1. The place: Bethany to Jerusalem. (Less than 2 miles apart.) Bethany was Jesus’ Judean home and He often stayed at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Jerusalem has been considered the geographic center of the earth.

2. The time: Just before the Celebration of Passover. According to predictions 476 years earlier, it was March 30, AD 33 when Jesus came in the Triumphal Entry. It was just before Passover.

3. The setting: A colt, that had never been ridden, symbolizing the sacred purpose of this animal. A colt, rather than a horse, symbolizing, His intent of bringing peace. The people waved palm branches, a symbol of rejoicing. (Only two references in the NT, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9) They laid their garments on the pathway, a symbol of honor to a hero or a king. They shouted out, “Hosanna,” meaning “Save us!”

4. The crowd: Many came with Him as He walked from Bethany as many had witnessed His miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, as well as other miracles. The crowds continued to increase as He moved toward the Temple.

1. But, now was the time for Jesus’ public proclamation of His ministry.

2. Now was the time for Jesus to assert Himself into history.

3. Now was the time for Jesus to be proclaimed as the Savior for man.

4. Now was the time for Jesus to give His life for all mankind that we might have eternal life.

1. Jesus knew the hearts of men, and it broke His heart.

2. Jesus knew the cries of men were temporary, and it broke His heart.

3. Jesus knew the actions of men were caught up in the emotion of the moment, and it broke His heart.

4. Jesus knew the sin of man would eternally separate him from God, and it broke His heart.

1. The crowd was caught up in the emotion of moment.

2. The crowd had seen miracles and wanted to see more.

3. The crowd wanted to be on the winning side.

4. They expected something in return…and didn’t get what they had expected! Their disappointment led to bitterness.

1. Is it because of what you might get? Suppose you don’t get what you expect!

2. Is it because of an emotional experience? Suppose the feeling isn’t the same or doesn’t stay.

3. Is it because of power or recognition? Suppose none of this comes, but rather a place of a servant is what you get.

4. Is it because of His miracles? Suppose the miracle doesn’t come that you were expecting.

Or…

Follow Him because you love Him…and you want to serve Him…

because you want to bring glory to Him…

as He is your Lord and Savior…

because only He can satisfy your every need…

because you are willing to follow Him no matter what is offered to you in this world…

and because of Who He is!

“Make sure that you follow Jesus because of who He is, not because of what you think He might provide for you.”

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks . . .” (Daniel 9:25).

Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks (of which the above quotation is a part) is one of the most amazing prophecies in Scripture. If the date of the issuance of the commandment, the date of the Messiah’s presenting Himself, and the meaning of the term “weeks” can be established, we can determine the predicted date of the Messiah and compare this with known historical data.

The only decree filling the terms of the prophecy is that of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah on the 5th of March, 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1–8). The date of Christ’s triumphal entry can be established to be March 30, A.D. 33. For details, the reader is referred to “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ,” by Harold Hoehner, in Bibliotheca Sacra, January 1975.

The term week means “a unit of seven”: The events described in Daniel 9:24–27 require that a week of years be assumed.

Sixty-nine weeks is therefore 483 years. These years, as was Jewish custom, consist of 360 days each; and 483 years is therefore equal to 173,880 days.

We now need to determine if 173,880 days actually transpired between March 5, 444 B.C. and March 3O, 33A.D. From 444 B.C. to 33 A.D. = 476 years (from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. = 1 year). Modern astronomers calculate a year to be 365.24219879 days. This number X 476 = 173,855 days. Since the commandment was given March 5 and the fulfillment was March 3O, 25 days need to be added giving 173,880 days: the same number of days predicted in the sixty-nine week prophecy.

Praise the Lord: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . .” (II Timothy 3:16). BRA

*Institute of Creation Research