The Ride Into Jerusalem

The Ride Into Jerusalem

Matthew 21.1-11 

We call this Palm Sunday.

Why?

It begins Holy Week.

Only 2 detailed weeks in the whole Bible, this one and the week of creation in the beginning in Genesis 1. This is a very very special week.

It is celebrated by Christians.

It commemorates an event in the life of Jesus from 2,000 years ago.

The actual journey itself was forming way before Palm Sunday and way before they arrived in the vicinity of Jerusalem on Friday before Palm Sunday.

1. It Began In Galilee, Gathered Momentum in Jericho and Culminated in Jerusalem.

Passover travels

Luke 2.41-51

The roads were filled with families going to the feast. Great companies of pilgrims were heading toward Jerusalem for Passover to celebrate the feast there. This was an annual event. This one was different. More about that in moment. Estimated 2 1/2 Million

Traveling to and arriving at Jerusalem during the time of Jesus’ life on the earth they were reminded that Israel was now occupied by the Romans. This celebration of their Independence from Egypt was marred by the rule by Rome in their own land. They were celebrating a freedom they had lost. This was not the first time. It had happened during the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Both Babylon and Rome had taken over the land. The monarchy had ended. They has asked for a king to be like the other nations around them and now they were under the thumb of the Roman Empire. This happened because they had rejected the LORD. The land was sacred to them, thus the name Israel, governed by God or the Holyland. And so He brought them to the border of His holy land, to the hill country His right hand had taken. Psalm 78.52

Let me describe for you what attending a Passover Feast was like in Jerusalem during David’s reign, 1,000 years before this one. David become King when he was 30, the same age Jesus began His ministry. 15 years into David’s reign would have made him 45. The tabernacle was there. The plans for the temple were in his heart. Appropriations were being firmed up for it. Music was now added to the worship by David . On the way the people thought of the blessing of their freedom and peace on all sides. They would no doubt get to see their beloved King during the feast. They remembered the bitterness of the Egyptian bondage and the joy of being set free. They were going to Jerusalem to celebrate that in their past and revel in their present and filled with hope for the future. National Pride was at an all time high. Here they were, celebrating their independence day, in their own land, with military conquests that began with Joshua and ended with King David. He had killed Goliath, the champion of the Philistines and the rest is history. The army of Israel would have a presence but it was more for show than practical reasons. The nation was at peace with all its neighbors. David, through God’s strength, had made it so. God was with him and God’s blessings was on the nation. This was their finest hour.

Now let me describe the Passover when Jesus was here on the earth. It was a bittersweet. Passover was always a celebration. Yet as the crowds journeyed to Jerusalem in 32 AD, the presence of the Roman Soldiers were all around. Those traveling on foot compelled some men to carry their load a mile. Those whose lives had been touched by Jesus and became followers of His were asking those soldiers to carry it two miles. I am sure there were some very interesting conversations following this... we need to engage people in conversations! This week... 7-Eleven

There were many others who resented this interuptive reminder of their plight, that at a time they are celebrating their independence there is this reminder that they are no longer free. The had become an occupied territory in the Roman Empire.

Upon arriving at Jerusalem they saw the Roman security forces beefed up, lest the people riot. There were also even more forces because Herod and Pilate were in Jerusalem for the feast. There was no Jewish Monarch, no palace, no army like Saul had raised and David led. In its place were occupied forces. This was such an emotional sight. Once where the armies of Israel in reverence bowed in worship were Roman forces that were their to enforce the strong arm of Caesar. It was profane.

To add injury to insult their so called spiritual leader, the High Priest, had sold out to Rome. Instead of the natural succession that had been the order since Aaron, the  position of High Priest was now determined in part by the Roman Government. The Gentiles controlled the Jewish Preisthood!

Going to Jerusalem reminded them of their beloved King David. It was David who captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it the capital of Israel and the place of worship. Here Abraham offered Isaac on the same mountain range that the new temple had been built on. Here Solomon had built the temple David envisioned. Here Nebuchadnezzar’s troops destroyed it and Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, the deep sorrow for the once beautiful City of Jerusalem. Here Nehemiah returned from Persia to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. Here Zerubbabel, inspired through Zechariah, the prophet rebuilt the temple upon the return of Jews to Jerusalem. Herod had added to it in an extensive rebuilding project, even more evidence that although Israel was in the land they did not have the right to goven anymore.

The thought of the Messiah going to Jerusalem for the Passover in the First Century brought thrills to the souls of the people.

Healing a blind man along the way electrified that crowd. They were watching every move Jesus made. They were longing to be free from Roman oppression. They had hoped He would be the one to redeem Israel (Luke 24.21)

2. The Donkey

This was in fulfillment of prophecy by Zechariah. v.5

The significance is the animal. An animal of peace. A beast of burden. Men did not go to war on donkeys. They rode out on horses. Riding in on a donkey symbolized peace.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day to bring it peace. 

Listen to His lament over the city: 

Luke 19.41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

3. The Timing

Passover

Fulfilled

Pentecost

People from all over the world there.

It gave the faithful the sign they had been waiting for.

It focused the whole city’s attention on Jesus. The whole city quake to shake, agitate, cause to tremble

1. 1. of men, to be thrown into a tremor, to quake for fear
      metaph. to agitate the mind

It flung down the final gaunlet to His enemies.

He lamented over the city.

This was not a proclamtion of an earthly victory. Jesus was riding to the throne God had given Him in heaven. It would not be until the end of time that His earthly reign would be established. He would say to Pilate at the end of this week, “My Kingdom is not of this world...  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18.36                                                                                 

4. The Fulfillment of Prophecy.

Fulfilled by Daniel’s prophecy in 

Daniel 9.25-26

"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.'’ 69 7's or 483 years. In Nehemiah 2.1 we are given the exact year and month this decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given: Nisan 445 B.C. Nisan is the first month of the Jewish calendar. Since Nehemiah names no other day, the prophetic period must be rendered according to Jewish custom from New Years’ Day. Nehemiah’s date was the 14th of March, 445, BC.
A prophetic year was 360 days. We see this in Daniel and Revelation. (11.2-3) Luke tells us that Jesus’ ministry began in the 15th year of Tiberius AD14. Tiberius began his reign on August 19, 14AD. 
Jesus began his public ministry in 29AD Three Passovers after this in 32AD Jesus was crucified. The Julian date of the 10th of Nisan (the Sunday before the Passover that year) was Sunday April 6, 32AD. The length of time between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem March 14th 445BC and the first Palm Sunday April 6th 32 AD when Jesus rode into Jerusalem was exactly 173,880 days, 483 prophetic years of 360 days.
This event of Jesus riding into Jerusalem was so significant.

Yet to be fulfilled.

You will not see me again until you say blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD. Matthew 23.39

They will look on the One they had pierced. Zechariah 12.10; John 19.37

These words were quoted and spoken by our LORD after Palm Sunday. It refers to His Return. Palm Sunday events tie into that as well as do discourses during Holy Week.

5. Holy Week

Palm Sunday was a prelude to the most intense week in history.

First, week

Celebrated each year

Pastor Weller, Pastor Bond

Celebrated this year... get into it, embrace the cross, break out of old habits... come to the meetings you are able to attend.

My granddaughter, Lily, yesterday, “Mom, can we get my new dress for Easter?” Something new... in our hearts, routine is good, breaking out for something special liberating

Quiet times this week, personal times... make this a week of walking with Jesus. Go through Mark’s Gospel each day.

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