Save Us
Read This Week: Matthew 21
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “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. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” – Matthew 21:1-11 NIV
In Matthew 16:21, Jesus begins his journey towards Jerusalem. Now, finally, in Matthew 21 Jesus arrives and enters the city. This whole scene and situation is the fulfillment of Scriptural promises about Him found in Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9 where it says:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Matthew quotes Zechariah to prove the identity of Jesus. He establishes again that Christ has the authority, credibility, and power to be called the Messiah King. But he is also careful to present Jesus as the humble, unexpected, and non-military Messiah King. He does so by emphasizing only part of the passage in Zechariah.
Matthew even omits the words of the prophet that speak of the approaching king as triumphant and victorious. Instead of arriving on a war horse or in a golden chariot, the gospel writer presents the humility, meekness, and servanthood of this Messiah arriving on a lowly donkey. The nature of his transport into the city is not one of conquest by force but one of salvation through divinity and grace.
Mentioning these prophetic details also allows Matthew to stress that Jesus fulfilled every possible nuance of the Scriptural prophecy including the accolades that the crowd shouted from Psalm 118:26, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. But the first cry he records is the exuberant chant of Hosanna to the Son of David. These two names indicate two things: save us now, and Messiah King, save us forever. The first name, Hosanna, reveals the desire for salvation, and the second identifies who is worthy of doing the saving:
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Hosanna means a special honor to the one who saves. It is a shout of joy to the one who can save us now and for all time. This passage also includes one of Matthew’s favorite messianic titles for Jesus, Son of David. Throughout this gospel, we see that Son of David applies in situations where Jesus is involved in healing and saving (9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30). It shows Jesus as the healer, the one who cares for and serves the needs of others both physically and spiritually. Son of David spotlights Jesus as a humble servant figure, offering healing and wholeness, not the strong warrior king others may have been looking for as their Messiah.
Essentially, the people in Jerusalem that day shouted, “Save us now and forever, divine Messiah, our Healer!” This cry to God has not changed throughout the ages. Seasons and times have changed; societies have grown and advanced; technology has increased our awareness. Philosophy has heightened our skepticism, and religious pluralism has diluted the true gospel. But the cry of the human heart in the 21st century is the same as the one in the 1st. We want healing and salvation even when we are unaware of what it all means.
God, in His goodness, mercy, love, and grace, gives us Jesus as the answer. He was the promised Messiah that the people praised that day, and He remains the One we need now. May we look to Him alone for salvation and proclaim Him to others so that they may be saved and follow Him.
God gave me this word from Matthew 21 verse 21:
Faith is like a stream, it moves up and down
But, when you trust in Jesus it can turn your life around.
One day it may rise, the next day it may fall
But, every day it’s for certain and on Jesus, you can always call.
Faith is like an ocean, it comes and goes in waves
But, when anchored onto Jesus, it saves.
Faith is like a river, it can be quiet or rumbling
But, when you hold onto Jesus you will walk without stumbling.
When you trust in Jesus your faith will only grow.
What that means to me is that it’s all about the power of God unleashed in the lives of those with true faith. I am so thankful to Jesus.
I love this, Jeri. There are so many wonderful metaphors and word pictures of God’s love, faith, and salvation. This stanza touched and encouraged me today:
One day it may rise, the next day it may fall
But, every day it’s for certain and on Jesus, you can always call.
I am so thankful for salvation through Jesus and what it provides for my life every day including the truth that He is near to me and I can call on Him no matter what is going on in my world and how the journey takes a turn. It is a tremendous promise that brings joy and peace.
This week in Matthew 21, God gave me two songs. The first song is called “God’s Way”:
We praise you, we praise you, we praise you, our Father God
Trusting, believing, having faith, and knowing you are with us
Give us power, strength, and the will to do things your way, the right way
We are blessed to know you help us through all things – easy, difficult, and challenging
Let’s never give up because we always know our Lord is with us
Always willing to help us through all things. Amen.
God gives us the strength and the will to accomplish anything. It’s truly about trusting and believing in our Father.
The second song that I wrote from Matthew 21 is called “Temple of Our Lord” and it is also out of the message that my sister gave us during the lady’s lunch:
We are the Temple of the Lord, we are the Temple of the Lord
we are the Temple of the Lord, we are blessed.
God lives in us, yes, our Lord is with us
Listening, caring, wanting the best for His children
Just when things look cloudy, our Lord will make a way
Our clouds will become sunny, warm, and bright
For all to see him through his children
We are the Temple of the Lord, we are the Temple of the Lord
We are the Temple of the Lord. Amen.
Thank you for your wonderful message today, Pastor Heidi. We are the Temple of the Lord who lives in us. Let’s listen and obey and wait on our Father. He will answer us.
Wonderful worship offerings this week, Alma. I love how they correlated to the Scriptural truth about who we are in Christ and what salvation through Him provides for our lives. The following two lyrics from each song pulls together the promises, joys, and privileges of being God’s children and our bodies being the temple of the Lord.
Give us power, strength, and the will to do things your way, the right way
We are blessed to know you help us through all things – easy, difficult, and challenging.
His salvation has made a way for us in this life and for all time. Nothing is too hard or impossible with God. And when He accomplishes this in our lives, the world sees His goodness, grace and power that you illustrate in your second song with words like these:
Just when things look cloudy, our Lord will make a way
Our clouds will become sunny, warm, and bright
For all to see him through his children.
This is what God was saying to me in Matthew 21: “Your prayers should be made in faith, which means you have faith and do not doubt. I hear your prayers. If you are following Jesus, whatever you ask in prayer, you are to believe and you will receive. It may not happen right then because My timing is different than yours. My answer might also be not yet.
Don’t say you will do things and not follow through. Don’t keep putting things off until tomorrow. You are not promised tomorrow. When you speak it, then do it. Do not sin against the light, as it is lying to the Holy Spirit, and this hardens your conscience. What matters is living for Me, not saying the right words.”
What this said to me is if I give my word to someone I am making a promise to them. It is important to follow through. God hears my prayers and He will answer. It may not be a yes, it might be no, and it might be not now. He sees the big picture and He will do what is best for me. Don’t expect that I can get right with Him tomorrow. I need to do it today.
Very insightful commentary and word from the Lord, Kathy. I appreciate the aspect of salvation that God becomes our sustainer and facilitator of his work that you point out here. The key is trusting Him, His heart, and His perfect timing.
This is such a struggle for us as believers and especially as Christians in America where we wrestle with instant gratification and rampant impatience. You address this and drive home a necessary truth for our lives with the following section from your post:
It may not happen right then because My timing is different than yours. My answer might also be not yet. Don’t say you will do things and not follow through. Don’t keep putting things off until tomorrow. You are not promised tomorrow. When you speak it, then do it.
God gave me this word from Matthew 21 verse 44:
My rock never leaves me, forsake me He does not
My rock is strong and sturdy each time He is sought.
My rock forever comforts, protects, and provides
My rock is always present and from me, He never hides.
My rock is my strength, the power of my might
My rock is my safe haven my refuge, and my light.
My rock is the Lord Jesus and it’s to Him, I cling.
What that means to me is that it’s a call of faith, an appeal to open one’s eyes and see that Jesus is indeed the son of God sent into the world. This verse is also a strict warning. Jesus is the sure Rock of Salvation for those who believe, but an immovable stumbling stone for those who do not.
This was my favorite part of your poem: My rock never leaves me, forsake me He does not. My rock is strong and sturdy each time He is sought. My rock forever comforts, protects, and provides and my rock is always present and from me, He never hides.
He is truly The Rock of our salvation. I love the imagery of Him being our foundation and a sturdy, reliable, and forever unshakeable God for us to stand on and never waver. This is an amazing truth that comes through our salvation in Christ. Your post reminded me of some of the lyrics of the old song, “I Go to the Rock”:
Where do I go when there’s nobody else to turn to?
Who do I turn to when nobody wants to listen?
Who do I lean on when there’s no foundation stable?
I go to the Rock, I know He’s able, I go to the Rock
I go to The Rock for my salvation
I go to the stone that the builders rejected
I run to the mountain and the mountain stands by me
When the earth all around me is sinking sand
On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand
When I need a shelter, when I need a friend, I go to the Rock
1 Corinthians 3:16 says, Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.
I have learned over the years that we are the Temple of God, God’s building, like it says in 1 Corinthians 3. For me, I want to do the best I can every day for Jesus and with Jesus. I am the church everywhere I go, what I do, how I help others, how I give and make things easier for others. I love to help others not to be a burden.
I love to pray (asking God what His will is in the situations not mine), and what I can do to help someone and then do it. I know that blesses His heart. I’m so thankful that I get to do ministry with Jesus.
It’s important to keep our temple pleasing to the Lord, to check in with Him on what to do and what not to do. If I’m struggling with something, all I have to do is ask Him to help me through it. So, keep seeking and asking Father God what to do to keep your temple pleasing unto the Lord.
I love and appreciate this, Heidi. This part really challenged and blessed me:
For me, I want to do the best I can every day for Jesus and with Jesus. I am the church everywhere I go, what I do, how I help others, how I give and make things easier for others. I love to help others not to be a burden.
I want the same. I want to be the best representation of Christ and His church wherever I go. I want my life to be indicative of my salvation. The book of John says that if we love him, we’ll keep his commandments and if we love him, we’ll feed his sheep. As you so aptly said, our lives will be a tangible indication of loving Jesus because we are loving and serving Him and others.