Our passage this evening is Matthew 20. We will be looking at the triumphal entry recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. We'll begin reading at Matthew 20, verse 29. Matthew 20, verse 29. People of God, pay careful attention because this is God's holy word. As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. Jesus stopped and called to them. What do you want me to do for you? He asked. Lord, they answered, we want our sight. Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed him. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet. Say to the daughter of Zion, see, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, Who is this? The crowds answered, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. It is written, he said to them, my house will be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers the blind and the lame came to him at the temple and he healed them but when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area hosanna to the son of david they were indignant do you hear what these children are saying they asked him yes replied jesus have you never read from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise and he left them and went out of the city to bethany where he spent the night their ends are reading of god's word my wife kelly is sure that i am blind when it comes to finding certain things at times i'll open up the cupboards and i'll ask her where's the salt or open up another cupboard where where's the toothpaste and the worst part is that she knows exactly where it is and she can reach around me and grab it from right in front of my face and then she often sings a little song open your eyes. The people, the characters in our passage today are blind to what is happening right in front of their face. The passage that we're looking at starts with two blind men in Jericho and ends with the blind and the lame coming to Jesus and the temple. And it's kind of a bookend for this entire passage that while these men were physically blind and they were healed, everyone in this story is blind to what is going on. But the hope is that Christ is opening eyes. Christ is opening eyes by entering, by cleansing, and by healing. And so first we look at Christ opening their eyes by entering. Everyone in this story had expectations of who they thought the Messiah should be. We begin with the disciples. You see James and John wanting to sit on each side of the Lord when he is on his throne. And their mother goes to Jesus and asks him for this request. And Jesus responds, you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know what you're asking for. And so we can see how these disciples are blind to the work that Jesus is doing. And we can say, well, wait a minute, Peter, he got it. He understood what was going on. He had the statement, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. That was right. That was what Jesus was about. But right after that statement, Peter goes to Jesus and rebukes him for talking about dying and rising again. And Jesus responds to Peter by saying, get behind me, Satan. And so even Peter, with his solid statement of you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, is blind to what is really going on. The disciples are blind to Christ's work of salvation. and then we have the crowd as Christ is entering in the crowd that is looking for a savior but not a savior from their sins or a savior who can save them from their sins but a savior who will save them from the Romans who have taken over their land and so they say Hosanna which means save us help us Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the one who comes to accomplish God's purposes just like a king would by kicking out the Romans. And so they don't understand why Christ is coming into their city. For them, Christ is a political figure. Christ is going to be the king that gets them away from the Romans and establishes the kingdom of David once again. Hosanna to the son of David, a king of Israel. And we can see that they are blind to what Christ is actually doing by their actions. One, they're laying down their robes for him. And this reveals what they're truly thinking. When Jehu was crowned king of Israel, in 2 Kings 9 verse 13, the people laid down their robes and their cloaks for him to walk on and they cried out, Jehu is king. These people want Jesus to be their king. But not the king of kings or the king of their salvation, but the king of Jerusalem. A king who will get rid of the Romans. And so the whole city is stirred by this. And people ask, who is this? And we can see their blindness again by them saying, oh, it's a prophet from Galilee, some backwoods prophet that has come to town. But we ultimately see their blindness come Friday when these same people who are crying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Change their cries to crucify him. Crucify him. they really don't know why Jesus has come. And so why has he come? What is the reality of this situation? Well, Christ has come to fulfill prophecy. We have Zechariah 9, verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, daughter of Jerusalem. See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey. on a colt, the foal of a donkey. And so Zechariah, who prophesied years before any of these people were even born, or their parents or grandparents, is prophesying about the exact event that we read about tonight, of Jesus entering into Jerusalem on a donkey, of Jesus bringing salvation. But we can go back even further, all the way to Genesis 3.15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel. Jesus is entering in Jerusalem to fulfill that prophecy. Given to Adam and Eve way in the beginning, given to the serpent, a curse against him, but a promise that someday a man will come and crush the serpent's head. Jesus, as fully God and fully man, is now entering into Jerusalem to accomplish this, to accomplish the mission that God the Father has sent him on. We see that he is a compassionate and gentle Messiah, Humble and riding on a donkey. Kings, when they're coming into the capital city, ride on horses. Nobles or politicians when they ride in the city. Pontius Pilate, when he rides in the city, probably rides in on a chariot, probably with foot soldiers in front of him running along. And he's probably met by all of the city officials. But here we see Jesus riding on a donkey, the animal that was used by priests and merchants. And so we see the Messiah, the Savior, who some are calling a prophet, and he's riding in on a donkey like a priest, and people are treating him like a king. Ultimately, Christ is riding in to do his Father's will. He is coming to accomplish what all of scriptures have been pointing to, to be the perfect sacrifice. He has lived the perfect life. He has humbled himself, taking on flesh, becoming a man. And now he is entering Jerusalem in order to die for our sins. He is entering Jerusalem, entering into this Passion Week to crush the serpent's head by dying himself and raising again. And so who do we make this Messiah out to be? Like the disciples and the crowd, do we have our own ideas of who Jesus is? After all, Peter had the right answer. he said the right thing you are the Christ the son of the living God but his actions showed that he really didn't understand after all the crowd was saying the right thing Hosanna to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest this is correct but by their actions we see that they don't understand and we people of God can say that Jesus is the king of our lives, that he has entered into our lives. Even tonight we stood up together and confessed our faith. But do our actions and the way that we live tell the same story? Or do we see him as a really good prophet or a good teacher or a good example? Maybe he's the one who will make politics better. And we end up being blind to the fact that he is our Lord and our Savior. This morning we had the wonderful opportunity to experience Julianne and Adrienne professing their faith before the Lord. And we had Adam confessing his faith and Tim and Robbie before that saying that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. All of us who are confessing members have stood up at one point and have made that declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord of our life. And so do we live a life and live in a way that reflects the hope that we confess? Or are we blind to the work of salvation that Christ is accomplishing, that Christ is doing, that's going on all around us? Christ is opening eyes. First, by entering in. And second, Christ is opening eyes by cleansing. Jesus triumphantly entered into the city. The crowds are cheering. And then he goes to the temple and starts cleaning. And you can imagine the surprise of the people who thought that this was going to be their king and now he's going to the temple instead of the palace. You can imagine the surprise of the chief priests and the teachers of the law who had all of these expectations of who the Messiah should be. A Messiah who came in judgment and in authority. And Jesus came with authority as he cleansed the temple. But he wasn't doing the things the way the chief priests and the teachers of the law thought things should be done. Who does this man think that he is coming in and cleaning out the temple? Even John the Baptist questioned who this Messiah was when he was in jail and he heard about what Christ was doing. He sent his followers to ask Jesus, Are you the one that we've been waiting for or should we expect someone else? And how does Jesus respond to the followers of John the Baptist? Go back and tell John what you hear and see. The blind receive sight. The lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. This is what the Messiah is doing and accomplishing. It's not exactly what these people were expecting, but it's what the Messiah came to do. The blindness and hypocrisy of these chief priests and these teachers of the law is shown by their reaction. Not their reaction to the court of the Gentiles being full of merchants and buying and selling and not leaving any room for others to worship, but their reaction to the praise of the children and to the blind and the lame who came to be healed. They aren't upset about the merchants who are filling up the temple. They're upset that there's children telling Jesus, Hosanna to the son of David. And they ask Jesus as if to say, if you are anyone worth anything, you would for sure make these children be quiet. I mean, listen to what they're saying to you. They're declaring that you're the Messiah. And so they ask Jesus, do you hear what these children are saying? And he responds, yes. Do you read the Bible? Because there it says, from the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise. And in that statement, Jesus declares himself as Lord, as divine. And he approves of the worship of these children. From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise. And so Jesus enters in and cleanses the temple and it shows that he cares for Gentiles and that he cares for Christians. He, in reality, as opposed to what everyone expected him to do, makes room for the Gentile believers. He's making room for everyone who is not Jewish. I sometimes joke with my fellow seminarians that the Dutch are the lost tribe of Israel, in case they didn't know. And then I throw in that Frisian will be the language of heaven, in case they were wondering. But the fact of the matter is that if you're not Jewish, you're Gentile. And here we see Jesus caring for even them in the temple. And He cares for the children. And it's actually the praise of the children who call out, Hosanna to the Son of David. Save us. Help us. Probably not realizing what that means. Just repeating what the parents had said. But it's the children who get it right. Because when they cry that out to Jesus, they don't have any extra baggage or agendas attached to it. But with a childlike faith, They respond and praise the Messiah. What goes through our minds when we hear children making noise during our worship service? Do you hear what those children are doing? I wish their parents would do something. Or does the verse from the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise, come to mind? Because Jesus accepts the praise of these little ones. And what we see happening here is that the chief priests and the teachers of the law were excluding the very people who get it right. The children and the infants and the Gentiles. And so Jesus is opening eyes by cleansing. if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved Christ is cleansing us by the washing away of our sins Christ in this passage is entering into Jerusalem to be the ultimate sacrifice to shed his blood for the washing away of sins this morning we witnessed baptism a symbol of the washing away of sins that is possible because of what Christ is entering in to do in Jerusalem what we remember this week what's going to happen on Good Friday so Christ is cleansing us and he sends his spirit into each and every one of us to continue that work of cleansing and to make us more and more like Him. Are we blind to this fact? Are we blind to the cleansing and the sanctification that is going on in our life? Just like the chief priests and the teachers of the law were blind to what Christ was coming in to accomplish. They had their own ideas of what needed to be done and didn't have room for this so-called Messiah who was interrupting their plans. Christ opened eyes by entering in. He opened eyes by cleansing. And third, he opened eyes by healing. Jesus meets their every needs here. And these people, just like the rest, had expectations of what Christ should be, who Christ should be. We go to the blind man in Jericho. Son of David, meaning King or Messiah, have mercy on us. They're on the right track. They're calling out to Christ, the Savior of the world, for mercy. But then when Jesus, the one who can save them from their sins, The one who can give them eternal life asks them, what do you want me to do for you? Their response isn't to save me from my sin, it's, I want my sight. And so for them, Jesus is just a really good doctor, a really good healer. And we go to the other end. Jesus has compassion as he heals the blind and the lame in the temple. but Jesus is more than just a really good healer or a good doctor. He has come to accomplish this work of salvation. He cares for the needy, and he meets our every need as well, especially our need for salvation. He also heals us from the effects that we experience of sin. He tells us to come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Christ is at work among us. He has come to heal us. He has come to open people's eyes by entering in. Humbly and gently, by cleansing and by healing our every need. He is the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. This past week, I have been overwhelmed with the way that God has providentially worked within this congregation. And the beauty of it is that so many things have come together in this one week. For those of you who made profession of faith, what a beautiful and amazing journey you've begun. But the Christian life is like a roller coaster, with ups and with downs, sharp turns. But at each point, the glory of God is shown. And His work of salvation is declared from yet another angle that we didn't see before. Let me tell you what I mean. A week ago, I was at my brother's wedding. And what a beautiful example of two people coming together in Christ's name and being united in marriage. an example of Christ and his love for his church. Praise be the Lord. And after the reception, we heard word that Rudy had died. And just like that, it's going down. But even in that moment, God is declaring his glory and his sovereignty and his power as he mercifully calls home one of our brothers. And then to see the family come around Etta, and to see the church family come around that family. Beautiful. God is working within our lives. God be the praise and the glory forever. Yesterday we had a wedding here. Throughout the week, Marcus's got married. And another example of how God is at work within the lives of his people. And this morning we witnessed a baptism. Two professions of faith. And the joy of the Lord just fills my heart and we cry out to God be the glory. Great things he has done. He is at work within us. And now already it's Palm Sunday. Good Friday is coming. We'll celebrate communion. A memory of what God has done. And then Easter next week. And we can say, ah, that's the way it is. That's just the normal way things happen. Don't read into it too much. And we would be right. But do we remember to see God at work in the ordinary and everyday things of life? Because in our passage today, Christ is riding on an ordinary everyday donkey. And on Friday, ordinary and everyday nails are going to be driven into His hands and He'll be hanging on an ordinary and everyday cross to accomplish an extraordinary salvation for all. We can't be blind to the fact that God is providentially orchestrating everything that takes place in our lives. That He is upholding us with His fatherly hand and He promises to never leave us or forsake us. No matter what we face, no matter what we go through, He is telling us to not worry because He has it under control. He tells us to cast our cares upon Him because He is our strength when we are weak. God is at work and He is accomplishing great things. He is riding into our lives. He is present in our lives. Do you see it? Do you see that God is at work? Don't be blind to what is happening all around you, people of God. It will be happening with or without you. It's taking place all around us. The true Hosanna, not what we expect Him to be, but the true Messiah, the true Savior of all, is opening our eyes by entering in. He's opening our eyes by cleansing. And he is opening our eyes by healing. Let's pray. Father in heaven, open our eyes that we may see. That we may see your work of salvation that is being accomplished around the world. Enter into our lives, O Lord. Cleanse us and heal us. Help us to turn to you and to cry out along with the children, Hosanna to the Son of David. Lord, save us. Lord, as we go through this week, help us to remember the sacrifice that you came and you died for us, for our sins. And that you promised to never leave us or to forsake us. In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you.