Matthew 21:7-16 KJV
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 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.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Today is what is known as Palm Sunday: The people gather the Palms for the triumphal entry recorded in John 12, because they knew Jesus was coming to the feast. This would be the feast of Unleaven Bread. It important to note this part in John because the other Gospels do not explain how people happen to have palm branches or what encouraged them to do so. This a type of coronation for Jesus, to declare him King. Yet as King he goes not to the Palace but to them Temple and clears it. According to Luke He does not clear it on his own. However it ends in healing and people praising God within the Temple in Luke.

Why is any of this important as believers? It begins the week of Passion and story to the cross. It part of the celebration of Easter/Resurrection Day. It also explains how God plan of bring Jesus to the cross had to come from the law of man and not the law of God. That his disobedience was not to the Father, and yet in reality not even to man beyond the disruption and the lost of income for the money changers and the death by Barabbas. To find out about the death caused by Barabbas you need to look up his name in a Greek dictionary, and even some commentaries. It not something necessarily recorded in scripture, but probably the Jewish historians of that day. It important to get accurate account from all sides, though no one tells the complete truth of the situation.

The crowd gathers at knowing Jesus is coming into Jerusalem, they land up making a percession line going up the hill called Mount Olives into Jerusalem. The crowd lay their cloaks, and palm branches in the road to declare him King. The crowd shout and sung praising him. In such a fashion of praise, joy, and jubilation that had not been seen since probably time of King David. Religious leaders became angry and tried to silence the crowd. Jesus said, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?(quote from Psalms 8",(Matthew) In Luke it says that the very stones would cry out if the crowd was silent.

Ask an actor that is famous if the crowd can hate you by the end of the week and be happy your alive at the beginning of the week and cheering you on. What about the politicians of our land. The crowd(mob) has not changed from even the time of Christ. People gather information, some willing to believe everything, others believing only what someone else says and then you got the crowd that just does whatever one else is doing because of the excitment of it all.

What then, do we say, the story told of both a glorious day of declaring Christ as king, turning into a day he goes into the temple and clears it with that same mob. Only for insurrection to take place and end in perfect praise within the temple and people being healed. Jesus did not head to the palace, he heads to the temple. The feast this week are in line with religious feast, but it more then that, Jesus was there to overthrow the religious leaders, why to become man's spiritual king. The crowd understood not, and in reality very few understood it at the time, because of the blindness that God was causing in the hearts and minds of the people. They were looking for a king to lead a rebellion against Rome,and to take their land back, not one to take their heart back. Before the trouble in the temple Jesus had the crowd. Did it take a few days to figure out what happened perhaps. The illumination of the crowd changed from love to hate. Jesus was there to be crucified by the world.

No doubt the insurrection was the tool used by the Priest to change the crowds mind about Jesus. It hard to imagine these events. Setting was right in the Temple because it is God house for healing, to the displeasure of the crowd by the end of the week. It was if Jesus was taking control of the Temple, and yet in reality because of who he was, He should of technically been in power and was not. Messiah should of been in authority within God's house but was not.

Can we celebrate the Triumphal Entry leading to the cross? If we can, then let us put in perspective of the glory road leading to the Temple. The celebration in the hearts and minds of the people of our King coming into Jerusalem. Coming in our hearts as we speak. Coming to acknowledgement of religious folks believe it all about the church, the building the organization failing sometimes to understand the most important thing is salvation through Christ. That church was not designed to be a clique or a clubhouse, but designed to be a place to worship and to learn more about Jesus. To come to full knowledge of who Christ is and why he came to save us from our sins. If we can drop the story line of Matthew and Luke and only see the celebration then we need not to go any further to get to the cross? No we have to read the things that caused the religious leaders distress so we can recongize in our leaders today, to recognize their desire sometimes for power in the wrong way, so we can see the good leaders of our world and help them to remain leaders in the church world. Help them in their ministry to lead others to Christ as they help you lead others as well to Christ. A church should desire for others to know Jesus, not necessarily everyone business. Church is a place that one should care about each other, but allow everyone to use their skills to share Jesus. There skills may have nothing to do with what else they do in this world. There talents for Jesus are gifts that help share Christ. To love and encourage each other to hold to the faith, to minister in love, faith, hope and all the gifts of the Spirit.

Dear Heavenly Father help us this day of celebration to remember Jesus is King of our hearts and our need to worship and celebrate the work you did to bring Christ to the cross and to raise him back up, through the way people are and act in our world. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 19:29-48 KJV
29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.