It's good to be with you this morning. Can y'all hear me okay? My hearing is bad, so I don't know what you're hearing. Is that okay?
! Before we get going, I just want to begin with prayer. It's been a very great, very encouraging, but it's been just a long weekend for me.
I definitely feel at least physically unable to the task this morning.
And I would just like to ask God to help me, help us.
So just pray with me just for one minute.
Father, we want to realize and embrace the reality that this is a sacred time.
A time when your people scattered throughout all the earth in many different places,
both legal and illegal, comfortable and uncomfortable.
God, they are meeting together.
And I pray that wherever your word is being taught,
that the true Jesus is being proclaimed and made known,
that the gospel of truth is being known.
And God, I pray just specifically for this time with your people,
God, that you would speak through your word,
through such a challenging and encouraging and even a familiar passage to so many of us.
So God, just work in our hearts.
Convict us of our sin, Lord.
And lead us into action afterwards or else this time would have been in vain.
God, we praise you.
In Christ's name, amen.
Amen.
So, how many of you have seen or maybe were reared on the old Bible movies?
Like Ben-Hur.
Who's seen Ben-Hur?
Who's seen The Robe?
The movie The Robe?
That's a really old one.
Jesus of Nazareth.
That was an old one too, like made in the 70s maybe.
But all these old, familiar to a lot of us, Bible movies,
they always have this particular passage just like this crazy mob of people following Jesus into Jerusalem.
And, you know, it seems like a lot of very exciting things are happening.
A lot of expectations built up.
So when you come to a passage like this, you feel like really pressed to like explain well
and make it not so familiar to people who are used to hearing it all the time.
So, beginning in chapter 11, we're just going to read verses 1 through 11.
It says,
And as they were approaching Jerusalem, and Bethage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples and said to them,
Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there,
on which no one yet has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this?
Say, The Lord has need of it, and immediately he will send it back here.
And they went away and found the colt tied at the door outside in the street,
and they untied it.
And some of the bystanders were saying to them,
What are you doing untying the colt?
And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them,
and they gave them permission.
And they brought the colt to Jesus, put their garments on it,
and he sat on it.
And many spread their garments in the road,
and others spread leafy branches, which they had cut from the fields.
And those who went before, those who were falling after,
were crying out, 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!
And he entered Jerusalem and came into the temple,
and after looking all around, he departed for Bethany with the twelve,
since it was already late.
Okay?
Very familiar passage to so many of us,
but I dare say I learned some new things about this passage
that I didn't know before in studying and praying and preparing over this.
And it really kind of turned and shook some of my expectations down.
And I really was shaken to the core, actually.
And again, if you're familiar with the way that movies
and so many different Hollywood things portray this event,
it seems like such an exciting time to be there
and actually witness Christ coming into Jerusalem.
But we're just going to walk through the passage a little bit.
We're going to just kind of do some introduction first,
and then we're going to look at three things.
We're going to look at the actions of Jesus,
the response of the crowd,
and then our response.
Like, what should we be thinking about in regard to this passage?
So, as we're walking through it, just look at verse 1.
It says that they were drawn near to Jerusalem.
Alright, we just start there.
Where Jesus had finished his Galilean or his Judean ministry,
and he was fixed on Jerusalem.
And Jerusalem, the city of peace,
if you know anything about Jerusalem's history,
it's been anything but a city of peace in so many ways.
It's probably been the most conquered city in the world,
over and over and over, changing hands.
And so Jesus was fixed on this,
and he set his eyes toward Jerusalem.
So many of the Gospels say.
And on the road, he had passed through Jericho.
This is where he healed the two blind men,
one being Bartimaeus,
and also saved them spiritually, right?
And he also delivers one of the most hated men in the town,
Zacchaeus.
And Zacchaeus is born again, delivered through Christ.
And then after Jericho, right after Jericho,
they began ascending the 2,500 foot plus whatever descent to Jerusalem.
When they talked about going up to Jerusalem,
they really did go up to Jerusalem.
It's a pretty high, high point.
And they were going up during, to get ready for the Passover week.
And it says that they went through Bethany.
And so on Saturday, Jesus arrives in Bethany.
It's a little village about two miles outside of Jerusalem,
east of Jerusalem, over the top of the Mount of Olives.
It's just a little village.
And he had friends there in Bethany.
If you remember, we're paralleling other Gospels,
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, right?
If we remember John's account,
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
Probably the most incredible feat that he did
to actually prove and authenticate his being the true Messiah.
And so that was there.
And even today, that town is not really called Bethany anymore.
It's called El Azariah, after Lazarus.
The town was named after Lazarus.
And in John 12, it says that a large number of Jews
came to Bethany the next day.
So they're blown away by, they're curious.
