The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
Zechariah 9:9quoted to show the prophecy of the king coming humble on a donkey, fulfilled by Jesus' entry into Jerusalem
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
the triumphal entry account, Jesus sending disciples to fetch the donkey and colt
1 When they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
the triumphal entry account, noting the colt had never been ridden
1 When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
2 and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him.
3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.”
4 They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.
5 Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?”
6 They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.
7 They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.
8 Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road.
9 Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
the triumphal entry account, including the Pharisees' objection and Jesus weeping over Jerusalem
28 Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he came near to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples,
30 saying, “Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, which no man had ever sat upon. Untie it, and bring it.
31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him: ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent went away, and found things just as he had told them.
33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They said, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt, and set Jesus on them.
36 As he went, they spread their cloaks on the road.
37 As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,
38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”
41 When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,
42 saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,
44 and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”
the Maccabean victory where Jews entered Jerusalem with palm branches, establishing the nationalistic symbolism of palms
49 But they of the citadel in Jerusalem were hindered from going forth, and from going into the country, and from buying and selling; and they hungered exceedingly, and a great number of them perished through famine.
50 And they cried out to Simon, that he should give them his right hand; and he gave it to them: and he put them out from thence, and he cleansed the citadel from its pollutions.
51 And he entered into it on the three and twentieth day of the second month, in the hundred and seventy and first year, with praise and palm branches, and with harps, and with cymbals, and with viols, and with hymns, and with songs: because a great enemy was destroyed out of Israel.
52 And he ordained that they should keep that day every year with gladness. And the hill of the temple that was by the citadel he made stronger than before, and there he lived, himself and his men.
53 And Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man, and he made him leader of all his forces: and he lived in Gazara.
no figs on the fig tree, used to show the fig tree as a symbol of unbelieving Israel
1 “At that time,” says Yahweh, “they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.
2 They will spread them before the sun, the moon, and all the army of the sky, which they have loved, which they have served, after which they have walked, which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or be buried. They will be for dung on the surface of the earth.
3 Death will be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says Yahweh of Armies.
4 “Moreover you shall tell them, ‘Yahweh says: “‘Do men fall, and not rise up again? Does one turn away, and not return?
5 Why then have the people of Jerusalem fallen back by a perpetual backsliding? They cling to deceit. They refuse to return.
6 I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
7 Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times. The turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people don’t know Yahweh’s law.
8 “‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us?” But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has worked falsely.
9 The wise men are disappointed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold, they have rejected Yahweh’s word. What kind of wisdom is in them?
10 Therefore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will possess them. For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.
11 They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. They couldn’t blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. In the time of their visitation they will be cast down, says Yahweh.
13 “‘I will utterly consume them, says Yahweh. No grapes will be on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf will fade. The things that I have given them will pass away from them.’”
14 “Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for Yahweh our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Yahweh.
15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay!
16 The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan. The whole land trembles at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those who dwell therein.”
17 “For, behold, I will send serpents, adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they will bite you,” says Yahweh.
18 Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! My heart is faint within me.
19 Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: “Isn’t Yahweh in Zion? Isn’t her King in her?” “Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past. The summer has ended, and we are not saved.”
21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people, I am hurt. I mourn. Dismay has taken hold of me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn’t the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Israel likened to early fruit on the fig tree, then turning to Baal Peor
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.
a picture of fruitlessness and evil generation, turning to the declaration of waiting on the Lord for salvation
1 Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.
2 The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.
5 Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
6 For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
8 Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Palm Sunday at First B Jackson opened with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, walked through all three synoptic gospels side by side, and closed with the cursing of the fig tree on Monday morning. The message centered on a contrast between the symbol the crowd chose and the symbol Jesus chose for himself, and what both reveal about what the crowd expected versus what Jesus actually came to do.
What was said
The preacher walked through Matthew, Mark, and Luke's accounts of the triumphal entry together, noting the small details each writer adds. Mark and Luke both specify that the colt had never been ridden before. Jesus sends two unnamed disciples to retrieve both the colt and its mother, and the preacher suggested the presence of the mother would have been a quiet comfort to the young animal, given that riding an unbroken foal in a crowd without incident says something about who was sitting on it.
The palm branches the crowd carried were not a neutral gesture. The preacher traced them back to the Maccabean revolt around 135 BC, when Simon led Israel to military victory and the people entered Jerusalem with palm branches, harps, and songs of celebration. That imagery became a nationalist symbol, stamped onto coins even under Herod Antipas. When the crowd waved palms at Jesus, they were reaching for that same symbol, announcing that they expected a military deliverer.
Jesus chose something different. He rode in on the foal of a donkey, which Zechariah 9 had foretold: a king coming humble, possessing salvation, mounted on a colt. The preacher pointed out the contrast plainly. The crowd's symbol said conquest. Jesus' symbol said peace. He came in a way that did not match what they had in their minds, and that gap between expectation and reality runs through the whole passage.
When Luke records the Pharisees demanding that Jesus silence his disciples, the preacher paused on how easy it is to turn Pharisees into cartoon villains and miss that their blindness is a danger for religious people in any generation. Jesus' reply, that the stones would cry out if the disciples stopped, is what prompted a painted rock in the preacher's office from the children's ministry, with "Praise the Lord" on top and "or I will" on the bottom. Jesus was clear: even if the motivation behind the praise was off, he deserved it.
Looking down from the Mount of Olives, Jesus wept over Jerusalem. The preacher distinguished this from the weeping at Lazarus's tomb. That grief was personal, for Mary and Martha. Here it was wider. Jesus said the city had not recognized the conditions that make for peace, and that days were coming when enemies would build a siege ramp and level it stone by stone, which is what happened in 70 AD. The phrase the preacher returned to was "the time of your visitation," the moment when God reaches into human affairs, and what it costs to miss it.
The fig tree on Monday morning carried its own weight. The preacher pulled together passages from Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, and Micah to show that the fig tree throughout the prophets is a recurring image for Israel, and particularly for a faith that has leaves but no fruit. Micah 7 was read at length, its picture of a corrupt and faithless generation, before landing on the turn: "But as for me, I will watch for the Lord." The preacher read that as a forecast of Jesus, and as the posture he was calling the congregation toward.
The sermon closed by setting the three symbols side by side. The palm branch was the crowd's choice, carrying a history of nationalism and military pride. The donkey was Jesus' choice, a symbol of humble service, and the particular detail that no one had ever sat on this animal underlined that it was not a beast of burden but a deliberate sign of how he was coming. The fig tree stood for a faith full of outward show and empty of genuine piety. The ritualism, as the preacher quoted from a harmony of the gospels, was hiding the absence of real holiness. Jesus' cursing of the tree was, in that reading, a preview of the judgment he had just wept over from the hillside.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
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The preacher described the crowd waving palm branches as a symbol of military victory and national pride, while Jesus chose to ride in on a young donkey as a symbol of humble, peaceful service. Where in your own life do you find yourself wanting God to show up in a way that fits your expectations rather than His?
Jesus wept over Jerusalem, saying the people had not recognized 'the conditions that make for peace' and had missed 'the time of their visitation.' What do you think it looks like to miss God moving in your own life because of preconceived ideas about what He should be doing?
Speaker 1How's the blizzard? Would you stand up? And we're gonna sing about something that doesn't change. Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus.
Hymn number 92 if you got a hymnal. Our weather's not changing either. Somebody just said. It hadn't changed much. I'll give you that.
Here we go. Amen. Alright. How about blessed assurance? That's another something that doesn't change.
Speaker 2All the day long perfect submission all is at rest I am my savior watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love. This is my story. This is my song, Praising my savior Praising my my
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements this morning and they are these. Monday night is not happening this week because we're in the middle of spring break. So, Monday night, not happening this week. The Jackson Hole Men's Alliance normally would be the first Wednesday of the month month, but it's not gonna be this week.
It'll be next week, April 12, 06:30 in the Fellowship Hall right here at 1st B. They're postponing it again because a lot of people are on spring break. Ladies fellowship also postponed for spring break. So those are the first three are non announcements. And this one is always going be true.
Sunday school volunteers are needed. It helps to spread the load a little bit. If you would, contact Liz Owens, if you're willing, to help out with the Sunday school volunteers. There are some training procedures and things to do. We have a great group of people leading down there.
But if you would like to, they make it pretty easy to lead. If you'd like to help, please let Liz know and she will get you signed up. Coming in September, Will Graham, Billy Graham's grandson, is doing a tour, cross country tour of, it's called the Look Up Tour. Crowder, formerly known as Dave Crowder. Crowder is a musical guest, that is coming along with this September twenty third and twenty fourth in Idaho Falls, but we're doing Christian life and witness courses, which would be good if there were not an event happening.
There... It's still gonna be a good thing. The Billy Graham, Evangelistic Association is doing doing those, putting those on here at the church, May fourth, eleventh, and eighteenth from seven to nine. Did it in the evening, so more people could take part in it. So this is pre summer, May 4.
May 11 to May 18, seven to nine. We are in the middle of a time of thirty days of prayer for the Muslim world. That's an expansive people group, and it's made up of a lot of smaller people groups. But if you would be praying, in your own quiet times, that would be great. Just pray that God would show who he really is instead of just Isa, Jesus, that he becomes Isa Masih, Jesus the Messiah, the long expected one.
Would you please be praying for Muslims on this... During this thirty days, but also April 16 from six to seven right here at 1st B. We're gonna get together and pray for the Muslim world. And Easter Sunday. Hey.
The garden tomb there. 9AM and 11AM services. We're not changing it up. We're not doing just one service. We're gonna do nine and eleven services.
The nursery will be open, but it won't be staffed. We we would like for everybody to get the opportunity to be upstairs or celebrate resurrection Sunday together, and it'll be open if needed. But you can carry the babies down there and hang out if they start being so unruly. You can't stand it. It won't bother me.
I promise. Alright. So nine and eleven next week. Potluck dinner, sending celebration, an extravaganza for the Eon family. So Florin and Violetta will be heading out towards Romania at the end of May, the very end of May.
So April 22, we're gonna do this kind of a send off potluck, at 05:30 here in the Fellowship Hall. Feel free to invite anybody that you think this family has blessed. It won't be enough space in that fellowship hall. Alright? But I wanna say something else.
They still need monthly supporters. Tanya and I were on the mission field for seven years. And to be there, we are their sending organization. To be on the field, most agencies require that you not just have a lot of money in your coffers. Right?
You have monthly supporters that will be praying for you monthly and will be supporting you monthly, quarterly, yearly, so ongoing type support. Typically, you get a one time gift, you can use that for a one time type purchase. But monthly supporters, quarterly, yearly supporters are what they still need. If you want to be a part of that, you can get in touch with Nick, you can get in touch with Florine, you can get in touch with me, and we'll help direct that. And I think that's it.
Would you stand? We just sang about a wonderful story. This is my story. This is my song. How about let's tell that story and not be caged evangelists, Okay?
We're not locked in. We can tell this story to the nations. Would you? Sing out. I'm gonna invite the ushers to...
Wait a second. We got one more? That's it. Alright. We got one more.
Stand back up. Why not? We're pressing on the upward way here. Sorry. My rhythm is off this morning.
Y'all can have a seat for real this time. We've been doing this for eleven years and I still get thrown off of this horse every once in a while. God, would you help us, lord? As we lose our way, would you help restore us? Would you help bring us back into a right relationship with you, lord?
We know that you have offered that, that you've offered the good old gospel way. Lord, we find freedom in that. We find salvation in that. We find sanctification in that. Lord God almighty, I pray that you would have us, Lord, in step with you.
As the wind of the Holy Spirit blows, lord, may we allow it to carry us along and never brace ourselves against that wind. In Jesus name, I ask your blessing on this offering. I ask your blessing on each giver and also each gift. Lord, that you would do with both exactly as you intend. You have established the steps for us, Lord.
I pray that you would allow us to see them and to walk in them, the strength to carry it out. In Jesus name, we ask your blessing and your multiplication on everything that is given here this morning to your kingdom's advance. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. Together.
The Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the synoptic gospels And this is a Palm Sunday edition. So I'm skipping over some stuff. I'm skipping over it because this is Palm Sunday, and traditionally, this is when we do the triumphal entry of Jesus. Now, I have been here for 11 of these so far, I think. So maybe just 10, 10 or 11 of these.
And I have tended to preach from John because John is the place where I feel like he mentions palms for one thing. He mentions that the branches were palms. And so it's Palm Sunday, we gotta say that. Some of the stuff, you will have seen some of these slides before. It's the same story.
Right? But I want you to look at it today. There are several symbols here. Some of them are symbols that people have chosen, and they have their reasons why. One of them is a symbol that Christ chose, and he has his reasons why.
And then there's another one that is another symbol at the very end. And we're just gonna work our way through this. If if you're keeping track as to where we are in our study, we're within about four months of the cross in our normal study. We're skipping forward to one week before. The beginning of Holy Week is the Sunday, Palm Sunday.
