The Questions of Jesus: Why Are You Doing This?

Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

Friends, here we are at the beginning of the most important week of the Christian calendar...Holy Week.

And today is Palm Sunday...and can I just say that I absolutely love Palm Sunday...I love processing in to that hymn and waving the Palms...its amazing.

Its a wonderful day of celebration of Christ as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords...but to me...as always...in the back of my mind a small piece of me has a little anxiety..because I know that this crowd will be shouting something else by the end of the week.

LET US PRAY

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We are continuing our sermon series on the questions of Jesus...and I’ll admit...I cheated a bit.

Jesus doesn’t ask a question in this text from Matthew...although in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus indirectly asks a question when he is instructing the disciples regarding the donkey.

As he prepares to enter Jerusalem...Jesus is quite aware that there are Old Testament prophecies for him to fulfill...which is why his instruction to the disciples is so clear and specific.

He wants them to get him a donkey...which...is not usually what a king rides in on.

Kings ride horses...not donkeys...and I can’t help but think of Donkey from Shrek when I think of this story...Donkeys are just...not elegant at all.

And so....as the disciples approach and try to untie some random guys donkey...he asks them our FIRST question for today. That’s right...we are going to deal with two questions.

“Why are you doing this?”

Indeed...why?

As I said earlier...the humility is the point. The prophet Zechariah made it clear that the Messiah would be a humble king and nothing says humility more than the donkey...So I suppose that justifies a quick little borrow.

You know...growing up I was always that kid in school that was like “Can I borrow a pencil...because I was chronically under prepared for class...which is really funny because now when I go into meetings...I tend to over prepare...I think one day I just discovered that being more prepared than everyone else in a meeting is kind of a superpower if you’re trying to influence the outcome or decision that is being made...and I’ve never gone back.

But...I was the kid who always needed to borrow a pen or paper...and so I can imagine the disciples coming up to this guy saying “Hey man...can be borrow you donkey? And when he asks why they say “The Lord needs it.”

I should’ve tried that.

But then...the man relents...and they have themselves a donkey.

And the moment arrives...Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the donkey...and the crowd is going nuts...much louder and rowdier than the crowd at Augusta National this morning on the final round of the Masters.

They are cutting down branches from the trees and waving them around.

Shotuting Hosanna! Hosanna! Our King is here! Our King is here!

Oh the power of potential...oh the power of expectation...and oh the power of an unmet expectation.

Jesus attempts to send a message to the crowd through the donkey that he isn’t going to be the kind of King and Messiah that they are looking for....but the message doesn’t get through...Jesus knows that he can’t meet their expectations of him because he’s NEVER going to be a political king.

He isn’t there to be a political king and solve their political problems with Rome...Jesus is there to set up a kingdom that resides within the human heart.

Because it was true 2000 years ago friends and still it must be said even today!

The kingdom of heaven that resides in our hearts first and outflows into the world is the only kingdom that will EVER satisfy.

The kingdom of heaven is the only kingdom that will EVER truly last.

And the kingdom of heaven is both right now and not yet.

Jesus is in Jerusalem to finish his work in building God’s kingdom on earth but its a kingdom that the people just don’t want.

It’s still a kingdom people just don’t want...and that includes each of us here today.

We want it...but sometimes...with our actions...we don’t show it.

We know that this same crowd that is shouting Hosanna will be shouting Crucify Him! by the end of the week.

And we do that too don’t we. We deny Jesus with actions all of the time.

So, this week, if we never identify with the fickle crowd...then we’re doing Holy Week wrong.

That is the challenge this week for each of us. Each of us is supposed to walk the road of the crowd…from Hosanna, to crucify him! All the way to the restoration, mercy and grace that comes with Easter.

But, that is a journey that we have to walk each step of together this week. And there will be multiple opportunities.

OVERVIEW OF HOLY WEEK

And why are we walking that journey this week?

Because, as you see towards the end of our text today, we have one more question.

As Jesus stirs up the city, the question that begins circulating among the chatter and the gossip in the city is “Who is this?”

Who is this? Who is this? And the answer the crowd gives in verse 11 is “The prophet Jesus.”

Which, is the wrong answer of course…Jesus is so much more than that…he is the Son of the Living God

But, as Jesus enter Jerusalem…as he begins his final teachings…as he sits at the Table with this disciples…as he is arrested….beaten….tortured and hung on a cross…as he dies…I want our two questions from today to enter your mind again and again.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Who is this?”

Prayerfully consider those two questions this week and perhaps the Holy Spirit will reveal something new to you about Jesus for the very first time this week.

And for me? The answers to those questions have set me free.

The answers to those questions transformed my life.

REPEAT Questions

The answers to those questions can transform the world.

May It Be So Amen