They want to see, like, this guy who was supposedly risen from the dead
and this miracle worker that had risen him from the dead.
And so on Sunday, there was a large mob of people coming to Bethany.
And it says they came to see Jesus and Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead back in John 12.
And so the city was swelling with pilgrims,
with travelers from all over the place.
A massive, huge mob.
I don't know if you've ever been to, like, a really intense event
where there was, like, a parade or something like that.
But I can think of several.
But one of my most memorable ones, where there was just,
where I was, like, a victim of this massive mob,
was when the Braves won the World Series way back in the 90s.
That's not going to happen for a while, probably.
Hopefully we still have hope.
But there was a parade through Atlanta.
And I was a big, like, baseball fan, obviously, at that time.
And loved playing baseball.
And so, but I was also kind of a little guy.
And I couldn't see over, like, the mass mob.
So I thought, man, I'm going to see the Braves.
So we, me and some mob buddies climbed up on this billboard
that was, like, up on the street.
And we were, and as the hour went by, before the parade started,
like, more and more people started getting on the billboard.
And we kind of started something.
None of the officials were, like, get down from there.
So we just didn't get down.
And so when the parade had started, we saw, I saw,
I think it was, like, maybe a little over halfway through the parade.
And everybody was going crazy.
I was going crazy.
And then all of a sudden, like, on the billboard,
the billboard starts going, starts to,
and the billboard did fall.
Like, and I, like, catapulted across the crowd
and, like, landed on, like, a mob of people.
It was, it was intense.
And if you go, if you go back,
if you go back and look up some of the news articles,
just, like, Google Braves parade, billboard falling,
you'll probably see a picture of me.
Like, there was, there was a picture of us falling.
I don't know how somebody caught that.
But, yeah.
But that was just massive mob hysteria.
And there's, it's that way now.
I mean, in our text here,
just so many people pouring into the city for Passover
and getting ready for things.
But one interesting thing I did learn during study
was an important chronology note.
Those of you who know me well know I'm a history nerd,
so I like stuff to be right in chronology.
But a lot of people have Jesus coming in on Sunday.
So we call it Palm Sunday, right?
But if we do it that way,
according to the Scriptures
and even according to this, the Jewish calendar,
Wednesday is a completely unaccounted for day.
Like, it's an empty day.
And they even call it,
some people call it Silent Wednesday.
And, but really it's just not the case.
When you look at the Scriptures carefully
and look at the way the Jewish calendar is,
there's a lot more that's there.
Get the biblical chronology right.
There's something really cool.
I'll just read this to you.
This is John MacArthur.
This is just really beautiful.
So kind of listen to this.
He said,
According to the law of Moses,
a sacrificial lamb for Passover
was to be selected and set apart
on the 10th of Nisan,
which is one of the celebrations.
The 10th was Monday.
Okay?
The 10th was Monday.
And that's when the sacrificial lamb
had arrived, Jesus.
The sacrificial lamb was to be crucified
on the 14th.
And that's Friday when Christ was crucified.
So both in accordance with the Mosaic law
and accordance to the calendar,
he came in on Monday.
He returned to Bethany Monday night,
came back into Jerusalem on Tuesday,
cursed the fig tree,
cleansed the temple,
went back to Bethany.
On Wednesday,
which most people don't really account for,
it says he entered in controversy
with the leaders of Israel,
gave his sermon on the second coming,
and Judas planned his betrayal.
On Thursday,
his disciples prepared for the Passover.
He spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He was arrested.
He was tied.
Friday, he was crucified.
And Saturday,
he was in the grave.
And on Sunday,
he rose again.
And that's the week
of this passion.
So, really,
it's Paul Monday
in reality.
There really is a
chronology to the way
that the Scripture talks about.
But it really is cool
that when the sacrificial lamb
was to be selected,
to be sacrificed,
was the day that Christ
entered into the city.
And the day he was crucified
was the day
that the lambs
were to be tied
and sacrificed.
So,
Passover week,
the Passover celebration.
Roughly,
this is probably around 30 A.D.
to most accounts, right?
It's in the first Jewish month.
Jesus arrives on the 10th,
and he's crucified on the 14th.
And so,
Passover week,
celebrating the Israel's
deliverance from slavery
and bondage in Egypt
and how the angel of death
came to kill
all the firstborn
and those who spread the blood
over the door
were spared.
So,
it's a picture of
the final judgment,
right?
Those who have been
covered with the blood
of Christ
being spared
the just wrath of God,
the angel,
the ultimate angel of death,
right?
And so,
really important celebration.
And on Friday,
like,
thousands and thousands
of lambs
would be slain
like in the temple.
