WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:07.299 Well, good morning, church. It's good to see you all this morning. Would you turn with me to Matthew, chapter 21. 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:15.280 If you've been attending Trinity this spring, you know that we just finished a teaching series in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, chapters 5 through 7. 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:22.339 So now, as we come to Palm Sunday and as we look ahead to Good Friday and to Easter, we're going to stay right here in Matthew's Gospel. 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:28.320 Today, we'll consider Matthew's account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, what we call the triumphal entry. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.800 And then on Good Friday, we'll look at Matthew's passion narratives. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.600 And then on Easter, we'll consider Matthew, chapter 28, Jesus' resurrection. 00:00:36.980 --> 00:00:42.980 So let's go to Matthew, chapter 21 together. That's page 775 in the Pew Bible. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:49.100 I'm going to read verses 1 through 17, but first, let's pray together. 00:00:49.100 --> 00:01:10.840 Our Father in heaven, we do ask as we come now again to the gospel according to Matthew that you would be working by your Spirit to help us to understand these things with our minds. 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:18.159 But more importantly, to sense these things on our hearts, to be gripped and moved by them. 00:01:19.380 --> 00:01:29.180 Lord, we know that that is possible only by your Spirit because our minds and our hearts are so distracted and so fickle in so many ways. 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:38.220 So, God, help us as we come to your Word to really hear and understand and to live what it is your Spirit is saying to us. 00:01:39.020 --> 00:01:45.020 Would we see Christ exalted as King, the one who lives that death may die. 00:01:45.820 --> 00:01:47.120 Pray this in His name. Amen. 00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:52.540 All right, let me read for us Matthew 21, 1 through 17. 00:01:52.540 --> 00:02:00.380 Now, when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:06.300 Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. 00:02:07.180 --> 00:02:08.740 Untie them and bring them to Me. 00:02:09.540 --> 00:02:14.040 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them, and He will send them at once. 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.700 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:30.359 Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a coal, the foal of a beast of burden. 00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:35.239 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 00:02:35.359 --> 00:02:38.739 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and He sat on them. 00:02:39.519 --> 00:02:44.699 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 00:02:44.699 --> 00:02:48.259 And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:50.139 Hosanna to the Son of David. 00:02:50.579 --> 00:02:52.639 Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:02:53.099 --> 00:02:54.299 Hosanna in the highest. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.699 And when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, 00:02:59.179 --> 00:03:00.560 Who is this? 00:03:01.299 --> 00:03:02.259 And the crowd said, 00:03:02.959 --> 00:03:05.919 This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. 00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:11.159 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:15.699 and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:16.659 And He said to them, 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:17.859 It is written, 00:03:18.379 --> 00:03:24.439 My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers. 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:29.199 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 00:03:30.259 --> 00:03:33.240 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:35.319 and the children crying out in the temple, 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:36.840 Hosanna to the Son of David, 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:38.300 they were indignant. 00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:39.920 And they said to Him, 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:42.280 Do you hear what these are saying? 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:44.599 And Jesus said to them, 00:03:44.780 --> 00:03:45.080 Yes. 00:03:45.860 --> 00:03:46.920 Have you never read? 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:50.080 Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies, 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:51.640 you have prepared praise? 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:56.800 And leaving them, He went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:02.379 So you're out to dinner at a restaurant, 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:06.039 enjoying a nice quiet evening with a friend or your spouse maybe, 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:07.759 and suddenly outside, 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:12.199 four identical black escalades pull up, 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:13.659 and you see them through the window. 00:04:14.899 --> 00:04:17.819 And out get a bunch of people sort of all identically dressed, 00:04:18.139 --> 00:04:20.259 and they usher someone, you don't know who, 00:04:20.599 --> 00:04:23.300 into the back of the restaurant to the special dining area. 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:24.980 And there's a buzz in the restaurant, 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:26.099 and everyone's asking, 00:04:26.620 --> 00:04:28.240 Who is this? 00:04:29.420 --> 00:04:33.500 I wonder if you've ever been somewhere where you see a motorcade go by, 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:35.579 or you see sort of a crowd, 00:04:35.660 --> 00:04:36.120 and you wonder, 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:37.339 Who is this? 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:39.240 It must be someone important, right? 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:43.060 Well, that is the question everyone is asking 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:45.720 as Jesus enters Jerusalem. 00:04:46.100 --> 00:04:48.439 Who is this? 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.839 And you know, 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:54.560 that is still the most relevant question today. 00:04:55.219 --> 00:04:57.019 Who is this Jesus? 00:04:58.259 --> 00:05:02.959 And that question has the power to determine the course of your life. 00:05:04.540 --> 00:05:06.439 Now, perhaps you've been a Christian for a long time, 00:05:06.659 --> 00:05:07.819 so maybe for you, 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:09.740 that question is pretty settled. 00:05:09.740 --> 00:05:14.360 But are you willing to ask it again, 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:17.220 to get a fresh view of Jesus, 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:18.980 to learn a bit more about who He is, 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:21.639 and what it means to be called by His name? 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:24.319 That's what this Sunday, 00:05:24.460 --> 00:05:25.740 what we call Palm Sunday, 00:05:26.579 --> 00:05:27.920 invites us to do. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.860 Or maybe you're not too sure about Christianity. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:33.740 You're exploring religion, 00:05:33.860 --> 00:05:36.000 not quite sure where you land spiritually. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:41.199 Well, this question is one that you should not, 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:42.519 that you cannot avoid. 