Palm Sunday - Mark 11:1-11

Intro

Summer of 07. In college Richard got the iPhone. (I had no idea how big of a deal this cool phone was)

One Sunday afternoon in college I had gotten back from serving at church and I was with my then girl friend at her brothers apartment.

We had made dinner and we were goofing off in the living room playing with her brothers new puppy.

It was a pretty normal day.

Except for as we played with that puppy, I remember looking over at this girl and for the first time thinking I love this girl.

I still remember the purple shirt she was wearing.

Today she’s sitting here with us, it was my wife Hannah.

Now at the time, I was certainly into her, I liked her a ton. I really thought I love this girl.

But I can’t say I was thinking marriage.

Like if I knew in that moment this was going to be the mother of my son.

If I knew all the joys and sorrows.

All the stories of laughter and love.

Of late nights and doctors visits.

It would have overwhelmed me.

Similarly today we read about another Sunday.

It was a Sunday where people were unaware of the magnitude of what they were witnessing.

It’s a Sunday that led forward to a future Sunday that would forever change the world.

Palm Sunday is a particularly interesting event.

One that we’ve grown familiar with in Childrens events, waving branches and passing easters.

This event has something to tell us.

In a moment when many of us are battling anxiety.

We’re wondering how to move forward, we’re looking for a break, a reprieve from the challenges of life.

Looking at what feels like a Sunday School story about Jesus riding a donkey and people waving palm branches feels trite.

But there is much about this unique Sunday that should draw our attention in.

Big Idea: We are called to worship the coming King

I think many of us would connect the dots of worship with this particular passage.

But what we will uncover is not only how unconventional this entry was, but how the worship that is resounding and lasting may not be what you think.

So let’s look at the passage and see it starts with

1. Jesus Knows Who He Is (v1-3)

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” (Mark 11:1-3)

The last third of the gospel of Mark deals with the last week of Jesus’ life.

It starts with here with the Triumphal entry, what we celebrate as Palm Sunday.

Jesus comes through on the road to Jerusalem with specific instructions for his disciples.

This may seem odd to you and me, but what is happening is Jesus is aware of who He is.

Do you know who he is?

He is the Messiah.

He is the long awaited one.

He was coming to bring hope Israel was longing for.

Jesus coming in on a donkey was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Looks at Zechariah 9:9 with me:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

This is actually rooted in a deeper promise all the way back in Genesis 49 where Jacob pronounces a promise that from the line of Judah would come the messiah, the lion of Judah who would ride on the colt of a donkey.

Deeply rooted in the Old Testament was the hope of the King who would enter Jerusalem as the coming Messiah while riding on the donkey.

Jesus knows who he is.

He was the messianic son from the line of David.

Now is time to make the announcement.

Now I have to confess that I read this and I know what Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem means.

It means betrayal

Abandonment

Ridicule

Beatings

Murder.

For me I read this and I can’t help but jump forward in my mind.

But while to me this seems to be impending doom.

Christ’s awareness of who he is reminds me that this is impending rescue.

Joy shined on this Palm Sunday.

Because this Sunday anticipates the following Sunday which would bring resurrection victory.

When Jesus was born, the angel said to Mary in Luke 1:32–33,

“The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32–33)

Right off the bat this is like a lighting crack of glory. Jesus is coming to undo all that is wrong.

Jesus is king.

He had come to establish his kingdom.

He was going to turn everything upside down.

He had come to claim the victory.

He was entering Jerusalem with his face determined to achieve the will of the father.

Coram Deo, this is a glorious truth!

Jesus asks for a colt that no one has ever sat on.

As the king of the ages he had claim to anything he desired.

This donkey was to be used for a sacred purpose.

This is analogous to animals that were to be sacrificed,

When animals were going to be given to the Lord they were set aside for a sacred purpose.

They were not worked and wearied but were at their best.

But the donkey wasn’t going to be sacrificed, it would be the lamb of God riding on him that was riding forward to be sacrificed for our sake.

Jesus knew this was his purpose.

Imagine a young athlete who has trained for years to compete in the Olympics.

He knows that he's the best in his sport and is confident in his abilities.

On the day of the competition, he enters the stadium with a look of determination on his face. As he takes his place at the starting line, he knows that he has what it takes to win the gold medal.

In the same way, Jesus was confident in his identity as the Messiah, the King of Kings.

He knew that he was sent by God to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to bring salvation to the world.

He didn't hesitate to declare his mission and purpose, even when it made him unpopular with the religious leaders of his time. Even if it would cost him his life.

As we follow Jesus' example, let us also cultivate a deep sense of confidence in our identity as God's children.

Let us trust in God's love for us and seek his guidance in all that we do.

And let us proclaim boldly, like Jesus did, that he is the Messiah, the King of Kings, who has come to save us and set us free.

Set your gaze on Jesus friends.

He knows who he is.

We see he then turns to his disciples giving them odd, albeit specific instructions.

