Mark 11:1-10

Who am I?

Guess who I’m describing.

I’m in the car. It’s a beautiful black Rolls Royce with - and its bullet proof. As I drive towards my house there are thousands of people either side of the car cheering and waving and holding flags. The gates open and my gaurd come to greet me. I get out of the car, and enter my house, greeted by the butler and shown to my favourite chair. A throne.

Welcoming Royalty

Welcoming Royalty

I’m in the car. It’s a beautiful black Rolls Royce with - and its bullet proof. As I drive towards my house there are thousands of people either side of the car cheering and waving and holding flags. The gates open and my gaurd come to greet me. I get out of the car, and enter my house, greeted by the butler and shown to my favourite chair. A throne.

Imagine you are on a journey. A journey to Buckingham palace.

The Queen. Don’t know if she sits on a throne all the time. But That sort of entrance is only fitting for someone so important. Someone who deserves respect. Someone of real power. Someone you don’t get on the wrong side of. Thousands gather to show their loyalty and respect and love, and in return they receive the royal wave.

All the

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” Tim Keller

I wonder who you give your respect to?

I wonder if you were in the crowd what would you be doing?

Sometimes we give our respect, trust, loyalty to people and they let us down.

Would you be one of those waving and shouting, or doing your own thing, rather wishing it was you in the car?

Story of me trying be in the cool crowd, Big Ricky. Always agreed with him. Dress a bit like him. Tried to impress him. But one day i got some new trainers. Didn't have money for cool ones. My mum insisted on buying me the £3 patricks. “only going to play football in them! “some kids in the playground were making fun of me - and I looked to Ricky - he’ll show them. He joined in! Didn’t respect me. Didn’t care about me

I wonder how much respect you show to Jesus?

I wonder how much respect you show to Jesus?

As we’ve been going through the book of Mark, we have been listening to the evidence and trying to figure out for ourselves who Jesus is and why he came, by reading true stories about events in his life. Taken on a journey Seen amazing acts of power - to heal, to calm storms, even to raise the dead! Seen his friends struggling to understand who he is - maybe a bit like us. But a few weeks ago we heard Peter declare “You are the Christ” - God’s promised King. Jesus had demonstrate his incredible power. Shown he had God’s power, and Peter has realised that he really must be God’s King. He had earned their respect, their loyalty. But then Jesus said some shocking words:

Mark 8:31 NLT

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.

Mark

Taken on a journey in Jesus life. Seen amazing acts of power - to heal, to calm storms, even to raise the dead! Seen his friends struggling to understand who he is - maybe a bit like us. But a few weeks ago we heard Peter declare “You are the Christ” - God’s promised King.

Jesus friends must have been so confused. They had been waiting for this King sent by God to rescue them. They had in mind a great powerful leader who would conquer their enemies. But Jesus had just told them he must be rejected and die. Doesn’t sound much like a King. Maybe they’ve got the wrong bloke.

Well as we get to chapter 11. We get to the last week of Jesus life. Try and imagine if you were watching a movie, last 20-30 minutes are often where all the tension and climax happens. Where Harry Potter enters the chamber of secrets. Where ....

Today we are going to hear about Jesus making a grand entrance. Though it might not be as you would expect. Well as we get to chapter 11. We get to the last week of Jesus life. Try and imagine if you were watching a movie, last 20-30 minutes are often where all the tension and climax happens. Where Harry Potter enters the chamber of secrets. Where ....

Mark 11:1–10 NLT

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’ ” The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”

Read

Read

I wonder if you notice. What is mentioned a couple of times in the first half of what we read.

Look for the donkey...

[PICTURE OF DONKEY]]

[PICTURE OF DONKEY]]

Why is Mark so fixed on detail about the donkey. Jesus needed a ride - we get it! But there is more to this when we look a little closer.

1st Jesus knew where the donkey would be and how the people around would react. He even tells his disciples what they need to say.

2nd When Jesus rides the donkey look how the people react! It’s the sort of party the queen would receive.

Whats going on?

Look back 500 years...

I wonder if you can tell me what you’ll be doing this time tomorrow. Can you tell me who will be leading the country this time next week? Can you tell me who will be in charge of the country in 100 years, and what they will be like?

No.

Zechariah 9:9 NLT

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

500 years before Jesus was born, this prophet - someone given a word from God about the future spoke about this exact moment. Main point of Zechariahs prophecy was to tell us that the King would come in humility to save. About a King sent by God.

Jesus is saying :Here I am!” He knows where the donkey is because he is Gods King, he knows everything. And the people have a party because they have been waiting for this King for a long time.

Jesus is a King like no other. He is God, with God’s power and authority.He is righteous - which means right all the time. Perfect. And victorious. He will never be beaten or overthrown. We should listen to him and respect him.

Jesus is a King who deserves our respect

But something else. Told he is humble. He doesn’t use his position to dominate or bully. Peter thought he was getting a King who would crush the Romans. But Jesus came to deal with something far more dangerous. Bible saws that we have not respected Jesus as King. We show our disrespect when we use his name as a swear word. When we live our lives the way we want instead of the way he wants. When we say, think and do things that are wrong. Infact bible says by ourselves we are enemies of this King and deserve his punishment.

Treason. Someone who goes against the queen. Face death punishment. Well Jesus isn’t just King of England he is King of universe. Charge against us is treason against him. But when he came into the world he didn’t come to bring punishment but to save. In fact as Jesus rides this donkey he is demonstrating humility. Because he is on a journey to a final destination. As he enters Jersualem he enters the final week of his life - in Jersualem he will be tried, convicted and killed. Just as he said. But not for his crime, he was perfect. But for our sin. our rejection.

[Scene from Narnia]

[Scene from Narnia]

Famous scene in Narnia - Peter the traitor is returned to camp, but his crime must be paid for. Aslan the King, who even the ice queen fears, heads through the woods at night - and dies to pay for Peters crime. That was written based on what Jesus has done for each of us. As Jesus rides this donkey - the greatest King - he heads to Jerusalem when he will die for our sin. For all those who trust him and ask forgiveness.

Jesus is a King who deserves our love

I wonder if the crowds understood what Jesus was about to do.

Exactly what Jesus says about himself ()

If Jesus has done all this for you, I wonder will you respond to him the right way. I wonder how you respond to the King of the whole universe who was willing to die for you so that you can live forever with him?

Arrived at final destination. Jerusalem. Rest of Mark will focus on it. Rest of Mark is about the final week of Jesus life.

All the crowds honouring Jesus - they love him and honour him as a King. But I wonder if they understood.

How do you respond to a King who was humble enough to go to his death for you?