That's Who? Riding on a What? Why?, Part 2

Jesus often surprised his listeners with shocking illustrations. For instance, to teach his ambitious disciples a lesson on humility reported to little children as models for greatness and to teach about generosity deported to an impoverished widow as a model of generosity today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll shows us one of the most gross scenes in the entire Bible. Why did Jesus choose to enter Jerusalem hailed as the King of the Jews riding on a donkey titled his message. That's who. Riding on a what is it something about Paris to build this building we were in this the smaller multipurpose building as we first got started here and we were interested in the in the culture and the climate around us. Many you see us as being the buckle of the Bible belt were surrounded by people everywhere in this area to carry a Bible believing the Bible really know Jesus.

And on and on. So we dispatched a group of our members younger middle older like with clipboards and we had to go to the local mall Briscoe center and we haven't asked who is Jesus you would be amazed how many had no clue they had no clue what man want to know if it was a trick question. He asked his friend. Others took a stab at it and their answers were all over the spectrum, very few were able to identify Jesus.

You know what even more so now because there are so many more of us in so many who come who have no clue. Truth be told, you may not be able to fill out a 3 x 5 card answering the question, who is Jesus of Nazareth in one or two sentences. For that reason and many others were so glad you're here because we believe in Jesus and we want to help people know him better.

Not in a religious way, but in a real way so that you can understand how beautiful he imperfectly fits into your world into this world in which we live into every culture and for that reason, we pray and and we give our gifts so let's pray first off Lord want you to know how much we love you we told you that a number of times, but today maybe not until now and so right now I want to go on record and tell you we love you we love your son we love the work of your spirit as he moves among us, encouraging and comforting and guiding and convicting filling us with hope and renewing us when were down and refreshing us when were trouble and comforting us when were grieved. We love you Lord and we love your son Jesus, and we love this book that tells us all about this and as you introduce him to us in various ways. Like today. I pray that we will take it in and let it let it land deep within us that we might realize that when you put these things in your book you meant every word of it and you designed it to shape, strengthen and stabilize our lives. May that be the result of today's time together may believe impressed with you and more convinced than ever that your word tells us the truth. Thank you father for the joy of giving. We learned that joy from you because you so loved us. You gave us your son and in return we so love you. We give from our occupation from our savings from our positions. How thrilled we are to do that and we do so with confidence find favor in the reason we give and in the gift itself. Bless those who cannot give today encourage all of us father as a result of the time together may believe again impressed with you and confident in your word in the name of Jesus whom we love to whom we give our gifts today.

Everyone said amen you're listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures.

Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck that he titled, that's who. Riding on a what why for those who came expecting a conquering king with a enforcer price but most came not having a clue. Frankly, he prefers for his arrival in the first three verses according to the narrative in Matthew 21 remember how often he said don't tell anyone about this.

Even after an incredible healing. Don't tell anyone after a major meeting don't share this. Those who wanted to make him king, he slipped out of their presence and hit himself away, less the presume that it's time for him to become the conquering king that will come later, but first he must die.

The disciples's it seemed, would never get that straight was interesting about this scene and objects. In contrast, earlier is that now he comes in the limelight is as if he saying that everyone don't hold back.

Let your praise sound for let your words be heard by all. I'm coming as your Messiah. Look at the words he tells his disciples go into the village verse two. As soon as you enter it you will see a donkey tied there with it's cold beside it. Donkeys are not told animals not at all. The height of a horse there already shorter but a cold is even shorter than the donkey itself. The mother of the glove.

The cold there will be a cold, standing beside it untied them you wanted both of them bring them to me. If anyone ask what you're doing.

Just say look at the password the Lord needs them. Matthew writes this took place to fulfill the prophecy noteholder place here and will be right back, go back to Zechariah we are going back get this 500 years. 500 years before the moment recorded in Matthew 21 we go back to the writing profit.

Zechariah chapter 9 verse nine, the see what he says rejoice, O people of Zion shout in triumph a little over people of Jerusalem look at this 500 years earlier. Look your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious. Yet he is humble, riding on a donkey riding on a donkey's colt God who has a full panoramic view of all time and beyond, from eternity past to return the future has pinpointed the Zechariah 99 statement with the fulfillment of it in Matthew 21, such want you to see word was written. Zechariah 9. So let's go back to Matthew 21 and Matthew runs ahead and says this may look like it was a spontaneous moment. It wasn't that it all was all part of the fulfillment of prophecy tell the people of Jerusalem look your King is coming to some familiar is exactly what we read in Zechariah your King is coming to you is humble, riding on a donkey riding on a donkey's colt picture. It is sitting on the back of this colt of a donkey little Louis humble seen as Jesus coming into Jerusalem as a king roars the chariot where were the stallion's this isn't that kind of entrance. This is in an entrance of surrender of submission and humility, something we rarely connect with the cane.

If the fulfillment of a prophecy and Jesus is fulfilling it.

Riding on the back of a cold. There's more. Keep reading.

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded the brought the dog in the cold to them through their garment over the cold, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of them. Others whose were Palm Sunday comes in cut ponds or cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. This was out of respect for the one coming.

Jesus was in the center of the procession and the people all around him were shouting look at what they were shouting this is a spontaneous shell or was it look. Praise God for the son of David. Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Praise God in the highest heaven. I love your Bible is so marked, but mine is a different font when I get to that verse here in verse nine, which tells me that it is a quotation when I trace the quotation you were a windup show you go back not to Zechariah go back to the song's way back to Psalm 118 verses 24 and 25 because that will be exactly what is being said by the crowd as Jesus enters on the donkey look at verse 24 learned. By the way, when you study your Bible to go from one passage to another to fill in the things that one section of one passage will not complete, you will see it all.

This is the day the Lord is made on reading from Psalm 118 24. This is the day the Lord is made we will rejoice and be glad in it. Now look closely you see it somewhat 1824 and 25.

The reason I had you turn is because these are the words that were spoken by those who recognize him as he comes into the city.

Please Lord, please save us. Please Lord, please give us success. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We will bless you from Bob house of the Lord, the Lord is God shining upon us, and further goes on, but I wanted you to see Lord save us. Hoshi on the horse you know we get our word. Hosanna, from that, it means save now. Now I'm sure when the psalmist wrote this is the Psalm identified allusion identity.

Whoever the psalmist was that wrote this. You wonder if he had some concept of word would wind up where it would be said with the very thing he writes is being stated by those who are witnessing Jesus coming in on the back of the cold. The footnote from the net Bible reads the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expression meant all Lord save us in words familiar to every Jew. The author is indicating that at this very point. Every messianic expression expectation is now at the point of realization, it is clear from the words of the Psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic chain is the fulfillment of the messianic statement and they are making the statement in honor of Jesus himself. He's fulfilling the prophecy. Praise God in the highest heaven. This is a great moment. By the way, it's a courageous moment for Jesus is is was wanted and I were in our church today is pictures in every post office he sees not he could hidden out income and some back road, but he doesn't he not only enters from the height of Mount Olive. The Mount of olives. He enters in a way that no one should miss sees a man sitting on the back of a colt of a donkey in the crowd of followers. Don't forget the two blind men who have been healed never last time we were together. There the crowd there.

There shouting there praising God.

They were that he was living out the fulfillment of that prophecy. What a great moment to pause here and a little sticker breath in the limit tell you to be a page out of my own journal I do that I use my story because I don't know yours. If I did it. Maybe yours would be far better than mine, but I'm going to use my I know in measured something of what that must've felt like and that needs an explanation because I'm certainly not in that category of one to be praised, but I do understand what it must feel like to live to the point of something being fulfilled. I was raised in a very modest home. As I Recall Our Little Pl. in East Houston on Queen Street because my folks. Not even $6000 of and was a house that was built on blocks some of you know what that means and it was it. It had asbestos siding that will dated moment and we had three little bedrooms and we had a one bath tiny bath. We had a little kitchen and we had a dining living room, combined in the front porch that we screamed in after we moved in and the little of slab was called a three bedroom with one bath in the slab. The little ribbon driveway that you drove in. If you stayed on the ribbon you drove in and you got to the concrete slab are you part your car that was where I grew up my older brother Orval. My older sister Lucy and I all grew up there in our younger years our teenage years and a little beyond my mother never was employed outside the home and my father was a very diligent labor and was a part of the war machine.

The result to over the draft, and so very patriotic.

We were there through the war etc. World War II, and in my mother but you have to understand how she was put together.

She she she really love the Lord and she really wanted us kids to love the Lord will the first part was working for her, but the last part was a little later coming out for my brother. He loved Jesus when he was in the womb but that's another subject, and I didn't so I'm getting ready God play sandlot football.

I must've been 1112 years old and I'm running to the kitchen and my mother's is Charles Camilla to show you something you not I could kind of feel a pay mother's sermon coming on and I didn't want to really sit through it or stand through. It was a mother like I can do it later when I come back. He's a know you're going to come here right now want to show you what the Lord gave me and it has you in my I thought, oh brother what's is going to be an idea stood there and was gonna toss the ball over the years. She said standstill and listen to me so I did and she said I've been reading in Proverbs and I found the verse for you and I thought, oh brother.

What verses that can be. She said it's Proverbs 1816. She had rented out on a little 4 x 6 card and she had taken on the wall in front of the sink. It read a man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. I thought that's right.

Mom can I go and she said no I'm going to tell you what this what the Lord is told me about this and I know mom you know all the guys awaiting at therefore she said, listen to me. She said I believe that the Lord is going to use you in ways it we would never ever guess up as is.

Mom, I hope he does in every through she said listen to me when you are older you will realize that God is fulfilling this in your life. So I kinda tilted my head and I read it again man's gift makes room for him whatever that meant and brings him before great men in light of our little home in our little modest, growing up years of great people didn't register with me and it meant a lot to her. As I recall she tears in her eyes and that she said put her arms around me and she said what you know I'm claiming this for you. Well, it's hard to know what to say.

After that is, especially with the prophetess standing there with her arm around you and I said that's great mom keep claiming orbit through an she didn't like that response.

I laughed and a photo brother. Why couldn't I have just a normal mother that just fixes the meal and we eat and do the dishes and and and go on but I got this is Martin Luther as a mother here in any way she met, well, she really meant will and she did was just talking about. Well let me let me cut to the chase consists time is moving on hub.

I want you to know how that unfolded in my life I would've never guessed how the grace of God would work it out. I want to say this before going further, announcing more next time a mother's I want to say to you, mother's don't hold back. God gives you wonderful things and you have your little family.

Or maybe large number family as he leads you here to share with him, but he gives you do make a difference in a message originally delivered on Mother's Day. Chuck Swindoll spoke to the unparalleled influence of moms upon their children listening to Insight for living and is much more from this 21st chapter of Matthew, the Chuck wants to show us. Maybe today's teaching has inspired you to dig deeper into the book of Matthew on your own.

If that's the case, let me remind you about the searching the Scriptures.

Studies that are easily accessed online. Feel free to print out the PDF and use the notes in your personal quiet times and pastors and leaders can use these notes for teaching a class or preparing a sermon to access the searching the Scriptures guide for Chuck's daily teaching go to Insight.org/studies and as we conclude today's program I'm inviting you to become one of our monthly companions study financial support from our monthly companions has accelerated our pursuit of an audacious God sized dream and that is to bring insight for living to all 195 countries of the world. We refer to this mission as vision 195. By becoming a monthly companions you can have a ministry of your own by participating in vision 195 to sign up right now.

Thomas if you listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or go to Insight.org/monthly companions to give a one-time donation today. Once again, call us if you listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888.

Thanks for your generous support in March 2022 Insight for living ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God Chuck Swindoll for thousands of years no place has been more meaning to God's children in the land of Israel. The rugged landscape reminds us to find refuge in God alone. The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ's every nation and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll, Insight for living ministries six through 17th 2022. Every time I visited the holy land of returned home with the refreshed heart for God and a renewed vision for the world. Really, I mean it every time. So I want you to have the same life changing experience to learn more, go to Insight.org/events call this number 1-888-447-0444 Insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend.

I'm Wayne Sheppard sitting in for my friend Dave Speicher. Be sure to join us again Tuesday when Chuck Swindoll continues her study in the book of Matthew on Insight for living.

The preceding message that's who. Writing a lot. Why was copyright in 2017 and 2019 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2019 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited