Horsepower and Change

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Mark 11:1–11 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!”* So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Following the News

I don’t follow the news as closely as I should. Most of the time, my friend John from Scotland keeps up with what is going on in our country better than I do. Most of what I catch on a daily basis is from social media, which is always skewed to get a reaction out of me, either positive or negative and the few less biased sources I see regularly are often just headlines. I know you can’t claim to be a sports fan by just checking the final scores and never watching a game, but there are plenty of days when that is as close as I follow anything.

I grew up in a small town and would often hear about the news from three or four retired men who would visit my dad’s shop everyday. They never bought anything. They were there to visit my grandparents who helped run the shop during the day and to gossip. Between their own opinions that they put into the news and their hearing problems in getting it right the first time, it wasn’t always very trustworthy.

It’s easy to follow the hype. It takes a lot of effort to dig for the truth.

Thesis: Disciples of Jesus are called to dig through the hype and follow Jesus in what He is really doing.

Welcoming the New King

The arrival of the Messiah into Jerusalem was something the Jews had been anticipating for hundreds of years. There were prophecies from Zachariah pointing to that day and scripts from the Psalms of how the messiah should be greeted, as adapted from previous kings.

Even the city itself was built in preparation for this event. The gate which Jesus entered into the city was known as The Golden Gate or the Gate of Mercy and was specifically known as the gate the Messiah would enter into the city from the East.

As the Messiah entered that gate, He could turn his gaze to the left and see the majestic Temple of God. Those worshipping in the Temple Courts could turn their gaze to the eastern wall and see the Messiah approaching. Some scholars have wondered if this is why Jews would pray facing the East traditionally, during their time away from Jerusalem. The Messiah, and God’s presence would from that direction.

It was so much more than just a prayer though. There was a whole drama to this shared story. It was enacted in Psalm 24, which was neither a prayer, nor a song of praise, but an act of worship to be played out in the Temple Courts while the people looked toward that Golden Gate. Close your eyes for a moment and put yourself in the Temple Courts, with thousands of other Jews, preparing for the arrival of the Messiah.

The chorus approaching with the king:

Lift up your heads, O you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

A voice from within the walls:

Who is this King of glory?

A spokesman for the king:

The Lord strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

The original approaching chorus:

Lift up your heads, O you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

The voice from within, repeating the former question:

Who is he, this King of glory?

Everyone:

The Lord Almighty—

he is the King of glory.

You can’t ask for a better introduction than that!

Joyful Humility

With all of that fanfare, you could almost float on the praise of people up to the throne of Jerusalem. The Romans would be watching and the Jewish leaders who were in league with them as well. Everyone would be watching. It was time to dress up and put your best foot forward. This was one of those rare occasions where you actually get to make a new first impression. However Jesus presented Himself here would stick in their minds forever.

Jesus chose humility.

Strong leaders would have chosen a large horse, something where they could be seen clearly over the crowds. Jesus chose a young donkey.

Strong leaders would have had flags waving and trumpets sounding all over the city. Jesus had branches of trees and reeds and the voices of the people that carried His praise.

Strong leaders would have shown their strength in order to protect and provide for the people. Jesus showed His need of them. Without the people, He would have been a man riding a donkey into town.

Don’t mistake this humility for Gentleness. He would come back the next day with a whip, chasing out the merchants from the Temple courts and knocking over their tables. There was a new law coming to town and the words and teachings He would share this final week would sting and wound the people in Jerusalem more than the crack of His whip. He would turn their praise to hatred in violence in just a few days, because He meant to change things, and not in the way everyone wanted. He came to hold them responsible for doing their part of the covenant relationship with God, even as He fulfilled God’s part.

There is a very temporary joy the people in the crowds felt that day. A proud joy. It was fleeting. It was a joy without understanding. In some cases it was probably fake.

The joy of Jesus was rooted in His humility. He knew He was bringing change and He knew it was not just by getting up and announcing it. He knew you don’t lead change with a stage and a microphone - that’s what the Romans did. He did not try to entertain them - also a tactic of the Romans.

Jesus served them humbly. He told them the truth in love, and those who claimed to know the right answers he held the most accountable.

We can see that best among His disciples during His last week. Peter was praised when He professed Jesus to be the Messiah. Jesus told Peter that it was God clearly working in him that gave him that revelation. Yet moments later it was “Get behind me Satan” to the same disciple that received that highest praise.

Jesus would get on His hands and knees to wash the feet of the disciples, offer his body and blood up as a sacrifice for them in the Last Supper, while His final teachings were all about judgment upon those who have received from God but done nothing with it.

Everyone thought He was there to take over a city, eventually a country, maybe someday… the world.

Jesus came in, served, taught, healed, chastised, and corrected them all because He was not taking over anything. He wasn’t interested in power. He didn’t need authority or permission. He was not coming to rule.

He was starting a new family.

CTA

Are you part of God’s family?

Or are you just part of the crowd?

Are you trying to promote Jesus and the church or are you following Jesus and serving others with love and truth?

Are you trying to figure out a way to do both? Because Jesus didn’t, and He never asked His disciples to. He led change with the example of humble joy.

What example are you leading with?