“The Procession of the Prince of Peace”
(Matthew 21:1-11)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
June 14, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 21:1-11
1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”
4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
5 Tell Daughter Zion,“See, your King is coming to you,gentle, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt,the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the nameof the Lord!Hosanna in the highest heaven!
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Introductory Comments:
It’s a joy to be back in the Gospel of Matthew. I missed Matthew. I love to preach verse by verse through the Bible.
Today, we will pick up our study of Matthew in Matthew 21:1-11. We will study what has become known as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.
Before we study this passage, let’s pray together.
(prayer)
Many of you have probably seen The History Channel show American Pickers. Well, my family used to watch it a lot and when we lived in Kentucky we wanted to go visit a new store that they had opened at the time, in the city of Nashville. Nashville was only a couple hours away from us, so we got in the car and headed that way. We called to check their hours and found out that one of the stars of the show, Mike Wolfe, would be there in person. It multiplied our excitement to find out that we were not only going to be able to check out the store, but we could meet Mike Wolfe. When we got there, there was a long line to see Mike, but we were glad to wait. People were excited because they got to see a television star!
Well, today, we’re going to see that people are excited to see Jesus as He is coming into Jerusalem. They realize that He is not a regular man. There is something special about Him.
Jesus makes this entry into Jerusalem and it is a triumphal entry! It is an entry of celebration and praise! So, let’s check it out.
First, let’s acknowledge that Matthew 21 kicks off what I call the beginning of the end for Jesus’ time on the earth. Jesus is going to Jerusalem and He will die there.
Jesus knew what would happen and He is readying Himself for this.
So, as we take in Matthew 21:1-11, we will discover three milestones in the triumphal entry, and in the story of God’s redemption of His people.
First, . . .
I. The preparation (vv. 1-3) [on screen]
Let’s look at verses 1-3.
1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”
So, as we dive into this story we see that Jesus gives very specific instructions in order to prepare for His entry into Jerusalem.
First of all, we see that there is a specific geographical location from where Jesus will come into the city.
Jesus is coming from Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives.
Bethphage was a village located less than a mile from Jerusalem along a slope called the Mount of Olives. This slope overlooked the city of Jerusalem and presented a situation where Jesus and the crowd with Him would be seen as they came into Jerusalem.
I’ve been to the Mount of Olives and it’s a beautiful journey down into Jerusalem.
Also, we see specific instructions on where to find these donkeys.
Jesus tells these two disciples to just untie these donkeys and bring them to Him.
If someone asks why the disciples are doing this, they are to basically just say, “Everything’s ok. We’re allowed to do this.”
Can you imagine the thought of the disciples? “You want us to do what?”
I have a cousin who once said that he could get anything he wanted for free. His basic tactic was to just act like he knew what he was doing. Now, I don’t think that’s what Jesus is doing here, but it kind of seems that way.
There is debate as to whether Jesus set up these details ahead of time or whether He supernaturally saw these details and made a plan based on the factors involved.
Either way, it’s pretty special. We certainly know that it was well within Jesus’ power to do either. Jesus could have wisely prearranged the details, or He could have supernaturally foresaw the details.
In either case, He is preparing for His entry.
We also learn of these two donkeys that Jesus would require.
It’s noteworthy that only Matthew’s Gospel mentions the two donkeys. However, this is not really a problem.
You see, a foal is a young donkey, and it’s certainly possible that this foal had never had a rider before. The presence of the foal’s mother would help it remain calm as Jesus rode down the road into Jerusalem.
Matthew’s focus is on the foal, not the mother, which we will understand more in a moment.
Also, you might wonder why Jesus was riding on a donkey, and not a majestic horse. Well, it was very common for kings and their families to ride donkeys rather than horses.
In fact, typically in ancient Israel riding on a horse represented riding into war, while riding on a donkey represented a peaceful time.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace. Remember, Jesus first came as Suffering Servant Messiah, not Conquering King Messiah.
So, these preparations are made for the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, to enter Jerusalem.
The second milestone that is revealed in this passage is . . .
II. The prophecy (vv. 4-5) [on screen]
You see, this moment was not just prepared, it was actually prophesied.
Let’s check out how Matthew draws our attention to these prophecies. Look at verses 4 and 5.
4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
5 Tell Daughter Zion,“See, your King is coming to you,gentle, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt,the foal of a donkey.”
Matthew points us to this fact. Remember, Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience, and he is writing to show us that Jesus is God’s fulfilled promise. That’s the name of our series in Matthew, “God’s Fulfilled Promise.”
Here we see that Jesus is again fulfilling prophecy. Which prophecy? Well, Matthew is pointing us to part of Zechariah 9:9.
Zechariah 9:9 is a Messianic prophecy, or a prophecy about the Messiah, which Jesus is fulfilling in this moment.
In just a moment, we’ll see that the crowds ask who this man is. Some proclaim Him as a prophet, which He was. However, by pointing us to the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, Matthew is making sure that we understand that Jesus is so much more than a prophet. He is so much more than a good teacher. He is so much more than a healer. He is so much more than a righteous man. Jesus is King! Jesus is Messiah! Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Savior!