And Monday, we're gonna cover just Monday morning, Sunday and Monday morning today. This is what it looks like if you look at everything that they say about Palm Sunday or the triumphal entry. In Matthew, it's a little longer. Mark's a little shorter. Luke is right there.
They're very, very similar. But there are a couple of details that I'll try to bring out. We're gonna actually walk through all three of those. If you were to look and include the fourth gospel, John there, John is the shortest, but it's the one I usually go to. But part of the reason is because in John, we have the raising of Lazarus, where you have the raising of Lazarus, which seems to initiate what we're gonna talk about today.
So we're just gonna cover these. I might hit a verse or two from John. But Matthew, Mark, and Luke. God, would you bless the reading of your word, the exposition of any little nugget there, Lord, that you've left for us to find. Would you allow us, Lord, to understand and to implement in our lives.
In Jesus' name, amen. So here we are. Matthew twenty one one through five says this, when they had approached Jerusalem, Passover's coming, and they had come to Bethphage at the Mount Of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, doesn't tell us who they were, saying to them, you go into the village that's opposite you and immediately, right there, you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them, both of them, and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord needs them, and he will send them on immediately.
Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled. Say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your king, capital k, is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Young donkey. So Jesus gives that in Matthew. And in Mark...
Let's see what Mark says. Mark says, and as they approached Jerusalem, or technically, anytime you see that asterisk in the New American Standard Bible, it's historical present. It kinda draws you into the story. And as they are approaching Jerusalem, that's what it says. As they are approaching Jerusalem at Bethpage and Bethany, twin cities right next to each other, near the Mount Of Olives, he sent...
Or he is sending out two of his disciples. And he is saying to them, go into the village opposite you. And immediately, as you enter it, you'll find a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat. That's new information. It's a young colt, but it's one that's never been ridden before.
Go into the village opposite immediately, and you'll find there a colt tied on which no one 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.
Seems like Jesus has gone ahead and talked to the owner of this colt and said, hey, there's gonna come a time when I'm gonna need this thing. Alright. We... It doesn't say that in the text, but he does very confidently say, if you say the Lord has need of it immediately, he'll send it back here with you. They went away.
They found the colt tied at the door just like Jesus said, outside in the street, and they untied it. So they're untying it, and some of the bystanders were saying to them, what are you doing untying that colt? And they told him just as Jesus had said, and they gave him permission. They're bringing the colt to Jesus and putting their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. First one to ever ride this little foal of a donkey.
What does Luke say about it? Luke says this. When he approached Bethphage in Bethany, near the mountain that's called Olivet, Mount Of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, still doesn't say who they are, saying, go into that village ahead of you there, and as you enter, you'll find a colt tied on which no one has ever sat. Untie it. Bring it here.
And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. And so those who were sent left and found it just as he told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, it's not theoretically, more it's happening. Why are you untying that colt?
And they said, the Lord has need of it, and they brought it to Jesus. And they threw their cloaks on the colt, and they put Jesus on it. So how many of y'all ever seen seen the first time anybody's ridden a donkey? You know, he... They brought back both the mama and the little one.
And I think it would be very reassuring for the little one to have mama right there with him. You know? I have seen my dad dragged through a mule pen trying to break a mule before anybody could ride that thing or use it in any way. It doesn't sound at all like that, but I do think it'd be reassuring for that. And it also was the first time that anyone had ever sat on...
This is not a is not a beast of burden so much as a symbol, it sounds like. And and it it is. We can see that because of Zechariah nine nine. Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, o daughter of Jerusalem.
Behold, your king, capital k, is coming to you, righteous. Amen. And having or possessing salvation. He has salvation in his hand, and he's coming. Righteous and the holder of salvation.
He is humble, and he's mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. It's interesting that it says on a donkey on a colt, the foal of a donkey. It seems almost like Jesus had both of them there because this might be two different animals, but he carries it. He's definitely riding on the foal of the donkey. Can you imagine more humble position for the king, capital k, to come in on?
The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt. They laid their cloaks on them. He sat on the cloaks. Most of the crowd...
Now there's a crowd. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees. Now all of the gospels mention these branches, but only John tells us what kind of branches. And here he says, so they took branches of palm trees, went out to meet him, crying out, hosanna. Let's let's get on back to the gospels.
