Please note: This post builds on an earlier post written on 04/18/11
Scripture Reading: Luke 19:28-40; John 12:1-50; Zechariah 9:9-17
Review and Explanation: The nation of Israel as a whole understood the significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem riding on the foal of a donkey. They knew Jesus was presenting Himself as King, the One promised by the prophets as the Restorer of the nation, the One through Whom the glory of Solomon's rule would return. However, the people quickly turned away from Jesus once He actually arrived in Jerusalem. And within a few days, their shouts of "Hosanna!" became cries of "Crucify him!"
The people did not turn away due to a lack of evidence of Jesus' kingship or to a lack of understanding. The entry itself followed closely on the heels of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. John even indicates that many people came out to greet Jesus because they had heard about Lazarus. No doubt they also had heard of the many other miracles Jesus had performed. They were primed to embrace Him as King as soon as He presented Himself in this fashion to the nation as a whole.
Jesus' entry also tracked very closely with OT precedents and prophecies. First, in Numbers 19 and Deuteronomy 21, we see a precedent for the Lord (Jehovah) conscripting the use of a privately owned animal for His use, just as Jesus did in the case of the donkey colt. Second, we also see a clear and precise fulfillment of the prophecy given in Zechariah 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humbled and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Finally, we also see in the triumphal entry a fulfillment of the timetable spelled out in Daniel 9:25: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times" (KJV).
The "weeks" Daniel speaks of are periods of seven years each. So the first reference is to seven periods of seven years or a total of 49 years. The second reference is to sixty-two periods of seven years or a total of 434 years. Combining the two as the verse does makes for a grand total of 483 years. Keep in mind, in the Jewish scheme of things, one year contained just 360 days. Therefore, 483 years of 360 days each equals a total of 173,880 days.
According to Daniel 9:25, the 173,880 days were to begin "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem". We know from secular history that commandment was given on March 14, 445 B.C. We also from secular history that Jesus' triumphal entry took place on April 6, A.D. 32. The number of days between these two events is exactly 173,880. So, in addition to the other precedents and prophecies, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem also fulfilled the exact timetable spelled out almost 500 years beforehand for the arrival of "Messiah the Prince".
The point here is that the people of Israel on that day clearly understood Jesus to be presenting Himself as King in fulfillment of God's promises for restoration. They responded appropriately with shouts of "Hosanna!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" They were right to throw down their coats and the palm branches in His path as a way of honoring Him. But still they turned away. One the parade was over and everyone was back in Jerusalem, they began to show just how shallow their hearts were in regard to actual faith in Jesus.
In tomorrow's post, we'll look at what took place in Jerusalem that revealed how shallow the faith of the people was, giving them pause about continuing with Jesus on the path to Kingdom glory...
Reflection Questions:
1. Describe your reaction to the timing of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as King being predicted to the very day by the prophecy of Daniel nearly 500 years before it happened?
2. How important is the heart to expressions of worship? What do you do to prepare your heart for times of corporate worship?
No comments:
Post a Comment