According to one
ancient Jewish source,
around 40 A.D.
at Passover,
there were 60,000 lambs
slain at Passover.
That's like a lot
of lambs.
And usually,
you would have,
usually,
one lamb
would be sacrificed
for at least 10 people.
So,
you can do the math there,
like,
what kind of a mob
that would have been
in the city
at that time.
But,
consequently,
very few
made the connections.
Very few
really
understood
that it wasn't
this lamb
that was going
to save them
from their sin.
That it all
was pointing
to something
greater,
to Christ
being the ultimate
sacrifice for sins.
And those who did
see that imagery,
who did see
that foreshadowing,
they were looking
forward to the
deliverer coming.
So,
he enters
in Jerusalem
by way
of the Mount
of Olives
across Kidron Valley.
Like,
if you've ever
seen models
of the old city,
there's the Temple
Mount,
and there's
a slope
coming down
where Kidron Valley
is,
and then up
the hill
is the Mount
of Olives.
Also,
the area
where the Garden
of Gethsemane
supposedly lies
on the western
slope.
So,
that's just a little
bit of introduction,
but we're going
to get into
point number one
now.
We're just
going to look
at the actions
of Jesus,
just kind of
under that.
We're going
to see that
in verses
1-7.
It says,
When he drew
near to Jerusalem,
to Bethage
and Bethany,
at the Mount
of Olives,
Jesus sent
two of his
disciples and
said to them,
Go into the
village in front
of you,
and immediately
as you enter,
you will find
a colt tied,
on which no one
has ever sat.
Untie it and
bring it.
And if anyone
says to you,
Why are you
doing this?
Say,
The Lord has
need of it,
and they will
immediately send
it back.
And when he
went away and
found the colt
tied at the
door side,
in the street,
they untied it.
And some of
those standing
there said to
them,
What are you
doing untying
the colt?
And they told
them what Jesus
had said,
and they let
them go.
And they
brought the colt
to Jesus,
and threw
their cloaks
on it,
and sat on it.
So,
a couple,
just two
observations about
Jesus' actions.
The first one
is,
it was a very
deliberate,
intentional action.
He's being
specific.
This wasn't just
a random idea
that Jesus had.
Like,
I think I'm just
going to go
ride in on a
donkey today.
He was being
specific.
He said,
Go into the
village in front
of you,
which would
have been
Bethany.
And then he
says,
Immediately,
that's one of
Mark's favorite
words in this
gospel,
immediately,
as they
entered it.
All right?
So,
he was specific
in the timing.
He was specific
in the object
of the event.
He talked
about the colt
that had never
been ridden.
So,
why was that
significant?
Why was that
important?
Well,
at least in the
Jewish mind,
donkeys are
humble animals.
They considered
animals that
had never been
ridden before
to be purposed
for holy
things.
That's what
they thought.
Like,
if this had
never been
ridden,
it's been
pure and
fresh,
undefiled,
like it
can be
used for
a holy
purpose.
So,
that's why
he chose
that.
So,
very similar
to his
birth and
his mother
riding in
on a donkey
into Bethlehem.
So,
he was specific
in instructions.
Untie it.
Bring it back
here.
If they
say this,
you say
this.
So,
it's funny,
like it
really doesn't
work today.
If you were
to go up
to somebody
that has a
really nice
car or
something like
the Lord
has need
of it,
they probably
would punch
you in the
face.
So,
it really
doesn't fly
today,
but it was
a deliberate
action by
Jesus.
And it
seems like
a lot of
guys,
even some
that I
respect,
they seem
to kind
of chalk
this event
up to
the omniscience
of Christ.
Christ was
kind of
showing his
divinity.
He just
knew what
was going
to happen.
Maybe some
argument for
that,
but I
really tend
to lean
toward the
idea that
he did it
because the
father told
him to,
that he
was listening
to the
father,
and he
knew what
was expected
of the
Messiah.
He knew
what needed
to take
place.
And so,
he went
in and he
found this
donkey.
And he
also was
deliberate,
and the
road he
chose to
go into
Jerusalem.
Like,
this was
as if
everybody
could see
him coming
in.
So,
up until
that point,
he had
been kind
of discreet.
He had
not really
wanted to
make a
big fuss
that he
was the
Messiah.
But by
doing this
act,
he knew
that he
was making
a large
statement
saying that
I really
am the
Messiah,
sitting on
a donkey.
Right?
Why is that
all so
significant?
Because most
other places,
well,
to all
our
accounts,
Jesus
walked
everywhere
he went.
Now he's
writing.
And that's
also an
important
note.
So,
he is
announcing.
If you
remember the
Old Testament,
David and
Solomon came
into Jerusalem
riding mules.
So,
why didn't
Jesus kind
of copy
that?
