Read Matthew 21:1-11

Discussion Question 1: Have you ever been swept up in a communal reaction?

Think about being at the big game watching your team win as the crowd goes wild and strangers are hugging and high-fiving, or even when you see THE WAVE coming around the stadium. Or how about being in the high school cafeteria and all of sudden someone bursts in and yells, “FIGHT!” Like sheep, everyone runs out and is soon caught up in the chaos, chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The truth is a lot of our reactions to things are influenced by the masses. We can get swept up in the relevance and hysteria of a moment. Today, we’re going to touch on two instances that occurred during Jesus’ final week in which the people got swept up in a moment. The first moment is this very moment when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. You see, as Jesus says in John 12:23 (NKJV), “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.”

And so, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to fulfill His mission, people began to stir and suddenly everyone was getting swept up in it, laying out palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!” The phrase in the highest implies to the utmost, highest degree, or in the highest heavens. Many scholars believe the people were likely calling on heaven to participate in glorifying Jesus with cries of salvation to confirm the growing suspicion that He was the promised Messiah.

It’s not hard to imagine getting swept up in the excitement and buzz around the movement of Jesus. For three years, this Man from “Nazareth in Galilee” had gone around performing incredible miracles, demonstrated unmatched authority over the physical and supernatural world, and taught revolutionary, authoritative teachings the likes of which had never been uttered. Literally days before this, Jesus taught the crowds that He was “the good shepherd” (a designation reserved for David) and had raised Lazarus from the dead! And so, with excitement and expectation at a fever pitch, the masses joyfully shouted in unison.

Sadly, we humans, like sheep, are fickle and easily swayed, and days later the same people that shouted, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” would shout “Crucify Him!” This is the second instance. Here, the Pharisees incited the crowd to demand Jesus die a gruesome death reserved for criminals. But here’s the craziest thing about this: Jesus knew this would happen! He knew He’d be betrayed, suffer, and be subjected to a criminal’s death. But He did it anyway because He loves us so deeply, completely, and unconditionally!

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) tells us, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” What joy? The joy of redeeming and restoring us to a right relationship with God, to make us children of God, to give us everlasting life! He did it for the joy of you! Psalm 18:19 (ESV) says, “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” Let this sink in: Because Jesus delights in you and desires a relationship with you, He endured the cross.

If we’re to get swept up in anything, may it be the reality of who Jesus is and what He did for us!

Discussion Question 2: Why is it so easy for us to get swept up in the reactions of others?

Discussion Question 3: Why do you think many of the same people who shouted “Hosanna” also shouted “crucify Him”?

Read Matthew 21:12-13

As Jesus’ final week began, His issues with the established religious order escalated, starting when He rode into Jerusalem. Things heated up even more the following day as Jesus walked into the temple and saw those He referred to as “robbers” taking advantage of God’s people.

There’s something powerful you need to see here. Did you know this wasn’t the first time He did this? In John 2:13–25, we’re told that toward the beginning of His ministry, three years earlier, He did the very same thing! So, if you think about it, He pretty much bookended His public ministry with the same action: clearing the temple.

Why is this important? Because it’s exactly what He does in us! When we first come to Jesus, He comes into our hearts and lives and cleanses our temples so the Holy Spirit may dwell in us. He turns over the tables of our old self. He drives out the thief who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our souls (John 10:10) and takes up residence in our temples. He who made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) now makes His dwelling within us (Romans 8:10).

But thank the Lord that’s not the end of it . . . How so? Because just as He returned to Jerusalem and turned the tables over again, every once in a while, our hearts require tables to be turned over again! From time to time, sometimes from minute to minute, we need the Lord to turn over tables of idolatry, strongholds, secret sin, and bitterness we’ve allowed to slip in and set up camp. We need Him to drive out the things that have set up residence in our hearts that are not of Him. And the beautiful thing of it all is that He never loses His zeal, passion, fire, or fervor for us! His love never needs rekindling. He’s eternally zealous for us, and He never gives up on us.

Discussion Question 4: The dictionary defines zeal as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.” Some related words include passion, vigor, intensity, devotion, fervor, and fire. What does it mean to you that Jesus is zealous for you . . . for your heart and mind and soul and life?!

Read Matthew 21:14-27

Have you ever had a moment of leaving others speechless? It’s the sort of moment that leaves you feeling pretty cool. Jesus had a lot of these moments! He would often leave people speechless because of the way He presented truth so boldly and confidently. He didn’t just speak truthfully, He spoke with authority.

One of our first images of Jesus in the Book of Mark is Him casting out a demon in Capernaum. After doing this we read, “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him’” (Mark 1:27 NIV).

With His teaching and His words came healing, new life, and freedom! This is a huge reason why people were drawn to Jesus, and news about Him spread like wildfire! At the same time, this is also the reason why many synagogue leaders wanted Him dead. That is where we find ourselves today nearing the end of Matthew.

In this Scripture, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts when the chief priests and elders ask Him by what authority He is teaching and healing. If you haven’t noticed already, throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus always responds to questions like these with wisdom and cleverness. He doesn’t fall into the trap of His enemies and remains true to His identity. In today’s passage, Jesus answers by asking the synagogue leaders a question that exposes their hearts. They were both afraid of His authority being divine and afraid of the people. Overall, they were too concerned with their own “righteousness” and reputation.

Jesus knows our hearts. He knows that if He were to just plainly announce that He was the Savior and divine Son of God, He would probably attract a crowd of people who were only interested in the hype rather than true faith. His miracles, teaching, and overall ministry already drew a crowd nonetheless, so perhaps the reason Jesus tends to speak in parables and avoid answering these ill-intended questions from His enemies is because He’s more interested in cultivating faith in people.

Faith doesn’t exist when we have all the answers. Faith exists when we acknowledge our weakness and frailty and choose to trust in something greater than ourselves. True faith exists when we allow God to be the true King of our hearts and exercise all authority in our lives—and this is what Jesus came to show us: that He is the King, the One with all authority, and the only One worthy of our complete faith, trust, and worship!

Discussion Question 5: What does it mean that Jesus had authority unlike anyone else on the earth? What does this mean to you in your life?

This Week

Find a time this week for reflection and meditation. Ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal anything that has set up camp in the temple court of your soul that shouldn’t be there, that isn’t from Him, and that’s impacting your relationship with Him.

Memory Verse

“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 21:8–11

Prayer Guide

Jesus, I thank You for the hour that came where You were glorified by being lifted up on the cross. I thank You that Your glory came through the utter defeat of sin and death on my behalf. I pray that today and every day, by Your Spirit, You would guide me and help me to not get swept up in cultural movements, but in the movement of Your Spirit to accomplish Your perfect purposes in my life and in the world. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

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