional humility. His kingdom would not be established through an overwhelming military force, but through suffering and love. Well, how does this passage speak to us today? First, it reveals Jesus' intentionality towards us. He wasn't a passive recipient of the events that would take place. No, Jesus was the director of his own story. He knew that this had to happen. He even asked God the Father in the garden if there's any possible way take this yoke from me. But if not, your will be done. You see, Jesus was submitted to the will of the Father, and while he commanded the armies of heaven, he enters Jerusalem as a lowly, humble man. Suffering servant. Second, the crowd's response invites reflection of our own worship. Are our Hosanna's durable or are they circumstantial? Do we praise Jesus when he meets our expectations and needs, or do we praise him when times are bad, when bills are unpaid, when things go from bad to worse? Do we cry out, Hosanna, here comes the Son of David then? Or if we're really honest, do we doubt that he even exists? Third, the humble donkey challenges our assumptions about power. It's natural to gravitate towards impressive, powerful displays of might and majesty, but Jesus Jesus chose smallness, lowliness, and borrowed resources to exercise the flex as he walks and processes in and rides in to Jerusalem. Fourth, the whole city being shaken, well it suggests that an authentic encounter with Jesus often will disturb the status quo. His presence raises questions, creates division, and forces decisions. Today, let's examine the sincerity of our own worship. Do we praise Jesus for who he actually is, or do we praise him for what we want him to be? Do we praise Jesus because of what he does for us? Or do we praise him because of the fact that he's worthy of our praise? He's mighty, he's majestic, he is glorious, and we get to worship Jesus. Friends, as Jesus has entered the city, let's let him enter our hearts and let us be transformed by the lowly, suffering servant.