Well,
the answer
is that it
was a
prophetic
word
from
Zechariah
9,
9.
It said,
Rejoice
greatly,
O daughter
of Zion.
Shout
aloud,
O daughter
of Jerusalem.
Behold,
your king
is coming
to you,
righteous
and having
salvation,
humble
and mounted
on a donkey,
on a colt,
a burden,
a beast
of burden.
So,
he knew
that the
Messiah was
prophesied,
at least in
the sense
to come
in writing
a humble
animal,
namely a
colt.
So,
beautiful
language there.
So,
Jesus'
actions are
deliberate.
He knows
what he
needs to
do.
He's not
just kind
of winging
it.
And the
second
observation
about
Jesus'
actions
was it
was a
dangerous
action,
a very
dangerous
action.
So,
like I
said,
by entering
this way,
he was
announcing
publicly
that he
was the
Messiah,
the king
of the
line of
David.
All right?
And why
was this?
Because it
would really,
really stir
up even
more,
incite the
religious leaders
even more
to kill
him.
And they
were always
looking for an
excuse to trap
Jesus, to kill
Jesus.
They only had been
prevented, right?
Remember, there's so
many times they
actually come after
Jesus, and like,
it's just funny,
just kind of like
smoking mirrors,
kind of off the
scene, and
like, where'd he
go?
And all
because it
wasn't part of
the divine
timetable.
In God's
providence, like
everything is
specific and
on time, but
now, like in
God's providence,
this is being
used to
aggravate
the
leaders.
So he
has spent
years making
fools of
them, like
totally
obliterating
their
misinterpretations
of the
scripture,
their
hypocrisy.
He had just
been blasting
them for years
in a right
way, so
the majority
of the
religious leaders
hated him and
despised him and
wanted him dead,
right?
That had been
going on for
three years.
And also, to
most nationalistic
Jews in their
mind, there
really is a lot
of like political
unrest.
Like, when you
study Roman
history, which I
really enjoy
doing, you
learn that like
Judea and
Britain, they're
like the two
provinces that
they always have
problems with.
They never made
it to Ireland.
So, that would
have been a
bigger problem
for them,
probably.
So, but
Judea and
Britain were
their two big
problems.
Like, if you
were sent
there as a
commander, it
was almost
like saying
you were
getting a
death sentence
or you're
being set up
to fail.
But to an
ambitious Roman
commander, it
would be like,
this is the
chance for me
to excel.
Like, if I
can do the
impossible and
subdue this
province, like,
I can rise in
power and
authority.
They sent me
here and I
cleaned it up.
So, there
were so many
little revolts
throughout Judea's
history under
Rome.
When Jesus was
a boy, when he
went to Egypt,
there was a
huge revolt.
And I want to
say around 13,000
Jews in Galilee
were crucified
as a result.
Pretty huge.
and Josephus
marks that
Pontius Pilate,
who is the
current governor
of Judea, was
one of the
most ruthless
and non-sympathetic
rulers ever.
In Luke 13,
Pilate slaughtered
a number of
Galileans while
they were going
up to make
their sacrifices.
And then he
literally took
their blood and
he mingled it
in with the
blood of the
animal sacrifices.
He lived in
Herod's palace
and around
3,000 soldiers
lived there with
him outside,
kind of protecting
him.
And he hated
to go into
Jerusalem.
He just did
it when he
had to.
So, the
religious leaders
were greatly
concerned that
any kind of
mass crowd or
political unrest
could incite
Rome to kind of
come in and
crush them.
If you look at
this text real
quick, keep your
hand in Mark,
but look at
John 11.
I'm going to
read just kind
of an account
of this and
how they were
truly viewing
these events and
also how God
was actually
viewing these
events.
John 11,
verse 46.
All right?
Verse 46.
So, they're
concerned about
their nation.
So, they're
concerned about
their nation.
Right?
They're not
really thinking
in spiritual
ways.
Verse 49.
But one of
them, Caiaphas,
who was the
high priest that
year, said to
them, you
know nothing at
all.
Like, you
idiots.
It's basically
like, think
bigger picture.
Nor do you
understand that
it is better
for you that
one man should
die for the
people, not
that the whole
nation should
perish.
Right?
So, he's like,
man, if we just
kill Jesus, it'll
be okay, rather
than our whole
nation being
destroyed.
He did not
say this of
his own
accord.
But being the
high priest that
year, he
prophesied that
Jesus would
die for the
nation.
Not only for
the nation
only, but
also to
gather into
one the
children of
God who
were scattered
abroad.
So, from
that day on,
they made
plans to put
him to
death.
So, they
are being
incited to
aggression and
to kill
Jesus to
preserve their
nation.
God has a
completely
different plan.
