Episode 35: The Approach of a King

I've always loved Palm Sunday!  Joyous happy people praising Jesus as he rides into town on a humble colt!  I love what we find in Luke 19 verse 40 where Jesus tells them, even if the crowds who were shouting Hosannas at him quieted, the rocks themselves would cry out!  It points to the inevitability of the people praising and recognizing Jesus's divine authority!

But as festive and happy as Palm Sunday was, we all know that the joy was short-lived. We know what horrors await our Lord just a few days later.  So today I welcome back my friend and previous guest Janet Dickinson to talk about the festive approach of Jesus on the back of a colt into Jerusalem, the arrival of a humble king.

Transcript

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Hi, I'm your host Lori Larson, and this is the year I read the Bible. Welcome a Lifelong Christian. I thought I was familiar with the Bible, but in 2023 I accepted the challenge of reading the whole thing, cover to cover. Whenever I encountered something I didn't understand or wanted to learn more. I jotted it down, but I kept reading to stay on schedule. Then I reached the end Imagine Confetti rating down on me, and a huge sigh of relief. I had 40 topics to research in 2024. I started diving into all those topics. I did research, I wrote blogs and I shared them with whoever might wanna learn too. And in 2025, the project continues. I published a book containing all my essays, and now a podcast. Is there something you can learn from that dusty book that sits on all of our shelves? Yes. Yes, there is. Let's dive into The year I read the Bible. Good morning listeners. I am so excited to welcome you to our. March 3rd episode of the year, I read the Bible entitled The Approach of a King. Jesus was reaching the completion of his three year long earthly ministry. Scholars estimate that in the three years he was teaching through the region of Galilee and Judea, he covered 3,125 miles. By foot, in fact, by sandal clad foot, can you even imagine that if you were determined to set out and walk over a thousand miles a year for three years, would you select leather sandals to do the job? I realized Jesus didn't have the option of going to the local fleet feet store and purchasing a new pair of Hokas, but still, Jesus knew that his time was coming. He had already predicted his death to his disciples three times in straightforward language, not parables, which they would have to interpret. He had performed a great number of miracles in these final days, feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, walking on water to reach his disciples in a boat. Lots of healings. He knew exactly was coming, and when it had to happen a full week before the Passover feast in Jerusalem, mark 11, one through three tells us. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Beth Phage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples saying to them, go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a cult tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you doing this, say. The Lord needs it and we'll send it back here shortly. End quote. I love the specificity of this plan. Jesus knows that an unbroken cult will be exactly where he tells them to look, and as Mark 11 four tells us. They went and found a colt outside in the street tied at a doorway as they untied it, some people standing there asked, what are you doing untying that colt, they answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go, just like Jesus said, he's the Lord. Not only of the big and majestic, but also of the details. I couldn't help but wonder. Was there some reason why Jesus chose an unbroken or untrained cult on which to ride into Jerusalem? I figured there must be, so I did some research. The website enduring word says quote, Jesus established that he would enter Jerusalem riding on a cult. He deliberately chose a young donkey, not a stallion, not a horse, and not coming on foot. This is because in that day to come riding a cult as opposed to a mighty warhorse was to come as a man of peace. Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem as a conquering general, but as a suffering though triumphant servant end quote. The Old Testament is filled with the stories of the prophets God sent to the people of Israel to teach them and prepare them for what would eventually come in the form of his son, Jesus. This exact plan that Jesus was putting into action with the young cult, is a manifestation of what the Prophet Zacharia said in his book, chapter Nine, verses nine and 10. Rejoice greatly. Daughter Zion. Shout daughter Jerusalem. See your king comes to you. Righteous and victorious. Lowly. And riding on a donkey on a cult, the full of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Raim and the war horses from Jerusalem and the battled bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. What a joyous and welcome message, and what a joyous parade into the city. It was for Jesus. A cloak was draped on the colt's back. Jesus climbed on and made his way into Jerusalem. The people along the road threw their own cloaks on the ground for the cult to step on. And as Mark 11 eight says, others spread branches, they had cut in the fields. What branches over the centuries, this has been interpreted as palm branches because in the Christian Church, this celebration has come to be known as Palm Sunday. The people are singing Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David, Hosanna in the highest heaven. That quote was from Mark 11 verses nine and 10. Such a happy and festive time. I wish I'd been there, don't you? I love