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The Text
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?” (Matt. 21:1-10)
- What is the question that Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem raised? Did the crowds get it right?
- What do we believe about Jesus? Is the gospel just about saving us from our sins or something more?
- How does our belief or understanding about God impact our actions?
Disciples of Jesus
We want to be Jesus’ disciples in this, so let’s step back and look at Jesus seeking to make this point clear to one of his key disciples — Peter. What lesson did Peter learn about the kingdom:
- on his trip to Caesarea Philippi?
- following his denial of Jesus at the High Priest’s home?
- when Jesus spoke with him over breakfast at the Sea of Galilee?
The Nature of the Kingdom
The point of these examples is that while Christ’s kingdom is undeniable and present in heaven and on earth, it is not the political kingdom that the disciples expected. What is it based on:
- the disciples actions in Acts 3-5?
- Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Luke 17?
- Peter’s teaching in 1 Peter 2?