Title: The Triumphant Entry
Text: Matt 21:1-11
Introduction:
This Palm Sunday morning, as our minds are obviously focused on the war in Iraqi, I’m reminded that it was on Palm Sunday, April 9, 1865 that another war we were in came to an end. It was on that Sunday General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen Grant at Appomattox Court House, VA. On that Palm Sunday afternoon the Civil War officially ended. A few skirmishes continued until the word was finally received by everyone, but the war was over.
Palm Sunday in Jerusalem approximately AD 27 signaled the end of another war, a spiritual war. A few skirmishes would break out during the week and a major battle would take place the coming Friday, but the war was really over when Jesus entered Jerusalem that Sunday. God was the victor when Jesus made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
This Palm Sunday morning I want us to think about the event we know as the Triumphant Entry. The account of Jesus entry into Jerusalem that day is recorded in all four gospels. This morning we read the account from Matthew’s.
The first thing I want you to think about is the manner in which Jesus entered the city. There are two important things to understand about what was taking place.
First it was Prophetic. It wasn’t just predicted. When you talk about prediction you talk about chance. It was foretold, told before hand what was certain to come about. For the writers of the Gospels, one of the major reasons for believing in Jesus was the way His life fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah. The Old Testament was written of a period of a thousand years and there are several hundred prophecies concerning the Messiah, Some 61 which are considered major prophecies about the promised Messiah.
Some argue that Jesus staged the fulfillment of these prophecies. I know you’ve heard this before, but as Paul said it’s no trouble for me to repeat it again. There are at least 8 Jesus could not possibly have staged. Their fulfillment would be totally out of human control. There is the place of His birth, as well as both the time and manner of His birth, His betrayal, the manner of His death, the reaction of the people, the piercing of His side, and His place of burial.
There are some who argue the fulfilment of these are just coincidental. I have also mentioned this before but in their book Science Speaks, Robert Newman and Peter Stoner demonstrate the statistical improbability of any one person, from the day of these prophecies we made until the present time accidentally or deliberately fulfilling just being 1 in 1017 that’s a 10 with 16 zeros behind it. Travis told me once what that number would be called. I can’t remember what it was, but it’s a lot.
The specific prophecy relating to His entry that Palm Sunday is found in Zechariah 9:9, partially quoted by Matthew. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout {in triumph,} O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” There were as many as 30 Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in one 24 hour period prior to His death. The fact is Jesus fulfilled every one of them, not just eight but every single one of them.
Not only was his entry prophetic it was also symbolic. It symbolized many things about Jesus and His ministry. The method of His entry spoke of what His kingdom was about and what His followers could expect. Zechariah said, He is just, humble, and endowed with salvation.
The people were expecting a warrior King like David who would deliver them by force from their Roman oppressors. But, Jesus didn’t come into Jerusalem riding on a majestic war horse as a conquering warrior. He didn’t come into Jerusalem in a splendid chariot like a King about to ascend his throne and reign over his kingdom. Because, His kingdom, while actively in this world was not of this world. In response to Pilate’s questioning the in John 18:36, Jesus said, "If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." (NAS)
But an earthly ruler of an earthly kingdom was what the people expected. The crowds that followed Jesus had seen Him feed the multitudes, some had seen and even experienced His miracles. Some had even watched as He brought Lazarus from the Dead. His reputation had proceeded Him into the city. We’ve seen pictures this past week of many Iraqi citizens waving flags and welcoming Marines in to Baghdad as deliverers. Many obviously saw Him in the same way. That’s one of the reasons they welcomed Him as they did. The reason we refer to this Sunday as Palm Sunday comes from the account of His entry into Jerusalem. John wrote that great multitudes of people who had come to the feast, when they heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him. They joined people already following Jesus and Matthew wrote that most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road. The crowds ahead of Him, and those following him were, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" John adds, they even called Him the King of Israel. (Matt 21:8-9; John 12:12-13 NAS)
His entry set in motion the final acts that would lead to the events of Good Friday. It wasn’t what the people expected, but this was the Triumphant Entry. Not triumphant in the physical sense, in that Jesus would be made King of any earthly realm, but rather because God was ready to present the Savior and finalize His plan for the salvation of mankind.