this slice from the life of Jesus because it simply feels right. For much of Jesus's ministry, he was despised and rejected by those. He came to teach often. The adoring crowds followed him only for what they could get from him, and most of his audience rejected any kind of personal commitment to Jesus. All of that was different on this day. On this day, they lavished attention and honor on Jesus. They used their clothes as a saddle for Jesus and as a red carpet for the cult. He wrote on considering the expense and value of clothing in that day. This was generous praise. But it didn't last. The violent and brutal end is coming quickly, and we all know it, don't we? Why? If it was so clear in the book of the Jewish prophet Zechariah that described exactly as Jesus would be approaching, and when so many people welcomed him with praise, was there even a doubt of Jesus's purpose? Because there were other prophecies that contradicted Zacharias. Let's take a look at this prophecy in the book of Daniel chapter seven. In my vision at night, I looked and there before me was one, like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was led into his presence. He was given authority. Glory and sovereign power. All nations and people of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his king is one that will never be destroyed. So many Jews at the time and indeed to the current day felt that the Messiah would becoming as a mighty fighting conqueror, a triumphant general of a strong army enduring word shows us what the victory parade of a triumphant general looked like back then. Quote, we call this event the triumphal entry, but it was a strange kind of triumph. If you spoke of Jesus's triumphal entry to a Roman, they would've laughed at you. For them. A triumphal entry was an honor granted to a Roman general who won a complete and decisive victory and had killed at least 5,000 enemy soldiers. When the general returned to Rome, they had an elaborate parade. First came, the treasures captured from the enemy, then the prisoners. His armies marched unit by unit. And finally, the general road in a golden chariot pulled by magnificent horses, priests burned incense in his honor, and the crowds shouted his name and praised him. The procession ended at the arena where some of the prisoners were thrown to wild animals for the entertainment of the crowd. That was a triumphal entry, not a Galilean peasant. Sitting on a few coats set out on a pony end quote, but that was never God's plan. Jesus's own words in the Sermon of the Mount. Those that have come to be known as the beatitudes say, blessed are the humble for they will inherit the earth. Matthew five, five. Jesus never says blessed are the strong for they will fight their enemies and win. He says, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5 44. It was a revolutionary change in thinking back then when he said it, and guess what? It still is. This is one of the hardest to understand practices in Jesus's teaching and certainly to put into practice. It goes against our human nature and our cultural practices, but Jesus demonstrated it himself. When he chose to ride in on the humble untrained cult, let's pray. Dear God, please help us be like Jesus. Let us approach the events in our lives with humility and help us always to come to you when we need a reminder. Keep our eyes focused, always on you. Dear Lord. Amen. And now listener, I'd like to welcome back a previous guest who had some wonderful insights the last time around, and I look forward to speaking with her again. Stay tuned. Okay, listeners, I have a treasure for you. A, wonderful guest that I've welcomed back to the podcast. The last time she was here, when I wrote up the description of her episode, I said she has a voice as sweet as honey and a faith as strong as ironed. So she is back for another episode, and her name is Janet Dickinson. Lori, I'm so excited to be here and that is a lovely introduction. Thank you. Well, thank you so much. We had such a good time, with the last episode. Called Jesus Knew All Along. And today we're going to talk about the approach of a king. We're sitting here together in my dining room, and as I look out the window, it's deceivingly. It, I mean, it's beautiful and sunny outside, but it is like 32 degrees. Yes. Coat wearing weather. Yes. The day we're recording, this is the day that the whole northeastern coast. Had the, snowmageddon or the terrible nor'easter and what we have from it in South Carolina is cold weather, but we're grateful that we have, at least sunshine and no precipitation. Yes, thank goodness. And another exciting thing about this day is Janet just became a grandmother for the second time. Yes. You had a grand baby born in the last few days. Yes. And we're so excited about him. Yes. Congratulations. That's such a blessing. Thank you. Well, getting to this essay approach of a king. In the essay I go over the story about how Jesus gives two of his disciples a very detailed plan. About locating the cult on which he would ride into Jerusalem. I just love that story. It's amazing. Can you tell us your thoughts about his instructions, how he delivered them, and why he delivered them that way? I am not a Bible scholar, so this is kind of elementary. But I think that when Jesus told his disciples to go and get a cult, and they followed his directions, and when they found one, the owner asked, well, who is this for? And he said, for the Lord. And you know that it would be returned and they brought the cult to him, and I think that Jesus chose a cult because that's so, innocent and pure, and humble, and Jesus was an humble man. And I think