We were meant to be courageous

on Mark this week, but as I was looking at it, you know, I've been going through some of the ones that we missed throughout our Linton series because of things that we're going on in my life. And, you know, this week was the triumphal entry and, you know, I don't know what Matt more covered when he was here that week, but he was here that week when we, normally would have done this story, but it was interesting. I think to take a look at it during a non Easter time cuz as I looked at it, it kind of took a little bit different twist for me and that's what I want to look at today. And just how courageous Jesus had to be to even attempt the whole triumphal entry. so please listen along and follow along on the screen as I read Matthew 21 verses 1 through 11 to start out Does as they approached Jerusalem and came to Best. Buy on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples saying to them, go to the Village ahead of you and it once you will find a donkey tied there with her Colt by her, untie them, and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away. This took place to fill what was spoken through the prophets? Say two daughters Inc, your king comes to you, Gentle and riding on a donkey and on a Colt, the full of a donkey, the disciples went and did his Jesus had instructed them, they brought the donkey and the colt and place their cloaks on them. For Jesus to sit on a very large crowd, spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road to crowds, that went ahead of him. And those that follow shouted, Hosanna to the son of David blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosanna in the highest heaven? When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, who is this? The crowds answered. This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

You know, so we're familiar with this story and how it starts with Jesus approaching Jerusalem. And, you know, I think to a lot of us that the first part of the story, the thing that's amazing about it is, okay. If, you know, Jesus tells them they're going to find a donkey in. They find a donkey just like he said in the guys, okay? With them, taking the donkey. And, you know, but that's not what the significance is, in the whole story and some of those details that we see, Yeah, the text says that, all these things happening was done, fulfill prophecy, and we find that prophecy in Zechariah 21-5, where the Prophet Envision that the Messiah would come gentle and riding on a donkey. Now, to us that doesn't have a whole lot of significance. You know, we don't know what the big deal about that is cuz there's some important cultural Clues going on here. That don't mean anything to us in our day and age and then our culture. But it mean meant a lot to the people of Jerusalem. The first one is that riding a donkey signified piece.

You know, this was a highly intentional move by Jesus. He wanted to symbolize that, his kingdom was going to be a kingdom of Peace. So he came in riding on a donkey in the ancient world, if a king came riding into your town on a donkey, it meant he was coming in peace. If that King came riding in, on a horse, it meant that he was coming there to overthrow. Your City to take control over and it meant that he intended War, he intended aggression. Jesus wanted to make it clear that that wasn't his intention coming so that's why he rode in on a donkey.

And that is significant knowing how some of the events continue to play out after that. The second thing there. Is that, you know, as Jesus rides in the people are declaring Jesus to be king. And that's no small thing. Because remember the Roman Empire is in charge of everything politically. So the only person that's King is Caesar and to claim. Anything else is considered an act of treason punishable by death. So for these People to be openly declaring. This is our King. Is a big thing.

But you'll notice it's not Jesus claiming that he's not coming into town saying to everyone. Hey, I'm your king. I'm in charge now, but this is what the people are. Proclaiming and that's a big thing. Does. He know Jesus already knows as he's entering the town that the current religious leaders are already plotting ways to kill him, plotting ways to get rid of him because he does have such a reputation, you know, at the end of the verses, I read when it said that the people of the city are asking, who is this? They're saying it's the prophet from Nazareth. Do you know People knew that they had heard the stories, they had heard all the things that were going on. So they knew who he was here. They are declaring him King.

Another thing that made it, a dangerous thing for Jesus to enter the city this way. But, you know, we've seen that during his life and Ministry, Jesus, consistently demonstrated, what true Authority was even though he wasn't declaring himself to be king. You know, he had Authority cuz Jesus had and he still has authority over all nature. Demon sickness death, you name it. Jesus has authority over it as the son of God.

if you remember from our story when, you know, Others came to see him or when he had a Pharisee come to see Amigo. He was not wanting everyone to necessarily know that he was coming to see Jesus, but he came to see him cuz he noticed something different about the way he taught. Well, what was so distinctive about Jesus was that the way he taught people could tell that he had Authority in the things? He was saying, you know, it wasn't like the scribes in the Pharisees who had simply memorized all the right answers. You know. So as long as you ask the right question they can answer it correctly. That wasn't the way it was with Jesus. They I knew that he had a 40 that he spoke that way, I mean and they'd seen it with so many things that happen. I mean he spoke to storms and they stopped He's talked to waves and they became calm. He healed blindness leprosy fevers left when he told them to He cast out evil spirits with the word, demons knew who he was before he cast them out. I mean obvious, this guy had a 40

Like I said, demons left. Fevers disappeared and paralysis went away because he had ultimate authority over all of them. And that was something the people easily recognized. And that was something that the early Christians understood very well.

You know, when they said Jesus is Lord. They were meeting. Jesus has absolute authority over everything. You know, it wasn't like they were just finding an appropriate title for Jesus. It's not like they were calling him mr. Jesus or something like that. Know when they said Jesus is Lord they were proclaiming that he had complete authority over everything including their own lives.

And often, for many of them, that was a dangerous thing to Proclaim. Because like I said, Caesars the only Authority, right? He was the top guys. So for them to Proclaim anything else. Was a dangerous Proclamation. Something punishable. B reason.

And you know, if you think about it, you know, Jesus knowing that well the Romans aren't going to like it when he comes into town and the people start proclaiming this and he already knows the religious authorities are plotting against him of how they can get rid of him. So, really the most dangerous way that Jesus could enter. The city was in broad daylight with a lot of attention and noise from thousands of people. But that's exactly what he did. Anyway, despite knowing what it would lead to

You know, he courageously and willingly made himself, the sacrificial lamb entering the city the way he did. He knew that those who hated him, we're just going to use this kind of as the final nail in the coffin, so to speak as they had been plotting and thinking of ways to do something, an old man, he just handed them the perfect way. People were proclaiming him to be king and only Caesar was King, only Caesar was in charge, so they knew that they could make this work.

you know, they knew that

they would be able to get the Roman authorities to go along with them finally in some of their plots. But despite the fact that Jesus knew all of this was going to happen, he knew that those who were in power, we're going to react in a very negative and aggressive way. When Jesus was still courageous. And I think he calls us to be courageous 2.

And, you know, let's be specific about that, you know, if we're going to be more christ-like, if we're going to be courageous, it means that you will do the right thing regardless of the consequences.

You know, you won't let you will feel fear, but you'll do it anyway.

You won't stop at failure.

You'll be willing to risk being criticized for what you're doing.

And you will pursue purpose. Over comfort.

I mean. Timber think that that had to be the difficult thing about this for Christ is knowing exactly what's going to happen. I mean, he's the son of God, he's omnipotent, he knows everything. So he knew every last excruciating detail of what was going to happen to him. Yeah, they did it anyway. Cuz he knew that was the purpose of his coming to Earth was to save us. So even though it was going to be intense, even though it was going to be painful, that didn't change what he did.

So, to be courageous is to be christ-like. I think too many of us are often stopped from doing things that we know we should do because they're the right thing because We're afraid to. And we like to avoid failure, we like to avoid criticism. You know, to be honest, were comfortable in our life right now, and if we take this step of faith, it might change all of that. We just don't know if we're willing to go through that. To accomplish this.

And the problem is we often then wonder why we feel like our lives. Don't have a lot of meaning or purpose. But were afraid to take a step in the right direction.

To achieve God's greater purposes for our life.

You're so how do we avoid doing that? Letting ourselves settle into that Comfort Zone in a society that let's be honest tries to keep Christianity on the sidelines tries to take it out of the discussion out of the pictures often as it can. I think it all begins with. Who do you say that Jesus is.

I mean, we read in the passage that the very large crowd, you know, spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. I mean, this was the type of reception, you only gave a king. So these people were very publicly, very loudly proclaiming Jesus to be their King.

The only problem was they didn't understand that Jesus wasn't going to be the type of King they were looking for. You know, they were looking for a political Powerhouse to come in and overthrow the current Roman government. But Jesus tried to give him the first clue by riding in on a donkey. Telling them, I come in. Peace. I'm not here to overthrow anybody. I'm here in peace.

