The King is Here

Story found in all four Gospels (first since feeding of five thousand)

Marks the start of Holy Week which will culminate with Jesus’ brutal death on the cross and resurrection on the following Sunday

Up to this point, Jesus has been pretty quiet about who he is and what he has come to do — although his miracles have revealed who he is to those who are willing to see and hear.

(Stand?)

Mark 11:1–11 (ESV)

1 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!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The triumphal entry is the first of three prophetic acts Jesus performed at the beginning of Passion Week

Jesus arrives in Bethany

Jesus likely arrived on Friday before the Sabbath

Bethany was where Jesus had raised Lazarus - home of Mary and Martha

around two miles from Jerusalem

This would be Jesus’ home base for the week

Mary Anoints Jesus with perfume

Jesus’s Final Week: From Triumphal Entry to Empty Tomb Mary Anoints Jesus in Bethany

This event took place on Saturday evening, April 1. Jesus arrived in the village shortly before the beginning of the Sabbath on Friday, March 31.4 At Bethany, Jesus surely was greeted by friendly faces. On Saturday evening, the day before his entry into Jerusalem, a dinner was held in his honor. He had not been in Bethany since he raised Lazarus from the dead. He returned, knowing the religious leaders wanted to kill him.

Bethany was located about two miles southeast of Jerusalem. A person could walk from the village to Jerusalem in a little less than an hour. Bethany would be Jesus’s home base during the week (Mark 11:1, 11, 12). Each evening he and his disciples would leave the city and return there.

Jesus and followers leave Bethany early Sunday morning for short journey to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem swelling for Passover feast

Estimates us to 200,000 in city. People would arrive week or more before the Feast to make arrangements and preparations

Jesus sends two disciples ahead into Jerusalem to bring him a ride.

They get there and find everything just as Jesus had said.

*God is at work to ensure King Jesus arrives when and where he should.*

What is happening:

When someone prominent would arrive at a city (king, dignitary, etc), the important people of the city would gather, go out, meet the person, and bring them into the city.

Jesus rides the colt toward Jerusalem.

This fulfills prophecy about the Messiah.

Matthew and John reference Zechariah:

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This passage sits in a larger passage that describes the return of Israel’s King

Some of the crowd welcomes him as king.

Crowd begins to spread garments and palm branches on the road like a carpet.

Mark 11:9 (ESV)

9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Psalm 118:25–26 (ESV)

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem

Luke 19

Jesus enters the city with shouts of protest and praise.

Several truths from this event:

The King and His Kingdom are here.

Ultimately, that is what this event reveals and this is what his followers would have understood from this event.

Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The King is here and coming again.

English Standard Version (Chapter 19)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True

Revelation 19:16 ESV

16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

His Kingdom is already but not yet.

The kingdom of God has begun in the hearts of his followers. Christ’s reign is known as men and women live as citizens of the kingdom.

This is why Peter says we are aliens.

One day the kingdom will be fully realized

King Jesus is different than the kingdoms we are used to.

Ancient kings usually rode into their city on a warhorse — Jesus, on a colt.

They would come in as conquering heroes — Jesus arrives as a humble peacemaker.

When Jesus arrived and made his way to the Temple he did not start a military coup — he left.

Jesus doesn’t always meet our expectations (but he always satisfies our needs).

The Messiah didn’t show up the way many expected he would.

We ask Jesus for that new job, to fix the relationship.

We want him to make life the way WE expect.

When life doesn’t go as planned, we think maybe the King got it wrong and we being to try to work or rework things — we step on a few people to get the promotion, we continue the relationship or leave the relationship because Jesus doesn’t seem to be working fast enough or giving us the answer we expected.

The kingdom begins with sacrifice and advances through witness.

The kingdom begins with self-sacrifice not self-promotion and advances with witness not warriors.

King Jesus is different (and better!) that the kingdoms we are used to.

All other kingdoms will end.

All other kingdoms will leave wanting.

Many from the crowd came to see Jesus because of the miracle of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This happened in the town of Bethany, just a short distance from Jerusalem.

The crowd had heard about Lazarus not because Jesus tweeted the event (#LazarusLives)

Or because Jesus had a great vintage filter on his Instagram photo of Lazarus walking out with his grave clothes on.

The local news didn’t have video footage. It didn’t get a million hits on YouTube.

How did the people know about what Jesus did? There were witnesses. Their response to Jesus was to tell everyone about how Jesus made a dead man live. Jesus still makes dead men and women live.

God could have sent Jesus at any time in human history. Why didn’t he send him during a time like today? There could have been thousands of videos from a thousand different angles of all the miracles Jesus did. So why send Jesus to a time when we can’t even have a photo of what he looked like?

