Matthew Ch21v1-17 - The King has come

Turn to Matthew's Gospel.

If you need a note sheet this morning,

no, they're all gone.

So, are any of the younger people

would like one and they haven't got one?

If you're an older person,

maybe you'd sacrifice and give it up

because everybody got one.

Nobody's...

Anyway, fight amongst yourselves.

Turn in your Bibles, please,

to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 21.

We're going to read Matthew, chapter 21,

Matthew 21:1–17

verses 1 to 17.

Let's hear God's word to us,

starting at verse 1.

As they, that's Jesus and his disciples,

as they approached Jerusalem

and came to Bethpage on the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two disciples,

saying to them,

Go to the village ahead of you,

and at once you will find a donkey tied there

and her colt with her.

Untie them and bring them to me.

If anyone says anything to you,

say that the Lord needs them

and he will send them right away.

This took place to fulfill

what was spoken through the prophet.

Say to daughter Zion,

See your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt,

the foal of a donkey.

The disciples went and did

as Jesus had instructed them.

They brought the donkey and the colt

and placed their cloaks on them

for Jesus to sit on.

A very large crowd

spread their cloaks on the road,

while others cut branches from the trees

and spread them on the road.

The crowds that went ahead of him

and those that followed shouted,

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

When Jesus entered Jerusalem,

the whole city was stirred and asked,

Who is this?

The crowds answered,

This is Jesus,

the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

Jesus entered the temple courts

and drove out all who were buying

and selling there.

He overturned the tables

of the money changers

and the benches of those selling doves.

It is written,

he said to them,

My house will be called

a house of prayer,

but you are making it

a den of robbers.

The blind and the lame

came to him at the temple

and he healed them.

But when the chief priests

and the teachers of the law

saw the wonderful things he did

and the children shouting

in the temple courts,

Hosanna to the Son of David,

they were indignant.

Do you hear what these children are saying?

They asked him.

Yes, replied Jesus.

Have you never read

from the lips of children and infants

you, Lord,

have called forth your praise?

And he left them

and went out to the city

to Bethany

where he spent the night.

Well, let's keep our Bibles open

and let's pray.

Oh, Lord, our God,

how majestic

is your name

in all the earth.

you made us.

You provide us

with all that we have.

And so we come

humbly before you

and ask that you would

give to us

more than we could ever

imagine

or ever

consider asking.

That you would give to us

all that we need

this morning

the help of your Holy Spirit

the blessing

that comes from you

so that the words

we hear today

would radically change us

and cause us

to live lives

of praise

and worship

as we follow

Jesus the King.

So help us now,

we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, Jesus is on the move

and our text,

Matthew chapter 21,

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

is very clear

about where Jesus

is headed.

Jesus moves

through three

different stages.

Verse 1,

we're told that Jesus

approached Jerusalem.

And then in verse 10,

we're told that Jesus

then entered

into Jerusalem.

And then in verse 12,

we read that Jesus

entered

the temple.

So these

three movements,

these three stages

of the journey,

teach us

three things.

The King's plan,

the King's coming,

and the King's work.

So as we go through

these stages,

we're going to learn

something about the King.

So first,

the King's plan.

Look at verse 1.

As they approached

Jerusalem

and came to Bethpage

on the Mount of Olives.

Bethpage was

an olive grove,

an area just outside

the city,

a little bit higher,

which you could look from

and see all that was

going on

in the city.

And this is the first time

that Matthew records

that Jesus

comes to

Jerusalem.

Up to this point,

Jesus has been

travelling

throughout the whole region,

visiting towns

and villages.

But now,

Jesus approaches

Jerusalem.

He has his sights

set

on the capital

city.

This is the

focal point

of Israel,

the seat of power

and control.

This is the place

where kings reside.

Now,

this shouldn't

surprise us

at all

if we've been

following through

Matthew's Gospel

because three times

Jesus has

specifically told

his disciples

where they are

headed.

Look back at

chapter 20,

verse 17.

chapter 20,

verse 17.

This is the third time

Jesus tells

his disciples.

Now,

Jesus was going

up to Jerusalem

and on the way

he took the twelve

aside and said

to them,

we are

going up

to

Jerusalem.

That's the plan.

But what's

shocking

is what's

going to happen

in Jerusalem.

because

Jesus

has come

for

a purpose.

Look at

verse 18

of chapter 20.

