Who Is This (#1)

Q: What does the Bible say about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem?

The Bible describes Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as a fulfillment of prophecy, where he is recognized as the King coming in humility. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is presented in Matthew 21:1-11, highlighting the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 that foretold a king coming to Zion, humble and riding on a donkey. This event marked a pivotal moment where Jesus openly declared His messianic identity, contrasting His previous avoidance of public recognition. The throngs of people hailed Him with cries of 'Hosanna,' understanding Him to be the Son of David and the expected Messiah, thereby fulfilling scriptural prophecies of His royal status and mission as the sacrificial Lamb who would take away the sins of the world.

Q: How do we know Jesus is the King mentioned in the Bible?

Scripture confirms Jesus as King through His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and His authoritative actions during His ministry. The New Testament presents Jesus as the King foretold in the Old Testament, particularly in passages like Matthew 21 that echo Zechariah 9:9, which prophesized a humble king entering Jerusalem. This connection emphasizes His divinely ordained kingship and the fulfillment of His role as the Messiah. Additionally, His obedience to God's will and His authority over creation further validate His kingship. Acts 2:36 shows that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, securing His rule over all things through His holy life and sacrificial death.

Q: Why is Jesus' humility significant in His triumphal entry?

Jesus' humility in entering Jerusalem on a donkey highlights His role as a suffering Savior rather than a conquering warrior. Jesus' choice to ride a donkey, rather than a warhorse, during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem is rich in theological significance. It symbolizes His mission as the humble servant and the suffering Messiah rather than a traditional earthly king. This act fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, emphasizing that His kingdom operates on principles of humility and peace, contrasting with worldly expectations of power. It underscores the nature of Christ's kingship, which is rooted in service and sacrificial love, ultimately culminating in His crucifixion for the sins of mankind.

Turn with me please to Matthew chapter 21. Matthew chapter 21. We'll read the first 11 verses of this chapter. When they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus to disciples. That town We have no other record of it in the scriptures except that it's mentioned as being close to the Mount of Olives, close to Jerusalem.

There's no archaeological evidence of the town ever existing. It may be that it was just an insignificant place, like we would refer to that place over there. We used to live in Shelby City, just insignificant. Nobody knows that folks who lived there. Perhaps it would be that this term Bethpagee refers to Bethany, just another name for the town Bethany, where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were. Certainly our Lord Jesus did go to Bethany at this time.

This is where he came to meet with his friends. those dear disciples whom he loved so dearly, who loved him just before he went up to Jerusalem to suffer and die for us. It was there at Bethany that he was anointed by Mary with that precious ointment, and there that Judas began to stab him. with his betrayal of hypocrisy when he said, why not take this ointment and sell it and give it to the poor? And our Lord knew what was in it. He knew what Judas was up to. He knew what was in his heart. And so it was at Bethany that those things took place. And I'm inclined to think that the word Bethphagy is given here just as another name for the town of Bethany.

Be that as it may, this is what the, where the Lord was at this time. he sent two of his disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and the coat the fold of an ass. And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and her coat, and put on them their clothes, and they set him their own. and the very great multitude spread their garments in the way.

Others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was oh shit, moved because of him, saying, who is this? Who is this? And the multitude said, this is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Now these verses of scripture at first glance appear to contradict, they appear to be out of sync with everything else written concerning our Lord's earthly ministry.

Our Lord spent most of his life in secrecy and in seclusion. He constantly said to those who were healed by him, don't tell anybody, don't tell anybody about this. And he constantly sought the place that would be least recognized. Whenever the disciples came and wanted to take him by force and make him a king, he withdrew out of their midst and he would have no part with it.

But here we have this passage that has been referred to and is commonly called by men as the passage portraying the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem and everything's public. Here we have a royal procession, one who has come like a mighty conqueror who has been out to battle and he comes back now with great conquest riding into his own city like a royal man, a king who has come out having defeated the enemy and now he comes back into his city. He comes back to a welcome, a king's welcome.

People gathered around him. We read here of the multitude, and then in the very next verse, great multitudes. There was a great multitude that met him, and the crowd just seemed to accumulate as he went along the way, and there were great multitudes. Someone estimated that the crowd was something over 300,000 people, and I don't get it at all.

