Don't Miss God's Salvation
Matthew 21:1-10
It’s Palm Sunday, and our country (and the world) has been on a wild ride the past six weeks. Covid-19 has us “rocked on our heels” as a nation – as a community – and as individuals.
But the day we celebrate the Resurrection is upon us next Sunday. That makes today Palm Sunday, the day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the beginning of his Passion Week, leading up to the Resurrection, through which – by our faith in him – we conquer not only anything this world can throw at us, but sin, and death, and the grave. And as I began thinking about the Triumphal Entry in light of our current difficulties, I realized the Triumphal Entry has perfect application for what we are going through today.
On that day, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem in what we call the Triumphal Entry, the nation of Israel was (in many ways) in a similar place as we are today. They were under the oppression of an enemy that had control – even of their movements. They had lost much of their freedom, and they were looking for a Savior to save them.
The first interesting comparison between the Triumphal Entry of Jesus in the first century and the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into our crisis today is this. When Jesus first triumphantly entered Jerusalem, the people received him (shouts of Hosanna). But they received him with the wrong expectation of exactly what salvation he was bringing. Turn to Matthew 21, and let’s look at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.
Matthew 21:1–10 (NLT)
1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. (in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9)
And now, right here, the crowd is going to get really excited, and it looks like they’re going to embrace their Savior as Jesus rides into Jerusalem.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. (classic welcoming of a King, or Royalty)
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! (the traditional Hebrew blessing - Baruch Haba Beshem Adonai) Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
It seems like – right here – they’re on the verge of getting it, of understanding. Maybe because they knew (by God’s Word) that God had promised a Savior. Maybe because they wanted a Savior so bad at that time.
But maybe the most telling thing that happened at that moment was when the religious leaders told Jesus to make the people stop crying out Hosanna. In Luke 19:40, Jesus responded,
Luke 19:40 (NLT)
40 . . . “If they (the people) kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Hosanna – save now)
Why? Because this exact day was planned by God. Jesus stepping into this crisis for Israel – and us – at this time was planned by God – outside of time. God was not caught off guard by Israel’s struggles or their crisis, and God is not caught off guard by our struggles or our crisis.
And God did not come up with a fix after he saw his people in need. Long before we even knew that we needed a Savior, God put a plan in action to send us the only true Savior exactly when we needed him. God had the answer in motion before Israel (and us) even knew we needed a Savior.
My point is this. God knows we need a Savior. God knows when we need a Savior. God knows why we need a Savior. But – it’s the “God knows why we need a Savior” part that we sometimes struggle with.
The prophecy that calculates the exact date that Jesus would triumphantly enter Jerusalem as the Savior is in the Book of Daniel. We call it the 70 – 7’s (70 weeks) of Daniel.
Daniel 9:25 (NLT)
25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes
(Anointed one is a name for The Savior)
These “sets of seven” are years, and there was a Scotland Yard investigator named Sir Robert Anderson who confidently determined that the formula that God wrote here leads us to the exact month (and maybe the day) Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Triumphal Savior – meaning God provided the Savior before the people knew they needed one.
But then, here’s the next point, the next truth we really need to get. Not only did God provide a Savior before we knew we needed one, but God also provided a Savior for a terminal illness, we didn’t know we had. And because Israel didn’t accept the primary reason why God provided a Savior… they rejected the Savior God provided – completely.
You see, in God’s plan, first, the Savior comes to save us from an eternally terminal illness called sin. And then he becomes our Peace, our Guide, our Shield, our Comforter, and our Good Shepherd. The very next verse in the Prophecy of Daniel points to Jesus coming to save us from the terminal illness of sin – first.
Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler (Rome) will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple (70 AD) . . .
God sent a Savior into the crisis that Israel was in. But the Savior came to save them from something maybe they didn’t know that they needed saving from.
(Daniel 9:26) - the Anointed One (Savior) was killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing . . .
Well, that didn’t look much like a Savior, did it?
Guys – is it possible – that God knows what we truly need most in this crisis? Is it possible that God knew what Israel needed most when Jesus came into Jerusalem in his Triumphal Entry?
What we need most is a Savior who will save us from what we most need saving from.
God sent Jesus Christ to save us from what we most need saving from – our sin. Because God knows, no matter what he saves us from in this life, it is only a vapor – it is a blink of the eye – it is a moment in time. But saving us from the eternal consequences of sin, that gives us eternal life.
And listen, please, Jesus wants to carry you through this crisis. But Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on that day 2,000 years ago, to save us from something much bigger than the current crisis we are in.
God knew what we truly needed, and God sent us the perfectly “right” Savior. But Savior’s “saving” didn’t look like the people wanted it to look, and so the people rejected God’s Savior entirely, and they missed God’s Salvation.
