Matthew 21:1 to 17
Behold thy King cometh unto thee: He is just and hang salvation (coming to save); lowly, and riding upon an ass.” Zechariah 9:9.
Those words were written by one of the last prophets of Israel, about five hundred years before Jesus was on earth, and made true by Him on His last visit to Jerusalem.
Before He entered the city gates, He told two of His disciples to go to a village near, and they would see an ass (we would call a donkey) tied there and its colt with it. They were to untie them mid tell the owner, “The Lord hath need of them.”
The men went and found the animals as Jesus said, and the owner was willing they should be taken. The disciples placed their cloaks on the donkey, and Jesus rode into the city, with the disciples and many people walking beside.
The people had seen the great miracles of Jesus, and heard His words, and believed Him to be their King from God, and were happy to honor Him. They called Him “Son of David” the title for their king, and called out the words of a psalm,
“Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord,” which meant that He was sent by God; and they also called out to Him, “Hosanna”, which meant “Lord save us” (Psa. 118:25,26).
As they went on into the city, more people joined them, till it was a very great procession, and all the city knew, and saw the honor given to Jesus. They went up the hill to the temple and into the court, still singing psalms of praise. The children of the company sang in the temple, “Lord save us”, and called Jesus “Son of David.”
But the leaders of the temple did not like to hear Jesus praised and wanted Him to stop them. Jesus did not stop the sinng of the children; but answered the men with words from a psalm which they well knew, showing God wanted the praise of the children (Psa. 8:2).
But Jesus was not crowned king; the leaders of the nation refused Him. They should have remembered the words of the prophets and “greatly rejoiced”, as they were told to, since they had seen His miracles on other visits, and known His power.
Jesus only showed His right to rule, by sending out of the temple men who were wrongly selling things there, and dishost. He showed His mercy by curing the lame and blind who were there, as He always did.
The ride of Jesus into the city may not seem to us worthy for a king; but Solomon and other kings rode the same way; the kings of Israel were to be humble, to rule by God’s power (see 1 Kings 1:32-39). But no king was just, and humble as Jesus.
What was the name of the mount where Jesus started the ride? (Matt. 21:1).
What was used to decorate the road? (Matt. 21:8).
What did Jesus say the temple should be? (Matt. 21:13; Isa. 56:7).
ML 08/15/1943