Remember, this was the time of Passover. Jerusalem was a huge city. And the Jews all came to Jerusalem to keep the Passover on that day. There were at least upwards, at least upwards of two million people in Jerusalem on this occasion. And our Lord Jesus comes into the city and in these verses there was such a stir that the whole city was moved because of him. The whole city was in a stir because of this man who has come into Jerusalem.

This one of whom the multitudes sang, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And the people began to ask, who is this? Who is this? Who's causing all this stir? Who is this man riding like this in this great processional? This man who has the attention of so many people. This man of whom so many people speak praise and give adulation and honor. And they answer why he's Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet out of Galilee. Everything in these verses though appear to contradict his his earlier behavior. They appear to contradict his humiliation in days gone by. But this is all very easily understood and explained. You see, it's not a contradiction at all. The simple fact is, this public triumphal entry into Jerusalem at this particular time was just exactly what we should expect if we understood the scriptures.

Our Lord knew well that the hour of his death was at hand. He knew that the hour of his glory was at hand. He knew that the hour of his manifestation, the hour when he would at last make himself known to his disciples and to others around him, the hour that he would be so clearly manifest that a pagan soldier would look at him after he had died on the tree and say, surely this man was the son of God. He was about to be made manifest for who he was. He was about to be made manifest so that in his humiliation, while upon this earth, his glory would show forth. During the days of his earthly ministry, he was working constantly to this point, to this time when he would finish his work. And now the hour was rapidly approaching when he must finish the work which he had come here to do.

There was only one last great mighty act remaining. He must now suffer death by the hand of God and suffer death voluntarily as our substitute so that he might finish his work and finish our redemption. The Lord Jesus had already fulfilled his Father's will.

He came into this world assuming our nature, according to the covenant of grace. And he had established righteousness, having glorified God as a man throughout the days of a man's age in this world. He's now a grown, mature man, 33 years old. And all this while, he's lived in perfect righteousness, not just as a man, but as the representative God-man, having fulfilled all righteousness for us. You remember why we submitted to baptism? How he finally persuaded John the Baptist to baptize him. And he came to be baptized to John. And John said, Oh no, I'm not going to baptize him.

And the Lord said, Suffer to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. This too is part of the Father's will. This too is a declaration of what I must do. And so he went down into the water and was immersed by John the Baptist and rose up out of the water portraying what he would do and by what means he would fulfill righteousness by his obedience in life as well as in death. And now he must suffer and die to satisfy the justice of God and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And so he deemed it altogether proper that every eye should behold Him as He comes to fulfill His Father's will. He deemed it altogether proper that everyone should see Him who comes to be sacrificed, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. During this day, when men would come together and bring their little packs of lambs, and they would each one bring a lamb for their house and have it sacrificed before God, the Passover has come. And He would have everybody see that He is the Christ the Passover, who was typified in those Paschal lambs slain upon Jewish altars.

Our Lord Jesus Christ would have his great work of addiction known and advertised by everyone in Jerusalem. The sin-atoning blood of the Son of God was about to be shed, and this great deed was not to be done in a corner. Therefore, he who had deliberately spent most of his life in secrecy, who had spent most of his life in comes now into Jerusalem, riding upon an ass, and he rides triumphantly. He does so in humiliation, upon a borrowed ass, one that belonged to another man, not upon a white stallion like a mighty prince of this world, not with the pomp and pageantry that other men might use. But still he comes, and he comes with such a clear declaration of his honor and majesty as king going up to Jerusalem that no one could mistake it.

Everyone was aware of it. If you should read the history books written concerning this time and this age, you would find that there was no place in the known world where this event wasn't discussed. It was something that was just, it was just abuzz everywhere. Everywhere men spoke of his coming into Jerusalem. Everywhere men spoke of his claims. Everywhere men spoke of him coming in like a king. and then being crucified and dying like a common thief.

Therefore, our Lord Jesus made this royal procession through the streets. He was about to enter into his kingdom and about to declare himself king. He knew that his cross would be but the doorway into his glory. He knew that his death would be but the gate by which he would enter into his kingdom and sit upon the throne of his glory. This royal procession was our Lord's public declaration that he is indeed the Christ of God and that he was about to enter into his kingdom.

