WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:02.959 I love the story of Robin Hood. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:06.160 My favorite is the Disney version. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:06.799 I don't know. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:18.160 I remember I have memories of watching this in elementary school back when uh movies were shown on reels. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.719 Halfway through the movie they would stop and they'd have to change the reel and then it could keep going. 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:24.320 That's how old I am. 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:33.359 Recently I heard someone talk about the story of Robin Hood as a gospel allegory, and I I can't stop thinking about it. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:36.719 And I thought it was appropriate for this morning. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:43.600 The story of Robin Hood is about a kingdom whose king has gone away on a long journey. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:55.039 While he's away, the evil Prince John has taken over, and with the help of the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham, he is extorting and oppressing the people for his own nefarious gain. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:08.000 Robin Hood, little John, and their band of merry men are fighting back against these powers, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:17.280 But it's not until the rightful king, King Richard, returns that justice is restored and peace is returned to the land. 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:21.840 And of course, like any good movie, you end with a wedding. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:24.400 Happily ever after. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.359 Robin Hood, Maid Marion. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:31.519 It's a pretty good overview of the gospel, I think. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:39.040 Jesus, the long-awaited king, is returning to his kingdom. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:47.840 And as he comes, he's performing many signs to show who he is and what he's about to do. 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:57.680 Sicknesses are healed, death is reversed, food is multiplied and abundant, demons are cast out. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:03.120 All the corruption of the fall is being reversed. 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:07.280 This is what happens when the rightful king returns to his kingdom. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:12.800 And as these signs mount, a great fervor has begun to surround Jesus. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:18.000 He has recently healed Lazarus and raised him from the dead. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:19.759 That's what Luke is talking about. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:36.879 He says, People have seen so many wonders around Jesus that they are beginning to believe that perhaps Messiah really is returning, and so peace, wholeness, promises long given may be on the verge of being fulfilled. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:42.080 This is what we celebrate today on Palm Sunday. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:49.599 We remember that the true King has arrived, and we join our voices with the crowd that shouts Hosanna in the highest. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:56.159 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, bringing peace on earth and glory to heaven. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:05.120 As I studied this passage over the last couple weeks, preparing for this morning, I was struck that this passage is really about just one thing. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:11.680 And that is to show that Jesus really is the long-awaited king. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:25.439 I don't know if you're familiar with Jesus' ministry, but up until this point, he has intentionally hidden his identity as Messiah, as the king, but now he embraces it in full for all of Israel to see. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:29.039 Let's look again at our passage, the first portion. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.919 When he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:48.240 When he drew near to Beth Page and to Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied on which no one has yet sat. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:50.319 Untie it and bring it here. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.120 If any one asks, Why are you untying it? 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.759 you shall say this, The Lord has need of it. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.919 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:05.199 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying it? 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:09.199 And they said, The Lord has need of it. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:10.879 Alright, point one. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:16.720 Jesus approaches Jerusalem over the Mount of Olives. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:24.000 Back in 2018, our family had the amazing opportunity to travel to Jerusalem. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.879 It was a life-changing trip. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:37.279 This is us standing in the old city of David with the new city, the medieval city walls around Jerusalem in the background. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.519 One of the coolest parts was right here. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:05:02.079 It was our first day kind of of touring, and we had a Jewish tour guide, and she told us about the prophecy of Zechariah 14, 4 that says, When Messiah comes to bring peace back to Israel and throw off their enemies, he will do so by arriving on the Mount of Olives. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:06.639 This is a view from where we were standing at the Mount of Olives. 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:16.720 And you'll notice that in the foreground, that hill going down is kind of has vegetation, but in the background, it's all kind of white. 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:21.199 And that's because the Mount of Olives is covered with cemeteries. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:29.920 And the reason is this observant Jews who believe and they're still waiting for Messiah to come, they want to be at ground zero when he arrives. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:38.160 So all of these Jews died in faith and hope, longing and awaiting the resurrection. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:41.120 There you go. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:50.000 This next picture here is actually on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:57.360 You can see the Dome of the Rock there in the distance, which is the location of the old Jewish temple in Jesus' day. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:09.519 This is where approximately Jesus would have been standing when he was coming down the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city, weeping for Jerusalem and their lack of faith in him. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:16.800 You see, it's no coincidence that Luke begins this passage by describing in detail Jesus' path. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:25.360 He didn't need to mention these two little villages or the fact that Jesus arrived walking over the Mount of Olives. 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:31.839 Every step of Jesus' journey is intentional and charged with meaning. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:34.079 Messiah is at hand. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:39.439 Second point, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.240 Now this is quite out of character for Jesus. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.680 If you're familiar with his earthly ministry, he walks everywhere, right? 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:50.240 He's a humble, poor, traveling preacher and teacher. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:57.360 Nowhere else in the gospel are we told that Jesus rides on an animal, let alone a donkey or a horse. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.839 And so why does he intentionally choose to do this now? 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:09.519 Well, Matthew tells us in his gospel, he says that Jesus did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Zechariah. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:13.759 He said this Rejoice greatly, O daughters of Zion. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.560 Shout aloud, O daughters of Jerusalem. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:18.879 Behold, your king is coming to you. 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:29.439 Righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the full of a donkey. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:42.000 Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey intentionally, unmistakably connecting him as the Messiah, the long-awaited king. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:44.240 Jesus is pulling back the curtain. 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:49.040 He's declaring unabashedly in front of all who he is. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:59.040 Israel's long-awaited king who would free her from her oppressors and usher in a peace and a glory that they have longed for. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:04.319 Point three, Jesus rides in on a cult that has never been ridden before. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:17.839 Now this is a small detail, but Luke points it out and it connects it back to Zechariah 9 that says the Messiah will ride in not just on a donkey, but on the cult of a donkey. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:21.120 And this speaks to Jesus' royal person. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:29.279 For this long-awaited king, only a cult who has never been ridden by another is worthy of him. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:33.519 And there's also a supernatural element here. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:35.919 This is an unbroken animal, right? 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:43.679 You're not just supposed to be able to get on an unbroken animal and ride it. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:51.919 And yet this young donkey seems to know its true king better than the people he came to. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.519 Point four, Jesus issues a royal command. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:04.399 Jesus gives this interesting instruction here that's always kind of struck me as odd. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:13.519 He tells his disciples to go ahead into the village ahead, probably Bethany, and to go steal a donkey. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.360 Go take this donkey, and if anyone asks you, why are you doing that? 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.240 you shall say the Lord has need of it. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:21.679 Okay, cool. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.080 You know, the Lord needs it, no problem. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:30.639 As I read that, as I've read it over years and years, I've just thought, what the heck is going on? 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.440 Why does Jesus do this? 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:35.039 But here's the point. 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:40.320 When the Lord requests something, you don't say no. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:42.399 You give it to him. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:50.240 Jesus is exerting his royal prerogative here in a way we have rarely seen him do in the rest of his ministry. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:56.240 Again, Jesus is showing to Israel, to all of his people, who he is. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:06.320 He is worthy of honor, he is worthy of fealty, allegiance, and when your king makes a request, you say yes. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:12.000 Point five, Jesus displays supreme royal authority. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:23.600 Next, Luke tells us that the disciples, when they go into that uh town, that village, they find the cult just as Jesus told them. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:29.039 I see echoes here of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:35.120 When he's on the boat with his disciples and this this huge storm rolls on them, Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat. 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:36.799 They go and wake him. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:43.440 He stands, he rebukes the wind and the waves, and the storm subsides. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:49.759 And the disciples say in awe, what sort of man is this? 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:53.679 That even the wind and the waves obey him. 00:10:54.480 --> 00:11:00.879 Jesus displays here an authority and a sovereignty that go far beyond mortal man. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:15.600 He not only knows what's happening, he not only speaks with great authority and power, but he shows he is able to orchestrate things to the finest level of detail in accordance with his will. 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:18.080 Point six. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:22.000 Jesus came humble and riding on a donkey. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:40.159 Now, of course, the central part of this whole entry, this divine drama that Jesus is doing in front of the Jews and in front of us is not just that the king is arriving, but that he is doing so seated on a donkey. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:46.960 This humble beast of burden, rather than an awesome regal war horse. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:51.679 You see, everything Jesus did was confusing. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.960 Confused his disciples, confused the rest of the Jews. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:57.200 We see the Pharisees here are confused. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:08.000 In John's telling of the triumphal entry, he explicitly says, as one of the disciples, he says that the disciples really didn't understand what Jesus was doing in this moment. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:14.399 Jesus is showing them who he is, what type of king he will be. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:20.320 And it echoes what Zechariah says, that your king will come humble and riding on a donkey. 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:33.200 The Pharisees also confused, they come up to Jesus in this moment and they they rebuke him and they tell him, you know, tell your disciples to stop praising you in this way. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:45.759 But again, Jesus, fully embracing his identity as the Son of David and coming Messiah, refuses, and he says to them, I tell you that if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:53.519 Meaning, this is the most fitting thing for these people to be doing right now. 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:58.320 Jesus is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:11.840 And beloved, for those of us who are on the other side of the resurrection, we worship Jesus today not only because of his divine royal identity. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:17.840 We praise him because of what he is about to do, entering into Holy Week. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:41.120 That knowing that he is the true King of Israel, but not only the King of Israel, but the King of Kings, Lord of lords, Lord of all creation, the one through whom all things were created, yet he came willingly and submitted himself to arrest, to a mock trial, to condemnation, and ultimately crucifixion. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.559 And the question is, why? 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:49.360 Why was the king willing to come and to do this? 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:52.639 It comes down to one word love. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:56.960 He loved his people to the end. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:00.240 He loved those who were spiritually bankrupt. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:07.120 He loved those who were oppressed by the world, by the flesh, and by the devil. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:13.279 Jesus is the King that all our hearts long for. 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:26.960 Beloved, we live in a time where many of us, regardless of your politics, regardless of any of those details, we long for righteous leaders. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:32.559 And we see the impact of unrighteousness and the world all around us. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:36.639 And so on this Palm Sunday, let us truly rejoice. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:45.679 Let us remember, let us be comforted by the fact that we have a true king who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he rules right now. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:49.279 Nothing threatens it, nothing comes even close. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:55.519 So what can we take from this passage to nourish our hearts as we enter into Holy Week? 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:02.639 First, as our rightful King, Jesus is worthy of our full allegiance and homage. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:10.320 Second, as our sacrificial king, Jesus is worthy of all of our love and devotion. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:17.200 Third, as our divine king, we can rest our lives in his care. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:26.639 Fourth and finally, as our humble king, he shows us how we are to live as citizens of his kingdom. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:38.639 Jesus's is not a kingdom of oppression, of dominance, or of self, but of humility, love of enemy, and self-sacrifice. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:53.600 And so, brothers and sisters, we worship and we show him great glory as king by living as his ambassadors, representing that eternal kingdom in the midst of the darkness that we live in now. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:16:00.000 And in that way we become like Robin Hood and his merry men and women. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:17.200 Jesus has inaugurated his return, but until his kingdom comes in full, as we love and serve and sacrifice, we live as subversive citizens of another kingdom, pointing to Jesus' kingdom until he comes. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:23.440 And so let us proclaim: blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:24.399 Amen. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:29.360 If you have any questions about this sermon, or if you need prayer, I'll be down front afterwards. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:30.639 Let's pray. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:38.399 Our Lord, our God, our King, thank you for who you are. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:44.399 Thank you for all that you have done, all that you are doing, all that you will do. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:53.360 Jesus, we pray that our hearts would be refreshed and renewed in faith and love and devotion for you, our King. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:55.360 Thank you that you reign. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.679 Thank you that you are bringing all things to your good end. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:01.360 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:02.000 Amen.