Who is Jesus: Matthew 21:1-11 (Sermon) 2/25/2024
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INTRODUCTION
Who was Jesus? Was he
A first-century Middle Eastern carpenter’s son,
A great historical religious leader,
A teacher and miracle worker
Or a prophet and reformer,
Who was he? That is the question our passage ends with, but we begin with as we continue our series in the book of Matthew, reading Matthew chapter 21, verses 1 through 11. We see Jesus finally at his destination after miles of traveling south to the limelight of the capital, Jerusalem.
DIFFERENCE
So, what difference does he make in the 21st century? What is his significance in our day in Laporte and Berrien County? We will read that many believe; some honor him, two obey, while others question him. And, not too long from chapter 21, a group will deliver him to the Romans to be killed for his teaching. Who was Jesus, and what are we to do about it?
TEXT
Let’s begin by reading. I am going to have R.C. read for us. Please stand with me in honor of God’s Word. Again, we are reading Matthew 21, verses 1 through 11.
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1–11, ESV)
PRAY
Let’s pray. Dear God our Father, thank you for your Word. It is a light unto our path. Show us Jesus today in a fresh way. Inspire and motivate us by the power of your Spirit, for your glory. In Jesus’s name, amen.
CONTEXT
Jesus was on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It was Passover, a national holiday celebrating God’s saving power when he rescued his people from slavery in Egypt. They had been in shackles for four hundred years. Passover reminded them that the Lord passed over his people and killed their oppressors’s firstborn. Israelites sacrificed pure, spotless lambs, putting blood around their doorways and eating a quick meal of lamb and unleavened bread. At midnight, God killed every firstborn that didn’t have blood on their doorposts.
EXTREME
Consider how extreme that would have been. Let me illustrate. If you are a firstborn, stand up. That would include me. If you didn’t believe and adhere to God’s instructions on that night, you would be dead right now. You can sit down. God was giving a message to the ruler of Egypt, “Let my people go!” God wanted his people free from slavery and back in the Promised Land of Israel. Pharaoh had ignored the nine other attempts by God to get his attention. This time, Pharaoh would get the message. He freed God’s people. And subsequently, every year, people would make a journey to Jerusalem, the capital, to remember when God passed over them and struck down the Egyptians. The city would balloon from an average population of 30,000 to 180,000 people. They would buy sacrificial animals and perform religious ceremonies in the Temple. In our passage, Jesus joined the parade of people.
DISTANCE
Jerusalem was part of the Roman Empire under Tiberius Caesar’s rule. At the same time, Pontius Pilate was governor. Jerusalem was called Zion and the city of the great king (Psalm 48:2). Which king? David. He was the conqueror of the city once named Jebus. But Jerusalem was not just David’s city. In 2 Samuel chapter 7, the prophet Nathan predicted that another king would arise. He would be God’s Son, and his kingdom would last forever. Jesus was that king that God had promised. However, he was an unlikely one. He grew up in obscurity and poverty. He was adopted into a carpenter’s family. He lived this way for the first thirty years of his life. But he was also from David’s ancestral line. Royal blood flowed through his veins. After a miraculous demonstration at a wedding in Canaan, he taught authoritatively, surpassing the ability of the teachers of the Jewish Law. His words were on the level of the Bible, saying, “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you.” He preached to the heart and head. He challenged cultural norms. He was a man of character and conviction, vision and compassion. In that, he showed his authority over nature in numerous ways:
Healing the sick,
Casting out demons,
And raising the dead.
He walked on water,
Fed thousands with next to nothing,
And controlled the elements like a superhero in a Marvel movie.
He was incredible, and people were taking note. Crowds were not just coming to celebrate Passover; they were swarming Jesus because of his reputation.
STRUCTURE
Our passage this morning has three parts.
First, in verses 1 through 5—Jesus commanded two disciples to get a young donkey, fulfilling a prophecy.
Second, verses 6 through 9—The disciples obeyed, and the crowds recognized him.
Third, verses 10 through 11—The city reacted as Jesus entered Jerusalem, asking, “Who is this?”
The main idea of these verses is that Jesus is the King, the Son of David, the Lord, and the Prophet, and that should change everything. Let me say that again:
Jesus was the King, the Son of David, the Lord, and the Prophet, and that should change everything.
FIRST
Let’s walk through the text verse by verse. Look at verse 1.
“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples” (Matthew 21:1, ESV).
https://devotionaryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/city-of-jerusalem-map.jpg This is a good picture of what we are talking about. You can see some notable places like
Bethany,
The Mount of Olives,
The Garden of Gethsemane,
The Kidron Valley,
And the Temple.