The prophecy said, “Daughter Zion,” which referred to the city of Jerusalem, the location of Mount Zion. The prophecy said that Jerusalem’s king is coming on a donkey’s foal. However, Jesus is not only the king of Jerusalem, He is the King of the Universe!
So, the Messiah is coming in gentleness and peace. He is not coming to wage battle, but to lay down His life. He is coming to fulfill that which was prepared for Him before He ever uttered His first cry as a baby boy.
Jesus is fulfilling prophecy.
The final milestone that we discover is . . .
III. The procession (vv. 6-11) [on screen]
This is the entry part of the triumphal entry. Jesus is entering into the city from the Mount of Olives. Look at verses 6-11.
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the nameof the Lord!Hosanna in the highest heaven!
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
We read that the disciples carried out Jesus’ instructions and they brought these donkeys to Jesus, laid their clothes on the donkeys, and Jesus sat on them. By the way, Jesus sat on the clothes that were on the donkeys. Jesus surely didn’t ride both donkeys at once. It was not a synchronized donkey bench. Also, it’s certainly possible that Jesus would switch between the donkeys along the way.
As Jesus is riding the donkey others are laying down their clothes and branches along the road to honor and celebrate Jesus as Messiah and King. Again, they know that He is special. They are hopeful that He is Messiah, and they are celebrating Him as such. Yet, they still don’t know all of who He is.
Now, it’s important to identify the people here. First, we have Jesus and His disciples. Also, there are crowds that are following along with Jesus. Remember, the week that Jesus comes into Jerusalem is Passover week, so many Jewish people would be in Jerusalem to celebrate. Surely, some of these were those who were from the Galilee region. These people would know Jesus well! They are the ones who are celebrating Jesus and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Hosanna means save, Savior, or Rescuer. It was also just a general word of praise to God. These people are praising God for Jesus. They call Him “Son of David,” which points to the fact that they believe He is the Messiah, because the Messiah would come from the line of David.
The people are basically saying, “Praise God for the Messiah who saves!”
There’s also another group of people. There are those who are gathered in Jerusalem for Passover, but they do not yet know a lot about Jesus. They’re probably not from Galilee, so they want to know what’s going on. Verse 10 says, “ . . . the whole city was in an uproar, saying, ‘Who is this?’”
Well, the other crowds who were more familiar answered the question in verse 11. They said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
People were like, “What’s going on?” The others basically replied, “Jesus is what’s going on!”
Jesus is coming into Jerusalem, on a donkey, as the Prince of Peace. He was coming to lay down His life and rise from the dead. He will accomplish the greatest act of love and display the greatest act of power that the world has ever seen.
Concluding Thoughts:
So, we have these three milestones: the preparation, the prophecy, and the procession.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: The prophesied procession of the Prince of Peace came for God’s people, and is promised again. [on screen]
(repeat)
That’s a lot of “Ps.” However, there’s a lot of powerful truth in there as well.
This moment was prepared and prophesied for the people of Jerusalem around 2,000 years ago. However, this truth is for us as well.
You see, there have been preparations made concerning Jesus that took place before the foundation of the earth was laid. A plan has been in place to redeem us from our sins by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. God has prepared to show you His love through Jesus.
The very moment of Christ’s sacrifice was prophesied before you and I were ever born. After sin came into the world, a prophecy was made concerning Jesus. In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” [on screen] This moment was foretold from the very beginning of our planet.
There will also be another procession. Actually, two more processions of Jesus. At the next procession, Jesus will come on a horse: a white horse. He will have a robe dipped in blood, with a sword coming from His mouth. He will come to conquer sin and bring justice. Then, later Jesus will have another procession where He welcomes His own into the New Heaven and the New Earth, to live in peace forever.
Notice the preparation, the prophecy, and the procession. Notice even more God’s preparation for your redemption, the prophecy of Jesus’ victory over sin, and the processions of Jesus that will come.
Challenge yourself to change this week in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Examine who the Messiah is to you. [on screen]
The people in Jerusalem, as they saw the commotion coming from the Mount of Olives, asked, “Who is this?”
Well, who is Jesus in your life? Is He simply a prophet from Nazareth? Is He simply a good teacher? Is He Lord and Savior in your life?
Take some time this week and examine who Jesus is in your life.
2. Proclaim Jesus as the Prince of Peace. [on screen]
Jesus not only came at the triumphal entry as a peaceful Messiah. He is also bringing peace to the hearts of millions and millions who turn to Him.
We must continue to proclaim the peace that Jesus brings. We must proclaim Jesus as the Prince of Peace.
When’s the last time that you told someone about Jesus?
Take some this week, be intentional, proclaim Jesus.
Closing:
The irony of the triumphal entry is that those who welcomed Him with shouts of “Hosanna” would later cry out “Crucify Him” as He was condemned to death on the cross.
The preparation and the prophecies spoke to the moment that Jesus died and rose again. Jesus’ death and resurrection would then bring a procession of grace to the hearts of sinners. Jesus came to forgive those who shouted out “Crucify Him.” Jesus came to forgive you and me. Jesus came to forgive all those who would cry out to Him for salvation. He came to bring peace, as He is the Prince of Peace.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.
