Matthew 21:1-11 "Hosanna!"

When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave two disciples a task.  He said to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anybody says anything to you, say that the Lord needs it.” He sent them off right away.  
Now this happened to fulfill what the prophet said, Say to Daughter Zion, “Look, your king is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the donkey’s offspring.” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had ordered them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them. Then he sat on them.
Now a large crowd spread their clothes on the road. Others cut palm branches off the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds in front of him and behind him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”  And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. “Who is this?” they asked.  The crowds answered, “It’s the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” 



 This is one of those stories that we have heard so often (every Palm Sunday) that we are in danger of thinking we know the story and what it means and its import to us.  The basic story line is simply that on that final approach to Jerusalem during the Passover season in which Jesus was executed, He arrived riding on a donkey while crowds of people shouted "Hosanna!"  This is often referred to as the Triumphant Entry.  We need to break the details down a little bit to understand what was really going on.

We understand that a donkey is a humble animal.  Clearly, this entire event would have been different if Jesus had ridden into town on a giant, prancing war-horse or big brass chariot.  Many people do not know, however, that Jesus is not the first hero to ride into a city on a donkey.  When Rome conquered a country and there was still resentment and conflict, the conquering general would usually ride in on his war-horse to signify dominance.  On the other hand, when Caesar (or any high ranking general) arrived to visit a city for a friendly visit, it was customary to ride in on a donkey to signify peace and goodwill...it was a symbolic gesture that the people were familiar with.

Jesus, was not even the first hero to ride into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.  A few hundred years earlier the Maccabee brothers, generals in Israel's army, successfully defeated an invading army against overwhelming odds.  After their victory, they entered Jerusalem on the backs of donkeys while the crowds cheered and chanted, "Hosanna!"

So, what does this mean in the context of Jesus?  First, when Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem in this fashion, He was declaring Himself to be Messiah.  And clearly, the crowd understood this and accepted Jesus as Messiah.  Second, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He came in peace and goodwill.  This is particularly important because although the crowd was not aware of their fickleness (a week later they would execute Jesus), Jesus was completely aware that these same people that were accepting Him here would reject Him later.  He knew and He still came in peace and goodwill.

I believe that the Triumphant Entry is a picture of the heart of God.  We are fickle.  We listen and worship and adore God one moment, and turn our backs and harden our hearts the next.  Some people assume (and even teach) that God is angry about our weakness and inconsistency.  But that is not God.  God is love.  God comes to us with goodwill.  He loves us.  In spite of our inability to truly love Him, He truly loves us.  This does not excuse bad behavior, but it should give us a glorious hope.  Even when we let God down -even when we fail -even when we respond to His love inappropriately, He still loves us.