Matt.
21:1-16
Who Is
This?
3/20/2016
Lynchburg,
Virginia
EXHORDIUM
Who Is This?
Hast thou Not Heard?
Thou art mindful of Him.
He Is the King of Glory.
Today
we look at the Triumphal Entry of our Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. We often call
this day Palm Sunday because the crowd cut palm branches and strawed them in
the way as Jesus rode into town on a donkey that had never been ridden.
Many Christians act as if Jesus’s ride into
Jerusalem was a fool’s errand. They view the Triumphal Entry almost as if it
were one long tragic train wreck, at least as far as it concerns Jesus taking
up His Kingship in Jerusalem. Their view
is that all of that, the ride into Jerusalem on a king’s mount, the people
preparing the way, the shouts of Hosanna to the Son of David, were all
misunderstandings of what Jesus really came to do.
They skip over the Triumphal Entry and
scoot right on up to the cross and the glory of the Resurrection. Of course, no cross, no salvation. No
Resurrection, no victorious life. So, the cross and resurrection are most
important. We will consider death and life next week. But today, Jesus is
riding into Jerusalem. The people proclaim Him King and Jesus received the
worship and the acclamation. He seems to think that He is exactly what they say
He is, the expected King of the Jews and even more.
It is interesting how our pre-conceived
doctrines play havoc on our hermeneutics.
What we already think is the case colors how we read our Bibles. There
really is no way around this. Every time you open your Bible, you are making
interpretations based upon what you already know. Or, at least, what you THINK
you know. That is okay. It is how we are made. But a faithful Christian and
Bible student is willing to let the text lead him wherever it goes, instead of
him leading the text wherever he wants it to go. If his pre-conceived idea is
pushed around or even beat up by Scripture, he is not offended. His desire is
to be true to the text and he is not afraid of what that text might do to him
or his ideas.
One strong pre-conception about
Scripture that colors how we read the text is what we think the story is, in
the main. Generally speaking, most of us have been taught that the main gist of
the Bible is about salvation and by salvation, we mean soteriology, the study
of how man is saved. So far, I am okay with that. If we take Salvation to mean
the work that God is doing to save man and His world then I am with you. But we
often reduce salvation to mean the way in which individuals ‘get saved.’ And
when we read the Bible that way, our very idea of the gospel also gets shrunk
down. The gospel then becomes the message by which men ‘get saved.’
Some of you may be thinking, “So, isn’t
that exactly what the Bible is about?”
But let us take a slightly different
tack. If the main gist of the Bible is the story that God is telling, what is
that story? It is a story of creation, fall into sin by Adam and Eve,
banishment from God’s garden and then God’s plan to redeem and restore mankind.
That is, of course, the salvation part, man’s redemption. But redemption in
this way of looking at it is part of the larger story. We should be reading our
bibles and all of the subplots with the larger story in mind.
Thus, eschatology is a better lens through which
we view God’s plans. What is God up to? How will He build His kingdom? What is
He doing as King? What does His Kingdom look like? What is the end game?
These are very different questions than
how does one ‘get saved.’ And I want to keep asking that question but if we ask
that question in regards to the Triumphal Entry the story does not make much
sense to us. How does the fact that the people think Jesus is a King affect my
salvation? But if we ask how does this play into God’s larger story of
redemption of the world, then there are good answers. Jesus really is a King,
not just king of my heart. He is King of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the
utter ends of the Earth.
If your view is that Jesus came to
Earth to save souls and take them to heaven when they die, then all this
business about being the King of the entire Earth does not
make sense. It makes more sense to explain away the Earthly kingdom in light of
a spiritual kingdom up in Heaven. And if you go there, then there are far
reaching ramifications. This world begins to fade away and the only real world
for you is “getting out of this one and going to that one in the sky.” About the only thing we can conceive of in
that case are departed souls. There is no room for stuff, work, houses, study,
and the like. We all become perfected minds floating around in space.
What does this all have to do with the
Triumphal Entry? Well, everything! When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, His ride was
the culmination of the entire Jewish history. The people were proclaiming Him
as the one who would sit on David’s throne forever. They understood that this
One was the Messiah. Their understanding was a bit small, they thought He would
rule restored Israel, but they most certainly understood the Messiah to be
restoring all the glory that had been lost by Israel. What is even more than
this, the history of Israel stretched back even to the very garden of God. The
kingship that Adam forfeited was in mind here in the Messiah. The promise that
the seed of the Woman would one day crush the head of the serpent was in play
here as well. The promised victory to Eve from the beginning was coming to
pass.
