April 10, 2022
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
“The King is Here”
Service Overview: On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus was widely welcomed as king. Five days later, we find those same people shouting “crucify”. Why? Because their hearts were fickle. God gives mankind the ability to choose who sits on the throne of their hearts, and the fundamental question to all of life is who sits on the throne of your heart?
Memory Verse for the Week:
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28 (NIV)
Background Information:
- During a census taken about ten years after this time, the number of sacrificial lambs slaughtered at the Passover was determined to be some 260,000. Because one lamb was allowed to be offered for up to ten people, the worshipers in Jerusalem that week could have numbered over 2,000,000. It is not likely that the number then would have been much higher than during this last Passover that Jesus celebrated, indicating that the city was teeming with people. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1552)
- Of general interest was the excitement Jesus kindled (8-11). All the city was moved (10). The RSV reads stirred. The Greek is even stronger, for the term is elsewhere used of an earthquake! Messianic fever was at a high pitch. (William E. McCumber, Beacon Bible Expositions, Matthew, 158)
- “Hosanna” transliterates the Hebrew expression that originally was a cry for help: “Save!” (cf. 2 Sam 14:4; 2 Kings 6:26). In time it became an invocation of blessing and even an acclamation, the latter being the meaning here (cf. Gundry, Use of OT, pp. 41-43). “Son of David” is messianic and stresses the kingly role Messiah was to play (cf. Mark, Luke, and John for explicit references to “kingdom” or “king”). (D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Matthew, 439)
- Whereas Jesus by riding the donkey implies his renunciation of revolutionary aspirations, the crowd’s use of palm branches, an allusion to the Maccabean triumphs, implies that they still see him in more revolutionary messianic terms (1 Macc 13:51; 2 Macc 10:7; Rev 7:9; Cullmann 1956b:38; Stauffer 1960:110). (Craig S. Keener, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Matthew, 318)
- At this time Judea was no longer under a Herodian king but ruled directly by Rome through a prefect. Any suggestion of a Jewish “king” could only mean trouble with the Roman government, and the more so if that king were a Galilean (from the province which was still under Herodian rule) attempting to impose his authority on the southern province. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 700)
The question to answer…
What’s so ironic about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as king?
Answer…
The fact that while Jesus was in fact king, and he did in fact come to save, the people had no clue as to the kind of king he was, nor the kind of kingdom he came to establish.
What is it this crowd was so clueless about?
- What King Jesus came to conquer; sin and death.
(Ps. 51:5 ; Is. 59:1-2; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:26; Heb. 2:14; Revelation 21:4)
The people wanted a conquering, reigning Messiah who would come in great military power to throw off the brutal yoke of Rome and establish a kingdom of justice and righteousness where God’s chosen people would have special favor. But Jesus did not come to conquer Rome but to conquer sin and death. He did not come to make war with Rome but to make peace with God for men. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1558)
- How King Jesus would conquer; by his own life and death.
(John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:27; 9:22; 10:10; 1 Peter 2:22-24; 1 John 3:5)
[Jesus] came as an uncommon King. He does not ride in an ornate chariot, nor is He mounted on a war steed. He rides a donkey. Royal vestments are not flung upon His mount or in His path, but the homespun cloaks of peasants. He is meek and His mission is peaceful. He offers himself as One who will conquer, not by force of arms, but by love. (William E. McCumber, Beacon Bible Expositions, Matthew, 158)
Jesus was indeed king but not in the nationalistic sense. He was the King, but he would bring peace by his own suffering. (Grant Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, 408)
- The kind of kingdom that was to be established as a result; one of hearts and lives.
(John 3:3; Rom. 10:10; 14:17-18; 1 Cor. 4:20; 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23)
Nothing in truth is so fickle and uncertain as popularity: it is here today and gone tomorrow; it is a sandy foundation, and sure to fail those who build upon it. Let us not care for it. Let us seek the favor of him who is “the same yesterday today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ). (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 173)
What is the kingdom of Christ? A rule of love, of truth—a rule of service. The king is the chief servant in it. (George MacDonald, “The Child in the Midst” sermon, 19th century)
- The transcendent and eternal nature of Jesus’ kingdom.
(Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44; Luke 1:33; John 18:36-37; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 11:15)
Nothing in truth is so fickle and uncertain as popularity: it is here today and gone tomorrow; it is a sandy foundation, and sure to fail those who build upon it. Let us not care for it. Let us seek the favor of him who is “the same yesterday today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ). (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 173)
This narrative both portrays Jesus as a king and defines the significance of his kingship. Because his kingship was so different from worldly models of authority (Matthew 20:25), Jesus subverts the worldly understanding of kingship to suggest a reign of a different order. (Craig S. Keener, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Matthew, 317)
Conclusion…
What is vital for us to understand in light of this?
A. Jesus and his kingdom come on his terms not ours.
(John 3:3; 3:36; 8:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:23 ; 1 John 5:12)
Matthew makes it clear that Jesus deliberately staged His entry into the city in a manner that would designate Him as the Messiah but Messiah on His terms, not those of mistaken men. (William E. McCumber, Beacon Bible Expositions, Matthew, 158)
B. The “backward” nature of Jesus’ kingdom.
(Mat. 6:10; 23:11-12; Mark 9:35; 10:45; Luke 22:26; John 15:15-16; 18:36)
Seek first the kingdom of wealth and you’ll worry over every dollar. Seek first the kingdom of health and you’ll sweat every blemish and bump. Seek first the kingdom of popularity, and you’ll relive every conflict. Seek first the kingdom of safety, and you’ll jump at every crack of the twig. But seek first His kingdom and you will find it. On that, we can depend and never worry. (Max Lucado, Fearless, 51)
C. The life this kingdom results in.
(John 3:16; 8:12; 10:10 ; Romans 6:4-6, 23; 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:13-14)
The kings and rulers and presidents of this fallen world exercise their authority out of a deep sense of self-promotion, out of a deep sense of wanting to be number one, out of a deep sense of self-preservation, even out of a deep sense of entitlement. By contrast, Jesus exercises his authority in such a way as to seek the good of his subjects, and that takes him, finally, to the cross. He did not come to be served, as if that were an end in itself; even in his sovereign mission he comes to serve – to give his life as a ransom for many. Those who exercise any authority at any level in the kingdom in which Jesus is King must serve the same way – not with implicit demand of self-promotion, confidence in their right to rule, or desire to sit at Jesus‘s right hand or his left hand, but with a passion to serve. (D. A. Carson, Scandalous, 20)
Gospel Application…
The vital and fundamental question to ask in all of this; is Jesus your King?
(Isaiah 53:4-5; 55:6-7; Mark 1:14-15; Romans 3:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; 1 John 2:2)
It is not a decision that converts a person; it is the power of the Holy Spirit that does so. We get into the kingdom not because we make a decision, walk down an aisle, raise a hand, or sign a card. We get into the kingdom because there is true faith in our hearts. (R.C. Sproul, Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?, 15)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What are some tangible ways we might witness Jesus’ reign in hearts and lives?
- What are some ways we might expect Jesus’ reign in hearts and lives to spill over into society?
- If we are a part of Jesus’ kingdom, what does that mean regarding our
- Who do you know that needs to belong to Jesus’ kingdom? How can you be praying for them?
