Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 4-1-22

Triumphal Entry Of The King Matthew 21:1-11 (KJV)
SCRIPTURES
1. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disci- ples,
2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass,
and a colt the foal of an ass.
6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; oth- ers cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, say- ing, Who is this?
11. And the multitude
said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Jesus had warned His dis- ciples that in Jerusalem He soon would be betrayed, con- demned, mistreated, and cru- cified (Matthew 16:13-21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). He also spoke about His resurrec- tion on the third day. Later when Jesus made His en- trance into Jerusalem, He was presenting Himself as its King and Messiah, fully aware that in just a few days Israel’s rejec- tion of Him would culminate at the cross.
The King’s Arrival
The “Mount of Olives” at its highest point rises about 2,700 feet above sea level and provides a spectacular view of “Jerusalem,” the Jordan River valley and the Dead Sea. In the time of Christ, the “Mount of Olives” was noted for the number of olive trees growing on its slope. Jesus was be- trayed on the “Mount of Olives” before His crucifixion and it also was the place from which the “men of Galilee” stood as they watched the res- urrected Christ ascend into heaven.
The garden of Gethsemane was also located on the Mount of Olives. From His position on the “Mount of Olives,” Jesus gave instruc- tions to “two disciples” send- ing them into “Bethphage.” We are not told who these two disciples were.
The Savior’s Instructions
Matthew’s gospel is the only one that mentions the use of two animals, a mother and her “colt.” Mark and Luke only mention the “colt” since that was the animal Jesus rode. Many scholars believe that Matthew misunderstood Zachariah’s prophecy. How- ever, this was not the case. Zechariah’s prophecy men- tions two animals as well. Matthew was simply empha- sizing what Mark 11:2 and Luke 19:30 declared: that the “colt” had never been rid- den before. Therefore, it was wise to bring the mother don- key to walk alongside the “colt” to keep it calm in the midst of the crowd while Jesus rode it.
The King’s Procession
Matthew does not reveal
how the keepers of the two an- imals reacted when the two disciples came for them. How- ever, both Mark and Luke record that the disciples were asked why they were untying the animals. Mark refers to the questioners as “certain of them that stood there” (Mark 11:5), and Luke refers to them as “the owners” (Luke 19:33). There is no contradic- tion here because Jesus told the two disciples in verse 3, “if any man say ought to you” which would include by- standers as well as the owner(s).
We learn from Mark 11:5- 6 that when the disciples were questioned, they said that “the LORD had need of them,” and they were allowed to take the animals. This appears to be evidence that Jesus had made prior arrangements with the owner(s).
This began Jesus’ final royal entrance into Jerusalem. For three years, Jesus had provided evidence of who He was, but this was His official presentation to Is- rael as their Messiah. He of- fered Himself for their acceptance, but knowing that they would reject His offer, on this day He would also weep over the city (see Luke 19:41-44). He would also foretell Israel’s destruction be- cause they failed to recognize that God had visited them.
The Crowd’s Response
This multitude of people was present in Jerusalem be- cause the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were near. Since the Feast of Unleavened Bread was one of the three major feasts in Israel when all males were to appear before the LORD (see Exo- dus 23:14-19; Deuteron- omy 16:16-17), Jews came from all over Israel and the Roman Empire to Jerusalem.
Conclusion
Jesus entered Jerusalem in a parade. No one ever de- served the honor more than He did and yet the purpose of this procession was not mere pomp and circumstance; in- stead it was to fulfill the plan of His Father (Matthew 21:4-5). The amazing thing about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was that after ac- knowledging Him as the “Son of David,” there were still many who asked “Who is this?” Sadly, today, there are still far too many people who are asking the same question. Are you one of those?
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