Mark 11:1-11

It's good to be with you this morning. Can y'all hear me okay? My hearing is bad, so I don't know what you're hearing. Is that okay?

! Before we get going, I just want to begin with prayer. It's been a very great, very encouraging, but it's been just a long weekend for me.

I definitely feel at least physically unable to the task this morning.

And I would just like to ask God to help me, help us.

So just pray with me just for one minute.

Father, we want to realize and embrace the reality that this is a sacred time.

A time when your people scattered throughout all the earth in many different places,

both legal and illegal, comfortable and uncomfortable.

God, they are meeting together.

And I pray that wherever your word is being taught,

that the true Jesus is being proclaimed and made known,

that the gospel of truth is being known.

And God, I pray just specifically for this time with your people,

God, that you would speak through your word,

through such a challenging and encouraging and even a familiar passage to so many of us.

So God, just work in our hearts.

Convict us of our sin, Lord.

And lead us into action afterwards or else this time would have been in vain.

God, we praise you.

In Christ's name, amen.

Amen.

So, how many of you have seen or maybe were reared on the old Bible movies?

Like Ben-Hur.

Who's seen Ben-Hur?

Who's seen The Robe?

The movie The Robe?

That's a really old one.

Jesus of Nazareth.

That was an old one too, like made in the 70s maybe.

But all these old, familiar to a lot of us, Bible movies,

they always have this particular passage just like this crazy mob of people following Jesus into Jerusalem.

And, you know, it seems like a lot of very exciting things are happening.

A lot of expectations built up.

So when you come to a passage like this, you feel like really pressed to like explain well

and make it not so familiar to people who are used to hearing it all the time.

So, beginning in chapter 11, we're just going to read verses 1 through 11.

It says,

And as they were approaching Jerusalem, and Bethage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives,

he sent two of his disciples and said to them,

Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there,

on which no one yet has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it here.

And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this?

Say, The Lord has need of it, and immediately he will send it back here.

And they went away and found the colt tied at the door outside in the street,

and they untied it.

And some of the bystanders were saying to them,

What are you doing untying the colt?

And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them,

and they gave them permission.

And they brought the colt to Jesus, put their garments on it,

and he sat on it.

And many spread their garments in the road,

and others spread leafy branches, which they had cut from the fields.

And those who went before, those who were falling after,

were crying out, Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David!

Hosanna in the highest!

And he entered Jerusalem and came into the temple,

and after looking all around, he departed for Bethany with the twelve,

since it was already late.

Okay?

Very familiar passage to so many of us,

but I dare say I learned some new things about this passage

that I didn't know before in studying and praying and preparing over this.

And it really kind of turned and shook some of my expectations down.

And I really was shaken to the core, actually.

And again, if you're familiar with the way that movies

and so many different Hollywood things portray this event,

it seems like such an exciting time to be there

and actually witness Christ coming into Jerusalem.

But we're just going to walk through the passage a little bit.

We're going to just kind of do some introduction first,

and then we're going to look at three things.

We're going to look at the actions of Jesus,

the response of the crowd,

and then our response.

Like, what should we be thinking about in regard to this passage?

So, as we're walking through it, just look at verse 1.

It says that they were drawn near to Jerusalem.

Alright, we just start there.

Where Jesus had finished his Galilean or his Judean ministry,

and he was fixed on Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem, the city of peace,

if you know anything about Jerusalem's history,

it's been anything but a city of peace in so many ways.

It's probably been the most conquered city in the world,

over and over and over, changing hands.

And so Jesus was fixed on this,

and he set his eyes toward Jerusalem.

So many of the Gospels say.

And on the road, he had passed through Jericho.

This is where he healed the two blind men,

one being Bartimaeus,

and also saved them spiritually, right?

And he also delivers one of the most hated men in the town,

Zacchaeus.

And Zacchaeus is born again, delivered through Christ.

And then after Jericho, right after Jericho,

they began ascending the 2,500 foot plus whatever descent to Jerusalem.

When they talked about going up to Jerusalem,

they really did go up to Jerusalem.

It's a pretty high, high point.

And they were going up during, to get ready for the Passover week.

And it says that they went through Bethany.

And so on Saturday, Jesus arrives in Bethany.

It's a little village about two miles outside of Jerusalem,

east of Jerusalem, over the top of the Mount of Olives.

It's just a little village.

And he had friends there in Bethany.

If you remember, we're paralleling other Gospels,

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, right?

If we remember John's account,

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Probably the most incredible feat that he did

to actually prove and authenticate his being the true Messiah.

And so that was there.

And even today, that town is not really called Bethany anymore.

It's called El Azariah, after Lazarus.

The town was named after Lazarus.

And in John 12, it says that a large number of Jews

came to Bethany the next day.

So they're blown away by, they're curious.

They want to see, like, this guy who was supposedly risen from the dead

and this miracle worker that had risen him from the dead.

And so on Sunday, there was a large mob of people coming to Bethany.

And it says they came to see Jesus and Lazarus,

whom he had raised from the dead back in John 12.

And so the city was swelling with pilgrims,

with travelers from all over the place.

A massive, huge mob.

I don't know if you've ever been to, like, a really intense event

where there was, like, a parade or something like that.

But I can think of several.

But one of my most memorable ones, where there was just,

where I was, like, a victim of this massive mob,

was when the Braves won the World Series way back in the 90s.

That's not going to happen for a while, probably.

Hopefully we still have hope.

But there was a parade through Atlanta.

And I was a big, like, baseball fan, obviously, at that time.

And loved playing baseball.

And so, but I was also kind of a little guy.

And I couldn't see over, like, the mass mob.

So I thought, man, I'm going to see the Braves.

So we, me and some mob buddies climbed up on this billboard

that was, like, up on the street.

And we were, and as the hour went by, before the parade started,

like, more and more people started getting on the billboard.

And we kind of started something.

None of the officials were, like, get down from there.

So we just didn't get down.

And so when the parade had started, we saw, I saw,

I think it was, like, maybe a little over halfway through the parade.

And everybody was going crazy.

I was going crazy.

And then all of a sudden, like, on the billboard,

the billboard starts going, starts to,

and the billboard did fall.

Like, and I, like, catapulted across the crowd

and, like, landed on, like, a mob of people.

It was, it was intense.

And if you go, if you go back,

if you go back and look up some of the news articles,

just, like, Google Braves parade, billboard falling,

you'll probably see a picture of me.

Like, there was, there was a picture of us falling.

I don't know how somebody caught that.

But, yeah.

But that was just massive mob hysteria.

And there's, it's that way now.

I mean, in our text here,

just so many people pouring into the city for Passover

and getting ready for things.

But one interesting thing I did learn during study

was an important chronology note.

Those of you who know me well know I'm a history nerd,

so I like stuff to be right in chronology.

But a lot of people have Jesus coming in on Sunday.

So we call it Palm Sunday, right?

But if we do it that way,

according to the Scriptures

and even according to this, the Jewish calendar,

Wednesday is a completely unaccounted for day.

Like, it's an empty day.

And they even call it,

some people call it Silent Wednesday.

And, but really it's just not the case.

When you look at the Scriptures carefully

and look at the way the Jewish calendar is,

there's a lot more that's there.

Get the biblical chronology right.

There's something really cool.

I'll just read this to you.

This is John MacArthur.

This is just really beautiful.

So kind of listen to this.

He said,

According to the law of Moses,

a sacrificial lamb for Passover

was to be selected and set apart

on the 10th of Nisan,

which is one of the celebrations.

The 10th was Monday.

Okay?

The 10th was Monday.

And that's when the sacrificial lamb

had arrived, Jesus.

The sacrificial lamb was to be crucified

on the 14th.

And that's Friday when Christ was crucified.

So both in accordance with the Mosaic law

and accordance to the calendar,

he came in on Monday.

He returned to Bethany Monday night,

came back into Jerusalem on Tuesday,

cursed the fig tree,

cleansed the temple,

went back to Bethany.

On Wednesday,

which most people don't really account for,

it says he entered in controversy

with the leaders of Israel,

gave his sermon on the second coming,

and Judas planned his betrayal.

On Thursday,

his disciples prepared for the Passover.

He spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He was arrested.

He was tied.

Friday, he was crucified.

And Saturday,

he was in the grave.

And on Sunday,

he rose again.

And that's the week

of this passion.

So, really,

it's Paul Monday

in reality.

There really is a

chronology to the way

that the Scripture talks about.

But it really is cool

that when the sacrificial lamb

was to be selected,

to be sacrificed,

was the day that Christ

entered into the city.

And the day he was crucified

was the day

that the lambs

were to be tied

and sacrificed.

So,

Passover week,

the Passover celebration.

Roughly,

this is probably around 30 A.D.

to most accounts, right?

It's in the first Jewish month.

Jesus arrives on the 10th,

and he's crucified on the 14th.

And so,

Passover week,

celebrating the Israel's

deliverance from slavery

and bondage in Egypt

and how the angel of death

came to kill

all the firstborn

and those who spread the blood

over the door

were spared.

So,

it's a picture of

the final judgment,

right?

Those who have been

covered with the blood

of Christ

being spared

the just wrath of God,

the angel,

the ultimate angel of death,

right?

And so,

really important celebration.

And on Friday,

like,

thousands and thousands

of lambs

would be slain

like in the temple.

According to one

ancient Jewish source,

around 40 A.D.

at Passover,

there were 60,000 lambs

slain at Passover.

That's like a lot

of lambs.

And usually,

you would have,

usually,

one lamb

would be sacrificed

for at least 10 people.

So,

you can do the math there,

like,

what kind of a mob

that would have been

in the city

at that time.

But,

consequently,

very few

made the connections.

Very few

really

understood

that it wasn't

this lamb

that was going

to save them

from their sin.

That it all

was pointing

to something

greater,

to Christ

being the ultimate

sacrifice for sins.

And those who did

see that imagery,

who did see

that foreshadowing,

they were looking

forward to the

deliverer coming.

So,

he enters

in Jerusalem

by way

of the Mount

of Olives

across Kidron Valley.

Like,

if you've ever

seen models

of the old city,

there's the Temple

Mount,

and there's

a slope

coming down

where Kidron Valley

is,

and then up

the hill

is the Mount

of Olives.

Also,

the area

where the Garden

of Gethsemane

supposedly lies

on the western

slope.

So,

that's just a little

bit of introduction,

but we're going

to get into

point number one

now.

We're just

going to look

at the actions

of Jesus,

just kind of

under that.

We're going

to see that

in verses

1-7.

It says,

When he drew

near to Jerusalem,

to Bethage

and Bethany,

at the Mount

of Olives,

Jesus sent

two of his

disciples and

said to them,

Go into the

village in front

of you,

and immediately

as you enter,

you will find

a colt tied,

on which no one

has ever sat.

Untie it and

bring it.

And if anyone

says to you,

Why are you

doing this?

Say,

The Lord has

need of it,

and they will

immediately send

it back.

And when he

went away and

found the colt

tied at the

door side,

in the street,

they untied it.

And some of

those standing

there said to

them,

What are you

doing untying

the colt?

And they told

them what Jesus

had said,

and they let

them go.

And they

brought the colt

to Jesus,

and threw

their cloaks

on it,

and sat on it.

So,

a couple,

just two

observations about

Jesus' actions.

The first one

is,

it was a very

deliberate,

intentional action.

He's being

specific.

This wasn't just

a random idea

that Jesus had.

Like,

I think I'm just

going to go

ride in on a

donkey today.

He was being

specific.

He said,

Go into the

village in front

of you,

which would

have been

Bethany.

And then he

says,

Immediately,

that's one of

Mark's favorite

words in this

gospel,

immediately,

as they

entered it.

All right?

So,

he was specific

in the timing.

He was specific

in the object

of the event.

He talked

about the colt

that had never

been ridden.

So,

why was that

significant?

Why was that

important?

Well,

at least in the

Jewish mind,

donkeys are

humble animals.

They considered

animals that

had never been

ridden before

to be purposed

for holy

things.

That's what

they thought.

Like,

if this had

never been

ridden,

it's been

pure and

fresh,

undefiled,

like it

can be

used for

a holy

purpose.

So,

that's why

he chose

that.

So,

very similar

to his

birth and

his mother

riding in

on a donkey

into Bethlehem.

So,

he was specific

in instructions.

Untie it.

Bring it back

here.

If they

say this,

you say

this.

So,

it's funny,

like it

really doesn't

work today.

If you were

to go up

to somebody

that has a

really nice

car or

something like

the Lord

has need

of it,

they probably

would punch

you in the

face.

So,

it really

doesn't fly

today,

but it was

a deliberate

action by

Jesus.

And it

seems like

a lot of

guys,

even some

that I

respect,

they seem

to kind

of chalk

this event

up to

the omniscience

of Christ.

Christ was

kind of

showing his

divinity.

He just

knew what

was going

to happen.

Maybe some

argument for

that,

but I

really tend

to lean

toward the

idea that

he did it

because the

father told

him to,

that he

was listening

to the

father,

and he

knew what

was expected

of the

Messiah.

He knew

what needed

to take

place.

And so,

he went

in and he

found this

donkey.

And he

also was

deliberate,

and the

road he

chose to

go into

Jerusalem.

Like,

this was

as if

everybody

could see

him coming

in.

So,

up until

that point,

he had

been kind

of discreet.

He had

not really

wanted to

make a

big fuss

that he

was the

Messiah.

But by

doing this

act,

he knew

that he

was making

a large

statement

saying that

I really

am the

Messiah,

sitting on

a donkey.

Right?

Why is that

all so

significant?

Because most

other places,

well,

to all

our

accounts,

Jesus

walked

everywhere

he went.

Now he's

writing.

And that's

also an

important

note.

So,

he is

announcing.

If you

remember the

Old Testament,

David and

Solomon came

into Jerusalem

riding mules.

So,

why didn't

Jesus kind

of copy

that?

Well,

the answer

is that it

was a

prophetic

word

from

Zechariah

9,

9.

It said,

Rejoice

greatly,

O daughter

of Zion.

Shout

aloud,

O daughter

of Jerusalem.

Behold,

your king

is coming

to you,

righteous

and having

salvation,

humble

and mounted

on a donkey,

on a colt,

a burden,

a beast

of burden.

So,

he knew

that the

Messiah was

prophesied,

at least in

the sense

to come

in writing

a humble

animal,

namely a

colt.

So,

beautiful

language there.

So,

Jesus'

actions are

deliberate.

He knows

what he

needs to

do.

He's not

just kind

of winging

it.

And the

second

observation

about

Jesus'

actions

was it

was a

dangerous

action,

a very

dangerous

action.

So,

like I

said,

by entering

this way,

he was

announcing

publicly

that he

was the

Messiah,

the king

of the

line of

David.

All right?

And why

was this?

Because it

would really,

really stir

up even

more,

incite the

religious leaders

even more

to kill

him.

And they

were always

looking for an

excuse to trap

Jesus, to kill

Jesus.

They only had been

prevented, right?

Remember, there's so

many times they

actually come after

Jesus, and like,

it's just funny,

just kind of like

smoking mirrors,

kind of off the

scene, and

like, where'd he

go?

And all

because it

wasn't part of

the divine

timetable.

In God's

providence, like

everything is

specific and

on time, but

now, like in

God's providence,

this is being

used to

aggravate

the

leaders.

So he

has spent

years making

fools of

them, like

totally

obliterating

their

misinterpretations

of the

scripture,

their

hypocrisy.

He had just

been blasting

them for years

in a right

way, so

the majority

of the

religious leaders

hated him and

despised him and

wanted him dead,

right?

That had been

going on for

three years.

And also, to

most nationalistic

Jews in their

mind, there

really is a lot

of like political

unrest.

