The Triumphal Entry

What King is this? And what King are you looking for today? Who is sitting in the driver seat of your life? Join Pastor Richard for this Palm Sunday Sermon entitled “The Triumphal Entry”, taken from John 12:12-19

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What king is this? And what king are you looking for today? Join me, Pastor Richard, for this Palm Sunday sermon entitled The Triumphal Entry.

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This morning's scriptural reading is taken from the book of John, chapter 12, from verse 12 to verse 19. John chapter 12, verse 12 to 19. The triumphal entry. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went off to meet him, crying out, Hosanna, this is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, Sir, daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming, sitting on the donkey's cross. Verse 16. His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done it this time. So the Pharisees said to one another, You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

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Travel back in time with me. Two thousand years, more or less. The nation of Israel, it was occupied by the Romans, Roman soldiers, they were on the streets, and many of the Jews they wanted their nation back. They wanted it back. There were occasional attempts at insurrection, but each time that insurrection was put down. And so many people they are looking for a hero. They were looking for someone who would stand up to the Roman occupiers and rally the Jewish people so that they together would overthrow the Roman occupation of Israel. This is what was going on at the time, right? And so we find ourselves in the Passover week. And Passover is one of the three times a year when all the Jews were supposed to return to Jerusalem. It was a holy festival, a holy time for them. And so, how did this crowd in our passage today, how did they know that Jesus was on his way? They didn't get it on Twitter. They didn't get it on Facebook or anything. We don't know. We don't know how the word came, but somehow perhaps Jesus had rested on the way, just as someone was going ahead, somehow the word got out that Jesus is on the way. And so that word spread through all the masses, all the crowds, and all those who admire Jesus, uh who are called in the passage his disciples in the very loosest sense of the word, they positioned themselves just outside the city walls to welcome him. And so we don't know, I mean, those of you who would like to go to concerts, you know, there's this excitement as the band comes in to play, everybody's really psyched up, or we can think of a political function where as the person of honor, the main dignitary, comes in and applause, swells, and fills the place. There was this atmosphere of excitement as Jesus was approaching. And so this was the rabbi who had done the miraculous sign of multiplying the bread and fish. This was the man who had cast out demons. He'd even healed a man blind since birth. This was the man who had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. And so the people, they were excited. They couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And so they rushed outside the city gates. They took palm branches, and as Jesus approached, some of them even took their cloaks. And you've got to remember, they didn't have a big wardrobe. All right? Back at this time, you probably didn't have a lot of sets of clothes. They took their cloak and they spread it out on the ground. And this was like creating the old world red carpet treatment. They were preparing the way for Jesus. And so they took it, and some had uh the palm branches they were waving. Others put the palm branches on the ground to cover up the dust alongside the cloaks. And Jesus came, and it was it was really the red carpet treatment. All right. So he approached and he was on this young donkey, and everyone was caught up in the moment, caught up in this moment of hope. Many of them they've been waiting for Jesus to make his move. And as you read through the gospels, you get that sense, as things build up, they they want to see him really uh come to the forefront. And at last he's coming into Jerusalem. And so they shouted together, Hosanna, save us now. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel. Even the king of Israel. You know, the Romans uh who are occupying at that time a lot of matters, they just left to uh the local populace to manage. But the one thing there could not be even the slightest hint of was any insurrection. And so when the crowd, they said, the king of Israel, this was not a small thing to announce him as king. Each person who said that, if caught, they could be tried. There could be serious consequences for proclaiming anyone king but Caesar, right? So, okay, so we we he came in, he was riding on this uh young donkey, and it fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah. This is taken from Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9. It says, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, your king is coming to you. Righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the full of a donkey. And so John tells us that even Jesus' closest disciples, they didn't connect the dots between the prophecy and his entrance until later on when Jesus had been crucified. But he did, he fulfilled prophecy in that way. And so the crowd, they gave Jesus the entrance that belonged to a king, and waving those palm branches, this was a sign of victory. And they rolled out the red carpet with their cloaks, with covering the dust and any mud on the ground. They welcomed him as king, and they did it because they heard this, this is the one who could even raise the dead back to life. But the Pharisees saw the crowd in such an uproar, and they told to one another, it's no use. It's no use. Look, the whole world has gone after him. And so they recognized they no longer had any chance of winning the crowd back to their side, and so they looked for another way to stop Jesus. And so this morning, the question I want to ask you is this what king is this? What king is this? The crowd here, they were looking for a military king and a political king. They wanted someone who would unite them all and overthrow the Romans who ruled Israel at the time, bringing them back into a golden age. Then they'd no longer have the Gentiles telling them what they could and couldn't do. No longer would they have to pay taxes to a foreign nation. This is the Messiah king that they were looking for. But instead, Israel was under Roman power and the Roman power structure. And at the top, you had the emperor. And so the emperor, he was the absolute ruler, and he was considered to have divine authority, and he was even to be worshipped like a god. This is what Israel was under. Next, under the emperor were kings, and they were the highest local rulers of territories. And so during the New Testament times, the territory of Palestine was ruled by the kings of the Herodian dynasty. Alright? And so it explains why John the Baptist was beheaded, if you're familiar with that story. After Herod the Great had died, his kingdom had been divided into four parts, and one of his sons, Herod Antipas, governed the Galilee region. And this is where we found John the Baptist. So Herodias had divorced Herod Antipas' half-brother Philip. Alright, his half-brother Philip, the wife, divorced the half-brother so that she could be married to Herod Antipas instead. But this was against Scripture. This was immoral. This was something that should not happen. And so John the Baptist, he boldly spoke out against the marriage. And some of you remember what happens next, to make the story short. At Herod's birthday party, the daughter of Herodias danced so attractively that Herod was willing to agree to anything. And prompted by her mother, Herodias, she asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter. And that's exactly what she received. This was the type of king that had been ruling over the Galilee region. And so it just goes to show the Roman authority was very strong, and you could not speak against them. They weren't going to take any of that, they weren't going to allow any of that. And things had become very immoral. The Roman Empire was slowly getting worse and worse. Alright, more and more corruption. A lot of things were like that. And finally, all right, so after the kings, then we have procurators or governors who were appointed by the emperor, and they were directly answerable to him. And so if we were to go back in time and ask the crowd, what king is this? Riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, everyone crying out, Hosanna, laying their cloaks and their palm branches on the ground before him, they would have answered, This is the Messiah king. This is the one who's going to unite the nation and remove Roman rule and the immoral Herodian dynasty from their land. If they, if asked, they would have answered that this is the king who is going to restore Israel. And they were both right and wrong. This was the king who came to restore, but it wasn't the king they thought he was. If you remember with me, the first king of Israel, King Saul, scripture tells us that when Israel demanded a king, they sinned. It wasn't because somehow monarchy was this terrible thing, but it's because they wanted to look to a man to lead them and not God. They were no longer satisfied with being led by God. Instead, they they looked at the nations around them. They saw how a lot of pomp and ceremony, they saw how strong their kings were, and they wanted to have a king themselves to lead them into battle. And here's what's written about Saul's appearance in 1 Samuel. It says, And he he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, Take one of the young men with you and arise and go and look for the donkeys. So apparently Saul was ridiculously handsome. Alright? It's repeated a couple times here. He was extremely tall. And Samuel goes on, he reveals that actually Saul was a farmhand sent out to settle the donkeys that the family owned. And so Samuel called the nation together to choose their first king, and they cast lots to see who would be the one. And casting lots was kind of a mechanism by which Israel determined God's guidance or direction. Casting lots was a way to determine what God's direction or guidance was. And we're not told exactly how that worked out. It could have been something carved on sticks, it could have been carved on stones. We're not told exactly it's not too important. But with the method that they used, each