I’m convinced it is because God is not interested - and really people are not interested - as much in witnessing the event itself as in witnessing the change that the event creates.

Evangelism is actually pretty easy today. People want to hear a story of a dead man who lives. People want to - need to- hear the story of how you were once dead - in sin, in your purpose, in meaning, in direction for you life - then you responded to Jesus in a way that brought life - the kind of life only he can give - eternal life.

People want to know how Jesus has changed your life.

**I sometimes wonder if the reason churches go year to year without seeing many (if any) new believers is due to the fact that everyone in their community is already changed by Jesus, or if those who attend church regularly never talk about how Jesus changed them.

When was the last time you shared the story of how Jesus changed you and gave you life?

Not so shame you - but to motivate.

What would OUR church look like if we sensed the urgency of people dying and going to a God-less eternity, the opportunity of the harvest, and the expectancy that God wants to use us.

Following King Jesus is costly and worth it.

It is not OR but AND.

Think back to the donkey for a moment:

We don’t know who the two disciples were, but imagine Jesus calling them for this task.

‘Hey Pete and Phil, I’d like you two to go on ahead to to that little town there. As soon as you get into the town you’ll see a donkey - take it. If anyone stops you just tell them I need it and it’ll all be cool.’

Imagine I called up and told them I was planning on heading into South Bend so I asked them to go on ahead to Mishawaka, you’ll find a black Toyota sitting at Starbucks. Go ahead and jump in it and bring it back here. And if someone comes flying out of the coffee shop with their latte in hand, just tell them, ‘It’s all good, Jesus needs it.’

Imagine what must have been going on inside of these followers of Jesus:

They were given a task by Jesus that seemed perhaps out of their comfort zone.

Maybe they had seen Jesus provide many times before but worried that perhaps this time might be different.

Maybe they wondered how they would know which donkey was God’s will.

Maybe they felt embarrassed when people asked them why they were heading into the village, ‘Do you really think some guy is going to let you simply take his donkey? Why would you trust this Jesus when he expects you to do such crazy things.

I don’t know what was going on inside the two disciples, but if they are anything like me, some, if not all of those questions were in play. Maybe you can relate.

What I DO know is that they responded to Jesus with committed obedience

* I wonder if we would respond the way the disciples did. Despite the questions you may be facing right now about what Jesus is doing or about to do, are you going to respond with committed obedience?

Matthew 21:3–6 ESV

3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

On the other end of the Uber donkey were two owners (most likely because according to Matthew there were two animals - a donkey and colt)

The reality of the coming King required a response from them as well.

We know from the story that they saw the disciples untying the donkey, asked what they were doing, and when told that Jesus needed them, gave them willingly.

Why did they allow the disciples to do it?

Had they known of the disciple’s master?

Had they had an encounter with Jesus previously?

Were they witnesses to Jesus’ miracles?

Somehow God prepared their hearts to give for Jesus, because they allowed the disciples to take the donkey.

While they may have thought the donkey rental was a simple thing, a small sacrifice, it was, in fact a key component in God’s greater plan of redemptive history.

Matthew 21:4–5 ESV

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

That was THEIR donkey!

Did you ever stop to think that the sacrifice you give could play a big part in God’s redemptive plan?

The King is in the midst of three types of people:

Pharisees and religious leaders:

- Actively opposed to Jesus as king.

Disciples:

- Actively following Jesus as king.

Crowds:

- (Passively opposed to Jesus as king.) These are those who were too caught up in the festivities around them to truly recognize Jesus.

- some were totally oblivious

- some may have been even chanting Jesus’ name with no idea who he really was. They were just found in the middle of religious motion with no real relationship with the King.

(This may explain how it seemed many were shouting for Jesus as king and within a few days shouting for his death.) They are kingdom-followers and not king followers.

Jesus is calling for King-followers not kingdom-dwellers.

- difference - one follows the crowd; the other follows the King.

- one follows only what is popular; the other follows whether it is popular or not.

Following the King means replacing convenient worship for costly sacrifice.

they were victims of convenient worship.

(convenient worship is really no worship at all)

- When the kingdom crumbles so does their life.

Ultimately, there can be only one king in your life.

Jesus is either King of all or not King at all.

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

You may be with the King on Sunday but where are you on Friday?

I find it interesting that those who were closest to Jesus on Sunday were nowhere near him on Friday.

Where were you this last Friday?

Where will you be this Friday?

Jesus calls us to live a kingdom difference every day of the week.

To stay close to him - it may be costly - Sunday through Saturday.