Beacon Hill Church

Jesus descended from the Mount of Olives on his way into Jerusalem and was met by a crowd shouting Hosanna and singing, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” This event is recorded in all four Gospels.

THE MULTITUDE WAS PROCLAIMING A TRIUMPHANT MESSIAH-KING
Who would drive out the forces of tyranny (Roman army) and establish his earthly kingdom in Jerusalem


But this Messiah did not ride into Jerusalem as the conquering hero on a mighty war-horse, but on the colt of a donkey.

The donkey was the animal of a man of peace

The crowd hailed Jesus as the Messianic King

· They envisioned a victor who would miraculously prevail over his earthly enemies.


Point #1 – Jesus came as the Prince of Peace


The crowd came to Bethany for different reasons and followed the procession out of various motives:

(1) There were those inhabitants of Bethany who had been eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.

(2) There were others, Galilean pilgrims who had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover.

(3) Then there were the skeptics, Jesus’ enemies, who desired to kill him.

(4) And lastly, there those who were simply curious and got caught up in the excitement. Their allegiance to Jesus would be fleeting


Then there were those closest to Him - they too had not grasped the true nature of Jesus mission - all they knew was that they had loved him, and he was their Lord.

“Hosanna” is the transliteration of an Aramaic and Hebrew expression which means: SAVE US.

The multitude, unknowingly, had proclaimed Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as a MISSION OF SALVATION.


Point #2 – Jesus came as The Savior

Jesus once again foretells his own death: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.


Point #3 – Jesus’ Divine Destiny was the Cross


The Jewish high priest Caiaphas made this statement in John 11:50: You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (NIV)

· John in verses 51 and 52 comments on what he considers an unconscious prophecy on the part of Caiaphas: he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. (NIV)


JESUS MISSION WAS NOT CONFINED TO BEING A JEWISH MESSIAH FOR A JEWISH NATION.

HE CAME TO RECLAIM ALL OF HUMANITY - TO RECONCILE ALL PEOPLE TO HIMSELF - TO SAVE THE WORLD


In John 12:19 the Pharisees exaggerated their point by stating about Jesus: “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (NIV)


It is not so much that the whole world has gone after Jesus, but that he has drawn the world to himself:

THE ROAD OF TRIUMPH FROM BETHANY TO JERUSALEM
WAS ALSO THE ROAD OF SUFFERING WHICH LED TO GOLGATHA AND THE CROSS


JESUS DEATH ON THE CROSS - THAT WHICH APPEARS TO BE SATAN’S POINT OF TRIUMPH - IS IN REALITY THE MOMENT OF HIS DEFEAT!

· The cross is but the corridor through which the Son of God must pass to the triumph of the resurrection and the salvation of the world.