thing was somehow designated. So it could have been something like twelve sticks, and each one something carved on it. And so through this, they cast lots. Probably the modern day equivalent is flipping a coin, right? As a kid, we flipped coins to see who would go first or who would get something. For them, they used this method. And for them, it was a serious, a sacred method of determining the Lord's direction. And the outcome was clear because if you read through the scripture, Saul was chosen to be the first king. And Samuel, he gives us a bit of a surprise, actually. So I'm reading uh right now just a few verses from 1 Samuel chapter 10, beginning in verse 20. It says, Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near. And the tribe of Benjamin was taken by Lot. He brought the tribe of Benjamin nearby by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by Lot, and the son of Kish was taken by Lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. So they inquired again of the Lord, Is there a man still to come? Did we get it wrong somehow? No. The Lord said, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage. And so then they ran and they took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people, from his shoulders upward. The nearest person only came up to here. This was a tall guy. And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people. And all the people shouted, Long live the king. The man they wanted to make king, he was hiding himself with a baggage. All the luggage, all the things. He was hiding there. This big, tall guy was hiding there. But this was Israel's first king. See, inwardly, Saul felt insecure. He felt threatened by success of others. He feared admitting any wrong or mistake. Eventually, he even exhibited signs of madness and was tormented by his spirit. But outwardly, outwardly, he was prime king material. He was tall, he was handsome, he would have looked very authoritative. And when he began to lead as king, he led the army. He wasn't sitting back somewhere. He would lead them out into battle. They won great victories against the hostile nations around them. And so the first king of Israel pleased the people. And so as we move ourselves back to Jesus' entrance to the city of Jerusalem, again we we ask the crowds, what king is this? They're probably thinking back to their first king, probably thinking back to the kings that they've had. Was this the king that they longed for? Was he going to be a king like Saul, who would overthrow all the nations and bring them into an age of power and prosperity? They expected this military master, but instead they they received something else, didn't they? As Jesus approached Jerusalem riding on the donkey, the people they cast their hopes on him. And they healed him as king, which was right. And it was his rightful title, the king of Israel. But he didn't raise an army, he raised disciples. He raised men and women willing to devote themselves to humble service. He raised followers who are faithful even to the point of death. What king was this that they are looking for? Because the king they received, he's the one who cared for the poor. He cared for the outcasts, he cared for the rejects of society, he healed the sick, he cast out demons, he raised the dead, he lived the life of the humble hero. He didn't go and grasp every right that was his to take. In Philippians, it says that he humbled himself, he took the form of a servant. And that's the truth. That's what he did. And so this morning I have one question to ask you. Alright? One question to challenge you with. What king are you looking for today? What king are you looking for? Today, Palm Sunday, we're celebrating Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem as King. What king are you looking for today? Some of you, like me, you chose to make Jesus Lord over your life at a very young age. For me, I think I was perhaps around nine or ten years old. Maybe like me, you didn't know really very much about who Jesus is at the time. You didn't know much about the Bible. You didn't really know much about life yet. But you knew enough to say yes when you were challenged to follow Jesus. Others, uh perhaps you you grew up in this church, but you you took longer to choose to put Christ first in your life. And some of you here, you may honestly still not be too sure. Sometimes you you feel like God is really there and worth putting first. Other times you think you're probably just fooling yourself with all this Bible and God's stuff. All right, we are at different places this morning. Wherever you're at today, though, I want to challenge you. What king are you looking for? Are you looking for a king that's going to make your life more comfortable? Are you looking for a king that's going to take away all your health problems you might be experiencing? Are you looking for a king that'll remove your loneliness? Are you looking for a king who's going to give you favors so you can have a good job and make a lot of money with very few work hours? Are you looking for a king who's going to make you happier? What king are you looking for this morning? Jesus' triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, it wasn't on a military horse with a sword in his hand, but on a young donkey. The donkey was the symbol of peace. He allowed