Main Text: Matthew 21:14-17 (ESV) 14 And the blind and the lame 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 crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Preaching Point: We must respond to Jesus’ authority with humility and praise, knowing that our response reveals whether our relationship with God is genuine or merely a counterfeit commitment to Christ.

Teaching Points:

1. Notice the Kinds of People Who Come to Jesus (vv. 14,15b)
2. Distinguish Religious Activity from Genuine Faith (vv. 15a,15c,16a)
3. Speak Wonderfully of Jesus (vv. 16b-17)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 18:3-4, James 4:6 and Isaiah 57:15. What do these passages teach you about the kind of people who truly come to Jesus?
3. What area of your life do you need the reminder that God opposes the proud but draws near to the humble and contrite?
4. Read Acts 17:22-31. Why is it possible to be very religious and yet not truly know God? What are some ways this can show up even in a church context?
5. Where might you be relying on religious habits, knowledge, or background instead of genuine trust in the person and work of Jesus?
6. Read Romans 14:23. Paul teaches that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Where are you tempted to engage in “religious activity” that is not flowing from real faith?
7. What steps can you take to ensure that your beliefs, convictions, and actions are flowing from a genuine relationship with Christ and submission to his authority?
8. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 and 1 Peter 2:9. How are you doing at speaking wonderfully of Jesus in your interactions with others?
9. Where are you most tempted to stay quiet about Jesus? How can you be more bold about speaking more wonderfully about Jesus in your daily life?

Main Text: Matthew 21:12-13 (ESV) 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

Preaching Point: We must confront and eliminate all forms of counterfeit worship and strive to establish true worship that pleases God.

Textual Points:

1. Decisively Remove Counterfeit Worship (v. 12)
2. Share Christ’s Zeal for Pure Worship (v. 13)
3. Share Christ’s Zeal for the Nations to Worship
4. Share Christ’s Zeal for Your Worship

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 21:12. What does Jesus’ response in the temple teach you about how seriously you should deal with anything in your life that opposes God’s Word?
3. What is something in your life that you have had to, or need to, remove because it leads you to twist or reject God’s Word?
4. Read 2 Kings 22:8-13 and 2 Kings 23:24-25. How did King Josiah recognize the presence of counterfeit worship, and what stands out about how he responded? What can you learn from his example?
5. Read John 2:13-17. How does your attitude toward worship and reverence for God compare to Jesus’? Where do you see a need for growth?
6. Read Isaiah 56:1-8. How does Jesus’ quotation of Isaiah 56 in Matthew 21:13 deepen your understanding of Jesus’ desire for the nations to worship God?
7. Do you share Jesus’ desire for all nations to worship God? What in your life shows that you do, or don’t?
8. Read John 4:23-24. How are you actively pursuing genuine, God-centered worship? Where do you need to grow in sincerity, consistency, or reverence?

Main Text: Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV) 1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village in front of 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 he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Preaching Point: Jesus reveals himself as the promised King of Kings and urges each of us to decide whether we will worship him as King or remain uncertain about who he is.

Teaching Points:

1. Recognize That Jesus Came to Be Your King (vv. 1-6)
2. Welcome Jesus as Your King (vv. 7-9)
3. Correct Your Deficient View of Jesus (vv. 10-11)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 21:1-7 and Zechariah 9:9-10. Why did Jesus intentionally ride a donkey into Jerusalem, and what does this fulfillment of prophecy reveal about the King he came to be?
3. Read Matthew 25:31-34 and Philippians 2:10-11. How do these passages show that Jesus is King over everyone, not just those who acknowledge him as such? How should this shape the way we think about evangelism and calling all people to submit to Christ?
4. Read Matthew 21:6-9 and 2 Kings 9:12-13. How do the actions of the people in these passages demonstrate honor and submission to a king?
5. What are some ways you can actively welcome and honor Jesus as King in everyday life? (think of your priorities, time, obedience, love etc.)
6. Read Matthew 21:10-11. The crowds described Jesus as a prophet, but their understanding of him was incomplete. What are some common misunderstandings people today have about Jesus?
7. What are some deficient views of Jesus that you have had to correct in your life either in the past or present? And how can you guard yourself against a distorted or deficient view of Jesus moving forward?