The Synoptics. I I do wanna mention this, and I've mentioned this before. You'll recognize this slide. Around a hundred and thirty five BC, there was a rebellion. And Simon of the Maccabees, the Maccabean revolt happened.
Simon led Israel in their struggle against their oppressors, and they kicked them out of Jerusalem. So it was a military victory for the Maccabees. If you have a Bible that has the Apocrypha in it, it's the Maccabees. It's it's in Maccabees one... No.
Maccabees 13... First Maccabees thirteen forty nine through 53 gives a summary of what happened. Okay? The summary of what happened is this. When they, the oppressors, cried out to Simon to make peace because he had whipped them so unmercifully.
Right? When the oppressors cried out to Simon to make peace with them, he did so. But he did expel them from the city, and he cleansed the citadel from all its pollutions. Filthy Gentile scum trying to rule over us. Sorry.
I'm injecting that, but that's the sense right here. This is from the first Maccabees 13. On the twenty third day of the second month in the one hundred seventy first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches. Palm branches are a symbol also. It's a symbol of Israel, but it's a nationalistic symbol of Israel with the harps and the cymbals and their stringed instruments and the hymns and songs because a great enemy had been crushed and removed, ejected from Israel.
And Simon decreed that every year, they should celebrate this day. Great leader, great military guy. He strengthened the fortifications of the Temple Hill alongside the citadel, and he and his men lived there. When they minted their own coins, they put palm branches on the back of them, just like we have an eagle on the back of ours. If you think of America, a lot of times you would say, oh, the eagle, the bald eagle.
We'd see them around here, and you just... It has this majestic kinda feel. They felt that way about palm branches. Even in the time of Jesus, this is the coin of Herod Antipas. Now Herod is a puppet king.
He's under Romans. He's allowed to have his rule over the Jews, but he has to kinda toe the line. But he's kinda given them a little bit of, I know. I'm one of you. I agree with you.
The Romans don't even know what this means, but I know what this means. Do you get what I'm saying? So that palm branch there is a symbol of Israel. There's another one with a palm branch right there. It's in an urn.
You see some of these will have a little harp or a lyre or a symbol from the same kind of Maccabees tradition. Palm branch, again, on a different coin. Now the crowd's going ahead of him and those who followed. They were all shouting together, Hosanna. Hosanna to the son of David.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. This is actually from Psalm one eighteen. One eighteen twenty five and twenty six. So one eighteen twenty five says this, and that's the Hebrew up there.
I'm not a Hebrew guy. But tzotzon dei means save now. It's not just save, save us. It is save us now. Now is the time.
Right now. We want it. I beseech you, o Lord, save us now. Send prosperity now. So Psalm one eighteen twenty five and twenty six.
Please, oh Lord, do save us. Please, oh Lord, do send prosperity. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. ESV says, save us.
It's in a primary position right there, which is what it says. Save us, we pray, oh, Lord. What does Mark say? Here's Mark. And many people spread out their cloaks on the road.
They are showing honor to Jesus. And others spread leafy branches, palm branches, which they had cut from the fields, and those who went in front and those who followed were all shouting, Hosanna. Save us now. 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 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple area. And after looking around at everything, he left for Bethany with the 12 since it was already late. So that's Mark's version. What does Luke have to say?
He adds a little more to the story here. Now, as he was going there spreading their cloaks on the road, and as soon as he was approaching near the descent of the Mount Of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen. That's kind of a common thing. It's a common theme among God's people in the Old Testament whenever there's a time of celebration or joy, and he calls for them to do celebration and joy and look back on what he's done. You are mighty, o Lord.
Your loving kindness endures forever. You are the one that opened the Red Sea so that we could walk through it. You are the one that closed the Red Sea on top of our Egyptian enemies. Lord, you are the one that is to be known. You are the one that delivered us.
You are the one that allowed for the child of promise to be born of our father Abraham. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, looking back on all the good things God had done. I remember that pile of rocks where you helped us cross that river. Right? They began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had been seeing, shouting, blessed is the king, the one who comes in the name of Lord.
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. I have a feeling that they were praying for peace in heaven and eventually peace on earth right after we whipped these Romans. Do you get that sense? Blessed is the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
I like peace in heaven, but I want to see on earth as it is in heaven. And yet, some of the pharisees... Every time I say the word pharisees in the in the gospels, like, every time I see the word pharisees, it's almost like the snidely villain in the old black and whites that has the the curled up mustache on there, and he's tied the girl up. He's put her on the on the track. You know, trains are coming.
