The Covenant King Comes

 A man walked into a restaurant in a strange town. A waitress asked what he wanted to eat. He felt lonely & wanted comfort food. "Meat loaf & a kind word." Soon, the waiter returned with his meat loaf. He looked at it. "It looks good. What's the kind word?" The waitress sighed, bent down, & whispered, "Don't eat the meat loaf." It was same with Jesus' victory parade. It looked good. But Jesus couldn't "eat" it, either. In a week, the cheerers will turn into jeerers. Why? 3 yr ago, Jesus cleansed the temple & angered Jewish leaders. At Passover, no less! Like all good Jews, He's supposed to go to Jerusalem for the 3 annual feasts. But for the last 3 yr, He's played hooky! He's avoided public spectacle. Why? He doesn't want conflict too early with Jerusalem's authorities. His death has to happen at His Father's set time. Finally, it's time. Jesus will offer Himself as Israel's Messiah-her covenant King. That will get conflict started. Let's look at Mark 11:1-11. It's time for Passover. So, Jesus heads to Jerusalem with all the other pilgrims. In Jericho, He restores sight to blind Bartimaeus. Crowds are electrified. The closer they get to Jerusalem, the larger & more excited they get. 1aApproaching Jerusalem, they come to Bethphage & Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Residents there remember that just a few months ago Jesus raised Lazarus. They join the crowds. Excitement grows even more. Jesus is coming! Will He finally admit He's the Messiah?! 1bJesus sent 2 disciples ahead. 2a"Go to Bethphage just ahead of you. Jesus plans to fulfill Scripture. 2bAs you enter, you'll find the colt of a donkey tied there. Why a donkey? For one, Zech 9:9 says the Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a donkey's colt. There's another reason. Israel's rulers have ridden donkeys in peacetime ever since the judges. For war, kings ride horses. But Jesus came in peace. He'll ride a donkey. But not just any donkey. 2cNo one has ever ridden this colt. It's for God the Son. Anything for sacred use has to be new. Unused. This donkey has to be unridden. 2dUntie it & bring it here. Just take it. What if that doesn't work? 3If anyone asks, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it & will send it back here shortly.' " Go "borrow" a donkey? That'll take trust! And it's our 1st lesson. What if his 2 disciples won't do what Jesus asks? What if we won't? Jesus will ask someone else. And they'll get to participate in God's plan in our place. When Jesus asks, we don't want to miss our chance! Let's decide in advance. Let's choose to obey. No matter how odd it looks! Let's obey Jesus in every detail. (That day, I think Jesus prearranged the donkey's loan. He never violates moral law.) 4aThey went & found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. The 2 disciples obeyed Jesus. And they found things just as Jesus said. That's another lesson. When we obey Jesus, won't we find things just like He said? Look what these 2 gained by obeying. They got to help in God's plan of salvation for all creation! What do you think we might miss when we don't obey? In Mt 21:28-31, Jesus told a parable of 2 sons. Father asked both to go into the fields to work. One said, "I will." He didn't go. Jews were like this son. They said, "Yes," to being God's children. But they wouldn't go work in His KoG. As a people, they haven't yet gone into His KoG. The other son said, "I won't." But he changed his mind & went. Gentiles were like this son. They didn't obey immediately. But they obeyed. And, in God's plan of salvation He used Gentiles in place of His chosen people. Why? Both Jews & Gentiles are asked to go work. Only those who go to work get to help spread the gospel. Only they have a role in God's plan for salvation for all creation! The Jew? As a people, they are still God's chosen people. But as a people they've lost the chance to spread the gospel to all nations. Only those who've entered the KoG & gone to work get that privilege. The lesson? Christ calls us all to action. As soon as we hear, let's obey. Immediately. He wants some certain role for us. Wait too long & He may replace us, too. But when we go, we'll find things just as He said. 4bHis 2 disciples untied the colt. Sure enough, owners noticed. 5"What are you doing, untying that colt?" When we obey, expect to be challenged. "What do you think you're doing?" In Jn 16:33, Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble." We think He means the "stuff" that just happens. Illness. Death. Pests in our "garden" (whether insect or weed). That's true. But Jesus means even more. What happens as soon as we try to obey Him? Just try going to work in His Kingdom harvest. Watch what happens. Opposition. Trouble. Even persecution. The more powerfully God wants to act, the more powerful the opposition! When that happens, remember what Jesus told us to say. 6aThey answered as Jesus had told them to. And surprise! 6bThe people let them go with the colt! The disciples remembered what Jesus told them to say. And it made their mission successful. In KoG work, we too will face opposition. Maybe even persecution. When it happens, what should we remember? Lk 12:11-12. Remember that we aren't alone. For those 2 disciples, the Holy Spirit hadn't yet been given. They had to remember exactly what Jesus said to say. We do have the Holy Spirit. He'll tell us in the moment what Jesus wants us to say. When we do, we, too, will enjoy KoG success. 7aThey brought the colt to Jesus & threw their cloaks over it. This is reverence. They're willing to give all they have. So, they give their cloaks as a saddle for the King of kings. 7bJesus sat on the colt. No other unbroken colt will accept a rider! But this one recognizes its Creator. It's calm as Jesus rides toward Jerusalem. All other pilgrims walk. But Jesus is a king. He'll ride. The crowd sees what He's doing! Spontaneously, they give Jesus a royal reception. 8aMany spread their cloaks on the road. Why? Look at 2 Kgs 9:13. It's the ancient version of rolling out the royal red carpet. 8bOthers spread branches they'd cut in the fields. (Jn 12:13 says they were palm branches.) Jesus heads into Jerusalem at the front of a parade. It's His Triumphal Entry. People know the Roman Triumph. A general conquers 5,000+ enemy in battle. He gets a victory parade. He rides a golden chariot behind his warhorse. Behind him follow many trophies of war. Treasure. Famous prisoners. But Jesus rides a young donkey. He came to bring peace. His conquest is spiritual. Jesus is greater than any Roman general. Yet the donkey is also a symbol of His humility. He is a conqueror. But He conquers through acts of humility & self-sacrifice. He sets captives free through a covenant made with his own blood. Overjoyed, 9athose ahead begin shouting, "Hosanna!" Save us! 9aThose following respond with Ps 118:6 (LXX). It's the greeting for all pilgrims. 9b"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" How fitting for Jesus! Those ahead then shout, 10a"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" Jesus is the Messiah they're waiting for! Those behind shout the praise! 10b"Hosanna in the highest!" Back & forth those ahead & those behind call to each other as they march into Jerusalem. Jesus is the Covenant King! He's coming! 11aJesus entered Jerusalem & went to the temple. His Father's house. He's come to see if God is honored completely. 11bHe looked around at everything. He takes it all in. The sellers He drove out 3 yr ago are back. They've turned His Father's house into a market. Again! 11cSince it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. For once, people gave the King of Kings His due. A Triumph parade. He's worth our all. His disciples gave their cloaks. What will we give? And, like them, Jesus calls us to obey Him, too. Go work in His KoG. Will we put Him 1st? Will we obey? Immediately? When we do, we'll find things like He said. We'll also be challenged. Don't be surprised. Expect opposition. Jesus, too, got opposition. Authorities were planning to wait till after Passover. But Jesus' victory parade forces their hand. They'll crucify Him at the ordained time. In the end, they too participate in God's plan. As enemies. Only the disciples who obey get to participate as friends. The Covenant King Comes - Mark 11:1-11 Page 1 of 1