00:05:43.540 --> 00:05:45.540 Who is this Jesus? 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:48.420 But why? 00:05:48.500 --> 00:05:51.620 Why is this the question everyone must ask? 00:05:52.660 --> 00:05:55.560 Well, Matthew's account of what we call the triumphal entry shows us. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:06:02.500 First, consider the magnitude of Jesus' claim in this passage, 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:03.740 the magnitude of His claim. 00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:05.720 You know, if you've got a flyer in the mail, 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:06.860 that sort of said, 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:08.259 hey, you know, 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.720 the convenience store down the road is giving free coffee. 00:06:11.300 --> 00:06:11.639 You're going to be like, 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:13.379 oh, that's cool, free coffee, great. 00:06:14.540 --> 00:06:15.740 You know, but if you've got a letter in the mail 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:17.639 that was on sort of official letterhead, 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:20.759 saying that you've inherited some significant sum, 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:21.519 right, 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:24.040 you probably wouldn't just throw it in the trash. 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:25.860 You'd probably think, 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:28.360 that's something to pause and consider. 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:37.180 What is Jesus doing when He tells His disciples to go into the village ahead of them 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:40.199 and bring the donkey and her young colt? 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:45.459 They're on their way up to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:46.879 Is Jesus tired, right? 00:06:46.939 --> 00:06:47.800 Does He need a ride? 00:06:49.719 --> 00:06:50.800 Well, no, right? 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:52.300 Jesus walked everywhere with His disciples. 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.699 Presumably, He's in pretty good shape to make the walk, right? 00:06:56.339 --> 00:06:58.560 They spent three years walking around Palestine. 00:06:58.680 --> 00:06:59.659 I think He can handle it. 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:05.800 Maybe it was customary for pilgrims to Jerusalem to ride into town. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.460 Well, actually, some sources from the first century would suggest exactly the opposite, 00:07:12.400 --> 00:07:17.480 that the expectation, the custom, was for pilgrims to walk into Jerusalem. 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:22.580 So it's all the more surprising what Jesus does here. 00:07:23.540 --> 00:07:24.379 What is it? 00:07:24.440 --> 00:07:25.560 What is Jesus doing? 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:25.699 What is it? 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:31.300 Well, Jesus is making a very deliberate claim. 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:34.899 It's deliberate and it's massive. 00:07:35.939 --> 00:07:39.959 He's claiming here, quite intentionally, to be the king. 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:46.319 To be the king of Israel and thereby to be the king of the whole world. 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:50.300 Now, how do we see that? 00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:52.340 Well, Matthew shows us in verses 4 through 5. 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:59.699 Jesus here, in doing this act, is intentionally picking up the symbolism of a very ancient prophecy. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:05.620 The prophet Zechariah in the sixth century spoke of a future king who would ride into Zion, 00:08:05.799 --> 00:08:08.779 into Jerusalem, on a young donkey. 00:08:10.219 --> 00:08:14.179 And for first century Jews whose minds and imaginations were steeped in Scripture, 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:20.079 whose hearts were fueled with hope and with longing for God to send this long-awaited king, 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:23.439 for them, Jesus' action was unmistakable. 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:29.379 It would be like someone walking into a courtroom kind of wearing a long robe, right? 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:32.860 Or someone walking into a hospital wearing a white coat, right? 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:34.159 Well, what would they be saying? 00:08:34.199 --> 00:08:35.740 Will they be saying, well, look, I'm the judge. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:37.059 I'm the doctor. 00:08:39.439 --> 00:08:42.120 Here, the symbolic action was immediately recognizable. 00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:45.519 Jesus was saying, I'm the king. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:55.360 Jesus was claiming to possess rightful authority over God's people and over God's creation 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:58.679 because the Messiah was supposed to come. 00:08:59.059 --> 00:09:03.059 He was expected to come and to liberate God's people and to rule over the nations. 00:09:03.059 --> 00:09:11.779 So that means by making this messianic claim, Jesus wasn't just saying, you know, if you're 00:09:11.779 --> 00:09:15.199 looking for a spiritual guide, I'm a pretty good option. 00:09:15.659 --> 00:09:16.699 I can give you my card. 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:26.279 No, He's making just a stunning claim to complete sovereignty, so complete that He has the audacity 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:31.559 to enter into the temple courts and say exactly what should and shouldn't be happening there. 00:09:33.579 --> 00:09:38.899 And again, this act of what we call cleansing the temple, that too is a symbolic act, just 00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:40.100 charged with meaning. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:45.600 The Old Testament looked forward to the day when God would return to Zion and to the temple 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.399 and enact the great purification of God's people. 00:09:50.419 --> 00:09:54.439 You know, again, when someone enters a courtroom wearing a robe, you know who they're claiming 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:58.960 to be, but when they sit down on the bench and bang the gavel and call the court to order, 00:09:59.060 --> 00:10:02.100 right, that is an unmistakable claim to authority. 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:05.660 So it is here with Jesus. 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:15.500 So as we consider the magnitude of His claim then, you know, we must not approach Jesus as 00:10:15.500 --> 00:10:17.480 sometimes we are tempted to approach Him. 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:21.900 That is, as someone who claimed to be merely a good spiritual teacher. 00:10:21.899 --> 00:10:25.240 And you know, as Christians, we're just as guilty of this as anyone else. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.980 You know, do we recognize the complete claim that Jesus is making here? 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:37.240 Not just to be our spiritual guide or a helpful teacher, but to be the utter king of our lives 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:38.879 and over every part of creation. 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:48.379 Now, a lot of people in history have had delusions of grandeur, haven't they? 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:50.720 Thought themselves to be great. 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:53.419 You know, was Jesus simply one of them? 