Historical Background
Jesus is going to be riding up [Jericho is at sea level] to Jerusalem through a crowd of Jews on their way to Jerusalem for Passover, one of the greatest if not the greatest feast. A time they remembered God's deliverance from Egypt when God killed Egyptians but spared the Israelites.
Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, in fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9
most people walk from place to place, so it's not common. Only people that has money that ride on donkeys.
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
crowd who's only looking for the KING, not the King of Peace, but just a King
The Hasmonean Dynasty (the Maccabees)
Ruled from 167 BC until the Romans conquered in 63 BC
Mattathias (the leader of Maccabees), the head of the family, served as a priest (Jewish) in the temple. -revolved against the Celluist? who ruled after Alexander the Great.
Judas (ruled from 166 to 160 BC), nicknamed Maccabeus or the "hammer", was Mattathias' third oldest son.
Jonathan (ruled from 160-142 BC), 4th son of Mattathias, a good worrier and a diplomat. Named high priest.
Simon (ruled from 142-134 BC), 2nd oldest son, ruled into Independence.
John Hyrcanus, Simon's son, ruled from 134-104 BC.
Time of prosperous.
John was the one who died at peace full death.
By 103 BC the throne passed to Alexander Janneus who ruled until 76 BC.
His wife Alexandra, ruled from 10 years after him.
Civil war broke out between her sons Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II - since they invited Rome Pompeii. Small nation against big empire.
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the King of Israel!" - John 12:12-13 (NIV)
Palm branches were a symbol of the Maccabees
in other words : get out of Roman! - a small symbol of protest.
The other words are from Psalm 118 - songs ascending riding up to Jerusalem.
He is riding a donkey's foal, like the promised messiah.
[a few days earlier] He has raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany.
Jesus has all the qualification as predicted.
3 days later they were standing in from of the court, executing Him.
Matt 21: 1-11
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying 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. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The 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!"10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
Expectations of the Crowd [miss guided]
1. Militaristic liberator
- David - Goliath
- Mattathias - Maccabeus
- Jesus - ?
3. Return to glory and importance for Israel
They were humble : God chosen people, but was laughed out by the Romans. Now they're going to be prominent again. Unmet expectation when they didn't get it from Jesus, then they started to turned their back from Him.
What does this say to us today? what usually happened when we ask something from Jesus?
- The answer that we want - if we didn't get it, we don't like it. We should not wonder when we don't get it
- The answer when we want - God's timing is the best.
We won't get good stuffs, if we decided when we want it.
- The conditions that we want.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." john 16:33
Are you disappointed about your condition? Have you been crucified yet? Don't expect an easy life.
- Empty praise
They were singing good words to Jesus, but their hearts was filled with what they can't get. And their hearts was quickly changed when they realized they're not gonna get it.
"Not as long as it fits my heart" attitude, will brings to frustration.
What did Jesus do that day? - Jesus came to died on the cross. Nobody realized that.
Heb 2 : 14-15
14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to t he fear of dying.
They were looking for someone to conquer the Romans.
Jesus conquered the death, sin and the grave!
They were looking for someone to set up Israel as a kingdom.
Jesus reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
They were looking for a leader of power who would make them great as a people.
Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes with God for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment