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,
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,
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
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
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
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
chapter 11.
verse 28.
Matthew
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
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
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
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
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
in the
day,
they were
considered
as nobodies
and nothing.
But it's
the little
ones,
these little
toddlers,
these infants,
who get
who Jesus
is.
I mean,
think about
it,
these educated
priests,
who have
all the
knowledge,
they cannot
see who
Jesus is.
But yet,
these little
toddlers,
mucking
about and
playing about,
oh,
they've got
it right.
They know
who Jesus
is,
and they
welcome
Jesus
with joy.
I mean,
even today,
we don't
think children
can teach
us much,
can they?
I mean,
they're just
pests,
annoying.
No,
that's not
right.
According to
Jesus,
we need to
become like
these preschool
kids,
as infants,
dependent,
hopeless,
who need
somebody,
who need
a saviour.
they get
it.
They see
Jesus as
the majestic
one.
They see
that in
Jesus,
he is
God,
and he
deserves
praise
and worship.
So,
here's the
invitation.
Welcome
Jesus
with joy.
Have you
ever
personally
welcomed
Jesus
with joy
to be
the king
of your
life?
Join in
with the
crowd
filled with
hope and
expectation
of the
coming king
who is
going to
come again
and will
restore all
things
and make
everything
right.
Like
humble,
dependent
children,
let us
give our
praise
to our
saving
king.
Not
just
today,
but
every
day.
Live as
followers
of our
mighty
king,
our
victorious
champion.
Let's
pray.
our
father
God,
we
thank you
for your
plan
from
before the
world
began,
your
plan to
send your
son,
your
deliberate
intentional
plan to
send Jesus
to be our
victorious
champion,
to humbly
come and
serve us
by dying
for us,
coming to
cleanse us
and purify
us.
Father,
what can
we do
but join
with these
little children
and praise
you and
give you
thanks and
live our
lives in
worship to
you.
Thank you
for what
you have
done and
we pray
that we
may go
filled with
encouragement
and hope
today because
of Jesus,
our great
king.
We thank you
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
we're
going to
sing
together
a song
that
reminds
us of
yes,
the
humble
lowly
walk of
Jesus
to the
cross.
From
heaven you
came,
helpless
babe,
entered
our world,
came amongst
us to
be our
servant
king.
Let's
stand
together
as we
sing.
Amen.