I I hate that it is that way because I think that if we demonize them to the point that we don't recognize that we're them, the enemy the enemy is us. Right? Phariseeism is is is a... Is the danger for religious folk. Yet some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples.
My goodness. Are you gonna allow this to stand? Teacher, rebuke your disciples. And Jesus said, listen. I tell you what.
If these stop speaking, the stones will cry out. I... The the children's ministry here is great, and I have a rock in my office that the kids painted a while back. And on the top of it, which you can see if you would look behind the behind the door on one of the shelves in there, there's a rock, and it says, praise the Lord. And I thought that's beautiful.
If you pick it up and flip it over, it says, or I will. Isn't that great? Praise the Lord or I will. Jesus replied, I tell you, if these stop speaking, I deserve the praise that they're given. Even though I think their motivation is off, I still deserve the praise that they're given.
I am doing it. I'm just doing it a different way than they're expecting. I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will crowd. And when he approached Jerusalem... So from the Mount Of Olives over Jerusalem, you look down on the whole city, but the Temple Mount is very, very evident right there.
The temple site is what you see from the Mount Of Olives. It takes up a lot of the old city of Jerusalem. And when he approached that, he saw the city, and he wept over it. He cried. This is Luke 19.
In John 11, we see Jesus crying. John eleven fifty three, great. I want a memory verse. You get your verse, and it's only two words long. Jesus wept.
Jesus wept. He wept because of grief, individual grief for Mary and Martha. He saw their grief and dismay, and he felt moved with compassion, and he wept for his friends. Even though he knew that the resurrection was coming and that he was gonna do it, he waited so that he could do it. He still felt this human emotion of grief.
Here, it's more than just an individual having lost a friend or family member. Here, when Jesus looks down on the city, he weeps over the whole city saying this, if only you had known on this day. If if you had known that on this day, even you, Jerusalem, if you had known the conditions for peace, if you had known what makes for peace, but now here you are. There are people all around him, and there are people in that city down the hill where he's headed, and what they're looking for is not peace. What they're looking for is to throw off the oppression.
They're looking for messiah, the deliverer of Israel. But Jesus is messiah, the deliverer of the world. Does that make sense? It's beyond just us. It's beyond just us.
If you had known on this day, even you, the conditions that make for peace, but now they've been hidden from your eyes. You're blinded by your preconceived notions. For the days will come, and it's a sad statement, the days are coming when your enemies will put up a barricade against you. Barricade, ramp, bank. You'll see a lot of different translations.
Barricade is pretty good. It's a siege ramp. The days will come when your enemies will put up a barricade against you, and they will surround you on all sides. And they will hem you in on every side. And those enemies will level you to the ground, and they'll throw down your children with you, and they will not leave in you Jerusalem one stone upon another.
That's pretty massive undertaking to just destroy a whole city and level it, but it's exactly what happened in seventy AD. It was a forecast of what was coming to pass. If only you had known. If only you had accepted it. Because there were those who did accept it.
There are those that are with him that are absolutely believers. If only you had known the conditions that make for peace. But because you did not recognize them at the time of your visitation... This I have in my little Harmony of the Gospels from the first class I took at seminary. A green pen I wrote out.
This is when God injects himself into human affairs. And it's not just then. God is still reaching out. His word is going forth. When you hear the word of God, you can either be, Lord, may it be to me just as you have said, accepting it, hearing the word of the Lord, and keeping it, or you can be, what does that have to do with me?
Right? You can reject it out of hand. And that seems to be what they did because you didn't recognize the time of your visitation. God wanted to do something in your life in this place, and it wasn't military victory like he wanted. You had that in mind, and you couldn't see anything else.
When he had entered in... Matthew. When he had entered into Jerusalem at the city, all the city was stirred saying, who is this? Even the folks... I mean, he's got a whole possession of people with him, but everybody is like, who is this?
This is quite the deal. I don't remember anything scheduled for today. Watching my webcam and wondering what's going on at rendezvous Fest. Who is this? What's going on?
And the crowds were saying, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. Haven't you heard of him? Now the next thing that Matthew tells us is about the cleansing of the temple. I'm not gonna go into it here today, but that's the next two verses. Matthew, seems to not be concerned with chronology.
