Learning about Jesus – triumphal entry… vs. 1-11

• The setting (3 things)… vs. 1-7
  • The Mount of Olives – a very important place…
    • Jesus & Disciples arrived at Bethpage – at the eastern foot of the Mt. of Olives
    • The western slope faces the east gate of the Temple Mount (across Kidron Valley)
    • Mt. of Olives is where Jesus prayed before His Crucifixion (Garden of Gethsemane)
    • Where Jesus ascended after His resurrection – Acts 1:9
    • Where Jesus will return at His second coming – Zachariah 14:4
  • The donkey…
    • Jesus sends 2 disciples to get a donkey from a neighboring village (Bethany)
    • The question has to be – why a donkey (it would be like riding in on a goat)
      • A King would not come to conquer a nation – riding on a donkey…
      • For a king to ride in on a donkey was a sign of peace…
      • Jesus was not coming to conquer Rome – and establish His Kingdom…
      • Jesus came the 1^st time bringing peace between God and Man – came to conquer sin!
    • But Jesus will not be riding a donkey when He returns for the 2^nd time…
      • Revelation 19:11 – “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”
      • When Jesus comes for the 2^nd time He will NOT come to make peace
      • He will come with all the armies of heaven for war – against the Antichrist
      • To set up His Kingdom here on Earth (for 1000 years – Millennial reign)
  • In fulfillment of prophecy…
    • This was all done to fulfill the words of the Prophet Zechariah – Zechariah 9:9
      • Daughter of Zion – Another name for the nation of Israel
      • Your King is coming – you will know Him because He rides on a Donkey…
    • Israel was expected to recognize Jesus as the Messiah because…
      • They had even been told THE VERY DAY Jesus would arrive on that donkey!
      • Luke 19:41 – “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’”
      • They were to know – because God had given them a watch – Daniel 9:25-26
      • The watch counted down 490 years (70×7) to THE DAY – Palm Sunday…
      • The Start – “command to rebuild Jerusalem” – March 14^th, 445 B.C.
      • 69 x 7 or 483 years or 173,880 days later – April 6^th, 32 A.D.
      • THE DAY Jesus entered Jerusalem on a Donkey proclaiming Himself King!
    • God had told the Jews the exact day Jesus would come – but they missed it
      • The Jews were all very religious – they all went to “church” every “Sunday”
      • But very few of them actually knew their Bible – read their Bible
      • So they missed how (Donkey) and when (April 6^th) the messiah came
      • It is so important we learn, read, and get to know our Bible 
      • It’s easy to be religious – but miss most important thing of all – Jesus!
      • That’s why we go to Bible studies / read the Bible / listen to the Bible on the radio
      • So we get into the Word to learn all about our Lord – so we don’t miss Jesus!

• Why Palm Sunday… vs. 8-11
  • As Jesus rode down the Mt. of Olives into Jerusalem (up to the Temple Mount)…
    • Multitudes gathered laying clothes and palm branches at His feet (Palm Sunday)
    • This was an act of worship – they were proclaiming Jesus as their King!
    • Then they began to worship Him as the Messiah (savior) crying out (Imperfect)
    • Hosanna – a Hebrew word that means – “save us now”…
    • Blessed is He who comes in the names of the Lord – Psalm of accent – Psalms 118:26
    • This is the 1^st and only time Jesus openly declares Himself to all as the Messiah
  • Blessed is the kingdom of our father David…
    • The Kingdom of Israel was its most powerful under the rule of King David…
    • The people were expecting Jesus to overthrow Rome – set up God’s Kingdom…
    • They were not looking for power/ glory – not to be saved from their sins…
    • That is why 4 day later – this same crowd would cry out – ‘crucify!’
    • God did not come to make us rich – give us an easy life – He came to give us eternal life!
    • When we come to Jesus for the wrong reasons – we are will be disappointed…
  • Why Palm Sunday – the feast of Passover
    • The Passover – the festival that remembered how God saved Israel – slavery in Egypt
    • The 10^th plague – the death angel – killed the 1^st born of every man and animal
    • Yet if the blood of the lamb covered your house – you were passed over!
    • All Jews were required to attend the feast of Passover – Exodus 23:14
    • The population of Jerusalem would swell from 100,000 to over 1 million people!
    • They were all there for the Passover feast – to celebrate freedom from slavery
  • 4 days before Passover – every household chose their sacrificial lamb – Exodus 12:3
    • On this same day – Palm Sunday – God choose His lamb for the perfect sacrifice!
    • The Lamb of God – John 1:29 – who would take away the sin of the World!
    • But if we believe in the sacrifice of Jesus – then the judgment for sin – which is death
    • Passes over us – we are set free from the bondage/slavery of sin and the world
    • We are forgiven for all our sin and get to go to the Promised Land – heaven!

