Mar. 19 – Silence No More

Every Hebrew person knew what would happen when the Messiah came.  He would be a King among the Jews, and there were certain realities about Kings and the King of Kings that were sure…

1)  A king can take whatever he wishes; it is all considered his in the first place.

2)  A king never uses anything anyone else has used; it must be new

3)  The Messiah would enter Jerusalem riding on the foal of a donkey (Zech. 9:9)

4)  The Messiah would enter Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives (Zech 14:4)

5)  A king entering Jerusalem enters hailed by the people parade-style with banners, branches and song

6)  Previous kings, when riding donkeys, had those donkeys covered by the cloaks of those around him (2 Kings 9:13).

7)  When the Messiah came, he would be greeted with, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

8)  A king would enter Jerusalem and go directly to the Temple either to worship or bring reform

With these in mind, reread the story of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry in Matt. 21 or Mark 11, and see where these things play out.  You see, this entry into Jerusalem wasn’t a random act, a spur-of-the-moment decision.  This was a public proclamation of Jesus’ identity as Messiah and King of the Jews.  So often during His ministry, Jesus had asked people to remain silent about Him, explaining that His time had not yet come.  But in this single act, Jesus proclaims to the entire city, filling up with Passover celebrants, who He is.

The time for silence about Jesus’ identity is past.  With the disciples and onlookers, we much proclaim, “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”