Quotes to note…
Even today many people call themselves Christians but have not pressed far enough in Jesus’ teachings to understand the real character of his lordship or his demands on their lives. The praises of the masses are good, but it is the disciples who truly submit to Christ’s will—those who read his kingship in light of the cross—who will carry out his purposes in the world. (Craig S. Keener, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Matthew, 318)
Go where we will, and retire from the world as we may, we are never out of sight of Christ. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 172)
It seems incongruous and totally inappropriate that any king, much less the King of kings, should make His triumphal entry mounted on a donkey rather than a beautiful white stallion or in a regal chariot. But that is what God’s prophet predicted and that is what God’s Son did, because that was the divine plan. He was not at that time intended to come in earthly splendor or to reign in earthly power. He did not come in wealth but in poverty; He did not come in grandeur but in meekness; and He did not come to slay Israel’s enemies but to save all mankind. The incarnation was the time of His humiliation, not the time of His glorification. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1555)
Mark and Luke say the animal was so young that it had never been ridden. In the midst, then, of this excited crowd, an unbroken animal remains calm under the hands of the Messiah who controls nature (8:23–27; 14:22-32). Thus the event points to the peace of the consummated kingdom (cf. Isa 11:1-10). (D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Matthew, 438)
In deliberately presenting himself before Jerusalem as its messianic king, Jesus has chosen an OT model which subverts any popular militaristic idea of kingship. The meek, peaceful donkey-rider of Zech 9:9 is not a potential leader of an anti-Roman insurrection. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 695)
This colt had never been ridden (Mark 11:2), yet he meekly bore his burden. The presence of the mother helped, of course. But keep in mind that his rider was the King who has “dominion over … all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field” (Ps. 8:6–7). The fact that Jesus rode this beast and kept him in control is another evidence of His kingship. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 62)
The people who were praising God for giving them a king had the wrong idea about Jesus. They expected him to be a national leader who would restore their nation to its former glory; thus, they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus’ real mission. When it became apparent that Jesus was not going to fulfill their hopes, many people would turn against him. A similar crowd would cry out, “Crucify him!” when Jesus stood on trial only a few days later. (Grant Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, 410)
The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for His final week of ministry, followed by His torture and death, is commonly referred to as the Triumphal Entry. There were crowds and shouts of acclamation and demonstrations of allegiance to Him as Messiah. But when He turned out to be the wrong kind of Messiah, fulfilling God’s will, not man’s expectations, the issue was a lonely gallows. This was really the tragic entry. (William E. McCumber, Beacon Bible Expositions, Matthew, 157)
He came using common things. The Lord hath need of them is spoken of an ass and its colt! If He ever invades our cities it will be through the instrumentality of ordinary people doing common deeds of love in His name. (William E. McCumber, Beacon Bible Expositions, Matthew, 158)
Although later teachers and probably Jesus’ contemporaries regarded this prophecy as messianic (b. Sanhedrin 98a; 99a; Gen. Rab. 75:6; Edgar 1958:48-49), it was not such a popular text that his first followers need have grasped the full significance of his actions immediately. Jesus was announcing that he was indeed a king, but not a warrior-king (Moule 1965:87; E. Sanders 1993:242). Jesus was the meek one (Matthew 11:29; Matthew 12:18-21; compare Matthew 5:5). (Craig S. Keener, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Matthew, 318)
Even many who did not understand the nature of Jesus’ kingship paid him royal homage. Matthew specifically upgrades the Christology of Mark’s crowd; his coming leads not only to cries that the Davidic kingdom must be imminent but to hailing Jesus himself as Son of David, the promised King. (Craig S. Keener, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Matthew, 318)
The plain truth is that our Lord knew well that the time of his earthly ministry was drawing to a close; he knew that the hour was approaching when he must finish the mighty work he came to do, by dying for our sins upon the cross. He knew that his last journey had been accomplished, and that there remained nothing now in his earthly ministry but to be offered as a sacrifice on Calvary. Knowing all this, he no longer, as in times past, sought secrecy; knowing all this, he thought it good to enter the place where he was to be delivered to death, with peculiar solemnity and publicity. It was not fitting that the Lamb of God should come to be slain on Calvary privately and silently. Before the great sacrifice for the sin of the world was offered up, it was right that every eye should be fixed on the victim. It was suitable that the crowning act of our Lord’s life should be done with as much notoriety as possible. Therefore it was that he made this public entry; therefore it was that he attracted to himself the eyes of the wondering multitude; therefore it was that“ all Jerusalem was moved.” The atoning blood of the Lamb of God was about to be shed; this deed was not to be “done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 171)
[Jesus] sends his two disciples into a village; he tells them that they will there find the ass on which he was to ride; he provides them with an answer to the inquiry of those to whom the ass belonged; he tells them that on giving that answer the ass will be sent. All happens exactly as he foretells. There is nothing hid from the Lord’s eyes; there are no secrets with him. Alone or in company, by night or by day, in private or in public, he is acquainted with all our ways. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 171)