What's amazing
is, when you
look at the
cross, you
see that God
chose to use
the willful
actions of
sinful men to
play right into
what he had
predestined to
occur.
That's Acts
4.
Acts 2
talks about
that.
That everyone
was gathered
against Christ
to do what
God had
planned.
So, in a
sense, many
will say that
the crucifixion
and death
of Jesus
was one of
the most
heinous and
evil acts
ever committed.
And it
was.
Peter even
says that.
You men,
you men of
Judea, you
men of
Nazareth,
you crucified
and killed
him.
He was
killed at
the hands
of evil
men.
Right?
But, if you
look at it
this way, in
God's mind, he
was using evil
to overturn
evil.
He was using
the most sinful
action to
overturn our
sin and to
redemption.
So, all
these actions,
Jesus coming
in, he
knows that
it's going to
aggravate them
into action,
to take him
in and
arrest him.
So, in
God's
providence,
God used
those free
and willful
actions to
play right
into his
divine plan.
So, as
crazy and
dramatic and
nerve-wracking
as it sounds,
like God is
in complete
control and
his son is
doing what
he had
planned
perfectly.
So, that's
the actions
of Jesus,
both deliberate
and dangerous.
But, number
two, notice
the reaction
of the
people.
Verse
eight,
they spread
their cloaks
on the road
and others
spread leafy
branches as
they had
cut down
from the
fields.
And those
who went
before them
and those
who followed
were shouting
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.
And he
entered
Jerusalem
and he
went into
the temple
and when
he looked
around at
everything,
as it
was already
late,
he went
out to
Bethany
with the
twelve.
So, you
see some
welcoming
gestures from
the crowd.
Really,
really clear
gestures.
They were
spreading out
their cloaks
on the
road.
A very
old,
ancient
custom that
showed
submission to
people.
It's
basically
saying that
you can
step on
me,
you can
walk on
me,
I submit
myself to
you,
you are
my
authority,
you are
my king.
In
2 Kings
9,
you see
that with
Jehu,
the same
event
happens
way back
when,
Sir Walter
Riley
supposedly
took his
coat off
and put
it on
a puddle
for
Queen
Elizabeth
I
to walk
across,
and that
became
just known.
symbolically
for that.
So,
others,
it said,
spread leafy
branches they
had cut
down from
the fields.
John
calls them
palm branches.
In
Scripture,
they're
symbols of
salvation,
symbols of
joy.
You see
that in
Revelation 7,
9.
It's saying,
you are our
deliverer.
right?
In
Matthew
21,
verse 9,
it says,
they are
saying to
Jesus,
you are
our
deliverer.
You are
our source
of joy.
Right?
So,
Jesus was
in the
middle of
the crowd,
and all
around him,
this crazy
emotion is
going on.
So,
that's the
movie Hysteria
that you see
in all those
old Jesus
movies.
And even
the one
that came
out recently,
The Son
of God,
I think,
same kind
of Hysteria.
So,
they're doing
welcoming
gestures,
and they're
shouting,
and they're
literally
cheering
certain
things.
Right?
It says,
those who
were behind
him,
who followed
him,
and those
who were
in front
of him.
So,
he's
literally
surrounded,
and they're
saying,
Hosanna.
Right?
And basically,
that word
means,
save us
now.
Save us
now.
Deliver us
now.
It was
pretty
well-known
term.
It's
exclamatory,
and it's
also a
plea,
like,
save us
now.
Deliver us.
And what
these people
were doing
is they're
crying and
shouting
what the
pilgrims
would say
going up
to Jerusalem.
Again,
just keep
your hand
in Mark,
but look
at Psalm
118,
verse 25.
Psalm
118,
verse 25,
and there's
a whole
section of
psalms,
this being
one of
them,
that are
called
the
Psalms
of
Ascent,
or the
pilgrimage
psalms,
where the
Jews would
be singing
these,
proclaiming
these to
each other
as they
went up
to Jerusalem
to worship
and to
make
sacrifice,
kind of
preparing
their minds
and their
hearts.
Psalm
118,
verse 25,
and this
is the
psalm that
they are
quoting from,
Save us,
we pray,
O Lord.
There it is.
O Lord,
we pray,
give us
success.
Blessed is
he who
comes in
the name
of the
Lord.
We bless
you from
the house
of the
Lord.
The Lord
is God,
and he
has made
his light
shine upon
us.
Bind the
festival
sacrifice with
cords,
there it is,
like a
Passover
idea,
up to the
horns of
the altar.
You are
my God,
and I
will give
thanks to
you.
You are
my God,
I extol
you.
O give
thanks to
the Lord,
for he
is good,
for his
steadfast love
endures
forever.
