Read Matthew ch21 vs1-17.
Palm Sunday is the day the Lord made His Triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the temple. Several things happened on that day let’s take look at a few of them.
Jesus had spent His last Sabbath in the quiet home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Jesus knew the Father’s will was to be accomplished and many prophetic scriptures fulfilled not many days hence.
Let us consider then The Passover Lamb and His Colt. It was a time of festivities in the city. It was the tenth day of Nisan. On the fourteenth day of Nisan was the Jewish Passover. Remember the Passover when the people were delivered from Egypt where the blood of the sacrificed Lamb had to be put on the door posts and lintel so the death angel would pass over them. In Israel then the Passover drew nigh. So why did Jesus go up to the temple in the tenth? Why the triumphant entry on the tenth? The key is found in Exodus ch12 vs1-14 the first Passover, notice verse 3 . On the tenth day a lamb had to selected for sacrifice on the 14. It had to be set apart. It had to be observed that it was without blemish, it had to be male. The sacrificial lamb would enter the temple through the sheep gate. Jesus Christ the Lamb of God was selected by His Father from the foundation of the world. The Lamb of God was observed by the Father , He was found to be without blemish or sin. He was presented to the people for selection on the 10th. ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ The 14th would see Him slain on the cross. He is our Passover Lamb.
His triumphant entry is initiated by Jesus, why? We see several times in the New Testament how Jesus shuns publicity so why now. The answer is because on God’s calendar it was the time to fulfill His word. Jesus’s earthly ministry was drawing to a close and as God’s Pascal Lamb he had to be seen by the great multitudes; the whole city was moved saying ‘who is this’. Jesus was to die for all. This triumphant entry was not done in a corner. Jesus to was fulfilling scriptures that He was the Messiah.
Prior to His entry Jesus sends two of his disciples to a nearby village and find an ass with her colt and they bring them to him. They put clothes on them both and Jesus sat on the colt fulfilling the scriptures in Zechariah ch9:9. (Jesus literally fulfilled this prophecy 550 years after it was uttered.)
As Jesus descended from the mount of Olives disciples and the multitude spread their garments on the ground before Him to do honour to Him as he came to the city. The crowds were rejoicing and praising God saying ‘Blessed be the KIng that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.’ ‘Hosanna (save now we beseech thee ) to the Son of David ‘.
There was no doubt a lot of wild cheering and movement from the multitude and yet that unbroken colt didn’t put a step wrong, willingly carrying the master of creation, it’s master, on its back. Food for thought in Exodus ch13:13 the first born son of a man had to be redeemed and so did the first born foal of an ass. In both cases a lamb had to be slain. (Further information found in Leviticus ch12 vs8). I can’t help but think that the foals redeemer was riding on the foal’s back.
That foal with Christ on its back shows the meekness of Christ sitting on a creature not made for state but for service not for battles but for burdens, slow in its motion but sure and safe in its steps to the temple. When Christ came into Jerusalem he did not go up to the court or the palace though He came in as a king but he came into the temple, for His kingdom is spiritual and not of this world. Hence he drove out the buyers and sellers. And said ‘It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves’. Notice Jesus said MY HOUSE..
For the next days before the cross the religious leaders keep examining to find a blemish in him, they fail and so resort to lies and betrayal.
Pause for thought.
God bless
Michael Whitehouse