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"Presenting: Your King!" • 3.28.21 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The gospel of Matthew is focused on the evidence that presents Jesus as the King, the long awaited Messiah of Israel.
- Matthew has taken great care in unveiling these details to the Jewish nation specifically. Jesus comes from the right family line. His miracle working power was predicted by the prophets.
- The Lord's principles have been put on display in the Sermon on the Mount and His promises pertaining to future events are about to be captured in the Olivet Discourse.
- In the section before us, Jesus walks into the very center of Jewish life, into Jerusalem at the Passover feast, where the scrutiny and the criticism will be at it highest.
- Let's begin where our chapter begins, with the "Presentation Of The King." Verse 1.
Text
• Matthew 21:1a : "Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives," : The Lord has been slowly traveling south from the Sea of Galilee over a period of 9 months.
- He has been walking with His disciples, journeying from place to place. Just yesterday, Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men in Jericho.
- Today, He joins an untold multitude in pilgrimage to Jerusalem. During a feast, especially one like the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, the city could be overrun with visitors.
- Scholars estimate that 2-3 million people swelled into the city. This is why Jesus is stopping at Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, right across from the entrance into Jerusalem.
- "Bathe-fagey" is translated as the "house of unripe figs." Fascinating place to stay, given the spiritual pulse of the Nation and the King who has come to inspect her!
- Jeremiah 24 speaks of the state of the nation at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's first campaign against Israel. God compares the nation to figs, some good and some rotten.
- The Lord is about to find out which were which! Before this commences, the Lord sends His disciples on a curious mission. Verse 2.
• Matthew 21:1b-3 : "Then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.'" : Without much explanation, the Lord instructs His disciples to secure some transportation for Him. They are told where to go, the village opposite of them and what they would find.
- Most believe the village to be Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha lived.
- Whenever Jesus came into this area, He stayed with them and made a few other friends in the process. The Lord will have known of this donkey and it's colt.
- He instructs His disciples to loose them and bring both to Him. If anyone stopped them, they would only need to say that the Lord had need of them. That would settle the issue!
- Matthew doesn't record any obstacle, but both Mark and Luke reveal that someone did question them and immediately peacefully withdrew at their answer. (Mark 11:4-6, Luke 19:31,32)
- It happened as their Lord had said. Jesus has just walked hundreds of kilometers to get to the border of Jerusalem, but He needs a donkey and it's colt now? Why? Verse 4.
• Matthew 21:4,5 : "All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 'Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’" : Jesus
didn't just want to rest His feet. This information is provided for us to reveal the intricacies of divinity.
- This entire episode exists in the record to reveal how committed God is to fulfilling His Word, which He has magnified, exalted above His own Name! (Psalm 138:2)
- I point that out because fulfilled prophecy runs through this passage in incredible ways.
- This particular scripture comes from the book of Zechariah. Zechariah 9 begins as a prophecy regarding the nations surrounding Jerusalem. Verse 9 turns it's attention to Israel.
- Israel is to rejoice and shout because it's King was coming to them! How would they recognize Him? First, He would come and be lowly, speaking of humility.
- Unlike the Kings of the Nations, those who have ruled on the Earth, Israel's King will be known for His humility when He appears. He's the anti-thesis to human governors and Kings.
- He will be known for His humility. This will be His primary characteristic at this visitation.
- The second part of this prophecy speaks of His transportation. In a typical Roman Triumph, a conquering King would be preceeded by a parade of soldiers with incense torches at hand.
- The King himself would ride on the largest and most majestic horse that he could find! Israel's King will arrive on a young donkey, the ultimate service animal!
- His countenance would be marked by humility, His carriage would speak of service! Zechariah 9:10 completes the thought.
• Zechariah 9:10 : "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’" : This King is not here on this day as a conqueror. He is calling for peace!
- In this season of time upon the Earth, men and women from every nation, are beckoned to peacefully surrender to this King of Kings! His second coming will not offer this option!
- When Jesus mounts this colt and rides into Jerusalem, the stage is set, as the Lord publically, unashamedly proclaims Himself to be the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
- He is Israel's King, their Messiah, who offers Himself in peace to them. Verse 6.
• Matthew 21:6-11 : "So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!' And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, 'Who is this?' So the multitudes said, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.'" : The disciples completed their task and laid their outer clothes across the donkey and colt. Then, they set Jesus upon them without realizing what was happening!
• John 12:16 : "His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him." : As Jesus made His ascent on that Sunday, a multitude began to respond by laying their clothes and palm frawns down before Him.
- They recognized what was happening which is revealed by what they cried out. "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Save now, Oh descendant of David!" They have found the ultimate Son of David!
- This is a specific Messianic title, tied to the promises of God in II Samuel 7, known to Bible students as the "Davidic Covenant." God would establish David's Kingdom forever in Christ!
- The people are crying for their Messiah to take His proper place and begin His rule over Jerusalem and the nations that surrounded her.
- Their gestures reveal that they are ready to submit to Him, but they also speak of what they don't understand about Him or His mission.
- About a hundred years or so prior to this, Judas Maccabeus came into Jerusalem with the same kind of fanfare. People waved and then dropped palm branches before him.
- Judas Maccabeus was a hero to the people of Israel because of the successful revolt he led.
- It's not strange to believe that many of those gathered on this day believed the exact same thing was about to take place. In fact, many of the same political integers were in place.
- In place of the Syrians, the Romans now exerted power over Israel. Jesus, being far more than a revolutionary, was credited among the people with divine works.
- The Passover that they were beginning to celebrate was in fact, the dominate redemption drama of the Old Testament, where God delivered His people from Egypt!
- No wonder they cried out in concert with Psalm 118:26. Blessed is He who comes in the Name, the power, of the Lord to bring salvation!
- The problem is that it wasn't the salvation they were looking for! We'll talk a bit more about that in a moment. For now, note a few more items that were taking place at this time.
- As you know, the Lord has prescribed the reading of certain texts throughout the year and the Passover was no different.
- As Jesus is ascending into Jerusalem, the Priests are reciting the words of Psalm 24:8-10.
• Psalm 24:8-10 : "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." : The priests are singing these words while the people are calling out for Jesus to establish His Kingdom. What a picture!
- In the air above, God's Word is confirming Christ's identity, while the throngs below seek a Messiah of their own making and for their own desire!
- There was genuine excitement, but complete misunderstanding of what God means by salvation! Their minds saw political freedom. God's heart envisioned spiritual freedom!
- This misunderstanding is critical to consider. One could see this in the emotional impact that was being experienced by Jesus Himself. Please turn over to Luke 19.
- With all of this fanfare and excitement, you'd think that the Lord would be pleased. To Him, it was an occasion for great sadness.
• Luke 19:41-44 : "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'" : Notice those words: "If you, even you had known!
- This was their day! They had the best vantage point, the most evidence and they missed it! They had the Lord's official records, living eyewitness testimony to His works.
- They even lived on "this day!" Jesus is referring to yet another prophecy that was being fulfilled at that very moment!
- Daniel 9 contains one of the most important prophecies in scripture with regard to the Jewish nation. God tells Daniel that there is a specific day when Messiah the Prince will enter Jerusalem.
- The countdown will begin with the command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, which occurred when Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to restore the walls of Jerusalem in 445 B.C.
- From here, you have 69 units of years, equaling out to 483 years or 173,880 days. Guess which day that lands on? The very day that Jesus was entering into Jerusalem!
- The specificity of that prophecy makes it impossible for any other person to claim to be the Messiah because they would have had to have been there in Jerusalem on this very day!
- We know this now, but it was hidden from the eyes of the nation. What a tragic story. They had all of the emotions, but none of the knowledge of what was happening.