The sense of our Lord’s Jesus Christ’s perfect knowledge of all our ways ought to have the same effect upon our hearts. Let us do nothing we would not like Christ to see, and say nothing we would not like Christ to hear; let us seek to live and move and have our being under a continual recollection of Christ’s presence; let us behave as we would have done had we walked beside him in the company of James and John, by the sea of Galilee. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 172)
Finally, let us notice in these verses a striking example of the worthlessness of man’s favor. Of all the admiring crowds who thronged round our Lord as he entered Jerusalem, none stood by him when he was delivered into the hands of wicked men. Many cried, “Hosanna” who four days after cried, “Away with him! Crucify him!” (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 172)
At her coronation in 1838, Queen Victoria of England wore a crown encrusted with giant rubies and sapphires surrounding a 309-carat diamond. Her scepter was capped with an even larger diamond, cut from the Star of Africa and weighing 516 1/2 carats. Matthew 21:1-11 portrays the most significant coronation the world has yet seen, but it was a coronation in marked contrast to the kind just described. It was a true coronation of a true King. He was affirmed as King and was, in a sense, inaugurated into His kingship. But there was no pomp, no splendor, and a nondescript sort of pageantry. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1551)
From this text and many others it is clear that Jesus was always in control of the events that affected His life. He initiated His own coronation when He sent two disciples to procure the mount on which He would ride into Jerusalem. He thereby set into motion a series of climactic events that culminated in the voluntary, gracious sacrifice of Himself on the cross that had been divinely planned from eternity past. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1554)
Mark reports that “some of the bystanders,” who Luke says were the owners, did indeed ask, ‘“What are you doing, untying the colt?’ And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission” (Mark 11:5-6; Luke 19:33). Because the owners readily gave permission for use of the animals when told the Lord had need of them, it seems likely they were believers in Jesus. We also learn from those other two gospels that the colt had never been ridden (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). It was a gesture of respect and honor to offer such an animal to someone, as if to say, “This animal has been reserved especially for you.” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1555)
Jesus’ entire life and ministry were marked by two overriding purposes, to do His heavenly Father’s will (Matt. 26:39, 42; John 4:34; 5:30) and to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s first coming (Matt. 5:17; Luke 13:33; 24:25-27; Acts 3:21). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1555)
By the standards and purposes of the earth’s kings, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was anything but triumphant; but by the standards and purposes of God, it was exactly as it was meant to be. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1555)
As Jesus began to ride into the city on Monday, most of the multitude spread their garments in the road. It was an ancient custom (see 2 Kings 9:13) for citizens to throw their garments in the road for their monarch to ride over, symbolizing their respect for him and their submission to his authority. It was as if to say, “We place ourselves at your feet, even to walk over if necessary.” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1556)
The expectations that the Messiah would bring deliverance were so great that the crowd became totally caught up in what, from a human perspective, was a frenzy of mob hysteria. Yet completely in accord with God’s plan, they unwittingly fulfilled prophecy, just as Caiaphas unwittingly fulfilled prophecy when, a few days earlier, he had arrogantly declared to fellow members of the Sanhedrin: “You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” As John went on to explain, Caiaphas did not say that “on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation” (John 11:49-51). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1557)
The Hebrew word hosanna is an exclamatory plea meaning “save now.” But the crowd on that day was not interested in Jesus’ saving their souls but only in His saving their nation. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1557)
Although the shouts of the multitude were entirely appropriate and were, in fact, fulfillment of prophecy, the people had no idea of the true significance of what they were doing, much less of what Jesus would soon do on the cross in their behalf. They neither understood the Lord nor themselves. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1558)
The people wanted Jesus on their own terms, and they would not bow to a King who was not of their liking, even though He were the Son of God. They wanted Jesus to destroy Rome but not their cherished sins or their hypocritical, superficial religion. But He would not deliver them on their terms, and they would not be delivered on His. He was not a Messiah who came to offer a panacea of external peace in the world but to offer the infinitely greater blessing of internal peace with God. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1559)
Many people today are open to a Jesus who they think will give them wealth, health, success, happiness, and the other worldly things they want. Like the multitude at the triumphal entry, they will loudly acclaim Jesus as long as they believe He will satisfy their selfish desires. But like the same multitude a few days later, they will reject and denounce Him when He does not deliver as expected. When His Word confronts them with their sin and their need of a Savior, they curse Him and turn away. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1559)
The Romans were godless and cruel oppressors, and the Lord would not allow them to survive indefinitely. But they were not His people’s greatest enemy. Their greatest enemy was sin, and from that they refused to be delivered. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1559)
