Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Haggai 1-2
     New Testament Reading: Matthew 21

A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! (Matthew 21:8-9).

It was a long and lonely journey for the leader. It was a hike of 17 miles up the side of a mountain, 3,000 feet up. Along with Him were those 12 men who He had taught so much over the past few years, as well as many other followers. But He walked alone out front. He was focused on a mission that they did not understand.

As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, it began the unfolding of the end of the pilgrimage. This is the beginning of the end. Never again will He leave Jerusalem. Never again will He walk along the shores of the Jordan river, or sail across the Sea of Galilee. Never again will He visit His close friends in Bethany, or His home in Nazareth. Thirty years of obscurity, three-plus years of ministry, and it all ends here. The goal of the Lord’s life and ministry is about to be reached. But they did not, they could not understand—at least not at this time.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, a very large crowd gathered. When the Bible says it was a very large crowd or a very great multitude, you can be assured that it was a massive gathering, probably hundreds of thousands of people. Many scholars estimate it was as large as two million people. They spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road (v8). This was their version of our ‘Red Carpet’ entry.

Besides their actions, the people acclaimed Jesus as their King by their words. They shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! (v9).Hosanna originally meant, “Save Now!” Only later did the term become an exclamation of praise. The phrases, Son of David and Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD, both clearly indicate that Jesus was being recognized as the Messiah. He is the Blessed One who comes by Jehovah’s authority to bring them salvation.

The Lord rode into the city on a carpet of clothes and palm branches, with the acclamation of the people ringing in His ears. For a moment, at least, He was acknowledged as King. But those cries of Hosanna would soon turn to cries of Crucify Him! In just a few short days, His disciples would abandon Him and deny they even knew Him. And the very people who were praising Him as King were screaming for His execution.

Jesus performed two simple acts of judgment which revealed the hypocrisy of Israel and turned the people against Him. First, he cleansed the temple (v12-13) and then He cursed a fig tree (v18-22). The temple was a den of thieves, and the nation (symbolized by the fig tree) was without fruit. Inward corruption and outward fruitlessness were evidence of their hypocrisy.

The people cried out for deliverance, for a savior. But they wanted a military deliverance. They wanted a King to rule from Jerusalem and overthrow the evil Roman empire. Jesus didn’t come and overthrow Rome, instead He came and overthrew the temple and cleans up their dirty house. He was saying, you don’t need Roman’s bondage broken. You need sin’s bondage broken. You don’t need to solve your problem with Rome. You need to solve your problem with God.

The people praised Jesus and celebrated His entry into Jerusalem for the Messiah they wanted, the Savior from Roman oppression. But when Jesus showed them the Messiah He is, the Savior from their sins, they rejected Him and shouted for Him to be crucified.

When you go to church, who do you worship? Do you worship the God you want or the God who is? When you pray, who do you pray to? Do you pray to the God who gives you what you want, or are your prayers filled with praise for the God who is?