The Liberating King

Palm Sunday  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  47:08
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Intro

The Lord is a Holy God. He cannot dwell in the presence of sin. At one point, the glory of the Lord dwelt in the temple and lived among the people of Israel. But the sinfulness of Israel was so great, and their whoring after other gods was so extreme, that the glory of the Lord departed from the temple.
Ezekiel, one of the Lord’s prophets, received the vision of the glory of the Lord departing from the temple and from Jerusalem:
Ezekiel 11:22–23 ESV
Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.
After speaking divine judgment against sin, the glory of the Lord departs from Israel. How utterly forsaking that must have felt. Once a proud and mighty people, upheld and protected by a loving and caring God, now abandoned and left to die by that very God, not on account of God but because of the people who failed to uphold their covenant with him. It would be an understatement to say that the absence of the Lord’s presence in Jerusalem would leave a void in the people. This was Israel, a people whose whole identity depended upon salvation by the Lord’s hand. Now they were a people doomed to judgment for the sake of sin, and God’s glory had lifted up and departed from them.
But the Lord gave this prophecy: That he would not depart from his people forever. That he would not leave them in exile, but that he would gather them back in and give them a heart of flesh, a living heart, instead of their heart of stone, their dead heart, so that they may walk in the upright statutes of the Lord and obey them.
And there was a direct fulfillment of this prophecy: Once the people of Judea had been exiled for 70 years, the Lord reunited the people by drawing them out of the nations to which they had been scattered. Those who returned were strong in the faith and rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem.
But notably the glory of the Lord’s presence did not fill the new constructed temple. Though the people returned and the physical temple had been rebuilt, the Lord remained departed from his people, even though it was prophesied his glory would return.
Ezekiel 43:1–2 ESV
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
But the glory of the Lord did not return when the people were gathered back in from the Babylonian exile.
Instead, there was silence from the Lord for 400 years, until one who came in the spirit of the prophet Elijah would cry out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord!
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, which is a special Sunday for believers. It’s a celebration of the Lord, who did not abandon his people, but who came back for them even though they had distanced themselves because of sin. But this time, he would cut to the root of the problem of the relationship: He would come back to save, to set the captives free by cutting off the bonds of sin and death and usher in spiritual freedom and peace. Yet God did not enter as an earthly ruler might, but as a humble king, riding a donkey.
Jesus Christ is the Liberating King. He is the fulfillment of prophecy, the return of the glory of the Lord to the people so that they do not remain distanced from the Lord. He accomplished this through his death on the cross, his burial, and his resurrection. In his act of sacrifice he would unite those who were far off with the Father by making a way for their sins to be covered so they can enter his presence. A Holy God connected with his Holy people. Not only did Jesus come to reunite his people Israel to himself, but he has extended his call to anyone who would hear, from the far reaches of the ends of the earth. And that is good news for us, here and now.
So let’s revisit the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, which begins the commencement of the passion week. If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Matthew 21, where we will be reading verses 1 through 11 … again that’s Matthew 21:1-11. And I will also be reading Luke 19:39-40. All four of the gospel narratives give an account of Jesus entering into Jerusalem. It’s one of the indicators to us that this is such a huge and significant moment. And as we approach Easter Sunday I would encourage you all to read through the gospel accounts of Jesus’ final week, from his entry into Jerusalem on to his resurrection. Compare them with each other. Find similarities, differences. And learn from the Lord’s spiritual truth which he has stored up for you. Let’s begin that reading by taking a look at Matthew 21:1-11:
Matthew 21:1–11 ESV
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying 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. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “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.’ ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Then Luke adds,
Luke 19:39–40 ESV
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.”
Let us pray.
(pray)
In preparation for this sermon, I’ve taken a close look at all the accounts of the triumphal entry.
Being the Bible scholar that I am, I found three main points of similarity between all of the gospel accounts:
Directional Entry
Mode of Entry
Celebrated Entry
All three of these similarities point to one essential truth, and that truth is our main idea for the day:

Main Idea: Jesus Christ is the Liberating King.

In other words, God did not leave humanity abandoned in their sin, but he humbled himself and stepped down into our mess so that we might take a hold of his hand extended in love toward us and be pulled up to righteousness and holiness. And specifically, it is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, who accomplishes this.