He says,

we are

going up

to Jerusalem

and the

Son of Man,

speaking of

himself,

will be

delivered over

to the chief

priests and the

teachers of the

law.

They will

condemn him

to death,

hand him

over to the

Gentiles to

be mocked

and flogged

and crucified.

and on the

third day

he will be

raised to

life.

Jesus is

going to

the place

where he's

going to

die.

Why would

you deliberately

and intentionally

go to the

place where

you would be

treated by

torture?

If this were

you or I,

we would

avoid Jerusalem

at all

costs.

Why would

you go to

the place

where you

would be

mocked,

flogged

and crucified?

Jesus is

a dead

man walking.

Has he

lost his

mind?

No,

his purpose

is absolutely

clear.

He's telling

us,

I have

come to

die.

You see,

Matthew is

inviting us

to slow

down to

see what

is most

important.

Because the

rest of the

gospel from

chapter 21

right the

way through

to the

chapter 28,

almost a

third of

the whole

gospel is

focused on

the last

week, the

week of

Jesus'

death.

And as

Jesus approaches

Jerusalem, he

is only five

days away from

his crucifixion.

Once he

enters into

the city,

the clock

starts ticking.

Yes, Jesus

was a great

teacher, he

did amazing

miracles, but

we cannot

miss the

point, the

purpose for

his coming.

I have

come to

die.

Now, while

Jesus must

die, Matthew

wants us to

see that this

is all part

of God's

plan.

Chapter

21, verse

1.

As they

approached

Jerusalem and

came to

Bethpage on

the Mount

of Olives,

Jesus sent

two disciples

saying to

them, go to

the village

ahead of you

and at once

you will find

a donkey

there and

her cult

by her, her

young foal.

Untie them,

bring them to

me.

And if anyone

says anything

to you, like

what are you

doing with that

donkey, say

that the

Lord needs

them and

he will send

them right

away.

Now, what

does Jesus

want a donkey

for?

It seems

rather strange

all this

detail about

getting a

donkey.

Well, we'll

come back to

the significance

of that in a

minute, but

for now, look

at why

Jesus said

it.

We're given

the answer,

aren't we, in

verse 4.

This took

place, the

asking for

the donkey

and getting

the donkey.

This took

place to

fulfill what

was spoken

through the

prophet.

What did

the prophet

say?

Verse 5,

say to

daughter Zion,

see your

king comes

to you,

gentle and

riding on a

donkey, on

a colt, the

foal of a

donkey.

This quote

comes from

the prophet

Zechariah,

written 500

years before

the death

of Jesus.

500 years.

So the

events that

are about

to unfold

before us

have all

been promised

in eternity

past.

They've been

planned by

the Father

and are now

being fulfilled

by Jesus.

In fact,

scripture even

tells us

that before

the world

began,

before the

universe

existed,

God had

planned the

death of

his son.

Get your

minds around

that.

God knew

that when

he created

humanity,

they would

need a

saviour.

So before

we were even

born,

before we

even sinned,

before we

even heard

about the

death of

Jesus,

God had

promised,

planned,

and purposed

the death

of Jesus

for you

and for

me.

In love,

in eternity

past,

God designed

a plan,

a plan that

would lead

to your

salvation.

You see,

with God

there are no

accidents

or random

events.

We don't

live in a

world where

we're left

to blind

chance,

trying to

figure life

out by

ourselves.

We live

in a world

under the

sovereignty

and authority

of God

who is

working out

all things

for your

good.

In fact,

God has

purposed

the events

of your

life

right down

to the

second

so that

we might

know

and love

him.

So this

is

the

king's

plan.

Second,

we have

the

king's

coming.

Jerusalem,

the capital,

was the

nation's

pride and

joy.

It was

here that

their

greatest

king,

King

David,

had ruled

with power

and might.

They were

the glory

days,

but sadly

they were

centuries

of ago

and a

distant

memory.

Now

they lived

under the

iron fist

of the

Roman

authority,

a foreign

power.

Here they

were as

slaves living

in their

own land.

Yet despite

their

situation,

the people

of Jerusalem

were still

hanging on

to God's

promises.

The promises

that God

would raise

up a

king,

one with

absolute

power and

supreme

authority,

one who

would come

and redeem

and restore.

It's not

unlike the

longing that

each one

of us

have,

is it?

