A Royal Prophet

## 1. What the Crowds Saw Read the main passage slowly.

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord needs them," and he will send them at once.' This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 'Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."' The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 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!' And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, 'Who is this?' And the crowds said, 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.' — Matthew 21:1-11

The crowd called Jesus 'the prophet' and shouted Hosanna, which comes from Psalm 118:25 — 'Save us, we pray, O LORD!' What did they mean by 'save us'? What kind of savior were they actually looking for?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

## 2. The King They Wanted vs. The King They Got The sermon said the crowd wanted political liberation from Rome, not forgiveness of sins. They waved palm branches and spread cloaks like people welcoming a conqueror — yet Jesus came humble, on a donkey.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. — Zechariah 9:9

Look at Acts 1:6 — even after the resurrection, the disciples asked, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' Why was it so hard for them to let go of the idea of a political, military Messiah? What makes that idea appealing even today?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

## 3. Prophet, Priest, and King The sermon explained that 'Christ' is not Jesus' last name — it's a title meaning 'anointed one.' In the Old Testament, people were anointed as prophets, priests, and kings.

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers — it is him you shall listen to. — Deuteronomy 18:15

The crowd in Matthew 21:11 called Jesus 'the prophet,' but they already had the prophecy of a coming King from 2 Samuel 7. Jesus fulfilled both roles — royal prophet — but they only wanted half. Where in your own life do you find yourself picking and choosing which parts of Jesus to accept?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

## 4. Hosanna: Save Us From What? The crowd shouted 'Hosanna!' using Psalm 118:25-26. The sermon emphasized that for them, deliverance meant freedom from Rome — not freedom from sin.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. — Psalm 118:26

Jesus could have overthrown Rome in a moment. Instead, he went to the cross. What does that tell you about which problem God thinks is most urgent — and why do we often disagree?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

## 5. Application: What Are You Actually Asking For? The sermon argued that our greatest need is not better circumstances, stronger relationships, or fixed problems — it's the forgiveness of sins that Jesus alone provides through his atoning death.

For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. — Mark 10:45

When you pray, what do you spend most time asking for — external fixes or internal transformation? What would change if you fully believed that sin — not suffering, not enemies, not stress — was your deepest problem?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

## 6. Springboard: Would You Still Follow? The sermon noted that the same crowds shouting 'Hosanna!' would soon shout 'Crucify him!' They turned on Jesus when he refused to be the king they wanted.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war... and he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. — Revelation 19:11, 16

Debate this: If Jesus promised to forgive your sins but never guaranteed an easy life — no promise of popularity, success, or even safety — would that be enough for you? Why or why not? How does the answer reveal what you actually worship?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________