Triumphal Entry 01-22-2022

Prayer

For about 3 years, Jesus taught people and healed people all over the land of Israel.

Sometimes he was down in Jerusalem.

Sometimes he was in the Galilee area

He even ministered to the Samaritans and across the Jordan in the region of the 10 Greek cities, the Decapolis.

His popularity and fame has grown to the point that the religious leaders in Jerusalem are more and more desperate to get rid of him.

So he hits the road back to Jerusalem.

The Road back to Jerusalem

Mark 10:32 NIV

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.

Going back to Jerusalem now was a shocking idea.

Even though the disciples were clueless to Jesus plain words about being killed and raising again,

still, they could foresee

real death awaiting Jesus

if he returned to Jerusalem before things had died down.

But Jesus will not be talked out of

going to Jerusalem now.

A change in his public image

In the fiction story, The Return of the King

Strider the Ranger finds it necessary to reveal is true identity as Isildur’s heir and the rightful king of Gondor.

That title changed things, changed relationships

That was fiction but in the real life

Jesus is heading toward Jerusalem

and blind Bartimaeus not only calls him Jesus

he also calls him

Son of David.

Mark 10:47–48 NIV

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus accepted that title

doesn’t correct him,

doesn’t ask him to be quiet.

Why is that?

Because the time of revealing who he is has come.

Jesus is that promised Son of David

Now is the time for Jesus to be recognized as the king, coming to save his people

but not the way they think he is going to save them.

Let’s read from Mark chapter 11 now

Mark 11:1–11 NIV

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Milestones

Milestones, stones marking a distance on a road have been around for a long time.

Every Roman mile was marked with a milestone and when we pass through significant events in our lives, we call them milestones too.

People like you and me, may go up and down the church aisle many thousands of times but certain times will be milestones for us.

Down the Church Aisle

It might be a milestone, the Sunday you come down the aile to nail something to the cross

and finally leave that problem there with God for good.

Perhaps a milestone in your life is when you came down to pray at the altar

you may have been confessing a sin or

you may have been saying yes to something you had been saying no to.

Your neighbor may have been weighted down with burdens, came to the altar to

lift those burdens up to God.

For some the milestone was their baptism, their childs baptism or dedication.

Graduates have been called forward to have that milestone in their life honored by the church

Your wedding, should be a milestone in your life where things change forever.

A Funeral or a memorial service may be the last milestone celebrating your life and walk with Jesus and

as the saying goes,

Don’t miss so much church the the only way you return is by six strong friends carrying you in one last time.

Milestones in Jesus Ministry

His birth in Bethlehem

The prophecies at his temple presentation

The flight to Egypt

The staying behind in the temple

His Baptism by cousin John

His 40 days in the wilderness

Calling of his disciples

Heading toward Jerusalem after the third time of predicting His death and Resurrection

And now, with the Triumphal entry

Jesus Public Announcement as the promised king

It seems appropriate for there to be some understanding of who Jesus was,

before he died on the cross to save the world.

The announcement that Jesus was the promised king of the Jews sparked quite a party and Great Expectations

Celebrating Jesus and his saving work

One way to celebrate Jesus is to obey him, even when his commands don’t make sense to us.

Obey Him

The disciples may have been clueless why Jesus sent then after a donkey,

or they may have remembered Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 NIV

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

whether they understood or didn’t, they celebrated and honored Jesus by obeying him.

Like wise the owners of the donkey celebrated who Jesus was by helping him do his work,

they loaned him a donkey that Jesus used for the triumphal entry that announced who Jesus was

the promised King, the Son of David.

When the accompanying crowd, who had been hearing from Seeing Bartimeus that Jesus was the Messiah,

The Son of David prophesied.

When the crowds saw Jesus coming as their gentile king on a donkey

they risked their clothes

and their handiwork with palm branches to make

a royal road for Jesus to go do to Jerusalem on.