Now, as we look at these 11 verses together, let me call your attention to four or five things that are obviously set before us in them. Simple lessons, but lessons that we need to grasp and understand and rejoice in. First, understand this. These folks ask, who is this? Well, let me answer the question. He answers it by his example right off.

He knew the question was about to be asked, but he answers it beforehand. He answers it by evidencing who he was with his omniscience. Our Lord Jesus Christ is himself the omniscient God. He's the omniscient God. I was thinking about this driving down the road the other day. I study a lot more down the road. my mind just kind of runs away with me, but what can we compare to omniscience? We think about omniscience and say, well, God knows everything. Yes, yes, certainly that's the case. That's what the word means.

God knows everything. But God's omniscience is more than just a pre-science. It is more than just God knowing what will happen and knowing what people will do. It is God Almighty in all His glory knowing everything instantly right now. He knows it all. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden from Him.

Turn over to Psalm 39 or Psalm 139. Psalm 139. Let me show you how David looked at God's omniscience. When we start thinking about the attributes of God and the character of God, we ought always to make a practical application of those things to our lives. So when we think about God's omniscience, God's omnipresence, that is Him knowing everything and Him being everywhere at once, we bring it down to how this affects us, how this deals with us. David speaks in verse one of Psalm 139.

Oh Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting and my up rising. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. You know what I'm thinking before I think this. You know my thoughts. My thoughts. Now sometimes we think we know what's on somebody's mind. Sometimes we think we know We know what somebody's thinking. You don't know what anybody's thinking. Oh, no. You don't read a man's thoughts. The only way you know what somebody's thinking is if they tell you.

But God knows your thoughts. Your thoughts are not your thoughts. They don't. Thou compassionate my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue But lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It's high, I cannot attain to it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Whither shall I flee from thy presence?"

And he takes up the matter of God's omnipresence as well. He says, you know everything about me, and you're constantly with me. And the fact is, he's saying, I realize, God, I can't hide from you. I can't hide from you. Oh, you're wise to learn that. You're wise to learn that in your behavior in life. Understand that God's eye is everywhere. God's eye is everywhere. You can hide from family and friends. You can hide from the eye of the law. You can hide from the eye of mom and dad. You can hide from the eye of husband and wife.

You cannot hide from the eye of God. God's eye is everywhere. More than that, God's presence is everywhere. Let it be a word of warning to those who would rebel, but oh what a word of comfort to you who believe. Children of God live continually with the understanding that he who is our God sees you. His name is Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord shall save and the Lord shall provide.

He sees. He sees. He sees our downfalls and he sees our uprisings. He sees our troubles and he sees our trials. He sees our weaknesses, he sees our imperfections, he sees our sins, he sees everything! But he who sees us with compassion, and tenderness, and mercy, sees us with the Father's tenderness, and watches over us to spare him.

The Lord's at hand. The Lord's at hand. He's with you. So rejoice! Rejoice! You understand that? When you think about God's omniscience, when you think about the omniscience of our Savior, understand that he who loved you and gave himself for you is right now God on his throne who sees you, who watches over you, and who walks with you. He's the omniscient God.

And yet, he is the man, Jesus of Nazareth. He came here in human flesh. lived as a man. He suffered as a man. He died as a man. He sits on the throne of glory as a man, full of compassion, full of tenderness, full of understanding. He's touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

What a God. God in human flesh. God who no man can touch is God who's touched by what touches man. You understand that? God who cannot be moved is God whose heart is moved by that which moves us. He's the omniscient God. Our Savior is a man, a man like us, yet God over all and blessed forever. And this God, who is the man Christ Jesus, our Redeemer and our Savior, is the sovereign owner and the sovereign ruler of all things. Now look at verses two and three with me for just a second.

He says to his disciples, go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and to cope with her, loose them and bring them unto me. That's a pretty good shot for a man. You're going to go into this city here. Now, remember, he didn't have an advance committee leading the way like modern evangelists do. He said, you're going into this city where there's going to be an ass and her coat tied right there, and when you find them, you bring them to me.

And if somebody comes out and says, what are you doing? You tell him, and somebody did. You read Mark's and Luke's accounts, you'll find out somebody did. The fellow came back and said, what are you doing? And they said, the Lord hath need of them. The fellow said, well, take them home. Take them home. Our Lord Jesus here demonstrates his sovereign rulership over everything. Now read on. And if a man say unto thee, ye shall say, the Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send them to you.

