Who Is This?
Matthew 21:1-11
Matthew 21 begins the last week of Jesus’ ministry before He would be crucified. Matthew devotes seven chapters to the events of this week. It is the culmination of Jesus’ mission as the Son of God. From the beginning of his Gospel, Matthew has presented Jesus to us as the promised Messiah and King.
But most Jews in Jesus’ day missed Him as their Messiah and King because they were expecting a different kind of Savior. They thought that Messiah would be a mighty political deliverer, who would lead Israel to military victory over their Roman oppressors. They were not looking for a lowly Savior, riding on the foal of a donkey. They could not conceive of a suffering Savior, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for sinners. And so, tragically, they missed the coming of their King![1]
Yes, the multitudes rejoiced as Jesus rode that donkey’s colt into Jerusalem. But did they truly understand Who He was and why He came? Our text today calls us to worship Jesus as our King with rejoicing. Yet if our praise is to be more than just empty emotion, we must understand correctly who Jesus is and what He came to do. In Matthew 21:10, the people were shaken when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and they voiced this decisive question, “Who is this?” Who is Jesus? Matthew answers that question for us in this passage (Matthew 21:1-11).
Notice first …
1. The Planned Presentation of the King (Matthew 21:1-5)
Our text begins, “Now when they drew near Jerusalem …” (Matt. 21:1). As we know from our previous studies of Matthew, Jesus had planned His arrival in Jerusalem. On several occasions, Jesus had told His disciples that they were headed to Jerusalem and why. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus “began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” He repeated this prediction in Matthew 17, adding that He would be betrayed (Matt. 17:22-23). Then again, in Matthew 20, Jesus told them again in more detail, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again” (Matt. 20:18-19).
Jesus went to Jerusalem for a specific purpose: to suffer at the hands of sinful men, die upon the cross, and rise again. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus told us the purpose of His death, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” His death was a redeeming death, a sacrificial death, a vicarious death, and a saving death. When Jesus died, He paid the debt for our sins.
Everything that Jesus did as He entered Jerusalem and everything that occurred that day was on purpose. Jesus planned it and executed it on purpose. Remember, up to this point, Jesus had not broadcasted the fact that he was the Messiah. Throughout His ministry in Galilee, Jesus often warned those He healed to “tell no one” (Matt. 8:4; 9:30; 12;16). In Matthew 16, after Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” (Matt. 16:16), Matthew writes, “Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ” (Matt. 16:20). After Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured before them in His divine, royal splendor, “He commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead’” (Matt. 17:9).
But now, Jesus intentionally goes public. Jesus knew that the hour for His suffering and death was at hand. He will no longer conceal who He is. He is the Christ, the Messiah who has come giving sight to the blind and raising the dead. He is the Davidic King who has come to save His people. But He is not the kind of Messiah and King the people are expecting.
So, look what Jesus does:
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (Matt. 21:1-3).
Jesus is in control of everything that happens here. First, Jesus sent two disciples to bring His ride to Him. Notice that the disciples didn’t have to look for the animals. He said that, as soon as they came into the village, they would “immediately” find not just a donkey, but a donkey and her colt tied together. Two animals—requiring two disciples to bring them.
Second, we see that they were instantly allowed to take the animals. Jesus told them, “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them” (Matt. 21:2-3). Luke’s Gospel tells us that’s exactly what happened. When the owners saw the two disciples untying the donkeys, they wanted to know what they were doing. And when the disciples said what the Lord told them to say, they just let them go.
Everything went exactly according to plan. Now, some will say that these things took place just as Jesus had spoken because Jesus had made prior arrangements with the owner of these donkeys. That’s pure speculation, because the scripture doesn’t say that. Since Jesus had clear foreknowledge of the specifics of His crucifixion and resurrection, it’s not a stretch to believe that Jesus simply knew where the donkeys were and how the owners would respond.
Whether Jesus prepared for it supernaturally or not, the point is Jesus was clearly in charge of the events surrounding His death, including the triumphal entry, the betrayal by Judas, and the death plots of the Jewish leaders. None of it took Him by surprise. He is the King of authority who controls all things according to His purpose, even the events of His death (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).[2]
And all of this, Matthew tells us, was in keeping with the promise of the Scriptures, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” (Matt. 21:4). Then Matthew quotes from Zechariah 9:9, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matt. 21:5). The “daughter of Zion” refers to the people of Jerusalem. It’s a prophecy to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
It’s important for us to know that when Matthew quotes the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy, he doesn’t just pull a verse out of thin air. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew is writing his Gospel to Hebrews who know their scripture and the context in which it was written. Zechariah prophesied four centuries before the coming of Christ to the Jewish remnant who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. In the first part of Zechariah 9, God promised to judge the nations surrounding Judah through the coming of a conqueror from Greece. From history, we know him as Alexander the Great. He would strike terror into the hearts of those in his path. He often slaughtered all the men in a city and sold the women and children into slavery. He was a conqueror obsessed with his own power and dominion. The later part of Zechariah 9 then predicts the future prosperity of Judah and how God would then bring judgment on Greece.
