SLIDE 1 Saturday,
members of the Leader’s Council attended in a production with a new twist to
the Resurrection story. Our food was served by the cast and we entered into
conversations with them during intermission. My front row seat gave me a chance
to pet and perhaps purchase a donkey for mere shekels. We experienced the joy
of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, heard the adorations of the crowds and
saw children interact with the one who played Jesus. We can only imagine the powerful
connection for anyone who has visited the Holy Land. But for a few hours our
group was transported back to the time when Jesus walked the streets of
Jerusalem.
SLIDE 2 As we study the parallel gospels of the
following events, John is the only one that recorded the death and resurrection
of Lazarus. Although Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter and the widow’s son, these
were not entombed for four days. John 12:17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb
and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. This was an extraordinary event unparalleled
to this day.
As He enters
the gates of the city abnormally large crowds are in attendance. Some states as
many as 2 million Jewish pilgrims filled Jerusalem. Rosen
SLIDE 3 Matthew
21-Give Jesus Authority over your Life.
o
Authority as King
o
Authority to Judge
o
Authority in the Temple
SLIDE 4 Matthew 211Now when they drew
near to Jerusalem and came to Beth-fuh-gee, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus
sent two disciples,2 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.3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord (Master)needs them,' and he will
send them at once."
Citizens
were required to submit to the King any item or service that He or one of his
emissaries might request. In making such a request, Jesus is
claiming to be King. He is speaking as one in authority.
And the Angels were Silent, Max Lucado
Most of our bibles label this event the triumphal entry¸ however Jesus comes not as conquering
military leader on a massive stallion, but as a King riding an unbroken foal
of a donkey to symbolize peaceful intentions. The animal had to be perfect
and unused, never having a yoke upon his neck.
Finding the
colt was not due to a coincidence or a previous arrangement with the owner. It
showed the omniscience and authority of Jesus in fulfilling the
prophecy written about five centuries before the birth of Jesus.
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, Zechariah 9:9-10.
5"Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold,
your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
SLIDE 5 6The disciples went and did as
Jesus had directed them.7 They brought the donkey and the colt and
put on them their cloaks and he sat on them.
Can you imagine trying to ride an animal before it is broken? Especially
a baby donkey riding through a yelling crowd! “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. 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. Don Carson
8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut
branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Spreading
garments before a dignitary was a symbol
of submission. They paid homage and reverence to the coming King. (see 2 Kings
9:13). Palm branches symbolized
Jewish nationalism and victory.
9 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!"
Calling out “Hosanna,” “O, Save” or “Save Now”
brings expectation liberation from Rome. The Jewish Festival of Lights or
Hanukkah celebrates the recovery of Jerusalem by Judas Maccabeus who delivered
Judea and Judaism by recapturing their temple from Syrian King Antiochus
Epiphanes 164 B.C.
10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the
whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who
is this?"11 And the crowds said, "This is the
prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."
Egyptian Hallel in Psalms 113-118 which are sung during the
Passover Season.
No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew
12:16, 16:20) but to shout His praises and worship Him publicly.
Jesus was openly declaring His authority to the people. He was their
King and the Messiah promised by God for their redemption.
But as we
have learned in the study of Matthew it is all about God’s timing. Now as Jesus
enters the city with pageantry and intentional publicity. Jesus is fulfilling
many prophecies with this display.
Where would
you be in that crowd? Have you recognized Jesus Christ as your LORD. Many are
willing for Him to be their Savior, but what about LORD of your life. Those who
take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Are you willing
to lay all under His feet, to give Him the authority over your life, To wake up
each day and ask, “How can I serve you LORD?”
o
Authority to Judge
SLIDE 6 Jesus
performed two acts of judgment: He cleansed the temple, and He cursed a fig
tree. Both acts so unlike the humble Jesus we have seen with the multitude.
Many Jewish
worshippers came a great distance and traveled too far to bring the animals for
their Passover offering. They also brought foreign money. The temple tax
required of each male was had to be exchanged to CLICK a Tyrian Shekel
acceptable coin by the temple priests. What had begun as a service and
convenience for visitors from other lands soon turned into a profitable
business. The dealers charged excessive prices. No one could compete with them
or oppose them since the former high priest, was the manager of this enterprise.
Jesus Cleanses the
Temple
SLIDE 7 12And Jesus entered the temple
and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the
tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.( which
were set up in the Gentile court13 He said to them, "It is
written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of
robbers." Isaiah 56:7
*Do we need
to be cleansed, washed in the blood of the lamb? What is in our “temple” that
needs to be driven out? Sometimes we just need a purge from all the bad things
we put in our bodies? Worldly thoughts must be purged from our minds. Ungodly images
we see on television. Perhaps election campaigning. Trust God to sort it out.
Proverbs 16:9 The
heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Is there
anything in your mind that needs to be purged? Does Jesus have authority over
your temple?
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
14-16 Though
normally restricted from temple worship because of their imperfections ”the
blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the
wonderful things that he did they were indignant. Again children recognized the
majesty of Jesus and cried “Hosanna to the Son of David!" "'Out of the mouth of infants and
nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"
SLIDE 8 Here
Matthew’s order of events varies from the other gospels.
On the map notice the close
proximity of Bethany the home of
Lazarus, Mary and Martha to Jerusalem. During this next week Jesus will travel
to and from the city.
Bethphage,
a village on the Mt. of Olives is named "house of unripe figs"
SLIDE 9 Clarke’s
commentary explains that Jesus did not curse the fig tree out of
resentment for not having any fruit, but to illustrate to His disciples
the judgment of God on the state of the Jewish people— an
abundance of leaves but no fruit. They practiced rituals of
religion and prided themselves as God’s chosen people—but were only hypocrites
without fruit.
20-20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig
tree wither at once?"
Jesus use the fig tree as lesson in
faith. "Truly, I say to you, if you
have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the
fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into
the sea,' it will happen.22 And
whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."
Do you have faith
enough to give Jesus complete authority over your finances, your family, your
daily life?
o
Authority in the Temple
SLIDE 10 23 And
when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came
up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By
what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this
authority?"
Jesus has
created quite a stir in Jerusalem. He is announcing to the world His true
identity as the Son of God. It is time! He
pulls no punches with the religious leaders. Presenting two parable Jesus uses
the metaphor of grapevines and vineyard to levels allegations to the high
ranking priestly line. They externally obeyed the law but rejected God’s
messager, John the Baptist.
SLIDE 11 Have you ever had co workers or friends
who willingly agree to comply but then never follows through? My learned sister
would say this is passive aggressive behavior.
31-3 3”Which of the two did the will of his father?" They answered “the first “because his actions
showed his obedience.
The chief
priests and the elders rejection of John was actually a rejection of God the Father. But God is gracious, and instead of sending judgment, He sent His Son. This leads to the next
parable.
SLIDE 12 The
master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a
winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into
another country.
It is clear
that God has blessed the nation of Israel. From time to time, God sent His
servants (the prophets) to the His people to receive the fruit. But the people
mistreated the servants, and even killed some of them.
Verse 37
says “ Finally he sent his son
to them, saying, 'They will respect my
son.'”
This parable
shows a loving Father believing His people would acknowledge, respect, and
receive His Son.
SLIDE 13 The reference, of course, is to Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. Instead of receiving and honoring the son, the men cast
him out of the vineyard and killed him. Hebrews
13: 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in
order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom
of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.44
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it
falls on anyone, it will crush him."
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23
SLIDE 14 42"'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
Have any of
you been to Reed Gold Mine in Cabarrus County? Here was the first to discovery
of gold. North Carolina led
the nation in gold production until 1848
SLIDE 15 In 1799 a twelve-year-old boy Conrad
Reed who went fishing one Sunday and found a yellow "rock" in Little
Meadow Creek on the family farm. For three years, the rock served as a bulky
doorstop. In 1802, a jeweler from Fayetteville identified
the rock as a large gold nugget. He told John Reed to name his
price. Reed, not understanding the true value of gold, asked for what he
thought was the hefty price of $3.50, or a
week's worth of wages. The large nugget's true value was around $3,600.
Jesus is the precious rock God has given us to
be the both the cornerstone and the capstone of our lives. His love is worth
more than silver or gold.
SLIDE 16 Will
you choose to
give Jesus complete authority over your Life?
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