The Sign

Read John 12:12-36, Matthew 21:1-16, Mark 11:1-19, Luke 19:29-48
 
Matthew 21:1-5 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” 4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, 5 “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
 
GOD'S prophets spoke many prophecies and many signs to help the Jews know the Messiah when they would see him. That's one of the reasons the Jews kept pressing Jesus for more signs. They had seen false teachers come to say, “I am the Messiah.” and the Jews had seen these men proven false.
   Now as the week of Passover began, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the fulfillment of a sign given by the prophet Zechariah: 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)
   Yes, Jesus will come in the manner of the King proclaimed come to save. He comes to deliver himself into the hands of his enemies, to ultimately tell the Jews that their King has come in victory.
   The remarkable truth of Jesus’ victory is that it comes from his own chosen people murdering him in the city he had given to them! Jesus’ greatest sign would come out of his greatest humiliation and abuse.
 
The Triumphant Entry
 
Matthew 21:7-9 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
 
The Jews welcoming Jesus were another of many generations who had lived under severe political and religious oppression. Fear marked their lives. They longed for the promised Messiah to destroy their oppressors, to cast this great weight from their souls. When they called out to Jesus, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the LORD we bless you.” (Psalms 118:26) there was hope that the one who had offered life-changing healings and teachings would free Israel from all foreign rule!  
     But his purpose was for the world’s eternal freedom. Today we sing the Psalm of praise because Jesus came to bless our souls into life everlasting.