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ entry closes with an element of perplexity. After the great shouts of acclamation had somewhat subsided and Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the residents of the city began asking, “Who is this?” The best response the multitude of celebrants could give was, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Obviously most of them had paid little attention to what they had been shouting so vociferously. They had barely finished proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of David, who came in the name of the Lord. But they did not comprehend what they said, and when the mass emotions subsided, they were hard put to say who Jesus really was, other than a prophet who came from Nazareth in Galilee. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1560)
The people knew but they would not believe, and because they would not believe they ceased to know. Like their forefathers to whom Isaiah preached, they heard but did not perceive and saw but did not understand, because their hearts were insensitive (Isa.6:9-10). They heard Jesus’ message, they attested to His miracles, and they even acknowledged His divinity, but they rejected His saviorhood and His lordship. They were totally earthbound, materialistic, and self-satisfied. They were interested only in the kingdoms of this world, not the kingdom of heaven. They would have accepted Jesus as an earthly king, but they would not have Him as their heavenly King. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament commentary, Matthew, 1561)
A few MSS add “Zechariah” or “Isaiah” to “prophet,” doubtless because the quotation comes from both. The introductory words of the quotation are from Isaiah 62:11 and the rest from Zechariah 9:9. The omitted words “righteous and having salvation” (Zech 9:9) may be understood as implicitly included, or omitted because the chief stress is on Jesus’ humility (Stendahl, School, pp. 118–20). (D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Matthew, 437)
Jews certainly understood Zechariah 9:9 to refer to the Messiah, often in terms of the Son of David (SBK, 1:842-44). Therefore for those with eyes to see, Jesus was not only proclaiming his messiahship and his fulfillment of Scripture but showing the kind of peace-loving approach he was now making to the city. (D.A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Matthew, 437)
Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem is deliberately dramatic. It begins with two actions designed to draw attention and to provoke people to think about Jesus’ messianic claim (the royal procession to the city walls and the attack on the traders in the temple courtyard), together with a further symbolic action (the miraculous destruction of the fruitless fig tree) which, though witnessed only by Jesus’ immediate entourage, seems to be closely connected with his prophetic action in the temple. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 691)
The acclamation of Jesus as “Son of David” is clearly messianic, and so royal. Mark, Luke, and John make this even more explicit by including “king” and “kingship” in the words of the crowd, but Matthew does not need to do so since the same theme has already been drawn out explicitly in his quotation of Zech 9:9, “your king is coming to you.” (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 694)
Matthew (like John) explains Jesus’ ride on the donkey as the fulfillment of Zech 9:9. Even without an explicit quotation of that prophecy in the text, any Jewish reader of the story could hardly fail to be reminded of it and of the royal ideology which underlies it. Zechariah’s prophecy of a humble and peaceful king coming to Jerusalem “vindicated and saved” is based on the story of David’s return to the city after the defeat of Absalom’s rebellion, when he came in triumph as king, and yet humbly and in peace (2 Sam 19-20). (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 694)
2-3 We never hear of Jesus riding an animal elsewhere in the gospels; he and his disciples seem to have walked everywhere, as most people except the wealthy did in first-century Palestine. His decision to ride a donkey for the last mile or two into the city, when he has walked more than a hundred miles from Caesarea Philippi, can hardly have been a matter of physical necessity; his disciples apparently had no such need. It is the more remarkable in view of the probable implication of Ḥag. 1:1 that those arriving for Passover were expected to do so on foot. In that case, to ride the last mile to the city among a wholly pedestrian crowd could only be a deliberate gesture, designed to present his claim as the messianic king (see above). (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 696)
There is a subtle tension within Zechariah’s description of this messianic king: he is victorious and yet meek, and his triumph is received rather than won (“vindicated and saved”). He rides a donkey rather than a warhorse, and his kingdom will be one of peace rather than of coercion. When Jesus chose this oracle to enact as he approached the city, he was thus claiming to be the Messiah, but not the sort of Messiah much popular patriotism might have hoped for. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 697)
The use of cloaks as an improvised red carpet for a newly proclaimed king cf. 2 Kgs 9:13; the greenery (it is only John who specifies palm branches) presumably has the same intention of making this a special, royal progress. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 698)
“Hosanna!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the Lord’s name!” both derive from Ps 118 (vv. 25 and 26 respectively), which was the last and longest of the Hallel psalms (113-118) traditionally chanted at the major festivals in Jerusalem. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 700)