Both Mark and Luke mentioned this happening, and actually John does too. They mentioned it happening, but he puts it in there because it's forefront of his mind. When Jesus got into the temple, he he drove those people out of there. I'll get to this when we get to it in our study, but I want you to know that it is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you're making it into a den of robbers. What the people were doing that was upsetting for Jesus is they had commercialized they had commercialized approach to God.
They put up barriers for people instead of being able to just come directly to God. It's in the court of the Gentiles. This is somewhere where anybody is allowed. If they wanna approach God, they can. But they've put up tables and barriers, and they're selling them stuff, and they're trying to slow the progress and make some money at the same time.
My house will be called a house prayer. You're making it into a den of robbers. That's something to consider at a later date. It goes on and says, and those who were blind and those who limped came to Jesus in the temple area, and he healed them. Ain't that beautiful?
That's what he does. That's what Messiah does. For anybody who knew what to be looking for, Jesus ticked the boxes. He healed the blind and the lame and the deaf. And he set people who were captive to whatever malady free.
Those who were blind and those who limp came to him in the temple area, and he healed them. But when the chief priest and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he
Speaker 2had done, wonderful things. It says it in
Speaker 1the text. They're wonderful things. It's hard to look at a blind man that couldn't see, and now he can. Once was blind, but now I see, and think that's not wonderful. That's wonderful.
What does it go on to say though? When the chief priest and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he had done, and they saw the children who were shouting in the temple area, Hosanna to the son of David. Well, we've never had this effect on children before. They became indignant. That's terrible.
Wonderful things. Folded arms, indignant. Jesus. Hosanna to the son of David. They became indignant, and they said, do you hear what these children are saying?
This is sort of like what we just said. Do you hear what these children are saying? And Jesus said to him, yes. I do. I do.
Have you never read from the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself? That's a a quote of Psalm eight two. Here it is. Eight one and two says this, Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You who have displayed your splendor above the heavens from out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies.
You have established strength. And listen to what else it says. Because of your enemies, to do away with the enemy and the revengeful. Does indignant and revengeful seem to go together? They who saw themselves as God's only chosen ones were experiencing a reversal when they really looked at Jesus.
They were seeing themselves turn from people that thought they were God's only friends to being the enemy of God right here. And the children recognized Jesus for who he was. He left them, and he went out of the city to Bethany, and he spent the night there. Okay. That gets Sunday over in Matthew.
Mark eleven eleven says, and Jesus entered the temple area. After he looked around for a bit, he left for Bethany with the 12 since it was already late. So Mark gets him out of there too. Now, here we go. This is the last two from the passages from the Gospels I'm gonna share.
But this is another symbol. So, so far, as far as symbols, we see them choosing palm branches and Jesus choosing a humble foal of a donkey to ride into town on. Now there's one... Now there's another one here that is another symbol here. Now in the early morning, when he was returning to the city, he became hungry.
And seeing a lone fig tree, just a fig tree right there by itself on the side of the road, he came to it, and he found nothing on it except leaves alone. And he said to it, no longer shall there be any fruit from you. And at once, the fig tree withered. So that's an interesting one for Matthew. Let's look at it in Mark.
He adds a couple of new details. On the next day, when he had left from Bethany, he became hungry, and seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf. In leaf. So it's... You know there are leaves on it, but you can tell in that area of the world.
And what time of year it is during Passover time, it's not really the season for figs. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it. Maybe it's an early bloomer. And when he came to it and he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season of figs, He said to it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples were listening.
Oh, the disciples listening is an interesting one. Now for us, fig tree, shmig tree, who cares? But fig trees are a symbol for Israel throughout the prophets. There are probably 10 or 12 examples of the fig tree, and it's usually, but not always, unbelieving Israel. It's...
Let's let's just go to them. Jeremiah. Jeremiah eight says this, I will certainly snatch them away, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf will wither. And what I have given them, which is all the knowledge in the world necessary to recognize messiah, what I've given them, it'll pass away from their obstinates.
Hosea, and I found Israel. When I found Israel, it was like grapes in the wilderness. There was fruit. I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Right? God was with them, There was fruit in their lives. They... Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. But before long, they came to Baal Peor and devoted themselves to shame.
And they became as detestable as that which they loved. They came to Baal Peor. They came to a place where the culture around them was so evil, and what they wanted and what they devoted themselves was actually shameful. They had forgotten their relationship with God altogether. They turned to idols.
