The Merciful Humble King
A Special Message for Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-17
March 24, 2013
Pastor Paul K. Kim
SOME PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
ON JESUS’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
• It was not a parade in great pomp but in humility and peace.
• It was not a spontaneous incident but an intentional public
declaration of Jesus’ Kingship.
• It was not a new thing but the fulfillment of the old prophecy.
• It was a triumphal entry of the King not in the crowd’s
expectation but in God’s sovereign purpose.
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
1) The Kingship of GOD’S MESSIANIC PLAN (vs. 1-5): Jesus was
and is the promised messianic King of the Old Testament.
when they drew near to Jerusalem and
came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus
sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in
front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and
a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone
says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs
them,’ and he will send them at once.” (vs. 1-3)
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
1) The Kingship of GOD’S MESSIANIC PLAN (vs. 1-5): Jesus was
and is the promised messianic King of the Old Testament.
4 This
took place to fulfill what was spoken by
the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and
mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal
of a beast of burden.’” (vs. 4-5)
 Up until now, Jesus kept his true identity discreetly; but
through this triumphal entry, he made a public declaration.
 Jesus’ specific instructions were an evidence of his Kingship
as he fulfills the messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.
 For us today, we ought to acknowledge that all our
possessions belong to Jesus who is our King.
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
2) The Kingship of HUMILITY AND MERCY (vs. 6-11): Jesus rode on
a donkey as the merciful humble King, coming in peace.
6 The
disciples went and did as Jesus had
directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt
and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of
the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches
from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds
that went before him and that followed him were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (vs.6-9)
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
2) The Kingship of HUMILITY AND MERCY (vs. 6-11): Jesus rode on
a donkey as the merciful humble King, coming in peace.
10 And
when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city
was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus,
from Nazareth of Galilee.” (vs. 10-11)
 Jesus, riding on a donkey, came in peace with humility, mercy,
and grace.
 But when Jesus comes back second time, he will ride on a
white horse for judgment, waging a war (Revelation 19).
11 Then
I saw heaven opened, and behold,
a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many
diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but
himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by
which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven,
arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on
white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them
with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the
fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.16 On his
robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:11-16
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
2) The Kingship of HUMILITY AND MERCY (vs. 6-11): Jesus rode on
a donkey as the merciful humble King, coming in peace.
10 And
when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city
was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus,
from Nazareth of Galilee.” (vs. 10-11)
 Jesus on a donkey came in peace with humility, mercy, and
grace—offering himself as the Lamb of God.
 But when Jesus comes back second time, he will ride on a
white horse for judgment, waging a war.
 For us today, it is not enough to give Jesus a nice royal
homage; we must submit to Jesus’ Kingship over our lives
with urgency!
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
3) The Kingship of GOD’S WILL AND REIGN (vs. 12-13): Jesus
overturned and cleansed the defiled Jerusalem temple.
12 And
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who
sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables
of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a
house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (vs. 12-13)
 The crowds’ expectation of the Messiah was a political king
who would overturn Rome and give them prosperity.
 In reality, Jesus overturned the temple—cleansing the things
defiled from God’s will and reign.
 Even today, Jesus comes in to our lives as the King who
overturns and cleanses our hearts and lives for God’s reign.
WHAT KIND OF KINGSHIP DID
JESUS DECLARE ON PALM SUNDAY?
4) The Kingship of THE ETERNAL KINGDOM (vs. 12-13): Jesus was
and is the King of the universe and the eternal Kingdom.
14 And
the blind and the lame came to him in the temple,
and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes
saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in
the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and
they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said
to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and
nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” 17 And leaving them,
he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. (vs. 12-13)
 Healing the blind and the lame was a sign of One and Only
King—the King over the universe and all creations.
 Jesus received the children's praise of him as Eternal King.
 For us today, we worship and follow Jesus as our One and
Only King—the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
1.
What should be my response to Jesus today, realizing that
Jesus came with mercy and that Jesus’ second coming will be
with judgment?
2. What should be surrendered, cleansed, overturned in my life,
family, and church as my response to Jesus’ Kingship?
3. How should I trust and praise Jesus today as my Eternal King
of the universe?