April 5 2009    Reading: Matthew 21.1-11

 Theme: Jesus coming to Jerusalem

On the 11th of December 1917, General Sir Edmund Allenby, at the head of his officers, entered the city of Jerusalem. The city was held by Turkish soldiers, but on the 7th of December in the pouring rain with the hills around the city covered in mist, the attack had begun. On the 9th. the city fell, Allenby said in his official report that 12,000 prisoners were taken, about 100 pieces of artillery, 20,000,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, and 250,000 rounds of heavy ammunition.

General Sir Edmund Allenby, at the head of his officers, entered the city of Jerusalem. He was an expert horseman and some thought he might have rode triumphantly into the city. Instead, he came on foot out of great respect for the Holy City.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us of the very different way in which the Lord Jesus came into Jerusalem that day. We call it Palm Sunday, because there were many in that crowd who waved palm branches that day. Palm Sunday tells us that Easter is near, the clocks have changed, perhaps the weather too.......the promise of sunshine and summer.

But to return to the gospel for a moment: here in Matthew 21 we read of Jesus coming into Jerusalem........... it is a rather beautiful picture. Here Jesus comes, riding on a donkey with the disciples singing around Him, that hymn is picked by the crowds, and perhaps on the spur of the moment, one of the disciples puts down his cloak on the ground in front of Jesus, all in good humour perhaps. This whole scene is a favourite of the Victorian hymn writers, The people of the Hebrews with palms before you went; our praise and prayer and anthems before you we present. All glory laud and honour to you Redeemer King to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring...........

We might ask............

Why did Jesus come to Jerusalem ?

Was it on pilgrimage like the crowd, for the sheer joy of going into the Holy City...... at festival time ?

Or was it to see what the crowds might do, when in sudden recognition they guessed Who He was ?

Or was it more serious - to threaten the authorities, to start some kind of revolution ?

No..... it was none of these....... Jesus came to Jerusalem in unshakeable purpose, true and perfect and undeflected purpose.

Jesus comes, moving steadily towards the very heart of Israel’s worship and life, the Holy City, the City of Jerusalem towards the Temple. This is His purpose, and it is in God’s will. The time has come and Jesus in coming into Jerusalem is bringing the teachers of the law, the great religious institutions of the city, Israel itself, towards a single decisive moment. The gospel of Matthew tells us that once inside the city Jesus went straight to the Temple courts, cleansing and purifying them of market stalls and traders, and challenged the Temple authorities ......... ........... but Jesus is bringing Israel to a point of decision.

What is happening ? it is this, first the Word of the Lord in the prophet Zechariah is fulfilled “See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey............! “ says Zechariah. As He comes into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus is Himself the dramatic fulfilment of the Word of God. He is the king, and in Him the kingdom of God is nearing Jerusalem, threatening the emptiness of religion, the hypocrisy, the entrenched interests and power.

The word of the prophet is taken up and given its true meaning in Jesus Himself

“See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey............! “ as He comes into Jerusalem, so now the king, the Word, the kingdom, Jesus Himself, is present, real. That’s what’s happening !

The Cross

The crowds, the citizens of Jerusalem were familiar with kingly power was like. It impinged on all in Jerusalem, all in the crowd. Herod, as a young man had risen to be king by the sheer ruthless use of power. He came to the Romans attention after he completed a campaign against the landless peasants among his own people. Herod used his power, seized lands when it suited, murdered his rivals, and used force to make sure his orders were obeyed. So, yes, the citizens of Jerusalem knew what the power of a king was like.

But here is a kingdom, utterly different. Jesus brings a kingdom established by the living God, to whom all authority belongs. And the living God acts, not through earthly, worldly ways of force and power, but through His lowly Servant Jesus.

So the word of the prophet Zechariah “Daughter of Zion, see your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey”.

What is Jesus doing then ? He is bringing about another order. Another rule. Another kingdom. And this kingdom in which there will be life affirming righteousness established by God, through lowliness, gentleness and self sacrificing love.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry Satan offered Him all the trappings and realities of worldly power, offering Him all the kingdoms of the earth. But the Lord Jesus replied “Worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve”. My kingdom, Jesus declares, is not of this world. Now, the kingdom of Jesus Christ has come to the walls of Jerusalem and enters through its gates...... an eternal kingdom built on true worship of God and lowly, obedient service.

And what happens next ? Well this is what we celebrate in these coming days at Easter. The great purpose of Jesus Christ, in coming into Jerusalem, is an eternal purpose for the redemption of the world, and it will end at the Cross ! This is His purpose as King. We read in the gospels that the placard on the Cross read ‘This is the king of the Jews’. But the purpose of this King, the King of kings is to break the power of sin, to defeat the powers and principalities of evil and sin, that enslave us. The purpose of this King is to bring salvation, redemption for us, through His loving once for all sacrifice at the Cross, where our sin is taken away. Now, Jesus the King is exalted, raised by the living God, enthroned on high as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

As Colossians 2 proclaims: Have disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross........

AMEN.