In honor of the Holy week...Matthew 21:1-17

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

The donkey in this passage symbolizes peace as well as humility.

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.

³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.

Supposedly the branches they used were palms.

⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The King came in peace this time, but next time her will not be lowly and peaceful. He will spill his wrath upon the Earth and the Unbelievers.

I'm sure it was more dramatic but can't blame a girl for trying!

Jesus at the Temple

¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

Jesus was not passive with them and ask kindly. He drove them out and knocked over their stuff! This was his house and not the time to be mild and meek.

¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Then he basically tells those people that they were detestable and that they were not safe from the flames of Hell! If you read Jeremiah 7, in verse 16, the words of the LORD through the Prophet Jeremiah are, 'Do not pray for these  people, nor offer any plea or petition for them, do not plead with me (for their sake) for I will not listen.' He basically damns these people to Hell. He was pissed off no doubt!

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

¹⁷ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

I had never really read this part of the Gospels in depth. It used to make me sad I didnt want to hear it. Now though, I feel victorious in this triumphant part of Christ's time in service upon the Earth. It really is an amazing story of victory!

So hopefully I will be back soon with the rest of this chapter!