Can't You See?
Matthew 21:1-11
Today is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. God had been preparing Israel for at least 1500 years for the exact day that Jesus triumphantly rod into Jerusalem because this day was the beginning of the week that would change eternity (Passion Week.) It starts with the Triumphal Entry and it ends with the Resurrection.
So we’ll do the “Triumphal Entry” today and we will do the “Resurrected Life” next Sunday. So this is kind of a part one message to next week’s message. So, if you know someone who will be coming next week, maybe get them a CD to prepare them for next week’s message.
Today, I’ll be teaching today in a style called “storying” and it’s a method used around the world, especially used in missionary type settings. I am going to tell you a story about scripture. I usually, as you know, dissect scripture, (and I love to do that) but today’s just a little different, so stay with me if you’re not used to it.
It was a very exact day that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem. A very exact day. It was foretold. Why? Well, if you’ve been with us while we’ve been studying the book of Daniel, hopefully you remember. But, let’s review so we can make sure that we can “see.” It was foretold so that the people of Jerusalem could see their Savior. So that the people could see, could receive, could understand when their Savior entered Jerusalem. It was a critical, critical thing.
Our 13th message in the book of Daniel was called “The 70 Sevens of Daniel” and in that message we looked in detail at an extremely critical prophecy God gave Daniel about the Triumphal Entry so that people would be sure to see their Messiah.
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 . . .
In Hebrew “The Anointed One” is the Messiah (Savior.) And here we have a math formula to calculate when the Messiah will reveal Himself to Israel. God told Israel when the Messiah would come so they would be sure to see him as the Messiah. He told them so they could start counting the days. The math starts from the command to rebuild Jerusalem which occurred in the Hebrew month of Nisan, 445 BC. And if we add the 69 sets of 7 years given to Daniel (483 years) using the Hebrew calendar (and making the necessary adjustments) we get to the exact month Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem. We know for sure, from Daniel 9:25 the exact month the Messiah would be presented to Israel and there was only one person that month claiming to be Messiah who triumphantly rode into Jerusalem. But, the people couldn’t see him, because they wouldn’t see him.
But even if they couldn’t see it when it was happening, certainly they should’ve been able to see it after the fact, because the next verse in Daniel says:
Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
26 “After this period (69 sets of 7 yrs) . . . the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple . . .
Not only is that exactly what happened to Jesus Christ, but that is also what happened to the City of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD at the hands of Rome. But still, the people couldn’t see it. They couldn’t see because they wouldn’t see. They couldn’t see because they chose not to see.
The prophecy in Daniel is incredibly detailed, but Zechariah’s prophecy was even easier to see, and in fact, Matthew uses it when he recorded the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Turn to Zechariah.
Zechariah 9:9 (NLT)
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
This is why (we’ll see in a minute) Jesus had the colt of a donkey prepared for him to ride into Jerusalem on. So, if you know Daniel Ch 9 you know the right month, and if you know Zechariah Chapter 9 you know how the Messiah is going to enter Jerusalem. Israel knew well both Daniel Chapter 9 and Zechariah Chapter 9. But still, they couldn’t see that this was their Messiah, their Savior sent from God. They couldn’t see because they wouldn’t see and they wouldn’t see (they refused to see) because they didn’t want this Jesus to be their Savior. He’s not the Messiah they want.
Like most prophecies in the Old Testament, the Zechariah prophecy is a two-part prophecy, because Jesus is a two part king. Jesus is both the lamb that was slain for the sin of the world, and he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is both, the sacrifice that pays for our sin and the soon and coming King. Zechariah’s prophecy describes both parts of the Messiah, but the people didn’t want the first part. They didn’t want the lamb that was slain part. They couldn’t see their need for him. They only wanted the victorious king part, which we read about in this next verse.
Zechariah 9:10 (NLT)
10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
That was the messiah the Jews wanted, a victorious King that would fix what they thought was their problem. Israel thought the rule of Rome was their problem and they wanted a savior who would fix what they saw as their biggest problem. And maybe that’s the savior you want this morning. Listen, the second you take your last breath you’re going to know what you really needed. Maybe you would want a savior who would fix the problems as you see them. But, what if “Father knows best”? You may think what you see as your problems are your real problems… but they are not. Your real problem is sin, that’s your eternal problem. It separates you from God in a way that cannot be fixed in any other way than God’s way. Sin is your problem – Christ is your answer.
Israel wanted a Messiah to free them from the rule of Rome and bring them the kingdom God had promised. And Jesus will bring the rule of the kingdom of God to Jerusalem and to the world. But that is in “round two” when he returns the second time. But he came the first time for “round one” which is the far more important round. But the people didn’t want (or think they needed) the round one” part. And so, they refused to see God’s great plan as God had arranged it. Just like we so often don’t want (or think we need) God’s plan, as God has arranged it, in our lives.
The real problem is sin. Sin separates us from God, and if God doesn’t take care of the sin problem, then nothing else matters. If you truly understand Jesus Christ, if you understand who he is in your life and what that means to you for eternity, you will say, “Nothing else matters.” As soon as you get a grasp of what a vapor this life is you’ll say “Christ is what matters.” But if you refuse to look, you won’t be able to see and God’s plan will not be your plan, and so you will reject him.
So when people figured out that Jesus wasn’t the savior they wanted, the same people who cried out “hosanna” on Palm Sunday cried out “crucify him” on Good Friday. They quickly and vehemently rejected Jesus because he wasn’t the king they wanted. And so often, we are no different. We celebrate Jesus when things are going our way and we reject him when his plan is different than ours. The problem was the people refused to see God’s full plan. As soon as they realized God’s plan wasn’t their plan, they refused to see it, so they could not see it.
Israel had a book full of prophetic reasons to recognize Jesus that day and they had something else even more powerful than all the prophecies Jesus was fulfilling. You see, it was Passover week and on the very day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem there were herds of Passover lambs being driven into the city in preparation for the Passover sacrifice. This was the day the Passover lambs would be brought in for inspection in preparation to be sacrificed four days later. That is why Jesus Christ rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on that particular day. Because this Passover week, all the Passover sacrifices of more than 1,000 years would all culminate in the Passover Lamb offering himself as the final Passover sacrifice.
From the moment that sin entered mankind, God began teaching us why Jesus Christ would enter Jerusalem on this day, for this purpose. In the Garden of Eden, God sacrificed an innocent life to cover the sin of Adam and Eve (their clothing.) And as we trace God’s dealing with man throughout the Old Testament, God has always required the sacrifice of an innocent life to atone for the sin of the people. And what the people of God experienced all through the Old Testament was that God always provided that sacrifice himself.
God used Abraham to make the clearest and most accurate illustration of this incredible truth. Mt. Moriah is the same mountain that Calvary is on where Jesus was headed when he entered Jerusalem. In Genesis 22 God told Abraham to take his only son Isaac up Mt. Moriah and sacrifice him there. And as they were walking up the mountain to the same place that would one day be called Calvary, Isaac said to his father in Genesis 22:7:
Genesis 22:7 (ESV)
7 . . . “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
And Abraham said prophetically to his son in Genesis 22:8…
Genesis 22:8 (ESV)
8 . . .“God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” . . .
And as Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice his only son, as a picture of what God would one day do, (in the same place) God did provide a lamb as a substitute for the life of Isaac. God saved Abraham from sacrificing his only son, but God could not save himself from that same sacrifice.
Two generations later, God continued his preparation of Israel for this day, in Exodus Chapter 12 when God brought the 10th (and final) plague upon the Pharaoh in Egypt. Each family was required by God to choose a young lamb without spot or blemish and the family was to take the lamb into their house and love and care for that lamb for four days. And then, on the evening of Passover (same time as when Jesus was crucified) the innocent lamb was to be slain by the family and the blood of that innocent lamb was to be put on the doorpost of the house. When the Angel of Death came to bring judgment upon the sin of Egypt the blood of the lamb would cover the people who belong to God, The Angel of Death would “pass-over” that house and that family of God would be saved.
After the lamb was slain and the blood was covering the house, the family would eat the Passover meal. And in the meal, they would eat the lamb, roasted. So that the sacrifice God used to save them would become part of them, they would partake of that sacrifice, and if that sounds like communion, it should, because it was a foreshadowing of our communion.
But God still wasn’t finished teaching about this sacrifice. After the exodus from Egypt, God established the Day of Atonement. Not only did each family continue to bring an innocent animal as a sacrifice each year, but on the Day of Atonement the high priest would bring an animal into the tabernacle and sacrifice it and sprinkle the blood of the innocent sacrifice on the mercy seat, which represented the very throne of God. If you were to study the law about this in Leviticus 16, you would see an incredible picture of exactly what God was doing with Jesus Christ.
So the annual re-enactment of the Passover sacrifice along with the Passover meal had resulted in an immeasurable number of innocent lambs being slain for the sins of the people. Year after year God was teaching His people about the penalty required for sin and about the sacrifice of an innocent life to pay that penalty.
And notice God’s build up of the value of the atoning sacrifice of the innocent Lamb. First, it was the atonement for just one person, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah. Then it was the atonement for one household in the first Passover in Egypt, then, it was the atonement for the nation every year on the Day of Atonement. Then came that day, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said in John 1:29:
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ”
On the day that Jesus Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem, God’s final Passover Lamb was being prepared to be the atonement for sin, for the world. All other lambs pointed to this true and final Passover lamb, God’s once and for all sacrifice for the sin of the world. We don’t think sin is our problem. But God has done everything to deal with our sin. God knows sin is our problem. Jesus is the only answer. He is the once and for all sacrifice to pay completely, a sacrifice sufficient to pay the full penalty for our sins. But – the people couldn’t see it. They couldn’t see it because they wouldn’t see it. And they wouldn’t see it because it wasn’t what they wanted. And it wasn’t what they wanted because they didn’t understand that this was the single most important gift in all eternity for God to freely give them.
Back in Genesis 22 when Isaac asked his dad Abraham where the sacrificial lamb would come from, Abraham said, “God will provide HIMSELF a sacrifice,” and that is what was happening at the Triumphal Entry. God was providing himself as the only innocent sacrifice that could truly and permanently take away our sin. God became a man because he, himself, was the only one who could pay the sufficient price to remove the consequences of our sin. Only God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, could be the once and for all final sacrifice sufficient to redeem the world from sin. That’s why 1 Corinthians 5:7 says:
1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
7 . . . For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
That is what was really happening on the day of the Triumphal Entry.
So now that we have that background, we probably should go ahead and read the text. As we do, please focus on it in light of all the truths we’ve just reviewed.
Matthew 21:1–11 (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.’ ” (Zech 9:9 Prophecy)
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.
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.
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God (Hosanna) for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God (Hosanna) in highest heaven!” (Triumphal Entry)
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
These people said the right words. They shouted the praise required for the announcement of the Messiah entering Jerusalem. They HAD to. In Luke, when the Pharisees challenged Jesus about this, Jesus said;
Luke 19:40 (NLT)
40 . . . “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Because this was the announcement to Israel that the Savior God had promised was HERE. He was right on time and he came in the exact way God had promised him. But still, the people could not see what was truly happening; they refused to see what was truly happening. They were cheering thinking Jesus was coming to set up his reign on their behalf. They were cheering thinking Jesus was coming to win political victory on their behalf. But Jesus was not preparing to overthrow Rome. He was preparing to be God’s final sacrifice for sin. Jesus was not preparing for political victory, he was preparing for God’s final victory over sin. Jesus was entering Jerusalem to become God’s final Passover lamb, to take away the sin of the world. The people couldn’t see it, because they wouldn’t see it because they thought they were good enough, that they didn’t need this messiah. They wanted a Messiah that would give them the victory that they wanted, a political, and a military victory.
Jesus will return as conquering King – in Part 2 (coming soon). Jesus will ultimately rule this world as the King of Peace, as Zechariah 9:10 says. But first, God must deal with your sin. Why? Because if God doesn’t deal with your sin first, then you can’t be in his presence when he does return to rule this world as King of Peace. First, Jesus had to come to deal with your sin and mine. First, Jesus had to become what millions of Passover lambs had pointed to. First, Jesus had to become the perfect sacrifice sufficient to pay for the sin of the world.
