Crowds & Critics, 17 April 2011
25 04 11 Filed in: Sermons | The King's Speech
Big Idea
Jesus had crowds of followers...and critics. The critics had no idea who Jesus was. It was the children who understood. May we be like little children, praising our great God.
Crowds
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” - Matthew 21:1-5
This prophecy was quite unusual since kings normally arrived as conquerors riding on horses. Even then people thought it mattered what they drove!
A colt was a symbol of peace. It was a demonstration of humility. Imagine President Obama coming to Ann Arbor in a 1999 minivan rather than a 2011 Cadillac limo!
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. - Matthew 21:6
This might be one of the most important verses in the Bible. They obeyed! When is the last time you blindly obeyed God, even if the request seemed unusual?
They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. - Matthew 21:8
This was an act of homage to royalty in their culture.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. - Matthew 21:9
Most of the people in the crowd were not from Jerusalem like the ones that yelled “Crucify Him” days later, but pilgrims from Galilee in town to celebrate the Passover. Some were probably in Jesus’ fan club that had observed His miracles in Galilee. They were singing, but also shouting
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
Even children joined in the action. What were they shouting? It was from another Old Testament passage.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. - Psalm 118:26
Hosanna means, “save us, now.”
The previous verse in Psalm 118 says
O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. - Psalm 118:25
So the shouts were both praises and a petition. The crowd knew Jesus was special, and they wanted Him to save them from the oppression of the Romans. They were excited to be with Him, but they wanted more than an autograph or a photo. They wanted physical salvation from their government. They wanted Him to overthrow the rulers and be their king.
This was a celebration of King Jesus, one of the few moments in the Gospels where Jesus’ glory is recognized on earth.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” - Matthew 21:10-11
Who is Jesus? This is maybe the most important question in the world. Literally.
The people announced to the city inhabitants that Jesus is the prophet, the One promised by Moses (Deut. 18:15). This event was the moment in which Jesus was presented to the nation of Israel as the rightful Son of David.
Critics
The crowds are singing and shouting praises and petitions to Jesus, but crowds can be fickle. Just ask any politician! Public opinion can change so quickly. One minute you are elected into office and the next people are demanding your resignation.
Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. The next verses in Matthew 21 detail an event that likely occurred the next day.
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” - Matthew 21:12-13
This was not the first time Jesus cleared the Temple. John 2:13-25 records a similar yet different incident that occurred three years earlier.
Jesus shows emotion. He is not nice. He is not Mr. Rogers. He demonstrates righteous anger. He kicks booty!
Jesus didn’t throw them out to be mean, but to restore it. He didn’t just say the right things, He did it. He only drove out those that were selling and buying. He made room for those who wanted to worship God.
You would think that this upheaval would anger the greedy, ungodly religious leaders that were making money off of the Jewish system, but notice what it says next.
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. - Matthew 21:14-15
It wasn’t just His disruption that bothered the religious leaders, but the “wonderful things He did and the children shouting.”
The outcasts of society—the blind and lame—came to Jesus for healing. They were not usually welcome at the temple.
It was the “wonderful things” Jesus did and the sound of the children that caused the religious leaders to become indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. ¶ “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” - Matthew 21:16
Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise...- Psalm 8:2
Who is Jesus? That’s the crucial question for you and me and our world. That’s the basis for our 2WordStory.
The critics had no idea who Jesus was. It was the children who understood. May we be like little children, praising our great God.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Jesus had crowds of followers...and critics. The critics had no idea who Jesus was. It was the children who understood. May we be like little children, praising our great God.
Crowds
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” - Matthew 21:1-5
This prophecy was quite unusual since kings normally arrived as conquerors riding on horses. Even then people thought it mattered what they drove!
A colt was a symbol of peace. It was a demonstration of humility. Imagine President Obama coming to Ann Arbor in a 1999 minivan rather than a 2011 Cadillac limo!
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. - Matthew 21:6
This might be one of the most important verses in the Bible. They obeyed! When is the last time you blindly obeyed God, even if the request seemed unusual?
They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. - Matthew 21:8
This was an act of homage to royalty in their culture.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. - Matthew 21:9
Most of the people in the crowd were not from Jerusalem like the ones that yelled “Crucify Him” days later, but pilgrims from Galilee in town to celebrate the Passover. Some were probably in Jesus’ fan club that had observed His miracles in Galilee. They were singing, but also shouting
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
Even children joined in the action. What were they shouting? It was from another Old Testament passage.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. - Psalm 118:26
Hosanna means, “save us, now.”
The previous verse in Psalm 118 says
O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. - Psalm 118:25
So the shouts were both praises and a petition. The crowd knew Jesus was special, and they wanted Him to save them from the oppression of the Romans. They were excited to be with Him, but they wanted more than an autograph or a photo. They wanted physical salvation from their government. They wanted Him to overthrow the rulers and be their king.
This was a celebration of King Jesus, one of the few moments in the Gospels where Jesus’ glory is recognized on earth.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” - Matthew 21:10-11
Who is Jesus? This is maybe the most important question in the world. Literally.
The people announced to the city inhabitants that Jesus is the prophet, the One promised by Moses (Deut. 18:15). This event was the moment in which Jesus was presented to the nation of Israel as the rightful Son of David.
Critics
The crowds are singing and shouting praises and petitions to Jesus, but crowds can be fickle. Just ask any politician! Public opinion can change so quickly. One minute you are elected into office and the next people are demanding your resignation.
Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. The next verses in Matthew 21 detail an event that likely occurred the next day.
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” - Matthew 21:12-13
This was not the first time Jesus cleared the Temple. John 2:13-25 records a similar yet different incident that occurred three years earlier.
Jesus shows emotion. He is not nice. He is not Mr. Rogers. He demonstrates righteous anger. He kicks booty!
Jesus didn’t throw them out to be mean, but to restore it. He didn’t just say the right things, He did it. He only drove out those that were selling and buying. He made room for those who wanted to worship God.
You would think that this upheaval would anger the greedy, ungodly religious leaders that were making money off of the Jewish system, but notice what it says next.
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. - Matthew 21:14-15
It wasn’t just His disruption that bothered the religious leaders, but the “wonderful things He did and the children shouting.”
The outcasts of society—the blind and lame—came to Jesus for healing. They were not usually welcome at the temple.
It was the “wonderful things” Jesus did and the sound of the children that caused the religious leaders to become indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. ¶ “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” - Matthew 21:16
Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise...- Psalm 8:2
Who is Jesus? That’s the crucial question for you and me and our world. That’s the basis for our 2WordStory.
The critics had no idea who Jesus was. It was the children who understood. May we be like little children, praising our great God.
You can listen to the podcast here.