WEBVTT 00:00:07.620 --> 00:00:11.500 We've been in Matthew for quite some time, but 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:15.220 today, and we're going next week, we'll have 00:00:15.220 --> 00:00:19.179 a bit of a reprieve and celebrate Palm Sunday, 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:22.640 celebrate the resurrection of our Lord next week 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:25.719 with Easter. Today, we're going to take as our 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:31.390 text the 12th chapter of John. We read the Luke 00:00:31.390 --> 00:00:34.170 chapter, and so this is going to be John's version 00:00:34.170 --> 00:00:39.670 of the triumphal entry. We'll begin at verse 00:00:39.670 --> 00:00:47.030 12. The next day a great multitude that had come 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:49.250 to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was 00:00:49.250 --> 00:00:52.630 coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, 00:00:52.890 --> 00:00:55.210 and they went out to meet him and cried out, 00:00:55.270 --> 00:00:59.390 Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:03.549 of the Lord, the King of Israel. Then Jesus, 00:01:03.670 --> 00:01:05.530 when he had found a young donkey, sat on it. 00:01:06.010 --> 00:01:08.010 As it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. 00:01:09.049 --> 00:01:11.310 Behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:14.629 colt. His disciples did not understand these 00:01:14.629 --> 00:01:17.650 things at first. But when Jesus was glorified, 00:01:17.849 --> 00:01:20.170 then they remembered that these things were written 00:01:20.170 --> 00:01:22.329 about him and they had done these things to him. 00:01:23.609 --> 00:01:25.590 Therefore the people who were with him when he 00:01:25.590 --> 00:01:27.549 called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised from 00:01:27.549 --> 00:01:31.569 the dead bore witness. For this reason the people 00:01:31.569 --> 00:01:34.290 also met him because they heard that he had done 00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:38.390 this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among 00:01:38.390 --> 00:01:41.310 themselves, You see that you are accomplishing 00:01:41.310 --> 00:01:45.489 nothing? Look, the world has gone after him. 00:01:46.129 --> 00:01:52.239 Let's pray. Almighty and gracious Father, Would 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:54.379 you meet with us today by your precious spirit? 00:01:55.340 --> 00:01:58.420 Father, open our eyes and Lord, give us understanding, 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:02.140 not just to receive the text, but as it is the 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:05.299 very word of God. Lord, would you help us to 00:02:05.299 --> 00:02:09.620 see Christ as he is, the humble king, yet will 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:13.219 be glorious, Lord, in his return. Lord, we need 00:02:13.219 --> 00:02:17.919 you this morning. God, open the word of the Lord 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.539 and feed us with the true manna. from heaven, 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:22.979 which is your son. And it's in his name we pray. 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:27.280 Amen. As I said earlier, today's Palm Sunday, 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:30.180 and this is where we remember our Lord's triumphal 00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:33.719 entry into Jerusalem. It's interesting that this 00:02:33.719 --> 00:02:37.060 particular event, the triumphal entry, it's one 00:02:37.060 --> 00:02:39.520 of the few events that are recorded in all four 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.939 Gospels. You often see things in Matthew, Mark, 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.460 and Luke called the synoptic Gospels, but John's 00:02:45.460 --> 00:02:48.240 usually the outlier. But this event's also recorded 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:51.689 in John's Gospel. Today, as Pastor Kyle mentioned, 00:02:51.849 --> 00:02:54.569 this marks the beginning of what has traditionally 00:02:54.569 --> 00:02:57.310 been known as Passion Week. And this is where 00:02:57.310 --> 00:02:59.189 Christians around the world, we remember the 00:02:59.189 --> 00:03:03.129 final week of our Lord's earthly ministry. And 00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:04.789 for today, I want you to put yourself in the 00:03:04.789 --> 00:03:08.550 crowd that day as Jesus is riding into Jerusalem. 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:12.409 The city, Jerusalem itself, it's filled with 00:03:12.409 --> 00:03:16.330 excitement. Word had spread that the one who 00:03:16.330 --> 00:03:20.569 can raise the dead is on his way. You see, Jesus 00:03:20.569 --> 00:03:23.490 had just recently raised Lazarus from the dead, 00:03:23.590 --> 00:03:26.629 and that took place in Bethany. Bethany is just 00:03:26.629 --> 00:03:30.789 about two short miles from Jerusalem. So no doubt 00:03:30.789 --> 00:03:34.469 everyone had heard about this incredible miracle. 00:03:35.370 --> 00:03:38.009 And as Jesus is approaching the city gates, the 00:03:38.009 --> 00:03:41.370 people begin to gather palm branches. And they 00:03:41.370 --> 00:03:46.610 begin to shout, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes 00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:49.469 in the name of Yahweh. In the name of the Lord. 00:03:50.129 --> 00:03:52.810 The people are shouting. And they're shouting 00:03:52.810 --> 00:03:57.189 that Jesus is the king of Israel. This one, riding 00:03:57.189 --> 00:04:02.530 on a donkey, is the long -awaited Messiah. But 00:04:02.530 --> 00:04:05.669 then you see him. He's not at all what you were 00:04:05.669 --> 00:04:08.530 expecting. I mean, you're expecting a king. You 00:04:08.530 --> 00:04:11.069 would expect him to be accompanied by royal soldiers, 00:04:11.430 --> 00:04:15.319 escorting him into the capital city. Surely the 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:17.959 king would be seated on a royal horse, but not 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:23.160 him. He's on a young donkey. No pomp or circumstance. 