Triumphal Entry

Adoni’s Lamb

Shema – Hebrew

Shema Israel, Adonai elohenu – Adonai echad

Ve’ahavta et Adonai eloeikahB’khol levavkahUve’khol naphshekahUve’khol m’odekahVe’ahavta le’reacha Kamocha, Amen

Shema

Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord alone. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

And Love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.

Lamb Selection Day

• Passover starts to be celebrated on this day• Exodus 12:3 – “Tell the whole community of

Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family”

• Why did Jesus choose this day to come to Jerusalem?– Declaring who he was– God’s perfect lamb

Lamb Selection Day

• The ram was a symbol of power in Egypt• Symbolized making a commitment to the Lord– Tie it outside your house for 4 days– Kill it in front of everyone and spread blood on

door– What would the Egyptians do?

Jerusalem a Powder keg

• Passover was the Hebrew 4th of July• They were under foreign rule again• Many false messiahs proclaimed themselves

during Passover and started riots• Romans on high alert with extra troops• Sadducees wanted to keep the peace

Jesus on a donkey

• Sabbath’s day walk• Jerusalem’s limit runs right through Bethphage• Jesus needs a donkey to fulfill Zechariah 9– Owner was probably thrilled to help– Riding a donkey the sign of wealth and royalty

• “salvation” is a form of the name “Jesus”

Conflicting Context

• Conflicting Context – Zechariah 9– Vs. 8 – “I will defend my house against marauding

forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.”

– Vs. 10 – “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations.”

– Possibly speaking of both the 1st and 2nd comings.

Crowds

• Carried palm branches– National symbol – Macabees/Hasmoneans used it– Like waving our American flag– Where did they get them?

Jerusalem from Herodium

Mount of Olives

Temple Mount

Crowd Recognizes

• They carried them from Jericho – 17 miles– They were prepared for “something”

• Hosanna to the Son of David!– This was a cry “Give us FREEDOM!”

Triumphal Entry route

Video

Psalm 118:22-27

• “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.”

Luke 19:39• The religious leaders were getting worried.– Don’t let the crowd get out of hand.– They like things the way they are.– Don’t call down the wrath of the Romans.

• “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”– Habakkuk 2:9-11– Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain…

You have plotted the ruin of many peoples…The stones of the wall will cry out

• Those are fighting words to the Jewish leaders

Jesus wept

• The crowd recognized him, but not what he was about

• They missed that his message was one of love, forgiveness, and sacrifice

• Punishment would come in 70 A.D.

Temple ruins

Which Gate would he choose?

East Gate Sheep Gate

2 Gates

• East Gate – The God gate, God always comes from the east

• Sheep Gate – Where the sacrificial animals go to be prepared

• The Bible doesn’t specifically say• But the very next story is Jesus clearing out

temple courts

Can’t get to courts from East gate

Herod’s Temple

Why upset?

• Buying and selling and money changers were necessary for temple activity

• Isaiah 56: 7 – House of prayer for all nations– Temple leaders were unjustly making a huge profit– Disrupting the Gentiles’ chance to meet God

• Jeremiah 7:11 – “But I have been watching!”– Next verses talk about destruction of Shiloh, God’s

first “house” in the promised land.

Chief Priests upset

• Matthew 21:15 – children shouting for freedom• Vs. 16 – temple authorities want no part of that• Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2 – “From the lips of

children and infants you have ordained praise”– He leaves out – “because of your enemies, to

silence the foe and the avenger.”• Them’s fightin’ words – and the chief priests

want Jesus dead. – Mark 11:18

Fig Tree

• Jesus withers the fig tree• Fig tree is always used as a metaphor for Israel’s

leaders• Bethphage – “town of early figs” is where Jesus

is walking• There should be promise and evidence of a

harvest – not ready to eat yet• Withered so quickly – demise of Jewish leaders

is at hand.

Throw this mountain into the sea

Next weeks

• March 20 – no lesson• March 27 – Passover video