And finally, when Jesus was crucified he died just before the beginning of Passover. And at the same time lambs were being sacrificed all over Jerusalem according to the Law of Moses. While Jesus was being sacrificed on the cross… fathers all over the city were gathering their families together and saying, “God has provided a Passover lamb for us.” And while the blood of countless Passover lambs ran down the doorposts of their homes, on a hill, outside the city wall, called Calvary, the blood of Jesus Christ was running down the cross. And the true Lamb of God, the true Passover Lamb was taking away the sin of the world- ALONE!
And God had told the story. He had sent Abraham up the same mountain, and he had put Abraham’s son there, he had given Abraham a substitutionary sacrifice, he had shown us – the people- the need for the Passover lamb, to sacrifice the innocent lamb so the Angel of Death would “pass-over,” he had instituted the day of atonement where the innocent animal’s blood would cover the sin of the nation, he had brought in the Passover lamb on the day that the lambs were herded in. He had written the prophecies in Daniel and written the prophecies in Zechariah. Not to mention 300 prophecies fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus Christ. And he did it all perfectly, and in time and the way it was all recorded in advance, and still the people couldn’t see it. They shouldn’t see it because they wouldn’t see it. And God never did it to try to convince somebody. He did it to give them an opportunity to see, and if they chose to see then he would welcome them in. He would give them the right to not see if they chose to.
Please, don’t be blinded. See the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Get rid of all that stuff that blocks up our minds – this world and our logic our own thinking, and say, “You know what? I think I am a sinner. And I think that is a problem. And God’s only way, his only answer is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in my place and the only way I can appropriate that to my life is through faith and his grace.” Make the choice to see and you will see. See in the light while you can, and don’t allow the darkness to blind you.
In John’s Gospel, just after the Triumphal Entry, Jesus said to the crowd that was around him;
John 12:35–36 (NLT)
35 . . . “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” . . .
Can’t you see? Can’t you see the problem is sin and the answer is Jesus Christ? That’s the whole story. Can’t you see the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Put your faith in him today while there’s still time, then you will become God’s son or daughter. Make the choice to see and you will see.
See Jesus for who he is.
Receive his sacrifice for your sin
and make him your Savior and your Lord – today.
So we’ll do the “Triumphal Entry” today and we will do the “Resurrected Life” next Sunday. So this is kind of a part one message to next week’s message. So, if you know someone who will be coming next week, maybe get them a CD to prepare them for next week’s message.
Today, I’ll be teaching today in a style called “storying” and it’s a method used around the world, especially used in missionary type settings. I am going to tell you a story about scripture. I usually, as you know, dissect scripture, (and I love to do that) but today’s just a little different, so stay with me if you’re not used to it.
It was a very exact day that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem. A very exact day. It was foretold. Why? Well, if you’ve been with us while we’ve been studying the book of Daniel, hopefully you remember. But, let’s review so we can make sure that we can “see.” It was foretold so that the people of Jerusalem could see their Savior. So that the people could see, could receive, could understand when their Savior entered Jerusalem. It was a critical, critical thing.
Our 13th message in the book of Daniel was called “The 70 Sevens of Daniel” and in that message we looked in detail at an extremely critical prophecy God gave Daniel about the Triumphal Entry so that people would be sure to see their Messiah.
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 . . .
In Hebrew “The Anointed One” is the Messiah (Savior.) And here we have a math formula to calculate when the Messiah will reveal Himself to Israel. God told Israel when the Messiah would come so they would be sure to see him as the Messiah. He told them so they could start counting the days. The math starts from the command to rebuild Jerusalem which occurred in the Hebrew month of Nisan, 445 BC. And if we add the 69 sets of 7 years given to Daniel (483 years) using the Hebrew calendar (and making the necessary adjustments) we get to the exact month Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem. We know for sure, from Daniel 9:25 the exact month the Messiah would be presented to Israel and there was only one person that month claiming to be Messiah who triumphantly rode into Jerusalem. But, the people couldn’t see him, because they wouldn’t see him.
But even if they couldn’t see it when it was happening, certainly they should’ve been able to see it after the fact, because the next verse in Daniel says:
Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
26 “After this period (69 sets of 7 yrs) . . . the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple . . .
Not only is that exactly what happened to Jesus Christ, but that is also what happened to the City of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD at the hands of Rome. But still, the people couldn’t see it. They couldn’t see because they wouldn’t see. They couldn’t see because they chose not to see.
The prophecy in Daniel is incredibly detailed, but Zechariah’s prophecy was even easier to see, and in fact, Matthew uses it when he recorded the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Turn to Zechariah.
Zechariah 9:9 (NLT)
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
This is why (we’ll see in a minute) Jesus had the colt of a donkey prepared for him to ride into Jerusalem on. So, if you know Daniel Ch 9 you know the right month, and if you know Zechariah Chapter 9 you know how the Messiah is going to enter Jerusalem. Israel knew well both Daniel Chapter 9 and Zechariah Chapter 9. But still, they couldn’t see that this was their Messiah, their Savior sent from God. They couldn’t see because they wouldn’t see and they wouldn’t see (they refused to see) because they didn’t want this Jesus to be their Savior. He’s not the Messiah they want.
Like most prophecies in the Old Testament, the Zechariah prophecy is a two-part prophecy, because Jesus is a two part king. Jesus is both the lamb that was slain for the sin of the world, and he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is both, the sacrifice that pays for our sin and the soon and coming King. Zechariah’s prophecy describes both parts of the Messiah, but the people didn’t want the first part. They didn’t want the lamb that was slain part. They couldn’t see their need for him. They only wanted the victorious king part, which we read about in this next verse.
Zechariah 9:10 (NLT)
10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
That was the messiah the Jews wanted, a victorious King that would fix what they thought was their problem. Israel thought the rule of Rome was their problem and they wanted a savior who would fix what they saw as their biggest problem. And maybe that’s the savior you want this morning. Listen, the second you take your last breath you’re going to know what you really needed. Maybe you would want a savior who would fix the problems as you see them. But, what if “Father knows best”? You may think what you see as your problems are your real problems… but they are not. Your real problem is sin, that’s your eternal problem. It separates you from God in a way that cannot be fixed in any other way than God’s way. Sin is your problem – Christ is your answer.
Israel wanted a Messiah to free them from the rule of Rome and bring them the kingdom God had promised. And Jesus will bring the rule of the kingdom of God to Jerusalem and to the world. But that is in “round two” when he returns the second time. But he came the first time for “round one” which is the far more important round. But the people didn’t want (or think they needed) the round one” part. And so, they refused to see God’s great plan as God had arranged it. Just like we so often don’t want (or think we need) God’s plan, as God has arranged it, in our lives.
The real problem is sin. Sin separates us from God, and if God doesn’t take care of the sin problem, then nothing else matters. If you truly understand Jesus Christ, if you understand who he is in your life and what that means to you for eternity, you will say, “Nothing else matters.” As soon as you get a grasp of what a vapor this life is you’ll say “Christ is what matters.” But if you refuse to look, you won’t be able to see and God’s plan will not be your plan, and so you will reject him.
So when people figured out that Jesus wasn’t the savior they wanted, the same people who cried out “hosanna” on Palm Sunday cried out “crucify him” on Good Friday. They quickly and vehemently rejected Jesus because he wasn’t the king they wanted. And so often, we are no different. We celebrate Jesus when things are going our way and we reject him when his plan is different than ours. The problem was the people refused to see God’s full plan. As soon as they realized God’s plan wasn’t their plan, they refused to see it, so they could not see it.
Israel had a book full of prophetic reasons to recognize Jesus that day and they had something else even more powerful than all the prophecies Jesus was fulfilling. You see, it was Passover week and on the very day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem there were herds of Passover lambs being driven into the city in preparation for the Passover sacrifice. This was the day the Passover lambs would be brought in for inspection in preparation to be sacrificed four days later. That is why Jesus Christ rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on that particular day. Because this Passover week, all the Passover sacrifices of more than 1,000 years would all culminate in the Passover Lamb offering himself as the final Passover sacrifice.