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:28.199 There's no grand display of royal splendor. You 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:30.339 think to yourself, I mean, this is very unusual 00:04:30.339 --> 00:04:34.920 for a royal procession. And to make it even more 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:38.120 surprising, Jesus was not dressed at all like 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:42.170 a king. He's not wearing a royal robe. There's 00:04:42.170 --> 00:04:46.009 no crown on his head, at least not yet, and he's 00:04:46.009 --> 00:04:49.790 not holding a royal scepter in his hand. He's 00:04:49.790 --> 00:04:53.170 dressed as an ordinary Galilean, not a royal 00:04:53.170 --> 00:04:57.029 monarch. God's king is not at all what you were 00:04:57.029 --> 00:04:59.629 expecting. As we think about the background, 00:04:59.769 --> 00:05:01.629 we have to understand this triumphal entry, it 00:05:01.629 --> 00:05:04.449 is a significant event, not just for the people 00:05:04.449 --> 00:05:07.110 of Jesus' day, but for Christians throughout 00:05:07.110 --> 00:05:10.139 history. Which is why 2 ,000 years later, we 00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:13.800 still commemorate this event. But what makes 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:16.920 this so important? Why is it so important that 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:19.220 it's mentioned in all four Gospels? I mean, why 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:21.939 do we still remember and commemorate Palm Sunday? 00:05:22.939 --> 00:05:25.920 Well, there are two reasons. First, because this 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:28.980 is the first time that Jesus made a public claim 00:05:28.980 --> 00:05:32.680 to be the Messiah and King of Israel. Now, people 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.360 had called him, people had suspected, but he 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:39.100 had never said that of himself. So today he's 00:05:39.100 --> 00:05:42.360 receiving that praise. Secondly, though, we remember 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:46.100 it because this is the culmination of his final 00:05:46.100 --> 00:05:50.920 long journey to the cross. Jesus is the king. 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:54.920 He is the king of Israel. And his humble entrance 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:59.899 into Jerusalem stands in stark contrast to the 00:05:59.899 --> 00:06:03.120 kingdom of the world. See, the world values strength 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:09.600 and power. wealth and prestige, fame and beauty, 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:11.399 those are all hot commodities in the kingdom 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:14.879 of the man. But that's not the way the kingdom 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:18.319 of God operates. The kingdom of God, what God 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:22.800 truly values, was given to us in Matthew 5. Blessed, 00:06:22.819 --> 00:06:27.040 happy are the poor in spirit. That's who gets 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:29.680 the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:33.540 mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are 00:06:33.540 --> 00:06:37.439 the meek. They will inherit the earth. Blessed 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.519 are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:43.860 for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.980 and this is in a Roman culture that did not value 00:06:45.980 --> 00:06:51.000 mercy, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:55.139 the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed 00:06:55.139 --> 00:06:57.800 are the peacemakers, for they shall be called 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:01.240 sons of God. See, in the kingdom of God it's 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:02.920 strange because it's not the rich who we see 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:05.959 as blessed, it's rather the poor in spirit. It's 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:09.339 not the powerful who are blessed, but the merciful. 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:13.279 He says it's not the strong man, it's the meek 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:17.040 man. Not those who are seeking riches, but those 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:20.980 who are seeking after righteousness. The kingdom 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:25.000 of God is antithetical and opposite to the kingdom 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.569 of man. It's opposite that of the world. And 00:07:28.569 --> 00:07:31.449 so it is when we see God's chosen king, he looks 00:07:31.449 --> 00:07:33.769 very different than we would perhaps expect. 00:07:34.189 --> 00:07:37.110 Because the royal dignitaries of this age, they 00:07:37.110 --> 00:07:40.410 love pomp and circumstance. Just look at Buckingham 00:07:40.410 --> 00:07:44.750 Palace. They love elaborate parades held in their 00:07:44.750 --> 00:07:48.949 honor. Ancient kings would ride on royal steeds 00:07:48.949 --> 00:07:51.410 which had been bred for that specific purpose. 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:54.910 Everyone knew the king's horse. It's a display 00:07:54.910 --> 00:07:59.160 of power. and prestige. And that's how we expect 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.779 a king to arrive. That makes sense to us, but 00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:06.459 that is not how God's king made his entrance. 00:08:07.699 --> 00:08:09.939 Jesus, at this point, had already captured the 00:08:09.939 --> 00:08:12.920 attention, but also the anger of the religious 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:16.860 leaders who lived in Jerusalem. Now these religious 00:08:16.860 --> 00:08:18.819 leaders, these shepherds of Israel, they were 00:08:18.819 --> 00:08:20.939 supposed to be leading the people of God into 00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:24.160 truth. I mean, they should have, of all people, 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.680 been the one to be able to see that Jesus is 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.680 the one who had been sent by God. They knew the 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.860 scriptures. They had studied them meticulously. 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:35.120 But instead, these men were self -indulgent, 00:08:35.179 --> 00:08:39.960 arrogant, and spiritually blind. They could not 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:42.240 see the truth that was right before him because 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.659 they had too much on the line. They had too much 00:08:44.659 --> 00:08:46.220 at stake, and there was too much for them to 00:08:46.220 --> 00:08:50.320 lose. Their power? Their own prestige, their 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.659 own position, if you will, were now at stake. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:57.240 They're so jealous of the one riding on the donkey. 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:00.080 They're jealous of Jesus. They're jealous of 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.519 his popularity with the crowds. And it's no surprise 00:09:02.519 --> 00:09:06.000 that crowds were drawn to this man. I mean, think 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.399 about it. They had heard and some had even witnessed 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:12.759 he can heal sick people. Lepers get cleansed 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:15.440 by just a touch from this man. He can restore 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:18.960 hearing and sight. Oh, if they're lame, he can 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:21.899 make the lame walk again. But what if you're 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:24.460 hungry? We've heard that he can multiply fish 00:09:24.460 --> 00:09:28.500 and bread and feed thousands of people. And we 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:30.940 know for certain just a few days before this, 00:09:31.220 --> 00:09:36.159 Jesus had publicly raised Lazarus from the dead 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:39.960 after four days. That's a profound event. It 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:43.059 was so impactful that Lazarus' testimony led 00:09:43.059 --> 00:09:46.769 many people to believe in Jesus. As I said earlier, 00:09:46.909 --> 00:09:49.649 keep in mind that raising of Lazarus was just 00:09:49.649 --> 00:09:52.029 two miles outside of Jerusalem. It's in a little 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:55.529 town called Bethany. Jerusalem, the capital city, 00:09:55.669 --> 00:09:58.850 well, that's the seat of the Sanhedrin, the official 00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:02.629 ruling body of Israel. Well, the Sanhedrin, they 00:10:02.629 --> 00:10:06.370 did not want some rival power like Jesus rising 00:10:06.370 --> 00:10:10.470 to power. That's a threat to them. They feared 00:10:10.470 --> 00:10:14.110 him. So they want him gone. They don't want him 00:10:14.110 --> 00:10:17.279 removed. And then when they learned of Lazarus 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.779 being raised, they knew they had to act. So they 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:23.659 convened a council and they determined Jesus 00:10:23.659 --> 00:10:28.639 must die. Therefore, Jesus did withdraw for a 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.259 short time, but he later returned to Bethany 00:10:32.259 --> 00:10:34.980 where there's a celebration dinner in his honor. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:38.039 It's there where Mary breaks the flask and pours 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:40.860 the expensive ointment upon him, Jesus said, 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:44.269 anointing him for burial. But meanwhile, in Jesus' 00:10:44.450 --> 00:10:46.690 absence for that short period of time, word is 00:10:46.690 --> 00:10:48.610 spreading, word is getting out, and it's gone 00:10:48.610 --> 00:10:51.330 all throughout Jerusalem about Lazarus and what 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:54.190 Jesus had done to him. And keep in mind, this 00:10:54.190 --> 00:10:57.129 is the day or the time of the great feast, the 00:10:57.129 --> 00:11:01.429 great Passover celebration. At Passover, Jerusalem 00:11:01.429 --> 00:11:04.210 would have been filled with hundreds of thousands 00:11:04.210 --> 00:11:07.450 of Jewish pilgrims who had come from all over 00:11:07.450 --> 00:11:11.830 to observe Passover. I said, Jerusalem's overflowing. 00:11:11.830 --> 00:11:14.950 It's teeming with people. Just by nature being 00:11:14.950 --> 00:11:18.350 Passover, there's excitement in the air. But 00:11:18.350 --> 00:11:21.470 now, there's talk about a man who can raise the 00:11:21.470 --> 00:11:25.990 dead. And so what do they do? They begin to celebrate. 00:11:26.230 --> 00:11:29.289 They begin to look to this man. So when the people 00:11:29.289 --> 00:11:32.049 found out that Jesus had come back to Bethany, 00:11:32.590 --> 00:11:36.509 well, what would you do? Let's go see him. Let's 00:11:36.509 --> 00:11:38.629 go see this man, and let's see the dead man who 00:11:38.629 --> 00:11:41.710 was raised. So now the religious leaders are 00:11:41.710 --> 00:11:43.809 not just mad at Jesus, they're mad at Lazarus. 00:11:44.389 --> 00:11:48.269 Let's kill him. Because many are going after 00:11:48.269 --> 00:11:53.409 Jesus because of this man. So now Jesus leaves 00:11:53.409 --> 00:11:57.389 Bethany and he's headed to Jerusalem with his 00:11:57.389 --> 00:12:00.029 disciples, but he's followed by a very large 00:12:00.029 --> 00:12:02.990 crowd. Now Jesus knew the Sanhedrin's decision. 