WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.559 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:09.359 podcast, a ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.080 Church in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.160 Merrick, and it's our prayer that this message 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.519 strengthens your faith and draws you closer to 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.239 Christ. Let's dive in. Well, good morning. Good 00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:25.219 to see you guys. Before we get going, make sure 00:00:25.219 --> 00:00:28.699 to grab four or five of these. They're right. 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.140 by the door before you leave. I know you guys 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:33.340 like to skip out of here before you shake my 00:00:33.340 --> 00:00:34.859 hand where I can remind you, but I'm reminding 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:38.460 you now to grab four or five of these to hand 00:00:38.460 --> 00:00:40.659 to someone, whether they're your neighbors, whether 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:43.100 it's somebody that you buy coffee for this week 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:45.560 and bless in some way, which I'll be putting 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:51.159 those out this week as well with our emails, 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:52.719 our devotional. So make sure you're checking 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.119 your emails. Also have them on the social media. 00:00:55.140 --> 00:00:57.479 So if you don't remember last week leading up 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:03.719 To Easter, we did what I, blessing someone at 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:06.040 Green Valley, we called it rack, which means 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:08.400 random acts of kindness. And so we're gonna be 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.799 doing random acts of kindness leading up to Easter. 00:01:11.060 --> 00:01:12.920 And you should have at least one of these that 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:17.599 you're giving out each time. So with that being 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:23.099 said, today is Palm Sunday. And did I hear Carla 00:01:23.099 --> 00:01:26.040 correctly that not necessarily the exact date? 00:01:26.409 --> 00:01:28.909 but this would be how many years for you guys? 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:34.230 Three years in this building. That's something 00:01:34.230 --> 00:01:36.870 to applaud by the way, because I don't know if 00:01:36.870 --> 00:01:43.730 you guys realize, but church plants, that's what 00:01:43.730 --> 00:01:47.469 you guys are. Church plants don't last past five 00:01:47.469 --> 00:01:50.930 years typically, 90 % of them die, and does not 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:54.909 look like our church will be dying in five years, 00:01:55.409 --> 00:01:58.459 hopefully not. Uh, but so that's something to 00:01:58.459 --> 00:01:59.840 celebrate, whether you realize it or not, and 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:02.579 especially to have a building building that, 00:02:02.579 --> 00:02:07.099 uh, doesn't cost much of, uh, except just upkeep. 00:02:07.140 --> 00:02:09.340 And so all of these things are blessings that, 00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:11.979 uh, we should be thanking the Lord for it. Cause 00:02:11.979 --> 00:02:16.759 it's, it's a, it's a big deal. So we were been 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:18.060 walking through the book of Mark and because 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.000 it's Palm Sunday, we're going to look at the 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.800 triumphal entry. which would be where we get 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:26.599 Palm Sunday from through the book of Mark. Now 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:30.780 I want to remind you guys what Mark is about 00:02:30.780 --> 00:02:34.479 and his theme. Remember he's writing to Romans, 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.840 the Roman church. And so his entire audience 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:42.360 is more geared towards kingship. So his entire 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:46.180 thing is about kings and showing that Jesus is 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:49.560 the King of Kings. So it's very fitting that 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:52.139 that's what we sang this morning. But what I 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:54.879 wanna look at, cause last year at this time, 00:02:54.939 --> 00:02:59.039 I preached on what Palm Sunday meant. And this 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:00.699 year I want us to look at, because we're in the 00:03:00.699 --> 00:03:03.979 book of Mark, I want us to look at the contrast 00:03:03.979 --> 00:03:09.439 of Jesus and his kingship. And so in and of himself, 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:12.919 he holds a tension that we too should be holding 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:17.340 this tension. And so I wanna look at that. So 00:03:17.340 --> 00:03:20.819 the title of my sermon is Jesus, King of Contrast. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:24.139 lion and lamb in Passion Week. And we're gonna 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:27.979 look at each day of the Passion Week that we 00:03:27.979 --> 00:03:31.240 are about to walk through. Now, real quick, Palm 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.479 Sunday technically is not on a Sunday. It would 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:37.560 have been on a Monday. Because if you do the 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:40.460 math, it doesn't add up if we do it on a Sunday 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:43.520 for him to be crucified on a Friday. Then we 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.039 get lost on what happens on Wednesday. Does that 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.219 make sense? So Palm Sunday technically is Palm 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:52.460 Monday. And that's where we're gonna look at 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:58.759 in just a minute. But, I want us to look at the 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:03.000 tension of what Revelation talks about in calling 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.819 Jesus, what do we, I just said it for my sermon, 00:04:07.219 --> 00:04:12.060 we know him as the lion, right, and the lamb. 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:14.000 And I want us to look at those things, because 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.839 those two things, right now, It says that when 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.139 the new world comes and peace has come and Christ 00:04:23.139 --> 00:04:25.500 is reigning, it says that the lion and the lamb 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:29.660 will lay down together, right? Right now they 00:04:29.660 --> 00:04:31.360 lay down together, but it doesn't necessarily 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.680 look the same, does it? Right? We see two different 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.680 things. So when you think of a lion, I'm gonna 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.819 ask you this before we get started rolling. When 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:44.980 you think of a lion, how would you describe a 00:04:44.980 --> 00:04:47.189 lion? as far as its personality, the way that 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:52.310 it looks, how would you describe it? Fierce, 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:56.069 what was it? Did they say vicious? Ferocious, 00:04:56.329 --> 00:05:00.389 that's a good word. Aggressive, okay. Micah back 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.610 there, hold the thing. Dangerous, that's a good 00:05:03.610 --> 00:05:07.370 word actually, very good word for it. Type A, 00:05:07.649 --> 00:05:11.889 yeah. Powerful, that's a good one. So yeah, because 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:15.899 I was thinking strength, right? What do you call 00:05:15.899 --> 00:05:20.779 a group of lions? A pride, right? They're proud 00:05:20.779 --> 00:05:23.980 animals, right? Now let's contrast that with 00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:27.879 a lamb. What do you think of with a lamb? Meek? 00:05:28.459 --> 00:05:32.199 What else? Helpless? Yep, which we're called 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:39.879 sheep, right? What else? Stupid. They definitely 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:49.740 can be that. What else? What's that cuddly? Yeah, 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:54.199 um, I tried to cuddle a sheep before he got like 00:05:54.199 --> 00:05:57.019 sheared wasn't as cuddly as I thought he would 00:05:57.019 --> 00:05:59.959 be but Or she I don't know if it was a he or 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:07.439 she but Yeah followers, okay so We see just completely 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.939 different dynamics, right and yet the scriptures 00:06:09.939 --> 00:06:11.660 call him the lion and the lamb So that's what 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:15.920 I want to talk about today in regards to passion 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.240 week So my big idea that we're going to drive 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:21.220 home this morning is true identity in Christ 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.060 means embracing our role as both meek servants 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:27.139 and righteous followers. It encourages us to 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:29.779 embody His character and proclaim His kingdom. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:32.319 So if you've got your Bible's turn to Mark chapter 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:35.079 11, if you do not have a Bible, we have some 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:37.199 back there. Those are yours to keep. If you do 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:41.279 not have one, that's our gift to you. This is 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:43.620 your first time here. My name is Logan, and I 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:45.339 get the great opportunity to shepherd this local 00:06:45.339 --> 00:06:47.439 congregation, and I'm glad that you're here. 00:06:48.220 --> 00:06:52.779 So here we go. Throughout history, we've seen 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:55.839 famous kings, right? And kings are typically 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:00.139 known by usually one defining quality, something 00:07:00.139 --> 00:07:03.079 that marks them and something that made their 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:07.180 name endure. Now, right now, my wife is like 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:15.040 really, really into earlier kingships and queenships 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:19.300 and how different, what's the word I'm looking 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:23.060 for? Monarchs and stuff, how they, one came over 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:25.660 the other, how they married together, the houses, 00:07:25.779 --> 00:07:29.360 yeah. So if you want an in -depth, what I would 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:36.779 call an autistic way of focused study. Get with 00:07:36.779 --> 00:07:39.199 her right now because it's somehow in every conversation. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:48.360 She brings it in but Yes, I'm clapping for you 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:52.199 I love you I'm appreciative of it but they one 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:54.019 thing that as we've talked about it like they 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:56.300 have different things and that they're marked 00:07:56.300 --> 00:07:59.500 for Kings and Queens they're they're named different 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:03.540 things and so I thought about one as I was getting 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:06.060 the sermon ready, and that's Richard the Lionheart. 00:08:06.459 --> 00:08:08.279 How do you think Richard the Lionheart got his 00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:09.860 name? Everybody knows who Richard the Lionheart 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:12.160 is. There's movies made about him, right? Robin 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:14.680 Hood, he's in Robin Hood. He's in a lot of different 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:17.420 stories. He's in Kingdom of Heaven, the movie 00:08:17.420 --> 00:08:20.620 Kingdom of Heaven. So Richard the Lionheart, 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:26.279 why was he called that? Everybody looks at Tracy 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:29.420 because they're like, tell us Tracy. What's that? 00:08:30.520 --> 00:08:33.539 Yeah, he was definitely in charge. He was one 00:08:33.539 --> 00:08:36.340 of the few kings who led in battle from the front 00:08:36.340 --> 00:08:39.980 He didn't stay in the back. He led from the front 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:43.639 and So his name tells you everything you're supposed 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.820 to know strength ferocity Power in battle a king 00:08:48.820 --> 00:08:51.419 who led from the front like I said and took what 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:54.940 was his There's another famous king that we all 00:08:54.940 --> 00:09:00.370 know in this room His name is David, right? David, 00:09:00.450 --> 00:09:03.629 the king of Israel, he was also known as the 00:09:03.629 --> 00:09:07.870 warrior poet. A man who could stand before a 00:09:07.870 --> 00:09:12.269 giant and sling within his hand, but also sit 00:09:12.269 --> 00:09:15.049 with a harp and pour out songs of worship to 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:18.889 God. Even there, you start to see glimpses of 00:09:18.889 --> 00:09:21.570 something deeper, strength, tenderness, existing 00:09:21.570 --> 00:09:24.169 in the same person. But if we're honest, even 00:09:24.169 --> 00:09:26.429 the best kings in history tend to lean in one 00:09:26.429 --> 00:09:31.419 direction. They they are either known for their 00:09:31.419 --> 00:09:35.240 strength or remembered for their compassion Rarely 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.200 are both in perfection together And that's where 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:41.559 Jesus stands completely alone because when you 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:43.820 come to scripture Especially when you begin to 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:45.919 see him in light of what we're gonna look at 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:48.379 later You're confronted with something that doesn't 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:51.159 fit in any category. We're used to he is the 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:55.080 lion and he is the lamb as I've said Not sometimes 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:57.750 one or not sometimes the other He's not shifting 00:09:57.750 --> 00:09:59.789 depending on the moment. He is fully both at 00:09:59.789 --> 00:10:03.370 the same exact time always. Jonathan Edwards 00:10:03.370 --> 00:10:06.350 said this about him about Christ. He said an 00:10:06.350 --> 00:10:09.710 admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies. 00:10:10.090 --> 00:10:12.009 I would highly recommend just write this down. 00:10:12.009 --> 00:10:14.370 If you're taking notes, you can download this 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:19.570 free. But Jonathan Edwards has a sermon called 00:10:19.570 --> 00:10:23.850 The Excellencies of Christ, where it became a 00:10:23.850 --> 00:10:26.590 book that he wrote off of this sermon. And that's 00:10:26.590 --> 00:10:29.350 where I got a lot of what I'm using today because 00:10:29.350 --> 00:10:31.509 it's really, really good. And there's one guy 00:10:31.509 --> 00:10:34.190 who actually because Jonathan Edwards can be 00:10:34.190 --> 00:10:37.049 hard to read. There's one guy that has a free 00:10:37.049 --> 00:10:39.450 download that you can read it. That's more modernized, 00:10:39.690 --> 00:10:41.830 but he keeps the theological themes the same. 00:10:42.610 --> 00:10:45.169 And what Jonathan Edwards is saying is this that 00:10:45.169 --> 00:10:48.870 in him, things that seem opposite to us are actually 00:10:48.870 --> 00:10:52.549 perfectly united, infinite majesty and perfect 00:10:52.549 --> 00:10:56.070 meekness. absolute authority and complete submission, 00:10:56.950 --> 00:11:00.289 righteous judgment and also deep mercy. And that's 00:11:00.289 --> 00:11:03.090 what we're going to see throughout Mark 11, because 00:11:03.090 --> 00:11:05.450 this passage forces us to wrestle with the kind 00:11:05.450 --> 00:11:08.649 of kingship that feels unconventional. Jesus 00:11:08.649 --> 00:11:11.309 enters Jerusalem like a servant and then walks 00:11:11.309 --> 00:11:14.169 into the temple like a sovereign. He receives 00:11:14.169 --> 00:11:16.929 praise with humility and then exercises authority 00:11:16.929 --> 00:11:20.549 with intensity. He is gentle and yet he is unyielding. 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:24.480 And here's why this matters for us this morning, 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:26.779 because we don't just observe His kingship, we 00:11:26.779 --> 00:11:30.419 live under it. And if the King holds these things 00:11:30.419 --> 00:11:32.639 together, our lives are meant to reflect the 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:36.000 same tension, not choosing between boldness or 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.100 humility, not drifting between softness and harshness, 00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:42.679 but learning by His grace to walk in both. Let 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.620 me ask you this. How many of you guys have been 00:11:45.620 --> 00:11:49.899 under good leaders that have been able to harness 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:55.750 both tenderness, and authority. Have you been 00:11:55.750 --> 00:12:02.750 able to? Robin, are you saying I'm the person? 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:08.549 I'm just kidding. But I can think of really good 00:12:08.549 --> 00:12:11.009 leaders that I have been under that tend to either 00:12:11.009 --> 00:12:13.990 go really sharply, tender, compassionate, and 00:12:13.990 --> 00:12:17.909 they get run over or they tend to roll with an 00:12:17.909 --> 00:12:20.529 iron fist and they're great leaders. But they 00:12:20.529 --> 00:12:23.070 are bad people people. You know what I mean? 00:12:23.470 --> 00:12:25.190 They're not great with people, but they're great 00:12:25.190 --> 00:12:29.350 at executing missions. And so it's hard to see 00:12:29.350 --> 00:12:32.629 or even comprehend someone who has both of these 00:12:32.629 --> 00:12:35.110 things. And that's Jesus. And that's well, we 00:12:35.110 --> 00:12:40.210 are supposed to find our identity in that. So 00:12:40.210 --> 00:12:44.669 because we follow. Because of the king that we 00:12:44.669 --> 00:12:46.669 follow is not one dimensional, he is the lion 00:12:46.669 --> 00:12:49.679 and he is the lamb. we now should look at, and 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:51.480 we're going to take this in chunks because it's 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:55.440 such a long chapter. I'm going to do it. We're 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:57.539 going to look at verses one through 10 first. 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:00.019 And so if you're taking notes, my first note 00:13:00.019 --> 00:13:04.620 is the not so triumphant entry. And you're going 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:11.379 to see why right now. Now, when they drew near 00:13:11.379 --> 00:13:15.460 to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany. At the 00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:17.860 Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 00:13:17.860 --> 00:13:20.500 and said to them, Go into the village in front 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:23.179 of you and immediately as you enter, you will 00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:26.399 find a colt tied on which no one has ever sat. 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:29.539 Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, 00:13:29.580 --> 00:13:31.960 why are you doing these things? Say the Lord 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.620 has need of it and we'll send it back here immediately. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:38.960 And they went away and found a colt tied at the 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:41.500 door outside the street and they untied it. And 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:44.179 some of those standing there said to them, What 00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:47.320 are you doing? Untying the colt. And they told 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:51.039 him what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:53.940 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and they 00:13:53.940 --> 00:13:56.659 threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And 00:13:56.659 --> 00:13:59.340 many spread their cloaks on the road, and others 00:13:59.340 --> 00:14:02.679 spread leafy branches that they had cut from 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:05.620 the fields. And those who went before them and 00:14:05.620 --> 00:14:09.620 those who followed were shouting, Hosanna, blessed 00:14:09.620 --> 00:14:13.350 is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed 00:14:13.350 --> 00:14:17.889 is the coming kingdom of our father, David, Hosanna, 00:14:18.110 --> 00:14:21.309 and the highest. I wanna pause for just a second. 00:14:21.350 --> 00:14:23.690 Well, let me finish out verse 11. And he entered 00:14:23.690 --> 00:14:26.470 Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when 00:14:26.470 --> 00:14:28.529 he had looked around at everything and it was 00:14:28.529 --> 00:14:31.029 already late, he went out to Bethany with the 00:14:31.029 --> 00:14:32.750 12. I wanna pause for just a second. Let's go 00:14:32.750 --> 00:14:39.250 back to verse 10. So we just had the kids wave 00:14:39.250 --> 00:14:43.389 palm branches, right? the song was hosanna hosanna 00:14:43.389 --> 00:14:48.429 right and and and i remember the song back in 00:14:48.429 --> 00:14:52.809 the 90s uh blessed is he who comes in the name 00:14:52.809 --> 00:14:56.370 of the lord hosanna hosanna hosanna you guys 00:14:56.370 --> 00:15:00.029 remember that song right we never we never did 00:15:00.029 --> 00:15:02.809 the part of verse 10 that they that they said 00:15:02.809 --> 00:15:06.450 blessed is the coming kingdom of our father david 00:15:06.450 --> 00:15:13.269 what does that tell you What does it tell you? 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:18.509 What's that? Okay. But what are they thinking 00:15:18.509 --> 00:15:25.690 just in their praise? Yeah. Who said that? Great 00:15:25.690 --> 00:15:28.169 job. Yes. They thought he would be a political 00:15:28.169 --> 00:15:31.590 ruler, right? A king. And so that's why I'm calling 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:35.230 this the not so triumphant entry with my first 00:15:35.230 --> 00:15:37.769 point. So when we come to this moment in Mark 00:15:37.769 --> 00:15:40.769 11, We often call it the triumphal entry, which 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:44.629 is probably at the top of your sub -chapter title. 00:15:45.169 --> 00:15:47.029 But if we're honest, there's something in that 00:15:47.029 --> 00:15:49.250 title that doesn't quite fit, because when you 00:15:49.250 --> 00:15:51.629 look at how kings were actually crowned throughout 00:15:51.629 --> 00:15:54.570 history, this doesn't look like a coronation 00:15:54.570 --> 00:15:58.309 at all. I want us to think about the kings like 00:15:58.309 --> 00:16:01.450 Richard the Lionheart. Coronations were massive 00:16:01.450 --> 00:16:05.169 events. You could even go and look at on television, 00:16:05.250 --> 00:16:08.500 you can see when the King of England is coronated. 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:10.659 When the new king is coronated, you can see these 00:16:10.659 --> 00:16:15.240 things. There are war horses, symbols of power 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.960 and conquest. There are going to be dignitaries, 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.919 important people gathered to witness it. There 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:24.019 will be regalia, crowns, robes, displays of wealth. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:27.679 There was fanfare, announcements, celebrations, 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:31.200 declarations of authority. Everything about it 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:35.960 is intentional, official and unmistakable. Is 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:40.039 that what we're seeing here? Did you see those 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:42.279 things? Did you see war horses? Did you see Jesus 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:45.100 riding in on a war horse? No. You see him riding 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:48.019 in on a donkey. Did you see dignitaries present? 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:50.940 Were there other kings or other political leaders 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:53.360 besides? We're not gonna talk about the Pharisees. 00:16:53.379 --> 00:16:56.919 We know why they're there. We don't see them. 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.580 Is the regalia, is Jesus wearing a robe, a royal 00:17:01.580 --> 00:17:05.200 robe? Are there... It's the disciples going before 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:10.599 him with these big banners. Oh, is there fanfare? 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:16.940 Yes, but not with gigantic announcements. So 00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:21.539 it's not a true coronation, it's not a true triumphal 00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:25.500 entry. Jesus enters Jerusalem, not on a war horse, 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:28.460 but on a donkey. Like I said, there's no crown, 00:17:28.940 --> 00:17:32.039 there's no throne, and there's no formal ceremony. 00:17:32.410 --> 00:17:35.710 And the crowd, while loud, is not truly understanding 00:17:35.710 --> 00:17:38.190 what they're participating in. This is not Jesus's 00:17:38.190 --> 00:17:40.849 earthly coronation, and it's definitely not His 00:17:40.849 --> 00:17:43.789 heavenly coronation. It's something entirely 00:17:43.789 --> 00:17:46.990 different. Because despite its outward appearance, 00:17:47.089 --> 00:17:49.390 this is not a true coronation. It is a false 00:17:49.390 --> 00:17:52.789 coronation of the true King. Hear what I just 00:17:52.789 --> 00:17:56.329 said. It is a false coronation of a true King. 00:17:56.450 --> 00:17:59.900 What do I mean by that? It's not Jesus becoming 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:02.380 the earthly or heavenly King just yet. He is 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:06.220 the true King But they are trying to crown him 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:10.380 in a way that is not meant for what he came for 00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:15.559 So everything about this is off It's humble when 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:18.000 it should be majestic. It's unexpected when it 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.740 should be carefully orchestrated It's spontaneous 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:23.059 when it should be official and ultimately it 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:28.299 proves to be superficial Because real coronations 00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:32.619 don't unravel in a matter of days. Real coronations 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:35.180 don't end with the king being rejected, beaten 00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:38.680 and executed within a matter of days. And yet 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:42.299 that's exactly where this is heading. The same 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:44.740 voice is shouting, Hosanna here in verse nine 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:49.220 and 10, will soon be shouting, crucify him before 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:54.299 the week is over. Why? Why? Why the sudden turn? 00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:03.059 Yeah, Weston. Right. They wanted an earthly king. 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:04.779 So what happens? Why are all of a sudden they 00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:07.940 going to turn on him days later? Because he doesn't 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:14.039 do the thing they're wanting him to do. Yeah, 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:19.359 I'm going to this isn't in my in my notes. Generous, 00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:24.440 I apologize. I told my wife about these videos 00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:30.390 that I came across. of a Orthodox Jewish priest. 00:19:31.730 --> 00:19:35.150 And, you know, they're in their synagogues and 00:19:35.150 --> 00:19:38.549 they are teaching just like normal, like we do, 00:19:38.589 --> 00:19:40.190 but they're live streaming them. So that's how 00:19:40.190 --> 00:19:45.849 I came across them. And it angered me and it 00:19:45.849 --> 00:19:50.970 also hurt me because they refused to call Jesus. 00:19:51.049 --> 00:19:53.890 They talk about Jesus a lot, by the way. They 00:19:53.890 --> 00:19:56.740 were they hate Christians. They say we deserve 00:19:56.740 --> 00:20:02.700 to die and that we will die when the true Messiah 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:07.319 comes. But they'll call him JC because they will 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:12.859 not call him Jesus Christ. And one of them said 00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:15.960 that they were talking to a Christian just that 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:18.579 week and he said he looked at the Christian and 00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:21.259 he said, don't you believe that Jesus died for 00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:25.109 your sins? And the Christian said yes. And the 00:20:25.109 --> 00:20:28.990 priest said, you're welcome. He goes, what do 00:20:28.990 --> 00:20:31.910 you mean? You're welcome. You think your king 00:20:31.910 --> 00:20:38.490 died for you? We did that for you. And then another 00:20:38.490 --> 00:20:44.490 one said something that I find totally ironic, 00:20:45.349 --> 00:20:48.390 but he said, Jesus was really who he's claimed 00:20:48.390 --> 00:20:53.599 to be. He would have saved himself. He would 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:57.180 have gotten down from the cross, but he couldn't 00:20:57.180 --> 00:21:03.279 because he was weak. That was his words. These 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:08.259 are words. We read what the Pharisees say in 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:10.599 the scriptures. You don't realize that they still 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:17.119 believe that today. And so when I read about 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:20.779 Jesus in this Passion Week and dying and seeing 00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:24.849 these men who say, By the way that if you meet 00:21:24.849 --> 00:21:28.190 a Christian do not befriend them spit upon them 00:21:28.190 --> 00:21:33.789 and so when I see Jesus Saying while on the cross 00:21:33.789 --> 00:21:42.210 being spat upon father Forgive them So when I 00:21:42.210 --> 00:21:45.869 rise up in just so much anger the Lord goes what 00:21:45.869 --> 00:21:47.470 are you getting upset about your sin is just 00:21:47.470 --> 00:21:55.359 as nasty Pray for them And so when I read the 00:21:55.359 --> 00:22:00.480 words, crucify Him, and having seen that, it's 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.220 still the same way today. It would not change. 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.720 Nothing would change about it unless the Holy 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:12.960 Spirit wipes the scales from their eyes. And 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:18.440 so this not so triumphal entry, this not a real 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:21.319 coronation, is not genuine faith. It's misplaced 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.720 expectation. They wanted a king who would overthrow 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:27.839 Rome. They wanted political freedom. They wanted 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:30.880 immediate relief from oppression. But when Jesus 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.640 made it clear, both in what he did and what he 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:38.559 didn't do, he was showing what kind of king he 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.359 is at this moment. And so they turned on him. 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:43.259 You can write this down if you're taking notes, 00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:45.759 because a king who doesn't meet your expectations, 00:22:46.009 --> 00:22:48.670 is easy to reject when you never truly understood 00:22:48.670 --> 00:22:53.170 him to begin with. And this moment marks the 00:22:53.170 --> 00:22:56.730 beginning of Passion Week. As I said, Passion 00:22:56.730 --> 00:22:59.390 Week starts on Monday, not today as we typically, 00:22:59.509 --> 00:23:02.650 truly, traditionally have it. And that matters 00:23:02.650 --> 00:23:04.390 because, like I said, everything has to line 00:23:04.390 --> 00:23:07.230 up just as it does in the Old Testament and just 00:23:07.230 --> 00:23:11.309 as it does in the New Testament. And so in Passover, 00:23:11.470 --> 00:23:13.250 the lamb was selected on the 10th day of the 00:23:13.250 --> 00:23:16.009 first month. and then sacrifice on the 14th day. 00:23:16.009 --> 00:23:18.670 And here is Jesus entering Jerusalem at the beginning 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:22.569 of that same timeline. I told you guys last year, 00:23:22.569 --> 00:23:26.789 if you don't remember, it is meant that Jesus 00:23:26.789 --> 00:23:31.029 comes in at this time, because just as they are 00:23:31.029 --> 00:23:33.430 bringing in the Passover lambs, the lambs that 00:23:33.430 --> 00:23:36.569 will be crucified, so is the true Passover lamb 00:23:36.569 --> 00:23:41.650 coming into Jerusalem. Not as a political king, 00:23:41.670 --> 00:23:46.240 but as a true Passover lamb. He is stepping into 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.380 place and he is presenting himself not to take 00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:51.559 a throne, but to go to a cross. And this is where 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:53.579 we begin to see the beauty of who he is, because 00:23:53.579 --> 00:23:56.859 even here, in what looks like a coronation, he's 00:23:56.859 --> 00:23:59.900 already moving towards sacrifice. He is the king, 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:02.720 yes, but he is also the lamb. Write this down. 00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:06.539 The crowd sees a king they want, but God is revealing 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:13.049 the king they need. Read that again. And the 00:24:13.049 --> 00:24:15.170 tension is already building because the king, 00:24:15.490 --> 00:24:18.410 this king will not be shaped by their expectations 00:24:18.410 --> 00:24:21.230 and he will not be shaped by my or your expectations 00:24:21.230 --> 00:24:23.589 either, but he has come to fulfill the mission, 00:24:23.809 --> 00:24:28.490 his father's mission. And he even leads him straight 00:24:28.490 --> 00:24:35.069 to death. Point number two, the not so fruitful 00:24:35.069 --> 00:24:39.069 tree. So let's go ahead and read from verses 00:24:39.069 --> 00:24:46.079 12 through 14. On the following day, when they 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:50.039 came to Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:52.700 the distance a fig tree and leaf, he went to 00:24:52.700 --> 00:24:55.420 see if he could find anything on it. And when 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:57.680 he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:01.859 it was not the season for figs. And he said to 00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:06.180 it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again. 