Worship of the Moment or Enduring Adulation?

Matthew 21:1-11

The Triumphal Entry

1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 "Tell the daughter of Zion,
'Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"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 had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"

11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King of Israel in the way prophesied long ago in Zechariah 9:9 on a donkey’s colt.  He told two of His disciples exactly where to find it and what to tell the owner if asked what they were doing to prevent them from being accused of stealing it.  It also demonstrated that the Lord of all knew where and when to find the necessary royal transport for that moment.  This means of transport was still a noble method and the donkey symbolized that Jesus was coming in peace, not war, and that his was to be a gentle, peaceful reign of their King, not a hostile takeover from the Romans in a worldly way of battle.  The followers of Jesus did as instructed and put their own clothes on the donkey for the King to sit on as He entered into the city of the great king (Psalm 48:2).  A huge crowd came to welcome Jesus with their clothes and palm branches covering the way for him to enter into their presence as a token of worship.  They even cried out their praises from Psalm 118:26 (and with Psalm 28-29 in mind as well).  They exalted their King for that moment before later turning on and condemning Him.  Many not in the crowd were asking who this man was and the crowd answered that He was the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee, not the Messiah even though they clearly knew Him by His good and miraculous works and words seen and heard.  How we can be like this at times also, praising Jesus on moment but not clearly as the true King and divine Son of God in the forefront of our minds when we worship.  Who He is matters more than the emotional moment we are swept up into!  May we worship the Christ who is Jesus in spirit and in truth in lasting adulation and not just the emotions of the moment.