Like, when you

study Roman

history, which I

really enjoy

doing, you

learn that like

Judea and

Britain, they're

like the two

provinces that

they always have

problems with.

They never made

it to Ireland.

So, that would

have been a

bigger problem

for them,

probably.

So, but

Judea and

Britain were

their two big

problems.

Like, if you

were sent

there as a

commander, it

was almost

like saying

you were

getting a

death sentence

or you're

being set up

to fail.

But to an

ambitious Roman

commander, it

would be like,

this is the

chance for me

to excel.

Like, if I

can do the

impossible and

subdue this

province, like,

I can rise in

power and

authority.

They sent me

here and I

cleaned it up.

So, there

were so many

little revolts

throughout Judea's

history under

Rome.

When Jesus was

a boy, when he

went to Egypt,

there was a

huge revolt.

And I want to

say around 13,000

Jews in Galilee

were crucified

as a result.

Pretty huge.

and Josephus

marks that

Pontius Pilate,

who is the

current governor

of Judea, was

one of the

most ruthless

and non-sympathetic

rulers ever.

In Luke 13,

Pilate slaughtered

a number of

Galileans while

they were going

up to make

their sacrifices.

And then he

literally took

their blood and

he mingled it

in with the

blood of the

animal sacrifices.

He lived in

Herod's palace

and around

3,000 soldiers

lived there with

him outside,

kind of protecting

him.

And he hated

to go into

Jerusalem.

He just did

it when he

had to.

So, the

religious leaders

were greatly

concerned that

any kind of

mass crowd or

political unrest

could incite

Rome to kind of

come in and

crush them.

If you look at

this text real

quick, keep your

hand in Mark,

but look at

John 11.

John 11.

I'm going to

read just kind

of an account

of this and

how they were

truly viewing

these events and

also how God

was actually

viewing these

events.

John 11,

John 11:46

verse 46.

All right?

Verse 46.

So, they're

concerned about

their nation.

So, they're

concerned about

their nation.

Right?

They're not

really thinking

in spiritual

ways.

Verse 49.

But one of

them, Caiaphas,

who was the

high priest that

year, said to

them, you

know nothing at

all.

Like, you

idiots.

It's basically

like, think

bigger picture.

Nor do you

understand that

it is better

for you that

one man should

die for the

people, not

that the whole

nation should

perish.

Right?

So, he's like,

man, if we just

kill Jesus, it'll

be okay, rather

than our whole

nation being

destroyed.

He did not

say this of

his own

accord.

But being the

high priest that

year, he

prophesied that

Jesus would

die for the

nation.

Not only for

the nation

only, but

also to

gather into

one the

children of

God who

were scattered

abroad.

So, from

that day on,

they made

plans to put

him to

death.

So, they

are being

incited to

aggression and

to kill

Jesus to

preserve their

nation.

God has a

completely

different plan.

What's amazing

is, when you

look at the

cross, you

see that God

chose to use

the willful

actions of

sinful men to

play right into

what he had

predestined to

occur.

That's Acts

4.

Acts 2

talks about

that.

That everyone

was gathered

against Christ

to do what

God had

planned.

So, in a

sense, many

will say that

the crucifixion

and death

of Jesus

was one of

the most

heinous and

evil acts

ever committed.

And it

was.

Peter even

says that.

You men,

you men of

Judea, you

men of

Nazareth,

you crucified

and killed

him.

He was

killed at

the hands

of evil

men.

Right?

But, if you

look at it

this way, in

God's mind, he

was using evil

to overturn

evil.

He was using

the most sinful

action to

overturn our

sin and to

redemption.

So, all

these actions,

Jesus coming

in, he

knows that

it's going to

aggravate them

into action,

to take him

in and

arrest him.

So, in

God's

providence,

God used

those free

and willful

actions to

play right

into his

divine plan.

So, as

crazy and

dramatic and

nerve-wracking

as it sounds,

like God is

in complete

control and

his son is

doing what

he had

planned

perfectly.

