I am deviating from Romans this week and next week Monday in favour of celebrating what we know as Palm Sunday and next week Passover with some thoughts and quick facts:
To understand the fuller picture of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, we must backtrack a bit into history and look at the customs of welcoming kings into the city. In 1 Kings 1:39-40 we read of such an example when Solomon was anointed as king. David had Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest anoint Solomon and then they brought him into the city to sit on David’s throne. Noteworthy in this piece of scripture is that David told them to let Solomon enter on his mule. Not a horse but a mule. In verse 40 it says: “…and all the people went after him and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy so that the earth seemed to split with their sound”. It was customary to accompany the king’s procession with great jubilation. However, it seems that if a king were to enter on a horse or with horse and chariot, it meant that he either came from a war or he was on his way to make war. When the king came riding on a mule he came in humility and peace. It is highly likely that the people knew that Solomon entered the city on a mule and would also have remembered that the Messiah would come from the house of David. Thus, when they welcomed Him into the city, they welcomed Him in similar manner as to how Solomon was welcomed, with great enthusiasm, because in their minds the new great king, the Messiah, was being welcomed.
The One who would liberate them from Roman rule and Who would establish the great Davidic empire once again. In their minds this king would establish a great Hebrew kingdom that would last forever. Without doubt they expected and welcomed Jesus as their earthly Messiah.
In addition, this
moment was fulfilment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-12.
In this prophecy we have:
· The crowd’s jubilant rejoicing in welcoming the King.
·
He is a King that is just, having salvation, humble, riding on a donkey.
·
He will cut off the chariots, horses, and the battle bow. (i.e.,
violence).
·
He will speak peace to the nations.
·
He will have dominion.
·
The blood of His covenant will set the prisoners free from the waterless
pit.
·
He invites them to return to His stronghold and calls them prisoners of
hope.
·
Promises to restore to them double what was stolen from them if they do.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and got a King’s welcome, the crowd would have known this piece of scripture very well. And in Math 21:9 we read the words with which they welcomed Him: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” And then they quoted a scripture from Ps 118:26 saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” They knew the scriptures and the prophecy from Zechariah. They knew Solomon came riding on a donkey, they knew the custom of welcoming a king and they knew the Messiah would come from the house of David. They welcomed Him – but they welcomed Him as an earthly king. With the expectation of liberation from the Roman government. There were also those (vs 10) who just had no idea Who He was, they even asked “Who is this?”
Jesus new all this too and He was very intentional with His actions. Regardless of the crowd’s expectations, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan. It is the day that the Passover lambs were brought into the city to be inspected. They had to make sure that the lamb had no spot or blemish, for only a spotless lamb could be sacrificed. Of course, for us it symbolizes that Jesus was brought into the city and inspected as the Lamb of God. He was found to be spotless and worthy of being the Lamb of God. He was legally declared innocent by Pontius Pilate who even washed his hands in an act of absolving himself from guilt over shedding Jesus’ innocent blood. (1 Pet 1:18-21 and John 19:4.)
On the 10th of Nisan we remember that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. A King that came in humility and peace. To bring peace to the nations. But many did not recognize Him as such. Many asked, “Who is this?” The church of the day was indignant and incited the people to choose a different Jesus. Yet He was God’s chosen Lamb without spot or blemish. He was inspected, found innocent and was crucified four days later in Barabbas’s place. In my place and in your place.
In Luke 19:41-44 Luke describes what happened directly before Jesus cleaned out the temple. He wept about Jerusalem; he prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem uttering these words:
“… because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Will we
recognize Him in this time and season of His visitation?
©2020 HG Venter "Celebrate to Remember" All rights reserved.
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