himself to be wrongly arrested, to be whipped, to suffer the penalty of death for our sake, although he was innocent. And he didn't promise his disciples riches, he didn't promise them a prominent position. Instead, he instructed them to take up their cross daily and to follow him. And so a few verses later from the passage our sister Judith read this morning, it says, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it. And whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. What king are you looking for? What king are you serving? Is it the same Jesus who obediently suffered in order to give glory to the Father? The crowd at Jesus' triumphal entry, they proclaimed him as king, and they were right to do so. We know they are right to do so. But when they observed him arrested, when Pilate gave them the choice to release Barabbas or to release Jesus, we know they turned against Jesus and they shouted to crucify him. They turned because they wanted a king, but they didn't actually want this king. And so the question this morning is: what king are you looking for? My king is the very epitome of patience. My king, he is gracious. My king, he is quick to forgive, and he is slow to anger. My king hears me when I pray. He hears when I cry. He hears when I rejoice. He hears what I say to my family at home. My king sees those who are suffering. He sees the marginalized. He sees the minorities. He sees what I'm like on the inside as well as what I'm like on the outside. My king knows my past. He knows my future. He knows my heart. He knows my thoughts. My king is a healer. He is able to heal the sick. He is able to restore the sinner. He is able to build confidence and trust. My king is all powerful. He can control nature. He can direct world rulers. He will one day judge everyone who has walked the face of this earth. My king speaks to us today. He speaks through the Bible. He speaks through nature. He speaks through his Holy Spirit. He speaks through you and he speaks through me. And my king didn't demand his rights when he came to this earth. He gave up his rights. He washed the feet of his disciples. He took the punishment that I deserve. And this is my king. Church, this is my king. This is who he is. And this morning I ask you, what king are you looking for? Is this your king? If we're just looking for someone who will simply make life easier for us to smooth out all the problems, I'm sorry, this is not a promise in the Bible for us. Instead, he promises he will never abandon you, he will never forsake you. No matter what you go through, no matter how dark things become, when we have rough times, when we go through the darkest of times, he will not abandon us. He will not leave us. He will remain there by our side. Whether you've been a believer for 50 years or for five months, or if this is the first time you've ever set foot in a church, today we're confronted with this question: Will you make Jesus king over your life? Only one person can fit on the throne of our lives. Either we set ourselves there, or we will set Jesus there. Only one person can sit there. It's like when you're driving a car, there can only be one person behind the steering wheel. Sometimes we feel this back seat drivers, but the truth is there's only one person in control of this car, and that's how it is with our life. And so it's something serious for us to consider. Is Jesus king over our lives? And it's not just a one-time decision only, and I think many of you know this, it's something we have to choose again and again and again. Because you may choose, yes, today Jesus is going to be on the throne of my life. He's going to be CEO, he's going to be the boss, he's going to make the decisions. Whatever comes up, I'll do what he wants. And then tomorrow comes. And then something happens, and then you're challenged in different ways. And sometimes we forget that we've put him behind that steering wheel. Sometimes we don't give a second thought to him. And we just we grab back that steering wheel to take control of our life. And so, church, it's something we have to do again and again. So whether this is for the first time or this is who knows how many times, every day, every day, we need to put Jesus on the throne of our lives. We need to make him king once again over us. And so my question this morning, my challenge this morning is are you ready to do that in a serious manner? Words are very easy to say, right? Words we can say so easily, we can put a smile on our face. We can say, yes, Jesus is in charge of my life. Yes, I've surrendered to him. But I want to challenge you this morning to once again, in a very serious way, being fully aware of how you've lived your life yesterday and the last week and the last year. Would you make him king again today? God knows us, he knows we're not perfect, he knows we stumble, he knows we fall, but he is faithful that every time if we will turn to him, he will turn to us. He loves us, he created us, he wants to have that close relationship with us. And if we will put him behind the steering wheel of our life, and if we will trust him, he will make our way straight. He will guide us through the many gray areas of life, he will guide us through. If you'd like to know more about each Christian Church, please visit our website at yccanglican.com. Have a blessed day.