They became as detestable as that which they loved. Joel. Joel says, it has made my vine a waste and my fig tree into a stump. It has stripped them bare and hurled them away. Their branches have become white, not green, not doing any good to anybody.
Joel, Micah. I'm gonna close with Micah, I think. Micah seven says this. And it... Usually, the reference is later on down here, just seven one, but I wanna go because I think it's important.
In the Psalms, when there's a deep feeling of dismay, there's often a but, and it turns on that. That's what I'm working towards. So the first six of these is a picture of the world at that time, the evil generation, and honestly, it's a picture of the world at our time, an evil generation. But listen to this. Woe to me, Micah says, for I am like harvest of summer fruit, like gleamings of grapes.
There's not a cluster of grapes that's left to eat. There's no fruit. Nor an early fig, which I crave. I just look forward to it so much, and they're just not there. The godly person has perished from the land, and there's no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for bloodshed. They're looking out for number one. Each of them hunts the other with a net. As for evil, both hands do it well. Can I stand right in the center right here and say, the right and the left, both hands do evil very well?
As for evil, both hands do it well. The leader asked for a bribe, a one time administrative fee, and also the judge. And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul, and so they plot it together. The best of them is like a thorn bush. That's not figs.
The best of them is like a thorn bush. The most upright is like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchman, your punishment is coming, then their confusion will occur. Do not trust in a neighbor. Don't have confidence in a close friend.
Guard your lips. They might hear what you say. Guard your lips from her who lies in your arms. For son disavows father, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A person's enemies are the people of his own household.
This is a picture of the way it was. And this is the turn. But as for me, as for me, I will be on the watch for the Lord. This is a forecast of Jesus. Right?
This is a forecast. As for me, I'm gonna set my mind to looking for the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation, and my God will hear me. My God will hear me. I will be crying out to him like Psalm 86.
I cry out to you my day of trouble, Lord, because you listen and you answer. As for me, I'll be on the watch for the Lord. I'll wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. And eight says, do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine.
Though I fall, I will rise. Though I live in darkness, in a people of darkness, the Lord is a light for me. Ain't that good? Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall, I will rise.
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I want you to consider these three symbols. So the fig tree... The palm branch. The palm branch is what the people chose for their reasons, and I've hit this drum a lot of times.
Their reasons were because it was a symbol of military victory and nationalistic pride. Jesus, though, chose a donkey. And please remove politics of the American system. It's not Republican and Democrat. It's not elephants and donkeys.
It's just the donkey is what Jesus chose for himself. It's a symbol of humble service and lowliness. Even the foal of a donkey. It's a young donkey. No one had ever ridden on it before.
But you know what? If you can ride an animal that no one's ever ridden before and walk peacefully, enough that people can lay down cloaks in front of you, he comes in peace. That symbol says, I'm coming in peace. I'm not coming marching as to war. And then if you consider the symbol of the fig tree, it's an Old Testament symbol for Israel, particularly for unbelieving Israel, for a fruitless faith.
So this is from Thomas and Gundry's Harmony of the Gospels. I thought their footnote was good, so I put it up here. The ritualism of national worship was hiding the absence of genuine piety from among the people. There's something about personal holiness that all the bravado and all of the talk of conquering and war and triumph, it hides that there's not any actual personal holiness. The ritualism of national worship was hiding the absence of genuine piety from among the people.
It appears that Jesus' cursing of the fig tree was emblematic of God's judgment that was going to fall on Jerusalem. That goes right along with what Luke said, that Jesus cried over the city, and he said, there's gonna be a siege, and it's just gonna be a horrible time. That's the end of the sermon. I think that there's a humility to calling ourselves sheep because sheep are dumb animals. Right?
They tend to stray. They tend to wander. They're prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. But what we're asking for is that we would accept the love that God has given in the way that he intended it, and that we would recognize the humility of a suffering servant as our savior.
And that we would willingly choose to walk in that path with him. In Jesus' name, may it be so. Would you all stand with me? We're going sing savior like a shepherd lead us. Amen.
The benediction is right there. God, I pray that we would we would live this way, that we would not let our own preconceived notions overtake us, but that we'd be listening for you. In Jesus' name, amen. I I love the last verse. It says, early, let us seek thy favor.
I think early in life, but also when we wake up in the morning, early, rather than prayer being our last resort, may it be our first response. Right? As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. God, may we live it out just like that.