00:12:03.210 --> 00:12:07.090 He knew their plot against him, yet he boldly 00:12:07.090 --> 00:12:10.289 goes to Jerusalem anyways. And we'll look at 00:12:10.289 --> 00:12:13.929 the first two verses, verse 12 and 13. The next 00:12:13.929 --> 00:12:16.529 day, a great multitude that had come to the feast, 00:12:16.629 --> 00:12:19.090 when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 00:12:19.350 --> 00:12:21.950 they took branches of palm trees and went out 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:24.470 to meet him. And they're crying out, Hosanna. 00:12:25.870 --> 00:12:27.549 Blessed he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:31.049 Notice that L -O -R -D, all caps. Blessed is 00:12:31.049 --> 00:12:34.149 he who comes in the name of Yahweh. This is the 00:12:34.149 --> 00:12:37.029 king of Israel. Now, I think it's very important, 00:12:37.090 --> 00:12:39.850 if you're going to understand what's happening 00:12:39.850 --> 00:12:42.669 here, there are two groups of people who are 00:12:42.669 --> 00:12:44.870 present in Jerusalem at this time. You've got 00:12:44.870 --> 00:12:47.210 the local residents, the local Jerusalemites, 00:12:47.389 --> 00:12:49.950 but then you also have those hundreds of thousands 00:12:49.950 --> 00:12:52.649 of Jewish pilgrims who had come to observe Passover. 00:12:53.690 --> 00:12:57.149 It's these pilgrims who took the palm branches 00:12:57.149 --> 00:13:00.070 and went out to meet Jesus. Sometimes we hear 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:01.909 stories about the same people who cried to Hosanna, 00:13:01.990 --> 00:13:04.539 then on Friday wanted to kill him. That's not 00:13:04.539 --> 00:13:07.360 necessarily true. There's two groups. The local 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:09.440 people, the Sanhedrin, the ruling body, yes, 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:11.740 they do. But these Jewish pilgrims, they're recognizing 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:15.240 something. Now, John's gospel says it's a great 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:19.960 multitude. But Matthew, in his gospel, he says 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:24.879 it is a very great multitude. Matthew 21 .8. 00:13:24.940 --> 00:13:26.860 So I looked up the word very great. It's the 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:30.830 word pleistos in Greek. It's a superlative. And 00:13:30.830 --> 00:13:33.509 it means the largest numbers, what it literally 00:13:33.509 --> 00:13:38.129 means. And so in this context, it means the greatest 00:13:38.129 --> 00:13:43.570 possible crowd. So this is massive. This is a 00:13:43.570 --> 00:13:47.809 massive crowd during Passover, which would have 00:13:47.809 --> 00:13:50.889 caused quite a scene. Now, the Sanhedrin's already 00:13:50.889 --> 00:13:53.429 ruled that Jesus is going to die. They're already 00:13:53.429 --> 00:13:56.610 upset. And now it's like their nightmare is coming 00:13:56.610 --> 00:14:00.590 true. You have massive crowds. flocking to Jesus. 00:14:00.789 --> 00:14:03.870 It's during Passover, so even more people are 00:14:03.870 --> 00:14:07.049 present there to witness it. And these people, 00:14:07.149 --> 00:14:09.389 what are they doing? They're taking off their 00:14:09.389 --> 00:14:11.029 outer garments and they're spreading their clothes 00:14:11.029 --> 00:14:13.090 on the road and they're cutting down palm branches 00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:15.710 and waving it before him. And you're like, well, 00:14:15.750 --> 00:14:17.590 what's the big deal? Well, if you're Jewish, 00:14:17.710 --> 00:14:20.929 the palm branch was a tremendous sign. It's a 00:14:20.929 --> 00:14:24.730 sign of joy. It's a sign of triumph, conquest. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:28.720 And it was even used in the Feast of Tabernacles 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:34.639 on festive occasions. Moreover, kings were welcomed 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:38.879 with palm branches being waved in the air. Palm 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.100 branches even appeared on ancient Jewish coins. 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.659 So it's a symbol. It's a Jewish symbol. You have 00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:49.700 joy, thanksgiving, and victory, all represented 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:52.820 by the palm branch. You also see, and I love 00:14:52.820 --> 00:14:55.000 this, we see the palm branch again in the book 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.559 of the Revelation. Revelation chapter 7. After 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:02.600 these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:07.379 which no one could number, of all nations, all 00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:10.340 tribes and peoples and tongues. And they're standing 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:13.879 before the throne and before the Lamb. And they're 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:16.580 clothed with white robes with palm branches in 00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:19.759 their hands. And they're crying out with a loud 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:23.870 voice saying, Salvation belongs to our God who 00:15:23.870 --> 00:15:27.750 sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Do you see 00:15:27.750 --> 00:15:29.269 the importance of that palm branch being waved 00:15:29.269 --> 00:15:33.029 before Jesus? These Jewish pilgrims, they were 00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:36.450 welcoming Jesus. This is our King. This is the 00:15:36.450 --> 00:15:39.090 King of Israel. And they're crying out Psalm 00:15:39.090 --> 00:15:43.629 118. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the 00:15:43.629 --> 00:15:47.230 name of Yahweh. Psalm 118, if you read it, it's 00:15:47.230 --> 00:15:49.149 a psalm of thanksgiving. And they're thanking 00:15:49.149 --> 00:15:53.580 God for victory. This is God's victorious king. 