So this
is the
psalm that
they have
in their
mind.
It was
called the
Conqueror's
Psalm.
Years and
years ago,
before this
event,
in between
the Old
and New
Testament,
we know
what happened,
but there's
no scripture
at that
time.
There was
a lot of
other rulers
who came
to rule
over Judea,
Greece being
one of
them,
some of
the Syrians
being one
of them.
But the
Jews shouted
this psalm
when
Maccabeus
triumphed
over the
Syrians.
The same
thing,
like Hosanna,
bless you
who comes
in the
name of
the Lord.
So Christ
was met
with much
zeal and
much
expectation
by this
mob.
Right?
So it
sounds great,
but here's
where it
was convicting
to me.
These are
some sad
misunderstandings.
These people
are not
really
understanding
what's
going on
for the
most part.
The tragedy
is that
though Jesus
really was
the true
king,
the true
Lord of
lords,
the Messiah,
the Son of
David,
the Son of
God,
he was all
those things
and no
human ruler
could ever
come close
to Jesus.
Yet the
majority of
this mob
does not
see him
that way.
The reality
is this is
like a
faithless
false
approval
of the
true
king,
Jesus.
Everything
they shouted
was true.
It was
biblical,
it was
right,
but it
was misdirected.
It was
not accurate.
They
weren't
thinking
personal
salvation,
most of
them.
They
were
thinking
political
deliverance.
They
were
thinking
rescue
from
our
conquerors.
So the
crowd is
fickle.
They're
making the
connections
wrongly
between
the true
prophecies
about the
Messiah and
what they
were experiencing.
So their
understanding was
just marred and
confused.
I'm not saying
that every
person in
that mob
did not
truly have a
good understanding
of who
Christ was.
Surely there
was, but
most of
them do
not.
Why?
Because there
are so many
things about
this event
that if
this was a
true triumphal
entry,
there would
have been a
lot more
celebration.
It would
have almost
been planned.
It would
have gone
on for
days.
Even see
how it
ends.
He pretty
much just
walked into
the temple
and was
like,
let's go
back to
Bethany.
Very
unofficial,
insignificant
conclusion to
this entry.
They had
earthly
expectations
of Jesus.
Come and
get rid of
our Roman
conquerors who
have been
abusing us
since Pompeii
and all
these other
conquerors
had come
in there.
Come and
deliver us,
give us
back our
country,
give us
back our
national
pride,
restore to
us the
glory days
of Joshua
and David
and Solomon.
They're
misdirecting.
Right?
And Jesus
knows this.
Other accounts
said that he
wept over
these things
because he
knew that
most of
them were
grossly
misplacing
their zeal.
Right?
So most of
it's superficial
and earthly.
Even the
disciples.
Okay,
well,
if you don't
follow that,
the scripture
says that
even the
disciples
didn't
understand
this.
In John
12,
16,
it says his
disciples,
entering into
Jerusalem,
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 by him.
Right?
So even they
didn't understand
fully.
They were
thinking like,
alright,
our boy is
going to
come in
here and
clean house,
and I'm
going to
be his
boy when
he does
clean house,
and just
this false
misinterpretation
of all these
events.
But what's
sad,
if you're
still in
Mark,
look over
one chapter,
chapter 10.
Jesus told
them,
even after he
had told
them why
he was
going to
Jerusalem,
still they
didn't
understand.
Mark 10,
verse 33,
saying,
Jesus said,
see,
we are
going up
to Jerusalem,
and the
Son of
Man will
be delivered
over to
the chief
priests and
scribes,
and they
will condemn
him to
death,
and deliver
him over
to the
Gentiles,
and they
will mock
him,
spit on
him,
flog him,
and kill
him,
and after
three days
he will
rise.
And again,
they're like,
what?
They're not
making the
correct
interpretations
of these
prophecies.
Also,
when they
are teaching
their
children,
they would
read a
scripture like
out of
Zechariah or
something else,
and they
would ask
their children,
of whom
does the
prophet speak?
Right?
Still,
we're missing
so many
things.
So they
had a
false idea,
this messianic
liberation from
Rome's
oppression.
But truly,
in Jesus'
mind,
it wasn't
Rome,
it was
Satan,
sin,
and death
that he
was coming
to conquer.
So they
meet him
with so much
zeal and
false
expectations.
Okay?
And a
little later,
a few days
later,
when Jesus
didn't meet
these
expectations,
what happened?
The mass
mob kind of
turned.
Crucify him,
crucify him.
We will not
let you reign
over us.
Right?
Now,
certainly,
some of that
mob,
shouting that
was probably
a stage
mob.
But,
in general,
the whole
city was
thinking
deliverance
from an
earthly
power.
Alright?