So, that's

the actions

of Jesus,

both deliberate

and dangerous.

But, number

two, notice

the reaction

of the

people.

Verse

eight,

they spread

their cloaks

on the road

and others

spread leafy

branches as

they had

cut down

from the

fields.

And those

who went

before them

and those

who followed

were shouting

Hosanna.

Blessed is

he who

comes in

the name

of the

Lord.

Blessed

is the

coming

kingdom

of our

father

David.

Hosanna

in the

highest.

And he

entered

Jerusalem

and he

went into

the temple

and when

he looked

around at

everything,

as it

was already

late,

he went

out to

Bethany

with the

twelve.

So, you

see some

welcoming

gestures from

the crowd.

Really,

really clear

gestures.

They were

spreading out

their cloaks

on the

road.

A very

old,

ancient

custom that

showed

submission to

people.

It's

basically

saying that

you can

step on

me,

you can

walk on

me,

I submit

myself to

you,

you are

my

authority,

you are

my king.

In

2 Kings

9,

you see

that with

Jehu,

the same

event

happens

way back

when,

Sir Walter

Riley

supposedly

took his

coat off

and put

it on

a puddle

for

Queen

Elizabeth

I

to walk

across,

and that

became

just known.

symbolically

for that.

So,

others,

it said,

spread leafy

branches they

had cut

down from

the fields.

John

calls them

palm branches.

In

Scripture,

they're

symbols of

salvation,

symbols of

joy.

You see

that in

Revelation 7,

9.

It's saying,

you are our

deliverer.

right?

In

Matthew

Matthew 21:9

21,

verse 9,

it says,

they are

saying to

Jesus,

you are

our

deliverer.

You are

our source

of joy.

Right?

So,

Jesus was

in the

middle of

the crowd,

and all

around him,

this crazy

emotion is

going on.

So,

that's the

movie Hysteria

that you see

in all those

old Jesus

movies.

And even

the one

that came

out recently,

The Son

of God,

I think,

same kind

of Hysteria.

So,

they're doing

welcoming

gestures,

and they're

shouting,

and they're

literally

cheering

certain

things.

Right?

It says,

those who

were behind

him,

who followed

him,

and those

who were

in front

of him.

So,

he's

literally

surrounded,

and they're

saying,

Hosanna.

Right?

And basically,

that word

means,

save us

now.

Save us

now.

Deliver us

now.

It was

pretty

well-known

term.

It's

exclamatory,

and it's

also a

plea,

like,

save us

now.

Deliver us.

And what

these people

were doing

is they're

crying and

shouting

what the

pilgrims

would say

going up

to Jerusalem.

Again,

just keep

your hand

in Mark,

but look

at Psalm

Psalms 118:25

118,

verse 25.

Psalm

Psalms 118:25

118,

verse 25,

and there's

a whole

section of

psalms,

this being

one of

them,

that are

called

the

Psalms

of

Ascent,

or the

pilgrimage

psalms,

where the

Jews would

be singing

these,

proclaiming

these to

each other

as they

went up

to Jerusalem

to worship

and to

make

sacrifice,

kind of

preparing

their minds

and their

hearts.

Psalm

Psalms 118:25

118,

verse 25,

and this

is the

psalm that

they are

quoting from,

Save us,

we pray,

O Lord.

There it is.

O Lord,

we pray,

give us

success.

Blessed is

he who

comes in

the name

of the

Lord.

We bless

you from

the house

of the

Lord.

The Lord

is God,

and he

has made

his light

shine upon

us.

Bind the

festival

sacrifice with

cords,

there it is,

like a

Passover

idea,

up to the

horns of

the altar.

You are

my God,

and I

will give

thanks to

you.

You are

my God,

I extol

you.

O give

thanks to

the Lord,

for he

is good,

for his

steadfast love

endures

forever.

So this

is the

psalm that

they have

in their

mind.

It was

called the

Conqueror's

Psalm.

Years and

years ago,

before this

event,

in between

the Old

and New

Testament,

we know

what happened,

but there's

no scripture

at that

time.