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.899 Hosanna. What's Hosanna mean? Save now. Save 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:02.940 us. Deliver us is what it means. They're saying 00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:08.080 that Psalm 118 is fulfilled in Jesus. They're 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.139 saying that Jesus is the one coming in the name 00:16:11.139 --> 00:16:15.480 of Yahweh to save them. Mark tells us something 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:18.220 additionally. He said, blessed is the kingdom 00:16:18.220 --> 00:16:22.470 of our father David. It's not just Hosanna, it's 00:16:22.470 --> 00:16:26.289 also this is the son of David. So when you're 00:16:26.289 --> 00:16:29.049 starting to put it together, Jesus was the king 00:16:29.049 --> 00:16:34.169 of Israel who had been sent by the God of Israel, 00:16:34.210 --> 00:16:37.889 by Yahweh himself. So now can you imagine how 00:16:37.889 --> 00:16:40.870 excited the people are? They're excited. They're 00:16:40.870 --> 00:16:47.129 thinking, Jesus can save us from Rome. Okay, 00:16:47.149 --> 00:16:50.360 now we start to see something. If he has power 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.919 over death, then surely he can defeat the Roman 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.799 army, right? So the crowds were celebrating and 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:58.399 their right to do so. Their king had come, that's 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.259 a true statement, and they would at last now 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:05.480 have their victory. No. They're thinking Israel 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:08.619 is going to be vindicated. Their national glory 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:12.599 will be restored. Now what did Jesus think of 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:15.190 all this? Because earlier in his ministry, when 00:17:15.190 --> 00:17:17.450 the people got excited and wanted to proclaim 00:17:17.450 --> 00:17:20.670 and make him king, he withdrew. You saw that 00:17:20.670 --> 00:17:22.670 in the feeding of the 5 ,000 there in John chapter 00:17:22.670 --> 00:17:26.750 6, verse 15. Jesus says, when he perceived that 00:17:26.750 --> 00:17:28.490 they were about to come and take him by force 00:17:28.490 --> 00:17:32.049 to make him king, he departed again to a mountain 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:38.490 by himself alone. But now, Luke 19. And some 00:17:38.490 --> 00:17:39.910 of the Pharisees said to him from the crowd, 00:17:40.029 --> 00:17:43.390 teacher, do you see what they're doing? Rebuke 00:17:43.390 --> 00:17:45.589 these dumb people is what they're saying. Rebuke 00:17:45.589 --> 00:17:49.990 your disciples. And he said, I won't. I tell 00:17:49.990 --> 00:17:52.390 you that if they don't cry out in praise, these 00:17:52.390 --> 00:17:54.170 rocks are going to open up their voice here soon. 00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:58.470 So you find something. His hour had not come 00:17:58.470 --> 00:18:02.410 in John 6. His hour had now come. The Lord willingly 00:18:02.410 --> 00:18:05.390 received their praise. And he said, moreover, 00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:08.529 if these people fail to honor me as king, the 00:18:08.529 --> 00:18:10.569 very rocks that were created by God will cry 00:18:10.569 --> 00:18:13.759 out in praise. Jesus didn't reject the title 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:17.599 king at all. But he did reject their expectation 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:21.380 of what he should do as king. So the people are 00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:23.519 right about who he is, but they were wrong about 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.119 what he came to do. A great misunderstanding. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:29.940 There were false expectations of what the Messiah 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:33.220 should do. But it's not a whole lot different 00:18:33.220 --> 00:18:37.539 even today. Today, you find Jesus being promoted 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:40.279 all over social media and different media outlets. 00:18:41.450 --> 00:18:43.509 But there's different expectations of what Jesus 00:18:43.509 --> 00:18:45.849 should do. For some, people see Jesus, he's the 00:18:45.849 --> 00:18:48.210 therapist, and he had come to improve self -esteem 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:51.349 and feelings of themselves. Others see Jesus, 00:18:51.349 --> 00:18:53.549 well, he's a counselor who will fix their relationships 00:18:53.549 --> 00:18:57.230 and problems. Others see him as the healer who 00:18:57.230 --> 00:19:01.690 guarantees physical health. Others see him as 00:19:01.690 --> 00:19:04.890 proprietor. He's a provider of financial blessing. 00:19:06.009 --> 00:19:09.029 And every single one of those strands are false 00:19:09.029 --> 00:19:12.980 expectations. I've used this term before. I hope 00:19:12.980 --> 00:19:15.180 it makes sense. But that's all because of an 00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:18.480 over -realized eschatology. Let me explain that. 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:21.779 An over -realized eschatology is when you expect 00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:25.799 now what is only promised later. See, in the 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:28.200 future, when the kingdom arrives in its fullness, 00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:30.240 it's already here, but when it arrives in its 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.900 fullness, then at that day there will be no pain 00:19:32.900 --> 00:19:38.920 or sickness or poverty. But in this age, God's 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:42.519 people face trials. The Apostle Paul told the 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:44.680 churches into which he ministered, he said this 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:49.079 in Acts 14, he said, we must through many tribulations 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:54.859 enter the kingdom of God. Friends, it is in this 00:19:54.859 --> 00:19:58.380 age when God's people bear their cross. In the 00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:01.960 eschaton, in the age to come, they will receive 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:06.420 their crown. It is not time yet. Yes, the kingdom's 00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:08.140 here. I want us to understand it's so important. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:09.799 The kingdom's here, but it's not here in its 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:13.240 fruition. It's not here in its fullness. Yes, 00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:16.160 Jesus is God's appointed king, but he would follow 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.500 the Father's plan and not the crowd's expectations. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:25.380 Well, what's the Father's plan? Mark 10, he tells 00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:30.400 us. Mark 10, 33 and 34. Behold, we are going 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.859 up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man is going 00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:35.599 to be betrayed to the chief priests and to the 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:38.630 scribes. And they will condemn him to death and 00:20:38.630 --> 00:20:42.130 deliver him to the Gentiles. And they'll mock 00:20:42.130 --> 00:20:46.250 and scourge him and spit on him and kill him. 00:20:47.289 --> 00:20:50.809 And the third day he will rise again. Of all 00:20:50.809 --> 00:20:53.069 people, that inner group of disciples should 00:20:53.069 --> 00:20:56.089 have understood the Lord's mission. But they 00:20:56.089 --> 00:20:59.089 didn't get it. They failed to understand. Now 00:20:59.089 --> 00:21:01.960 obviously the crowds could not understand. They 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:05.299 did not know Jesus had come to free them from 00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:10.599 their sin, not from Rome. They couldn't see it. 00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:14.299 They did not understand he came as the lamb and 00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:18.380 he returns as the lion. Look at verses 14 and 00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:22.279 15. Then Jesus, when he found a young donkey, 00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:26.400 sat on it. As it is written, Fear not, daughter 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:29.640 of Zion. Behold, your king is coming, sitting 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:34.690 on a donkey's colt. He chose to ride into the 00:21:34.690 --> 00:21:39.069 capital city on a donkey. The king is coming 00:21:39.069 --> 00:21:43.049 in humility. If he were the king they were expecting, 00:21:43.210 --> 00:21:46.130 the military conqueror, I believe he would have 00:21:46.130 --> 00:21:49.589 ridden a war horse. But instead he's sending 00:21:49.589 --> 00:21:52.650 a message through this animal. He's riding into 00:21:52.650 --> 00:21:57.329 Jerusalem on a lowly animal. Earthly kings display 00:21:57.329 --> 00:22:01.829 power. Jesus displayed humility. Think about 00:22:01.829 --> 00:22:04.890 the false prophet Muhammad. Historians tell us 00:22:04.890 --> 00:22:07.009 that Muhammad, when he entered Mecca, he entered 00:22:07.009 --> 00:22:10.390 Mecca on a war horse with 400 mounted men and 00:22:10.390 --> 00:22:13.650 10 ,000 foot soldiers. That's what you would 00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:18.289 expect. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey accompanied 00:22:18.289 --> 00:22:24.470 by 12 disciples. So incongruent, isn't it? God's 00:22:24.470 --> 00:22:29.329 kingdom came in the most unexpected way. Don't 00:22:29.329 --> 00:22:33.549 miss it. He had come to die for his people. That 00:22:33.549 --> 00:22:37.990 donkey is representing peace, not war. But peace 00:22:37.990 --> 00:22:40.869 would come not by defeating the Romans with the 00:22:40.869 --> 00:22:47.809 sword. Our Lord secured eternal peace by allowing 00:22:47.809 --> 00:22:53.210 the sword to fall on him. That's it. Now, Jesus 00:22:53.210 --> 00:22:55.109 is fulfilling prophecy here. There's a prophecy 00:22:55.109 --> 00:22:57.190 from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, chapter 00:22:57.190 --> 00:23:00.740 9, verse 9. Zechariah writes, Rejoice greatly, 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:03.019 O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:05.319 Behold, your king is coming to you. Wow, that's 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:08.819 great. He's just and having salvation, even greater. 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:15.119 Lowly and riding on a donkey. What? A colt, the 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:19.599 foal of a donkey. Zechariah told Israel, your 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:22.579 king will come lowly. Now normally, we do not 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:26.900 associate lowliness with royalty. Instead of 00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:33.000 that triumphant war horse, God's king comes as 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.039 a servant on a servile donkey. Now, Zechariah 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:39.240 9 .9, there is a verse that follows, verse 10. 00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:42.220 I want you to notice here. He says, I will cut 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:44.700 off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from 00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:48.599 Jerusalem. The battle bow shall be cut off. He 00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:52.730 shall speak peace to the nations. His dominion 00:23:52.730 --> 00:23:55.309 shall be from sea to sea and from the river to 00:23:55.309 --> 00:23:59.349 the ends of the earth. I love this. He speaks 00:23:59.349 --> 00:24:04.769 peace to the nations. Oh, the irony. It is through 00:24:04.769 --> 00:24:09.730 this humble donkey riding king worldwide peace 00:24:09.730 --> 00:24:13.130 comes. And Zechariah tells us that a day is coming 00:24:13.130 --> 00:24:15.450 when the weapons of war, the bow and the chariot, 00:24:15.470 --> 00:24:17.890 they will no longer be needed. Why? Because his 00:24:17.890 --> 00:24:21.049 reign of peace will be worldwide. Notice, to 00:24:21.049 --> 00:24:25.609 the ends of the earth. But how would he do it? 00:24:26.990 --> 00:24:30.109 Well, he's got to secure peace. He's got to crush 00:24:30.109 --> 00:24:34.490 Rome, right? No. In the highest of ironies, he 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:38.589 allows himself to be crushed by Rome. The kingdom 00:24:38.589 --> 00:24:42.529 of God does not come by force, but by sacrifice. 