You know, they didn't get it that Jesus was only interested in becoming king of their hearts, not a political power. And yet despite that they were shouting Hosanna. which quite literally means save now, and that is more with what Jesus came to do. He was coming to save all of them and he wants to save all of us now. Just maybe not the way they were thinking about it. Remember archieverse through this whole series has been John 3:17 that God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

But I think the bigger question is, do you have the courage to declare Jesus, as your king? That can be hard to do, you know, the crowds called Jesus, a prophet because they did not fully understand. I mean, I think they just couldn't wrap their mind around who he really was, as the Son of God. I mean, we would have the same struggle. If he showed up here, trying to wrap our minds around that, but those closest to Jesus, those who spent time with Jesus, those who listen to him engaged with him. They knew exactly who he was.

and that shows the importance for each of us as, you know, The only way we're going to know who he really is, as our King Of Our Lives as if we've taken that time to get to know him to build that relationship by praying and having conversations with him and listening for answers in prayer answers in Scripture.

That's the only way. We'll know that Jesus was so much more than just a prophet or a great moral teacher.

Much greater than any Earthly King could ever be? His kingdom is much more than that he was so far beyond what the people were wanting and expecting that they couldn't wrap their minds around that.

But yet those who really knew him called him the Messiah, the Son of God. Because they fully understood what it meant that he came to save the world not to condemn it. Like I said, for each of us, I think the important question out of this is, who do we proclaim? The Jesus is, who do we say Jesus is Do you like to just think of Jesus as a friend? I hope he is but I actually hope he's more than that. Maybe you have a negative view of Jesus and you just see Jesus and God as a judge in your life, someone to point out all the wrong things that you've done.

It's not what he's here to do. He's not here to condemn assessor. Show us those things. He's here to offer us a way to be saved.

That's really the question. Do you see Jesus as that loving King, who is so much more than a king? He's your loving savior who died for your sins.

And, you know, depending on your answer that first question of, who do you say that Jesus? Is he know? How does that impact? How you live out your life for your face today?

Hopefully who you see Jesus as impacts everything that you do. You know, a b Simpson, don't know, if you've read any of his stuff for look at it, but he was actually one of the founders of the Christmas Reliance. I always loved his quote, that he says, the most important thing about me. Is what I think about God.

You know what? I think about that, I always think, is that what people know about me? That one of the most important things they can know about me is who I believe Jesus is, who I think God is, how I see God. That's what's important.

Then another question that comes is, how does it impact your life and Eternity? Who you think Jesus is? How you see him has a big impact on that. It's important to know that and does your opinion. Does that change your final destination?

Yeah. That's the part where things get sticky for a lot of people. They don't like to think about that, that who they think Jesus is, who they declare him to be to the world can have an impact on your Eternal destination. And you know, these are difficult questions, things that sometimes we don't like to spend time thinking about but they're important ones, their things as Believers. That We really can't ride the fence on these things. They have to be decided in our heart. We have to know the answers to these questions. Since we wrap the series up, I hope you are thinking about some of those questions.

If you're struggling with some of them spend time in prayer digging to scripture, find your own answers to those questions. Come talk to me about him. Talk to others in our church about him. Don't continue to struggle. Maybe you know, the answers for you for these questions but maybe, you know, others in your life that are struggling with those questions.

Talk to them about him, try to start and you know, conversation about it. Invite them to come to church with you and learn answers to those questions.

You know, big thing of this whole Letting Go series that we did for Lent is you know letting go of all the sin and shame and doubt and fear that we have because we need to realize that in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He conquered, All of those things that we fear. If we Proclaim him to be our King and our Saviour, we no longer have to worry about any of those things.

so it's my prayer that we can all be in a place where we can be encouraged, no matter what we're facing in life, knowing that Jesus has conquered all those things, but also that we can encourage others, As we see them going through things.

we can encourage them that, you know, God is not here just to condemn them or make them feel bad or guilty over things that have happened in their life but God wants to save them by his grace for all. Eternity, that it's available to everyone.

And you know, it's important that we let people know that church can be a safe place. where they don't have to carry their shame and their guilt with them, but they can come in knowing and seeking the healing that only Christ can give please bear with me in prayer.

Lord Jesus, we praise you for who you are and how you courageously faced Incredible opposition and hardships. Lord, but you always overcame them. With the self-giving love. That is so Central to who you are.

Are you were always willing to lay it on the line to offer salvation. To us. Lord, we thank you for that. And Lord, we pray that you will help us to display the same courage. as we Face hardships, as we face opposition in life, knowing that you are walking with us and Lord that you have already conquered sin and death. Lord, I pray that you will give us the strength to stand firm and what we believe. And Proclaim you as our King. We pray the song, your most. Holy name. Amen.