Advent 1 Series - A
Isaiah 2:1–5
Romans 13:(8–10) 11–14
Matthew 21:1–11 or Matthew 24:36–44
1 December 2019
Stir up Your power O Lord, and come that by Your Protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.
The Lord Comes in Meekness and Humility to Save Us Now
The Lord Jesus enters Jerusalem “humble, and mounted on a donkey,” riding on “a beast of burden” (Matt. 21:5), as He Himself bears the sins of the world in His body. Now He comes by the ministry of the Gospel to save us from sin, death, the devil and hell. Therefore, we sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9).
For we are called “to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob,” His holy Church, “that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths” (Isaiah 2:3). By His Word, we “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5). That is to live in love, which “does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10).
We “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light,” for “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11, 12). Hence, the entire Christian life is a time to wake and watch, “for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
The Lamb Begins the Year – First Sunday in Advent
(Matthew 21:1-11)
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
As Christians begin another sacred church year, realize that for centuries before Christ the Jews had their sacred “church year”. God initiated this Jewish ecclesial calendar when at the Passover event He directed, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.” (Ex. 12:2). This new “first month” was the seventh month of the secular year. So the Jews in effect celebrated two “New Year’s Days”: The sacred New Year was initiated by the celebration of the Passover, and the secular New Year began with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, which itself marked the beginning of highly sacred events in the seventh month of the Jewish church year. Interestingly every seven months the Jews celebrated New Year’s Day, alternating with the sacred New Year’s Day and the secular New Year’s Day.
Some believe Christianity should begin its sacred New Year with Holy Week. Instead, most in the U.S. begin it with Advent, the penitential time preparing for the celebration of Christmas. The traditional Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent is usually a Palm Sunday reading—a reading connecting Christ’s work to that of the Passover. Psalm Sunday was the day when many at the time of Jesus—imitating that initial Passover—selected their Passover Lamb to be sacrificed at the Temple later that week. On that first Palm Sunday God thus “selected” His Beloved Son to be the eternal Passover Lamb, so by His death, death would truly pass over mankind in resurrection.
Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to fulfill His life’s purpose—to die as our Passover Lamb. This was why He was born, and thus His birth, which we will soon celebrate, is directly associated with His sacrifice as our Passover Lamb. How appropriate that we begin Advent with this Passover-related reading!
Shepherds were among the first to see the newborn Christ. These shepherds, tending their sheep only a few miles from Jerusalem, had as their primary occupation the raising of sheep for Jewish sacrifice—primarily sheep for the Jewish Passover celebration. The Jewish historian Josephus states that at a single Passover at the time of Christ 250,000 Passover lambs were slain at the temple. What a grand event and a grand feast this was for God’s people! But God’s ultimate Passover Lamb and His ultimate feast were, uniquely on Palm Sunday, arriving in Jesus of Nazareth.
Thus the Passover Lamb marks the beginning of both the Jewish Church Year and—because of the Palm Sunday reading and because Jesus is THE Passover Lamb—the beginning of the Christian Church Year. On that first Palm Sunday the Jews were preparing for numerous unwilling lambs to be sacrificed. For Christianity that Palm Sunday beheld the willing Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now we regularly (often weekly) celebrate our Passover feast: “Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast…” (1 Corinthians 5:7b, 8a)
The Lamb Begins the Year – First Sunday in Advent
(Matthew 21:1-11)
Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege
As Christians begin another sacred church year, realize that for centuries before Christ the Jews had their sacred “church year”. God initiated this Jewish ecclesial calendar when at the Passover event He directed, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.” (Ex. 12:2). This new “first month” was the seventh month of the secular year. So the Jews in effect celebrated two “New Year’s Days”: The sacred New Year was initiated by the celebration of the Passover, and the secular New Year began with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, which itself marked the beginning of highly sacred events in the seventh month of the Jewish church year. Interestingly every seven months the Jews celebrated New Year’s Day, alternating with the sacred New Year’s Day and the secular New Year’s Day.
Some believe Christianity should begin its sacred New Year with Holy Week. Instead, most in the U.S. begin it with Advent, the penitential time preparing for the celebration of Christmas. The traditional Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent is usually a Palm Sunday reading—a reading connecting Christ’s work to that of the Passover. Psalm Sunday was the day when many at the time of Jesus—imitating that initial Passover—selected their Passover Lamb to be sacrificed at the Temple later that week. On that first Palm Sunday God thus “selected” His Beloved Son to be the eternal Passover Lamb, so by His death, death would truly pass over mankind in resurrection.
Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to fulfill His life’s purpose—to die as our Passover Lamb. This was why He was born, and thus His birth, which we will soon celebrate, is directly associated with His sacrifice as our Passover Lamb. How appropriate that we begin Advent with this Passover-related reading!
Shepherds were among the first to see the newborn Christ. These shepherds, tending their sheep only a few miles from Jerusalem, had as their primary occupation the raising of sheep for Jewish sacrifice—primarily sheep for the Jewish Passover celebration. The Jewish historian Josephus states that at a single Passover at the time of Christ 250,000 Passover lambs were slain at the temple. What a grand event and a grand feast this was for God’s people! But God’s ultimate Passover Lamb and His ultimate feast were, uniquely on Palm Sunday, arriving in Jesus of Nazareth.
Thus the Passover Lamb marks the beginning of both the Jewish Church Year and—because of the Palm Sunday reading and because Jesus is THE Passover Lamb—the beginning of the Christian Church Year. On that first Palm Sunday the Jews were preparing for numerous unwilling lambs to be sacrificed. For Christianity that Palm Sunday beheld the willing Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now we regularly (often weekly) celebrate our Passover feast: “Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast…” (1 Corinthians 5:7b, 8a)
Matthew 21:1-11
"The Triumphal Entry"
Matthew 21:1-
Καὶ ὅτε ἤγγισαν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθφαγὴ [a]εἰς τὸ Ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, τότε [b]Ἰησοῦς ἀπέστειλεν δύο μαθητὰς
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
“when they were near Jerusalem they came to Bethpage to the Mt. Of Olives”
Bethpage near Bethany SE (2 miles) of Jerusalem...this is Sunday of Holy Week
Matthew 21:2-
λέγων αὐτοῖς• [c]Πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν [d]κατέναντι ὑμῶν, καὶ [e]εὐθέως εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον μετ’ αὐτῆς• λύσαντες [f]ἀγάγετέ μοι.
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.
"go to the Village 'opposite,' 'against,' 'ahead,' of you"
The Lord is in control of His own Passion. He knows where the donkey is. He Orders everything.
Matthew 21:3-
καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ τι, ἐρεῖτε ὅτι Ὁ κύριος αὐτῶν χρείαν ἔχει• [g]εὐθὺς δὲ [h]ἀποστελεῖ αὐτούς.
If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
“say the Lord has need of them.”
Jesus the Creator has/owns everything yet he has need of it. He knows what will happen before it does...yet everything is " borrowed" - manger, donkey/colt, tomb...
The donkey was the one animal in the OT to be redeemed...
Matthew 21:4-
Τοῦτο [i]δὲ γέγονεν ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος•
This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Matthew 21:5-
Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών• Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ [j]ἐπὶ πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου.
“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt,[a] the foal of a beast of burden.’”
Everything is done to fulfill prophecy - only Matthew will quote the prophecy.
Matthew 21:6-
πορευθέντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ καὶ ποιήσαντες καθὼς [k]συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
The Disciples did as Jesus instructed them
Matthew 21:7-
ἤγαγον τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον, καὶ ἐπέθηκαν [l]ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τὰ [m]ἱμάτια, καὶ ἐπεκάθισεν ἐπάνω αὐτῶν.
They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
“They brought colt/donkey, the placed their cloaks and He sat on them.”
See Solomon 1 Kings 1:32-34, a king after David, one of wisdom
Matthew 21:8-
ὁ δὲ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ἔστρωσαν ἑαυτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ἄλλοι δὲ ἔκοπτον κλάδους ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρων καὶ ἐστρώννυον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Matthew 21:9-
οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι οἱ προάγοντες [n]αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον λέγοντες• Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ• Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου• Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.
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!”
See Psalms and wave offerings in the OT - singing the same Psalms as the Passover Liturgy Psalms 112-118 the Psalms of assent - this would be the people's only response, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord... Hosanna"
Matthew 21:10-
καὶ εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐσείσθη πᾶσα ἡ πόλις λέγουσα• Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος;
And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”
Matthew 21:11-
οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι ἔλεγον• Οὗτός ἐστιν [o]ὁ προφήτης Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ τῆς Γαλιλαίας.
And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus enters, the people ask, the city is stirred ~ John 12:17 The crowd that gathers had just witnessed the raising of Lazarus...it continues to increase...
Matthew 24:36-44
Jesus Your Coming King
He came, He comes, He Will Come
"No one knows of that hour..."
Matthew 24:36
Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν [a]οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός, εἰ μὴ ὁ [b]πατὴρ μόνος.
"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Matthew 24:37
ὥσπερ [c]γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ Νῶε, οὕτως [d]ἔσται ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου•
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:38
[e]ὡς γὰρ ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς [f]ἡμέραις ταῖς πρὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ τρώγοντες καὶ πίνοντες, γαμοῦντες καὶ [g]γαμίζοντες, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν,
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
Matthew 24:39
καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἕως ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς καὶ ἦρεν ἅπαντας, οὕτως ἔσται [h]καὶ ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:40
τότε [i]δύο ἔσονται ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, [j]εἷς παραλαμβάνεται καὶ [k]εἷς ἀφίεται•
Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
Matthew 24:41
δύο ἀλήθουσαι ἐν τῷ [l]μύλῳ, μία παραλαμβάνεται καὶ μία ἀφίεται.
Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
Matthew 24:42
γρηγορεῖτε οὖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε ποίᾳ [m]ἡμέρᾳ ὁ κύριος ὑμῶν ἔρχεται.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Matthew 24:43
ἐκεῖνο δὲ γινώσκετε ὅτι εἰ ᾔδει ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ποίᾳ φυλακῇ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται, ἐγρηγόρησεν ἂν καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴασεν διορυχθῆναι τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Matthew 24:44
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι, ὅτι ᾗ [n]οὐ δοκεῖτε ὥρᾳ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται.
Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. -
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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