Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.  “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?’”

 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Matthew 21:12 – 17

Picture this, the promised Messiah enters Jerusalem to establish the Kingdom of God that he spoke of  more often than any other subject about his reign.  The hour has come.

Many surprises – neither the rulers of the Jews nor the teachers of the Law are with him as he makes his entry.  Instead, children and ordinary Jews cheer him on his way.  No one who has any authority at all is with the noisy people.  Where are the leaders of the Jews?  Jesus is coming as King of kings, right?  If so, where is the Sanhedrin?  Where are the rulers of the grand Temple, the priests and teachers?  This is not going to work.  No Jewish party is promoting Him.  He is surrounded by his 12 disciples, also bewildered by what is happening.  This is not the way they expected King Jesus to establish his throne to rule Israel.  At times I wonder what they were thinking was going to happen.

Another surprise, Jesus went to the Temple, not to the rulers of the Jews, the Sanhedrin.  The Jewish rulers dreaded Him.  They probably feared that he was going to complicate their cozy relationship with Rome.  I cannot think of one Jewish party that thought that Jesus of Nazareth should be their ruler.  He was not a priest.  He was not a recognized Rabbi.  He represented no political party, nor was he leading one. He was obviously not a king in the usual sense of the word.

Jesus went straight to the Temple where he had absolutely no civil authority.  He did not come with a sacrifice as required.  Instead of worshiping as was the custom, he railed out about turning the Temple into a place of questionable business, displeasing to God.  The people were perplexed even more about Jesus.  He was more interested in cleansing the Temple than establishing himself as the savior of the Jews.  Even the Twelve were astounded by it all.

Again, the question demands an answer, “Who is this?”  Jesus does not announce that he is King.  In any case, if he is king, what is he king of?

We are left with that question.  Jesus simply left the Temple that first day.  He slept in nearby Bethany.

It is Lent, a time of mystery and discovery.  I find myself asking if I know this man who saved me and restored me and has lived in my heart for most of my life.  I love Him, but do I really understand Him?