This has to do with the remaking of the
world. The Messiah would usher in the reversal of the curse. And with that in
mind, the ride into Jerusalem takes on an entirely new dimension. Jesus was not
coming merely to save souls. He does that, no doubt, but His errand was of a much
farther reaching scope. His errand was to restart the creation in such a way
that all those who belong to Him would be partners in remaking the world.
EXEGESIS
Matt. 21:1 And when
they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of
Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye
shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them
unto me.
This week unfolds just as God had planned for it to unfold. This
is obvious from the beginning. Jesus has things arranged.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them;
and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy
King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an
ass.
Jesus is Lord and is recognized as such. Not only this, He is also
recognized as David’s Royal son. We sometimes think of Jesus riding in on a
donkey as something less than glorious but in the ancient world, kings rode in
on donkeys. When David wanted Solomon crowned, he put him on a donkey and had
him ride through the city with loud acclamation. When Jesus rides in on a
donkey it is to proclaim that He is David’s son and thus the heir of the
kingdom. Furthermore, the expectation is now that this heir of David, is, in
fact, the Messiah.
This Triumphal Entry is the announcement by Jesus that He is the
Messiah, the King of the Jews, the prophet like Moses who would arise to save
Israel.
6 And the disciples went, and did
as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought
the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their
garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
The multitude recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. They lay out the
red carpet. They put their own cloaks down to create a safe and beautiful
highway to Jerusalem.
9 And the multitudes that went
before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And
when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is
this? 11 And the multitude said, This is
Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
The people quote from Psalm 118, an overtly Messianic Psalm. They
say that Jesus is the prophet from Nazareth but more than a prophet.
Triumph comes but not without suffering. This is the one
ingredient that the prophets seemed to overlook, even if it was blatantly
staring them in the face. The Messiah was to be opposed, resisted, even
persecuted yet remains victorious.
Psa. 118:1
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy
endureth for ever. 2 Let Israel now
say, that his mercy endureth for
ever. 3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
that his mercy endureth for
ever. 4 Let them now that fear the LORD
say, that his mercy endureth for
ever.
5 I called
upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
6 The LORD is on my side; I
will not fear: what can man do unto me?
7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8 It is
better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is
better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 All
nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy
them. 11 They compassed me about; yea,
they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 12 They compassed me about like bees; they
are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy
them.
13 Thou
hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous:
the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD
doeth valiantly.
17 I shall
not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. 18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he
hath not given me over unto death.
Psa.
118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20 This gate of the LORD, into which the
righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise
thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23
This is the LORD’S doing; it is
marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD,
I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the
LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. 27 God
is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 28 Thou art
my God, and I will praise thee: thou art
my God, I will exalt thee. 29 O give
thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
Matt. 21:12 And Jesus
went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the
temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them
that sold doves, 13 And said unto them,
It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made
it a den of thieves.
God’s house is to be a house of prayer for all nations but the
hypocrisy of the religious system in Israel is revealed by Jesus.
EXHORTATION
14 And the blind and the lame came
to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and
scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the
temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore
displeased, 16 And said unto him,
Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never
read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
The kingdom is here, there is no doubt about
that. Jesus is ruling Heaven and Earth from Heaven. But the events of Easter
week give us a stark contrast about the nature of Christ’s kingdom. It is not a
kingdom for the powerful, the beautiful and the strong. Blind and lame came to
Jesus in the temple; and he healed them.
The kingdom of Christ is made up of the cast
offs of society, those who would have no other hope unless their hope was in
Jesus. And from these come a pronounced foresight and wisdom. Out of the mouth
of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise.
Psa. 8:1 O
LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy
name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still
the enemy and the avenger.
Psa. 8:3
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou
visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou
madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of
the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and
the fish of the sea, and whatsoever
passeth through the paths of the seas. 9
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy
name in all the earth!
So,
we see that Jesus has come to put all things on the Earth in subjection under
his feet. But He does this in a way that is contrary to the ordinary rules of
ruling. Jesus takes dominion through suffering and service. And we must do the
same.
On the night of Passover, Jesus washed
the disciples feet and he left them as an example for them to do likewise. His
kingdom does not come through domination and sword. It comes through sacrifice
and service. But it really does arrive. This kind of sacrifice and service
produces a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Psa. 24:7 Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in
battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King
of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
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