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:59.700 Was Jesus just simply one of these folks in history who've had delusions of grandeur? 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:07.180 I remember when I was studying in Oxford many years ago and they were sort of introducing 00:11:07.180 --> 00:11:07.980 us to the city. 00:11:08.780 --> 00:11:12.660 They said, you know, if you're walking around downtown and you find someone shabbily dressed, 00:11:12.780 --> 00:11:15.920 you know, maybe their hair is a little messy and they're sort of talking to themselves, 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:17.840 just ignore them. 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:18.640 They're professors. 00:11:18.900 --> 00:11:19.360 They'll be fine. 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:19.780 You know? 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.580 But if you see someone who's kind of shabbily dressed and their hair is a little messy 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:27.600 and they're talking to themselves and they ask you for money, well, they might be homeless. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:30.460 So make sure you treat them with dignity and respect and here's some ways you can care 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:30.800 for them. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:31.659 You know? 00:11:31.800 --> 00:11:32.600 So it's… 00:11:33.620 --> 00:11:36.860 You know, but imagine you were walking downtown this afternoon and you met someone who introduced 00:11:36.860 --> 00:11:38.720 themselves as the President of the United States. 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.399 You probably wouldn't give that claim much thought, would you? 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:46.340 Why is Jesus' claim different? 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:57.519 Well, when we consider the teaching of Jesus and when we consider the life of Jesus, we realize 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:03.899 that this claim of His to be king is not the claim of someone who's lost their grip on reality. 00:12:05.939 --> 00:12:07.539 You know, consider His teaching. 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:16.679 Was there anyone who taught with such clarity and such profundity and such authority as Jesus? 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:23.500 Again and again in the historical accounts that we read, the crowds were amazed at this authority. 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:26.639 Read the teaching of Jesus for yourself. 00:12:27.639 --> 00:12:33.419 Do they strike you as words spoken by a charlatan or by a man with delusions of grandeur? 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:42.679 Or do they come to you like a key, like a key that unlocks a door you didn't even know remained 00:12:42.679 --> 00:12:43.799 closed in your heart? 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:49.859 When you consider the words that He speaks, do they open up for you a field of imagination 00:12:49.859 --> 00:12:54.859 of a life lived that looks more alive than anything you've considered before? 00:12:56.019 --> 00:13:00.559 Do you feel the breeze of a new world coming into the windows of your heart? 00:13:03.359 --> 00:13:06.620 And consider not just His words, consider His actions. 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:10.799 Who else acted with such compassion and such courage? 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:12.959 I mean, look at our passage right here. 00:13:13.079 --> 00:13:18.519 In the temple, Jesus acts with the utmost courage and justice, removing the money changers from the temple. 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:24.079 And then in the very next moment, He's welcoming the weak and the wounded, and He's healing them. 00:13:25.979 --> 00:13:29.079 His character and His integrity were never in question. 00:13:30.099 --> 00:13:34.139 So these are not the words or the works of a delusional man. 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:41.199 And so when He rides into Jerusalem, the magnitude of His claim just demands that we ask, 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:42.480 who is this? 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.139 Who is this who claims to be our King? 00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:53.240 But it's not just the magnitude of His claim that we see here. 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.659 We also see the character of His kingdom. 00:13:56.319 --> 00:14:01.580 The second reason we have to ask, who is this Jesus, is because of the character of His kingdom. 00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:04.280 Because you see, Jesus doesn't just claim to be the King in these verses. 00:14:04.400 --> 00:14:06.639 He also shows us what sort of King He is. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:12.660 As humans, we're perhaps rightly suspicious of claims to authority. 00:14:14.620 --> 00:14:19.879 After all, is it not our experience that human authority is so often abused? 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:26.680 Authority in our broken world is used to build up the powerful at the expense of the powerless. 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:27.679 Right? 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:28.179 Right? 00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:34.479 How rarely do we see authority used in the way that God intended it? 00:14:36.479 --> 00:14:40.279 Consider the words of David in 2 Samuel chapter 23. 00:14:42.359 --> 00:14:43.239 We read there, 00:14:43.240 --> 00:15:04.279 That's how God intended authority to function, as a gift that causes flourishing, 00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:10.600 like the dawn breaking the darkness of night, like the sun shining and giving warmth and hope, 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:14.720 like the rain causing the earth to spring forth with life and growth. 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:19.540 This is God's vision of authority used rightly. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:25.980 And when we turn to Jesus, what sort of King do we see? 00:15:26.980 --> 00:15:28.720 One who rules for His own gain? 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:31.659 One who advances His own prestige and honor? 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:35.440 One who tramples the powerless so that His power might extend? 00:15:36.940 --> 00:15:37.420 No. 00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:37.519 No. 00:15:39.839 --> 00:15:42.620 Jesus doesn't enter Jerusalem at the head of an army. 00:15:44.339 --> 00:15:45.659 He rides on a donkey. 00:15:47.479 --> 00:15:49.299 And on a young donkey at that. 00:15:50.379 --> 00:15:52.779 A donkey so young, as Matthew points out, 00:15:53.079 --> 00:15:56.079 that the mother of this foal was brought along too, 00:15:56.459 --> 00:15:59.379 presumably to keep the younger animal calm amidst the crowds. 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:06.539 Now, it wasn't completely uncommon for kings to ride donkeys in the ancient world. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:07.919 That might seem strange to us. 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:11.960 You know, you never see sort of a famous rapper driving a Nissan Sentra, right? 00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:17.100 I've driven two Nissan Sentras in my lifetime, actually. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:17.899 They're not bad. 00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:22.539 But, you know, in the ancient world, even though that might seem strange to us, 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:23.980 kings did ride donkeys, actually. 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:30.000 Both David and Solomon, Israel's greatest kings, are depicted at moments in their life riding donkeys in the Old Testament. 00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:33.460 However, when were they ridden? 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.399 They were ridden in times of peace. 00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:41.659 Jesus comes to Jerusalem not to raise an army, 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.500 not to take up the sword and fight the Romans, 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.079 not to do what so many wanted the Messiah to do. 00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:49.120 He came to bring peace. 00:16:51.139 --> 00:16:53.919 And He would do so not through violence, 00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:58.579 but through gentleness, through humility. 00:17:00.319 --> 00:17:02.539 Behold, your king is coming to you, 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:03.980 Zachariah said, 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:13.420 That word humble is the same word translated as meek or gentle in other places in Matthew, 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:16.279 like in the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5, 00:17:16.360 --> 00:17:18.839 blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:24.000 So what we have here then, here is one who claims all authority, 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:29.460 and yet he comes with that full authority in gentleness. 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:33.700 So gentle, so trustworthy, 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:42.019 that he can lead a young, frightened cult through a surging crowd. 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:48.519 Of course, it's hard for us to imagine those two attributes in one, isn't it? 00:17:48.579 --> 00:17:52.259 Authority and humility, authority and gentleness. 00:17:52.259 --> 00:17:55.940 It's hard for us to bring them together in our minds. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:03.140 But again, look at Jesus' immediate action in the temple when He overturns the tables of the money changers. 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:07.539 You know, it's important to see here that He's not acting sort of in a rage of anger. 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:10.559 He doesn't sort of lose control in the temple courts. 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:13.279 Jesus is acting in complete control, 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:18.920 which is what gentleness or meekness means, actually. 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:21.740 It's power under control. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.079 Think of a professional golfer. 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:30.019 You know, a professional golfer can smash a ball hundreds of yards if they need to. 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:32.339 But when they're on the putting green, 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.759 just a few feet from the hole, 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:37.819 they can act with the utmost control. 00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:44.159 All of their power, all of their skill is exercised to this delicate end of sinking the putt. 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:48.419 And that's what we see of Jesus in the temple. 00:18:51.399 --> 00:18:52.960 Now, a bit of historical context. 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:58.059 You know, this practice of putting money changers and animal stalls inside the temple courts, 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:03.039 some historians think that that was a relatively new innovation in Jerusalem. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:08.440 Of course, when people arrived in Jerusalem for a festival like Passover here, 00:19:08.639 --> 00:19:11.960 they had to change their currency from wherever they had traveled from, 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:15.740 and they needed to buy the appropriate sacrifice once they had arrived in the city. 00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:21.379 After all, you can't make a long pilgrimage carrying your lamb or your bird with you the whole way, right? 00:19:21.879 --> 00:19:26.319 So these stalls were a bit of a necessity for the pilgrims who arrived. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.839 And that's not what Jesus has a problem with. 00:19:29.899 --> 00:19:31.359 It's not the stalls per se. 00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:32.539 It's their location. 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:36.899 The ruling council in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin, 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:42.299 had something recently permitted these stalls to be set up inside the temple courts. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:49.839 Now, remember that the temple complex in Jerusalem was just a massive structure. 00:19:50.399 --> 00:19:53.319 At the center of it was what we might call the temple proper, 00:19:53.460 --> 00:19:55.279 sort of the building where only the priests could go, 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:59.660 but then surrounding the temple proper were various series of courts. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:04.000 And some of those courts nearest to the temple were reserved only for Jews, 00:20:04.639 --> 00:20:08.759 but as you went further out, the outer courts were more and more open to more groups of people. 00:20:09.399 --> 00:20:14.460 And that whole structure in the first century was sometimes just referred to as the temple, 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:15.480 the whole thing. 00:20:16.339 --> 00:20:18.200 But it was in these outer courts 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:23.180 that the Jerusalem authorities had permitted these market stalls to be set up. 00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:25.560 Now, imagine. 00:20:27.560 --> 00:20:33.360 Imagine you've traveled to Jerusalem many, many miles to worship the one true God of Israel. 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:38.200 And perhaps you're not even a Jew, or perhaps you are, 00:20:38.259 --> 00:20:40.860 and you can't go into one of those more inner courts. 00:20:41.100 --> 00:20:43.600 And there you are in the outer courts to worship, 00:20:44.600 --> 00:20:45.920 to obey God's call, 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:47.200 to come and give Him praise, 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:50.240 to bring your sacrifice and your offering to the priests. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:51.460 It's the highlight of your year. 00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:52.299 You're there to pray. 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:54.000 You're there to commune with God. 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:57.299 And instead of worship and reverence, 00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:01.400 you hear heckling over exchange rates 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:04.720 and bartering over the price of a pigeon. 00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:10.340 I mean, how do you feel when you've planned for months and months 00:21:10.339 --> 00:21:13.439 and bought your concert ticket, right? 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:16.199 And you've been looking forward to it for so long, 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:17.419 and finally the day comes, 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:18.299 and you go to the venue, 00:21:18.439 --> 00:21:19.339 and you take your seat, 00:21:19.419 --> 00:21:21.000 and the symphony comes out to play, 00:21:21.179 --> 00:21:22.259 and they tune up, 00:21:22.379 --> 00:21:23.119 and they begin, 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:27.139 and then someone's cell phone starts ringing in the back of the audience. 00:21:28.699 --> 00:21:30.179 And then worse than that, 00:21:30.939 --> 00:21:31.959 they pick it up. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.220 Hey, I'm busy right now. 00:21:35.419 --> 00:21:35.959 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:21:35.959 --> 00:21:36.519 I miss you too. 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:37.740 That show's great. 00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:38.119 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:38.619 Thanks for asking. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:39.419 Okay, I'll call you later. 00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:40.800 No, no, no, no, no, no. 00:21:40.980 --> 00:21:41.340 Dinner? 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:42.019 Sure, yeah, bye. 00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:44.200 It's terrible, right? 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:46.500 You should throw your program at them. 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:50.500 How much worse in Jesus' day, 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:54.759 how much worse that the worship of the living God in the temple 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:58.100 was treated with such little regard 00:21:58.100 --> 00:22:02.460 by the very leaders who were supposed to care for it, 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:05.140 that they would allow the barking 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:07.740 and the bustle of a bazaar 00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:12.540 inside the very place where the focus was meant to be prayer 00:22:12.540 --> 00:22:15.380 and communion with God? 00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:23.280 So you see, Jesus' action here is in direct confrontation with the temple authorities. 00:22:23.780 --> 00:22:24.840 He's come as the king. 00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:28.540 He's come to claim his rightful authority over God's people 00:22:28.540 --> 00:22:29.360 and over the temple, 00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:31.160 and with perfect precision, 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:34.160 exercising his power with complete control 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:35.660 for the sake of God's people 00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:37.760 and for the honor of God's name, 00:22:38.140 --> 00:22:40.060 he stages a demonstration. 00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:44.960 He overturns the tables 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:49.319 and denounces the dishonor of God's name. 00:22:52.019 --> 00:22:52.919 So what's the point? 00:22:55.559 --> 00:22:58.039 Well, the point is the sort of king that Jesus is. 00:22:59.179 --> 00:23:00.139 You know, here is a king, 00:23:00.179 --> 00:23:04.039 here is a king who could have marshaled an army 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:06.379 and made a throne for himself. 00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:09.319 Look at how excited the crowds are outside the city gates. 00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:12.139 Don't you think he could have whipped them up into a fury 00:23:12.139 --> 00:23:14.119 and started a political revolution? 00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:15.240 They were ready to go. 00:23:16.639 --> 00:23:17.639 But what does he do? 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:21.940 He goes to the outer courts of the temple 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:25.980 and on behalf of the Gentiles and outsiders 00:23:25.980 --> 00:23:28.759 and those who could only worship God 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:30.779 in that farthest most place, 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:34.059 there he exercises his authority. 00:23:35.059 --> 00:23:36.619 There he puts himself at risk. 00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:38.559 There Jesus puts it all on the line 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:40.819 for the glory of God 00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:42.819 and for the least of these. 00:23:44.139 --> 00:23:46.639 For those with no right to go any further, 00:23:47.339 --> 00:23:48.859 that's where the king stands. 00:23:51.659 --> 00:23:53.500 This is the character of his kingdom. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:57.519 The king comes not to be served, 00:23:57.899 --> 00:23:58.899 but to serve, 00:23:58.900 --> 00:24:03.640 to pour out his authority on behalf of the blind 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:04.860 and the lame 00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:06.060 and the hurting 00:24:06.060 --> 00:24:07.420 and the lost. 00:24:09.360 --> 00:24:11.640 He's come to receive the praise, 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:13.759 not of the powerful and the privileged, 00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:17.600 but of the lowly children running through the streets. 00:24:20.800 --> 00:24:22.360 This is the sort of king he is. 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:25.879 But you know, 00:24:25.959 --> 00:24:27.099 Palm Sunday was just the beginning. 00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:29.579 The peace this king had come to achieve 00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:31.119 as he rode into Jerusalem, 00:24:31.639 --> 00:24:31.859 you know, 00:24:31.879 --> 00:24:32.619 it was about much more 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:34.339 than just cleaning up the noise pollution 00:24:34.339 --> 00:24:35.740 in the outer courts of the temple. 00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:38.579 Jesus had actually come to fulfill 00:24:38.579 --> 00:24:40.559 what the temple was all about. 00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:42.919 This king, 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:44.899 with all rightful authority, 00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:47.099 by week's end, 00:24:47.219 --> 00:24:48.799 wouldn't just put himself at risk 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.979 on behalf of outsiders. 00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:53.039 He would willingly put himself 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:54.339 in the place of judgment 00:24:54.339 --> 00:24:56.259 for the sake of sinners. 00:24:57.700 --> 00:24:58.039 You know, 00:24:58.059 --> 00:24:59.079 it's a wonder of wonders 00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:00.880 that a king would exercise his authority 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:02.680 to stand up for the outcast 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:03.779 as they sought to pray. 00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:06.700 But there are no words to describe 00:25:06.700 --> 00:25:09.880 the wonder of what Jesus would do 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:11.720 as this week drew to its climax. 00:25:12.740 --> 00:25:14.740 The rightful king would allow himself 00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:15.559 to be arrested 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:17.440 and to be tried 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:18.799 and to be sentenced. 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:20.779 He would marshal 00:25:20.779 --> 00:25:22.399 all of his authority 00:25:22.399 --> 00:25:25.639 not to defeat his enemies, 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:29.480 but to lay down his life for them 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:30.659 on the cross. 00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:35.819 Consider the character of this king. 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:37.259 You know, 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.559 as the mob came to arrest him 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:39.480 a mere four days later, 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:41.259 his disciples wanted to defend him. 00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:42.579 They wanted to take up swords and fight. 