Matthew 21:1-11 NKJV
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, [2] saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. [3] And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." [4] All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: [5] "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'" [6] So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. [7] They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. [8] And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [9] Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!" [10] And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" [11] So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."
The crowds hailed Jesus as an all conquering hero that day when He entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.
But He was bringing salvation to the inner person at that time - an unseen spiritual rescue that would change each one who believed from the inside out.
The first thing He did, after entering the city, was to deal with spiritual corruption in the Temple:
Matthew 21:12-16 NKJV
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. [13] And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" [14] Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. [15] But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant [16] and 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 babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"
Corruption within places of worship is Jesus' priority and He will tackle that first..
1 Peter 4:17 NKJV
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
That Palm Sunday, Jesus wasn't number 1 in the popularity charts with those making money out of the spiritual, or with those who loved exalted leadership positions - He made them mad!
Yet to the needy He was the Source of hope, healing and salvation.
He still is today.
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