March 17, 2010
Who IS THIS?
Matthew 21:1-11
David Liggitt
Central Truth
The eternal destiny of every man and woman hangs on their answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?"
Key Verse | Matthew 21:10
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" (Matthew 21:10)
Matthew 21:1-11
The Triumphal Entry
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt,
1
21:5
Or donkey, and on a colt
the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 21:1-11
The eternal destiny of every man and woman hangs on their answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?”
I will never forget Luis Morin. He was a camper in my first cabin at Kanakuk in 1999. Luis was from Mexico and spoke little English when he arrived at camp. We became friends quickly, and I found my years of middle school Spanish actually paid off! Throughout the term Luis asked questions about who Jesus was, but he wasn't ready to trust Him with his life.
With only two days left in the term, one of my most blessed moments as a Christ follower occurred. It was getting to hear Luis, in broken English, acknowledge that God was his King and ask for forgiveness and for Jesus to live in his heart. His question of who Jesus was got answered. It was phenomenal!
The city of Jerusalem asked the same question about Jesus when He arrived on a donkey in Matthew 21. The chapter says the city was stirred and asked "Who is this?" When Jesus arrived in the city, there were crowds following Him, shouting praises to Jesus and claiming He had come in the name of the Lord. Those who saw the crowds and heard their praises wanted to know why they were acting the way they were. Who would be worth such celebration?
Although it is a daily challenge for me, I continually have to remind myself of who God is in my life. Putting Jesus on the throne in my heart is essential to the type of disciple, husband, and father I want to be. When this happens, my words, actions, and attitude reflect the spirit of Christ living in me (2 Corinthians 5:17). It should be our hope that when others ask "Who is this?" about Jesus, they could look at our lives and see the answer.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you asked/answered the question "Who is Jesus?" in your life?
2. How should we respond when we recognize all that Christ has done for us?
3. What are areas of your life in which you need to allow God to have full control?
4. What things can you do to remind yourself continually of who God is in your life?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What did Jesus ask the two disciples to do?
2. What did they find when they got to the village?
3. Do you believe all that Jesus says in the Bible is true?
4. What has Jesus asked you to do that you can do today?