that's why they chose that. But I think it's interesting that the owner, okay, yeah, that's fine. Take it. Yeah. But it fulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament. Yes. So exactly that. Mm-hmm. And I just love how detailed that instruction was. Mm-hmm. Jesus knew exactly before he gave the instruction exactly what was gonna happen. Mm-hmm. He knew the cult would be there. Yes. It would be tied up where the disciples could see him. He knew the owner would come out and say, what are you doing? Yes. And he knew that the owner would be faithful enough to allow these two strangers mm-hmm. To take his cult. That I'm sure was worth a lot of money. Mm-hmm. At the time. And. Another thing that I like about it was Jesus made the arrangement to return the cult. The cult, after he was done with it. That's just such a cool thing. It's, yeah, he thought of everything ahead of time and we think. Jesus the son of God, but Jesus was God in the flesh. So he's all knowing He knew this ahead of time. Yes. Yes. And I think I go into in the essay about comparing this approach of a king to King David, who was a warrior king, and he was known as being brave and warrior and going out on the battlefield and fighting everything that we think of. A king should be. Yes. Mm-hmm. And when he came back into his town to the parade and everybody was cheering for him, he was on a big majestic stallion. Mm-hmm. With the robes and the gold saddle and it was majestic. Yes. It would kind of be like if, in modern times, you zoomed in, in a jet, you know, like a private jet and came out and everybody was. Cheering you as opposed to the humble way of doing it would be walking in, yes. But that, like you said, it was to fulfill prophecy and what we think of as the approach of a king, is not what Jesus was all about. He's about the humble and, the down to earth yeah. Just, and that was so hard for the people of that day, the religious people. That's why they couldn't believe that he was the Messiah. Yeah. He didn't play the part as they expected it. Mm-hmm. And even to this day, the Jews don't believe that he was the Messiah. They still waiting. Yeah. So. I absolutely love the, time in Jesus's ministry that we, modern Christians refer to as Palm Sunday. It's so festive and happy, and everyone is raising their voices to praise the Lord. Singing Hosannas, what are your thoughts about our modern Palm Sunday and the joy of welcoming Jesus to 10? Well, when we look in scripture, the first three gospels, outline all this for us, how Jesus came in writing on the cold with the coats of disciples laid out, and the palms laid out and there was a crowd. And there's something about that crowd mentality when people are, so excited. It's kinda like being at a football game, you know? You just get so excited. Yeah. And that goes into like a church service. When we are, we realize, we are approaching the, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We are excited on Palm Sunday because we know the outcome. And there is something so, sacred about being together and praising the Lord. It is an exciting time. Yeah. And I guess for those people, it was exciting for those that were believers, but so many were there to see what was going on, what's all this about? Yeah. And they, yeah. Rejected the idea that this is the King of Kings, the Lord of the Lords. No, no way. Yeah. Well, growing up as I did in. Illinois, the Midwest of the United States, we didn't have palm trees. And so every year on Palm Sunday, we'd go to church and they would hand me this little tiny strip of something and we were supposed to wave it, you know? And I'm like, this is a palm. What is this? One of the, things that I love about living in South Carolina is there's palm trees. Yes. Everywhere. In fact, we have one in our yard, it's a warm weather tree, so I'm sure that that's what was in Jerusalem. You know, I've never thought about it, Lori, having always lived in South Carolina, we had comms and as a child growing up in the Presbyterian church, we waived the. Palms and, made a mess in the sanctuary, but it was lovely, so yeah, I guess that's exciting for you to be here. It sure is. Yes. I can look out the front door and see my palm tree. The palms are wide. They're at least six inches wide. Did you guys used to take an entire paw? The older kids at church would have the bigger ones because they stick into you. Yeah. But we had, it was a, lighter weight palm Okay. Leaf that we would wave, but I think that there were members of our church that owned a florist and they made sure that we had all of that for Palm Sunday. But those were exciting times. Yeah. In Illinois, I mean, our palms were what, a half an inch wide. It was just a long strip of a palm. So that was the best we could do. But it was enjoyable. That's right. Mm-hmm. And you were praising the Lord. That's right. But of course, the people who were waving palm branches and singing Hosanna one Sunday had turned their backs on him and accepted, in fact, encouraged his violent end the very next week. We know the Jews of the time were expecting a different kind of Messiah King than one humbly riding in on the back of the cult. What are your thoughts about that turnaround of that huge crowd in such a short amount of time? I think it shows how we are as humans. We can get all excited about something and then if the majority feels another way, we can be swayed. And I think that humans never change and these early people. They were caught up in it and heard about the miracles that the guy from Nazareth had done. But then they listened to the wise men and realized, hmm, this might not be what we think.'cause