1. Directional Entry

Jesus entered Jerusalem through the East gate from the Mount of Olives. The mount is mentioned in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But it’s an important signifier for us, the reader. It’s in the eternal word of God that will never pass away, so let me ask you the question:
Why is this detail important? Why is it important which direction Jesus entered Jerusalem? (pause)
Well, remember the passage in Ezekiel we read at the beginning? The Glory of the Lord exited out the East Gate and remained on the mountain … Which mountain resided to the East of Jerusalem? You guessed it, the mount of Olives. And remember later in Ezekiel when it’s prophesied that the Lord’s presence would return through the East gate? Yeah … this is the fulfillment of that prophecy. Jesus is the one in whom the glory of the Lord, the Spirit of God, resides. He was the fulfillment to the prophecy.
Throughout the rest of scriptures, we only have Jesus recorded entering Jerusalem by another gate … the sheep gate, which leads down to the pool of Bethsaida. But this time Jesus entered Jerusalem by a different gate for a very intentional purpose: to declare the Lord’s return to his people.
To the Jews, who were awaiting the presence of the Lord to return to Jersualem and who were awaiting the new temple as prophesied in Ezekiel, entry by the east gate would have been a significant point of reference. It would have meant that the Lord’s restoration of his people had begun. The fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy was at hand! But the Lord came not in a way that they expected … they expected a physical temple. But do you remember what Jesus said regarding the temple when he was in Jerusalem? He said, “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days”. He wasn’t referencing the physical temple, but his own body. Jesus was the new temple which was to come, the one in whom the prince would dwell and all would enter by. The fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy of the return of the glory of the Lord had arrived in Jesus.
Jesus’ directional entry from the East shows that he is the fulfillment of this prophecy. And that’s good news!
The temple of the Lord had arrived and the time of peace had come. The time where streams of living and clean water would flow out into the nations.
This spiritual awakening was happening. Later, the disciples themselves would reflect back upon what Jesus did and would recognize the significance of his entry. The arrival of Jesus at Jerusalem is the announcement of the return of the Lord and of salvation, made possible through Christ’s blood and atoning sacrifice, by which all could be drawn near to the presence of God and can enter in.
So what does Jesus’ very intentional and directional entry mean for us?
It means that there is good news for us. We can have access to the Father through Jesus Christ. Though we were not born under Abraham and were not born under the Mosaic law, we have access to the Father through the blood of Christ. He is our great high priest who leads us to partake of the Father’s presence. His gospel is the good news which flows into the world to bring new life and hope. Christ’s kingdom is established, and continues to be established. And we are a part of it. We have access to Christ. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
This Palm Sunday is a Sunday of Rejoicing. It was Jesus’ announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God and of the prince and great high priest. It’s an announcement of the one who has come to set you free and to institute the new system in which all can have access to the Father.
So the direction in which Jesus entered Jerusalem was important. But not only was his direction important to show the fulfillment of prophecy, but also the mode of his entry.