What is so encouraging as we see that Jesus knew who He was and what he was coming to do, is the response from his disciples.

Let’s see second

2. The Disciples Obey (v4-6)

And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. (v4-6)

We see some boneheaded moves from Jesus’ disciples through out the gospels

But to their credit, Jesus gives a very odd request and the disciples respond with obedience.

This would be like if I told you to head across town to the car dealership, walk in and walk into the back office.

The will be a wall with keys on hooks, grab the keys to a brand new Honda odyssey and if anyone stops you just say, Pastor Billy needs it.

The disciples have seen Jesus work in power.

In this moment when he speaks with confidence about what will happen, they don’t question it they just obey.

I wonder…how many of us just need to trust Jesus with something he’s asked us to do, and just go do it.

How many of us need to stop doing something he has told us to stop?

You see if we are going to see the promises of Jesus, we have to trust him.

We have far more reason to trust Jesus this side of Calvary.

We’ve been extended unfathomable mercy right?

But Forgiveness alone is not the sweetest gift God gives sinners.

It is far better when he not only forgives our iniquity, but replaces it with Spirit-empowered conformity to Christ.

Until obedience smells sweet to our hearts, we may find relief or comfort in the gospel, but we forfeit a greater blessing than relief.

Are you obeying Christ because you know you have his full acceptance?

Do you work from approval not for?

You see when we listen to Jesus because we know we are found in him it changes everything.

When we climb out of bed to meet with God in his word and prayer instead of claiming thirty extra minutes of sleep, God has given us a blessing already.

When we are obedient and we refuse to indulge in the illicit sexual desire by looking, clicking, or touching, a gift has fallen from heaven.

When we confess sin to someone, instead of hiding for another week, God has moved in us and for us.

When we do not dishonor our brothers or sisters behind their back, but instead bless them and pray for them, God has delivered us from temptation with a fresh experience of his grace.

If we have done what God has told us to do, with the right heart, God has done it in us, and through us, and for us.

In the moments we have obeyed him, he has blessed us.

A young minister went to London to meet with an aging William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army .

He asked Booth if he would disclose his secret for success. “He hesitated a second and then tears came down his cheeks and he said,

“I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me.

There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London,

I made up my mind that He would have all of William Booth there was.

And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”

The young ministers left went away from that meeting with Booth and wrote down in his journal, “that the greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”

Where do you need to obey Jesus this morning?

[So while the disciples obey, what we see next is the crowd sees, but doesn’t understand]

3. The Crowd Sees But Does Not Understand (7-10)

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:7-10)

Now in this crowd is a mixture of genuine worship and superficial praise.

It’s important that we know that there is a crowd heading to Jerusalem to celebrate the passover.

Part of the celebration of passover was singing the Psalms.

The hosannas they are singing are Psalm 118.

In this moment they are singing a song they have sung so many times.

But little do they know it is being fulfilled right before them

The glory of the Lion of Judah who gives himself as the Lamb of God.

He comes on a donkey’s colt to be the stone the builders will utterly reject on Friday, and that God himself will unveil as the very cornerstone on Sunday morning..

There is a lot to note here.

Branches are cut from trees, hands are raised in praise, and the most important figure in history enters the greatest city in the first century for the most important week that’s ever been

Jesus comes in not on a war horse.

But on the back of a donkey.

He rides in manifest humility

like no other ruler would dare stoop to.

This is just a piece of Jesus’ meekness and lowliness.

In the minds of the voices yelling hosanna, which means Lord, save us now, is a vision of revolution.

Israel at this time was like the rest of the world bound captive to Rome.

Jesus had grown in such fame up to this point.

As he enters the city on a donkey that’s never been ridden we can almost miss the absurdity of the moment.

The voices crying hosanna will in just a short week be crying crucify him.

The thought in their minds was that of political revolution.

There was a man in the desert. He had been walking for days, and his water supply has run out.

Just when he thinks he can't go on any longer, he sees a mirage in the distance.

He runs towards it, hoping to find water, only to discover that it was just an illusion.

He realizes too late that he had been looking in the wrong direction all along.

In the same way, the people of Israel were looking for a savior who would deliver them from Roman occupation and establish a political kingdom on earth.

They were so focused on their physical needs and desires that they missed the true purpose of Jesus' mission.

He had come not to save them from their earthly oppressors, but from Satan, sin and death.

Just like this man in the desert who was looking in the wrong direction, the people of Israel were looking for the wrong kind of savior.

They failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah who had come to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to bring salvation to the world.

They rejected him because he didn't meet their expectations and because his message challenged their way of life.

As we reflect on this, let’s ask ourselves: are we also looking in the wrong direction?

Coram Deo, here is a jarring statement but one that needs to be said.

Jesus isn’t here to establish your particular political regime.

While we certainly can and should engage civilly, we can vote, we should pray for our political leaders.

