Near The Cross
Matthew 21:1-11

INTRO: Good morning church. Our text today is taken from Matthew 21:1-11.
The time is growing short. Jesus has been on the way to Jerusalem and the cross, and it is now time for Him to “be received up”. We left off with Luke 9:51 last time where we read, – “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,”. The Bible gives us an excellent glimpse of this time which I will call “near the cross”. The gospel records contain a treasury of knowledge about these last few days before the crucifixion. As we look at these records it is evident that these last days, this last week, were filled with events and teaching. I have the impression as I look at this, that Jesus is very aware that time is short and that there is so much yet that He needs to leave with the apostles. Spend a few minutes with me this morning looking at Jesus near the cross.

I. THE “TRIUMPHAL” ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

A. Open your bibles to our text, Matthew 21:1-11, where we read what is often described as the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. I won’t read the entire account, but I will start at verse 8. “8. And a very great multitude spread their garments 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.''” - “Hosanna to the son of David”

1. Jerusalem was crowded for it was the season of the Passover. Some have suggested based on the recorded number of sacrifices that were offered during this period, there may have been over 2 million people in the city. It was a crowded place.
2. Against this backdrop the drama of His entry into Jerusalem could hardly have been greater

B. As I look at this “drama”...

1. I see Jesus came riding on a donkey. For us that is not particularly significant, yet for those people, against the background of prophesy, it was a deeply significant thing. If you turn in your bibles to - Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” What was Jesus doing coming into Jerusalem riding a donkey? This is a time when huge crowds of people would have made it impossible to stand in one place and be heard by a multitude. His riding into the city on a donkey was a silent object lesson based on the prophesy of Zechariah that He is declaring Himself to be the King. Often we hear speculation that Jesus never came right out to say that He was the King, but there were intimations. Here is one of the times when without a word He declares, “I am the King”.
2. The crowd is shouting “hosanna” – and that word means in Hebrew “save now” – I can not help but wonder if these people, without understanding it, are declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. Look in the book of Psalms; - Psalm 118:25-26 – “Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.”
3. Then there were palm fronds, branches, clothes, that were strewn on His path. Again because of our modern, western minds we do not fully grasp the deep significance of this. This was a symbol of honor, joy, victory, and respect. By the people doing what they did they added to the drama that Jesus is declaring Himself to be the King. Revelation 7:9 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,”

C. Then came an important question in Matthew 21:10 – “And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?''”

1. “Who is this?” I was thinking as I studied that there were times when a crowd does something as a crowd and then begins to wonder why? Let me illustrate. Have you ever noticed in walking along a crowded street that if someone looks up into the sky, it isn’t long until someone else stops and looks up into the sky, and then someone else and so on? If you look up into the sky like everyone else you wonder, what you are looking for. Here we have the question, “Who is this?”
2. The immediate answer we find in Matthew 21:11 – “So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.''” It is true the people had hailed Him as "the Son of David," but they still did not understand His complete identity. Christ was born in Bethlehem, but it suited the purpose of the religious leaders to stress Jesus’ home as Nazareth. The people’s emphasis upon Nazareth shows how successfully the Pharisees had done their work. Even those who called him "Son of David" were not well grounded in their conviction.
3. “…Jesus the prophet from Nazareth...” That was not the whole answer. If you turn in your bibles to Acts chapter 2 starting in verse 22 we find the real answer to the question “Who is this?”
4. Acts 2:22-24,36 – “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” – now go with me to verse 36 – “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” – There is the real answer.

II. ABOUT JUDAISM AND THE TEMPLE

A. During these days near the cross Jesus also spoke of Judaism and the temple. In the gospel of Matthew 23:37-38 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Look carefully at these next words. “See! Your house is left to you desolate;” – “Your house is left to you desolate;”

1. Here Jesus describes the temple as “your house”. He does not refer to it as God’s house. It was, after Christ’s rejection, no longer God’s house, but theirs! Judaism has become so corrupt, and so rebellious that God has abandoned it!
2. In the book of Ezekiel 11:22-23 you will find a picture of what is happening in Jerusalem. You will see God leaving the temple in the midst of the city and going up to the mountainside on the east. God abandons the house because of the corruption, the apostasy that is there. Then in Luke 19:41-42 – This event is described a little bit differently. – “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” He beheld the city and wept over it! The apostasy of God’s people is always cause to weep. That is the situation as Jesus looks down upon the city.
3. Jesus wept over the city and the temple. He sees it with different eyes. Eyes that see the evil, the corruption, the apostasy. Then in Matthew 24 He speaks prophetically of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

B. Matthew 24:1-2 – “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” – This magnificent work of man, this beautiful building. This building that meant so much to the Jews; Jesus says is going to be torn down. Jerusalem’s destruction is prophesied

1. With this verse, begins a section of scripture that has given rise to all kinds of speculation. People of the pre-millennial viewpoint have taken this and developed all sorts of ideas about the Lord’s return ... and signs of the end times. Jesus was talking about the end of the temple and Jerusalem.
2. Then in speaking of the end of time He says in: Matthew 24:36 “But” – “But of that day…” this references the previous verse, “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” In Mark 13:32 Jesus adds “…., nor the Son,” He says I don’t even know.
3. The signs He was talking about were about the coming end of Jerusalem, but of the end of time we do not know. Certainly it will happen, but when we first know about it, will be the sound of the trumpet of the Lord.