That leads us to also think about the reason Jesus came to Jerusalem that day. Why was He there? There were a number of events that lead Jesus to Jerusalem. He was coming to celebrate the Passover, the third of His three year ministry. There were some final teachings he needed to give His disciples. There was the necessity of a final confrontation with the Scribes and Pharisees. But, the real reason for this trip to Jerusalem was the cross. He had come to Jerusalem to accept and face The Cross.
Jesus knew He faced death. The writers of all four gospels make it abundantly clear Jesus anticipated and repeatedly told of His approaching death. (See Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34; Lk 9:22; 18:31-31; Jn 10:11, 17-18; 12:7). In chapter 20:17-19 Matt records these words of Jesus as He and the disciples were about to leave for Jerusalem: “He said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify {Him,}. . .’”
He knew He would die because of the hostility of the Jewish leaders to His teaching and His ministry. Early in His ministry Mark tells us they began to plot His death. He knew He would die because that is what was prophesied concerning the Messiah in Scripture. He knew He would die because of His own choice, He choose to fulfill what was written about the Christ, He choose to be obedient to The Father’s will, regardless of the consequences, however painful it might be. He knew He would die because of love. We should have it committed to memory by now the Bible says I Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son {to be} the propitiation {atoning sacrifice} for our sins.
He knew He would die because of your sin and mine. The joyous crowds that Sunday by week’s end became an enraged mob. Their cries of Hosanna, turned to hateful shouts of “crucify him.” And as much as we are revolted by their actions we share their responsibility of the cross. It was our sin as well as theirs that put Jesus on the cross.
Horatius Bonar the Scottish hymn writer of the 19th century understood our responsibility for the cross when he wrote:
“‘Twas I that shed the sacred blood; I nailed him to the tree;
I crucified the Christ of God; I joined the mockery.
Of all the shouting multitude I feel that I am one;
And in the din of voices rude I recognize my own.
Around the cross the throng I see, Mocking the Sufferer’s groan;
Yet still my voice it seems to be, As if I mocked alone.”
Jesus knew He must die, but He wasn’t a helpless victim of the evil forces aligned against Him, nor any inflexible fate decreed for Him. He would die because He freely embraced the purpose of The Father for the salvation of the world.
That was the reason He came to Jerusalem that Sunday. He had come to seek and to save the Lost. It was for the salvation of sinners that he would die, giving His life as a ransom to set us free, to give us life, eternal and abundant.
The Bible says, “. . .when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us {and} which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Col 2:13-14)
Just as we shared in the responsibility for the cross, as believers we also share in it’s triumphant purpose. We use many words describe it; redemption, justification, sanctification, salvation. Whatever words we use it means we have been set free, we have been made alive.
The agony, the harshness, the cruelty, and the apparent defeat of Jesus on the cross is instead victory. The cruel crown of thorns thrust upon His head in mockery became a victor’s crown. The despair and discouragement and suffering of Friday would give way to hope and glory and freedom on Sunday. This is why His entry into Jerusalem, on the day we call Palm Sunday, was a Triumphant entry.
Do you the victory of the cross this morning? Do you know it’s triumph in your life? You can, by looking to the cross of Jesus. Frederick Whitfield wrote:
“I saw the cross of Jesus, When burdened with my sin;
I sought the cross of Jesus, To give me peace within;
I brought my soul to Jesus, He cleansed it in His blood;
And in the cross of Jesus I found my peace with God.
We invite you this morning to see the cross, to seek the cross, to bring your soul to Jesus and find peace with God, and the peace of God that passes all understanding to enter triumphantly into the fellowship and presence of a loving and caring Savior.
Dan Story, Defending Your Faith, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997,
John Stott, The Cross of Christ, Downers Grove: IVP, 1986.
Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, San Bernadino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1979, 25th printing 1992, © Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc.