Sermon Tone Analysis

Mark 11: 1-10

11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it.

3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’

” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.

5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.

9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “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!”

Introduction

ONE OF MY DEVOTIONS THIS LAST WEEK REMINDED ME

OF THIS MANTRA AND I SHARE IT WITH YOU THIS PALM

SUNDAY MORNING....AND I’LL CLOSE WITH IT TOO....

“WHAT JESUS DID IS FINALIZED AND FINISHED.

WHAT

JESUS PAID FOR YOU IS BOUGHT AND SECURE

FOREVER.

WHAT IDENTITY HE GAVE YOU, YOU NOW

HABITUALLY WALK IN.”

PALM SUNDAY CELEBRATES THAT GLIMPSE OF GOD’S PRESENCE AND COMMITMENT

TO OUR SALVATION THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN OUR DAILY LIVES ALREADY BUT NOT

FULLY REALIZED.

AS CHRISTIANS WE STRUGGLE LIKE OUR RELIGIOUS ANCESTORS

TO GLIMPSE THE MYSTERY AND MAJESTY OF JESUS, THOUGH WE ARE LIMITED IN

DOING SO BY OUR FINITE HUMANITY.....

THE FIRST PALM SUNDAY WAS THE PRELUDE TO THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS.

THEOLOGIANS HAVE EXPRESSED THIS MYSTERY OF OUR HIGHEST HOLY DAY OF THE

YEAR....THAT THE HAPPINESS OF EARTHLY ENCOUNTERS ARE SOMETIMES REPLACED

BY THE EXCRUCIATING PAIN OF A DEATH.....THAT CROWN AND CROSS COMMINGLE.

THESE ARE THE ESSENTIAL MOVEMENTS OF OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY WITH CHRIST.

AND YET WE AS BELIEVERS ARE CALLED TO WALK ALL THE WAY WITH JESUS.

SO

LET’S NOT SKIP THE JOY AND JUBILATION OF THIS MOMENTOUS DAY.....

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PREACHERS OF THE GOSPEL CALLED PALM SUNDAY, “A FESTIVE

DRESS REHEARSAL FOR EASTER TRIUMPH” ....SO THERE IS NO HARM NOR SADNESS

WHEN WE HEAR THE JOY VOCALISTS INFUSE THE WORDS OF THAT MARVELOUS

SPIRITUAL THAT SAYS:

RIDE ON KING JESUS, NO MAN CANNOT HINDER ME

RIDE ON KING JESUS, RIDE ON, NO MAN CANNOT HINDER ME, NOOOO

MAN CANNOT HINDER ME.........IN THAT GREAT GETTIN’ UP MORNIN’ FARE YE WELL,

FARE YE WELL, IN THAT GREAT GETTIN’ UP MORNIN’FARE YE WELL, FARE YE

WELL.........

AND THIS GREAT SPIRITUAL WAS BASED, BELOVEDS, ON THAT PSALM, PSALM 45: 4

AND FOR ALL THE RIGHTFUL JOY THAT INFUSES THIS HOLY SUNDAY ON THE

CHRISTIAN CALENDAR, WE NOTE THIS IS JESUS’ FINAL AND FATE-FILLED TRIP TO

JERUSALEM.....THAT JESUS WOULD NOT LEAVE JERUSALEM AGAIN UNTIL HE WAS

KILLED, BURIED, AND RISEN FROM THE DEAD......

JESUS RIDING INTO JERUSALEM ON A DONKEY: IT FULFILLED PROPHECY

THE POWER OF PROPHECY IS THAT IT SPEAKS OF THE ALREADY AND THE NOT YET

ALL AT ONCE......AND 500 YEARS BEFORE THAT 1st PALM SUNDAY, IT WAS THE

PROPHET ZECHARIAH WHO SPOKE

ST.

MARK’S FOCUS, BELOVEDS, IS ON THE COLT…JESUS RODE THE YOUNG COLT

BECAUSE THE COLT REPRESENTED SOMETHING THE CROWD WOULD KNOW BUT

WOULDN’T EXPECT....MANY IN THE CROWD WOULD HAVE EXPECTED JESUS TO COME

INTO JERUSALEM LIKE A ROMAN WARRIOR ON A LARGE AND DAUNTING WAR HORSE

TO SHOW POWER AND GRACE AND MAJESTY....THE COLT REPRESENTED PEACE

AND

ANYONE WHO WOULD BE KING RIDING A COLT, JUST BY RIDING IT, WAS GIVING THE

MESSAGE THAT HE WANTED PEACE....THAT HIS WOULD BE A REIGN OF PEACE...

JESUS BEGAN HIS PALM SUNDAY WEEK DOING THE UNEXPECTED AND BEING

SOMEONE LEADING THIS KING’S PROCESSIONAL PARADE THAT NOT EVERYONE

WANTED HIM TO BE.....

AND YET THE CROWDS AFFIRMED JESUS, JESUS THE HEALER, JESUS THE ONE WHO

HAD RAISED LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD, JESUS WHO FED THE 5000, JESUS WHO

HEALED THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD, JESUS THE TEACHER WHO WOULD

SPEND TIME IN THE SYNAGOGUE DURING THE FINAL WEEK OF HIS LIFE......JESUS,

THE ONE TO WHOM FOLKS HOLLERED, “HOSANNA, HOSANNA” OR SAVE US, SAVE US

WE PRAY...

THE PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM THOUGHT JESUS WAS ABOUT TO SET UP A NEW

KINGDOM JUST LIKE KING DAVID’S.......AND JESUS WASN’T THERE TO BE WHAT

THOSE WHO WANTED A RENAISSANCE OF DAVID’S KINGDOM WANTED HIM TO BE

SO THE CROWDS’ SENTIMENTS IN JERUSALEM WOULD CHANGE AND CHANGE

DRASTICALLY BY FRIDAY........

OUR LASTING LONGING FOR JESUS

MORE THAN 2000 YEARS LATER, WE AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE CALLED TO CHECK

OURSELVES......TO CHECK OUR OWN LONGINGS FOR OUR SAVOIR JESUS......FOR

THERE ARE BELIEVERS WHO WANT THEIR SAVIOR IN A BOX, THEY ONLY WANT A

SAVIOR IF THAT SAVIOR CAN CHECK OFF CERTAIN NEEDS AND CERTAIN THINGS

LIMITED OR LACKING IN THEIR LIVES....

AND YET, IT WAS THE GREAT REFORMER MARTIN LUTHER WHO SUMMED UP

BEAUTIFULLY HOW JESUS LONGS FOR US.....HE WROTE HOW JESUS ENCOURAGES

YOU AND I IN THIS HYMN OF HIS:

STAY CLOSE TO ME, I AM YOUR ROCK AND CASTLE.

YOUR RANSOM I MYSELF WILL

BE; FOR YOU I STRIVE AND WRESTLE; FOR I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE, THAT

WHERE I AM YOU MAY REMAIN.

THE FOE SHALL NOT DIVIDE US...

THERE ARE BELIEVERS WHO WANT JESUS IN THEIR LIVES IF AND ONLY IF HE’S THEIR

AVENGER AND THEIR TEST FOR JESUS IS ALWAYS WHETHER THEY SEE HIM VANQUISH

THEIR FOES AND THEIR ENEMIES IN THEIR TIME......THEY WANT PAYBACK AND LIKE

THE JINGLE FROM THE J.G. WENTWORTH T.V. COMMERICAL: THEY WANT IT

NOW....MESSIAH JESUS, THEY MAY SAY, I WILL FOLLOW YOU, I WILL STAY CLOSE TO

YOU IF AND ONLY IF YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME FIGHTING MY BATTLES.....KEEP MY

ENEMIES AT BAY....DON’T DO IT YOUR WAY, DO IT MY WAY AND DO IT TODAY.....

AND THERE ARE OTHER BELIEVERS WHO ONLY WANT JESUS, IF AND ONLY IF JESUS IS

THEIR PROBLEM SOLVER....THEY MAY SAY JESUS, “DON’T YOU SEE MY MESS?

DON’T