Jesus was not going to be shy about who he was. He was traveling a popular route up and down the small mountains.
TWO DISCIPLES
Look at verses 2 through 3. What did he want the two disciples to do?
Saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” (Matthew 21:2–3, ESV)
Jesus sent out two disciples to get a donkey and her child. From my study this was pre-arranged. R.T. France writes: “The brief formula ‘The Lord needs them’ would serve well as an agreed password, but would not persuade any but a very gullible villager to part with his animals to two strangers if he had not been forewarned” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 776.). We have to understand that Donkeys cost money. People back then spent two months to two year’s wages to purchase a donkey. They were like cars. (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 775–776.) The scene wasn’t two random men going to a random house and borrowing some random donkeys. This was part of a plan, God’s plan all along.
LORD
“The Lord needs them.” Jesus was, and is, the Lord. Matthew uses the word “Lord” eighty times. People called Jesus the Lord. Often, Jesus referred to God as the Lord. He also called himself the Lord, saying, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8, ESV). In chapter 22, Jesus used the term to refer both to himself and God, quoting Psalm 110:
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet’” (Matthew 22:44, ESV).
Jesus asked the religious leaders of his day, “Who were the two Lords that David wrote about?” Jesus knew the answer before he asked it. What is the answer? The Lord Jesus will sit at the Lord God’s right hand. Mark 16:19 states,
“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19, ESV, italics mine).
Stephen, as he was being stoned to death by his persecutors, had a peek into heaven, and Luke records, he saw this. The apostle Peter writes about this in his letter to the dispersed churches in chapter 3 of 1 Peter. In his third chapter, the apostle Paul writes about this in his letter to the Colossians church. The author of Hebrews writes of Jesus that,
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3, ESV, italics mine).
Jesus is sitting or next to God the Father. There is a distinction between the Lord God of Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ. And both are the same God yet different persons, united paradoxically and mysteriously. So Jesus is Lord and the Father is Lord. Jesus was accurately referring to himself as the Lord.
COLT
Why did the Lord need two donkeys? Was it so that he could get some much-needed rest? No. He never rode an animal in his biographies. He, like most people, walked. He traveled hundreds of miles, maybe thousands. All he had to do was walk a mile or two. Why did he want them?
FULFILLMENT
Look at verses 4 and 5. They answer that question.
This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” (Matthew 21:4–5, ESV)
Matthew quotes Zechariah, the prophet, chapter 9, verse 9. He notes that a humble king would come into Jerusalem. Kings rode on donkeys in times of peace, and Jesus, the Lord, was King.
CONTEXT
The prophecy continues:
He [The king] shall speak peace to the nations;
his [the king’s] rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
For I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior’s sword. (Zechariah 9:10–13, ESV)
God was saying
This King will bring peace.
This King will rule the world.
And, he will, at that time, free Israel, who was in a metaphorical prison.
He will restore all that they had lost and then some.
He will use Israel to execute justice on the nations that oppressed them.
Zechariah was calling to mind the humility and regality of a future king entering the capital and ushering in radical transformation and hope for a people who had been subjugated. In Jesus’s day, Rome was the colonizer, occupying, taxing, and dictating who does what, when, where, and how. Not only that, the indigenous religious leaders were self-serving, hypocritical parasites. Jesus was the true spiritual King whom God had promised to bring about positive change on earth for his people: peace, shalom, justice, and righteousness would reign through his leadership. Did anyone catch the moment’s significance, or was it over their heads? John records, “His disciples did not understand these things” (John 12:16, ESV). Some knew enough to trust Jesus and comply with his teaching, but those closest to him still did not fully understand what was happening.
KING
Jesus was, and is, the King, the Lord who offered relief, a new order, and a brighter future. And we can look back with a clearer understanding of who he is and what he is about. Brothers and sisters, we are citizens of his heavenly Kingdom and subjects by faith.
PERSONAL
Do you believe Jesus is who the Bible says he is? Is he your King and Lord?
Jesus was the King, the Son of David, the Lord, and the Prophet, and that should change everything.
OBEDIENCE
Let’s keep reading. Look at verse 6.
“The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them” (Matthew 21:6, ESV).
They went out, procured a donkey and her child, and returned. To do that, they had to believe. They trusted in what Jesus said and obeyed.
TRUST AND OBEY
Would we? Would we get him what he wants if he tapped us on the shoulder? Would we comply? I like to think I would. Here is a different question: Are we following him in everything? Again, I believe I am. When we are on our phones, texting, surfing the web, working, doing taxes, serving customers, and talking to people, are we following Jesus’s way? Following is a daily thing. And none of us does it perfectly. How do we know how to follow him? Great question. To follow him, we have to understand him. To know him, we have to know His Word. He gives his followers his Spirit to make sense of his Word, the Bible. We must work to be aware of how God’s Word impacts our days. And that awareness must move to action. God says to us:
Someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:18–19, ESV)
We must demonstrate what we believe with our actions. Let us not compartmentalize our faith. God wants all of us. He cares about our whole self. He doesn’t want leftovers.
Jesus was and is the King, the Son of David, the Lord, the Prophet, and that should change everything.
NEXT VERSE
Let’s get back to what happens next, verse 7.
They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:7–10, ESV)
Here, we can note two animals, a mother and her colt. The other accounts note that the colt had never been ridden. That means the massive crowd could easily spook him or her. Bringing a mom along could provide comfort in the crazy.
LAYING DOWN OF CLOTHES
The laying down of cloaks and branches is like the red carpet at Hollywood festivities. The cloaks and branches honored Jesus, the Son of David, the King and Lord.
SONG OF ASCENT
As the throng traveled up the mountain, some 3000 feet, they chanted worship songs from the ancient hymnal Psalms 113 through 118, known as the Songs of Ascent. Matthew notes that the people shifted their worship from God to Jesus. They attributed Psalm 118, verses 25 and 26 to him. Shouting:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:10, ESV).
“Hosanna” is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew phrase: “Save us now.” The crowd was loud. You couldn’t miss it. I picture the cacophony as if it were the din of a noisy sporting event. It was remarkable that religious leadership came out of the city and told Jesus to silence his audience. He retorted, “If he did, the stones would cry out.” The masses were doing what they were made to worship and pray. They were blessing Jesus and crying out to him to save them.
YOUR FAITH AND ADORATION
We have already been worshiping him. When was the last time we cried out to him? Have we wanted him to save us? He already has, for many, in this room. Let’s praise him for that. If not, if you aren’t saved, he can save you today! Today could be the day of your salvation from the condemnation of sin. Just ask for it. Matthew begins his book with an angel announcing that Mary “will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, ESV). Jesus came to save people from the consequences of sin. Our sin is the most significant barrier to God. He died to pay the penalty for it. It is not just the big sins like murder but the little ones like complaining or selfishness. Sin is anything in thought, word, or deed that goes against what God wants. So, if you are weighed down by guilt, he can save you from it because he came to do just that. He is bigger than sin. Will you cry out to Jesus today and be saved?
OTHER HELP
You may have and want help in other ways, like wisdom, comfort, or something else. Cry out to Jesus for help. “Hosanna, Save us, help us, we pray.” Jesus taught:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:3–7, ESV)
If you are needy, that is a great place to begin with God.
CONTRAST
We are almost finished. Not everyone came to Jesus with a cry for help. Some were more distant. Look at verses 10 and 11.
“And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee’” (Matthew 21:10 11, ESV).
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the city was riled up like Lake Michigan on a windy day. Interestingly, Matthew begins his book with a similar event. Some wise men, the Magi, travel miles and miles to meet the child born to be king of Israel. They pass through Jerusalem and question Herod about the new king. This threatened him, so he set plans to find Jesus and kill him as a child. And the city was troubled. Then, in chapter 21, we read that it was a stir or out of sorts. King Herod failed and eventually died. Governor Pilate took over and did what Herod could not do: execute Jesus. The city would approve of this injustice.
Who was Jesus? He was more than a prophet. He was the one who, through death, would obtain eternal life for all who believed.
Jesus was, and is, the King, the Son of David, the Lord, the Prophet, and that should change everything.
Philippians 2
These verses remind me of Philippians chapter 2:
Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6–11, ESV)
In reality, we will all bend our knees in honor of Jesus in this life or the next. Even those who don’t believe will do so on that day: Atheists, Animists, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews will all bend their knees to the Lord Jesus, Son of David, King of kings, and prophet. Every government leader and corporate mogul will bend their knee. Everyone will. We don’t have to wait till judgment to start to worship. We can cry out to him for help and mercy just as they did two thousand years ago. We can acknowledge who Jesus is and ask for his help.
It might not work with the flooring or your health if you can. Try singing or praying on your knees this week. If you can’t, I read in my time with God Exodus chapter 4. It says this:
“And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:31, ESV).
Let me read that once more and think of the story we meditated on this morning.
“And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:31, ESV).
We can express that same sentiment of bowing our knees with our heads. Let us sing the response song with this posture of a bowed head or bowed knee in our hearts. Let us cry out in worship and need to Jesus this week. Let us not wait until judgment day.
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