Lectionary Year A
March 24, 2002
Matthew 21:1-11

Step II: Disposition
A. Genre

(JFC) This passage tells rather straight forwardly of an historical account of an event in a day of Jesus' life, near its end on earth. It reports right matter-of-factly the place, the conversations, the actions by the disciples and the crowds and the Old Testament insights explaining the proceedings' import. The language seems to want to account for these activities as if they were more ordinary than extraordinary, more common that unusual.

B. Personal Interaction

(JFC) My first query wants to know how Jesus knew of the availability of these beasts of burden and how He knew the words, "The Lord needs them" would release them so promptly. Next, wonder how the by-standers knew to honor Jesus with their Hosannas. Then, who knew what to answer to whose questioning Who He was?

(DH) v.9 but the crowds, the ones going ahead of him as well as the ones following him, cried out in a loud voice, saying …
v. 10 Hosanna to the Son of David
blessed [is] the one who is coming in the name of the LORD
Hosanna in the highest [heavens]…

· what does it mean to go ahead of Jesus and to follow Jesus?

v. 10 … tis estin outos? "who is this guy?"
· reminds me of Mark 8:27-29 "who do the people say that I am?"
· To which the answer is manifold … Elijah, a prophet …
· "But who do you say that I am?" Peter says: "You are the Messiah."

· v. 11 the crowds here are yet of a different opinion
· "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth of Galilee."
· we are probably tempted to raise our hands like school children .. me, me, I know, I know who this is … this is the Son of God, the one who will save us from our sins … hold your horses …

C. Organization

(JFC) The availability of the donkeys is in verse 2. The words securing them is in the third verse. The crowds' Hosannas comes in the penultimate verse, number 10. The question and answer, re: His identity is in the last verse of this lection, number 11.

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