Welcomed as King, Confronting the Heart (Matthew 21:1-17)
Have you ever seen a parade for someone important? Maybe a president, a sports team, or a famous celebrity? Usually, people cheer, hold up signs, wave flags, and celebrate in a big way.
In Matthew 21:1–17, we see something like that—but very different. Jesus, the Son of God, enters Jerusalem not with soldiers and trumpets, but riding on a donkey. He is welcomed by crowds shouting “Hosanna!” But not long after, He goes into the temple and starts flipping tables.
Let’s walk through this powerful moment in Jesus’ life and see what it tells us about who He is—and how we should respond to Him.
Jesus Enters as a Humble King
Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem, the capital city and religious center of Israel. But instead of riding in on a war horse like a conquering king, He asks two of His disciples to bring Him a donkey and its colt.
This was to fulfill a prophecy from long ago (Zechariah 9:9), which said the King would come gently and riding on a donkey. Jesus was showing that His kingdom is about peace, not power—and humility, not pride.
As He rides into the city:
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People spread their cloaks on the road, kind of like rolling out the red carpet.
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Others cut palm branches and wave them.
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They shout:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna” means “save us.” And “Son of David” was a title for the Messiah—the promised King from David’s family line. The people are excited. They believe Jesus has come to rescue them.
But what kind of rescue are they expecting?
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
After the joyful parade, Jesus walks straight into the temple—the place where people worship God. But what He sees there breaks His heart and stirs His anger.
There are money changers and people selling animals for sacrifice, making a profit off of worship. The outer courts, meant for prayer and praise, have turned into a noisy marketplace.
Jesus acts boldly:
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He flips over the tables.
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He drives out the sellers.
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He says:
“My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”
Jesus wasn’t angry without reason. He wanted to clean the temple—not just physically, but spiritually. Worship was meant to be holy, not profitable. He was calling people back to true worship from the heart.
Jesus Heals and Welcomes Praise
Right after cleansing the temple, Jesus shows His heart again—but this time through kindness. He heals the blind and the lame, people who were often ignored or pushed aside.
Then something beautiful happens: children in the temple start shouting joyfully:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
The religious leaders are upset. They don’t like the noise, and they definitely don’t like the idea of children calling Jesus the Messiah.
But Jesus answers them with a verse from the Bible:
“From the lips of children and infants, You, Lord, have called forth praise.”
In other words, the children get it. Their simple, joyful praise is exactly what God desires. While the religious leaders are offended, the kids are worshiping.
What This Means for Us Today
This story may have happened over 2,000 years ago, but it still speaks to us today. Here are some lessons we can take from it:
Jesus is a humble King.
He didn’t come to impress people with power. He came to save hearts. Will we welcome Him into our lives—not just with words, but with true devotion?
Worship starts in the heart.
Jesus cared deeply about what was happening in the temple. Today, our hearts are His temple. Is there anything in your life that needs to be “cleared out” so you can truly connect with God?
God welcomes the humble.
Jesus healed the hurting and accepted the praise of children. You don’t have to be perfect or important to come to Him—you just need to come with faith.
Religious activity is not enough.
The religious leaders were busy with temple duties, but they missed the presence of Jesus right in front of them. Let’s not make the same mistake.
Final Thoughts
In Matthew 21:1–17, we see Jesus as both welcomed King and holy judge. He is full of love, but also full of truth. He celebrates childlike faith and confronts empty religion.
So here’s a question for us:
If Jesus came to visit your “temple” today—your heart, your life—what would He find?
Would He see joy, love, and worship? Or would He find things that need to be cleared out?
Let’s invite Jesus in—not just for a parade, but for a complete makeover of the heart. He’s the King who came to save—and He still wants to make things right today.
Reflection Question:
Is there anything in your life that Jesus might want to “turn over” so that you can worship Him more fully?
Matthew 21:1-17 (WEB)
21:1 When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,behold, your King comes to you,humble, and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them. 8 A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”10 When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”11 The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”12 Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”14 The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?”17 He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.