From the moment that sin entered mankind, God began teaching us why Jesus Christ would enter Jerusalem on this day, for this purpose. In the Garden of Eden, God sacrificed an innocent life to cover the sin of Adam and Eve (their clothing.) And as we trace God’s dealing with man throughout the Old Testament, God has always required the sacrifice of an innocent life to atone for the sin of the people. And what the people of God experienced all through the Old Testament was that God always provided that sacrifice himself.
God used Abraham to make the clearest and most accurate illustration of this incredible truth. Mt. Moriah is the same mountain that Calvary is on where Jesus was headed when he entered Jerusalem. In Genesis 22 God told Abraham to take his only son Isaac up Mt. Moriah and sacrifice him there. And as they were walking up the mountain to the same place that would one day be called Calvary, Isaac said to his father in Genesis 22:7:
Genesis 22:7 (ESV)
7 . . . “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
And Abraham said prophetically to his son in Genesis 22:8…
Genesis 22:8 (ESV)
8 . . .“God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” . . .
And as Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice his only son, as a picture of what God would one day do, (in the same place) God did provide a lamb as a substitute for the life of Isaac. God saved Abraham from sacrificing his only son, but God could not save himself from that same sacrifice.
Two generations later, God continued his preparation of Israel for this day, in Exodus Chapter 12 when God brought the 10th (and final) plague upon the Pharaoh in Egypt. Each family was required by God to choose a young lamb without spot or blemish and the family was to take the lamb into their house and love and care for that lamb for four days. And then, on the evening of Passover (same time as when Jesus was crucified) the innocent lamb was to be slain by the family and the blood of that innocent lamb was to be put on the doorpost of the house. When the Angel of Death came to bring judgment upon the sin of Egypt the blood of the lamb would cover the people who belong to God, The Angel of Death would “pass-over” that house and that family of God would be saved.
After the lamb was slain and the blood was covering the house, the family would eat the Passover meal. And in the meal, they would eat the lamb, roasted. So that the sacrifice God used to save them would become part of them, they would partake of that sacrifice, and if that sounds like communion, it should, because it was a foreshadowing of our communion.
But God still wasn’t finished teaching about this sacrifice. After the exodus from Egypt, God established the Day of Atonement. Not only did each family continue to bring an innocent animal as a sacrifice each year, but on the Day of Atonement the high priest would bring an animal into the tabernacle and sacrifice it and sprinkle the blood of the innocent sacrifice on the mercy seat, which represented the very throne of God. If you were to study the law about this in Leviticus 16, you would see an incredible picture of exactly what God was doing with Jesus Christ.
So the annual re-enactment of the Passover sacrifice along with the Passover meal had resulted in an immeasurable number of innocent lambs being slain for the sins of the people. Year after year God was teaching His people about the penalty required for sin and about the sacrifice of an innocent life to pay that penalty.
And notice God’s build up of the value of the atoning sacrifice of the innocent Lamb. First, it was the atonement for just one person, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah. Then it was the atonement for one household in the first Passover in Egypt, then, it was the atonement for the nation every year on the Day of Atonement. Then came that day, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said in John 1:29:
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 . . . “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ”
On the day that Jesus Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem, God’s final Passover Lamb was being prepared to be the atonement for sin, for the world. All other lambs pointed to this true and final Passover lamb, God’s once and for all sacrifice for the sin of the world. We don’t think sin is our problem. But God has done everything to deal with our sin. God knows sin is our problem. Jesus is the only answer. He is the once and for all sacrifice to pay completely, a sacrifice sufficient to pay the full penalty for our sins. But – the people couldn’t see it. They couldn’t see it because they wouldn’t see it. And they wouldn’t see it because it wasn’t what they wanted. And it wasn’t what they wanted because they didn’t understand that this was the single most important gift in all eternity for God to freely give them.
Back in Genesis 22 when Isaac asked his dad Abraham where the sacrificial lamb would come from, Abraham said, “God will provide HIMSELF a sacrifice,” and that is what was happening at the Triumphal Entry. God was providing himself as the only innocent sacrifice that could truly and permanently take away our sin. God became a man because he, himself, was the only one who could pay the sufficient price to remove the consequences of our sin. Only God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, could be the once and for all final sacrifice sufficient to redeem the world from sin. That’s why 1 Corinthians 5:7 says:
1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
7 . . . For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
That is what was really happening on the day of the Triumphal Entry.