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:12.539 And his disciples heard it. So. We move on to 00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:16.079 the next day. So he's come in on a Monday and 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:19.619 now he is, it's a Tuesday and he sees this tree. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:22.420 He's probably been up for a while because what 00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:25.700 do we know of Jesus? But he gets up early before 00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:27.599 anyone else and he spends time with the father. 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:29.640 So more than likely he's been up for some time 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:33.940 now and he's hungry. And so he sees this tree, 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:39.099 a fig tree. And Jesus is walking along and Mark 00:25:39.099 --> 00:25:42.200 tells us something simple, but important. He's 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:45.059 hungry. Why do we need to know that he's hungry? 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:49.819 Why does that matter? Yes, it shows that he's 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:53.140 fully human. And he's walking. He sees this fig 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.480 tree in the distance. It has leaves on it, full 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:59.140 green, promising. And so it's naturally he goes 00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:01.400 on to expect to find something to eat. But at 00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:03.920 first glance, this can feel confusing because 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:06.619 Mark tells us something that it wasn't the season 00:26:06.619 --> 00:26:10.599 for figs. So why would Jesus be upset? Because... 00:26:11.230 --> 00:26:14.750 Here's what you got to know. Even though it's 00:26:14.750 --> 00:26:17.730 not full season for figs yet, by the time they 00:26:17.730 --> 00:26:19.829 have leaves on them, they should still have these 00:26:19.829 --> 00:26:23.029 little nodules, whatever you want to call them, 00:26:23.069 --> 00:26:26.009 that are early. They're unripe figs, but they 00:26:26.009 --> 00:26:30.470 can still be eaten. They weren't the final product, 00:26:30.490 --> 00:26:32.869 but they were edible, and travelers oftentimes 00:26:32.869 --> 00:26:34.910 would eat them on long journeys. So when Jesus 00:26:34.910 --> 00:26:37.609 sees this tree covered in leaves, it's giving 00:26:37.609 --> 00:26:40.109 every indication that fruit should be there. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:43.640 It looks right, it appears healthy, it promises 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:46.140 something, but when he gets closer, what does 00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:52.380 he see? What does he see? No fruit. It's completely 00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:55.519 barren, and in response, Jesus curses the tree. 00:26:56.900 --> 00:27:00.299 And this moment shocks us a little because this 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:04.140 feels out of character for Jesus. He gets angry? 00:27:04.980 --> 00:27:08.299 All of a sudden? Is he getting angry? Does he 00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:15.130 need a Snickers bar, Pastor Logan? No. By the 00:27:15.130 --> 00:27:16.490 way, you should write this down. I don't have 00:27:16.490 --> 00:27:19.230 it up here, but this is the only destructive 00:27:19.230 --> 00:27:25.329 miracle recorded in any of the gospels. Jesus 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:27.910 heals, he restores and he provides, but here 00:27:27.910 --> 00:27:32.130 he also can destroy. And if we're not careful, 00:27:32.170 --> 00:27:34.950 we might read this and think, if Jesus is frustrated, 00:27:35.789 --> 00:27:38.549 is he just reacting out of hunger? But nope. 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:44.299 His anger is intentional. What do you think he's 00:27:44.299 --> 00:27:50.059 upset about? Is he just responding to a tree? 00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:54.140 No, we're going to see in just a minute. This 00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:58.140 is symbolic of what he's about to endure. He's 00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:00.220 unraveling something much deeper because this 00:28:00.220 --> 00:28:03.680 tree is a picture. It had leaves, but no fruit. 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:06.220 It had appearance, but no substance. And it made 00:28:06.220 --> 00:28:09.890 a promise it could not fulfill. And Jesus knows 00:28:09.890 --> 00:28:12.769 exactly what is coming next. He knows he's about 00:28:12.769 --> 00:28:15.069 to walk into a temple system that looks alive, 00:28:15.309 --> 00:28:18.329 it looks active, it looks religious, but is completely 00:28:18.329 --> 00:28:22.329 barren. There's no true worship, no real prayer, 00:28:22.769 --> 00:28:26.630 and no genuine fruit. And so what he does to 00:28:26.630 --> 00:28:28.490 the tree becomes a living illustration of what 00:28:28.490 --> 00:28:31.029 he's about to confront in the temple. It's not 00:28:31.029 --> 00:28:34.450 misplaced anger. This is righteous, righteous 00:28:34.450 --> 00:28:37.769 anger and prophetic action. And you can almost 00:28:37.769 --> 00:28:41.269 hear the echo of what he's already taught. Jesus 00:28:41.269 --> 00:28:44.009 says earlier in the gospels, he says, you will 00:28:44.009 --> 00:28:48.329 know them by their fruit. The disciples know 00:28:48.329 --> 00:28:50.730 this. And so more than likely, they see him curse 00:28:50.730 --> 00:28:52.269 this tree and they're gonna go back. They're 00:28:52.269 --> 00:28:55.029 gonna say, why? Like, why did you do this? But 00:28:55.029 --> 00:28:57.529 more than likely, this is kind of ringing true 00:28:57.529 --> 00:28:59.230 of something he's already said. And so when it 00:28:59.230 --> 00:29:01.430 comes to Israel, when it comes to the system 00:29:01.430 --> 00:29:05.289 of worship centered in the temple, write this 00:29:05.289 --> 00:29:09.680 down. There were leaves everywhere. There were 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:13.859 rituals. There were sacrifices. There was activity. 00:29:14.579 --> 00:29:18.039 There was appearance. But underneath it all, 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:22.680 it was fruitless, rotten at the core. Brothers 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:24.339 and sisters, I'm going to ask you this. How many 00:29:24.339 --> 00:29:30.180 churches in America and around the world are 00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:33.619 rotten? They look really good from the outside. 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:37.619 They have all the things. They've got a great 00:29:37.619 --> 00:29:40.420 worship team, and lights, and smoke, and it blasts 00:29:40.420 --> 00:29:43.220 your face, and they've got good donuts. Not the 00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:46.359 day old donuts. They go get those bad boys fresh. 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:49.839 They got pretty decent coffee. Not Scootie -A, 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:53.339 as my wife calls it, Scooters. But they got some 00:29:53.339 --> 00:29:56.460 decent coffee. They've got a pastor who smiles 00:29:56.460 --> 00:29:59.869 real nice. doesn't got chipped teeth in the front. 00:30:00.049 --> 00:30:02.109 My son just noticed that I have a chipped tooth 00:30:02.109 --> 00:30:03.809 that I've had since I was 12, and he just looked 00:30:03.809 --> 00:30:06.109 at me the other day and he goes, you have a chipped 00:30:06.109 --> 00:30:10.670 tooth. They've got pastors with great teeth, 00:30:11.670 --> 00:30:18.730 right? Lots of people go to them, but they are 00:30:18.730 --> 00:30:24.369 dead. Here's what I wanna ask you. We need to 00:30:24.369 --> 00:30:27.210 really search our hearts here. and Christ our 00:30:27.210 --> 00:30:29.069 cornerstone church and make sure that we aren't 00:30:29.069 --> 00:30:31.970 a dead church, that we're just got some nice 00:30:31.970 --> 00:30:39.470 leaves, but we just practice these rituals. It's 00:30:39.470 --> 00:30:42.650 not real faith. We're not really living it out. 00:30:43.190 --> 00:30:45.910 We're not really making a difference in our community 00:30:45.910 --> 00:30:52.480 and the communities that surround. So. What Jesus 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.519 did was not random, it was a warning, because 00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:57.859 just like that tree, judgment is coming. In fact, 00:30:58.079 --> 00:31:00.380 this moment points forward to something even 00:31:00.380 --> 00:31:02.460 bigger, the coming destruction of the temple 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:05.240 itself. What looks strong, what looks established, 00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:08.119 what looks permanent will not stand if it is 00:31:08.119 --> 00:31:12.940 empty before God. And this presses into us because 00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:15.420 it's possible to look spiritually alive and still 00:31:15.420 --> 00:31:18.049 be barren. To have leaves, the language, the 00:31:18.049 --> 00:31:20.789 rhythm, the routine, but no real fruit. And Jesus 00:31:20.789 --> 00:31:24.329 is not drawn in by appearance. He looks at what 00:31:24.329 --> 00:31:30.690 is real. What does Samuel say about David? When 00:31:30.690 --> 00:31:33.349 his father Jesse goes, are you sure? You want 00:31:33.349 --> 00:31:38.069 that ruddy looking dude? What does he say? God 00:31:38.069 --> 00:31:41.470 looks at the heart, right? Man looks at the outside 00:31:41.470 --> 00:31:46.799 of the appearance. Because our King, looks at 00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:50.259 what is real. Because the one who is both lion 00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:53.720 and the lamb doesn't just receive empty pretense, 00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:57.779 he confronts it and this is the work of the lion. 00:31:58.619 --> 00:32:02.180 So the lamb has come in and now the lion has 00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:08.380 begun to take over. Remember, this isn't Bruce 00:32:08.380 --> 00:32:12.420 Banner, is it Bruce Banner? Hulk, right? He's 00:32:12.420 --> 00:32:15.500 not like, One way and then all of a sudden he 00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:18.619 turns into, he's always living within the tension. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:26.099 So now let's go to verses 15 through 19. If you're 00:32:26.099 --> 00:32:30.660 taking notes, it's the not so holy temple. And 00:32:30.660 --> 00:32:33.940 they came to Jerusalem and he entered the temple 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:36.640 and began to drive out those who sold and those 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:39.400 who bought in the temple. And he overturned the 00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:43.170 tables of the money changers. and the seats of 00:32:43.170 --> 00:32:46.549 those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow 00:32:46.549 --> 00:32:48.910 anyone to carry anything through the temple. 00:32:50.349 --> 00:32:52.410 And he was teaching them and saying to them, 00:32:52.930 --> 00:32:54.910 is it not written that my house shall be called 00:32:54.910 --> 00:32:58.150 a house of prayer for all the nations? I want 00:32:58.150 --> 00:33:00.650 you to highlight that or underline that in your 00:33:00.650 --> 00:33:05.609 Bible, because that matters. But you have made 00:33:05.609 --> 00:33:09.380 it a den of robbers. And the chief priests and 00:33:09.380 --> 00:33:11.779 the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to 00:33:11.779 --> 00:33:14.660 destroy him, for they feared him because of the 00:33:14.660 --> 00:33:17.960 crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:22.460 evening came, they went out of the city." So 00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:25.200 I want you to imagine with me for a moment. I 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:29.240 want you to think about this. Have you ever seen 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:32.319 the pictures or the videos of the New York Stock 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:36.299 Exchange? Does it feel like a place you want 00:33:36.299 --> 00:33:43.470 to hold worship? Why It's chaos there's people 00:33:43.470 --> 00:33:45.390 yelling there's bells ringing there's all types 00:33:45.390 --> 00:33:48.730 of things happening That's what's happening in 00:33:48.730 --> 00:33:52.750 this moment That's that is literally what's taking 00:33:52.750 --> 00:33:58.670 place in the temple There's yelling there's chaos 00:33:58.670 --> 00:34:01.789 there's all this stuff it's loud it's intense 00:34:01.789 --> 00:34:07.420 And so while we can find that this picture of 00:34:07.420 --> 00:34:10.260 the New York Stock Exchange, it's a powerful 00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:13.500 example of capitalism. It's a good thing. We 00:34:13.500 --> 00:34:17.119 all here, I'm sure, have our retirements tied 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:20.699 up in the stock market. I'm not saying anything 00:34:20.699 --> 00:34:22.920 against the stock market, but the stock market, 00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:26.159 ultimately, if we really just got down to it, 00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:29.280 it's not just about retirement. It ultimately 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:33.239 represents one thing. What do you think that 00:34:33.239 --> 00:34:37.559 thing is? starts with a big G, and I don't mean 00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:43.739 gangster. Greed. At the end of the day, there's 00:34:43.739 --> 00:34:46.579 a lot of greed. Is capitalism a great system? 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:50.039 Absolutely. Is it also a flawed system? Yes, 00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:54.179 because sinful people are in it. So now I want 00:34:54.179 --> 00:34:55.659 you to take that image, and I want you to move 00:34:55.659 --> 00:34:59.199 it into the temple. Here's God's house, because 00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:05.909 what Jesus walks into... The Jewish historian 00:35:05.909 --> 00:35:08.429 Josephus, he says this about Passover, okay? 00:35:09.389 --> 00:35:11.369 This is just during his time, which he was during 00:35:11.369 --> 00:35:14.349 the time of Jesus and then a little after. But 00:35:14.349 --> 00:35:17.429 he says, Jerusalem would swell with pilgrims. 00:35:17.710 --> 00:35:20.710 Thousands upon thousands of people flooded into 00:35:20.710 --> 00:35:24.050 the city, bringing animals and buying sacrifices, 00:35:24.429 --> 00:35:27.690 preparing for worship. Josephus goes on to give 00:35:27.690 --> 00:35:32.380 a record that one Passover season, They had over 00:35:32.380 --> 00:35:35.559 two hundred and fifty five thousand lambs were 00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:41.880 bought sold and sacrificed in one Passover Would 00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:44.659 you guys imagine if everybody came into O 'Neill 00:35:44.659 --> 00:35:50.099 needing to buy some some cows and some bulls 00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:51.820 and You guys were selling two hundred and fifty 00:35:51.820 --> 00:35:55.340 five thousand in one day. That's a lot Am I wrong? 00:35:56.019 --> 00:35:59.679 Feels like a lot So just imagine it for a moment 00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:03.030 many of you have been in livestock auctions. 00:36:04.409 --> 00:36:06.489 Can somebody explain to me what a livestock auction 00:36:06.489 --> 00:36:14.289 is like? Is it is it is it is it clean? I'm I'm 00:36:14.289 --> 00:36:16.349 looking at you guys just had one, so I saw I'm 00:36:16.349 --> 00:36:21.469 looking at y 'all. Is it clean? OK, well, I've 00:36:21.469 --> 00:36:23.210 only ever been the one in my life and it was 00:36:23.210 --> 00:36:27.349 the dirtiest place I've ever been. So they can 00:36:27.349 --> 00:36:30.190 be dirty, they can be loud, right? It's a lot 00:36:30.190 --> 00:36:35.210 of animals, right? So now you've got pigeons, 00:36:35.449 --> 00:36:37.449 you've got lambs, you've got all these sorts 00:36:37.449 --> 00:36:38.829 of different things. You've got bulls, you've 00:36:38.829 --> 00:36:43.630 got oxen. Now I want you to try to imagine worshiping 00:36:43.630 --> 00:36:46.329 in the middle of the stagmire's bull auction. 00:36:47.869 --> 00:36:49.949 Hey, could you keep it down miles with the microphone, 00:36:50.070 --> 00:36:55.579 dude? I'm trying to talk to Jesus, right? The 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:58.260 noise, the chaos, the distractions, it's all 00:36:58.260 --> 00:37:00.280 happening out in the marketplace and it's happening 00:37:00.280 --> 00:37:04.340 in the temple courts. And here's what makes it 00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:07.480 even more significant. This is taking place in 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:11.139 the court of Gentiles. The only place in the 00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:13.500 temple where non -Jews were allowed to come and 00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:16.980 seek God is right here in the midst of an auction. 00:37:18.599 --> 00:37:20.739 So if a Gentile wanted to worship, if they wanted 00:37:20.739 --> 00:37:23.000 to pray, if they wanted to draw near, this chaos 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:25.539 is what they encountered. not reverence, not 00:37:25.539 --> 00:37:28.119 prayer, not worship, but noise, exploitation 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:31.500 and corruption. Because on top of that, they 00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:33.699 weren't just being taken advantage of. This was 00:37:33.699 --> 00:37:35.639 a system that was run under the authority of 00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:38.840 the high priest Caiaphas and his father -in -law. 00:37:39.380 --> 00:37:43.059 And this was built off the profit of worshipers. 00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:46.679 John MacArthur said, this is literally the first 00:37:46.679 --> 00:37:50.019 ever franchise model. They took this into other 00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:54.690 temples. where they would charge exorbitant amount 00:37:54.690 --> 00:37:58.210 up and over to Gentiles what these animals were 00:37:58.210 --> 00:38:03.030 worth for sacrifice. And the money went to them. 00:38:03.550 --> 00:38:06.269 So they had inflated prices, unfair exchanges, 00:38:06.769 --> 00:38:09.909 people being used in the name of God. And Jesus 00:38:09.909 --> 00:38:14.730 walks into this. He doesn't just go, it's all 00:38:14.730 --> 00:38:19.269 right, normal every day. What does he do? Does 00:38:19.269 --> 00:38:22.500 he do? Does he do what probably most of us would 00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:24.760 do? Walking into something chaotic that we're 00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:27.800 kind of used to this system. And though it bothers 00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:29.719 us, we just kind of go with it because it's the 00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:37.900 system. No, we just read it. What's he do? He 00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:40.880 flips tables. It says he literally pulls a chair 00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:43.539 out from a dude who's trying to sell some pigeons. 00:38:44.719 --> 00:38:49.820 Like that is hilarious. He's like, no, see ya. 00:38:49.849 --> 00:38:53.030 Right? In Matthew, it tells us he starts making 00:38:53.030 --> 00:39:01.989 a whip. Kyaow! He turns into Indiana Jones. So 00:39:01.989 --> 00:39:04.150 he declares, my house shall be called a house 00:39:04.150 --> 00:39:08.469 of prayer for all nations and not a den of thieves. 00:39:09.170 --> 00:39:10.849 So I don't want you, I don't want you to miss 00:39:10.849 --> 00:39:14.510 what's happening here. Because in that day, many 00:39:14.510 --> 00:39:16.409 believe that when the Messiah came, he would 00:39:16.409 --> 00:39:21.500 cleanse the temple. Hear me. The Jews believe 00:39:21.500 --> 00:39:25.019 he will cleanse the temple. So here Jesus is, 00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:27.019 he's cleansing the temple. But what do you think 00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:29.000 they think the Messiah is gonna cleanse the temple 00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:34.139 of? Gentiles. That's not what Jesus does. He 00:39:34.139 --> 00:39:36.500 actually does the opposite. He drives out the 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:38.980 corruption. He drives out the greed. He drives 00:39:38.980 --> 00:39:42.340 out the false system that keeps, that is keeping 00:39:42.340 --> 00:39:44.900 the nations from God. And he says, this place 00:39:44.900 --> 00:39:49.519 was meant for them too. For all nations, for 00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:51.639 all people, for anyone who would come and seek 00:39:51.639 --> 00:39:56.719 the Lord, this is the lion on full display. Righteous 00:39:56.719 --> 00:40:00.119 anger, holy authority, a king who sees injustice 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:03.159 and refuses to let it stand. This is not a king 00:40:03.159 --> 00:40:06.119 who looks the other way while the powerful exploit 00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:09.039 the weak. This is a king who confronts it, who 00:40:09.039 --> 00:40:11.900 tears it down, and who exposes what is false. 00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:16.250 Because he will not allow empty fruitless religion 00:40:16.250 --> 00:40:21.130 to stand in the way of real worship. And I don't 00:40:21.130 --> 00:40:23.250 want you to miss the heart behind it. This anger 00:40:23.250 --> 00:40:27.110 is not detached. It is burning with compassion 00:40:27.110 --> 00:40:30.449 because the very people he has shown grace and 00:40:30.449 --> 00:40:34.349 mercy and forgiveness to are now the ones mistreating 00:40:34.349 --> 00:40:37.510 the others and keeping them from God. What does 00:40:37.510 --> 00:40:40.630 God tell the Israelites in the very beginning 00:40:40.630 --> 00:40:45.800 when they start this covenant? Bless those who 00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:49.920 bless you, curse those who don't. But I'm about 00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:54.380 to, they even have another word. He's not gonna 00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:57.380 stand for it. This is a king who will break the 00:40:57.380 --> 00:40:59.380 back of fruitless religious systems, a king who 00:40:59.380 --> 00:41:01.699 demands holiness in the worship of his people. 00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:05.000 The lion and the lamb does not accept corrupt 00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:06.940 worship. He confronts it, and here's the tension. 00:41:07.539 --> 00:41:09.820 The lion shows his authority here, but he will 00:41:09.820 --> 00:41:11.900 not make it his final display of power in the 00:41:11.900 --> 00:41:16.010 temple. No, the final blow will come through 00:41:16.010 --> 00:41:19.670 the Lamb. What do I mean by that? Through patience, 00:41:19.750 --> 00:41:23.309 through meekness, and through sacrifice, it is 00:41:23.309 --> 00:41:26.389 the Lamb who goes to the cross and puts an end 00:41:26.389 --> 00:41:31.389 to that very system. Write this down. It will 00:41:31.389 --> 00:41:35.050 be the Lamb who tears the veil, opening the way 00:41:35.050 --> 00:41:37.789 for all to come to the Father, no longer needing 00:41:37.789 --> 00:41:42.599 a system that feeds on others. That, brothers 00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:48.900 and sisters, that's kingship. Last point, the 00:41:48.900 --> 00:41:55.980 not -so -impossible faith. We've walked through 00:41:55.980 --> 00:41:59.539 the not -so -triumphant entry, the not -so -fruitful 00:41:59.539 --> 00:42:02.920 tree, and the not -so -holy temple, and now Jesus 00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:06.980 gives us a promise, a way forward, a way to respond 00:42:06.980 --> 00:42:11.920 to all we've seen in its faith. Let's read. We're 00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:13.699 going to finish this out. As they passed by in 00:42:13.699 --> 00:42:16.000 the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away 00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:18.820 to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to 00:42:18.820 --> 00:42:22.219 him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed 00:42:22.219 --> 00:42:25.440 has withered. And Jesus answered them, have faith 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:28.739 in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to 00:42:28.739 --> 00:42:30.760 this mountain be taken up and thrown into the 00:42:30.760 --> 00:42:33.820 sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes 00:42:33.820 --> 00:42:36.619 that what he says will come to pass and will 00:42:36.619 --> 00:42:39.460 be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever 00:42:39.460 --> 00:42:41.880 you ask in prayer, believe that you have received 00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:45.280 it and it will be yours. And whenever you stand 00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:47.880 praying, forgive if you have anything against 00:42:47.880 --> 00:42:55.980 anyone so that your father also who is in heaven 00:42:55.980 --> 00:42:59.079 may forgive you of your trespasses. Now, before 00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:02.159 we start going all like name it and claim it 00:43:02.159 --> 00:43:04.900 and blab it and grab it. All right. Jesus is 00:43:04.900 --> 00:43:07.019 not saying you can just go start telling mountains 00:43:07.019 --> 00:43:08.760 to be tossed into the sea and you're just throwing 00:43:08.760 --> 00:43:11.920 around. all the geography of our country. It's 00:43:11.920 --> 00:43:13.940 not