00:25:42.879 --> 00:25:43.740 And Jesus would say to them 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:44.379 in Matthew's gospel, 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:45.039 don't you think 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:47.039 that I can appeal to my father? 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:48.539 Don't you think 00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:49.859 that I can't appeal to my father 00:25:49.859 --> 00:25:50.599 and he would at once 00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:53.079 send me more than 12 legions of angels? 00:25:55.139 --> 00:25:56.500 This king had the authority 00:25:56.500 --> 00:25:58.720 to command the whole host of heaven. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.379 And yet he chooses instead 00:26:02.379 --> 00:26:05.940 to become the atoning sacrifice for sin. 00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:09.600 And when on the third day 00:26:09.600 --> 00:26:11.400 he is resurrected in power, 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:13.759 even then what does this king say? 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:16.759 He tells his followers, 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:17.799 go into all the world 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:19.259 and proclaim the good news 00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:22.240 that forgiveness of sins 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.120 is now granted, 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:24.779 free of charge, 00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:27.559 to everyone who repents and believes. 00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:33.279 who is this Jesus? 00:26:35.139 --> 00:26:36.759 He claims to be the true king 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:39.359 and his character is like no other. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.720 This is a king who brings 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:43.839 the full weight of his authority 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:46.819 to rescue even his enemies. 00:26:49.899 --> 00:26:51.799 And if this is who Jesus is, 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:55.299 the question now becomes, 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:57.759 who will we be? 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:00.399 Who will we be 00:27:00.399 --> 00:27:01.599 in light of this Jesus? 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:03.059 We've seen the magnitude 00:27:03.059 --> 00:27:03.819 of his claim, 00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:05.519 the character of his kingdom. 00:27:06.519 --> 00:27:08.359 Now what is his call on us? 00:27:09.299 --> 00:27:11.299 What is the invitation of this king? 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:14.379 Well, consider first 00:27:14.379 --> 00:27:15.279 the contrast here 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:16.319 between the authorities 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:17.659 and the children 00:27:17.659 --> 00:27:18.799 in verse 15. 00:27:18.940 --> 00:27:19.399 On the one hand, 00:27:19.460 --> 00:27:19.980 the chief priests 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:21.160 and the scribes are what? 00:27:21.860 --> 00:27:23.360 Indignant, Matthew says. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:25.759 How dare Jesus 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:27.339 bring their authority 00:27:27.339 --> 00:27:28.259 into question? 00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:29.799 Not just overturning 00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:31.120 the tables of the money changers, 00:27:31.380 --> 00:27:32.720 but performing mighty works 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:34.279 right there in the temple. 00:27:36.299 --> 00:27:37.860 They had been exposed. 00:27:38.900 --> 00:27:39.579 Their authority 00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:40.940 was being called to account. 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:46.240 How often we can be like them. 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:49.360 Jesus makes a claim 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:50.799 of lordship over our lives. 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:52.859 He demands to be our king. 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:54.819 He comes with the authority 00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:55.959 to turn over the tables 00:27:55.959 --> 00:27:56.639 of our life 00:27:56.639 --> 00:27:57.599 and remake us 00:27:57.599 --> 00:27:58.479 from the inside out. 00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:00.639 You know, it's very easy 00:28:00.639 --> 00:28:01.259 to look down 00:28:01.259 --> 00:28:02.019 on the chief priests 00:28:02.019 --> 00:28:02.899 and scribes, isn't it? 00:28:03.399 --> 00:28:04.719 How can they be so hard-hearted, 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:05.240 we think? 00:28:07.259 --> 00:28:08.339 But do we submit 00:28:08.339 --> 00:28:09.979 to the rightful authority 00:28:09.979 --> 00:28:10.419 of Jesus? 00:28:11.479 --> 00:28:12.819 Do we acknowledge him 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:13.459 as our king 00:28:13.459 --> 00:28:16.399 when he comes to your life 00:28:16.399 --> 00:28:17.539 and my life 00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:17.839 and says, 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:28.939 come like the children 00:28:28.939 --> 00:28:29.839 of verse 15, 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:32.599 who unlike the chief priests 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:33.159 and scribes 00:28:33.159 --> 00:28:34.479 are not indignant, 00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:36.879 they're jubilant. 00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:40.019 They sing, 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:41.959 Hosanna to the son of David. 00:28:43.299 --> 00:28:43.819 Now, Hosanna 00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:45.339 is a Hebrew word 00:28:45.339 --> 00:28:46.339 that originally meant 00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:47.539 come save, 00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:48.319 come rescue. 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:48.879 But, you know, 00:28:48.899 --> 00:28:50.099 over years it simply became 00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:51.980 an expression of praise, right? 00:28:52.940 --> 00:28:54.619 The children are praising Jesus 00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:55.740 as the rightful king. 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:01.339 What prevents you 00:29:01.339 --> 00:29:03.440 from receiving Jesus 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.579 as your rightful king? 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:07.559 Perhaps you're just not yet convinced 00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:08.599 that these claims are true. 00:29:09.899 --> 00:29:10.139 Well, friends, 00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:10.619 if that's you, 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:12.079 explore them. 00:29:12.859 --> 00:29:13.619 Figure out whether 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:15.019 these claims hold weight. 00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:16.319 Read the Gospels 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:16.940 for yourself. 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:18.480 Take a book from the bookstall 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:19.039 next week 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:20.839 and see whether these things 00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:21.680 might be true. 00:29:24.460 --> 00:29:26.039 But perhaps what prevents you 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:27.299 is a bit more subtle than that. 