So now that we have that background, we probably should go ahead and read the text. As we do, please focus on it in light of all the truths we’ve just reviewed.
Matthew 21:1–11 (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.’ ” (Zech 9:9 Prophecy)
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.
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.
9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God (Hosanna) for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God (Hosanna) in highest heaven!” (Triumphal Entry)
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
These people said the right words. They shouted the praise required for the announcement of the Messiah entering Jerusalem. They HAD to. In Luke, when the Pharisees challenged Jesus about this, Jesus said;
Luke 19:40 (NLT)
40 . . . “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Because this was the announcement to Israel that the Savior God had promised was HERE. He was right on time and he came in the exact way God had promised him. But still, the people could not see what was truly happening; they refused to see what was truly happening. They were cheering thinking Jesus was coming to set up his reign on their behalf. They were cheering thinking Jesus was coming to win political victory on their behalf. But Jesus was not preparing to overthrow Rome. He was preparing to be God’s final sacrifice for sin. Jesus was not preparing for political victory, he was preparing for God’s final victory over sin. Jesus was entering Jerusalem to become God’s final Passover lamb, to take away the sin of the world. The people couldn’t see it, because they wouldn’t see it because they thought they were good enough, that they didn’t need this messiah. They wanted a Messiah that would give them the victory that they wanted, a political, and a military victory.
Jesus will return as conquering King – in Part 2 (coming soon). Jesus will ultimately rule this world as the King of Peace, as Zechariah 9:10 says. But first, God must deal with your sin. Why? Because if God doesn’t deal with your sin first, then you can’t be in his presence when he does return to rule this world as King of Peace. First, Jesus had to come to deal with your sin and mine. First, Jesus had to become what millions of Passover lambs had pointed to. First, Jesus had to become the perfect sacrifice sufficient to pay for the sin of the world.
And finally, when Jesus was crucified he died just before the beginning of Passover. And at the same time lambs were being sacrificed all over Jerusalem according to the Law of Moses. While Jesus was being sacrificed on the cross… fathers all over the city were gathering their families together and saying, “God has provided a Passover lamb for us.” And while the blood of countless Passover lambs ran down the doorposts of their homes, on a hill, outside the city wall, called Calvary, the blood of Jesus Christ was running down the cross. And the true Lamb of God, the true Passover Lamb was taking away the sin of the world- ALONE!
And God had told the story. He had sent Abraham up the same mountain, and he had put Abraham’s son there, he had given Abraham a substitutionary sacrifice, he had shown us – the people- the need for the Passover lamb, to sacrifice the innocent lamb so the Angel of Death would “pass-over,” he had instituted the day of atonement where the innocent animal’s blood would cover the sin of the nation, he had brought in the Passover lamb on the day that the lambs were herded in. He had written the prophecies in Daniel and written the prophecies in Zechariah. Not to mention 300 prophecies fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus Christ. And he did it all perfectly, and in time and the way it was all recorded in advance, and still the people couldn’t see it. They shouldn’t see it because they wouldn’t see it. And God never did it to try to convince somebody. He did it to give them an opportunity to see, and if they chose to see then he would welcome them in. He would give them the right to not see if they chose to.
Please, don’t be blinded. See the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Get rid of all that stuff that blocks up our minds – this world and our logic our own thinking, and say, “You know what? I think I am a sinner. And I think that is a problem. And God’s only way, his only answer is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in my place and the only way I can appropriate that to my life is through faith and his grace.” Make the choice to see and you will see. See in the light while you can, and don’t allow the darkness to blind you.
In John’s Gospel, just after the Triumphal Entry, Jesus said to the crowd that was around him;
John 12:35–36 (NLT)
35 . . . “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” . . .
Can’t you see? Can’t you see the problem is sin and the answer is Jesus Christ? That’s the whole story. Can’t you see the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Put your faith in him today while there’s still time, then you will become God’s son or daughter. Make the choice to see and you will see.
See Jesus for who he is.
Receive his sacrifice for your sin
and make him your Savior and your Lord – today.