You see, these things belong to him. He created them, he owned them, and he ruled them. Now, I know there are a lot of folks who suggest that this fellow who owned the coat and her ass, or the coat, the ass's coat, the ass and her coat, now they're right. The fellow who owned them, he was a believer.

But the text doesn't say that. And the Bible doesn't say it anyway. They say, well, this fellow knew the Lord was going to send for them. The scriptures do not indicate that anyway. This is a statement declaring our Lord's total dominion, so that he rules even over the hearts of men, perhaps even men who don't even know him are portrayed here. And certainly he rules over the hearts of men who don't even know him. So that his disciples are sent on a mission. And they have no way humanly speaking, of accomplishing their mission. They have no possible ability to do what is set before them, except by getting themselves into a peck of trouble, unless God intervenes.

And the Lord Jesus displays himself to be the sovereign God who rules all things, and when he sends you to do something, you can count on it, he'll give you the ability and the means to do it. The Lord has been up there We'll take them over. Take them over.

And our Lord here demonstrates his tenderness. I thought this was so blessed. I got it from Spurgeon. He said our Lord demonstrates his tenderness and that he would not take the ass from her young colt. He wouldn't divide the two, not even the beast. He is so gracious, so kind, so tender that he takes thought even for an ass and her colt. Surely he will take thought for you. In his infinite sovereignty, he takes thought not to part the two, and in his tenderness and mercy and grace, he takes thought of you and me, and of all that we need, and of all that our hearts cry to him for, and in his sovereignty and in his goodness, he provides for us. Second, and I want you to get this, and I want you to get it. must be unquestioning and unhesitating obedience. The Lord said, you go into the city and there you'll find.

Now, I try to put myself in position these days. I suspect I know what I'm thinking. If I didn't say, I'd say, but how? By what means am I going to know it's all right for me to go over there and find that ass at that hitching post and untie her and walk up the street with her? How am I going to be confident that everything's going to be all right?

But these disciples didn't stand around and argue. They didn't stand around and fuss. They didn't stand around and question. They simply did what the Master said. Oh God give me grace. to be so sensitive and obedient to more will than everything. Just do what he says to do. You remember when I was Lord the Mother told the disciples, I told those servants at the marriage feast in Cana, in John chapter 2, she said, whatsoever he saith unto you, The Apostle Paul said, I had Christ revealed to me and told me what I must do, and immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

Don't do that. Don't do that. You start conferring with your flesh, or you start conferring with somebody else's flesh and blood, and they'll persuade you to do exactly opposite of what he says, and they'll do it with all good intentions. Don't confer with flesh and blood.

Do what he says. You see, genuine obedience. That obedience that arises from faith in Christ must be blind obedience. Blind obedience. Somehow, that's got a whole lot to do with what our Lord meant when he said, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. You shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. I'll give you an example.

Ian Barton was sitting back there, where he was always a little inquisitive. He might not be a good example, but there was a time, there was a time, when Rex said something to him, just a little shaven, he'd go do it. He'd go do it. And as he got to get a little bigger and got a little more inquisitive, Instead of doing, I guarantee he started saying why. Instead of doing, he started saying but. Instead of doing, he started to question the wisdom of what was told to be done. That's exactly what we do when we presume, when we presume that we're wiser than God.

You understand what I'm saying? Obedience to him must be why. Or it's not obedience. It must be that kind of obedience that Abraham yielded when the Lord said, Abraham, go into a land that I'll tell you about. Abraham got up and went. It must be that kind of obedience that Abraham yielded when God said, sacrifice your son, and Abraham took your son up to Mount Moriah. That's the kind of obedience God requires. Well, how on earth can I obey God like that?

Turn to Proverbs chapter 3 and I'll show you. Proverbs chapter 3. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Now if you do, if you do, this is what it means. And lean not unto thine own understanding. God forgive me how many times, how very many times, in day-by-day life, I have leaned to my understanding rather than trusting his wisdom, goodness, grace, and power, and found myself in path of disobedience." You always will. You always will. Read up. In all thy ways, in all thy ways, whatever the way is before you, as a father, a husband, a pastor, a worker, an employer, an employee, in all thy ways, acknowledge him. Acknowledge him to be the Lord. Acknowledge him. And he shall direct thy paths.

Be not wise in thine own eyes, but fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be help to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones, Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits of thy increase." Well, how on this earth can you do that? How can a man with reason, with good judgment, how can a man with just good sense take the firstfruits of this increase and give it to God and not know what he's going to get in return?

Trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not into your own understanding. That's what he's talking about. In all matters, obedience must be the blind, implicit obedience of faith, or it's not obedience at all. Thirdly, I want you to understand that this book, oh, God help you to understand this inspired in its entirety. Without error, without contradiction, without any kind of flaw or fault, whatever, this book is the Word of God. 550 years before it came to pass.

In Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9, if you want to look it up and read it at your leisure, In Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9, this is what the prophet Zechariah said, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a coat of the fold of an ass. Now let's turn back there and look at what Zechariah says. Zechariah chapter 9. We'll take just a second and do it. Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a coat the fold of an ass." There it is. Now I defy anyone, I defy anyone with reason and judgment. I defy anyone with the same kind of reason that you would use as evidence in any court of law. I defy anyone to explain how Zechariah 9-9 could have been written 550 years before it came to pass, and right here it comes to pass. Except by divine inspiration. Just by divine inspiration.

This was true with regard to every aspect of our Lord's person and work. Turn over to Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4, verse 27. For I have a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the purpose from eternity to be done. More than that, just to be sure that you understand it. To be sure that you can't possibly, except by willful rebellion and unbelief, you cannot possibly miss it. The Lord God wrote it down in the scriptures, and these folks came along and fulfilled exactly what was written in the prophets. Turn to Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13.

You remember when they parted our Lord's garments? When they pierced his side? When they pierced his brow with the crown of thorns, when they spit on him, when they mocked him, when they plucked out the hair of his face, when he was betrayed by his own familiar friend.

All those things were written in the scriptures. Now look what the scripture says here in Acts chapter 13 and verse 29. Or look at verse 28. Though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulchre." When they had fulfilled what? All that was written of him in the Scriptures.

This book's the Word of God. If this is the Word of God, then this is the only means by which I can know God. I better know this book. If this is the Word of God, then this is the only means by which God speaks to me. Oh, be wise and hear God speak. Be wise and hear God speak. If this is the Word of God, this is the only way I can find the way to God. and the only way I can find out how to walk with God, and the only way I can find out what's required of God, or required of me by God. This is the Word of God.

This is the only thing in the world that's able to make you wise from disavowed scriptures. So search them, and don't ever give up searching. The Lord Jesus Christ is king over all things by virtue of his obedience to God as our substitute. Look at verse 5 again.

Tell you the daughter of Zion, behold thy king coming unto thee. The text does not say, tell the daughter of Zion, behold he who shall be your king is coming to you. That's not what it says. The vast majority of people in our day foolishly imagine that someday out in the future Christ is going to get to be a king.

The scriptures reveal that Jesus Christ came here as a king, he lived as a king, he died as a king, and he entered into glory as a king, and is ruling right now as king over everything. came here as king by divine right, he earned the right to rule over all things by his obedience in death, and is now set down upon the right hand of the majesty on high, ruling everything as king. Now let me show you this. The scriptures are so abundantly clear, and you need to grasp this.

Our Lord Jesus, because he is God, he's king over everything. He's God. God rules. Whoever rules the universe, he's God. If folks say Satan rules here, then that means Satan's God here. But Satan doesn't rule anywhere. Men don't rule anywhere. Love, and chance, and faith, and free will rule nothing. Jesus Christ rules everywhere. He's God. He's God. But more than that, he earned the right to rule the universe because of his obedience to God as a man. Look in Romans chapter 14 and verse 9. Romans chapter 14 in verse 9.

We do not anticipate some day in the future when the Lord Jesus is going to come and be a little old peanut king over in Palestine sitting on a Jewish throne. That's the most ludicrous thing in the world. To imagine that the Son of God wants to be a ruler over that little old part of ground that would be worth nothing if it wasn't for folks fussing and fighting over it all the time. I mean, there's just nothing there.

