‘The Arrival’ – Palm Sunday 2023

The Arrival

Introduction:  On Palm Sunday, Christians remember Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem before his passion and death. Historically, this refers to the day when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem and people praised him with ”Hosanna” throwing palm branches and their cloaks in the street before him.

Transition:

1. The People Expected a Messiah, but Jesus Arrived was an Unexpected King.

Matthew 21:10 ‘When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’

Question: So, the question that must be answered is ‘who is this?’ Jesus is the arrival of OT Prophecy:

1. Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)

2. Messiah would inherit an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12–13; Psalm 89:29; Isaiah 9:7)

3. Messiah would proclaim good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1; Micah 3:8)

4. 4. Messiah would offer physical healing (Isaiah 35:5-6; 42:7-18; 53:5

5. Messiah would ride a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

6. Messiah would be betrayed (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13

7. Messiah would provide atonement for sin (Isaiah 52:15-53:5-12; Malachi 3:3)

Transition:

2. The Lowly on a Donkey Arrived as the Conquering Victor.

Revelation 19:13, 16, ‘He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . .. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings

John 18:36, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” and Lord of lords.

Isaiah 9:6-7 ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this’.

3. The People were expecting a war (against a people and The Law but He Arrived as Peace and Salvation.

Matthew 5:17, ‘Do you think that I came to destroy the Law, or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfil.’

Luke 2:14, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.’

Ephesians 2:11-18 ‘Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit’.