The King Has Come!

The Kingdom of Heaven is coming! The King is here!

Everything is beginning to line up just perfectly. There’s a large crowd of pilgrims coming up the road from Jericho to Jerusalem together, following Jesus and his disciples. Along the way, two blind men started calling out to Jesus: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

When everyone tried to hush them, they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

So Jesus stopped. The disciples stopped. The whole crowd stopped. And Jesus asked, “What do you want me tot do for you?”

The 2 blind men wanted to see. Their request struck a chord with Jesus. You could see his concern for them, his compassion for the two blind men. He touched their eyes. The first one - and he could see! Then the other - and he could see!

It’s just amazing! I tell you, that’s the kind of man you want as king. He actually cares about people. Not like the foxy King Herod. Not like the flip-flopping politician like the governor. Jesus, the son of David, he’s the one you want as king. After that miracle, everyone got even more excited.

The whole crowd was only one part of the faithful Israelites gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover. The Passover is the annual celebration of how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. What an awesome time for Jesus to proclaim himself king!

I mean,

We can usher the son of David into David’s royal city.

We can have a parade, welcoming him in the way Judas Maccabeus was welcomed into Jerusalem - waving branches and chanting.

We can carpet the road with cloaks like when King Jehu was crowned.

We can chant slogans and phrases from the Messianic Psalms like #118.

It’ll be like the parade King David held when he ushered the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem casting aside all his dignity, dancing and celebrating before the Lord.

Maybe Jesus really will be crowned the King of the Jews. Maybe we’ll see the Kingdom of Heaven!

‌Jesus seemed to have the same idea. He’s been teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven since the beginning. He’s described the holiness God requires of his dearly loved people. His parables show the generosity of the King but also the punishment that’s coming for those who resist God and the kingdom of heaven.

‌Jesus even tells his disciples to bring him a donkey on the Mount of Olives. It’s not b/c he’s more tired than anyone else. The whole crowd – men, women, children – have hiked up, up, up from the Jericho Valley. For the last stretch, down into the Kidron Valley and up to Jerusalem, the Son of David rides a donkey - why? Matthew quotes a the OT prophet Zechariah:

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” Matthew 21:4–5 (NIV)

You think it’s odd that a prophet like Jesus is crowned as king?

Then you’re you don’t know the history of Israel.

King Saul prophesied before he was crowned.

King David was a prophet; he wrote many psalms. He understood God’s holiness, God’s forgiveness, and God’s deep, deep love.

You see the same thing in Jesus, King David’s descendant.

Concern for God’s holiness bursts to the surface as the crowd ushers Jesus into the temple courtyard.

The temple courtyard is packed, not just with the first waves of people coming for the Passover. Not just the usual teachers, schools, priests and Levites. There are currency exchanges: businessmen converting coins from all over to the temple shekel – at their own exchange rate. And merchants selling doves for sacrifice – at holiday rates, of course.

There’s nothing wrong with people doing business. But the money tables and stalls of birds are owned or licensed by priests taking a cut of the profits. It’s greed in place of prayer; love of money instead of love for God and neighbour.

I recently read through Leviticus. Priests give their whole life to God’s service but are generously compensated with food, housing, and income. Gouging the worshippers and renting stall in the worship space to the highest bidders is not right.

Not many people had the power to do anything about corruption in the temple. Who could confront the High Priest? Who could face the Sanhedrin?

That’s the role of a prophet or a king. It is fitting for the Messiah to take steps to purify the temple like King Hezekiah and King Josiah both did many years before.

Unlike King David, Jesus welcomes the blind and the lame. David banned the blind and lame from Jerusalem b/c of the taunts of the Jebusites. When David set out to capture Jerusalem, the Jebusites boasted that even the blind and lame could ward of David’s army.

But Jesus doesn’t ban the blind and lame from the temple courts. He spends the rest of the day healing eyes and legs so the blind could see and the lame could walk. It’s a taste of the kingdom of heaven: renewal, new strength, restored health. That’s what this king brings.

Yet for all the echoes from Jesus’ illustrious ancestors, Jesus is a different king. Unlike King David who conquered Jerusalem with an army, Jesus is ushered into Jerusalem by his disciples and a crowd weary from walking all day up from Jericho. After all the miracles, pageantry, and drama, the end of the day is almost disappointing.

With kids are still chanting “Hosanna to the Son of David,” Jesus wanders out of the temple and retreats through the Kidron Valley, up the Mt of Olives to the town of Bethany for the night. What kind of a king is this?

Jesus’ plan for the Kingdom of Heaven is different than anyone in the crowd or the temple ever expected. His plan as the Son of David, the Messiah is different than anything anyone else could imagine.

When Jesus set out for Jerusalem, he pulled his 12 disciples aside to tell them what was coming:

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:18–19 (NIV)

It’s not just the temple that Jesus came to purify. He came to purify all humankind from the blemishes and impurity of sin. Jesus came to be the once-for-all atonement for sin that all the sacrifices and rituals and holy ceremonies of the temple all pointed ahead to.

Burnt offerings, sin offerings, and the offerings for purification all indicate that there’s something wrong. People cannot enter the presence of God in all his majesty, righteousness, and holiness without atoning for their wrongdoing. The penalty for disobeying God’s commands is death. Sin offerings show that blood must be shed to atone for sin and cover over guilt.

We – I, you – cannot be a citizen of the kingdom of heaven unless your sins are forgiven and guilt is atoned for.

Jesus, in his compassion and love, offers himself, not just as a king, not just as a prophet – he comes to offer himself as the atonement for sin.

It’s what we’ll remember on Friday in the Good Friday service, particularly as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Bread – Jesus’ body

Cup – Jesus’ blood

The Lord’s supper assures you that Jesus died in your place. His blood covers over your guilt. Jesus’ sacrifice covers your sin and guilt, purifying you from sin and making you righteous and holy in God’s sight.

It’s at the cross then that Jesus is crowned king. It’s at the cross that Jesus opens the gates so that righteous can enter the kingdom of heaven. No wonder Jesus couldn’t reserve the places on his right and left for Zebedee’s sons James and John, there was a criminal on his right and another on his left when Jesus opened the way to the kingdom of heaven.

True confession: I feel a little foolish marching around singing and waving a palm branch. On the other hand, it’s foolish to wear party hats and blow noisemakers at birthday parties and New Year’s celebrations. We act foolish when we’re full of joy, full of relief, and ready to celebrate.

We’re not always good at celebrating: letting loose out of thankfulness and joy. I don’t want to force anyone do make a fool of themselves if they don’t want to.

But if there’s anything that deserves celebrating, singing, and making a big fuss about – isn’t it the coming of the king of heaven and earth? Isn’t the kingdom of heaven and the forgiveness of your sins a good reason to let loose and rejoice?