this isn't that what a king supposed to look like. This isn't the behavior of a king. And I think there's a lesson For us to learn that. You know, all that glitters is not gold. Mm-hmm. And Jesus set the example that we should follow of being humble kind people. And I've told you this before, Lori, I'm so glad that I lived today because I'm afraid that had I been. Around in that time, I would've been one of those that rejected because he did not fit the idea of a king. Because maybe the older leaders in your church or your world were saying, oh no, that's not, no, he's fake. He's not. Don't fall for it. And they were expecting the, big king, like you said, riding in on this massive. Stallion with the purple robes and the jewels and that's so far removed from who Jesus was, but we just have to go back and look at that example that he set and follow that. and you talked about, the people at that time were impressionable and easily swayed, and it reminds me of how Jesus often referred to himself as the Good Shepherd. Mm-hmm. And we were his lost sheep. Now, I haven't spent a lot of time with sheep, but my understanding is that there's not a lot of brains. Okay. And they will stick with the crowd, but then they'll wander. They wander off, off wander, and then they might. Even jump off a cliff because they don't know what they're doing. They're very easily swayed off the path. And that reminds me of the week between Palm Sunday and crucifixion, Friday. Good Friday is, they were all in on Sunday. And completely opposite on Friday. So, but don't you love that analogy of Jesus being the good shepherd and we're the sheep because we do, just in the blink of an eye, we can wake up in the morning or I can, and my eyes are focused on, doing the will of God just following Jesus. Yeah. And the least little thing can happen and I'm that sheep that has just wandered off. But he is the good shepherd that, pulls us back into the flock. I'm gonna attempt a sound effect. That was good. That was very good. I'm impressed. That's us. We're the best. We are. What other thoughts, would you like to share about Palm Sunday and just how much the tide is going to turn for Jesus during the next week? Reading the scriptures, we see that, even one of his disciples betrayed him, but that was all part of the plan of God. Yeah. And, when we get out of the will of God, we crucify him afresh. Yeah. And that's a lesson that we need to keep in mind, just. When we ask God for forgiveness of our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and we can get right back into that flock where we belong. Guided by the Good Shepherd, Jesus. And the lesson for me is don't get caught up in what looks so good and glitters. And that's my personality is to run towards that shining thing. And I have to remember, I have to be led by the spirit of God and all that I do. Or I will crucify Jesus. Not literally, but metaphorically. Yeah. Everything we read in the scripture is an example for how we should live. So the writers have told us about these people so that we can identify with that, that, we're not much removed from that. Right. This was over 2000 years ago, but people's natures have not changed. Not changed, not at all. We are still, in fact, we have so many more resources now. To go to the extreme of either following Jesus or not following Jesus. In a lot of ways, humanity is much more evil and corrupt than they used to be. Oh, much more evil. Yes. Yeah. Yes. We have more availability for, evil things. We're knowledgeable of stuff. Well, Janet, what a wonderful conversation we've had. Do you have anything else you wanna add? Just that I am so glad that we've gotten to know each other. Me too. I just consider you a dear friend, and I hope our friendship will continue to grow. Oh, absolutely. Definitely. Well, thank you so much for your lovely insight and your wonderful. Contribution to this podcast, I've said several times in the last few episodes, I am wrapping up this project because, the project the year I read the Bible took me. Through the resurrection, so of course we're on Palm Sunday. It's coming close, but I've just had such a wonderful time and one of the best things is exactly what we're doing right here is chatting with my friends and people I know about these topics and learning so much more about the Bible and about the faith and about the person than I knew before. What this kind of makes me sad that. This is wrapping up, but you have just brought much joy to people through this podcast. Thank you so much. And as my son said, you could always do a season two. Oh, yes, you could. Because there's more to the New Testament beyond where, oh, that's a thought, Lori. That is a thought. I'm gonna take a rest and then see how I feel. Yes. Oh, that's exciting. I'll put that on my prayer list. Thank you again. I'm gonna wrap it up and. Hopefully you will stay warm the rest of this cold day, and I'll see you soon. Well, thank you. and that's it for today. Thank you very much for being here with me on the year I read the Bible Podcast. We'll be back with another episode next week. If you enjoy this podcast, please do all the normal things to spread the word like it. Review it, share it with your friends. If you are interested in additional the year, I read the Bible resources such as the book, the video channel, and the blog, I will certainly include the links in the show notes, and I'd love to hear about your own journey to read the Bible cover to cover. Have you done it or are you doing it right now? Please reach out to me and let me know how it's going. Until next time, it's Lori Larson with the year I read the Bible. Bye.