AMC Sermon
1st April, 2012
Written By Rev Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
Matthew 21:1-11 (Palm Sunday)
Main Idea: How much you know Jesus?
Objectives: (1) To challenge the congregation to know Jesus Christ personally.
(2) To teach the congregation to obey Jesus in their lives.
(3) To challenge the congregation to introduce Jesus to the lost.
A. Introduction
- In business, before you know who you are trading with, you want to know who are they. Who are the directors of the company you are trading with. When you ask the questions who are they or who is this person, you want to know the credibility of the persons whom you are trading with. Can this person be trusted? After the goods or service delivered, can he pay for the service or goods? Is his company registered? Or the person is a conman? The other company is not registered.
- You ask the question who is this, for a good purpose. It has to do with the characters of the persons. You want to know the good standing of the persons in the society. You do not know the person whom you are dealing with, naturally you ask who is this?
- In the days of Jesus, he was coming from Nazareth, he grew up as a boy at Nazareth; he was born at Bethlehem, near Jerusalem. He did not grow up at Jerusalem. He ministered more at the northern part; he performed many more miracles in the north than the south. Do you still remember what were the miracles he performed in the north near sea of Galilee?
- Anyway, my point is, as Jesus was not as well known in the south before the crucifixion, during the Roman Empire’s time. During His 3 years of ministry, he moved from the north to the south, he did not spend much time in the south, though he performed miracles like raising Lazarus from the dead.
- No wonder the writer Matthew, recorded that people asked, “Who is this?” when Jesus was heading for Jerusalem on a colt. Before I preach to you the significance of the question, “who is this?”, I like us to look at Matthew’ readership, and purpose, then, we may even better understand the significance of the question.
B. Readership, purpose and context
- The readers of the gospel must have been Jews. The author Matthew was very particular about the origin of Jesus – tracing of Jesus’ descendent from Abraham (Matt 1:1-17); the fulfilment of Old Testament; his reluctance to use the name God and used ‘kingdom of heaven’; his emphasis on Jesus as the son of David. Matthew may target his readers to be the Jews, as he try to convince them that Jesus is God, the Messiah, he also challenged them to reach out to the whole world by giving the commission at 28:18-20.
- Matthew’s purpose of writing to the Jews was to tell them Jesus is God, the Messiah, the Saviour. He tried to prove from the OT scriptures that Jesus’ life and ministry was the fulfilment. Like in today’s passage, verse 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matthew quoted Zechariah 9:9 to hint that the Messiah was going to be sacrificed as foretold by the OT scriptures.
- Today’s passage is in the context of Jesus heading in the direction of Jerusalem, before Passover, where a few days later, the Messiah was going to be crucified. Jesus knew he was going to be killed and yet he went in the direction of Jerusalem. May be it is not fair for me to ask you this question because our context is different. Anyway, I still ask you the question to provoke you to do reflection in this Palm Sunday. The question is simply this: If you know you are going to be killed upon arrival at a place, do you still want to go ahead with the plan?
C. Explanation of the passage
- The world may think Jesus was so stupid to go ahead with His plan. But for Jesus, He had done His calculations of all aspects as He is God. I believe Jesus deep down in His heart, He believed it was worth the sacrifice of His life. Why? Can we imagine with Jesus for a moment? Why it is worth the sacrifice? What is the worthwhile purpose? Why not live longer? Why die at the age of 33? The disciples might need more time to be trained to become more matured. Why it had to be the cross? What about being killed by knife? Or stoned to death?
- Before I give my answer, please try give your answer? Christians down the centuries, disciples of Jesus throughout the ages can only give one purpose, one reason, one mission for Jesus’ willingness to go to the cross, that is for the purpose of redemption for the sin of mankind. That people come to know God, repent and be saved for eternally.
- Now to help us to do some soul searching at this season of Palm Sunday and the coming holy week. If you know you are going to be killed by your enemies, for what is the worthwhile purpose you are willing to die? For the Libyan rebel soldiers and even the courageous civilians who fought the Gaddafi soldiers, for them, they were to die in the war just to topple the regime and set up a government that cares for the people.
- I am asking this question so that we all are encouraged to make sacrifice for Jesus; or at least, in view of Jesus, the true God, our saviour, we respond to Him, and really believe what we do for Him is worth all our time, energy and money.
- Now, as Jesus was on the way to enter Jerusalem, note that He was fully aware of His crucifixion ahead. He did it with only one purpose and mission. He entered dramatically and he caught people’s attention. He did it purposely at the outskirt of Jerusalem, starting from Bethphage, on Mt Olives. Jesus sent for His disciples to go ahead of Him into a village to request for a donkey and her colt, when the owner asked who needed, the disciples just had to say the Lord needed it and the owner would give. It happened. The owner knew Jesus as the Lord.
- As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the colt, with the accompaniment of the donkey, (typical for mother donkey to remain close to the baby donkey) crowd shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’. These are quotes from Psalm 118: 25 and 26, where hosanna in Hebrew, it means save us now.
- Psalm 113 to Psalm 118 is a collection of praise psalms sung at the great Jewish feasts: feast of dedication, the feast of the new moons, and by families at the yearly observance of the Passover. At Passover 2 of the psalms were sung before the meal. Before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, He and His disciples gathered at the upper room for the Passover meal probably sung 2 psalms.
- Jesus entered Jerusalem during Passover week, thousands of lambs would be killed for the Passover and that lines of Psalm 118 were on people’s minds and they shouted the Hosanna lines. I believe Jesus chose the Passover to come into Jerusalem so that He was the lamb of God who came to be slaughtered by the Jews for the redemption of mankind’s sin.
- Did the people mean to say that Jesus, son of David come to save them from their sins as they shout Hosanna? Not at all, probably they misunderstood Jesus, as the triumphal political king, coming to save them from the rule of Roman Emperor.
- Only a few persons, including, Mary of Bethany (John 12:7) who knew Jesus purpose of death.
- They did not read the colt on which Jesus was riding, it was meant to bring peace; Jesus did not come on horse, which was meant for fighting.
- When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “who is this?” They did not know the real purpose of Jesus’ coming; and most did not know Jesus at all, of course, they asked “who is this?”
D. Explanation
- The crowd asked the question because: they did not know much about who was Jesus; the real purpose of His coming; they did not know Jesus was going to die for their sins; Jesus had no personal relationship with them.
- At the end of the day, only some know Him to be Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. This was the best that some of them in Jerusalem knew about Jesus.
- Brothers and sisters, Jesus, then, was not crucified yet, therefore, a lot did not know him as saviour. Especially after resurrection, then, news spread, what Jesus claimed to do became important and His disciples preached about it and a lot of people repented from sins and became saved. You read about it in the book of Acts.
E. Applications
- Do you still ask who is this Jesus? You may still ask. I pray that you come to know Him as your personal saviour.
- (1) The more you ask about who is this Jesus, the more answers you get, should help you to build up a personal relationship with Jesus. Can we do an exercise here? Please give answers to this question: who is Jesus to you? Whatever knowledge you have about Jesus, should build up your closeness with Jesus. This is the greatest foundation stone of your faith. If not, all that you know about Jesus does not have anything to do with your life. At the end of the day, with or without Jesus, your life is the same.
- (2) That closeness with Jesus can only be developed through your obedience to His teachings. If you believe Jesus is your saviour, then, you must come to Him for forgiveness of your sins and repentance. If you believe He is the true God, then, you will practice what He is teaching you, your daily life will stand up for Jesus. You know how to do business in Jesus’ way. You know how to relate to your boss in Jesus’ way. You know how to treat your employees or those under you in Jesus’ way. The more you do unto Jesus, the closer you are with Him.
- (3) The more you come to know Jesus, you realize how good Jesus is to you, you will introduce Jesus to others who do not know Jesus; to those who asked: Who is this Jesus? Can your Christian life show to Christians and non-Christians alike, and cause them to ask in their heart: who is this Jesus that cause you to be so good?
E. Conclusion
- The question who is this Jesus, can be asked by anybody on earth. Christians can continue to ask; all of us who know Jesus more, should become the reason that causes people to ask who is this Jesus?
- You and I need to take up the challenge.
Small Group Discussion Questions
1. In view of Jesus Christ’s purpose of death, that is so worth of His self sacrifice, share your most important purpose to continue to live on earth.
2. If you are not a Christian today, what will you be like? Give thanks to Jesus for all the precious lessons He has taught you in life.
