Matthew 21:1-17 NIV
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”
And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Triumphant Entry is celebrated the Sunday before Easter, Psalm Sunday or Passion Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy Week, ending with Good Friday and the Easter Vigil over the weekend. Palm Sunday celebrates how Jesus was hailed by the crowds of Jerusalem gathered for Passover with shouts of Hosanna, which means "Lord, save us."
I notice first that Jesus approached the city from the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is prominent in messianic prophecy, for it is said the messiah will appear there upon the great and terrible Day of the Lord. It is a day of judgement, when Israel will be crushed and taken into exile. Half of the city will remain and the Lord will pursue Israel's enemies and crush them. He will bring back the exiles and God will reign on the earth forever.
On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem... The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord , and his name the only name.
Zechariah 14:4a, 9 NIV
Jesus' riding upon a donkey is also fulfillment of messianic prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. Matthew quotes a lot of scriptures in this passage. Psalm 118 is a pilgrim song sung as they approach Jerusalem.
Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
Psalm 118:25-27 NIV
You can see that the events of that day is a reenactment of these long held hopes in messiah. Jesus is fulfilling these prophecies. Jesus cleansing the temple of moneychangers is yet another fulfillment. Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. As Hezekiah cleansed the temple of defiling idols (2nd Chronicles 29), Jesus removed the corrupt moneychangers. The temple is God's dwelling place on earth. Christians later understood the church to be the new temple and the dwelling place of God is in the community of believers.
Finally Jesus quotes Psalm 8 verse 2. The praise of the children is yet another prophetic fulfillment. The point of all this is to reveal that Jesus is the answer to God's promises to Israel, just not in the way Israel expected.
The tension in the story sets the pace for the rest of the week, for while the crowds welcome Jesus as their king, the religious leadership did not. The cross is looming large.
Two more interesting facts: Bethphage and Bethany are villages mentioned. These were both on the Mount of Olives. Bethany was located on the summit, Bethphage about halfway up.
Bethany means "house of misery". It's there that Jesus is anointed by Mary, or some unnamed woman, for His burial. It's where Lazarus died.
Bethphage means "house of young figs." Young figs are not ready for eating. In the next story, Jesus saw a fig tree on the way to the temple and approached it hoping to eat some of its fruit. There were no figs ready to be eaten. So the name of the village foreshadows this story.
I am moved in two ways by the Triumphant Entry. First I attach to reading the story the many wonderful moments in worship, celebrating this event in the life of our Lord. Just as the city was electric with joy over welcoming their righteous king, so is the church as we celebrate our Lord, who is the King of kings. Secondly, this passage in Matthew reveals how the Bible is such an amazing book. It's like no other book in the world. The connections between the history of Israel and their prophets to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are plentious. I'm always amazed by the depth of meaning in names, places, and the actions of Jesus. Reading the gospel accounts helps me to know that I am part of this great work of redemption which God has carried out from the very beginning of time. My sense of self worth soars. While the world may belittle us, God's love speaks louder and elevates us. It makes me want to grab a palm branch and wave it shouting in celebration, "Hosanna! Lord, save us!"
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”
And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Triumphant Entry is celebrated the Sunday before Easter, Psalm Sunday or Passion Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy Week, ending with Good Friday and the Easter Vigil over the weekend. Palm Sunday celebrates how Jesus was hailed by the crowds of Jerusalem gathered for Passover with shouts of Hosanna, which means "Lord, save us."
I notice first that Jesus approached the city from the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is prominent in messianic prophecy, for it is said the messiah will appear there upon the great and terrible Day of the Lord. It is a day of judgement, when Israel will be crushed and taken into exile. Half of the city will remain and the Lord will pursue Israel's enemies and crush them. He will bring back the exiles and God will reign on the earth forever.
On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem... The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord , and his name the only name.
Zechariah 14:4a, 9 NIV
Jesus' riding upon a donkey is also fulfillment of messianic prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. Matthew quotes a lot of scriptures in this passage. Psalm 118 is a pilgrim song sung as they approach Jerusalem.
Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
Psalm 118:25-27 NIV
You can see that the events of that day is a reenactment of these long held hopes in messiah. Jesus is fulfilling these prophecies. Jesus cleansing the temple of moneychangers is yet another fulfillment. Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. As Hezekiah cleansed the temple of defiling idols (2nd Chronicles 29), Jesus removed the corrupt moneychangers. The temple is God's dwelling place on earth. Christians later understood the church to be the new temple and the dwelling place of God is in the community of believers.
Finally Jesus quotes Psalm 8 verse 2. The praise of the children is yet another prophetic fulfillment. The point of all this is to reveal that Jesus is the answer to God's promises to Israel, just not in the way Israel expected.
The tension in the story sets the pace for the rest of the week, for while the crowds welcome Jesus as their king, the religious leadership did not. The cross is looming large.
Two more interesting facts: Bethphage and Bethany are villages mentioned. These were both on the Mount of Olives. Bethany was located on the summit, Bethphage about halfway up.
Bethany means "house of misery". It's there that Jesus is anointed by Mary, or some unnamed woman, for His burial. It's where Lazarus died.
Bethphage means "house of young figs." Young figs are not ready for eating. In the next story, Jesus saw a fig tree on the way to the temple and approached it hoping to eat some of its fruit. There were no figs ready to be eaten. So the name of the village foreshadows this story.
I am moved in two ways by the Triumphant Entry. First I attach to reading the story the many wonderful moments in worship, celebrating this event in the life of our Lord. Just as the city was electric with joy over welcoming their righteous king, so is the church as we celebrate our Lord, who is the King of kings. Secondly, this passage in Matthew reveals how the Bible is such an amazing book. It's like no other book in the world. The connections between the history of Israel and their prophets to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are plentious. I'm always amazed by the depth of meaning in names, places, and the actions of Jesus. Reading the gospel accounts helps me to know that I am part of this great work of redemption which God has carried out from the very beginning of time. My sense of self worth soars. While the world may belittle us, God's love speaks louder and elevates us. It makes me want to grab a palm branch and wave it shouting in celebration, "Hosanna! Lord, save us!"
No comments:
Post a Comment