- Sadly, this is exactly where many people are today. They settle their relationship upon emotions, but have very little knowledge of the historical facts that make Christianity true!
- Jerusalem was moved emotionally as if it had experienced an earthquake, but it didn't comprehend who Jesus was, nor the work that He was doing! Listen to their own words.
- The Priests had asked who this was and the Psalm said, "the King of Glory." The people replied, this is Jesus, not the King, but the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee! What a sad testimony!
- They did not understand who was standing before them and their failure to bow their knees to Him would cost them their earthly Kingdom! We have witnessed the "Presentation Of The King."
- As we move into the next section, we'll take note of the "Power Of The King." Verse 12.
• Matthew 21:12,13 : "Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'" : There are so many interesting pieces to this story. First, recall that Jesus is entering into the Temple on the Day of Preparation.
- This is the day when Jewish households procured their sacrificial lamb. God prescribed that His people inspect their lambs for spots and blemishes from the "10th to the 14th." (Exodus 12:2-6)
- They were not to eat of a lamb with a birth defect or an injury picked up in their lives. From the moment they chose the Lamb, they were to meticulously inspect the lamb, ensuring it's perfection.
- Unbeknownst to the people, Jesus is the King, who is also the Lamb that God has selected! He will be examined like no other Lamb in history! But the type is not fulfilled at this moment.
- God's people need lambs! Because many were coming from distant lands, God's people opted to purchase "pre-approved, formally inspected" lambs from the Temple court.
- Of course, for the convenience, most would pay nearly three times the price for such a spotless and unblemished lamb. A temple lamb was sold to you at Amusement Park prices!
- Jesus is coming into the land on this very day and will be inspected by all of Jerusalem for four days. It takes Jesus two seconds of inspection to find what He was unhappy with!
- It's important to note where this actually took place. This was the court of the Gentiles, the only place where Gentile men and women could go if they wanted to approach God.
- When Jesus saw this gaudy scene, He took the merchant's tables by the hands and threw them over. What made this so galling to Jesus?
- First, this was the second time that He had cleansed the Temple. Matthew does not record it in his gospel, but John records it at the beginning of the Lord's ministry. (John 2:13-22)
- This was His house and the people who had the right of residence were not representing His wishes at all!
- The second problem was with the messaging that was taking place. The only way to get to God was through these shifty priests, who gouged the people before they came!
- This leaves us with what was the most offensive issue of the day. Notice that phrase at the end of verse 12: "the seats of those who sold doves!"
- Leviticus 5:7 prescribed doves as a poor person's sacrifice. Luke 2:24 reports that the Lord's family brought this exact sacrifice with them when Jesus was consecrated!
- His own Father and Mother had barely enough to bring to God and it was galling to the Son that these men could treat people like His family this way!
- Everything that these people did closed the way for people to worship God. What Jesus was about to accomplish would open that way forever!
- He says to all in the final verses of Revelation, that they should come and drink from the water of life freely! (Revelation 22:17) Jesus has paid the way for all who would come!
- What Jesus saw was corruption, exploitation and the merchandising of God's people and He would not have it! This is the passion of the Christ, who knows what God’s house is meant to be.
- The Jews were to choose a Lamb on the first day, as well as remove leaven from their houses! (Exodus 12:15) Jesus won't tolerate anything that would draw a person into sin.
- He is zealous about the space that He shares with His people. He wants His home to be holy!
- I would wish that we had the same attitude of intolerance toward any action or attitude that would mar His presence of grieve His Spirit! These men had made God's house a den of thieves!
- The way into Jerusalem for many people was fraught with danger from robbers, who holed up in caves along the roads.
- Jesus is telling the crowds here that they were safer out on the roads than they were in God's house! This is again a fulfillment of prophecy, as Jesus quotes from Jeremiah 7:11.
- In that chapter, Jeremiah indicts the people of God for their attitude when coming into the temple.
• Jeremiah 7:8-11 : “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the Lord.”
