Matthew 21:1-11: Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

Jesus the Messiah

Jesus had throughout his ministry kept his identity a mystery only revealing his identity strategically to those who were sincere in their belief but not giving a straightforward answer to those who wanted to trap Him. In Matthew 21 we see Jesus entering Jerusalem as a King with people singing praises to the Lord and calling him the son of David. At this moment it seems that most of these people had grown to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by the prophets. Throughout his ministry Jesus had healed the sick, cast out demons, fed thousands of people with a small amount of food, and raised the dead on multiple occasions, leading more and more to believe in him as the Messiah, culminating into this moment.

The Significance of Jesus Coming to Jerusalem

This coming of Jesus into Jerusalem marks a very significant point in Jesus' ministry as it marked the beginning of his "time" as referenced in John 7:6 and John 7:30, referring to the time when he would suffer and die for the sins of men. Jesus' return to Jerusalem was so that his suffering and death should occur in the city where many prophets had been killed before, Luke 13:34, making this an escalation and culmination of the Israelites' rejection of the messengers sent by God to them, by now rejecting God Himself incarnated in human flesh.

The Colt

In Matthew 21:1-3 we see Jesus instructing his disciples to go to a nearby village and retrieve a donkey and a colt which they will find tied up in the village. Luke 19:30 specifies that the colt that Jesus sent the disciples to retrieve was one that has never been sat on before. Jesus then continues to tell them that if anyone asks them who sent them they should say 'The Lord needs them'.

In Matthew 21:4-5 we see the significance of Jesus' riding a colt when riding into Jerusalem, as it is a fulfilment of a prophecy that was made in Zechariah 9:9 about Jerusalem receiving her king riding on a colt. This emphasises Jesus' fulfilment of prophecies and God's commitment to ensuring that he fulfils every word that he speaks. Jesus' entry into the city riding a donkey also symbolises his kingship as it was the tradition for kings to enter a city while riding a donkey. It was an even more special honour that Jesus rode a donkey that no one had ever rode before. This shows that through this act Jesus was officially announcing his position as the King of the Jews.

The fact that Jesus rode a donkey also symbolised what kind of a Messiah he had come to be. He did not come to fight physical wars, which is what the Israelites expected, as donkeys were not used in war. In ancient Near Eastern culture, kings rode donkeys in times of peace and horses in times of war. By choosing a donkey, Jesus declared Himself as the Prince of Peace rather than a military conqueror.

The Disciples Obedience and Sacrifice

In Matthew 21:6-7 we see the disciples' obedience to the words of Jesus. The disciples had by now seen Jesus perform countless miracles and they trusted that what Jesus said will happen, will happen. They went to the village and did as Jesus had asked. They then put their coats on the donkey and Jesus sat on them riding the colt into Jerusalem. The disciples placing their coats on the donkey can also be interpreted as a sign of reverence that they had towards Jesus Christ as well as their willingness to sacrifice their resources for the glory of Jesus.

The Triumphant Entry

In Matthew 21:8-11 we see the crowd spreading their cloaks on the road, some cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road while praising him and praising God. The crowd was shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!", showing that they had recognised Jesus Christ as the Messiah and that he had come from God. "Hosanna," meaning "save now," was both a cry for salvation and an expression of praise.

Throughout his ministry Jesus had received accusations of being from the devil, being a blasphemer among other things but at this moment it seemed that many people had accepted Him as the Messiah. It is important to note that being the Messiah meant differently to Jesus than it meant to most Israelites as they expected the Messiah to be a military leader who will rescue them from their Roman rulers. However Jesus did not let people's expectations divert him from his ministry but rather stayed true to the purpose he had come to earth for.

Of important to note is also the irony that follows with the same crowd shouting "Crucify him!" instead of "Hosanna!" merely a few days after this event. This stands to illustrate the ability of people to turn against you as soon as you fail to meet their expectations and God's unfailing love despite peoples actions.