We all

long for

the desire

for

something,

someone

who would

come and

fix our

broken world

and heal

our disordered

lives.

Well, it

seems that

the waiting

is over

because here

comes the

king.

Jesus

comes into

Jerusalem

as a

victorious

champion.

Look at

verse 4.

this took

place to

fulfil what

was spoken

through the

prophet,

say to

daughter

Zion,

see,

look,

here a

king comes

to you,

gentle

and riding

on a

donkey,

on the

colt,

the foal

of a

donkey.

Now, to

us reading

that, it

all seems

very odd,

doesn't it?

But we

need to

remember that

this is all

part of a

much bigger

and greater

promise.

What I'd

like us to

do is to

go back

to Zechariah.

You go,

well, where's

that?

Well, just

keep going

backwards,

go to the

beginning of

Matthew,

flick over a

page and

you come to

Malachi,

and flick

over another

couple of

pages and

you're in

Zechariah.

So it's not

too far away.

Zechariah

Zechariah 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9.

So go

back,

Matthew,

Malachi,

Zechariah.

So here's

the prophet,

500 years

before the

coming of

Jesus.

And here's

what he

proclaims,

this is what

he announces.

Let's pick it

up in verse

9,

chapter 9,

verse 9.

Rejoice

greatly,

daughter

Zion.

Shout,

daughter

Jerusalem.

See your

king comes

to you,

righteous

and

victorious,

lowly and

riding on a

donkey,

on a

colt,

the foal

of a

donkey.

I will

take away

the chariots

from Ephraim.

Ephraim is

another name

for Israel.

The war

horses from

Jerusalem,

and the

battle bow

will be

broken.

I'm going

to take

away the

military

might

and the

wars.

He will

proclaim

peace

to the

nations.

His rule

will extend

from sea

to sea

and from

the river

to the

ends of

the earth.

Verse

16.

The

Lord,

their God,

will save

his people

on that

day

as a

shepherd

saves his

flock.

They

will

sparkle

in his

land

like

jewels

in a

crown.

How

attractive

and

beautiful

they

will

be.

Grain

will

make

the

young

men

thrive

and

new

wine

the

young

women.

It's

what the

people of

Jerusalem

longed

for.

And in

a sense

it's

what we

too

long

for.

A

king,

a

victorious

champion

who

will

end

the

suffering

and

all

the

wars

and

the

disorder

and

rule

the

world

with

peace.

A

king

who

will

rule

with

justice

and

correct

every

wrong.

It's

the

promise

of the

kind

of

world

we

all

want.

A

world

full of

beauty

and

delight,

prosperity

and

security.

Well let's

go back

to Matthew

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

chapter

21.

No wonder

the crowds

responded

the way

they did

when they

see Jesus

riding on

a donkey.

It all

comes to

mind.

They

remember

back to

what God

had

promised.

Could

this be

the

longed

for

promised

king?

Well it

seems it

is.

Look at

verse 8.

A

very large

crowd spread

their cloaks

on the

road while

others

cut

branches

from the

trees and

spread them

on the

road.

He was

receiving

the royal

treatment.

The red

carpet

was being

rolled out.

Here

comes

the king.

Verse 9.

The crowds

that went

ahead of him

and those

that follow

shouted

Hosanna!

Which means

save

to the

son of

David.

Blessed

is he

who comes

in the

name of

the Lord.

Hosanna!

in the

highest

heaven.

Here

comes

the king.

The

expectation

was great

but the

victory that

would come

would come

in a way

that was

least

expected.

You see

something

doesn't

quite fit.

Something

seems

out of

place.

I wonder

if you

spotted it.

Jesus

is riding

on a

colt.

A

foe

of a

young

donkey.

Eeyore.

Hardly

the sign

of power

and might

is it?

I mean

stand

back

everybody.

Here

comes the

man on

a donkey.

Aren't

you afraid?

No

a king

with

armour

and

with

sword

and

riding

on a

horse.

That

would

be

much

more

fitting

for a

victorious

champion.

With

his

armies

strolling

behind

him.

But

no,

Jesus

comes

humbly.

Zechariah

that we

read just

now makes

it crystal

clear.

He

says,

see your

king comes

to you

righteous

and

victorious,

lowly

and riding

on a

donkey.

Now I

don't

know how

you view

God.

Maybe

you think

of God

as demanding

and harsh,

watching

for your

next wrong

move so

that he

can berate

you and

punish you.

A kind

of head

master

figure who's

always wagging

his finger.

The

manager who's

always showing

you your

faults.

The

coach who

keeps telling

you,

your best

is not

good enough

and you

must try

harder.

No.

God

comes to

us in

the person

of Jesus,

humble

and lowly.

The

king and

creator of

the universe.

Listen to

what Jesus

has already

revealed about

himself.

You can

follow with

me.

It's just

back in

chapter 11

of Matthew.

Matthew

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11.

verse 28.

Matthew

Matthew 11:28

chapter 11

verse 28.

Listen to

how this

victorious

champion,

the king,

comes to

us and

what he

says.

Listen to

his lowly,

gentle

voice.

verse 28.

Come to

me,

all you

who are

weary

and burdened,

weighed down

because of your

sin and your

struggles.

Come to me

and I will

give you

rest.

Take my

yoke

upon you

and learn

from me,

for I

am gentle

and humble

in heart

and you

will find

rest for

your souls

for my

yoke is

easy

and my

burden is

light.

You see,

Jesus didn't

come in

military

might,

but as a

humble

servant.

He comes

not to

crush

you,

but to

restore

you.

He comes

to you

in your

need.

He sees

how hopeless

and helpless

we are,

how much

we get

weighed

down and

bogged

down by

our sin

and our

suffering.

And Jesus

invites us

to take

his

yoke.

You know

the picture

of the

cattle with

the bigger,

stronger and

older one

with that

piece of

wood across

its shoulder

linked into

the smaller,

weaker one?

Jesus is

saying,

let me

take the

burden.

Let me

take the

weight for

you.

He promises

to carry

us so

that we

might find

rest.

You see,

the rest

that Jesus

offers,

the peace

he comes

to bring,

the victory

he has

promised is

not achieved

through

overthrowing

political

oppression

with the

sword,

but it's

all accomplished

by bringing

salvation to

all through

his death

on the

cross.

Because

remember,

Jesus is

humbly

coming to

Jerusalem and

lowly is

he walking

to the

cross.

He comes

as the

creator

God,

the almighty

king,

who comes

to give up

his life

for you

and me

so that

we could

know peace

with God

and peace

with each

other.

He dies

for you

so that

we could

be forgiven

and welcomed

into his

eternal kingdom,

a kingdom,

remember what

Zachariah said,

where we will

sparkle like

jewels in a

crown,

pure and

beautiful.

He is the

humble,

victorious

champion who

renews our

disordered lives

and restores our

broken world

and he does it

all through

his victorious

humble

death.

But let us

not mistake

his humility

for weakness.

Let's go

back to

Matthew chapter

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

21.

Let's look

third at

the king's

work.

Having

entered

Jerusalem,

we read

in verse

12 that

Jesus now

entered

the temple

courts.

It was

here in

the temple

that you

could come

and meet

with God.

Sitting on

the highest

point of

the city,

the temple

was a

symbol of

God's

presence.

But to

gain access

into the

temple,

you first,

whoever you

were,

had to

offer a

sacrifice.

But it

had to be

a special

kind of

sacrifice.

It had to

be a

Jewish

sacrifice

bought

with Jewish

money.

So any

outsider

who came

and wanted

to go to

the temple

where they

were immediately

barred.

The only way

for them

possibly to

get into

the temple

was,

well,

first they

had to

go to

this little

bank

outside and

get their

money exchanged

and,

well,

exchanging

money came

with a

hefty fee.

fee.

And then

they would

go to

the stalls

further up

and they

would buy

a sacrifice

which were

conveniently

overpriced.

So instead

of the

temple being

a place

of welcome

which God

had planned,

it became

a place to

make money

and keep

people out.

Rather than

access be

given,

access was

now denied.

And not

surprisingly,

Jesus

was not

happy.

He came

to purify

and cleanse

the temple

of all its

corruption.

Look at

verse 12

with me.

Jesus

entered the

temple courts

and he

drove out

all who were

buying and

selling there.

He overturned

the tables

of all the

money changers,

coins going

everywhere,

and the

benches of

those selling

doves.

You could

imagine the

birds flying

here,

there,

and everywhere

and animals

scooting about

all over the

place.

The place

had gone

mad as

Jesus

threw them

all out.

Verse 13

It is

written,

he said

to them,

my house

will be

called a

house of

prayer.

A quote

from Isaiah

which was

a picture

of the

nations

coming

to God's

temple,

a place

where they

could come

and commune

with God.

But he

says,

you are

making it

again quoting

an Old

Testament

prophet,

a den

of robbers

where the

religious leaders

were exploiting

the foreigners

and oppressing

the poor.

people from

every nation,

no matter

their language

or their

race,

would be

able to

come to

God

to enjoy

communion

with God.

And so

incensed

with what

was going

on,

Jesus

booted

them all

out of

the temple.

He kicked

out the

rot

and he

began to

welcome

in the

new.

Do you

see it

in verse

14?

The blind

and the

lame came

to him

at the

temple

and he

healed

them.

Here was

another group

of people

because of

their

disabilities

they were

also barred

for entering.

They were

excluded and

shut out.

So they

probably didn't

have any

money anyway

so they

could never

get in.

But what

does Jesus

do?

He heals

them for

the purposes

that they

too might

enter in

to the

temple.

You see

Jesus was

only doing

what God

had promised

would happen.

To help

us understand

just go

back again

to Malachi

that was

the middle

book between

Matthew and

Zacharias so

just keep

turning back

in your pages

until you

come to

Malachi

Malachi 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Malachi

is writing

about 400

years before

the coming

of Jesus

and he's

looking forward

to what

will happen

when Jesus

comes.

Malachi

Malachi 3:1

chapter 3

verse 1

he says

I will

send my

messenger

who will

prepare the

way before

me.

Then

suddenly the

Lord you

are seeking

will come

to his

temple.

The

messenger of

the covenant

whom you

desire will

come says

the Lord

Almighty.

God

but who

can endure

the day

of his

coming?

Who

can

stand

when he

appears?

He will

be like a

refiner's

fire or a

launderer's

soap purifying

and cleaning.

He will

sit as a

refiner and

purifier of

silver.

He will

purify the

Levites.

These were the

religious leaders

of the temple

and refine

them like

gold and

silver.

Let's go

back to

Matthew

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

chapter 21.

Do you

see what

was promised?

One who

would come

to purify

and cleanse?

And that's

what Jesus

came to

do.

To purify

and cleanse

people so

that they

might be

able to

come to

God.

And what

Jesus was

doing in

the temple

as he

was kicking

people out

left,

right and

centre,

he came

to do

this as

a sign

of what

he would

do through

his death.

You see

unless Jesus

refines

us,

we cannot

stand before

God.

We too

must be

made clean

and pure.

And that's

what Jesus

does.

His death

is the

means by

which we

too can

be cleansed

of all

of our

sin,

purified

from all

our guilt

and shame,

all the

nasty things

burnt off

and washed

away.

He heals

us by

taking all

our impurity

and in its

place giving

us his

purity so

that we

might enjoy

God now

and forever.

He is the

purifying

and cleansing

king.

So the

challenge is

will we

welcome him

with joy?

Because not

everyone was

happy with

what Jesus

was doing.

Look at

verse 15.

But when the

chief priests

and the

teachers of

the law

saw the

wonderful

things Jesus

did and

how the

children were

shouting in

the temple

courts,

Hosanna,

save,

praise to

the son of

David.

They were

indignant,

furious,

mad.

Jesus

was claiming

to be

God.

Not only

was he

destroying

their money

earner,

Jesus was

making it

possible for

foreigners and

outsiders to

be welcomed

in.

Their

exclusive

religious

club was

now being

dismantled

before their

eyes and

they were

the ones

on the

outside.

But what

really infuriated

them was

that Jesus

claimed to

be God.

Verse 16.

Do you

hear what

these children

are saying?

They asked

him.

They're

treating you

as if you

were God.

Well,

yes,

replied Jesus.

have you

never read

from the

lips of

children and

infants,

you,

Lord,

have called

forth your

praise?

You may

recognize that

quote.

It's how

John began

this morning

as we read

from Psalm

8.

Psalm 8,

remember,

begins like

this,

Lord,

our Lord,

how majestic

is your name

in all the

earth.

You have

set your

glory in

the heavens.

You see,

Jesus is

accepting

and welcoming

of the

praise of

little

children.

Jesus is

declaring,

I am

God and

I am

worthy of

praise.

You see,

these little

children are

significant.

In the

time and