what he's talking about. You guys have heard 00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:16.900 me say this before. When we pray, we pray the 00:43:16.900 --> 00:43:21.019 will of God so that whenever you are in complete 00:43:21.019 --> 00:43:23.360 communion with God and you understand his will, 00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:26.800 you can literally pray in faith his will because 00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:30.239 it will be done. When Jesus, when the disciples 00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:32.780 said, Lord, teach us to pray, he says, you should 00:43:32.780 --> 00:43:35.579 pray like this. Our father who art in heaven, 00:43:35.900 --> 00:43:39.780 hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. All right, 00:43:39.780 --> 00:43:43.300 we'll be done. So let's don't get crazy with 00:43:43.300 --> 00:43:48.920 that. But this is not just any faith that we're 00:43:48.920 --> 00:43:51.199 talking about. It's not small, it's not timid, 00:43:51.199 --> 00:43:54.460 and it's not surface level. It's faith that looks 00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:57.519 impossible to us because let's be honest, the 00:43:57.519 --> 00:44:01.199 king wasn't what they expected, the tree wasn't 00:44:01.199 --> 00:44:03.360 what it appeared, and the temple wasn't what 00:44:03.360 --> 00:44:07.119 it claimed. Everything we've seen points to a 00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:09.159 world that's confusing, frustrating, and full 00:44:09.159 --> 00:44:13.159 of appearances that fail. And yet faith in this 00:44:13.159 --> 00:44:15.840 King is far more powerful than we can imagine. 00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:19.719 Jesus says, have faith in God. Truly I tell you, 00:44:19.719 --> 00:44:21.699 if anyone says to this mountain, go and throw 00:44:21.699 --> 00:44:25.960 yourself into the sea and does not doubt, it 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:28.900 will be done for them. That's impossible faith. 00:44:29.159 --> 00:44:32.019 A mountain does not move on its own. Yet the 00:44:32.019 --> 00:44:35.219 authority of the King, our lion, makes it possible. 00:44:36.019 --> 00:44:38.360 And notice the balance. It's not just the lion's 00:44:38.360 --> 00:44:41.400 power at work here. Jesus also says, when you 00:44:41.400 --> 00:44:46.940 stand praying, forgive. The lamb calls us to 00:44:46.940 --> 00:44:50.719 dependence, humility, and mercy. True faith is 00:44:50.719 --> 00:44:54.039 both. It's bold, it's courageous, it speaks mountains 00:44:54.039 --> 00:44:57.320 into motion, and it's tender, it trusts God, 00:44:57.559 --> 00:45:03.079 it forgives, and it submits. The king, write 00:45:03.079 --> 00:45:07.239 this down, the king we follow, the lion and the 00:45:07.239 --> 00:45:12.920 lamb makes the impossible possible because he 00:45:12.920 --> 00:45:17.179 is both authority and meekness, power and dependence, 00:45:17.699 --> 00:45:21.840 judgment and mercy. And when we live in that 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:24.920 tension, trusting him with bold faith while walking 00:45:24.920 --> 00:45:27.719 in humble dependence, we become participants 00:45:27.719 --> 00:45:32.099 in his kingdom here and now. Mountains are moved. 00:45:32.760 --> 00:45:36.340 Fruit grows where barrenness once reigned. The 00:45:36.340 --> 00:45:38.599 temple of our hearts becomes a place of genuine 00:45:38.599 --> 00:45:42.519 worship. This is the kind of faith that transforms 00:45:42.519 --> 00:45:45.860 everything because it trusts the true King, the 00:45:45.860 --> 00:45:50.739 lion and the lamb to what only he can do. I'm 00:45:50.739 --> 00:45:52.039 gonna close with this. You can go ahead and come 00:45:52.039 --> 00:45:58.139 on up Robin. Thursday, Noah and I went and saw 00:45:58.510 --> 00:46:02.309 the movie Project Hail Mary. If you guys get 00:46:02.309 --> 00:46:04.050 a chance, you should go see it. It's really good. 00:46:04.889 --> 00:46:07.090 It's probably the best movie I've seen in some 00:46:07.090 --> 00:46:09.349 time. And there's a couple of reasons why. One, 00:46:09.429 --> 00:46:11.170 it's good storytelling, good acting, all that 00:46:11.170 --> 00:46:15.369 stuff. Good stuff all around. There's no cussing, 00:46:15.750 --> 00:46:19.570 which blew my mind. There's no sexual innuendo. 00:46:20.389 --> 00:46:22.949 There's nothing. Nothing like that. The only 00:46:22.949 --> 00:46:25.949 reason why it's rated PG -13 is because you see 00:46:25.949 --> 00:46:30.469 them drinking alcohol in one quick scene. and 00:46:30.469 --> 00:46:36.769 there's a lot of tension in it. So here's what 00:46:36.769 --> 00:46:40.969 it's about. The earth is on the brink of destruction 00:46:40.969 --> 00:46:44.190 and the only hope rests on the shoulders of a 00:46:44.190 --> 00:46:48.530 terrified middle school science teacher. He doesn't 00:46:48.530 --> 00:46:51.610 want to go, so they say they've got 30 days because 00:46:51.610 --> 00:46:56.789 the sun is dying and they've got to do something 00:46:56.789 --> 00:47:01.070 within the next 30 days or it's going to be the 00:47:01.070 --> 00:47:07.090 next 30 years that they have to live. But over 00:47:07.090 --> 00:47:09.769 that time, famine will ultimately happen because 00:47:09.769 --> 00:47:11.789 as the sun dies out, right? All these things. 00:47:12.489 --> 00:47:16.989 And so they look at him and they're like, you 00:47:16.989 --> 00:47:18.510 got to go. You're the only one that understands 00:47:18.510 --> 00:47:22.329 the science. And the reason why I like the movie 00:47:22.329 --> 00:47:24.389 so much is because I think Ryan Gosling's character 00:47:24.389 --> 00:47:27.489 I identified so much with because he goes, I'll 00:47:27.489 --> 00:47:32.420 pass. They're like, we're all going to die. And 00:47:32.420 --> 00:47:34.139 he goes, yeah, but at least I get to die 30 years 00:47:34.139 --> 00:47:38.840 later down the road. Like, I'm not an astronaut. 00:47:41.219 --> 00:47:44.179 Is anybody going to sign up for that? I mean, 00:47:44.199 --> 00:47:46.159 if you guys are probably braver than I am, but 00:47:46.159 --> 00:47:48.659 if somebody said the rest of the world depends 00:47:48.659 --> 00:47:50.699 on you, you're going to be it's a one way ticket. 00:47:50.719 --> 00:47:53.500 You're going to die in space alone to save the 00:47:53.500 --> 00:48:01.000 rest of us. I'm not signing up for it. And so 00:48:01.000 --> 00:48:04.420 they call it Project Hail Mary, because that's 00:48:04.420 --> 00:48:06.239 what it is. If you don't know football, it's 00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:12.179 one last he, right? Hope to win. It's to save 00:48:12.179 --> 00:48:15.000 everyone. And so through courage and ingenuity 00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:17.760 and sacrifice, he becomes this unlikely hero. 00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:20.219 And it's really a beautiful story of redemption. 00:48:22.019 --> 00:48:25.480 But here's the truth. Even that story pales in 00:48:25.480 --> 00:48:28.489 comparison to what Jesus did. This was never 00:48:28.489 --> 00:48:31.869 a last minute Hail Mary plan. This has always 00:48:31.869 --> 00:48:34.329 been the mission, the only mission fit for Jesus 00:48:34.329 --> 00:48:37.469 to save mankind. When the fall happened, it didn't 00:48:37.469 --> 00:48:40.690 catch the Trinity off guard. They already knew 00:48:40.690 --> 00:48:42.869 it. This was already the plan from all eternity. 00:48:43.769 --> 00:48:46.110 And Jesus didn't do it reluctantly. He didn't 00:48:46.110 --> 00:48:49.110 stumble under fear. He carried it out with joy, 00:48:49.369 --> 00:48:51.969 with courage, and with perfect wisdom and strength. 00:48:53.210 --> 00:48:55.969 And so the lamb rode into Jerusalem on Passion 00:48:55.969 --> 00:48:59.420 Week. The lion's righteous authority flashed 00:48:59.420 --> 00:49:01.920 in his confrontation with the temple and the 00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:04.860 lamb went to the cross. The lion rose from the 00:49:04.860 --> 00:49:07.659 dead and when he comes again, every ounce of 00:49:07.659 --> 00:49:11.940 that kingship, meekness and might, lion and lamb 00:49:11.940 --> 00:49:16.099 will be on full display. It will be his rightful 00:49:16.099 --> 00:49:19.599 coronation. So friends, here's what this means 00:49:19.599 --> 00:49:25.099 for us. We follow a king who is supremely capable. 00:49:25.800 --> 00:49:30.280 perfectly willing and entirely trustworthy. The 00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:32.280 mountains in our lives, the barren places, the 00:49:32.280 --> 00:49:34.800 chaos around us, they are no match for him. He 00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:37.400 has authority, he has mercy, and he is coming 00:49:37.400 --> 00:49:41.079 back to set all things right. So we can live 00:49:41.079 --> 00:49:44.179 in that tension today, humble yet bold, dependent 00:49:44.179 --> 00:49:48.099 yet confident, tender yet courageous, because 00:49:48.099 --> 00:49:50.559 the king we follow is the lion and the lamb. 00:49:51.599 --> 00:49:54.019 And we get to look forward with hope because 00:49:54.019 --> 00:49:57.199 this coronation is coming and we will see it 00:49:57.199 --> 00:49:59.119 in full glory. By your head.