Jesus' Royal Entry
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
4/13/2014 AM
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Text:
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Matthew 21:1-11
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Psalters: |
317, 142, 4, 58 |
- The entry.
- Jesus sends two disciples to obtain an ass and its colt.
- To tell the owner that “the Lord hath need of him” was adequate.
- Large numbers of people are arriving at Jerusalem to commemorate the mighty act of salvation in the Passover.
- When Jesus rides toward and into Jerusalem He arouses much excitement.
- He finally is “acting” like a King and this after arousing much excitement by raising Lazarus from the dead.
- The disciples support the cause by spreading their clothes on the road and others lay cut palm branches on the way.
- The reception is tremendous as a spontaneous parade forms to welcome their king.
- This activity fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, that Zion was receiving her King.
- Zechariah, 500 years earlier, was given to see the Messiah coming as a conquering King who delivered Judah from Israel.
- Jesus’ royal entry is a temporary, preliminary, anticipatory and prophetic, and not the final fulfillment.
- Jesus’ entrance foretells suffering.
- He rides on a donkey, not on a horse or in a chariot.
- The ass is a beast of burden or was used by the poor for transportation.
- Jesus is a lowly king, one of humility, meekness, and poverty; without an army or armaments.
- Jesus kept God’s law and made His royal entry on the colt of an ass, without earthly pageantry and with meekness.
- He came to save, not an earthly, physical city, but the essence of the city of God.
- The humility shouts that the physical is only a picture of a higher, spiritual reality.
- Such humility foretold future glory.
- Zechariah saw God’s King coming as a victorious King Who would free the people from the yoke of bondage (Zech. 9:10).
- Whenever the people of Zion saw something like it, they would quickly conclude that it had come; hence Hosannas.
- So, though very humble, this ride into Jerusalem foretells better things to come (which we now have).
- We may say that the King has come and we may rejoice, confident of His victory.
- Earthly eyes only seek an earthly king with physical might and an earthly realm.
- Jesus is a spiritual King, with an heavenly Kingdom.
- He will come again in all the glory of heaven.