2. Mode of Entry

How did Jesus come into Jerusalem?
All the accounts say that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. On a colt. In fact, Matthew uses the very words of the prophecy in Zechariah to show that Jesus is the direct fulfillment of the prophecy of a savior.
Zechariah 9:9 ESV
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.
Jesus knew it was the Father’s will that he enter on a donkey. How else would he instruct his disciples to go, find a donkey, and be so able to freely use it? It all happened to the disciples just as Jesus had told them.
The entry of Jesus into Jersualem on a donkey tied him to this prophecy given in Zechariah. That it was now a time of rejoicing, for the king had come to the people. The king, who is righteous and who has salvation, and who is humble. This is no ordinary king: this is a king who sympathized with the people, who took on a lowly estate. He was not like Herod or the other rulers in Judea, who amassed wealth and riches and built grand palaces … but this king took on the markings of the poor, not riding a chariot or carriage but riding a donkey. He did not sit on a saddle, but rode on the robes of his disciples, a signifier of one who did not have much wealth.
Jesus’ mode of entry showed his humility, that though he is the greatest king, the greatest prince, the highest exalted one in heaven, he came to serve and to save.
Knowing that Jesus was the fulfillment of this verse from Zechariah, we also know that he was the fulfillment of the rest of the context of that verse.
In Zechariah 9:10 we see peace prophesied. In verse 11 we see prisoners set free from the waterless pit. In verse 12 we see the prisoners of hope receive back double what they had lost. In verse 13 the people of the Lord are rallied against the enemies.
Jesus came to usher in peace. Jesus came to set the captives free and to overturn the enemies of God’s people. And he did just that, though not in the way that any man had suspected, but in the way that God made known through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Those who were familiar with the prophecy of Zechariah and who witnessed the arrival of Christ on a donkey should have shouted out with joy. The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin should have welcomed Jesus with open arms as the one who was to come. We know that many in Jerusalem did, even high magistrates … but they were afraid to voice their opinion because of the threat of what the Pharisees would do. Fortunately, the announcement of the king could not be quenched. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to stop his disciples from praising the Lord by saying “Hosanna”, Jesus said, “If these, my disciples were silent, then the rocks would cry out my praise.” Palm Sunday is a time of rejoicing and celebration. It is a recognition of the victory of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom.
And it is still a sign to us. That Jesus is the Messiah, the one worthy of praise, even though there were those who rejected him. Christians recognize the importance of this king who came on a donkey. Christians recognize the King who humbled himself enough to enter our estate, as poor and sickly and broken as we are, so that he might offer a peace, peace which flows from Christ into the whole world, across every nation. Let us not lose sight of the peace of Christ, or of the freedom which he offers, or of his humility in coming to us, but let us sing forth with joyous praise for God has come and has made a way for salvation.
Firstly, Jesus’ direction of entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was a special sign. Secondly, Jesus’ mode of entry on Palm Sunday was a special signifier of the kingdom and the salvation that would come. And thirdly, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was celebrated.

3. Celebrated Entry

A third common denominator between the gospel accounts is that Jesus was hailed and greeted by the people, who cut down palm branches and laid them before him, who took off their own robes and garments and laid it as a path that he should enter in on.
For the Israelite people, palm branches were special. They signified victory and peace. When the Jews were to celebrate the feast of firstfruits, they were to go out and cut the palm leaves and use them in their celebration to show the blessing of the Lord on their produce. Throwing down one’s garments was also a special mark for greeting a king. We read in 2 Kings 9:13
2 Kings 9:13 ESV
Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
Throwing down your garment signified a posture of submission and recognition of authority: that the king should not walk on bare ground but is upheld and uplifted by the people who would offer anything, even the clothes off their backs, for the sake of their king. Those who threw their garments down before Jesus were submitting to him as their king, their ruler. It was a declaration of fealty.
The people also cried out “Hosanna!” This was a reference to the Psalms.
Psalm 148:1 ESV
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
The word used in this Psalm is the word Hosannah, which when translated means “save us, we pray!”. For the Jews, the phrase Hosanna had significant ties to the coming messiah.
Messiah is another Hebrew word which means “anointed one”. The messiah was to be a king, anointed by God, chosen by God. It was to the Messiah who the Jews would shout “Save us, this we pray!” as a glorifying and uplifting praise. The people shouting Hosanna to Jesus recognized him as the Messiah, the anointed king, the Liberator, the one who would set them free.
Though there were those who were blind to what was happening because of the callousness of their own sin, there were many who saw Christ and celebrated his arrival. Not everyone would neglect the return of God’s glory. The fact that there were so many who saw Jesus’ return and who called out salvation to him gives testimony to the validity of Jesus as the Messiah.
Jesus’ entry was celebrated. And through the words of Celebration, he was recognized as the Messiah, the Savior, the King who had come to set his people free. And that leads us to our main point:

Jesus Christ is the Liberating King

He came to set the captives free by defeating sin and death on the cross and by taking the full wrath of God upon himself for all who believe in his name.
What does this mean for us? Well, it means everything. But I have some specific applications:
Firstly, seeing Jesus Christ as the Liberating King means that God is faithful to his promises.

1. God is faithful to his promises.

He did not leave his people in captivity, but came to free them from their spiritual oppression. He is faithful to you and will not leave you in your darkness.
Psalm 145:13 NIV
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
God is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He was faithful to come to his people Israel, to arrive to them and to preach salvation to them first before offering it to the entire world. The Jews were in a place of privilege, to receive firsthand the salvation of God. And now those promises from God are offered to you, to be grafted in to the tree of God’s kingdom. He did not leave you far off, but offers to draw near. Christ says “Abide in me, and I will abide in you”. If you ask of God, he will come to you. Ask and you shall receive. To the one who knocks, the door shall be opened. Ask God for restoration, and it will come. Maybe not in the way you were expecting or in the time you were expecting, but he is faithful to uphold his word. So look for the Lord’s blessing and have faith that relief will come.
Secondly, recognizing Jesus Christ as the Liberating King reveals God’s care for his people.