00:24:44.069 --> 00:24:46.150 I told you the crowds misunderstood it. They 00:24:46.150 --> 00:24:47.930 weren't alone. The disciples didn't even understand. 00:24:48.009 --> 00:24:51.579 Look at verse 16 with me. His disciples did not 00:24:51.579 --> 00:24:54.839 understand these things at first. But when Jesus 00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:57.740 was glorified, then they remembered that these 00:24:57.740 --> 00:25:00.119 things were written about him and that they had 00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:02.680 done these things to him. I love that this verse 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:05.339 is here in Scripture. That means the people who 00:25:05.339 --> 00:25:07.720 were there that day, they were unaware that they 00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:10.559 were fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy. So it's 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:13.400 not like anyone that day was consciously trying 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:17.059 to fulfill Zechariah 9 .9. No, they didn't know 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:19.480 it. In fact, it wasn't until after Jesus had 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:21.799 already risen from the grave and is glorified, 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:24.579 then it was revealed to them, oh, yeah, we did 00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:28.019 do that. Oh, that is what Zechariah said. Then 00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:31.720 they understood what had taken place. Verses 00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:34.660 17 and 18. Therefore the people who were with 00:25:34.660 --> 00:25:36.380 him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and 00:25:36.380 --> 00:25:37.720 raised him from the dead, they bore witness, 00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:40.759 they're testifying. For this reason the people 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:42.819 also met him because they had heard they had 00:25:42.819 --> 00:25:46.690 done this sign. All right. Jesus finally arrived 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:50.130 in Jerusalem. And those who saw him raise Lazarus, 00:25:50.150 --> 00:25:52.309 they began to go around all Jerusalem telling 00:25:52.309 --> 00:25:55.069 people all about it. Now you can imagine how 00:25:55.069 --> 00:25:57.049 this would play out, right? I mean, you see a 00:25:57.049 --> 00:25:59.069 man raise a man from the dead after he'd been 00:25:59.069 --> 00:26:00.869 dead four days. I mean, you're going to go around 00:26:00.869 --> 00:26:02.990 telling people, I mean, this man, look at him. 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:05.690 He has the power to raise the dead. This is the 00:26:05.690 --> 00:26:08.890 Messiah. I was there when he brought Lazarus 00:26:08.890 --> 00:26:13.309 back to life. I saw it with my own eyes. And 00:26:13.309 --> 00:26:16.170 their eyewitness testimony. Would have been very 00:26:16.170 --> 00:26:21.690 convincing, by the way. Verse 19. The Pharisees, 00:26:21.690 --> 00:26:25.130 therefore, sat among themselves. You can imagine, 00:26:25.130 --> 00:26:27.730 they're over there and they're just like, frustrated, 00:26:28.549 --> 00:26:32.250 angry, brooding. You see that you're accomplishing 00:26:32.250 --> 00:26:34.349 nothing. They're talking to each other. Great 00:26:34.349 --> 00:26:37.109 plan. You see that you're accomplishing nothing. 00:26:38.450 --> 00:26:45.019 Look, the world has gone after him. They knew 00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:47.700 their efforts had failed. In fact, the more they 00:26:47.700 --> 00:26:49.660 tried to silence Jesus, the greater his fame 00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:54.720 grew. It seemed as if the whole world had gone 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:56.599 after him. Jerusalem's filled with several hundred 00:26:56.599 --> 00:27:00.359 thousand visitors. But sadly, many of them had 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:04.319 gone after him for all the wrong reasons. They're 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:06.960 willing to shortchange themselves. They wanted 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:10.299 political freedom. Just give us freedom from 00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:13.460 Rome. They could not understand that their most 00:27:13.460 --> 00:27:17.960 pressing need was freedom from their sin. I told 00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:19.980 you that king was not wearing a crown, but he 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:23.359 would wear one. It's not a crown of gold, it 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:26.599 would be a crown of thorns. And the kingdom of 00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:28.480 God would not come through triumph, but through 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:31.960 the cross. Put yourself in the crowd again that 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:37.250 day. You've got the palm in your hand. And you're 00:27:37.250 --> 00:27:38.869 crying out, your voice is on with them because 00:27:38.869 --> 00:27:40.470 you're caught up with the rapture of the moment. 