We have to remember that, as ‘strangers and exiles on the earth,’ our ultimate allegiance is to Christ’s kingdom.

The good news is not in any political system.

Whatever brand of politics you may subscribe to, the good news isn’t in those ideals alone.

The good news, friends, is in the announcement of the incarnation, obedient life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

That he has accomplished redemption from sin, death, and hell and has reconciled sinners with God.

This is heavy but it must be said.

People will leave a church over political opinions ands ideologies before they leave politics for a church.

That’s because an hour and half on Sunday vs feeding on 20 plus hours of news and political partisans ranting can’t compare.

Listen to this quote from pastor Rich Villodas (V-yo-das),

“If Jesus spent 8 hrs a day, every day, for three years with his disciples, he would have spent over 8,000 hours with them. And after all that time, they still had major gaps! 1 hour a week on Sunday will never change people. We need a life that abides in him, with the support of others. _Rich Villodas

Though the cries were saying Blessed is He Who comes in The Name of the Lord, the hearts behind those voices were in those who wanted a superficial savior for one moment in time.

What about you?

Maybe it isn’t politics.

Perhaps you have turned Jesus into a guru or a genie but you have failed to see him as lord and savior.

Jesus is transcendent.

He is for all people at all times.

Only a king on a donkey could truly save our souls, and fully satisfy them forever.

In Luke’s account of this story as Jesus rides in and there is this spectacle happening of the humble and lowly king being celebrated as he rides through town we see the Pharisees and Scribes are angered here is what we read:

Luke 19:39-40,

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:39-40)

You would think certainly those familiar with the law and the prophets would see the flashing neon sign of Jesus’ arrival.

But again there focus was off.

They were worried about Roman suppression.

If Rome caught wind of a political uprising they would seek to stamp it out and remove what little power these men had.

Friend, do not miss Jesus. Like these men.

Every week we gather to celebrate and sing.

He is here in our midst, dwelling among us in power by his spirit being proclaimed through his word.

Jesus reminds the Pharisees that even if the people ceased to sing, even the rocks would cry out.

Jesus is worthy of praise.

He is worthy of glory.

He will be glorified whether or not we choose to join in the song or not.

Jesus came in power not to brandish a sword but to put his own neck to the knife for you.

He came not to kill, but to be killed.

He wasn't accompanied by generals and soldiers, but by twelve bumbling companions.

One of whom will betray him, another will deny him, and all will scatter when his sufferings begin.

This initial clash with the authorities anticipates the coming conspiracy…

The traitor that will emerge, the fearful disciples who will flee, and the sheer demonic wickedness that will descend upon the city and culminate in his death by sundown on Friday.

He had not come to purge Israel of foreign domination.

He had come to purge his people of their sin.

Few bowed before the great King the first time He came.

However, Jesus will get the glory.

One day every knee will bow when He comes again ( Phil 2:9-11).

Are you looking?

Are you waiting?

Are you ready?

Is your worship sincere?

Or seeing him are you distracted by lesser things.

Perhaps not political agendas but other woes and worries fill your heart.

Jesus bids you come and cry out save, for the sake of your steadfast love.

Conclusion.

I think back to that day with Hannah.

How unaware I was of the joy that has come from knowing her.

I think to how seemingly simple and anticlimactic our passage ends.

Verse 11

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11)

This at first reading seemed like a throwaway verse.

Maybe just a passing transition.

But catch this

In Ezekiel 11 we see the glory of God departing from the temple, coming from the east gate, then rising up to the mount of Olives and settling there.

Here at the triumphal entry, the one whom the Scriptures define as the brightness of God’s glory descended from Bethany and the Mount of Olives, enters the east gate of the Holy City and went to the temple.

Do you see it?

In Ezekiel the glory of God left the temple, but when Jesus came, the glory of God came back.

Yet no one understood that the King of glory was in their midst.

He was about to meet the destiny to which he was called and for which He was born.

Are you ready to follow Jesus, the king of glory?

Are you ready to go out of your way to honor him?

Are you willing to find in your own life the equivalents of cloaks to spread before him and branches to wave to mark his coming again?

I fear that we have become numb

That we have domesticated and trivialized the call of Christ in our lives

That instead of being devoted to him we see him as someone who can maybe just help us with our various agendas that we’re already pursing

Jesus is someone to provide us with just a comforting religious experience.

Coram Deo…He came not in human glory but in a peculiar glory…the glory of strength in weakness.

He came on a donkey.

But He is coming again, on a white horse.

He will establish his victory forever.

So are we obedient to him now?

Do we worship with sincerity of heart?

The king is coming.

Let’s pray

Application Questions:

Do I have a low view of Jesus, how can I rightly see him as my savior and the king of Kings?

Where do I need to be obedient to what Jesus has asked of me?

Have I tried to mold Jesus into someone I am more comfortable with rather than submitting to who he truly is?

How can I worship Jesus sincerely? What proverbial cloaks and branches do I need to lay at his feet?