| Series | Location | Subjects | Takeaways | Sermon Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church | - | - | - |
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” His disciples didn’t 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. The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” [[John-12#v13|]][[John-12#v14|]][[John-12#v15|]][[John-12#v16|]][[John-12#v17|]][[John-12#v18|]][[John-12#v19|]]
Points
- Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is a momentous and important occasion.
- It shows clearly that Jesus intentionally chose the time and place of his death.
- Jesus intentionally behaved quite differently in Jerusalem in His last week than He did in the rest of His life and ministry.
- e.g. Jesus often instructed His disciples and others NOT to tell others of Him. Yet here, in Jerusalem, Jesus did no such thing, and He did in fact do everything quite publicly. Publicly He entered with pomp and circumstance. Publicly He entered the temple with a whip and berated the merchants and pharisees.
- Jesus intentionally behaved quite differently in Jerusalem in His last week than He did in the rest of His life and ministry.
- Jesus riding on the donkey is one of the few events that was depicted by all four
- Piecing together the accounts we see this order of events
- The savior leaves bethany
- One the first day of the week Jesus sends His disciples into Bethphage in order to fetch a donkey which Jesus will ride on.
- There were two animals, a colt and its mother.
- The two disciples found everything exactly as Jesus predicted.
- Jesus rode on the colt toward Jerusalem.
- The people from Bethany go ahead of Jesus, to announce His arrival. These people from Bethany are the same people who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead.
- They cover the road with garments and palm branches.
- They also waved palm branches above their heads welcoming Jesus into the city.
- The people began to shout “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel. Blessed is the kingdom of our father David.”
- The pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples and tell them to be quiet. Jesus responds, “If these were quiet, then the very stones would cry out.”
- Piecing together the accounts we see this order of events
- Very clearly Jesus intentionally orchestrated these events. Intentionally, Jesus went into Bethany and Bethphage, making it clear that He was on His way to Jerusalem.
- This moment may seem like a celebration, for a coming king and yet Jesus was not joyous, but sorrowful.
- Luke 19:41-44 When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.” [[Luke-19#v42|]][[Luke-19#v43|]][[Luke-19#v44|]]
- Allison: Christ was keenly aware that the praise that He was receiving from all these people was shallow.
- Christ rode in fulfilling a 500 year old prophecy.
- Zechariah 9.9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- The people seeing Jesus come into the city knew that something special was happening, but they did not necessarily know that this was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.
- John 12.16 His disciples didn't 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.
- These things were also prophesied in Psalm 118, which is the same Psalm they would sing during the Passover.
- The people correctly believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but unfortunately they had a complete misunderstanding of what the Messiah is.
- They thought the Messiah would be a king, come to deliver them from the oppression of Rome.
- They might have thought of Moses who delivered them from Egypt and from Canaan.
- They did not understand that the work of Christ was primarily spiritual blessings.
- Jesus did come as a king, but not like any earthly monarch.
- He came not on an ornate horse, but on a lowly donkey.
- The donkeys in this region and time are not like the small animals that we think of in the west. They were larger, stronger animals. So the jews would not have thought of the donkey as degrading, but it would not be what a king would ride in on. A king would ride in on a horse. Clearly, Jesus riding on a donkey was meant to show us that His kingdom would be different from any other kingdom.
- Pilate asked Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews”? and Jesus answered “My kingdom is not of this world.” This made clear that Jesus was no political or military threat.
- Jesus was not seeking to intimidate or to induce fear.
- When John quotes Zechariah 9.9, he says Fear not. This is the way the Greek translation, the Septuagint renders the text.
- John 12.15 ”Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
- When John quotes Zechariah 9.9, he says Fear not. This is the way the Greek translation, the Septuagint renders the text.
- The donkeys in this region and time are not like the small animals that we think of in the west. They were larger, stronger animals. So the jews would not have thought of the donkey as degrading, but it would not be what a king would ride in on. A king would ride in on a horse. Clearly, Jesus riding on a donkey was meant to show us that His kingdom would be different from any other kingdom.
- He came not on an ornate horse, but on a lowly donkey.
- They thought the Messiah would be a king, come to deliver them from the oppression of Rome.
- It shows clearly that Jesus intentionally chose the time and place of his death.
- But these same people who chanted “Hosanna” would soon chant “Crucify Him”.
- How could this be? Well, really it is not surprising. It shows their utter lack of understanding of Jesus’ mission.
- When they realized that Jesus would not be the kind of king that they wanted, then they utterly rejected Him.
- They wanted a king yes, but they wanted an earthly king who would deliver them from earthly problems.
- This is not what Jesus was bringing. Jesus was bringing deliverance from their spiritual problems, their sin and their broken relationship with God.
- They utterly denied that they had these spiritual problems in the first place, and hearing such things was offensive to them.
- On the road to Emmaus, disciples were discouraged that the Christ died. So Christ Himself explained to them what happened and why.
- Luke 24:25-26 He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” [[Luke-24#v26|]]
- It was not just the masses that misunderstood Christ. It was even His own disciples.
- How could this be? Well, really it is not surprising. It shows their utter lack of understanding of Jesus’ mission.
Application
- ⭐ We can only realize what kind of King Jesus is by faith.
- Are you afraid of death? The only answer is to humble yourself before Jesus and trust in Him. Cry out to Him and say “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
- Just as Jesus rode into Jerusalem as King and conquered sin and death, Jesus will ride into your heart and conquer it from sin and death.
- It is only by faith that we understand who Jesus is.
- Jesus is the only way by which we can be saved.
- We can should and must be afraid at our state of sin. But we should not be afraid that He would not be willing to save us.
- Jesus loves to save sinners and would gladly save even the worst of them.
- Jesus is just as ready now to receive sinners into peace as He was on the cross.
- We have seen here the people welcoming Jesus into the city. Should we not also raise our own Hosanna to welcome Him in?
- Not in the same foolish way that they did, but as realizing who Jesus really is and what Kingdom He established and rules.
- John 12.32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
- Jesus foresaw what was going to happen: the Gospel would be preached throughout the whole world.
- All people will come to Him? Yes, all the elect, those people chosen by God, who are repentant unto salvation.
- Allison: When the word all is used in the New Testament, it is referring to all the elect people.
- Come to Jesus today and trust in Him alone.
- He is a wonderful complete savior and altogether lovely. He has everything that we need for salvation.
- John 20.31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.