2. God cares for his people.

He came for them. He came for you, for me. He did not leave the rest of the world guessing. But his offer of salvation extends to all peoples, overcomes all cultural barriers, shatters all boundaries.
Christ did not come just for himself. He didn’t just raise himself up but extended his covenant to all people. On the Mount of Olives Christ prayed a prayer for all who would come to the Father through him, that they might persevere. I don’t know what trials you are facing today, but God cares for you. Your Lord and Savior recognizes your challenges, and his prayer for you is that you persevere. There may be a cloud of darkness over you today, but the Lord is the sun behind that cloud, and the sun is always shining. Look for the Lord’s silver lining in his offer of salvation toward you, and find the victory over your challenge by claiming the way of Christ.
1 Peter 5:7 ESV
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:10 ESV
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
The Lord’s heart toward you is one of care and concern. If he sees what happens to the birds, when they eat and sleep and are born and die, then he sees what happens to you and me. We’re much bigger than birds. We’re more important than birds, we are made in the image of God. God cares for you. He knows how many hairs are on your head. He knows how many of them are gray hairs. He knows the burden of stress you deal with. Talk to him. Commune with him. Pour out your heart before him. He is there for you. You don’t need anyone else. You have direct access to the Father thanks to Jesus your high priest.
Hebrews 4:16 ESV
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Thirdly, Jesus christ as the Liberating King means that he sets you free.

3. Christ sets you free.

You can have confidence in victory over sin and death.
It is not by your power that you are saved, but through God’s power in Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:4 ESV
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Romans 8:37 ESV
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 6:14 ESV
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Christ sets you free. There is nothing that you cannot overcome through Christ. And that’s an important message we need to hear: there is no depression that can hold us down, if we place our faith in Christ. There is no addiction which can stand, if we are trusting in Christ. There is no fear that holds us back, if we are leaning into Christ. There is no temptation that can throw us down, if we have certainty of Christ’s power and do not trust our own strength. There is no failure from which we cannot stand back up, thanks to grace through Jesus Christ. Christ is the Liberator. He sets you free.
Fourthly, recognizing Christ as the Liberating King should cause us to worship him.

4. Worship Him

Psalm 96:1–3 ESV
Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
It is Christ to whom we shout and sing. He is the reason why we gather together. We are to remember that all that we have belongs to him, from the homes we live in, to the food we eat, to the eternal life we inherit. It is by him and through him and for him that all things are made, including ourselves. We have been purchased by God through the payment of Christ’s blood. His mercy demands that we swell up to praise. So when we praise God, let us praise him with every fiber of our being, Every fabric that we have, Every breath that we breathe, every dollar in our paycheck, and every possession we own.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Worship the Lord with your voice. Worship him in your deeds. Depend on him in times of trouble by shouting to him, “Save me, I pray.” Your hosanna can be joyful, or it can be sorrowful. But by whichever tone you cry to the Lord you are crying out in worship because you recognize he is the one who has the power to save.
Fifthly, recognizing Jesus as the Liberating King means there is no other way.

5. There is no other way.

He is the one. (Ezekiel, no other access to the worship of the Father except by the high priest, the prince in the temple of God).
John 14:6 ESV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 7:13–14 ESV
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
There is one gate that leads to life, and that gate is Jesus Christ. Find the gate. Find Christ. There is no other way to overcome your faults or to change your heart except by God’s Son.
Gates are significant imagery in God’s word.
On what Christians have remembered and celebrated as Palm Sunday, Jesus entered through the East Gate, announcing his kingship.
Later that week, on Thursday, Christ would pass through another gate. It was the Sheep gate that led out to Golgotha. Traditionally the Sheep gate led out to the place where the passover lambs would be selected. And on that week, when the passover was remembered, Jesus was the spotless lamb chosen by God to be the payment for the sins of the people. Through the blood of the lamb the angel of death passes over God’s people.
It is this sacrifice of Jesus, his broken body upon the cross and the blood of life which was poured out for us, which we remember today in communion. Through his body and his blood we are set free from the bond of sin and are raised to new life, to live in righteousness.
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