III. GREAT TEACHINGS ABOUT END OF TIME AND JUDGMENT

A. Jesus did speak of the end of time and of the judgment to come. If we continue to read Matthew 24 at v.42 – “42. "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43. "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44. "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” There are not going to be signs saying it is next week or next month or next year. This will be in a time of complacency. A time when some are not the least concerned He will come.

1. Continuing now at v.45, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” – Oh, the Lord is going to come, and He is going to issue the great universal judgment. This will be a coming as a thief in the night. “Watch…for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
2. Clearly, what Jesus teaches is the absolute need for constant faithfulness.

B. Look now in v.48 and notice how He describes this problem that is so common to humanity, the problem of complacency. – “48. "But if that evil servant says in his heart, `My master is delaying his coming,' 49. "and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50. "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51. "and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

1. He is putting off His coming, so I have time to do as I wish and clean up afterward, right? Did you ever do that as a child or have children do that to you? The folks are not home so we can do something we should not do, and then put everything right before they show up?
2. We had a big chest freezer in the basement of the old farm house and in it were frozen produce from the garden and frozen meat from animals. There would occasionally be those cardboard cartons of ice cream from the store. One day dad was in the fields and mom was in the garden and I, for what ever reason, was alone in the house. I went to the freezer and took out the carton of ice cream. Now I knew better then to open the top of the container and take some out. It would be obvious when it was opened next that it had been opened before. I opened the bottom! I’m really not sure what I was thinking; but you can imagine what my dad’s reaction was when he opened this “brand new” carton of ice cream and went to dig some out and his scoop suddenly fell through the “untouched” ice cream to the bottom of the container!
3. The problem of growing complacence is a real one and it develops into irresponsible behavior, and the irresponsible behavior makes us unprepared. Folks, there is no time to become prepared when that day comes. We need to be prepared for it to come.
4. The Lord insists in faithful readiness and preparation. Jesus will return to herald the judgment - but there’ll be no signs of its coming.

C. In these last days of His ministry on earth we hear the Lord talk about the foolish virgins and wise virgins, the parable of the talents, and the great judgment scene where He describes dividing the sheep from the goats.

1. All of this is in Matthew 25 – which gives us a vivid “look” at the judgment.
2. When you read Matthew 25 about such themes as preparation, or responsibility, or service to others – realize that what He speaks about are things on which we will be judged.
3. All of this, it seems to me, is critical “last minute” information from the Lord, who will soon return to His place in heaven.

IV. THE ANOINTING

A. Read with me next from Matthew 26:6-13 – “6. And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7. a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "To what purpose is this waste? 9. "For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.'' 10. But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11. "For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12. "For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13. "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.''” “...she did it for my burial”.
B. Jesus refers to His death ... and burial in v.12 of Matthew 26.

1. Did these words make an impression on the disciples?
2. I’m not sure they did at the time – but Jesus says in Matthew 26:13 – “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” - this was an act to be remembered.
3. In this passage there is the lesson that some opportunities will come only once. Opportunities to serve, opportunities to express our love, our care and our concern. We need to take those opportunities of service in the knowledge that they may only come once.

V. THE BETRAYAL “DEAL”

A. In Luke 22:2-6 – “2. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6. Then he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.” - “And they were glad, and agreed to give him money”

1. The scribes and Pharisees want Jesus dead - but as is indicated here and elsewhere, they feared the people. Jesus had a very sympathetic hearing from many of the people. The chief priests and scribes knew they could not arrest Him in the presence of all the people without putting themselves in jeopardy. Jesus was a popular figure.
2. We read this in Matthew 21:45-46 – “Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.” - it was necessary, then, for them to find some way to take Jesus when He was apart from the multitude.
3. Along comes Judas. The deal Judas made involved “the absence of the multitude” and 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave.

B. The big question ... why? Why did Judas do this? Why would Judas betray his Lord and his Master? Why would Judas betray this one who had done him no harm?

1. All sorts of speculation is offered ... and written (some sound credible). The bottom line is we only know what is written in the scripture.
2. Note Luke 22:3 – “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.” – There is the answer. Why would Judas do such a thing? Because Satan held sway over his life.
3. Here we see the great contemporary lesson surrounding Judas - when Satan is in control of us, we may do the most wicked and sinful things. No wonder then that Peter wrote in 1^st Peter 5:8-9 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” and then he adds “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” We need to be watchful and to resist the attempts of Satan, remain steadfast in faith. That is the answer to our not falling prey to the same kind of thing that Judas did. We may not betray the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, yet, we still may by our conduct, our manner of life, betray Him.

CLOSE: These last days of our Lord Jesus Christ on the earth are days needing our careful attention. Do we really appreciate what is going on here? We need to read about this period of time and think on it. There were friends who loved Him. There were enemies who hated Him. Which are we? Jesus reminds us in John 14:15 – “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Sometimes we may find our love and our faith has become weak. The cares of the world get to us and we slack off in our diligence. We need to read and study the Bible more often and recharge our faith, take into our hearts the great love that God shows us. As we sing this next song we need to think on that. Do we keep His commandments and show our love for Him? If you love the Lord and want to be His true disciple then you need to listen to what He says in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:16. It is so important. We need to be ready when He comes. If you need to come we invite you to do so now as we stand and as we sing.

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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson