The Triumphal Entry
Notes
Transcript
Taking a break from the gospel of Luke, this week we will be looking at the triumphant entry and next week the resurrection of Jesus. There are so many things that we can miss when we don’t understand the culture of the time.
Cultural
Cultural
This was the passover, the passover is when they would celebrate their liberation from Egypt. This was a Jewish Independence holiday.
Crowd
Crowd
v.8- Most of the crowd spread their cloaks.
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
John specifies that it isn’t just a normal crowd, but a large crowd.
The population in Jerusalem was around 50,000 in those days.
Kalispell is 20,000.
Missoula is around 66,000. So a little smaller than Missoula. A little bigger than cour de lane
During the time of the passover it would swell to between 100,000 and 120,000.
It would grow to around the size of Billings, or Boulder CO, Hillsburo OR, Everett WA
The city could not hold that much, the city would be swarming and people would be camped on the hillsides surrounding the city.
Tension with the leadership would grow. Tension between the Jews and the Romans was already sketchy at best. You double the amount of people and the Roman officials would be uneasy.
When Jesus comes into the city that is already bursting at the seams, a large amount of people are now gathering at the entrance of Jerusalem.
Palms
Palms
v.8 tells us that they cut branches and spread them on the road.
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
This might seem like a simple celebration that the Jews are having, however there is more symbolism here than we realize.
At around 175 B.C. Antiochus IV Epiphanes controlled Judea. He stopped all worship of Yahweh and even erected a statue of Zeus in the temple. Then desecrated the temple with the blood of a pig. By 168 B.C. some were tired of the Seleucid empire and started what came to be known as the Maccabean revolt. By 164 B.C. they had managed to drive out the Seleucid from Jerusalem and restore correct worship in the temple.
When they rededicated the temple, palms were used in celebration of the victory God had given them.
During both major wars with Rome, palms were stamped on the coins minted by the rebels.
Palms had become the symbol of Jewish nationalism.
This was the same thing as flying the American Flag during the revolutionary war. The time when America was under control by England, and we desired Independence. When the American flag was flown it was a statement from the colonies saying we are free from your rule, we are free to make our own decisions.
This is what the palm branch was to Israel.
Hosanna
Hosanna
In Hebrew it means, “help” or “save I pray”
In Aramaic it means “save, rescue, savior.”
Remember they had already tried to make Him king once before.
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
They had tried to make Him king before.
What compelled the people to do this?
v.9 They recognized Him as a king
The Son of David shows the attention of kingship is on Jesus.
v.11- They recognized Him as a prophet
They had seen the power of God in Him
17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.
18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
Paint the Picture
The city is at least double the population that it usually is. The Roman soldiers are probably more edgy than usual, and now here is a large gathering outside the city gate, waving the symbol of Hebrew nationalism and shouting “save us!”
Is it a surprise that the pharisees in Luke said:
39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
All of creation had been waiting for this moment, for the lamb of God to be revealed, waiting for Him to rid the world of sin, to the point where creation itself wouldn’t be able to be silent with the arrival of Jesus at Jerusalem.
To understand why this was such a momentous even we have to look at where passover originated in the Old Testament.
Exodus 12:1-6
Exodus 12:1-6
Tell the passover story.
v.3- The 10th day they were to choose their lamb.
v.6- the 14th day of the month of Nisan at twilight they were to kill their lamb. End of the 14th day of Nisan beginning of the 15th day.
This is five days before the passover, you choose your lamb. Then you would examine your lamb for the next five days, looking for blemishes.
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
Six days before the passover. The day before the choosing of the lamb Jesus came to Bethany.
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
This is the first verse in the triumphal entry passage.
John categorizes it as the next day. 5 Days before the passover. The day of the choosing of the lamb.
Whether the people knew it or not, when they believed they were choosing their king, the one to rule over them. They were actually choosing their lamb.
Just as when the blood from the lamb was over the doorpost of the house, the blood from the lamb protected the people from the wrath of God.
The people were choosing Jesus as their lamb the one who truly would answer the call of hosanna, the one who would rescue and save them. Just not in the way they were expecting.
For the blood from this lamb, from Jesus is what will save you from the wrath of God for all eternity.
Have You Chosen Your Lamb?
Have You Chosen Your Lamb?
What is your source of salvation.
Is it your good works?
Faith in a different god?
Is it religious Christianity?
Nothing besides Jesus will be able to save you.
Just as the blood on the doorpost would protect you from the wrath of God, you need the blood of Jesus to protect you from the wrath of God.
You are covered by the blood of Jesus when you believe in Jesus, confess with your mouth, and repent of your sins.