And then you
read on,
back in
verse chapter
11,
it says,
he entered
Jerusalem,
went into
the temple,
where he
looked around
at everything,
it was
already late,
he went
out to
Bethany
with the
twelve.
So he
went into
the temple,
scouted it
out,
maybe,
like,
yeah,
I've got
work here
to do
tomorrow,
and then
went back
to Bethany,
back up
the hill
where he
just came
from.
Right?
So how
are we
to look
at all
these events?
This is
the third
thing,
our response.
We can
learn a
lot,
but just
a couple
of things.
Alright?
And I
got them
just in
the form
of questions.
One is,
do you
misuse
the Scripture
to suit
your own
purposes?
Alright?
Be aware
of
very,
very
passionate
people,
zealous
people
who
quote
and
use
the
Bible
for
their
own
desires.
Like,
this happens
every day
all over
the place.
Like,
understand,
when you
were engaging
in reading
the Bible,
teaching it,
listening to it,
you're engaging
in a sacred
act.
You're hearing
the very
words that
were inspired
by God
himself.
So,
you don't
need a good
word,
you don't
need some
cool advice
from a
psychologist,
you need
the Scripture.
Scripture.
Like,
this is
God's
truth.
Don't
read the
Scripture
selectively,
pull out of
it what
you want,
and then
make up
your own
Bible.
Thomas
Jefferson
did that,
he called it
the Jefferson
Bible.
He took the
parts he
didn't like
out and
left what
he did
in the
Bible.
Can't do
that.
God's
word
stands
forever.
All right?
So,
Jesus doesn't
meet our
fleshly
expectations,
right,
for this
crowd.
They didn't
meet their
desires to
have a
new authority
and a
new rule
over them.
They weren't
expecting to
have a
humble,
suffering
servant
come.
Not their
Messiah,
not their
Messiah.
He was
going to
conquer and
rule and
reign over
the political
earthly
kingdom.
Right?
So,
don't read
the Scripture
selectively.
Don't say,
well,
this is my
verse and
that's my
verse,
no matter
what happens.
Like,
understand what's
going on.
Like,
God gave
this for
specific reasons
in the
context.
All right?
Secondly,
really big
one,
do you have
false
expectations
of the
true king?
Yes,
false
expectations
of the
true king.
So,
interesting
enough,
like,
these kind
of events
go on
on a
daily basis
all over
the place.
People are
interested in
a Jesus
of their
own
making,
which we
would call
idolatry,
like creating
a God
in your
mind to
suit your
own
interests.
Right?
They're
told,
people are
told a
false gospel,
or they
read the
Scripture
wrongly,
and they
think,
Jesus,
come to
Jesus,
I will
get happy,
I will
be satisfied,
or nothing
bad will
ever happen
to me.
Well,
the first
part of
that can
be true.
Those of
us who
know Christ
know He
is satisfying,
know that He
does bring
peace and
joy,
but that
doesn't
come,
that only
comes by
repentance of
your sin
and following
Christ.
And so many
people leave
that part
out.
Like,
don't preach
to your
friends and
your family,
you don't
know Christ,
don't preach
to them a
false gospel
saying,
come and
be happy.
Jesus is
the reward,
not these
other things.
Don't come
and say to
people,
don't lead
them to
think,
Jesus will
grant you
all of your
desires,
Jesus will
heal you of
all your
sicknesses,
He will
fulfill all
your dreams,
if you just
come to
Him.
Right?
Some of
you,
you know,
if I have
Jesus,
I will have
a boyfriend
or a
girlfriend.
If I
have Jesus,
I can do
good in my
job and
be successful
and make a
lot of
money.
People will
think well
of me if
I'm a
Christian,
so I'll
attach Him
to my
name.
No.
So many
people who
are super
passionate and
seem to be
zealous for
Christ until
Jesus doesn't
deliver the
goods,
and then they
turn on
Him.
Right?
Is that true
love, like
you're really
loving Christ
like a
heart,
soul,
mind?
And strength
if you're so
quick to
turn on Him
when He
doesn't
deliver some
earthly
expectation
that you
hoped He
would.
The fallen
sinful heart
can be very
interested in
Jesus,
right?
Until
Jesus attacks
their false
religion,
which is
exactly what
He did
the next
day.
Right?
He went in
there and
completely
upset their
whole system
and the
temple.
And they
were like,
why are you
doing these
things?
And He
quotes from
the Scripture.
quit making
my father's
house a
den of
robbers.
Very angry,
very zealous
for God's
glory at that
time.
So,
beware of
that.
So,
alright,
so a
warning.
If you're in
this state
where you
really just
think Jesus
is some
kind of
genie that
can get
you what
you want,
you're in a
very dangerous
and vulnerable
position.
