On Line Bible Study - For the week August 4 - 10, 2008

Lesson 347

Matthew 21: 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: "Go over to the village across from you. You'll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you."

4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion's daughter,
"Look, your king's on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal."

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, "Hosanna to David's son!" "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!" "Hosanna in highest heaven!"

(Translation from The Message.)

The king is coming. The Gospel of Matthew takes a turn toward the finish line – we are, in the chronology of the gospel, within a week of the events that Christians believe the life of Jesus was ultimately all about – passion, death and resurrection.

In the text, Jerusalem is now in view. Jesus has previously set his sites on this city (Matthew 16:21ff, 20:17ff). At some point in his life he became convinced that, whatever his mission in life, it would play itself out in Israel’s capital city. Jerusalem was the hotbed of religious and political activity in Israel. Here was where money was changed, sacrifices were offered, and Rome was appeased. In the best of circumstances, the balance that was maintained was tenuous; in the worst, there was no balance at all. And when things got out of control in Jerusalem every segment of the population paid the price.

Two passages of the Hebrew Bible come into play here. From Genesis 49 we read of Jacob’s blessing of Judah, his fourth son: He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

All this is to say that Judah is going to have the world at his fingertips, and no creature comfort will be lacking. To be “parked” at the “choicest branch” is to have easy access to every luxury.

The second passage is from Zechariah 9:9 – See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey . . .

This gives us a different image – not of luxury, but of humility.

The text of the passage presents us with some practical problems. Did Jesus actually mount both animals? Did the branches really get thrown down in front of the animals? If so, they would present quite an obstacle to negotiate. But this too is recorded by Matthew as a result of what was written by the Psalmist: With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118: 27.)

The cries of praise – that one has come in the name of the Lord – would certainly get the attention of the Romans. Caesar, and Caesar alone was “lord”.

Matthew concludes this scene with these words:

Matthew 21:10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?"

11 The parade crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee." (The Message.)

A city “shaken, unnerved”. Who is this man?

Remember several chapters ago, when Jesus asked the disciples: Who do you say I am? (Matthew 16:15.) Now the Evangelist is turning the question directly to us – the “crowds” . . . Who do you say Jesus is? He is the prophet from Nazareth . . . yes. But he just rode into town as king of the Messiah Parade. Matthew doesn’t mean to stop at “prophet” . . . Jesus is going to do some rather unnerving things in Jerusalem. We’ll discuss some of those things in our next lesson.

Matthew 21:12ff for next time . . .