00:27:40.910 --> 00:27:44.869 Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name 00:27:44.869 --> 00:27:48.390 of Yahweh. You're there and you're hailing him 00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:51.890 as king. But the question we have to ask this 00:27:51.890 --> 00:27:53.950 morning is will you still proclaim him king when 00:27:53.950 --> 00:27:58.769 he leads you through unexpected ways? Are you 00:27:58.769 --> 00:28:01.069 still going to proclaim him and hail him as king 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:04.410 when he leads you through suffering and loss? 00:28:06.730 --> 00:28:11.569 Through pain and disappointment? Palm Sunday 00:28:11.569 --> 00:28:16.829 ends at the cross. And everyone who follows this 00:28:16.829 --> 00:28:20.829 crucified king is called to pick up their cross 00:28:20.829 --> 00:28:25.250 and follow him. Is he worth it to you? If your 00:28:25.250 --> 00:28:29.190 eyes have been opened by God himself, absolutely 00:28:29.190 --> 00:28:32.630 he's worth it. He says, so now what? What do 00:28:32.630 --> 00:28:37.859 we do? Jesus, as I said, he did not come riding 00:28:37.859 --> 00:28:40.839 Jerusalem on an iron chariot with a sword drawn. 00:28:43.339 --> 00:28:47.920 The Son of God, he chose to enter on that lowly 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:53.660 donkey. Friends, God's kingdom has come through 00:28:53.660 --> 00:28:56.619 humility, and it is spread through humility, 00:28:56.759 --> 00:29:02.160 not through hubris. Don't spend all your time 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.160 and energy fighting politically. Have a humble 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:08.299 posture and tell of this crucified risen king. 00:29:09.339 --> 00:29:11.579 Because if you want entrance into the kingdom, 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:16.680 there's only one way. That's you must embrace 00:29:16.680 --> 00:29:20.640 this king. You must bow your knee before him 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:25.140 and confess him as Lord. And those in whom the 00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:27.559 Lord has worked, this is what we all do. If you're 00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:30.200 here today and you know Christ, the greatest 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:32.619 joy of my life is to bow my knee and confess 00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:37.609 with my tongue. Jesus Christ is Lord. Absolutely, 00:29:37.609 --> 00:29:40.930 that's the greatest joy. Psalm 2 tells us about 00:29:40.930 --> 00:29:44.970 that, and we close with this. Psalm 2 is a messianic 00:29:44.970 --> 00:29:51.549 psalm. God speaking, the Father. Yet I have set 00:29:51.549 --> 00:29:56.509 my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare 00:29:56.509 --> 00:30:00.230 the decree. The Lord Yahweh has said to me, you 00:30:00.230 --> 00:30:05.650 are my son. Today I have begotten you. Now look 00:30:05.650 --> 00:30:08.750 down at verse 10. Now therefore be wise, O kings. 00:30:08.930 --> 00:30:10.230 He's speaking to the kings of the earth now. 00:30:10.829 --> 00:30:15.029 Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve 00:30:15.029 --> 00:30:19.309 the Lord. Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice 00:30:19.309 --> 00:30:23.589 with trembling. Rejoice, but there ought to be 00:30:23.589 --> 00:30:26.210 a healthy respect because he's Yahweh. He is 00:30:26.210 --> 00:30:29.859 Elohim. He is God Almighty. And I love this, 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:31.779 verse 12. You want to know how you rejoice before 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:33.440 the Father? You want to know how you honor the 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:37.420 Father? Look at verse 12. Kiss his son. Kiss 00:30:37.420 --> 00:30:42.759 the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in 00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:46.400 the way. When his wrath is kindled but a little, 00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:49.539 not a lot even, you perish with just a little 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:51.880 of his wrath. Can you imagine facing the full, 00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:54.559 orbed, unmitigated, unrestrained wrath of God? 00:30:56.490 --> 00:30:58.150 Blessed. We started with blessed. Blessed are 00:30:58.150 --> 00:31:01.430 the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Psalm 00:31:01.430 --> 00:31:05.490 2 tells us, blessed are all those who put their 00:31:05.490 --> 00:31:08.589 trust in him. So friends, on this Palm Sunday, 00:31:08.829 --> 00:31:14.509 wave the palm frond, bow the knee, kiss the sun. 00:31:16.269 --> 00:31:20.190 Blessed, happy, eternally blessed are you if 00:31:20.190 --> 00:31:23.430 you put your trust in him. Alistair Begg says 00:31:23.430 --> 00:31:27.920 this, Palm Sunday, therefore, reminds us that 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:32.039 true freedom and success, the kind that lasts 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:36.279 for eternity, come only when we lose our lives 00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:42.079 in Christ. Laying down our desires, our dreams, 00:31:42.180 --> 00:31:47.660 and ambitions at the foot of the cross in order 00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:52.880 that we might belong unreservedly to him. What 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:56.789 a glorious message. What a glorious king. Church, 00:31:57.029 --> 00:32:00.490 serve your king today. And if you're here today 00:32:00.490 --> 00:32:03.089 and you've never bowed your knee, enter the kingdom, 00:32:03.210 --> 00:32:06.769 bow the knee, kiss the son, and you too will 00:32:06.769 --> 00:32:10.069 be blessed. Let's pray. Father, thank you for 00:32:10.069 --> 00:32:13.509 this glorious, glorious word. Oh, Lord, it blows 00:32:13.509 --> 00:32:16.549 our mind. Thank you for Jesus, Lord. Thank you 00:32:16.549 --> 00:32:20.450 for the blessed son of God. All glory be to him, 00:32:20.529 --> 00:32:24.869 Lord. Praise and honor be to him. Father, Hosanna. 00:32:26.670 --> 00:32:33.029 Glory. God, help us to rightly reverence our 00:32:33.029 --> 00:32:38.910 King. Jesus Christ is Lord. And with that, Lord, 00:32:39.009 --> 00:32:41.849 may we commune with him at this table of the 00:32:41.849 --> 00:32:44.670 Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.