There was

a lot of

other rulers

who came

to rule

over Judea,

Greece being

one of

them,

some of

the Syrians

being one

of them.

But the

Jews shouted

this psalm

when

Maccabeus

triumphed

over the

Syrians.

The same

thing,

like Hosanna,

bless you

who comes

in the

name of

the Lord.

So Christ

was met

with much

zeal and

much

expectation

by this

mob.

Right?

So it

sounds great,

but here's

where it

was convicting

to me.

These are

some sad

misunderstandings.

These people

are not

really

understanding

what's

going on

for the

most part.

The tragedy

is that

though Jesus

really was

the true

king,

the true

Lord of

lords,

the Messiah,

the Son of

David,

the Son of

God,

he was all

those things

and no

human ruler

could ever

come close

to Jesus.

Yet the

majority of

this mob

does not

see him

that way.

The reality

is this is

like a

faithless

false

approval

of the

true

king,

Jesus.

Everything

they shouted

was true.

It was

biblical,

it was

right,

but it

was misdirected.

It was

not accurate.

They

weren't

thinking

personal

salvation,

most of

them.

They

were

thinking

political

deliverance.

They

were

thinking

rescue

from

our

conquerors.

So the

crowd is

fickle.

They're

making the

connections

wrongly

between

the true

prophecies

about the

Messiah and

what they

were experiencing.

So their

understanding was

just marred and

confused.

I'm not saying

that every

person in

that mob

did not

truly have a

good understanding

of who

Christ was.

Surely there

was, but

most of

them do

not.

Why?

Because there

are so many

things about

this event

that if

this was a

true triumphal

entry,

there would

have been a

lot more

celebration.

It would

have almost

been planned.

It would

have gone

on for

days.

Even see

how it

ends.

He pretty

much just

walked into

the temple

and was

like,

let's go

back to

Bethany.

Very

unofficial,

insignificant

conclusion to

this entry.

They had

earthly

expectations

of Jesus.

Come and

get rid of

our Roman

conquerors who

have been

abusing us

since Pompeii

and all

these other

conquerors

had come

in there.

Come and

deliver us,

give us

back our

country,

give us

back our

national

pride,

restore to

us the

glory days

of Joshua

and David

and Solomon.

They're

misdirecting.

Right?

And Jesus

knows this.

Other accounts

said that he

wept over

these things

because he

knew that

most of

them were

grossly

misplacing

their zeal.

Right?

So most of

it's superficial

and earthly.

Even the

disciples.

Okay,

well,

if you don't

follow that,

the scripture

says that

even the

disciples

didn't

understand

this.

In John

12,

16,

it says his

disciples,

entering into

Jerusalem,

his disciples

did not

understand these

things at

first.

But when

Jesus was

glorified,

then they

remembered

that these

things had

been written

about him

and had been

done by him.

Right?

So even they

didn't understand

fully.

They were

thinking like,

alright,

our boy is

going to

come in

here and

clean house,

and I'm

going to

be his

boy when

he does

clean house,

and just

this false

misinterpretation

of all these

events.

But what's

sad,

if you're

still in

Mark,

look over

one chapter,

chapter 10.

Jesus told

them,

even after he

had told

them why

he was

going to

Jerusalem,

still they

didn't

understand.

Mark 10,

Mark 10:33

verse 33,

saying,

Jesus said,

see,

we are

going up

to Jerusalem,

and the

Son of

Man will

be delivered

over to

the chief

priests and

scribes,

and they

will condemn

him to

death,

and deliver

him over

to the

Gentiles,

and they

will mock

him,

spit on

him,

flog him,

and kill

him,

and after

three days

he will

rise.

And again,

they're like,

what?

They're not

making the

correct

interpretations

of these

prophecies.

Also,

when they

are teaching

their

children,

they would

read a

scripture like

out of

Zechariah or

something else,

and they

would ask

their children,

of whom

does the

prophet speak?

Right?

Still,

we're missing

so many

things.

So they

had a

false idea,

this messianic

liberation from

Rome's