Folks talk about it being a holy ground. It's not a holy ground. It's not a holy land. It's not God's holy city. It's just a city over in the east. That's all. But our Lord Jesus has earned the right to be king right now. And he's king over Zion right now. He's the king not of the earthly Israel, but of God's Israel. Not of the Jews naturally, but of the Jews spiritually. Which is the church and kingdom of God.

You and me. Look here in Romans 14 verse 9. For to this end, Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. Turn to Acts chapter 2, Acts the second chapter. Verse 29. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David. that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, he seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which you now see in him. For this, for David, is not ascended up into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Set thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Now, what on earth does all that mean? That means you're in his hands. That means he's the ruler. That means he has all power over you. Now look at what verse 36 says. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made back St. Jesus whom you have crucified, the Lord and Christ. He's the ruler, he's the king, he's the Messiah. He has been seated now upon the throne of David for 2,000 years almost, sitting king over the house of God, over the people of God, and over all things in this world.

Now one last thing, one last thing. Learn this and learn it well. let the preacher learn it, and let the giver learn it. The praise of man is as shallow and deceptive as it is fickle. Altogether worthless, the praise of man. Oh, we court the praise of men as though it were valuable. We court the praise of men as though something would really come of it. We court the praise of men as though man could really be the king of the Father.

Here, our Lord Jesus comes into Jerusalem and by conservative estimates, he is thronged by crowds of upwards of 300,000 people pressing all around him. Can you imagine the crowds? Can you imagine the crowds? They're just, all the excitement, the stir, the emotion, they just, how are you stirred up and excited whenever somebody else is stirred up and excited? And the crowd just, just accumulated, just an avalanche, just snowballing, and it got bigger and bigger and bigger, until at last there's a huge, strong multitudes around him.

And they're crying, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Here he is, the Christ of God, the son of David, the king of Israel. And they're cutting off palm branches and laying them in the path so that he wouldn't dirty his, the donkey on which he was riding wouldn't dirty her feet. Just walk along the path so comfortably. In just a little while, that same crowd is crying, crucify him. Isn't that amazing? If one of our writers about revival, Ron, had been writing about this, they had a revival that day. They had a revival that day. He came riding into Jerusalem.

No, the outward behavior of men and the words of men are altogether insignificant as far as telling us what a man we really are. In just a little while, these same folks will cry, crucify me, crucify me, let his blood be on us and on our children. So don't seek the worthless praise and favor of man, but rather be wise and seek the praise and favor that comes from God.

That didn't make good sense to you? Well, I don't know whether I'll do this or not. After all, you know, it would create a little distaste in this fellow's eyes. These folks might not look on me so highly. They might question me if I really gave myself in devotion to the cause of Christ. Well, let him just question away. Let him just question away.

In all things, my friends, pray for grace and seek grace from God to believe him, to believe Christ. God teach me to trust Or I want to learn to live by faith. Live by faith. Obey Christ. Obey Him. His will is written out here for us. Do it. Just do it. Just do it. I have folks ask me all the time, how do you How do you obey God? You just do. That's all. You just do. How do you maintain a faithful man or wife? You just do. You just do what you know you ought to do. Do what you know God reveals that you do. Do His will. Let the word of Christ dwell in you and say, obey faithfully.

And exalt Jesus Christ the Lord. For as As these multitudes thronged around the Savior, and they put on a big show, and they cut palm branches, and they strode their clothes in the path, and they cried, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Without any show, without any fanfare, without calling attention to yourself, without getting folks to look at you and see what you're doing. Give praise to Him, not only in word, in deed, in your behavior, in all things in your life.

Seek to it that Christ is preeminent. Seek to it that He's preeminent. He's worth it, isn't He? He came to this place to go up to Calvary, to die in our stead, to ascend up to the throne rule the universe for us. Rain does everything for us. Everything. Everything. All for grace to do everything for you.

Who Is This (#1)

What does the Bible say about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem?

How do we know Jesus is the King mentioned in the Bible?

Why is Jesus' humility significant in His triumphal entry?

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Who Is This (#1)

What does the Bible say about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem?

How do we know Jesus is the King mentioned in the Bible?

Why is Jesus' humility significant in His triumphal entry?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

More from Don Fortner

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Same Scripture

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Books by Don Fortner

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