Seeing Past the Crowd - Matthew 21:1-11
On the popular gameshow “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” if a contestant gets into trouble they can us a lifeline. One of the lifelines is “Ask the Audience.” The idea is the combined knowledge of the audience should help a contestant who is uncertain of an answer. There is a flaw in the reasoning however, this lifeline may simply reveal how many people are guessing the same thing! One contestant went with the answer chosen by 81% of the crowd and lost much of their winnings.
Unfortunately, we seem to live in a world that believes the crowd. We let the crowd decide morality, define truth, and determine justice. Crowds tend to determine policy. And there is a mentality that if you are drawing a crowd, you must be doing something good. The more people who are watching a program, we think, determines how good that program is. And that is just crazy.
The more people you have, the more influence (good or bad) you seem to gain. In other words, crowds tend to draw crowds. This even happens in churches. People love telling others that they attend the “popular church” even if they have no idea what that church believes!
The only thing a crowd guarantees is a large number of people. It can exist for good purposes or bad. We have seen how dangerous crowds can be as we riots erupt in various cities. A group of frustrated people can turn angry quickly. Crowds produce enormous peer pressure. That peer pressure can bring good or it can turn things very ugly. Perhaps signs more signs should be posted: “Beware of crowds!”
This morning, we turn to a familiar text. It is one of the texts we like to spotlight on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. It is the Sunday that began “Holy Week” leading to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The gospels spend a great deal of time on the last week of Jesus’ life. Jesus ministered for probably 3-3 ½ years. Yet ¼ of the Gospel of Matthew concerns what happened during this one week. 13 of Mark focused on this week. 15 of Luke and ½ of the Gospel of John focuses on this one week.
Why is that? It is because the events of this week are so important for our salvation. And it all starts with the Triumphal Entry.
An Orchestrated Entrance
As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2“Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
As we read the gospels we always see Jesus walking or in a boat. This is the only time we read of Him riding on a donkey (that doesn’t mean it never happened). Jerusalem was just a short distance from Bethphage. So, He did not call for a donkey because he was tired . . .It was clearly an orchestrated event.
Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him into town and told them to find a certain colt and her mother and bring them to him. This may be a sign of the divinity of Christ that He knew where the donkey would be. But, the fact that they were to tell the owner that the “Lord needs them” may indicate that Jesus set this up ahead of time. Of course, that too shows that Jesus knew what was going to happen before it happened.
Our question is honest: “What’s the big deal about riding into Jerusalem on a donkey?” There are several things.
It is a fulfillment of prophecy from Zechariah 9:9
9Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
This prophecy pointed to a coming King who would fulfill all of God’s purposes for his people! This King would be chosen by God and bring forth a Kingdom that is unlike any that has ever existed.
His entry was a demonstration of His kingship that many would quickly understand. (The fact that the colt had never been ridden was common for use by a King.)
Some people ridicule the book of Matthew because the New International Version (and others) say “the brought the donkey and colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.” Opponents of the faith point out that Matthew is the only Gospel that talks about 2 animals. He also says they put their cloaks on the animals and “Jesus sat on them.” They ridicule the idea that Jesus rode both donkeys! These are the kinds of “contradictions” that make some people shaky in their faith.
However, think this through . . . Just because the colt’s mother is not mentioned does not mean it wasn’t there. The other gospel writers spotlight the fact that Jesus rode on the colt, but that does not mean the mother was not there. It would make perfect sense for a mother and foal to be brought together to keep the colt calm. However, the colt is the center of the story. Think of it like you were telling someone about a movie you had gone to see. You tell your friends that the movie stars Matthew McConaughey. Does that mean he is the only person in the movie? Of course not! He is just the one most prominent. Someone else might say it is a great movie with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Do either of these accounts of the movie contradict each other? Is either one wrong?
The conclusion that Jesus rode on both doctrines is also ridiculous. Remember it says, they put their cloaks on the donkeys and he sat on them. Who or what does the word “them” refer to. It makes much more sense if the “them” refers to the garments rather than the donkey’s.
3. It presented a different kind of Kingdom. A conquering King would have come on a horse brandishing a sword. In fact, this is probably why the Romans were not concerned about this gathering of a crowd.
A Grim Reality
8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
For the disciples, this was probably the pinnacle of their time with Jesus. He is finally getting the praise and adulation that He deserved! It was a huge crowd and it seems there was wild cheering and praising God. They are celebrating Him as the Messiah. You would think it was a great moment. However, I do not think Jesus was smiling. I think He was rather sober. He saw past the superficiality of the crowd.
This crowd is wildly cheering. People are running up to join the celebration and while they are cheering they asked, “So who is this?” They were cheering for someone they did not even know!
Back in the old days at Wrigley Field (when I was a kid) I would go to a ballgame and after the game we would stand at the left field corner of the stadium. This is where the players came out to get into their cars which were across the street. It was a decent opportunity for autographs. Someone would come out the door and they would be mobbed. People fervently asked for an autograph. Occasionally, someone would ask, “Hey, are you anybody?” For all they knew, they were about to get an autograph from one of the beer vendors. That is what is happening here . . . people are cheering with no idea for whom they are cheering.
The crowd was cheering and they didn’t even know who they are cheering for! Jesus wasn’t fooled. He knew the crowd was swept up in an event and were not cheering for who He really was. They may have cheered for the person they hoped he would be, or thought He would be, or who they thought they could be because of Him.
I think this same thing happens in many churches. People are drawn to the “event” not necessarily the Savior. They marvel at the worship band, the atmosphere, the crowd, or even the charisma of the speaker. However, none of these is the true substance of worship. You can enjoy all these things and never truly come in contact with God!
Jesus saw past the crowd. He knew the praise was not all it appeared to be.
Philp Yancey writes,
On Palm Sunday a group from Bethany surrounded him, still exultant over the miracle of Lazarus. No doubt pilgrims from Galilee, who knew him well comprised another large portion of the crowd. Matthew pointed out that further support came from the blind, the lame, and the children. Beyond that constituency, however, lurked danger. Religious authorities resented Jesus, and Roman legions brought in to control the festival crowds would heed the Sanhedrin’s assessment of who might present a threat to order. (The Jesus I Never Knew p. 190)
The disciples may have been having the time of their lives but Jesus was looking past the crowd to the cross.
A Determined Redeemer
This is the part of the story that moves me the most. Jesus came into Jerusalem boldly. In many ways, His acts provoke the teachers and leaders to act. He is making a bold claim to be the One who was promised in Zechariah and the rest of the prophetic books.
We mentioned last week that it is a compelling and humbling thought that Jesus knew He was going to suffer and die and continued to Jerusalem. He was so determined that He marched right into Jerusalem announcing His presence for all to see.
Imagine being a Jewish man or woman during World War II. Jewish people were sent to places like Auschwitz where they are mercilessly used and then killed. Imagine a Jewish leader who walked right up to the camp knowing he will be arrested and executed. We would think he was crazy.
Now suppose he did this to save his family, or maybe even his community. Would that change how you saw what He did? I suspect it would. Your own faith would be challenged. And, if you were a member of His family, or a part of that community, you would surely say this man “saved” you.
This is what was happening on Palm Sunday. Jesus was walking right up to those who, He knew, would torture and kill Him. Even more, He walked right up to the cross and the wrath He would endure. He did it to save you and me.
How Should We Respond?
First, we should be cautious of crowds. I’m not saying that big gatherings or big churches are bad. What I am saying is: you should not assume that they are big because they are blessed, or because they are good. This might be the case but it also might not be the case.
We have a duty to examine things carefully. We must determine whether a group (and this goes for any group) is simply celebrating themselves or whether they are truly honoring Christ. Do not focus on the crowd as your infallible life line. It is not nearly as reliable as you think.
Second, we should examine our own lives. We say we are followers of Christ . . . but are we? Are you cheering for Jesus without actually knowing who He is? If you are, we desperately want to talk with you. We would love to help you discover and meet Him as the wonderful Savior that He is.
We can take this further:
Are we serving just because others are serving or are we serving the Lord?
Is worship something we do because it makes us feel better? Are we going through the motions without ever asking why we are doing what we are doing?
Do we read the Bible without hearing what it says?
Are our prayers just words spoken into the air or are we talking to the Lord of Heaven and earth?
Do we talk about being His follower but have no time to serve Him?
Do we wear our Christian t-shirts without any corresponding difference in our behavior from the rest of the world?
These are all questions that ask: Am I part of the crowd or am I part of His family? Am I merely a fan, or am I a follower?
Finally, as we observe the Savior’s determination to save us, we should do everything possible to live for Him with that same determination. As we reflect on the love and sacrifice of our Savior,
We should pursue holiness with diligence. This means we should find out what God wants us to do in our daily life, in our relationship with others, and even in our private time, and then we should work hard, in the power of His Spirit, to live that way. Our goal should be to honor God in everything we do and with everything that we say.
We should cultivate love passionately. We should endlessly be looking for ways to be more caring toward others. We should work to see people with a new sense of their value. We will work at forgiveness. And we should pursue the heart of a servant.
We will constantly look for opportunities to share our faith with others. If we understand who Jesus is, then we know no one can be made new apart from Him. We know no one can ever stand before Him without condemnation in Heaven without Him. No person can truly know the joy of life apart from Christ. The most important decision a person will make in their life is the decision whether or not to follow Jesus. This fact should motivate us to share the good news of the gospel with others.
We will serve Him with all we have. If we understand the resolve and love that brought Jesus to Jerusalem where He knew He would suffer and die, then we will likewise resolve to battle the materialism of our day and be as generous as possible. We will constantly look for ways to invest in His work because we know that there is no greater work.
When we follow the way of Christ, there will be some who cheer us on. However, there will be many more who criticize, accuse, and hate. Like the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, there will even be some who will look for opportunities to tear us down and magnify our weaknesses and struggles. Jesus said, “If they persecute me, they will persecute you.” However, like Jesus, we must determine to keep going, to keep loving, to keep serving and to keep giving . . . no matter what they do.
The crowd is unreliable. When we you are in a tough situation instead of going with the crowd, you would be much better off to “phone a friend” or take advantage of the 50/50. But the best option of all is to turn to the Lord and trust Him completely.