Those who knew the scriptures, celebrated God’s Messiah revealed in the Zecharia scriptures and others like

Psalm 24:7–10 NIV

7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory.

and

Psalm 118:26 NIV

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.

In celebration they gave something else too

they gave their voices in song

they sang praise

Mark11.9-10 “9 . . . . , “Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!””

Great Expectations

How many of you ever read the book Great Expectations?

In that book Pip came from humble beginnings.

He was an orphan and someone sponsored his education.

He thought his sponsor was Miss Havisham, and that

once he proved himself, she would make him her hair and

open the way for Pip to marry her adopted daughter Estella

who look down on him.

Pip became more and more of a snob as he tried to raise to Estella’s station

It turned out Miss Havisham hated all men, starting with the one who jilted her at the altar.

Pips sponsor was a criminal he quietly let escape, without raising an alarm, very early in the book.

The man had made his way to Austrailia and earned enough money to help Pip out.

The Jews had great expectation of what the Son of David, the promised messiah would do.

Do you know what Hosanna means?

It means Save

So when we sing

Hosanna

Hosanna

hosanna in the highest

it’s like they were singing to Jesus riding into town

Save us

Save us

Save us in the hightest.

With that kind of expectation, that Jesus was about to

SAVE

them from Roman occupation

It’s no wonder they became angry when their ideas about Jesus ministry

the messiahs mission were wrong.

Like Pip, they had held the wrong idea of what the Lord was going to do thru the Messiah for a long

long time.

But Jesus mission was to save all mankind from the penalty of sin

if they just believe in him and make him their lord.

When Jesus didn’t meet their great expectations,

kicking the Roman’s out

they were ready to get rid of him

killing him wasn’t good enough

they shouted for his crucifixion

just days after this joyful parade.

[ WRAP UP ]

Has Jesus ever made a triumphal entry into your life and heart?

Do you need to let him in now?

Receiving Christ should be a milestone in your life

Each new hurt, habit, hangup or sin we

surrender to God, should produce another milestone.

Our salvation is something to celebrate

we can celebrate by obey God

we can celebrate by letting God use our things like donkey

or our coats and skills

Don’t expect others to do the celebrating for you.

illus

WILL YOU GIVE HIM YOUR BEST?

There is a legend about an ancient village in Spain.

The villagers learned that the king would pay a visit.

In a thousand years, a king had never come to that village. Excitement grew.

"We must throw a big celebration!"

The villagers all agreed.

But, it was a poor village, and there weren’t many resources.

Someone came up with a classic idea.

Since many of the villagers made their own wines, the idea was for everyone in the village bring a large cup of their choice wine to the town square.

They said, “We’ll pour it into a large vat and offer it to the king for his pleasure!

When the king draws wine to drink, it will be the very best he’s ever tasted!”

The day before the king’s arrival, hundreds of people lined up to make their offering to the honored guest.

They climbed a small stairway, and poured their gift through a small opening at the top.

Finally, the vat was full!

The King arrived, was escorted to the square,

given a silver cup and was told to draw some wine,

which represented the best the villagers had.

He placed the cup under the spigot,

turned the handle, and then drank the wine,

but it was nothing more than water.

You see, every villager reasoned,

"I’ll withhold my best wine and substitute water.

What with so many cups of wine in the vat, the king will never know the difference!"

The problem was, everyone thought the same thing, and the king was greatly dishonored.

The Triumphal Entry is all about a day when the King of Kings was greatly honored because

people gave the very best they had – a gift of praise.

SOURCE: Matthew Rogers in "Mission Hossanna!" on www.sermoncentral.com.

Scriptures: Mark 11:1-11 __

Remember how angry the Jews became when their false expectations were not met.

We could have great expectations of God

to do things for us that he never promised to do

And if our expectations are wrong

like assuming, no harm will happen to you or your family,

because you made him lord of your life

If you expect to live on easy street the rest of your life,

then you might become angry at God and reject him too.

So check scriptures often,

don’t let a delusion

your wishful thinking guarantee you more

than God promises.

Let’s Pray