However, right between these prophesies of judgment, Zechariah gives a prophecy to Judah about their coming King (Zech. 9:9) who would speak peace to the nations and whose dominion would be to the ends of the earth (Zech 9:10). Here is what the Lord said through Zechariah,
9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.'” (Zech. 9:9-10).
Zechariah says that the Messiah King would be “just” or righteous. He will exercise justice perfectly. And Zechariah says this King will come “having salvation”. He will come to save His people. Zechariah says, “He shall speak peace to the nations” (Zech. 9:10).
However, the part of the prophecy that Matthew stresses is the humility of this promised King. In contrast to the proud Alexander on his war horse, Jesus came “Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey” (Matt. 21:5). The donkey was a lowly animal, used for peaceable purposes by those who were of no rank or position. By riding the foal of a donkey, Jesus was showing Himself to be the King, in fulfillment of our text, but not the exalted political king and military commander that the people expected. MacArthur shows the contrast, writing,
Alexander the Great inspires fear. Alexander the Great inspires dread. Alexander the Great makes war. But this king in verse 9 and following does not inspire fear and dread, but praise. He doesn’t make war; He makes peace. He’s not a foreign tyrant; He is Israel’s own king. He’s not cruel and oppressive; He’s kind and righteous. He doesn’t slay; He saves. He’s not rich; He’s poor. He’s not proud; He’s meek. He’s not riding a white horse; He’s riding a colt of a beast of burden. Very stark contrast.[3]
Jesus is the gentle King who said, “28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30). He is the humble King who said, “27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave– 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:27-28). The angel told Joseph to name Him Jesus because, “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Messiah who offered salvation and peace with God through His death for us on the cross.
God spoke it through His prophet four hundred years before Jesus came. And the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled it perfectly according to God’s word. God sovereignly determined how the Lord Jesus would present Himself as King in Jerusalem. It was a planned presentation.
Who is this? He is Jesus Christ, the King of authority, justice, salvation, peace, and humility.
How did the people respond to Him?
2. The People’s Praise of the King (Matthew 21:6-9)
Matthew tells us, “6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.” (Matt. 21:6-7). Having retrieved the donkey and colt as Jesus instructed them, the disciples then made a saddle using their own cloaks, and Christ sat on this colt as the procession began to wind its way to the city of Jerusalem.
Matthew 21:8 says, “And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road…” Multitudes of pilgrims and disciples joined Jesus on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover. And seeing Jesus riding the donkey’s colt, they did what would have been appropriate for the coming of the long-awaited King. First, they create a royal carpet of sorts by spreading their cloaks on the road before Him. This custom goes back to Old Testament times where the people would spread their cloaks on the ground before the approaching king. One example is with King Jehu, in 2 Kings 9:13: “Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, ‘Jehu is king!’” Spreading your cloaks on the ground was a sign of submission and respect. So, when the people spread their cloaks on the ground before Jesus, they are welcoming Him into Jerusalem and symbolically saying they submitted to Him as their King.
Matthew tells us that “others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Matt. 21:8). Palm branches were a sign of joy, especially in the occasion of a military victory. And so we begin to understand what kind of king the people expected Jesus to be. If Palm Sunday for Jesus was all about the humility of a donkey, for the people it was all about the pageantry of the palms.[4] They weren’t looking for a gentle and peaceful king. They were looking for a military king who would deliver them from the power of Rome and inaugurate the Jewish kingdom.
The crowds got bigger as they approached Jerusalem, and now there were crowds of people ahead of Jesus as well as crowds of people following, and they are all shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9). “Hosanna” is a cry of salvation from Psalm 118:25. It literally means, “Save us, now!” “Son of David” is a messianic title. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of David. The Christ would be a King who would take the throne of His father David and reign forever. So, when the people cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, they are proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.
They also said, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD,” quoting Psalm 118:26 about the coming of the Messiah. And they shouted, “Hosanna in the highest!”, affirming that Jesus’ coming into the city was a cause of praise to God. It echoes the worship of the heavenly host at Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest!”
As Christ entered Jerusalem, the people were singing a prayer that the Son of David might save them. And Jesus truly is the Savior. Only He didn’t bring salvation in the way that the Jews expected. When we read Matthew 21 in the context of everything else that takes place in the rest of the book, we clearly understand that Christ’s kingdom isn’t a political kingdom. He didn’t come to physically reign over Jerusalem that day. Jesus was establishing a spiritual kingdom. He came to save His people from their sins by giving His life a ransom for many.
Who is this? This is Jesus, the Messiah and King who has come to save. He is blessed for He comes in the name of the Lord in fulfillment of God’s word. He is worthy of the highest praise. And as He comes, the people rejoice and praise Him as the King in fulfillment of prophecy.
