We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christchurch.
This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, redistribution, or any other use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christchurch.
Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org.
Good morning, I'm Tonya and I'm part of the Oikos and the Oaks group as well as Women Reading Roman.
Today's scripture reading is from the Gospel of Luke chapter 19 verses 28 to 48 as printed in your liturgy.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples saying to them,
Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever written.
Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone asks you why are you untying it, say, The Lord needs it.
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.
As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, Why are you untying the colt?
They replied, The Lord needs it.
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt, and put Jesus on it.
As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,
the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.
I tell you, he replied, If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said,
If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace,
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you
and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.
They will not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling.
It is written, he said to them, My house will be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of robbers.
Every day he was teaching at the temple, but the chief priests, the teachers of the law,
and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him,
yet they could not find any way to do it because all the people hung on his words.
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Thank you, Tonya, for that scripture reading.
Good morning.
Will you join me in prayer as we open up God's word?
O God, we thank you that Easter's coming.
We thank you that the King has come, that he's coming again,
that resurrection has broken into history,
and that resurrection is real for all of us as well.
So, Lord, we desire that in the preaching of your word,
that we would see Jesus and behold him for who he is,
who he's come to be for us, the Prince of Peace.
In his name we pray, amen.
All right, so I'm just going to jump right in,
and in case you're interested in my train of thought,
I'm going to dive in, and what we're going to talk about is
what happened, so what, now what, and is it worth it?
All right, what happened, so what, now what, and is it worth it?
And if I could put the what happened into a sentence,
it would be this, Jesus was entering Jerusalem,
Jesus was entering Yerushalayim,
which literally means the foundation of Shalom,
the city of peace.
Jesus was entering Yerushalayim as the divine king,
prophet, and priest of Shalom.
Okay, that's what Jesus is doing here.
He's entering Yerushalayim as the divine king,
prophet, and priest of Shalom.
That's the essence of what's happening here.
But I really want to invite us even deeper into this scene.
I want to really have us imagine what's going on.
I want to walk us through these events in more vivid color
to show how Jesus deliberately steps
into these important roles of king, prophet, and priest.
Now here in Luke chapter 19,
it's almost the time of the Passover,
and every faithful Jewish worshiper,
imagine up to a quarter million worshipers
descending upon this little city of Jerusalem
that's normally about 20,000 to 30,000 people.
And being one of these people,
Jesus has a very particular way
he plans to enter the city.
He's not just any Jewish worshiper.
Verse 28 says,
Now remember, for the last three years up to this moment,
Jesus has been casting out demons,
making the sick well, making the lame walk,
making the blinds to see.
And even right by this village that he's about to pass Bethany,
he has just raised a man who was dead for four days to life, Lazarus.
So up to this point, everyone's heard about this guy, Jesus,
and everyone's wondering,
could this be the moment we were waiting for?
The Messiah moment.
And verse 29 says,
He's even now come to this hill called the Mount of Olives,
which according to one of the last prophets of the Jewish people,
Zechariah, this was where an earth-shattering event was supposed to happen,
in which the Lord would conquer His enemies
and establish a king,
Himself as king,
not just over Israel,
but over the whole earth.
I want to read some of this prophecy from Zechariah chapter 14 to you.
It says,
On that day,
His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
east of Jerusalem,
and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west.
Then the Lord my God will come,
and all the holy ones with Him.
On that day,
the Lord Yahweh will be king over the whole earth.
On that day,
there will be one Lord,
and His name the only name.
So this is an incredibly momentous occasion,
pregnant with anticipation and expectation,
hope and emotion,
and Jesus knows all of this, of course,
and He's about to make a very clear statement
with His entrance into the city.
Jesus is about to claim that He's the divine king,
and this is how He does it.
Verse 29 says,
He first sends two disciples into the village.
We all know this story, right?
To set Him up to make this statement.
He says to them,
Go to the village ahead of you,
and as you enter it,
this is in verse 30,
you will find a colt tied there,
which no one has ever ridden.
Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone asks you why you are untying it,
say,
The Lord needs it.
No explanation,
no apology.
No,
He sends out His servants with His ultimate kingly authority.
He's the Lord,
everything's His,
and He needs that tied up,
unridden donkey for His own purposes.
So He says,
Just go get it, guys.
Just go get it.
Verses 32 to 34 tell us that
His disciples find everything
just as their Lord says,
including that awkward interaction
between the donkey owner
and these two random disciples, right?
Like,
Uh,
excuse me,
what do you think you're doing?