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:30.720 What will people say 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:32.900 if I become a Christian? 00:29:33.859 --> 00:29:34.079 You know, 00:29:34.099 --> 00:29:34.819 the chief priests 00:29:34.819 --> 00:29:36.099 look down their noses 00:29:36.099 --> 00:29:36.759 at the children. 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:40.339 And perhaps you're afraid 00:29:40.339 --> 00:29:40.839 that the people 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:41.660 you care about 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:42.779 might look down 00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:43.740 their noses at you. 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:47.859 But look at how Jesus 00:29:47.859 --> 00:29:48.940 comes to the defense 00:29:48.940 --> 00:29:50.619 of these children. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:53.220 He quotes Psalm 8, 00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:54.960 Haven't you read 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:55.740 that out of the mouth 00:29:55.740 --> 00:29:56.299 of infants 00:29:56.299 --> 00:29:57.240 and nursing babies 00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:58.600 you have prepared praise? 00:30:01.120 --> 00:30:02.180 Remember the character 00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:02.900 of this king. 00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:05.400 Though some may reject you 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:06.940 and some may despise you, 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:08.620 he never will. 00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:10.960 He will be your defense 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:11.759 at all times. 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:13.039 He will not let you 00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:13.779 be put to shame. 00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:17.980 So this is the first way 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:19.319 we have to ask this question. 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:20.740 Who will we be? 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:22.880 Will we reject Jesus' claim 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:24.019 with indignation? 00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:25.859 Or will we embrace it 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:26.400 with joy? 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:29.579 But there's another way 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:30.779 we have to ask this question. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:31.819 Who will we be? 00:30:32.099 --> 00:30:33.400 And this applies more directly 00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:34.059 to those of us 00:30:34.059 --> 00:30:34.680 who have accepted 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:35.480 Jesus' authority, 00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:36.019 to those of us 00:30:36.019 --> 00:30:36.839 who are Christians. 00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:39.099 Consider the crowds 00:30:39.099 --> 00:30:39.880 in verse 8. 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:41.359 You know, 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.140 now the crowds get, 00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:44.140 the crowds get a lot right 00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:45.279 in this passage, 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:45.740 don't they? 00:30:46.339 --> 00:30:47.400 They spread their cloaks 00:30:47.400 --> 00:30:47.940 on the road. 00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:49.539 They cut branches 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:50.660 and put them along the path 00:30:50.660 --> 00:30:50.980 as well. 00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:51.980 And both of those actions 00:30:51.980 --> 00:30:53.840 were ways of heralding 00:30:53.840 --> 00:30:54.820 someone as a king 00:30:54.820 --> 00:30:55.820 in the first century. 00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:57.160 And they shout out 00:30:57.160 --> 00:30:58.580 Hosanna to the son of David. 00:30:59.000 --> 00:30:59.860 In their actions 00:30:59.860 --> 00:31:00.580 and in their words, 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:01.600 they're ready to receive 00:31:01.600 --> 00:31:02.620 Jesus as king 00:31:02.620 --> 00:31:03.300 and that's a good thing. 00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:03.980 And then notice 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:04.660 what happens next. 00:31:05.019 --> 00:31:05.960 They actually capture 00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:06.460 the attention 00:31:06.460 --> 00:31:07.200 of the whole city. 00:31:07.800 --> 00:31:08.620 Heads start to turn. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:09.940 People start to notice. 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:11.500 That's a good thing too. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:13.740 These crowds 00:31:13.740 --> 00:31:15.060 are getting a lot right. 00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:16.660 They celebrate 00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:18.140 Jesus as king gladly. 00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:22.200 But here's the challenge 00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:22.680 for us. 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:25.840 Are we willing 00:31:25.840 --> 00:31:26.860 to receive Jesus 00:31:26.860 --> 00:31:28.560 not just as king 00:31:28.560 --> 00:31:31.120 but as the sort of king 00:31:31.120 --> 00:31:31.680 he is? 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:36.300 Matthew doesn't say, 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:36.880 but I wonder 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:37.840 how many on the road 00:31:37.840 --> 00:31:38.880 that day were hoping 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.519 for a certain kind 00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:40.960 of king. 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:43.680 A king who would 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:44.860 fight fire with fire, 00:31:44.859 --> 00:31:46.759 who would finally 00:31:46.759 --> 00:31:47.819 bring revenge 00:31:47.819 --> 00:31:48.479 on their enemies, 00:31:49.419 --> 00:31:50.740 who would vindicate 00:31:50.740 --> 00:31:52.240 who they thought 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:53.079 were the good guys 00:31:53.079 --> 00:31:53.879 and shame 00:31:53.879 --> 00:31:54.439 who they thought 00:31:54.439 --> 00:31:55.339 were the bad guys. 00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:58.139 But that's not 00:31:58.139 --> 00:31:58.919 the sort of king 00:31:58.919 --> 00:31:59.859 Jesus proved himself 00:31:59.859 --> 00:32:00.319 to be. 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:03.939 And the question is, 00:32:04.439 --> 00:32:06.159 are we willing 00:32:06.159 --> 00:32:07.059 to be followers 00:32:07.059 --> 00:32:09.159 of this sort of king? 00:32:09.159 --> 00:32:13.159 A king who exercises 00:32:13.159 --> 00:32:14.359 authority on behalf 00:32:14.359 --> 00:32:15.019 of the powerless 00:32:15.019 --> 00:32:15.639 and weak. 00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:17.699 A king who doesn't 00:32:17.699 --> 00:32:18.799 fight fire with fire 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:19.939 but who brings peace 00:32:19.939 --> 00:32:21.799 even when it's costly 00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:22.459 to himself 00:32:22.459 --> 00:32:23.159 in the extreme. 00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:25.439 A king who's willing 00:32:25.439 --> 00:32:26.139 to sacrifice 00:32:26.139 --> 00:32:26.779 so that others 00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:27.299 might flourish. 