Sermon Extras

SERMON NOTES

Palm Sunday 2021 “The Modest Messiah” Matthew 21:1-22 

INTRO> On the morning of December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright took turns piloting and monitoring their “flying machine” in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Orville piloted the first flight that lasted just 12 seconds and 120 feet. Thrilled over the accomplishment, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news—for the first time in human history, man had flown!

CONTEXT> That’s probably the best way to describe what Palm Sunday is like. It is an odd day in Holy Week, Today starts the “Passion Week” of Jesus Christ, his last week. There is something significant happening in the passage but the reality is, the people miss it and so can we. The key to the entire text is found in v10-11: 

• “And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” The phrase stirred up is where we get our word “seismic” from. Then the question…. “Who is this…” That’s the key that’s the point of the passage, they answer “A Prophet”. 

• It’s important to note a little background and history on everything that’s happening here. The Jewish people are under the Roman boot and they wanted somebody to come along and save them, a political messiah! Also in 160 years before Jesus was born, this man, Judas Maccabeus, led a Jewish revolt against the Romans and took back the temple, this is known as the Jewish Holiday Hannakhu. 

APP> Why is this important to know? Because it’s the point of the passage, notice the contrast between the crowds and the disciples. They had a certain concept of what their Savior was going to be like…. and the reality is, is so do we: 

False Concepts of Christ: 

• The inspirational teacher. 

• The social justice activist.

• The divine genie.

• The superhuman hero.

Big Idea > Palm Sunday teaches us that Jesus Christ is our modest Messiah. 

APP> “For much of Jesus’ ministry He urged people to be quiet about who He was. When He healed he told people not to say anything, when He confronted demons who recognized Him as the Son of God He told them to shut up. That’s because it wasn’t time for Him to declare Himself as the Messiah. On Palm Sunday the time had come.”- Tom Fuller- The Significance of Palm Sunday I’m going to use that big idea to break down our time together. 1) Jesus is the Messiah 2) Jesus is the Modest Messiah 

• Jesus is the Messiah. 

• If you read the text right you pick up on the fact that Jesus is in control, like really in control! That’s because Matthew gives us a clue in v4, “This took place to fulfill….” 

• 1st Prophecy: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[a] until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 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.” Genesis 49:10-11

• 2nd Prophecy- “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9 

What does this mean? What are the applications of this? 

• Jesus is the Messiah- You can trust him. (*ILL> Roman getting his eye surgery, nervous me asking the doctor all these questions, then seeing his credentials on the wall. He was capable)

• Jesus is the Messiah- You can obey him. v6 (We see very clearly what the application is for us in the text, obey what Jesus says.) 

APP> These two things go together, the reason that we don’t obey him is because we don’t trust him. (Gen 3- is God good enough) 

2) Jesus is the modest Messiah. 

• The OED defines modest as “restrained by a sense of humility…” This is seen on HOW Jesus comes into the town… on a donkey, not a horse. A Horse was a symbol of power and authority, might and strength. 
• “Donkeys are lowly creatures, and in their way they “say” a lot: they are slow, stubborn, they are work animals of the poor, and not too handsome – earthly animals indeed. And yet a prophesied donkey who will bear a king into Jerusalem says that on this particular journey, which is to be viewed both from above (seeing the rider divinity) and from below (seeing his humanity), we have Jesus as he wants to be seen: as Emmanuel, as the true God-wth-us in a truly human way, at our level: God on a donkey.” FDB, Matthew volume 2 

APP> You see, You can only live modestly when you have security in your identity. (Jesus knew who he was, he didn’t need to show off like the Roman emperors. This is seen in the fact that he is riding an unbroken donkey, he is the calm in the chaos.)

• “Hosanna in the highest” The word Hosanna means “save us now!” There is so much irony here because they crowd wanting saving but NOT the way that Jesus was going to save them…. through the cross. 

APP> What does it look like for us to live in our King’s kingdom? 

• “And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12

Big Idea > Palm Sunday teaches us that Jesus Christ is our modest Messiah. 

*Lead the congregation in a time of reflection by “releasing” and “Laying down” our cloaks for the King. 

“Loving God, On this day, Your Son entered the rebellious city that later rejected Him: we confess that our wills are as rebellious as Jerusalem’s. Our faith is often more show than substance. Our hearts are in need of cleansing. Have mercy on us, Son of David, Savior of our lives. Help us to lay at Your feet all we have and all we are, trusting You to forgive, to heal, and to receive us as Your own. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”