Worshiping Jesus… vs. 15-19

• The next day – Jesus entered the Temple…
  • This is the 2^nd time Jesus cleansed the Temple…
    • The first time was at the beginning of His ministry – John 2:14
    • The Temple – the Jewish religion – had become a moneymaking industry…
    • One that took advantage of the poor and those who were seeking to know God
    • Jesus drove out those selling – doves and animals for sacrifice…
      • The Dove was a poor man’s sacrifice – for those who could not afford a lamb
      • Those who sold the doves – charged exuberant prices – robbing the poor
      • Even if you brought your own sacrifice – it had to be perfect
      • The priests would always find a flaw – so you had to buy one of theirs – $$$
    • Overturned the tables of the money exchangers…
      • All Jews were required to pay the Temple tax – Matthew 17:24
      • The tax and all animal purchases had to be paid with a “Sanctuary Shekel”
      • The exchange rate for which was tantamount to extortion
  • It is written – ‘a house of prayer for ALL nations’… Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11
    • The Temple was supposed to be a place where you could meet with God – Prayer
    • Instead they had made it a “den of thieves” – a way to make money off of others
    • Rather than drawing men to God – they showed a God who only wanted money
    • It is a sad commentary many churches today misrepresent God
    • Rather than being a place where people come to learn about the Lord
    • Instead they are taught about a God who only wants their money
    • God does not want or need our money – He is the creator of Heaven and Earth!
    • His church should be a place of prayer – where men can come to know God
    • I fear if Jesus walked into many churches today He would overturn a lot of tables
      
• The stones will cry out…
  • When the chief priests heard all these things… they were extremely upset!
    • Jesus was endangering their livelihood – more and more people believed in Him…
    • Many who were lame and blind came to Jesus – and were healed…
    • Children were crying out – Hosanna, Hosanna – Matthew 21:14-15
    • The religious leaders completely understood what all of this meant…
    • The crowds were accepting that Jesus was the promised Messiah – Savior
  • And when they tried to quiet the crowds – silence Jesus…
    • Luke 19:39-40 – “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’  But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’”
    • Jesus answers them – if the people were quiet – the stones would cry out!
    • What the children, blind, and even stones could see – that Jesus was the Messiah
    • The religious leaders missed – because they were not looking for a savior…
    • They were more interested in using religion to see what they could get from men
    • It does not take a seminary degree – or years of Bible college – to know Jesus
    • Children know him, the blind can see him, even the stones worship him
    • If we are wiser than kids, see better than the blind, are smarter the rocks…
    • Then we can know Jesus, see Him, and be able to worship Him as our Lord!
  • So the religious leaders began to plot how they could kill Jesus…
  • But it was late and Jesus left the Temple and returned back to Bethany…

Bearing fruit for Jesus… vs. 12-14, 20-26

• The Fig Tree…
  • The day before Jesus had been hungry – and seen a fig tree… vs. 12-14
    • There was no fruit on the tree – but He was hoping there was…
      • It was early spring – the time when the tree might have its 1^st figs
      • Jesus cursed the tree – let know one east from you every again!
      • His disciples were listening – and heard Jesus curse the tree…
    • The fig tree is a picture often used in the Bible to represent the nation of Israel
      • Israel should have been bearing good fruit for the Kingdom of God
      • They should have rejoiced the promised Messiah had come!
      • Instead in just 3 days – they would crucify Him
      • Because they missed Jesus – apart from Jesus – they would never bear fruit…
      • John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
  • A lesson on faith… vs. 20-26
    • When they passed by again – the tree was dead from the roots up…
      • Peter remembered the tree – commented the tree Jesus cursed had ‘dried up’…
      • Jesus uses the question as an opportunity to teach a lesson on having faith in God…
    • You can say to the mountain – be cast into the sea – if you do not doubt in your heart…
      • Can God can pick up ‘the bukid’ and move it over to the ‘baybay’ – YES!
      • We believe that God is able to do anything – but we doubt if He is willing to…
      • We think who are we that God would help us – who are we to even ask…
      • We pray for the Lord to provide – but then we ask our neighbors or family for money
      • We doubt God will take care of us – and then wonder why He did not provide
      • How can we have blame God – when we did not expect/allow Him to provide
  • Two things that cause us to doubt – keep God from answering our prayers…
    • 1^st – Not abiding in Jesus…
      • John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
      • Like Israel – apart from Jesus there is no fruit – apart from Him we can do nothing…
      • Like a branch cut off from a tree – we just cry up and cannot bear fruit…
      • In contrast – if we believe in – are abiding in – connected to Jesus – there is no doubt!
      • With Him we will bear much fruit! Receiving anything we ask for…
      • Anything you might ask – how about a million pesos…
      • James 4:3 – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
      • If we are abiding in Jesus we are not going to ask for personal gain
      • We will be only ask for those desires that God places on our hearts
    • 2^nd – Not forgiving each other…
      • If you are praying – and have anything against anyone – forgive them…
      • Notice the opened ended statement of Jesus – ANYTHING – ANYONE…
        • No matter what someone has done to you – or how many times…
        • No matter who – enemy, friend, or family – it does not matter – forgive them!
      • The context suggests if we do not forgive – our prayers won’t be answered…
        • More than that – if we don’t forgive – God won’t forgive us – Matthew 6:14, 18:35
        • The reason – because God already has forgiven us for everything we have done
        • If you owed someone 1 million pesos – and they forgave your debt…
        • How would it be – if you then would not forgive someone who owed you 10 pesos
        • In light of how much we have been forgiven – how could we not forgive others…
  • Wrapping it up: Learning Jesus – worshiping Jesus – bearing fruit for Jesus…
    • As we learn about Jesus – through getting into His Word – we get to know Him
    • Then we will not miss Jesus – instead we will see Him – desire to worship Him
    • Making us fruitful for Jesus – forgiving others – receiving answers to our prayers!