You're not
thinking about
Jesus as
He truly
is.
You're
making a
mockery of
the cross.
It's not
why He
came here.
You don't
place demands
on God
Almighty.
You don't
say,
you will do
this if I
do this.
You are
a creature,
He is
Creator.
We exist
for His
glory and
purposes.
He doesn't
exist for
our purposes.
Right?
He is the
true King.
The only
King.
Immortal,
invisible,
the God only
wise.
Right?
So don't
preach to your
lost friends.
Come to
Jesus and be
happy and
you'll solve
all your
problems.
Come to
Jesus,
those of
you who
are burned
with your
sin or
your evil
and you
want
deliverance
from that
sin.
Right?
Repent of
your sin
and turn
to Christ.
Don't
preach that
gospel.
Right?
We want
the giver,
not the
gifts,
the blesser,
not the
blessings.
Right?
He is the
reward.
And all
true believers
know that.
Like,
He will
go around
and destroy
everything
you're taking
joy in
until you
understand that
He really
is the only
consistent
true way.
Right?
A little
story here
to illustrate
this.
I'll just
read you.
This was
Charles Spurgeon.
I told you
all Thursday
night I was
on a
Spurgeon
kick the
last couple
of weeks.
He said,
there's a
story of
a humble
gardener who
presents a
bunch of
carrots to
his king
because he
so loved
and esteemed
his sovereign.
The king
rewards the
gardener's gift
with a plot
of land so
he can
continue
blessing the
kingdom.
And then
another person
in the
court thought
an acre
of land
for a
bunch of
carrots?
What a
deal.
So the
next day
the
courtier
presents the
king with
a magnificent
horse and
the wise
king discerning
the courtier's
heart.
He knows
like this
guy just
wants something
out of me.
Right?
Simply
accepts the
gift and
says thank
you.
When the
courtier is
upset the
king explains
the gardener
gave me the
carrots but
you have
given yourself
the horse.
You gave
not out of
love for
me but
out of
love for
yourself in
the hope
of a
reward.
Right?
So always
seek Christ.
Like you
can't fool
him.
You can't
trick him
the way
this guy
was trying
to trick
this king.
He knows
your motives.
He knows
what's behind
him.
So ask
that God
would purify,
cleanse your
motives.
The Bible
does talk
about reward
but the
reward is
God himself.
Right?
God himself.
So we'll
close with
this.
Look at
Revelation
19 real
quick.
Revelation
19.
Alright.
Now this
passage that
we just
read in
Mark is
not really
the true
triumphal
entry.
It's really
not.
As we've
kind of
looked at
most people
have false
expectations
on Christ.
This
however
is the
true
triumphal
entry of
Christ into
the earthly
kingdom
and for
eternity.
And he's
not riding
a donkey.
He's riding
a white
horse.
Revelation
19 verse
11.
John
talking and
he says
then I
saw heaven
open and
behold a
white horse.
The one
who was
sitting on
it was
called
faithful and
true and
in righteousness
he judges
and makes
war.
His eyes
are like a
flame of
fire and
on his
head are
many
diadems and
there was a
name written
that no one
knew except
himself.
he is
clothed in
a robe
dipped in
blood and
the name
by which he
is called
is the
word of
God.
And the
armies of
heaven arrayed
in fine
linen white
and pure
followed him
on white
horses.
From his
mouth comes
a sharp
sword with
which to
strike down
the nations
and he will
rule them
with a rod
of iron.
He will
shred the
winepress of
the fury of
the wrath of
God the
Almighty.
And on
his robe and
on his
thigh he
has a
name written
King of
Kings and
Lord of
Lords.
He will
come and
he will
destroy the
ungodly,
all those who
have not
come to
Christ for
deliverance.
He will
establish his
earthly throne
in Jerusalem
for a
millennial reign
and the
matter will
just carry
right on
in to
eternity
forever and
ever.
The new
heaven,
the new
earth that
follows in
those chapters,
that's the
true earthly
triumphal entry
of Christ.
So let's
have that
Jesus in
mind also.
He was
committing a
great,
humble act
when he came
into Jerusalem
that day that
we just read
about.
But in his
mind he knew
what was in
front of him.
Death,
suffering,
rejection,
being mocked.
Isaiah 53,
suffering servant.
He knew that's
what he was
coming for.
He wasn't
jumping up and
down like a
lot of other
people were.
He wept over
Jerusalem.
He knew what
he had to
do.
That familiar
place.
He announced
his boyhood.
He knew it
was going to
be a place
where he
suffered and
died.
So worship
the true
Christ.
Read the
scripture the
way it was
meant to be
read.
And worship
God in
spirit and
in truth.
Let's just
close in
prayer together.