That's my brand new donkey.
I haven't even ridden on him yet.
I've got a lot of plans for him.
How dare you try to take him from me?
But all the disciples say is
what they're told.
The Lord needs it,
and somehow that's enough.
This donkey owner bows
to the kingly authority of Lord Jesus
simply just mentioned by His disciples.
So verse 35 says,
They brought the donkey to Jesus.
They threw their cloaks on it
and put Jesus on it,
and this is an unmistakable image,
sign,
and fulfillment of prophecy.
Because see,
when the son of David, Solomon,
when he was inaugurated as king,
as the next king,
as the heir to David's kingly throne,
the prophet Nathan
and the priest Zadok,
they escorted Solomon
on a mule,
much like this one,
through the city,
shouting,
Long live King Solomon.
So you have this inaugural image
of a son of David
that Jesus is reminding the people of,
and then even more strikingly,
this is a literal fulfillment
of another prophecy
of Zechariah chapter 9,
where God says,
I will encamp at my temple
to guard it.
Never again will an oppressor
overrun my people.
Rejoice greatly,
daughter of Zion.
Shout,
daughter of Jerusalem.
See,
your king comes to you
righteous and victorious,
lowly,
and riding on a donkey,
on a colt
to the foal of a donkey.
He says,
I will take away the chariots
and the war horses
from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow
will be broken.
He will proclaim peace
to the nations.
He will extend
from sea to sea
and from the river
to the ends of the earth.
So you have this
snowballing crowd
of pilgrims
all headed into the city.
They're just about
two miles out
from Jerusalem,
and they see all this
that Jesus is doing,
the statement that he's making.
And verses 36 to 38
basically say
that the crowd,
probably filled
with all these Galileans,
right,
who saw the miracles
of Jesus firsthand,
the crowd goes wild.
And they begin
to joyfully
usher Jesus
into Jerusalem.
John's gospel
says that they cut
palm branches.
That's why you see
these palm branches
here today.
That's why this is
Palm Sunday.
And palm branches,
these were the same
kinds of branches
that were used
to celebrate
the triumph
of the Maccabees
when Simon Maccabee
rode into Jerusalem
after they defeated
the Greeks.
People were also
laying down
their cloaks,
right,
letting them get soiled
and muddy
between the dirt road
and the hooves
of the donkey.
Maybe these were
the only cloaks
that they packed
on their pilgrimage
journey,
but this is just
how much Jesus
meant to them.
And as Jesus
and the crowd
of disciples
summit the Mount
of Olives,
they make it
to the top
and they exchange
the sight
of that dirty,
dusty road
all the way up
to the top
of the hill.
They exchange
that sight
for a view
of the holy city,
right,
glistening
in the sun
right across
from the lush,
green Kidron Valley
below.
They cannot help
but sing.
They cannot help
but praise God
for all that he's done
and all that they believe
he's about to do
in and through
the Messiah.
And they join
the songs of the angels
at the very birth
of Jesus Christ.
Peace,
shalom,
peace in heaven
and glory
in the highest.
They see this
not just as an earthly event
but as a cosmic event,
a heavenly event.
And they sing
Psalm 118
which we read
in our call to worship
this morning
which says,
blessed is the one,
blessed is he
who comes in the name
of the Lord.
Only they've altered
the lyrics slightly
to refer to him.
Blessed is the king
they sing.
Blessed is the king
who comes
in the name
of the Lord.
They're convinced.
They're convinced
that Jesus
is the one true king.
They've seen his miracles.
They've heard his teachings.
They've witnessed
his character
and now this
unmistakable display
of the donkey
they are convinced.
To the crowd
of disciples
he is him.
But,
verse 39 says,
the Pharisees
are less convinced.
They say,
teachers,
rebuke your disciples.
And while we've seen
the humility
of Jesus plenty
throughout the gospels,
we've even seen him
tell people,
don't let people
know about my miracles yet.
Don't enthrone me
as king yet.
The time has now come.
The time has now come
and he's ready
to receive all the praise
and in fact,
even more.
He says in verse 40,
I tell you Pharisees,
if these crowds
of disciples
keep quiet,
someone's gonna praise me.
The stones,
the stones
will cry out.
This is a cosmic event.
All of creation
knows
and rightly praises
its maker
and king.
Jesus here
is undeniably claiming
to be the king
and the divine king
of promise.
But he's not just
the king who will rule
and reign in triumph.
He's also
a divine prophet.
He's come to be
a divine prophet.
Now,
you'd think that this
was one of the high points
in Jesus' life so far
with all this
celebratory spirit,
all this affirmation
and approval,
all these praises
directed at him,
but what does
verse 41 say?
As he approached Jerusalem
and saw the city,
he wept.
He wept over it.
Why?
Because as a prophet,
he sees
as God sees.
The true reality,
the true state
of Jerusalem,
and he can see
what is about
to happen
to this place
that's supposed
to be the holy city,
that's supposed
to be the dwelling
place of God.
He prophesies
and mourns
because he can see
what could have been
and what should have been.
In verse 42,
he says,
if you,
even you,
O so-called city of peace,
had only known
on this day
what would actually
bring you peace,
but now it is hidden
from your eyes.
Only he,
the prophet,
can see it.
And while the crowd
around him
is celebrating with joy,
he rides his donkey
as a king
and a prophet
full of tears
in his eyes.
Because he knows,
verse 43 says,
the days will come
upon you,
Jerusalem,
when your enemies
will build
an embankment
against you
and circle you
and hem you in
on every side,
they will dash you
to the ground.
You and the children
within your walls,
they will not leave
one stone on another
because, listen,
because you did not
recognize the time
of God's coming
to you.
Because they did not
recognize God
come to them
riding on a donkey.
Jesus knows
that Jerusalem
won't accept him
as the divine king.
He knows
that the city of peace
is about to reject,
betray,
torture,
and crucify
the prince of peace
and that even though
God in the flesh
has come right
before their very eyes,
humble and riding
on a donkey,
Jerusalem prefers
to wait for some
other king
than the God king.
So Jesus prophesies
about what will happen
as they pursue a king
more like the other kings
of the earth
and he prophesies
of what eventually
did happen in AD 70
when the Romans came
and they put down
the violent revolt
of the temple priests
and the Jewish militants
and when the Romans
destroyed the temple
and destroyed
all of Jerusalem
just like the Babylonians
had done
just about 600 years earlier.
All because the people
of Jerusalem
could not see
the things
that make for peace.
They couldn't see
a path to peace
in this donkey
riding king.
They couldn't see
the coming of God
in this image
of gentleness
and humility.
Power and autonomy
and real estate
were their true gods
and the only viable
path to peace
in their eyes
was through forceful
political revolution.
So the divine prophet
Jesus sees this truth
and speaks this truth
to the city of peace
that is unwilling
and unable
to hear him.
That they are missing
out on peace
that's right before
their eyes
and they're doomed
to destruction.
Now as soon as
Jesus enters Jerusalem
as king and prophet
he doesn't storm
into Pontius Pilate's
residence
to wage war
against Rome.
No his first order
of business
is actually
to go up
and go and clean
the temple
because he's also
a priest
a divine priest.
Verse 45
When Jesus entered
the temple courts
he began to drive out
those who were selling
and referencing
the prophet Isaiah
he says in verse 46
it is written
my house
will be a house
of prayer.
See Jesus isn't just
the king come to restore
people's property
and security
he's not just even
a prophet come to restore
people's vision
of reality
no he's also a priest
come to restore
people's access
to and communion
with God.
He's a priest
come to restore
the broken dwelling
place of God.
And referencing
the prophet Jeremiah
who also wept
over Jerusalem's
coming destruction
he accuses those
who are selling
in the temple
of making it
a den of robbers.
These were people
who thought
that they were safe
and fine
as long as the temple
stood standing
and as long as
they just kept
the operation
running
but Jesus
disposes
of that misconception
Jesus the priest
exposes the temple
and those within it
who think they are
helping people
make sacrifices
to cleanse themselves
before God
Jesus is this place
and all of you
are far more unclean
than you could imagine
and I'm here
as the real priest
to do something
about that.
I'm here for the true
and final cleansing
of the people
of God.
So you see
Palm Sunday
isn't just about
Jesus as king
but Jesus
as prophet
priest
and king
he steps into
all three roles
all three offices
on Palm Sunday.
That's what happened.
But now you may be
wondering
thinking to yourself
well okay
Jesus came into Jerusalem
claiming to be
a prophet
priest
and king
I'm not even Jewish
though.
I haven't been waiting
for a prophet
or priest
a king
to show up
in my life
I'm not even sure
what that means
and how that's
relevant for me.
Basically you're
thinking to yourself
okay cool
Jesus claimed to be
prophet priest
and king
I see that
but so what?
And how I'd like
to respond
is by saying
sure you may not
have been waiting
for the fulfillment
of some Jewish
messianic prophecy
about a final
great divine
prophet priest
and king
to come
but deep down
isn't it true
that we all want
that we all need
a king
a prophet
and a priest
in our lives
even if we might
not state it
in those terms.
Now at first
you might be
thinking to yourself
no way
I'm American
or maybe even
if you're not
American
you're like
no way
no king
for me
I much prefer
my independence
and my autonomy
but what if it's
actually not that
you are anti-king
but that you are
anti-bad kings?
Think about
all the things
that entertain us
when we enjoy
the Lord of the Rings
any King Arthur tale
maybe your thing's
Game of Thrones
is it really
that you hate
the idea
of a king
or is it actually
that you just hate
the idea
of a bad king?
Deep down
I think we all
want a king
and we all know
we need a king
in this current
era of strong
men
that we're witnessing
in our country
and across the globe
really we're seeing
people
are desperate
for someone
to guide them
protect them
lead them
someone who will
fight and win
for them
someone who will
fix their problems
and restore justice
and peace
we're seeing
this desperation
leading to whole nations
even electing
supposed strong men
of extreme volatility
and even questionable
character
and we might disagree
we might lament
their choices
but see
these sentiments
are coming from
a real and true sense
that we need someone
outside of ourselves
to deliver us
from our ever
worsening
too big to handle
broken systems
structures
and circumstances
and this is why
politics has become
the new religion
for so many
it's because
they are searching
for a king
they know they need one
and they are tired
of trying to be the king
of their own lives
the project of
self-expressive individualism
where we are simply
our own
and we belong
and submit only
to ourselves
that project
we are seeing
to be failing us
and we are now
much more open
to the notion
of an authority figure
if he's good enough
if she's good enough
the responsibility
of being our own kings
our own sovereigns
it's a weight
we were never meant
to bear
for ourselves
and this is what
the scriptures
themselves teach
from the very beginning
of our existence
in Genesis chapter 1
when God called us
to be fruitful
and to multiply
and to fill the earth
and to rule
yes God called humanity
to exercise dominion
over the whole earth
but ultimately
we were only meant
to be vice regents
not gods
people made
in the image
of God
the authority
we ruled with
that we were supposed
to rule with
was only ever meant
to be a derived authority
that we received
from our divine king
and father in heaven
so not only
do we all want
and need a king
but the scriptures
themselves teach us
that we were always
meant to be children
and servants
of the ultimate
high king of heaven
and in the same way
even if we've never
thought of it this way
we've also always
needed a prophet
we've always needed
a prophet
we've always needed
an authoritative voice
someone with ultimate
and divine insight
into the true nature
and reality of things
in this information age
of the internet
and in the midst
of our culture wars
with all these ideologues
and nations
and tribes
vying to control
the narrative
with the rise of AI
and deep fakes
and fake news
am I the only one
who deeply feels
this epistemological crisis
of our cultural moment
like how do we really
know what we know
how do we know
what's true
how do we know
what's real
how do we know
what's false
how do we know
what's fake
even as technology
and science
have brought us
a whole lot of knowledge
and data
and confidence
in our understanding
of the world
it's also brought
a lot of confusion
and noise
I can't tell you
how many times
chat GPT
has had to apologize
to me
for getting something wrong
alright
it's not there yet guys
it's not there yet
and then even
outside of all this
raw data
and computing
right
when it comes to
how to interpret
all the data
what starting points
we use to determine
what is right
and wrong
what is the purpose
of life
what does it mean
to be human
this too
is a burden
that fickle
finite
fallible
human beings
like us
were never
meant to bear
and sure
we try to
supplement ourselves
with like these
pseudo
prophetic voices
our favorite
journalists
op-ed writers
podcasters
social media influencers
life coaches
and therapists
and these can all
be helpful
and good
but the truth is
we've always needed
a real prophet
a divine voice
to tell us
what is true
good
and beautiful
and what isn't
you know
even when Adam
walked with God
in the garden
and was given
the task of
basically
he was doing science
walking with God
in the garden
speaking forth
about reality
naming and categorizing
the animals around him
in human language
he did that though
with the help
and the presence
of God
with God
in his ear
God was the one
bringing the animals
to him
and he did that
as someone made
in the image of God
simply thinking
God's thoughts
after him
so even if we've
never thought of it
this way
even if we're not
Jewish
and don't consider
ourselves religious
truly
we've always needed
a king
and a prophet
and we've also
always needed
a priest
even if you're
here today
you don't consider
yourself a Christian
or even religious
you're maybe an atheist
or you consider
yourself agnostic
I'm convinced
that you
along with all
the rest of us
you also need
a priest
someone to help
you connect
with whatever it is
that you believe
to be sacred
we all need
someone to mediate
between us
and the sacred
the transcendent
the divine
someone to show us
how to be clean
before a holy God
or whatever it is
that we worship
and even if you
don't believe in God
and can't identify
with this like
desire to be clean
in God's eyes
maybe for you
the more universal
language is guilt
and shame
over your bad habits
your bad patterns
your addictions
and your regrets
I know we all
have these
I certainly do
aren't we all
pursuing practices
whether spiritual
or not
whether prayer
and fasting
or nature hikes
and mindfulness
to try to be
the people
we want to be
to try to get
into a state
of peace
and purity
of heart
and mind
maybe you're
a disciple
of Brene Brown
she's your priestess
and you're fighting
to believe her
when she says
that you are worthy
worthy of love
and worthy of belonging
but it's so hard
right
to believe
because we all know
the things we've done
the things we've left
undone
we all have
our regrets
that haunt us
and make us feel
unclean
ashamed
and like we're not
enough
see more than
the wisdom
and counsel
of Brene Brown
and I like Brene Brown
what we need
is a priest
someone to stand
in the gap
between us
and God
someone to make
atonement for us
to show us
the way
to inner cleansing
and wholeness
someone who won't
just cover our shame
or help us escape
our shame
but someone who
will remove it
for good
Adams
and Eve's
fig leaves
they would not
do it
they needed
the Lord
to sacrifice
a live animal
in order to
cover them
so don't you see
even if you've
never thought of it
in these terms
we've always
needed a divine
king
a divine prophet
and a divine
priest
that has always
been and has
only ever been
the way
to shalom
the way to
peace
justice
joy
and fulfillment
no other king
no other prophet
no other priest
will do
and today
I wonder
if Jesus
might be saying
to you
hey
what if
I'm a better
king
leader
and protector
than all
the other
authority
figures
that you're
turning to
serving
following
and bowing
down to
what if
I'm a more
truthful
and insightful
prophet
than all
the other
voices
that are
vying
for your
attention
and agreement
and what
if I'm
also the
only priest
who can
truly make
you clean
and qualified
worthy
and unashamed
in the eyes
of the only
one whose
eyes truly
matter
actually
today
if you hear
his voice
he's not
just saying
what if
he's saying
I am
the divine
king
prophet
and priest
that can
bring you
shalom
if you will
have it
if you will
have me
but the question
for all of us
especially as we
enter into
holy week
is will we
will we
receive him
the whole of
us
receive the
whole of
who he is
into the
whole of
our lives
in our
passage this
morning
Jesus made
an unmistakable
statement
about who
he was
and he
then set
himself
up right
in the
center
of the
temple
in Jerusalem
for everyone
to make
that decision
there are only
two ultimate
responses
verse 47
every day
he was teaching
at the temple
but the chief
priest
the teachers
of the law
and the leaders
among the people
were trying to
kill him
yet they could
not find any
way to do it
because all the
people hung
on his words
there were the
prophets
I mean there
were the
Pharisees
and the
priests
right
who wanted
to murder
him
and then
there were
the people
who hung
on his
words
those are
the two
options
and it's
really interesting
to me
how it was
the ones
who believed
they had so
much to lose
who were in
the kill him
crowd
and then the
ones who believed
they had so much
to gain
in the crown him
crowd
and this presents us
with the crux
of one's decision
to accept Jesus
as prophet
priest
and king
or not
into our lives
are we willing
to give it all up
to follow him
in order to gain
everything
he has for us
do we believe
it's worth it
this invitation
to follow Jesus
and be united
with the maker
of the universe
that offer is free
but it's not simple
and it comes
with a challenge
Jesus will only
be accepted
by you
if you accept
him for all
that he is
the divine king
the divine prophet
and the divine priest
and some of you
are here today
and you're struggling
with that
maybe one of them
maybe two of them
maybe all three
some of you
are here today
and you're struggling
to submit to him
as king
there is something
there is some kind
of donkey
in your life
there is some kind
of cloak
in your life
that God's spirit
is indicating to you
the Lord needs it
but you had all these plans
all these hopes
all these dreams
for this donkey
for this cloak
certainly not to let it
be taken from you
or soiled
in the mud
maybe these things
are your children
your job
your career
your time
your dreams
your ambitions
but king Jesus
claims the whole
of your life
and all that you
possess
so how will you
respond
crown him
or crucify him
maybe others
of you today
are struggling
to listen to Jesus
as prophet
you have trouble
believing everything
he says about you
and the true nature
of reality
and what will really
bring peace
to you
and the world
you'd rather listen
to other voices
other experts
other analysts
your own inner voice
you'd rather scan
and scour
day and night
for more and more
data
to give you an edge
to give you
a competitive advantage
in your quest
for peace
and well-being
you don't trust
Jesus' prophetic vision
for a life
of flourishing
with him
you can't even trust
he's able to
clearly communicate
divine and infallible
truth to you
well Jesus' prophetic
voice and word
to you today
is that he is the way
he is the way
he is the truth
he is the life
so will you heed
his word
or hush it
and then finally
there are still others
here who struggle
to allow Jesus
into your lives
as priest
you know that
your bodies
are supposed to be
a temple
of the living God
the Holy Spirit
but you're not okay
with Jesus
coming into your heart
and into your life
to rearrange
the furniture
you desperately
want to be cleaned
and pure and worthy
for blessed are
the pure in heart
like the children said
for they shall see God
but you're also not ready
to be cleansed
of your impurities
your addictions
your attachments
your resentments
your lies and secrets
your excesses
or maybe
you don't even think
you need cleansing
you like the priests
and the Pharisees
and the sellers
in the temple
don't even realize
that you are harboring
a den of robbers
in your life
and you think
that you are quite safe
and secure
and clean
and worthy
simply just upholding
the status quo
of your life
nothing needs to change
Jesus' priestly plea
to you is to let him in
to make you new
will you receive him
or reject him
see today on Palm Sunday
Jesus isn't just
entering into Jerusalem
in this story
on a donkey
he wants to enter
your lives
as divine king
prophet
and priest
and not just
and not because
he wants to dominate you
it's because he wants
your peace
he wants your shalom
that is his heart
that is the heart of God
for you today
and if you want that too
I want to encourage you
to respond today
come find me
come find Jonathan
come receive prayer
from our deacons
if there is something
in your life
another king
that is holding you captive
we want to pray
for deliverance for you
if there are voices
that you cannot shake
voices in your head
that tell you
alternative truths
that are not in accord
with God's heart for you
we want to pray
those voices away
that you would hear
the prophet
if there are things
in your life
that you know
need to be cleansed
maybe you've only
given Jesus
99% of your life
there's still 1% left
that you have yet
to let go of
we want to pray
that you let the priest in
and clean out his temple
and give you his peace
come respond
to this God
he is good
we promise he is good
we want this church
to be filled with people
who've crowned
Jesus as king
heeded him as prophet
and received his cleansing
as our priest
we promise you
Jesus is a good king
he's a good prophet
he's a good priest
because he's a good lord
he's a good God
he's a humble king
who comes in peace
gentle and lowly
riding on a donkey
coming to you
with the intention
of donning a crown of thorns
in your place
a king who doesn't enslave you
but gives his life for you
and then conquer sin
and even death
by his resurrection
for you
and he's an empathetic priest
he's an empathetic prophet
as well
who doesn't really
just preach at you
in self-righteous
judgmental condemnation
but he weeps over you
and your blindness
and your inability
to see
and hear
his love for you
his desire for your peace
your refusal
to take hold of the peace
he's offering for you
to you for free
and finally
he's the ultimate
kingly priest
who wants to drive out
all the impurities
in your life
not by demanding
that you make
your own sacrifices
unto him
as payment
you know when Jesus
gets into that temple
right
and he begins to remove
the sellers from the temple
he also removes
the animals with them
right
and it should make you wonder
how then
would people be able
to make their sacrifices
we see the beauty
of Jesus as a priest
is he is a priest
who is at the same time
the very sacrificial
lamb of God
those animals
were obsolete
he's saying
I'm here now
he's the lamb of God
slaughtered for you
to make you perfectly
cleansed
and restored
in your relationship
with God
so the call
the word of God
to us this morning
is crown him
heed him
receive him
enter into his peace
and taste and see
that the Lord Jesus
is good
let's pray
Lord we thank you
that you are a God
who is always
and only ever
wanted our peace
all along
and we confess
all the other kings
we've followed
all the other prophets
we've listened to
all the other priests
we've looked to
to cleanse us
oh God
we would see
Jesus instead
help us to behold him
for who he is
see his beauty
will we experience him
as a good king
a good prophet
and a good priest
oh God
help us to taste
and see
that you are good
in Christ's name
amen
Thank you.