10-11 As a result of the exuberant behavior of the pilgrim crowd outside the walls, Jesus’ arrival in the city causes a commotion. In [Matthew] 2:3 we read that “all Jerusalem” was alarmed along with Herod at the news of the birth of a new “king of the Jews”; now that king is presenting himself to the city, and again “the whole city” is disturbed (literally, “shaken”; cf. 28:4 for a similar figurative use of the verb). The demonstration outside the city walls has made it clear that this man is claiming some sort of royal authority, but he is a stranger unknown to the people of Judea. At this time Judea was no longer under a Herodian king but ruled directly by Rome through a prefect. Any suggestion of a Jewish “king” could only mean trouble with the Roman government, and the more so if that king were a Galilean (from the province which was still under Herodian rule) attempting to impose his authority on the southern province. The title “king of the Jews” will be used against Jesus at his trial (27:11, 29:37), and this incident has given strong grounds for attributing this ambition to him. Jerusalem is understandably worried. (R.T. France, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 700)
Since it was Passover, there were probably about two million people in and around Jerusalem. This was the only time in His ministry that Jesus actually planned and promoted a public demonstration. Up to this time, He had cautioned people not to tell who He was, and He had deliberately avoided public scenes. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 62)
The prophetic Scriptures required that the Lamb of God be crucified on Passover. This demonstration of Christ’s popularity incited the rulers to act. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 62)
The people acclaimed Jesus as their King both by their words and their deeds. They shouted Hosanna, which means, “Save now!” They were quoting from Psalm 118:25–26, and this psalm is definitely messianic in character. Later that week, Jesus Himself would refer to this psalm and apply it to Himself (Ps. 118:22–23; Matt. 21:42). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 62)
Jesus knew the disciples would be asked why they were taking the colt. Donkeys and their colts were valuable; this could be compared to borrowing someone’s car. So Jesus, sensitive to this fact, told them to explain that the colt would be returned. (Grant Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, 407)
Jesus arrived as King, but not by the crowd’s definition. Their perspective was limited to the immediate historical moment: They wanted a political Messiah. Jesus insisted on remaining the timeless Savior. His contemporaries couldn’t see beyond the Roman occupation; Jesus saw the needs of the world held hostage to sin. We reduce God when we demand his attention only to our concerns. True, God encourages us to bring our daily needs to him in prayer. But God refuses to be a private deity. When we treat him like a house idol or a village god, he graciously fails our expectations. If we answer the question “How big is your God?” by mere human measures, we will diminish the King of kings and Lord of lords. We can be confident that God can meet our daily needs when we have a clearer picture of his greatness. Have you limited God to your expectations? (Grant Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, 408)
FURTHER SCRIPTURE
Matthew 2:2 – and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 3:2 – and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:17 – From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:23 – Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10 – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:19 – Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:20 – For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 6:10 – your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 9:35 – Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Matthew 11:11 – Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 18:1 – At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Matthew 18:3 – And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:4 – Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:23 – Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 21:31 – “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
Matthew 21:43 – “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Matthew 27:11 – Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.
Matthew 27:29 – and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.
Mark 1:15 – “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 11:10 – “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Mark 15:18 – And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
Luke 1:33 – and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 6:20 – Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 7:28 – I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Luke 9:62 – Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 18:16 – But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Luke 18:17 – Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Luke 18:25 – Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
John 1:49 – Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
John 3:3 – Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
John 6:15 – Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
John 12:13 – They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
John 12:15 – “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
John 18:36 – Jesus said, “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 18:37 – “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Acts 1:3 – After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22 – strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
1 Corinthians 4:20 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1 Corinthians 6:9 – Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
1 Corinthians 6:10 – nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:50 – I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Galatians 5:21 – and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:5 – For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Colossians 1:13 – For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
1 Timothy 1:17 – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 12:28 – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
James 2:5 – Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
Revelation 1:6 – and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 5:10 – You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Revelation 11:15 – The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”