Apr 9, 2017
Matthew 21:1-17
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the
Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2
saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and
immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.
Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says
anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he
will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill
what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to
the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble,
and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of
burden.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had
directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the
colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8
Most of
the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches
from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And
the crowds that went before him and that followed him were
shouting, “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 entered Jerusalem, the whole city
was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds
said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of
Galilee.”
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who
sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of
the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall
be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the
temple, and he healed them.15 But when the chief priests
and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the
children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of
David!” they were indignant, 16 and they 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
infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany
and lodged there.
Bulletin for Palm Sunday 4/9/17
The palm tree and palm leaves appear again and again throughout the Bible as symbols of integrity, honor, righteousness, holiness, godly authority, and royal glory. The palm was used in the carved decorations of the temple, usually associated with the Cherubim, but also with the regal lion and the flower in full bloom. In addition though, throughout the entire ancient Near East palm branches were the conventional symbol of public approval and welcome by all the eastern peoples to conquering heroes, and were strewn and carried in triumphal processions. All the Gospels report that people gave Jesus the kingly honor of strewing palm branches along the path during His triumphal entry. The use of the palm became an almost universal worship convention on Palm Sunday by the beginning of the third century. This Sunday, we will observe this venerable and ancient practice during the service, as we too sing Hosannas to our King, waving these old Biblical symbols of royal pomp and joyous celebration. — Pastor George Grant Key Words: Colt, Branches, Hosanna, Money-Changers, Prayer, Praise Keystone Verse: The crowds that followed Jesus were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)