The Triumphal Entry: Context is Everything

Everything we study in the Bible should point us to those aspect and more of Christ.  Looking oer the chapters in the manual I got excited because these are not about MORAL THERAPEUTIC DEISM.  What is that? The common religion of today.   

Deism:  God exists and created the world but He’s not daily involved in it.  

Therapeutic: it’s all about mental health, not about spiritual brokenness and separated from God. 

Moral: Religion is to help us make moral choices (depending on your world view and situation) 

 

The Bible says:  Whoa!  That’s man-centered. If you say you are a follower of Christ, your life and thoughts, worship and choices should be Christ-centered.  Curtis is preaching that way. Ephesians 5, for instance, that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church.   

 

This week I had an interesting meeting for starting up Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the college, which I’ve been praying about, kind of a “do or forget about it” kind of thing.  We have 25 interested, and 14 came to the meeting and committed to being in the group.  Black Hispanic, white, Baptist, Church of God, etc.  There was an answer to prayer.  I told them our “club” is about Christ, not about them or me or the college.    

 

So all that to say is that for the next 3 months this is a deep dive into everything Jesus Crist, more than our emotions, our morality, our problems.  And this how It should be in His church.  If we have Jesus right, it controls the other things.  

 

So let’s turn to Matthew 20, which is before the focus, Matthew 21.  Slows down action.  

When is this:  Right before Passover week.  

Set up to the triumphal entry.  

1-16: the parable we think is unfair. Interpretation of Jews and Gentiles. Refer to John and Peter in John 21. Comparisons are fruitless.  

17-19:  Prophecy of the cross 

20-28:  The contrast about serving. Mom comes to Jesus, but John and James were in on it.  James did die early at hands of Herod and John lived to his nineties, suffering for many years even as an old man  

29-34:  Healing of blind man. Sometimes Jesus healed who asked, other times He did it without permission. 

These are dramatic and foreshadowing to what is to come.   

Chapter 21: Triumphal entry 

Key points:   

1. Jesus’ authority, sovereignty, and control in this situation.  The donkey and colt.  

2. Jesus fulfilling prophecy.  Zechariah 9:9.  Other records of this passage, Mark 11:1-10, Luke, 19:29-38; John 12:9-19.  In Luke, the Pharisees, who are watching, say “Rebuke them!” and Jesus says, “The rocks will cry out.” 

3.  “The Jews” 

a.  This is not all the same people.  

b.  Let’s not judge.  Disciples—Jesus says He will be crucified, but who wants to see a friend brutally executed? 

c.  Military idea of the Messiah. We often say that the Jews were totally wrong to think that Jesus would be a military person. This is not totally wrong.  He was to be royalty also, descendant of David. And He was to be a healer and miracle worker (Edersheim). All of Jesus’ early believers, tens of thousands of people, were Jews. They are not the bad guys.    

4.  The kicker:  verse 11--A prophet? Yes, and no.  

 

Bottom line:  The “Jews” didn’t see the Whole Jesus.  Are we?