Matthew 21:1-16

Jesus went to Jerusalem before his crucifixion. On Palm Sunday Jesus forces the hand of the religious leaders. Would they accept him as Israel’s king, or would they reject him?

v. 5 “Behold, your king is coming to you.”

v. 9 When Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the people shout, “Hosanna” (God save us). “Son of David” – recognizing that Jesus is the rightful King or Lord. And “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Ps 118:26) These were declarations that they believed Jesus was sent by God to save them, that is, the Messiah.

Jesus accepts the people’s declaration that he is Messiah and king. He quotes Isaiah, “my house shall be called a house of prayer.”

Jesus forces us to stop sitting on the fence and decide who is he? Tim Keller says his actions say in essence, “crown me or kill me.” He says, “Jesus is unbelievably humble but not modest.” Jesus is sweet and tender to women and children, prostitutes, the poor, the sick, the blind, the lame, the outcasts.

But his claims about himself are outrageous. He receives declaration of kingship and Messiah as praise – God alone is worthy. “His gospel… is either a work of madness or blinding revelation.” – Reynolds Price

Either crown Jesus as king or reject him all together. But when you see what Jesus claims about himself, you cannot merely like him. You cannot say, “come in savior, but stay out Lord.” You cannot be lukewarm about him.

Jesus forces us to decide who is he and why did he come? Who is this? King and Lord and Messiah, sent by God to save us. If he is Savior, then He is also Lord.

Jesus road into Jerusalem on a young donkey. 200 years before, Simon Maccabeus road into Jerusalem with people shouting and cheering and waving palm branches after he led a revolt against the Greeks. Victors ride into capital cities on horses, not donkeys.

Jesus’ coming on a donkey points to his intentions. 1. Jesus deliberately fulfilled Scripture “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech 9:9) 2. Jesus came to rule and save, not by human power or killing, but by losing power and dying. 3. Jesus will triumph not through strength, but through weakness.

We go to God because we need something. A man in the hospital was diagnosed with cancer, so he called for the hospital chaplain. But when the chaplain arrived, he said, ‘turns out they gave me someone else’s diagnosis. I don’t have cancer. I don’t need you anymore.’

The people of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day thought their greatest need was for God to judge the Romans and release the Jews from their harsh rule.

But what they really needed was pardon and rescue from their sin. We need reconciliation with God so that when Jesus comes again to destroy evil, he doesn’t destroy us too.

Three implications: 1. Human celebrity is fleeting and worthless – the people who shouted “Hosanna” will shout, “crucify him” within a week. 2. Our perceptions of our needs are incredibly shallow. 3. God is trustworthy to provide what we need – and more. The crowd thought that Jesus had come to make things right, but he came to make you right with God.

Who is this? He is King or Lord and Messiah. Why did he come? To give his life to rescue you from sin & reconcile you to God.

“In the midst of all of this, an unbroken young animal remains totally calm under the hands of the Messiah who controls nature and stills the storm. This even points to the peace of the consummated kingdom. Jesus is the Lord of all and under his hand nothing but harmony and peace comes about. The animal knows and loves his true master for who he is. This is a foreshadowing of the healing and completion of all nature as found in Isaiah 11, the wolf shall live with the lamb…” – Don Carson