Day 3 - 4 days before the Passover
"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" John 12:12
The next day, after the Saturday Sabbath, is Sunday. It is on this day that Jesus leaves Bethany and heads out for Jerusalem. Along the way he sits on a colt, the foal of a Donkey, and a large crowd spreads cloaks and branches on the road ahead of him. The crowd announces his arrival to the city with the shout,
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"
Deliberate Fulfillment
As we study Scripture, we find that Jesus fulfills prophecy at different times and in different ways. Sometimes he fulfills prophecy directly and deliberately. There is no reason to believe that Jesus had not made arrangements for this colt ahead of time.
"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." Matthew
Happily, sometimes we are told what scripture Jesus had in mind to fulfill.
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.'" Matthew
Apparently, Jesus did not always feel the need to explain everything to his disciples at the time.
Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. John 12:16
Symbolic Fulfillment
"Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
Sometimes, Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy is subtler. It was apparently a tradition of the Passover Festival for the High priest to go out to the sheepfolds of Jerusalem and choose a Lamb. With great pomp and circumstance he would bring this lamb to the Temple amid shouts of "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" It is probable that Jesus, the Lamb of God & the true high priest, preempted this traditional "triumphal entry" with his own. God brings his lamb into his house, the Temple.
"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!'" Luke 19:39
This statement by the Pharisees seems to indicate that Jesus' disciples were doing something socially unacceptable. Jesus reply indicates that this event and the reaction to it, legally must occur. Even if a miracle is required it will occur. This supports the idea that the "triumphal entry rehearsal" of the high priest was fulfilled by the premature call to celebration and Jesus' own triumphal entry. (Matt 21:8, Luke 19:37).
The whole city was waiting for the high priest with palm branches. Jerusalem is a city of walls and narrow streets. Since you can't see, the only way you would know when the parade is coming is by listening for the call, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." The disciples intentionally light the fuse to the party by calling out the blessing early. People hear the call and begin to cheer expecting the high priest to walk down the street. Instead of the high priest, here comes Jesus on a colt.
"When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" Matt 21:10
Parallel Fulfillment
Sometimes Jesus "creates" prophecy, transforming Biblical history into a lesson on current events, layer upon layer.
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. John
"The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." Numbers 21:8-9
As men were saved from the serpent's venom in the desert by looking at the snake on the pole, so we are saved from the power of that serpent the Devil by the atonement of our sins though the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
History - A Slave to Prophecy
The Gospel writers demonstrate that the world and history are subject to the word of God. John explains that the unbelief of the Jewish nation was, prophetically, not entirely within their control. Individuals had the responsibility for their own actions, but nationally they were hardened to unbelief even as Pharaoh in Egypt had been. This had to occur in order to fulfill prophecy and enable God's larger purpose. Paul also speaks about this in Romans 11:25-32.
Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn-- and I would heal them." Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. John
Future Fulfillments Prophesied
Jesus often speaks new prophecy or elaborates on older apocalyptic writings. These things find fulfillment in real historical events. From our perspective, some are already in the history books
As he approached Jerusalem, he wept over it and said, "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Luke 19:41
In hindsight, we know that this actually occurred in 70 CE as Jerusalem and the Temple were burned to the ground. In 135 CE, after the last Jewish revolt was crushed, the city was completely leveled, the Jews were outlawed from Jerusalem and dispersed throughout the nations. The Jews only recently regained their country in 1948.
|