00:32:27.399 --> 00:32:28.119 A king who's willing 00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:29.179 to be courageous 00:32:29.179 --> 00:32:30.559 for those in the outer courts, 00:32:30.639 --> 00:32:31.359 the poor and the lame 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:31.839 and the blind 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:32.379 and the children. 00:32:32.639 --> 00:32:33.319 This is the king 00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:33.939 that we follow. 00:32:36.939 --> 00:32:38.419 Is this what we are known for? 00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:42.080 Is this how we define 00:32:42.080 --> 00:32:43.360 real authority 00:32:43.360 --> 00:32:44.960 and real leadership 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:46.759 and real success? 00:32:48.500 --> 00:32:49.740 When people observe 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:50.400 our church 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.779 or our homes, 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:53.880 our impact in the workplace 00:32:53.880 --> 00:32:54.960 or in the community, 00:32:55.700 --> 00:32:57.360 when people see these things, 00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:58.180 can they say 00:32:58.180 --> 00:32:59.240 that our presence 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:01.840 is like the sun 00:33:01.840 --> 00:33:02.580 shining forth 00:33:02.580 --> 00:33:03.640 on a cloudless morning, 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:05.820 like rain that makes grass 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:06.919 to sprout from the earth? 00:33:08.399 --> 00:33:09.700 Is that what authority 00:33:09.700 --> 00:33:11.019 looks like in our midst? 00:33:12.439 --> 00:33:13.480 As each of us 00:33:13.480 --> 00:33:14.359 in our own spheres 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:15.659 exercise the authority 00:33:15.659 --> 00:33:16.619 that God gives us, 00:33:18.059 --> 00:33:20.039 does it look like 00:33:20.039 --> 00:33:20.839 the kind of authority 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:21.839 that brings flourishing 00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:22.379 and hope? 00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:25.859 And that's why we too 00:33:25.859 --> 00:33:27.359 must constantly ask ourselves, 00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:28.939 who is this Jesus? 00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:30.740 We have to return 00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:31.619 to the crowds 00:33:31.619 --> 00:33:32.460 on Palm Sunday 00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:33.639 and see the king 00:33:33.639 --> 00:33:34.480 of the universe 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:36.400 humble and mounted 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:36.980 on a donkey. 00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:40.039 That is real greatness. 00:33:41.180 --> 00:33:42.559 That is real authority. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:44.599 Not exalting himself, 00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:46.339 but lowering himself. 00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:48.160 Caring, 00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:50.640 even for the young foal 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:51.599 that he rides 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:53.039 as the mother leads the way. 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:57.440 Brothers and sisters, 00:33:57.680 --> 00:33:59.059 look again at Jesus. 00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:02.039 And this week, 00:34:02.140 --> 00:34:03.579 as we sort of take up 00:34:03.579 --> 00:34:05.019 our proverbial cloaks 00:34:05.019 --> 00:34:06.439 and throw them in the road, 00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:09.199 may we realize 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:10.219 that Jesus hands us 00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:11.579 a towel in return 00:34:11.579 --> 00:34:13.460 and calls us 00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:14.799 to wrap it around our waist 00:34:14.799 --> 00:34:16.259 and says, 00:34:16.900 --> 00:34:18.000 as I have served you, 00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:19.299 so you too 00:34:19.299 --> 00:34:20.199 must serve one another. 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:22.719 Let's pray. 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:30.980 Lord Jesus, 00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:34.319 on this Palm Sunday, 00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:36.000 we do join our voices 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:37.119 with those in the crowd 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:37.659 and say, 00:34:37.859 --> 00:34:38.419 praise, 00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:39.480 praise to you, 00:34:39.579 --> 00:34:40.639 the Son of David. 00:34:41.759 --> 00:34:42.259 Lord, 00:34:42.299 --> 00:34:43.139 and we also admit 00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:43.919 that our praise, 00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:44.519 like theirs, 00:34:45.099 --> 00:34:46.159 falls short. 00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:47.399 Lord, 00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:48.559 our hearts are embattled 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:49.779 with so many expectations 00:34:49.780 --> 00:34:50.740 and desires 00:34:50.740 --> 00:34:51.760 and longings 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:53.840 and how grateful 00:34:53.840 --> 00:34:54.240 we are 00:34:54.240 --> 00:34:55.320 that you see them all 00:34:55.320 --> 00:34:57.180 in your kindness 00:34:57.180 --> 00:34:58.060 and your humility 00:34:58.060 --> 00:34:59.140 and in your gentleness. 00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:00.100 Lord, 00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:00.940 you see our pride 00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:02.040 and you see our weariness. 00:35:03.220 --> 00:35:04.680 You see our strength 00:35:04.680 --> 00:35:05.640 and you see our weakness. 00:35:05.640 --> 00:35:06.840 You see our joys 00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:07.640 and you see our griefs. 00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:12.420 And how greatly we celebrate 00:35:12.420 --> 00:35:13.359 that you have come, 00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:13.839 yes, 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:15.440 to even be our King 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:17.519 in love 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:18.339 and in grace. 00:35:18.799 --> 00:35:19.440 So fill us 00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:19.879 with your love 00:35:19.879 --> 00:35:20.819 and grace this week 00:35:20.819 --> 00:35:23.599 that our minds 00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:24.359 would be captured 00:35:24.359 --> 00:35:24.940 and our hearts 00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:25.799 would be captured 00:35:25.799 --> 00:35:27.519 by the sort of King 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:28.079 that you are 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:28.779 and show us 00:35:28.779 --> 00:35:29.480 by your Spirit 00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:31.279 how we might live that out 00:35:31.279 --> 00:35:33.139 with your help 00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:34.480 in the week to come. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:36.199 We pray this 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:36.839 in your mighty name. 00:35:37.139 --> 00:35:37.319 Amen. 00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:38.139 Amen.