“EIGHT DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD”

  • Derek Staples
  • | Apr 6, 2009
  • | Series: Monday Morning Manna


"EIGHT DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD"

"Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." (Matthew 21: 1-11)


Matthew records the official entry of King Jesus into Jerusalem. Historian Michael Ruston observes, "Just as David's son Solomon had ridden a donkey at his presentation as king to Jerusalem's cheering crowds a little over a millennium earlier (see I Kings 1: 33-46) so Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to proclaim publicly that he was the greater Son of David who would sit on David's throne." James Montgomery Boice rightly perceives:

"The most important life ever lived was that of Jesus Christ and the most important part of that life was the momentous week that ended it. The week began with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It included a second cleansing of the temple, the final teaching, the institution of the Lord's Supper, the arrest, trial, and crucifixion. It ended with Jesus' resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday."
Eight days that forever changed the world. Eight days that forever changed your life and mine. Jesus lived thirty-three years and his public ministry involved the last three. Yet, the final eight days are so important that large portions of Scripture are devoted to an accounting of the Passion Week events. God want us to understand and proclaim to a lost world what transpired 2000 years ago. An important message, wouldn't you say?

Jim Boice reveals: "Matthew devoted one-fourth of his Gospel to it (ch. 21-28), Mark uses one-third of his Gospel (ch. 11-16), Luke gives a fifth to Passion Week (ch. 19 - 24:35), and John gives half of his Gospel (ch. 12-21)." That means of the 89 chapters in all four Gospels, 29 (precisely one-third) recount what happened between the triumphal entry and the resurrection of Jesus. I would say that makes these eight days pretty important!

You see our salvation from sin and God's wrath depended upon the "representative obedience" of our loving Savior. What you and I failed to accomplish in our forefather Adam, Jesus perfectly accomplished in his shed blood on Calvary's cross. These days were outlined by God "from before the foundations of the earth" (Revelation 13: 8).

Michael Ruston says of Christ came riding into Jerusalem, "Something else also happened on that day. It was the day when the lambs to be slain at Passover were selected. In his triumphal entry Jesus was presenting himself as the Passover Lamb." [emphasis mine]

Do you remember what John the Baptist said when he saw Christ coming for baptism? "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1: 29) I am not sure how much, if any, of Passion Week the Baptist understood. One thing he understood clearly. The Lamb of God would die in our stead. The Lamb of God would take our place, bearing wrath for sinful humanity.

We understand what God envisioned. The Lamb of God bore our sin. Yours and mine. He perfectly accomplished what we could not! He fully satisfied God's righteous requirements and atonement for all who believe was made possible by his willing obedience. Jesus is forever our sin-bearer!

Much of the Gospels are centered on the events of Passion Week. Much of the preaching of the apostles were devoted to the centrality of the cross and the resurrection (Acts 2: 22-36, 3: 12-15; Romans 4: 24-25; and I Corinthians 15: 3-8 are but a few references).

The question remains: how much of our discussions, our reading, and our thoughts will be devoted to events that unfolded some 2000 years ago that we might have life eternal? I offer you a reading challenge for this week:

Monday: Matthew 21-27
Tuesday: Mark 11-15
Wednesday: Luke 19: 28 - 23: 56
Thursday: John 12-19
Friday: Psalm 22: 1-31; Isaiah 53: 1-12
Saturday: I Corinthians 15: 1-58
Sunday: Matt. 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18

 

His death for Mine,


Dr. Derek