HOSANNA

AUGUST 17, 2009 MONDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 21

TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=21

MESSAGE

“Hosanna in the Highest”

Jesus sends two disciples ahead into a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem to retrieve a donkey and a colt from a specified place with instructions to say the Lord needs them if asked why they are leading them away. This was done to fulfill a Zechariah’s prophecy to the people of Israel telling them that the Messiah would come in a humble manner sitting on a donkey. And, it happened just as Jesus said. The disciples found the donkey and colt, placed their cloaks on them, brought them to Jesus and he sat on them as he entered Jerusalem to a large crowd who honored Him as the Messiah by placing their cloaks and cut branches on the ground before Him, shouting, the Messianic words of Psalms 118 as he road into the city, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” The entire City was in a frenzy over the arrival of the prophet from Galilee

“House of Thieves”

The first thing Jesus did in Jerusalem was enter the temple area where he became so upset over the business and money changing going on in the temple courts that he put an end to all of it by tipping over the tables and chairs of those engaged in these practices and by quoting from Jeremiah to provide the Scriptural support for doing what he did telling them His house was a house of prayer, while they were turning it into a den of thieves. After clearing out the temple courts in this way, those who were blind and unable to walk came to Him and He healed them. However, his works of healing and the children's continuing shouts of Hosanna resulted in the chief priests and experts in the law resenting Him to his face which he responded to by asking them if they weren’t familiar with what Psalm 8 had to say about praise having been designated for Him from the mouths of the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And, after saying this, he left Jerusalem to spend the night in Bethany.

“Without Doubt”

The next morning on their way back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus was hungry and noticing a fig tree by the road went to get something to eat, but found it was not producing any fruit despite it having leaves and so he pronounced that it would never produce fruit and at once it shriveled up and died. In their amazement the disciples asked how the fig tree died so fast and Jesus told them that if they have faith without doubts they would not only be able to pronounce the end of a fruitless fig tree and it would happen but they would be able to command a mountain to move into the sea and it would go there and that if they believe in this way, whatever they ask for in prayer will be theirs as well.

“Fence Sitters”

Arriving at Jerusalem and upon entering the temple courts where again He began teaching, the religious leaders came up to Him questioning the authority He had to do what he was doing. Jesus told them He would tell them if they would first tell Him whether the authority behind John’s baptism was from Heaven or from people. The religious leaders were in a bind because if they said from Heaven Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe John and if they said from people they were fearful of the crowd who believed John was a prophet. When they sat on the fence and told Jesus they weren’t sure, He told them that because of their non-response he wouldn’t tell them by what authority he was doing what he was doing - although it was obvious to anyone with reason that His teachings and healings were not of man but of God.

“The Story of Tax Collectors & Prostitutes”

After this encounter with the religious leaders, Jesus went on teaching by telling a story about a man who had two sons. When he asked his first son to work in the vineyard one day, his son initially refused to go but later changed his mind and went to do what his father asked him to do. When the father asked his second son to work in the vineyard that day, he initially said he would go but he never went to do what his father asked him to do. Jesus then asked those gathered around him which son obeyed the father and they all said the first son. Jesus went on to say that the truth of the matter was that the tax collectors and prostitutes would be going ahead of the religious leaders into the Kingdom of God because when John the Baptist told people the time had come for them to repent and change their way of living, the tax collectors and prostitutes believed what he said and did so, but the religious leaders didn’t believe him and even after seeing that tax collectors and prostitutes had repented and were living changed lives they didn’t change their minds later on and believe what John was saying.

“The Stories of the Vineyard & Cornerstone”

Jesus then taught using another story about a landowner who planted a vineyard, fenced it in, made a winepress and watchtower and then leased it to tenant farmers and went away leaving it in the tenant's hands. At harvest time when he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop the tenants beat, killed, and stoned his servants. He tried sending another group of servants but the same thing happened to them so he decided to send his son thinking they would respect him. But the tenants treated him the same way, throwing him outside the vineyard fence and killing him thinking that if they removed the heir the vineyard would become all theirs. Jesus asked those gather around him what the owner of the vineyard would do to the tenants when he returned. They said the owner will completely destroy the evil tenants and lease the vineyard to others who will give him the portion due him come harvest time.

Jesus went on ask them if they were familiar with Psalm 118 where it speaks of Him as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this being the Lord’s doing - something incredible to humanly witness.

Based on how Psalm 118 summarized the two stories Jesus had just told, He informed the people gathered around Him that the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders who like the fig tree with leaves were not producing fruit and that the Kingdom would be given to other people who would produce fruit for it. He went on to say that anyone who falls on the cornerstone or who the cornerstone falls on will be destroyed by it. When the religious leaders heard Him say all these things they knew He was talking about them and they wanted to arrest Him but didn’t because they feared the crowds who viewed Jesus as a prophet.

TEACHING

Another Old Testament prophecy indicating Jesus is the Messiah, this time from the Book of Zechariah is fulfilled with Jesus public announcement that He is the Messiah when he entered Jerusalem in the humble manner He did on the back of a donkey. The people's recognition of this is heard in the Messianic words of Psalm 118 they shout to Him, “Hosanna, Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”

Immediately on entering Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the Temple where first he purifies the temple courts of corruption, restoring it to a House of Prayer before purifying those with diseases by healing them to further shouts of Hosanna! Save! from humble children who correctly perceive who Jesus is in contrast to the religious leaders who don’t and resent His presence.

On the way back to Jerusalem the next day after staying in Bethany overnight, Jesus inspects a fig tree with leaves but discovers that it is bearing no fruit so he pronounces that it will never bear fruit again because while it is showy (by growing leaves) it is not bearing any useful fruit to eat like it should be. When it immediately dies the disciples are amazed and ask how this could happen so fast. Jesus tells them that if they have faith without doubt they will be able to do miraculous things for the Kingdom of God and that if the basis of their belief is a non-doubting faith whatever they ask for in prayer they will receive because a faith without doubts is not self-center, but God-centered.

As Jesus is about to start teaching again in the temple courts that day, the religious leaders question Him about the basis of His authority. He responds by telling them he will answer them after they first tell Him whether John’s baptism was from God or from man. This placed the religious leaders in a bind because if they said from God it legitimized John’s baptism and teachings including what he said about Jesus being the Messiah, but if they said John’s baptism was from man they feared the people who regarded John as a prophet. Because of this they answered by saying they didn’t know which indicated they weren’t even competent to evaluate issues of authority. And, because of this Jesus told them he wouldn’t tell them by whose authority he was doing what he was doing.

Jesus then went on to tell two stories. The first was about a father who asked his two sons to do work for him. Initially one said he wouldn’t but later changed his mind and did what his father had asked. The other son initially said he would do the work but he never did it. The story illustrated how the tax collectors and prostitutes of Jesus day were like the son who at first disobeyed his father, but came around to obedience. The story also illustrated how the religious leaders were like the son who at first said they would obey their father but then disobeyed their father by not doing what he had asked them to do. Jesus said that the tax collectors and prostitutes listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sin living lives of change after this while the religious leaders didn’t listen to John the Baptist even after seeing how true repentance impacted the lives of the tax collectors and prostitutes.

The second story was about a landowner (God) who planted a vineyard (Israel), built a fence, winepress and a tower and then leased the vineyard to tenants (leaders of Israel) and went away, but at harvest time sent some servants (prophets) back to collect his portion of the harvest. However, the tenants beat, killed and stoned the servants (prophets). The landowner sent another group of servants and the same thing happened again, so he decided to send his only son (Jesus Messiah) who he thought they would respect but they threw him outside the fence (the walls of Jerusalem) and killed him too (crucified Him). When the landowner returned he threw the evil tenants (leaders of Israel) out and replaced them with new tenants who gave him the portion of the harvest that He was due.

Jesus then asked if they were familiar with where in Psalm 118 it talks about Him in as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this occurring due to the Lord's Hand and how incredible this is to humanly witness as they were doing at that very moment.

Based on this and the two stories he has just told, Jesus told them the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders because they were like the fig tree with showy leaves but unable to produce fruit for the Kingdom and that the Kingdom was going to be given to other people who weren’t showy and were able to produce fruit for it. He finished this teaching by saying that if anyone trips over the cornerstone or if the cornerstone falls on anyone they will be destroyed – meaning that if anyone tries to dislodge the foundation required for entry into of the Kingdom from their life, i.e. faith in the Christ, the Son of the Living God, they will suffer greatly.

HEALING

Our Father, Hosanna, to Your Son! Blessed was He who came and comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest! We praise You for Your Son’s enter into Jerusalem on a humble donkey and for the people’s recognition that He was the Messiah. We praise You for His purification of the corruption in the temple courts and the purification of disease in the lives of the people who came to Him that day.

Our Father, we ask that we would cry out Hosanna!, Save!, to Your Son at all times because we are always in need and that we would recognize the Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, through the process we call sanctification. We also ask that we recognize Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, of disease be it of mind or body.

Our Father, forgive us when we are like the fig tree, all leaves and no fruit – all show and no tell. Give us the strength and courage we need to be your disciples so that we can produce fruit for Your Kingdom, so that we can tell others about what Salvation!, Liberation!, Hosanna! is and how little children, tax collectors and prostitutes are able to come to recognize Your Son due their humility and come to Him through repentance and live changed lives when others are unable to recognize Your Son and continue to live lives thick of leaves, but lives that are otherwise barren. Forgive us when our faith is lacking, when we have doubts and when these doubts are due to self-centeredness.

Our Father, help us to be obedient to Your Word each day, to be like the son who followed through on what his father asked, to be like the tax collector and prostitute who listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sins, and to be counted among those who ahve been incredibly amazed because they have witnessed the stone the builders rejected become the cornerstone of their hearts, of their lives. We pray for those we personally know who risk tripping over or having the cornerstone crush them because they fail to see Your Son as the Keys to the Kingdom of God. Make us bold, give us courage, and take us out of our comfort zone so that we are able to speak of and show our faith and what a difference it makes in our lives to those we personally know that have yet to find you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

SONG 'Hosanna In The Highest' by Sojourn @imeem http://x.imeem.com/T4oF0LLnGQ