But did they really understand what kind of King and Savior He would be?
Finally we see …
3. The Perplexing Person of the King (Matthew 21:10-11)
We see the confusion of the crowd as Matthew reports, “10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”” (Matt. 21:10). Imagine this great multitude, as they marched into the city, shouting, celebrating, and singing ‘hosannas’ to the Lord! It caused quite an uproar! The whole city was shaken. Due to all the commotion, the people of Jerusalem were asking, “Who is this?”
So, who is this? We have already seen the people welcome Jesus as their King. We have seen them proclaim Him as Messiah. And now they also identify him as the Prophet. Matthew 21:11 says, “11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”” What did they mean by this? Perhaps some simply meant that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet sent by God who, like the prophets of the Old Testament spoke the word from God. It was clear from His miraculous power that He was from God. But was He more?
Back in the Old Testament Moses told the people of Israel: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” (Deuteronomy 18:15). Now, the people in the city ask, “Who is this?” and the crowds answer, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Jesus was the prophet like Moses whom God raised up in fulfillment of prophecy.
We can view the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem in two ways, for it was two things at once.[5] It was a planned presentation of Jesus as King, a public declaration of His Messiahship. By entering Jerusalem this way Jesus threw down of the gauntlet to the religious leadership. He forced the people and their leaders to make a decision about Him. Was He the King and Messiah? Would they accept Him? Or would they carry out their plot to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14)? Jesus came into Jerusalem as a King and dared the religious authorities to do something about it. His hour had come. There was no turning back. Jesus knew that He came to Jerusalem to suffer and die. And when the people hailed Him as Messiah, Prophet and King, it put Him on a direct collision course with the chief priests and teachers of the law, who later that week will condemn Him to death and turn Him over to the Romans to be mocked, beaten, and crucified.
Because, while the triumphal entry presented Jesus as the Messiah and King, it also declared that He was not the Messiah that the people were expecting or what the leaders wanted. He had not come to overthrow the Roman oppressors but to give His life a ransom for their sins. He entered Jerusalem as a king, to be sure, but as a meek and lowly king, riding a donkey. Jesus boldly proceeded into Jerusalem, knowing everything that would happen to Him there. He accepted the praises of the crowd, knowing that everything they proclaimed about Him was true. Jesus stirred up the city, knowing that this would lead to His final confrontation with the religious leaders.
Who is this and how should we receive Him? Let’s receive Him as the Messiah whose coming was promised by God, and prepared far in advance for our salvation. Let’s recognize Him as the King who comes meek and gentle and lowly—not as our Judge now but as our Savior—and as One who takes our sins upon Himself at the cross, so that we need not experience the fear of judgment for our sins. Let’s celebrate Him as the promised King, who’s coming is the answer to the cry, “Save now, O Lord!” And above all, let’s be sure that we place our trust fully in Him who came into Jerusalem to give His life on the cross for our sins.
Because although Jesus comes to us as the humble, servant King today, He has also promised that He will come again. And at His second coming, Jesus will return as the mighty sovereign to judge and to reign forever. Instead of a donkey, He will ride a white horse. Instead of bringing peace, He will make war. Revelation 1911-16 describes it:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
What a contrast there is between that first entry into Jerusalem and the second! The first was on a meek and mild donkey—a symbol of gentleness and peace, but the second will be on the white stallion of a warrior. The first was to make atonement for our sins, but the second will be to judge, to make war, and to tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Jesus wore no crowns at that first entry; but at His second, He will wear many crowns. At His first entry, the clothes of the happy crowds were thrown before Him, but at His second, He will wear a robe dipped in blood. Crowds of humble people went before Him and behind Him at His first entry, but at His second, He will be accompanied by the white-robed armies of heaven. He came to His own people that first time to be struck down, but He will come the second time to strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron. When He came that first time into the city, they announced Him as Jesus, the prophet from the humble town of Nazareth of Galilee, but when He comes the second time, He will be called by the name “The Word of God“, and will bear the title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS“.[6]
Listen, your eternal destiny at the time of Christ’s second entry into Jerusalem is going to depend upon whether or not you have properly responded to His first coming. If we receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior now, we will reign with Him when He comes again. The crucial question today is, “Who is this?”
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[1] Steven Cole, Lesson 12: Rejoice! Your King is Coming! (Zechariah 9:9-10 and Matthew 21:1-11), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-12-rejoice-your-king-coming-zechariah-99-10-and-matthew-211-11
[2] Cole, ibid.
[3] John MacArthur, The Humble Coronation of King Jesus, https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-42/the-humble-coronation-of-king-jesus.
[4] Ray Fowler, Destination Jerusalem, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/destination-jerusalem/.
[5] Robert Rayburn, The Triumphal Entry, Matthew 21:1-11, https://www.faithtacoma.org/matthew/the-triumphal-entry.
[6] Greg Allen, “Jesus’ ‘First’ Triumphal Entry”, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2008/030208.htm.