They wanted the Savior to fix their current, temporary circumstances because they couldn’t see that they had a much bigger problem that needed to be fixed first. God tried to tell them in his Word; the first problem needed to be fixed first. And God is telling us (in his Word) that the first problem Jesus came to fix is immeasurably bigger than him fixing our current, temporary circumstances.
Because God created us as eternal beings, God knows that the first problem that must be fixed is our eternal life problem. And so, God came as our Savior from heaven to first fix our first problem, which is an eternal problem, not a temporary problem.
Sometimes we think what’s happening around us is what’s most important. But God sees it all, and he says, no, actually dealing with your eternal life is far more important that has to get right first.
But the people wouldn’t see their need for eternal salvation, and so these same people crying “Hosanna” today at the Triumphal Entry will be crying, “Crucify him” on Good Friday. They will completely reject Jesus because he wasn’t the Savior they wanted.
And so, turn over to Luke Chapter 19. (Same event).
Luke 19:41–42 (NLT) - (same event)
41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.
42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.
Peace wasn’t hidden from Israel because of God. Peace was hidden from Israel because they refused to see. Can’t you see, spiritually, that something can be right in front of you, and you refuse to see it? And if you refuse to see it long enough, you reach a point where you can’t see it. Don’t miss God’s salvation.
In John Chapter 1, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said to his own Disciples,
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
On that Triumphal Entry day, Jesus Christ was entering Jerusalem to be the once and for all sacrifice to pay the full penalty for our sin because God knows that is what we most need saving from. Jesus was not preparing for a political victory. He was preparing for victory over sin. And guys, Jesus will meet us in this crisis, and he will give peace, comfort, and strength. But Jesus came first to offer us eternal life through faith in him.
And I want you to meet Jesus in the midst of this crisis, and I want you to experience his peace and comfort and strength. But my prayer, far more, is that you would receive his free gift of eternal life, that you would recognize that this life is a vapor. It’s the bling of an eye when compared to eternity.
Jesus Christ came in the Triumphal Entry so that he could meet the cross on Friday so that he could rise victorious over sin and death on Sunday so that God could offer you this promise:
John 1:12–13 (NLT)
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
First things first! Put your faith in Jesus Christ – as your Savior. Believe in Jesus and receive him into your life as your Savior and Lord, then you will have victory over sin and death, and you will have eternal life waiting for you in heaven. And then, Jesus will be able to lead you and guide you, give you peace and comfort, and be your victory in this difficult time.
But the day we celebrate the Resurrection is upon us next Sunday. That makes today Palm Sunday, the day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the beginning of his Passion Week, leading up to the Resurrection, through which – by our faith in him – we conquer not only anything this world can throw at us, but sin, and death, and the grave. And as I began thinking about the Triumphal Entry in light of our current difficulties, I realized the Triumphal Entry has perfect application for what we are going through today.
On that day, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem in what we call the Triumphal Entry, the nation of Israel was (in many ways) in a similar place as we are today. They were under the oppression of an enemy that had control – even of their movements. They had lost much of their freedom, and they were looking for a Savior to save them.
The first interesting comparison between the Triumphal Entry of Jesus in the first century and the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into our crisis today is this. When Jesus first triumphantly entered Jerusalem, the people received him (shouts of Hosanna). But they received him with the wrong expectation of exactly what salvation he was bringing. Turn to Matthew 21, and let’s look at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.
Matthew 21:1–10 (NLT)
1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. (in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9)
And now, right here, the crowd is going to get really excited, and it looks like they’re going to embrace their Savior as Jesus rides into Jerusalem.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. (classic welcoming of a King, or Royalty)
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! (the traditional Hebrew blessing - Baruch Haba Beshem Adonai) Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
It seems like – right here – they’re on the verge of getting it, of understanding. Maybe because they knew (by God’s Word) that God had promised a Savior. Maybe because they wanted a Savior so bad at that time.
But maybe the most telling thing that happened at that moment was when the religious leaders told Jesus to make the people stop crying out Hosanna. In Luke 19:40, Jesus responded,
Luke 19:40 (NLT)
40 . . . “If they (the people) kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Hosanna – save now)
Why? Because this exact day was planned by God. Jesus stepping into this crisis for Israel – and us – at this time was planned by God – outside of time. God was not caught off guard by Israel’s struggles or their crisis, and God is not caught off guard by our struggles or our crisis.
And God did not come up with a fix after he saw his people in need. Long before we even knew that we needed a Savior, God put a plan in action to send us the only true Savior exactly when we needed him. God had the answer in motion before Israel (and us) even knew we needed a Savior.
My point is this. God knows we need a Savior. God knows when we need a Savior. God knows why we need a Savior. But – it’s the “God knows why we need a Savior” part that we sometimes struggle with.
The prophecy that calculates the exact date that Jesus would triumphantly enter Jerusalem as the Savior is in the Book of Daniel. We call it the 70 – 7’s (70 weeks) of Daniel.
Daniel 9:25 (NLT)
25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes
(Anointed one is a name for The Savior)
These “sets of seven” are years, and there was a Scotland Yard investigator named Sir Robert Anderson who confidently determined that the formula that God wrote here leads us to the exact month (and maybe the day) Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Triumphal Savior – meaning God provided the Savior before the people knew they needed one.
But then, here’s the next point, the next truth we really need to get. Not only did God provide a Savior before we knew we needed one, but God also provided a Savior for a terminal illness, we didn’t know we had. And because Israel didn’t accept the primary reason why God provided a Savior… they rejected the Savior God provided – completely.
You see, in God’s plan, first, the Savior comes to save us from an eternally terminal illness called sin. And then he becomes our Peace, our Guide, our Shield, our Comforter, and our Good Shepherd. The very next verse in the Prophecy of Daniel points to Jesus coming to save us from the terminal illness of sin – first.
Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler (Rome) will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple (70 AD) . . .
God sent a Savior into the crisis that Israel was in. But the Savior came to save them from something maybe they didn’t know that they needed saving from.
(Daniel 9:26) - the Anointed One (Savior) was killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing . . .
Well, that didn’t look much like a Savior, did it?
Guys – is it possible – that God knows what we truly need most in this crisis? Is it possible that God knew what Israel needed most when Jesus came into Jerusalem in his Triumphal Entry?
What we need most is a Savior who will save us from what we most need saving from.
God sent Jesus Christ to save us from what we most need saving from – our sin. Because God knows, no matter what he saves us from in this life, it is only a vapor – it is a blink of the eye – it is a moment in time. But saving us from the eternal consequences of sin, that gives us eternal life.
And listen, please, Jesus wants to carry you through this crisis. But Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on that day 2,000 years ago, to save us from something much bigger than the current crisis we are in.
God knew what we truly needed, and God sent us the perfectly “right” Savior. But Savior’s “saving” didn’t look like the people wanted it to look, and so the people rejected God’s Savior entirely, and they missed God’s Salvation.
They wanted the Savior to fix their current, temporary circumstances because they couldn’t see that they had a much bigger problem that needed to be fixed first. God tried to tell them in his Word; the first problem needed to be fixed first. And God is telling us (in his Word) that the first problem Jesus came to fix is immeasurably bigger than him fixing our current, temporary circumstances.
Because God created us as eternal beings, God knows that the first problem that must be fixed is our eternal life problem. And so, God came as our Savior from heaven to first fix our first problem, which is an eternal problem, not a temporary problem.
Sometimes we think what’s happening around us is what’s most important. But God sees it all, and he says, no, actually dealing with your eternal life is far more important that has to get right first.
But the people wouldn’t see their need for eternal salvation, and so these same people crying “Hosanna” today at the Triumphal Entry will be crying, “Crucify him” on Good Friday. They will completely reject Jesus because he wasn’t the Savior they wanted.
And so, turn over to Luke Chapter 19. (Same event).
Luke 19:41–42 (NLT) - (same event)
41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.
42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.
Peace wasn’t hidden from Israel because of God. Peace was hidden from Israel because they refused to see. Can’t you see, spiritually, that something can be right in front of you, and you refuse to see it? And if you refuse to see it long enough, you reach a point where you can’t see it. Don’t miss God’s salvation.
In John Chapter 1, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said to his own Disciples,
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
On that Triumphal Entry day, Jesus Christ was entering Jerusalem to be the once and for all sacrifice to pay the full penalty for our sin because God knows that is what we most need saving from. Jesus was not preparing for a political victory. He was preparing for victory over sin. And guys, Jesus will meet us in this crisis, and he will give peace, comfort, and strength. But Jesus came first to offer us eternal life through faith in him.
And I want you to meet Jesus in the midst of this crisis, and I want you to experience his peace and comfort and strength. But my prayer, far more, is that you would receive his free gift of eternal life, that you would recognize that this life is a vapor. It’s the bling of an eye when compared to eternity.
Jesus Christ came in the Triumphal Entry so that he could meet the cross on Friday so that he could rise victorious over sin and death on Sunday so that God could offer you this promise:
John 1:12–13 (NLT)
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
First things first! Put your faith in Jesus Christ – as your Savior. Believe in Jesus and receive him into your life as your Savior and Lord, then you will have victory over sin and death, and you will have eternal life waiting for you in heaven. And then, Jesus will be able to lead you and guide you, give you peace and comfort, and be your victory in this difficult time.