Reception

Reception

Matthew 21:10-11, NIV

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Mark 11:11, NIV

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Setting the Scene

Matthew’s account makes it seem as if the first thing Jesus did on reaching Jerusalem was the cleansing of the Temple (20:10-13), but Mark’s version of events provides a more reasonable sequence, saving the confrontation with the sellers and money changers for the following day. Matthew does make it clear that Jesus was the talk of the town. Those who had accompanied Jesus into town described him as the “prophet from Nazareth in Galilee,” but not as the Messiah or the King.

Jesus entered Jerusalem and didn’t stop until he reached the heart of the city—the Temple. This would have been the masterpiece of Herod the Great, still under construction at that time. It was the second replacement for Solomon’s grand structure that had been razed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. A much smaller and simpler Temple had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel and the first exiles who returned from Babylon. Herod was creating a legacy for himself. Mark tells us that Jesus walked through the Temple and “looked around at everything.”

Since the city was filled beyond capacity with pilgrims, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany for the night, presumably staying with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Jesus entered this world just outside Jerusalem to the south, in Bethlehem. He spent his final week commuting between the city and the outlying village of Bethany. He narrowly escaped death as a child in Bethlehem; he wouldn’t escape death as the Savior in Jerusalem. His words and actions throughout this week confront us with the same question that echoed in the streets of Jerusalem: “Who is this?”

Getting Personal

Jesus went first to the center of worship in Jerusalem and looked around at the Temple. What would please or displease Jesus if he inspected your personal center of worship, your heart?

Who is Jesus—to you?

Jesus’ actions must have puzzled the disciples. He didn’t take advantage of the momentum of the Triumphal Entry. They may have expected him to declare his role as king, but instead he let the excitement of the parade die away to lingering questions about his identity. They were learning the same lesson we learn: Jesus doesn’t accomplish his purposes by our timetables, agendas, or priorities.

Talking to God

You can’t lay your coat on the ground for Jesus to walk over, but you can prepare your mind for worship by laying your life—possessions, relationships, time, values—before him and inviting him to be King.