Matthew 21:1ff Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It wasn’t quite how we might have imagined it to be. I want you to imagine and go with me on a journey, five hundred years before Jesus to the time of Zechariah. It is written from a city that is being rebuilt, and God has brought a remnant back that have been faithful to Him. They are back in Jerusalem but they are living in fear of what is going to happen next. God sends Zechariah with a message of hope and encouragement and judgement. Consider Zechariah 9 and God’s message of hope for the nation. The people were living in the expectation of this king coming to set them free.
In Matthew 21 the people are still waiting and they are living under the oppression of the Roman empire. They are feeling frustration with their situation and still unsure of their future.