T Minus 7 Days and Counting: The Sunday Before the Resurrection
You’ll find the events of this day in: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-36
Read Matthew 21:1-11
Years ago I visited Washington D.C. by riding a bicycle around the town. At one intersection I was stopped by police who told me that something important was about to happen, so I was instructed to stay put. Suddenly a motorcade of police and armed guards rolled past. The way this leader traveled and the size of the motorcade told me that it was someone of great importance.
The first day of what we call passion week (the week of the death and resurrection of Jesus) shows how Jesus chose to make a statement to all those who saw him enter Jerusalem. How did the King of Kings enter his capital city? Not how you might initially imagine.
First, Jesus entered in a way that stated he was the promised king.
As Sunday dawned we are told that Jesus instructed his disciples to go into the town and bring him a donkey and her colt with her (see Matthew 21:2). This donkey and colt would be the way that Jesus entered the city. This was important because the Old Testament Scriptures had predicted long ago that the Messiah (or king) would come to Jerusalem in this particular manner (see Matthew 21:5 that quotes Zechariah 9:9). Everything Jesus had done up to this point demonstrated that he was God’s promised King who would come to lead his captive people to freedom. Just like Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, one greater than Moses came to lead us out of our captivity to sin (see Hebrews 3:3-4). Jesus was making the statement that he was the promised king of the Old Testament.
“Just like Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, one greater than Moses came to lead us out of our captivity to sin.”
Second, Jesus entered in a way that stated publicly he was king.
When you think of a king entering his capital city, you normally think of him perhaps on a white horse, not a lowly donkey. Why did Jesus enter his capital city on a donkey? One reason is that Israel's kings traveled this way. We get a glimpse of this in passages like 1 Kings 1:32-34. When King David was an old man, his successor was yet to be crowned. His oldest living son Adonijah wanted to be king (Absalom, his true oldest, had died by this point). David was a father who never learned to say no to his current eldest, so when the time came Adonijah thought he could simply declare himself the king (see 1 Kings 1:5). When David learned this he was in bed (due to his old age), but he still acted. God had promised before his birth that Solomon would be the next king (see 1 Chronicles 22:6-10), so David had to act to make that reality. In order to make this the widest public statement to the largest number of people, David instructed: “have Solomon my son ride on my own mule…(1 Kings 1:33).” This would today be the equivalent of the President saying, “You can ride in my limo to show the world you are important.” Everyone would see the procession, and see the rightful king riding in the king’s transportation.
When Christ came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, it was to convey that he was not only king, but he was a descendant of both king David and Solomon. Everyone there would have gotten the message loud and clear.
How did the people respond to this entry? Matthew tells us the crowds put down their cloaks and spread out palm branches. They also shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David (Matthew 21:8-9)!” They got the message Jesus was conveying.
Do you get the message Jesus is conveying? Just like the people in Solomon’s day, we have a choice to make. Will we follow God’s king, or choose the king of our own making? Like the crowds in Jesus day, do we superficially accept the Messiah today only to turn away from him five days later? He is the promised and publicly proclaimed king. As we enter into passion week, praise God for his faithfulness to send Christ to be our forever king.
“...we have a choice to make. Will we follow God’s king, or choose the king of our own making?”
Going Deeper:
1 Kings 1 records the public travel of Solomon (on the donkey). What are some other public displays given to show Israel that was their rightful king? How was Jesus also displayed publicly in these ways?
Can you think of other passages where Jesus fulfilled Old Testament predictions or promises?
Matthew 21:1-11 containing the triumphal entry of Christ was only one event on what we call Palm Sunday (see the references above to note all the events of that day). What other events did Jesus do and what significance might these have?
