“Humble Majesty”

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

The arrival of the Lord in Jerusalem had been prophesized years before by the prophets. Zechariah wrote that he would come “righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Isaiah said that Messiah would come as a mighty and powerful child-king (Isaiah 9:6-7). But the people would focus on the “mighty” part, and would choose to forget the “gentle and humble”. The only means to freedom that they understood was through victory in war, therefore Messiah must be a mighty warrior. Psalm 35:3 calls upon the Lord to “Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”, and in Psalm 62:2, we read “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken”. The salvation that would come from God’s Chosen One was always seen as being gained through strength in battle, and freedom always came out of the oppression within this life. A humble and gentle Savior was generally only professed by the prophets, oppression was seldom seen as our bent toward the sinful life, and freedom was almost never for the life to come.

Zechariah had it right, and this is the day when we celebrate the faithful word that came though the faithful prophet.

Read Matthew 21:1-5

Jesus enters the city from the Mount of Olives. This was more than just a coincidence, more than just the best route – Zechariah also offered a prophecy regarding this place, but one that would have to wait until a future time. In Zechariah 14, he says, in reference to the Lord’s Second Coming, that following a time of war and tribulation, Messiah will stand before Jerusalem, on this same Mount, and will begin his millennial reign from there. From this same place, Jesus would initiate both the “completionof the beginning”, as well as the “beginning of the completion”.

And on this Day of Palms, he would enter the city, riding on a donkey. The next time he stands on the Mount of Olives, he will be the Sovereign King, the eternal Lord, the Hope of heaven and earth! Then, he will be majesty and power unlike anything the earth has ever known, but for now, he arrives in peace and humility. Israel expected Messiah to come as a king, which Jesus certainly is, but for now, he has redefined what “kingship” is all about.

A king’s primary responsibility is to be a leader for his people. And while that is true, most earthly kings are in it more for their own glory and power than for goodwill toward the citizens of their nation. Earthly kings gather prestige and honors for themselves, but Christ’s kingship takes on a whole new meaning. In his realm, He already has infinite authority and esteem, so his focus is on what he can bring to the lives of his people. Earthly kings see the purpose of their subjects as being contributors to their kingdom, while Jesus sees his subjects as recipients of his blessings.

This may very well be the reason that Jesus has always been so misunderstood. He doesn’t fit the mold that the people of earth try to force him into. The prophets and the gospel writers have all tried to explain this difference, but we seem to be stuck in what we have always known, instead of what we can learn.

A gentle king. A humble king. A mighty king, but one who deals in love and blessings, and not solely in authority.

Read Matthew 21:6-9

Jesus was being welcomed as a great king (2 Kings 9:12-13, 1 Maccabees 13:51 (Apocrypha)). The ride that he took on the donkey signified victory; the palm branches and cloaks were laid down to separate the king from the common dirt of earth. They cried “Hosanna to the Son of David”. Hosanna meant “Save now”, which was a cry for help, a cry for deliverance, that was lifted up to either their king or their god, and “Son of David” was the traditional name given to Messiah. As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, the people seemed to be proclaiming him as the Anointed One of God, the Savior of Israel, the Christ.

But how heart-felt was that cry? Were they truly acknowledging Jesus as the long awaited Christ? Were they calling out to the great Power of heaven for salvation? Did they actually want Jesus to be their King? Or were they just caught up in the moment?

When we respond to Jesus as Lord of our lives and Savior of our souls, do we understand that this is a moment of surrender for us, or are we just trying to make a good impression in the presence of others? We need to remember that while a public confession of faith is vitally important, it can’t just come through our voice – it must be based in our heart. And the people that day were a long way from the heart.

Jesus was a rabbi that everyone had heard about, and he was coming to Passover with a large entourage. Word of his arrival preceded him, and many came to see the famous man. Their words implied a desire to be his disciples, but their faith was so shallow that it wouldn’t survive the next 5 days.

Read Matthew 21:10-11

So maybe the people weren’t aware of who this exalted man was – some hadn’t heard of him at all, and others only saw him as a prophet, which wasn’t all that bad, but he was from that small, dusty town of Nazareth, which wasn’t all that good. Remember Nathaniel’s suggestion that nothing good could ever come from Nazareth? (John 1:45-46).

So what should the people have seen in Jesus’ arrival that day? In William Barclay’s commentary on Matthew, he lists three attributes that should have been obvious in Christ that day.

First, he was courageous. Jerusalem, even though they gave him a warm welcome, was hostile to Jesus. The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin were committed to eliminating this threat to their orthodoxy. “Smart money” would have been on avoiding the city altogether, but Jesus would never veer away from the mission. He could have snuck in during the night, avoiding the main streets and public places, and go into hiding until Passover could be prepared by his followers. But he was never one to hide, and besides, sticking close to the dark places would never reveal the light of salvation that he carried. Jesus came to the city in the same way he comes to individual lives – obviously, humbly, boldly, lovingly, and deliberately. It didn’t matter that betrayal, denial, doubt, lies, pain, abandonment, humiliation - and death awaited him. He couldn’t run from any of it - the mission depended on it.

Second, Jesus revealed his claim. Yes, he showed that he is Messiah, that he was the one who would cleanse the Temple of commercialism (Matthew 21:12-13), but he would prove that, while he was certainly a great prophet – the greatest prophet - he is far more than that. For Jesus, it had to be the entire package, nothing more and nothing less.

And third, he had appeal. Even though the faith of the welcoming crowds was shallow, there was something that still drew them to him. He came riding on a donkey – a sign of the peace that their lives had never known. “He came, not to destroy, but to love; not to condemn, but to help; not in the might of arms, but in the strength of [divine] love.” (Barclay)

Jesus came to Jerusalem, prepared to give his all for the people he loved so much.
He came to the city where he was despised, prepared to bring a hope that is beyond description.
He came to the city that would soon cry out “Crucify him!” so that he could bring them forgiveness and eternal life.
He came to face his human death, that the people might know divine life through him.
He came as an invitation to us to welcome him as king, not by opening the doors of a palace, but by opening the door of their hearts.

And on this Palm Sunday, that is the Lord’s greatest desire for us – that we might open our lives to his glory and forgiveness and salvation, and life. And if we do, that will bring overwhelming joy to our Lord.