a triumphal entry

Good evening/morning sisters and brothers,
This is a familiar reading for many of us from Palm Sunday, but we're reading it here because we're reading basically straight through Matthew. Matthew sees Jesus as the fulfillment of prophetic promises about the Messiah. The funny thing about this passage is that Matthew has Jesus riding two animals, which is difficult to imagine. The sad thing about this passage is that within a week the crowd's joyful welcome of Jesus will turn to abandonment, leading to the cross. Even knowing about how the story goes, we can enjoy this moment when people recognize who Jesus really is. Of course, Jesus knew the cross was ahead of him all the way to Jerusalem, and followed that path for our sake. His love for us truly is amazing.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 21: 1-11

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”


6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”