Real Life Selkirk
**September 27** The Question (Matthew 21:1-11)

  • Sermon

    Key Passage

    Matthew 21:1–11 NIV
    As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

    Introduction

    Have you seen that show, “Undercover Boss”?
    I love watching that show. Maybe I’m a little messed up for liking it when things go south, but it truly is entertainment.
    If you are unfamiliar with the show, the owner or CEO of a big company dresses up like a new hire and starts working at one of the branches of his own company.
    Except the managers and other employees don’t know that this is the CEO, they just think he is the new fry cook.
    As the executive goes through the work day, he observes the culture and practices of this workplace
    On some of the visits, the exec discovers that the people working in that place live out the practices that the CEO wants to see.
    They work hard to make the new employee as successful as they can. They listen to their story and show how they can best serve the customers.
    However, on other visits, there is a rogue manager who is on a power trip. That manager yells at the new employee, berates customers and lives like it is his own little kingdom.
    What that manager doesn’t realize is the real king of that kingdom has entered his domain and is about to overthrow the unruly shift manager.
    Sometimes, one of the employees start to figure out what is going on.
    They notice there are cameras following the new employee around.
    They see that the person is wearing a wig
    That isn’t normal behavior by a new employee.
    They start to ask questions to figure out what is really going on.
    There is a little bit of this going on in our text today.
    Jesus is arriving in Jerusalem. We will talk more in depth about that arrival.
    But as He arrives, there is one question that is circulating throughout Jerusalem:
    “Who is this?”
    This is the question the people of Jerusalem asked.
    There was something about this arrival that was different. Very different.
    The people were feeling oppression, struggle, and frustration. But there was a promised hope in the future.
    Was this that hope? Was it a mirage?
    The answer to the question, “Who is this?” was not merely for the sake of information.
    The answer to the question, “Who is this?” would alter their future, their lives, and their identity from this point forward.
    It is the same question that we all face today for the same purpose
    Today, as we observe the historical fact that Jesus entered Jerusalem, it opened the dialog within the heart of humanity.
    The evidence is now on the table.
    Jesus has lived, he has spoken, for us He has died and resurrected.
    this is not a question of intellectual ascent or identification.
    This is a question that must be answered and the answer for us will alter our very lives from this point forward.
    Let’s begin our journey to understand our passage today:
    Have you ever watched the show Undercover Boss? I’ll admit—I enjoy it. Maybe I’m a little messed up for liking the episodes where things go sideways, but it’s great entertainment.
    If you haven’t seen it, the premise is simple: The CEO of a major company disguises himself as a new hire and works alongside his own employees. They think he’s just the new fry cook. They have no idea the real boss is standing right in front of them.
    And as the day goes on, the CEO sees everything: The culture, the attitudes, the way people treat customers, the way they treat each other.
    Sometimes he finds employees who embody everything he hopes his company will be— people who work hard, care deeply, and lift others up.
    But other times… there’s a manager on a power trip. He berates customers, mistreats coworkers, and acts like the store is his own personal kingdom.
    What he doesn’t realize is that the true king of that kingdom has walked into his domain. And everything is about to be exposed.
    Eventually, someone starts to notice: “Why are there cameras following this guy?” “Why is he wearing a wig?” “This doesn’t add up.”
    They start asking questions. They start trying to figure out who this really is.
    And that’s exactly what’s happening in our text today.
    Jesus enters Jerusalem. Crowds gather. People shout. The city shakes. Something is different—very different.
    And one question begins to ripple through the streets:
    “Who is this?”
    It’s not a casual question. It’s not curiosity. It’s not trivia.
    It’s the question that will define their future, their identity, their eternity.
    And it’s the same question every one of us must answer today.
    Because we still live in a world of sin, consequence, and brokenness. We still feel the ache the Old Testament felt. But unlike them, we look back to a Messiah who has already come— and ahead to a Messiah who will come again.
    The evidence is on the table. Jesus has lived. Jesus has spoken. Jesus has died and risen. Jesus has entered His city once—and He will enter it again.
    So today, we begin our journey through Matthew 21:1–11 by starting where the text itself a question.
    Today, we are going to create a timeline
    The timeline will open in the first pages of your Bible and conclude in the last pages of your Bible.
    It is all going to hinge on our text today. Even deeper than that, it will hinge on one question:

    Topic

    The question

    Matthew 21:10 NIV
    When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
    I want to start here today.
    Not with donkeys or palm branches. Not with “Hosanna’s”
    I want to wrestle with the question, “Who is this?”
    As we just said, this is not a question of intellect. The answer to this question will define your reality, define your identity and lead you to worship.
    It is a question with consequences.
    We struggle with this question because our hearts are not neutral
    You are already answering this question. Every human being is.
    We talked a few weeks ago about idols; false gods and the One True God.
    Your god will determine:
    your identity
    your hope
    be your security
    provide your life with meaning
    be a means of rescue in times of trouble
    determine right/wrong
    When we ask “Who is Jesus”, you are really asking, “Do I trust Jesus to be my identity...”
    Am I willing to sacrifice my: identity...?
    That is why this question is not academic. It is not informational.
    It is transformational
    We have an enemy
    Satan will always provide counterfeit answers to the question, “Who is this?”
    All he needs is distraction, fear, sin, doubt, or pride
    “You can do it”
    “Trust your heart”
    “Stand up for yourself”
    Satan is a liar and is always going to muddy this simple question
    The question is not optional, it is eternal
    This is the one singular question that will determine the outcome of forever and ever and ever for every human being.
    And every human being answers this question.
    Jerusalem had to answer it
    The disciples had to answer it
    Today, the church must answer it
    Priest River must answer it
    Real Life Selkirk exists to reach the world for Jesus one person at a time.
    Every person you come across has eternity hanging in the balance. Do you think about that? Do you realize that?
    The ramifications of every interaction point to us being a light to Jesus or hiding that light.
    We are here to equip and empower the body of Christ to show the answer to the question, “Who is this” to Priest River, Newport, and the rest of the world.
    Before we can understand this moment, we need to understand the tension behind the question.
    This question, “Who is this?” didn’t appear out of nowhere.
    It rose out of centuries of pain, sin, consequence and a promise of hope.
    It is the same tension we feel today.

    The Tension

    We were created for perfect relationship with God
    That tension begins in the opening pages of the Bible.
    In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth.
    Everything that we know to exist comes from God.
    The NT goes on to say that EVERYTHING was created BY HIM AND FOR HIM.
    Whether you recognize it or not, you have a purpose in life. You will always chase that purpose until you find the FOR of your life: Jesus.
    No fear, no shame, no distance. We were meant to walk with Him, trust Him and enjoy Him perfectly.
    Sin shattered that relationship
    Sin doesn’t just break the rules. Sin breaks relationship.
    With God
    With others
    Even with ourselves
    This was the story of the people in this world before Jesus.
    But this is also our story today.
    We feel the same fractures of sin today.
    Guilt that won’t go away
    Shame that condemns every thought
    Conflict that divides us
    Emptiness of separation
    Consequences of sin are rampant in our world
    Sin leaves us in a pit
    David says in Ps 40, it is like a pit of destruction, miry clay.
    We are all in a hole that we cannot get out of
    We cannot undo our sin.
    And even if we could, we cannot undo the consequence of the sin of others.
    We were created for one thing. Our heart longs for that peace and perfection.
    Do you ever wonder why you long for something you have never experienced in life? But you clearly know what it is supposed to be?
    That is the fingerprint of our existence. Made to be in communion with our Creator.
    In the OT times, God saw that hopelessness and gave a promise
    God didn’t abandon humanity.
    He didn’t leave us hopeless.
    He loves us. We are created in His image.
    He didn’t leave it to us to climb out of the pit.
    He spoke:
    He sent prophets
    He made promises
    He gave an eternal hope
    It was not a vague hope. It was a specific hope.
    God promised a King
    We use the word, “Messiah” This is correct, but it carries with it a message.
    God would raise up a rescuing king
    A King in the lineage of David who would reign forever
    A King who would defeat evil
    A King who would restore relationship
    A King who would lift humanity out of the pit of sin.
    Prophets:
    Isaiah— A child who would be called Mighty God and prince of peace— A king who would rule with justice and righteousness forever
    Daniel— Saw a Son of Man receiving an everlasting kingdom— one that would crush all other kingdoms
    Psalms— Sing of a King who would be God’s Son, enthroned on Zion, ruling the nations
    David— Promise that through him would be a throne that would never end.
    Every prophecy pointed to a rescuing king.
    Not just a prophet, or a teacher, or a miracle worker
    This is how they would know their King was coming
    The prophet Zechariah told of a specific event that would mark the coming of this RESCUING KING.
    Zechariah 9:9 NIV
    Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
    Zechariah shares a snapshot of the moment that rescue would arrive
    The prophecy was not symbolic, it was specific
    For us today, the ache of sin is the same
    The pit of despair and hopelessness is the same.
    And the Rescuing King is the same.
    This moment in the Book of Matthew is a convergence of the Old Testament, the New Testament and our time today.

    The Text

    With this backdrop, we are going to look at the text for today. We will learn about who Jesus is and how this event helps us understand the answer to the question, “Who is this?”
    Matthew 21:1–3 NIV
    As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
    Jesus and His disciples begin to walk toward Jerusalem.
    They get to the mountain that is adjacent to the city of Jerusalem. From this mountain, you can look down on the city.
    Jesus orchestrates his entry into the city.
    He sends two of his disciples in to find a colt and a donkey and bring them to Jesus.
    Jesus says, “If they say anything, tell them this answer.”
    This is powerful.
    I was thinking about this as I was preparing for this.
    I was like, “Wow, Jesus was pretty specific with those guys.”
    Then I started thinking, “What if they went to the wrong donkeys?” “What if the guys says, ‘no’?”
    But then I realized that Jesus wasn’t just reacting to what He saw.
    The sovereign King of the universe was orchestrating his own triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
    These words are not words like a magician or a prophet.
    This is the same voice that spoke creation into existence.
    He is saying, “These things need to happen like this.” And they submit to His sovereignty.
    JESUS IS THE SOVEREIGN KING.
    Matthew 21:4–5 NIV
    This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
    Matthew pauses our narrative to ensure that we as readers know exactly what is happening here.
    This isn’t coincidentally, Jesus rode a donkey into town.
    This is the specific prophecy.
    This is the fulfilment of God’s plan to redeem humanity.
    The King is arriving on a donkey
    The ache, pain, struggle and sin that had consumed humanity now saw a ray of the blinding hope of God’s glory.
    Matthew 21:6–7 NIV
    The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
    I don’t know if the disciples picked up on what was happening or not, but they obeyed immediately.
    They had messed a lot of things up as disciples.
    They had said the wrong things at the wrong time. They had done wrong things.
    They were men of “little faith”
    But at this stage, they were still following Jesus.
    I love this.
    Jesus has called all of us to a journey of discipleship.
    That journey begins with “Follow Me.”
    It doesn’t say, “Then become perfect.”
    Or “Then never doubt”
    Or “Then never sin again”
    Or “Then gain all the knowledge in the world”
    He says, “Follow me”
    As you do, you will be changed.
    As you are changed, people will see me in that change. Invited them on the journey and become fishers of men.
    What it means to follow Jesus is that when He speaks, you say, “Ok, I’ll do it.”
    It doesn’t mean that you’ll know why. He doesn’t always show up to give the details.
    But He demands obedience.
    He’s the sovereign King.
    He will use our obedience to accomplish His purposes in this world.
    Notice that Jesus didn’t bring down a donkey from Heaven.
    He used the obedience of the disciples and the generosity of the donkey owner to fulfill the greatest prophecy to be fulfilled to this point.
    What can a sovereign God do with your small steps of obedience.
    Never underestimate what God can and will do with your obedience.
    Matthew 21:8–9 NIV
    A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
    A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road.
    This was a symbolic act that has roots back into 2 Kings. The laying of cloaks on the ground was a symbol of submission to the king.
    They call out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
    We use this phase as a joyful call of praise to God.
    It is the Hebrew words: “Hoshi a na”
    It is an urgent cry for rescue. It literally means, “Save Now!”
    The people were pleading and begging the one they identified as the fulfillment of the prophecy to rescue them and save them.
    Do you see their desperation? Their need for rescue?
    They identified Jesus as King. The prophesied King. They submitted to Him and said, “Save us!!!”
    Jesus is their hope.
    Jesus is their promise
    But their understanding is incomplete
    They celebrate the King they want.
    They have not yet come face to face with the sin that Jesus is arriving to rescue them from.
    They want rescue from the physical consequences of sin, not the spiritual consequences of sin.
    Matthew 21:10 NIV
    When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
    The whole city of Jerusalem was “stirred”— Literally “Shaken” or “Set in motion”
    Something different was happening.
    Something prophetic
    Something divine
    They ask the question, “Who is this?”
    The question of that moment in Jerusalem
    The question that reveals the heart of every human being from that moment through the rest of History.
    The question that determines everything.
    Matthew 21:11 NIV
    The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
    The city of Jerusalem was set in motion.
    However, there were some who were part of the “great crowd” who shouted “Hosanna”
    To these who came to see the arrival of Jesus, they answered that jesus was the “prophet from Nazareth”
    Partially true.
    But not enough.
    In this room, if a person was empowered by God to walk in here today and give a message directly from God, we would have to listen carefully to what He said.
    However, if God were to walk into the room today, we should respond very differently.
    It doesn’t mean that we don’t listen to either of them.
    But if God walked into the room, my hope is that we would not just ask him for wisdom and walk away.
    If Jesus was just a prophet, it would give us reason to listen, but not motivation to change.
    Jesus told a story about the owner of a vineyard and evil stewards.
    He sent a messenger to them and they killed the messenger
    He did this a few more times. They killed them all.
    He then sent his son, believing they would listen to the owners son.
    They killed the son as well.
    There is a difference between the messenger (prophet) and the Son (Jesus).
    The expectation is that they would listen to the son because of who he was.
    The King has arrived

    The Future

    I want to paint a broader picture for us today.
    We looked at the creation of the world
    The need for the rescuing King
    the arrival of the rescuing King
    He will do His rescuing work on the cross in a couple of weeks (for us).
    But that King is going to arrive again.
    The King who once came to rescue, will return again to reign.
    The picture of our gentle, humble King coming to be the suffering servant and as a sheep before its shearer is silent, he will not open His mouth.
    that picture will change. It will change in our future.
    This same King is coming back.
    Revelation 19:11–16 NIV
    I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
    Matthew 21 shows us the King who came to rescue
    Revelation 19 shows us the King who is coming to reign
    The first arrival was humble
    The second arrival will be unmistakable
    The first arrival was on a donkey
    The second arrival will be on a war horse
    The first arrival brought salvation
    the second arrival will bring judgment
    Scripture does not hide this. It reveals this with clarity and urgency.
    Jesus is going to go on in Matthew to tell a series of stories about the future that say, “The window is open now, but when he returns, that window will close.”
    That is why the question of Matthew 21 matters so deeply.
    Who is this?
    This is the question that must be answered by every human being without excuse or exemption.
    When He returns, He will judge that answer.
    The answer is the difference between mercy and judgment
    Between reconciliation and separation
    At Real Life Selkirk, this is our calling. This is our place in the timeline.
    We must reveal the rescuing King, now, today, with urgency and clarity.
    We must call others to embrace Him as well, one person at a time.
    Before the reigning King appears in glory.

    The Moment

    I want to expand this thought.
    We live on the timeline somewhere between the arrival of the King in humility and the arrival of the victorious king.
    We have seen and felt the ache of humanity’s need for rescue
    We have seen the humble King arrive exactly as God promised.
    We know the victorious King will return soon.
    Now, we stand in the space between these two arrivals.
    We live in a time of rescue
    Jesus came to bring rescue.
    We cry Hosanna
    He arrives to save us from our greatest need, sin.
    We are not awaiting the arrival of salvation. Salvation is here and available to us today.
    We also live in a time of urgency
    The Victorious King is getting his horse ready.
    The window of mercy will close.
    The question of “Who is this?” will be replaced with the clear and concise answer of the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”
    That is why this moment matters
    That is why our mission as a church matters.
    We live with a mission
    We exist to reach the world for Jesus. He is the King. He has arrived. He has given us His identity.
    He calls us to follow Him and invite others to be followers of Him.
    We are the church that answers the question, “Who is this?”
    Not with sermons and songs.
    Rather, with the lives that are being changed into the reflection of the Kings glory.
    The world needs to see His love
    The world needs to see His humility
    His sacrifice
    His transformation power.
    The world will see that when His church stands up and embraces the calling that we are surrendered entirely to the King.

    Conclusion — The Question That Shapes Eternity

    Church, we stand in a holy moment.
    We have looked back and seen the Humble King— the King who entered Jerusalem in gentleness, the King who came to rescue, the King who stepped into the pit of our sin so He could lift us out.
    And we have looked ahead and seen the Victorious King— the King who will return in glory, the King who will judge with righteousness, the King who will bring every story to its rightful end.
    And right now—today—we live between those two arrivals.
    This is the space where rescue is offered. This is the space where mercy is extended. This is the space where the window is still open. This is the space where Real Life Selkirk exists to reach the world for Jesus, one person at a time.
    But that window will not stay open forever.
    When the Victorious King appears, the question asked in Matthew 21 will no longer be a question at all. It will be answered with blazing fire, with the armies of heaven, with the name written on His robe and on His thigh:
    King of kings and Lord of lords.
    And so today—before that day comes— every heart in this room must face the question Jerusalem asked when the Humble King arrived:
    “Who is this?”
    Not academically. Not casually. Not theoretically.
    But personally. Honestly. Eternally.
    Because your answer to that question is the difference between rescue and ruin, between mercy and judgment, between life in the kingdom and life outside of it.
    So here is the question that must rest on every heart today:

    “Who is this?”

    **Is Jesus truly your King—or just your idea of one?**
    That is the question that reveals the heart. That is the question that shapes eternity. That is the question the Victorious King will judge when He returns.
    And that is the question we must answer— now, today, while the Humble King still offers rescue.

      • Matthew 21:1–11ESV

      • Matthew 21:10ESV

      • Matthew 21:10ESV

      • Zechariah 9:9ESV

      • Matthew 21:1–3ESV

      • Matthew 21:4–5ESV

      • Matthew 21:6–7ESV

      • Matthew 21:8–9ESV

      • Matthew 21:10ESV

      • Matthew 21:11ESV

      • Revelation 19:11–16ESV

Real Life Selkirk
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