June 24, 2025 - Matthew 21:9-11 - "Jesus of Nazareth"

Matthew 21:9-11

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

As the LORD Jesus entered Jerusalem that final time before His crucifixion, He did not come as men expected. No war horse bore Him, no royal parade preceded Him. Instead, He rode on a lowly donkey—fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Zechariah: "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5). This was not the triumph of worldly power, but the triumph of meekness and divine purpose.

The crowds cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” acknowledging, at least in part, the Messianic identity of Jesus. They lifted a phrase from Psalm 118—a psalm that speaks of the coming salvation of the LORD. “Hosanna” means “save now,” a cry of deliverance. Yet they misunderstood the salvation He came to bring. They sought a deliverer from Rome; Christ came to deliver His people from their sins. They expected an earthly throne; He came to reign from the cross.

We understand that this event marked the final declaration of the King to the people of Israel. He presented Himself as the prophesied Messiah—“Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee”—not merely as a teacher or miracle worker, but as the very fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Yet within days, the same city that shouted “Hosanna” would cry out “Crucify Him.”

This entry into Jerusalem was not the beginning of a national revolution but the march toward the final and finished work of redemption. It was here that the sovereign purpose of God in Christ would culminate at Calvary. Israel’s rejection of Christ would bring judgment upon that generation—fulfilled in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed and the old covenant system ended. But even in that judgment, we see grace—for it made way for the everlasting covenant, the Gospel of Christ to the nations (Hebrews 8:13).

The people asked, “Who is this?”—a question that echoes through every generation. This Jesus of Nazareth is more than a prophet; He is the eternal Son of God, the Redeemer of His elect, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In Him alone is salvation, not from earthly oppression, but from divine wrath. He came to save His people, not by force, but by giving Himself as the Perfect and final Sacrifice for sin.

To those taught of God, this lowly King is the exalted LORD. To the natural eye, He seemed weak, but through His humiliation came victory. He entered Jerusalem not to claim a throne of gold, but to bear the cross of shame—and by that cross He triumphed over sin, death, and the curse of the law. Let us then behold Jesus of Nazareth with eyes of faith, rejoicing not in what He might do for our outward lives, but in what He has done in satisfying divine justice and reconciling us to God. Blessed is He indeed Who came in the name of the LORD—for He came to “save His people from their sins.” May our cry be not merely “Hosanna,” but “My LORD and my God.”

Here we behold the meek and majestic King entering Jerusalem—not with the pomp of earthly rulers, but in lowliness and righteousness, fulfilling my prophecy and revealing Himself as the true Messiah. The multitudes cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, yet many did not understand the nature of His kingdom or the purpose of His coming. The Scriptures reveal Christ not as a political deliverer, but as the divinely appointed Savior Who came to redeem His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Though Jerusalem asked, “Who is this?”, the redeemed know: He is Jesus of Nazareth, the LORD of glory, Who came to fulfill all righteousness and accomplish salvation by His cross.

May we bow to Him in faith, praising Him not for what men expected, but for Who He truly is—the King Who saves by grace, reigns in truth, and is worthy of all worship.