Matthew 21:10 - Who is this?

"When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”" (Matthew 21:10, NIV)

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is recorded in all four Gospels, indicating that it is a significant event in the ministry of Jesus. Matthew is the only one to record the statement in 21:10 quoted above.

When he writes the "whole city," is Matthew using hyperbole? Perhaps he is, but it is not hard to imagine that the events as described by the Evangelists would grab most, if not all, of the people's attention.

Is our attention not drawn to the flashing lights and sirens of emergency vehicles? Whenever I hear a siren, I am curious to know what is happening. My guess is that when people started shouting in Jerusalem, others would want to know what was going on.

Here is the thought that captured me this morning. I began thinking about the different reactions of the people in Jerusalem. Some were excited and hopeful that this was indeed the long promised Messiah. Others were just caught up in the spectacle and drama of the thing (such as the Pharisees going apoplectic). Others were probably annoyed at the disruption of their daily routine (who likes traffic jams?). We know from the Gospels that others were plotting to kill Jesus. But, few, if any, were not asking the question "what is going on?"

We see similar reactions to Jesus today. Militant atheists want all vestiges of Christianity removed from society. Others view religion as an annoyance when Christians argue against "progressive" ideas such as abortion or legalized drugs. Another group likes the trappings of religion and the idea of spirituality but resist the responsibilities associated with acknowledging absolute truth. Some of us understand that without Jesus, there is little hope that things can be different than the mess we currently see in ourselves and in our society.