I want to look at the Palm Sunday account from Matthew’s Gospel. It is found in chapter 21. Just a few chapters earlier, in Matthew 20:19, we read, “17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
Jesus knew full well what would happen once He rode into Jerusalem. He spoke it ahead of time. The fact that Jesus predicted what would happen to Him in Jerusalem and had the courage to ride into the city to initiate His own crucifixion tells us that Jesus was confident of His authority.
And Jesus instructed His disciples to borrow a donkey and its colt. Luke tells us the colt was so young that it had never been ridden. An unbroken animal would calmly, peacefully support the Prince of Peace as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. The fact that the animal was under Jesus’ control is another symbol of His authority over all things.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem, not like a conquering general on a horse, but on a colt which was customary for royalty. Royalty carries its own kind of authority. That day, Jesus fulfilled yet another prophecy about Him from Zechariah. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9. Jesus entered Jerusalem just as it was said that He would. He conservatively fulfilled 300 prophecies in His lifetime.
When someone fulfills prophecy after prophecy and the words were spoken hundreds of years before His arrival, it is a symbol of His authority.
Matthew 21:8ff say it was a very large crowd that spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c] “Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
The spreading of garments down on the road before someone was an act of loyalty and a promise of support. When people are following someone, when they pledge their support, they are affirming someone’s authority.
The waving of palms was a symbol of victory and success. Jesus was being declared the winner before the real battle began to take place. Victors have authority and power. In this demonstration of support and declaration of victory, the people were crying out that Jesus had saving power. Their cries of “Hosanna,” were affirmations of Jesus’ saving authority.
We move on in Matthew’s account to verse 12 where we read about how Jesus approached the temple courts and noted how the Court of the Gentiles, the place where non-Jews could come and pray and seek God, how it had been turned not only into a marketplace, but into a place of robbery and religious abuse. The fact that Jesus took charge in that moment to drive out everyone who was buying and selling sacrifices there was a demonstration of His authority. In this bold act, Jesus demonstrated His authority to overturn broken and oppressive systems, systems that put barriers between God and His people.
Moving on in Matthew 21, Jesus began to heal the blind and the lame at the temple. The chief priests and teachers of the law saw what was happening and heard the shouts of the children who were praising Jesus in the temple courts, and verse 15 says they were indignant. That means they were angry at and annoyed with Jesus. They questioned Jesus at that point. Verse 16ff: 16 “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, Lord, have called forth your praise’[g]?”
Jesus didn’t just have a following. He had authority, and the religious leaders started to question who gave it to Him.
As the chapter continues, Jesus was on His way back into the city after spending the night outside of the city, and He was hungry. He saw a fig tree on the road. It had leaves on it but no figs. Y’all, that was false advertising. If there were leaves, there were supposed to be figs. The leaves signaled fruit had arrived. When the leaves appeared, the fruit appeared with them, but something was wrong with that fig tree. There was no fruit. It looked full of promise, but it was an empty one. So, Jesus cursed the fig free saying, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. Matthew 21:19
Just because someone appears religious doesn’t mean they are in a right relationship with God. Those in a right relationship with Him will bear fruit in their lives. Israel may have appeared to be religious, but there was no fruit sprouting from their religious actions. The same was definitely true for the religious leaders.
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.
Jesus went back into the very temple where He had uprooted the money changers! He wasn’t scared of the religious leaders. He had done a temple cleansing which readied people for some temple teaching. He demonstrated His authority to teach the Word of God, and as He did, the religious leaders interrupted the sermon.
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“We don’t know.” Wow. The religious leaders, the ones with all of the answers admitted they didn’t know. When earthly authorities admit they don’t know something, whether they like it or not, they are admitting that there is an authority greater than themselves.
They could not say John’s baptism was of human origin for they were cowards. They couldn’t face those who had believed it all. They would not say it was of heaven for they were hypocrites. So, they chose silence. They would rather be indignant than righteous. They would rather be in the dark than know the truth. They would rather rely on their religious efforts than on the righteousness of Jesus.
That’s what happens to all who reject Jesus’ authority. I’ll answer the question the religious leaders wouldn’t. No one gave Jesus His authority. He is and always has been the authority, and no man can take it from Him. That expression, “Who died and made you King?” is a flawed question to ask of Jesus. That’s how we think it works. We think someone has to elevate us, promote us, crown us or give us position or authority. Jesus had none of that. He always has been and always will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