- They have treated God with disrespect. His house was meant to be a place where prayer would take place. The religious leaders used the coming to His house as a pretense to rip people off!
- They set up and made prey out of the people of God and Jesus was not going to take it! Once His home was clean again, note what took place. Verse 14.
• Matthew 21:14 : "Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them." : With the money changers out of the way, the way was clear for the Lord to touch His people. When the way was clear, the blind and the lame came to Him!
- Had the Priests been there, these people would have been excluded from the Temple. These didn't have money or influence to enter. They didn't need any because the Master was in His house!
- They walked right in and the God of the Universe healed them right there in the Temple! The blind could see, the lame could walk, a fulfillment of Isaiah 35:5,6. What a scene!
- Please note that God's salvation, the One that He is offering now, has to do with what He does in His people. Jesus healed His people, He did not heal societal woes!
- The salvation that God brings deals with the transformation of His people's hearts.
- Instead of changing governments, God changes the voting ethics within His people, making them sensitive to His agenda
- Instead of healing racism, God makes brothers out of men from different skin colors. This is the whole way of God during this time between comings!
- When He comes the second time, He'll change everything we know about government policy and He will do so on a universal scale!
- Until then, know that what He wants to do now will be done in obedient, human hearts!
- This is very telling, as the people who would subvert Christianity's teachings today show their true colors in their response! Verse 15 and our final section revealing the "Praise Of The King!"
• Matthew 21:15-17 : "But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant and said to Him, 'Do You hear what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?' Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there." : Do you see that? They saw the wonderful things that He did!
- The words intone a miraculous occurrence that was indisputable. They were witnesses to divine miracles and there were those standing around confirming it with their praise!
- Look at the contrast. The powerful chief priests, men endowed with position and knowledge.
- Next to them are the scribes, the proverbial lawyers who spent all their days examining texts of scripture in order to know how to govern God's people. Next to them are children.
- The word indicates boys that served in the Temple, much like the altar boys in Catholicism do. They shouted aloud, "Save Now Son of David!"
- These children had a fraction of the rulers knowledge, but the eye test was enough for them to shout out their praise to Jesus! That left the rulers beside themselves in anger!
- The word refers to being "bent." One could say that they were all bent out of shape! "Do you hear them Jesus? Do you hear what they are saying?"
- The religious leaders were angry because in their eyes, this man, and He was only a man, was not stopping people from saying these blasphemous things in the temple.
- Jesus is doing what the Messiah would do, but He was a poor Nazarene. The religious leaders, predisposed to non-belief, will not let any proof change their hearts.
- What they were watching was yet another fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus hears what they are saying and is wondering if they have ever read their Bibles, specifically Psalm 8:2!!
- The Messiah will not be worshipped, acknolwedged or loved by the establishment. The proof that He is Messiah will come from the infant, the babe that God would teach to praise Him!
- God has allowed praise to function as a means of silencing His enemies. In essence, they are drowning out the voices of the skeptical, forcing them to see the reality of their blindness!
- On that note, Jesus left His own house back in their hands and went where He could feel at home, among those that valued His presence.
- Ultimately, Jesus will not sleep in Jerusalem until He has come back to sit as King within her!
Conclusion
- Palm Sunday is the day when Jesus presented Himself as Israel's King. He is humble and has come to serve His people with His salvation.
- It is not a salvation of liberation or social justice. It is a salvation from sin. All who surrender to Him will receive His gift and will live forever in His peace.
- On Palm Sunday, His power was displayed as He cleansed His house. Jesus removed every obstacle and made the way for outcasts to be healed. He touches and heals them all!
- He has not come to install a government, but to instill a governed heart! His Spirit will indwell His people and their obedience will lead them to represent His choices in life decisions!
- The proper response to Him is praise. Let the nursing infant tell the story. When He comes into your heart, there will and must be praise!
- Those children were merely getting a head start for eternity! We are joining them now and will do so forever when our King sits on David's throne forever!
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