Dakota Community Church
March 24, 2013
Palm Sunday
Celebrate the King
Matthew 21:1-5
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
Quick side note re: one donkey or two
Skeptics, often read this event and cry, “Contradiction!” They claim that Matthew misunderstood Zechariah’s prophecy, and thus contradicted what Mark, Luke, and John wrote regarding Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem. (Two donkeys rather than one.)
If Tyson and Joel join me for coffee at Starbucks and 3 days later I tell you that I had coffee with Tyson at Starbucks and mention something he said to me there, have I lied to you?
If unbeknownst to me a fourth person saw us at our meeting and mentioned seeing the three of us, do you then think to yourself, “I wonder why Pastor Dan lied to me about Joel?”
Why would the donkey as well as the foal be mentioned in Matthew - did Jesus ride into town with one foot on each back like a BMX stunt biker?
The unridden foal on which Jesus sat would have been easier to lead if it’s mother was lead along as well.
Why are you hearing a Palm Sunday sermon rather than the conclusion to last weeks message as I had indicated I would do?
What we want and what we need are so often two completely different things.
This is the main reason why church direction must not be set by “felt needs” of the congregants.
The following twitter post by Tim Keller illustrates the point regarding our fallen desire.
"Most of our desires for success are actually our efforts to be for ourselves what only Jesus can really be for us." - Tim Keller
Even something as simple as deciding what to preach this morning is influenced by this conflict. I did not finish my sermon last Sunday and had this “Palm Sunday” sermon only in the developmental stage. As I wrapped up I made the quick decision to skip the Palm Sunday sermon and just finish the “Unmasked” sermon on true and false teaching/teachers.
(This does tie into the message today - bear with me)
I don’t want to over think this but just follow me for a minute because this illustrates the reality that even in our best deeds there is something to be repented of.
If I just complete the Unmasked sermon - my sermon writing time for the week is freed up.
I prefer preaching the content of the Unmasked sermon over a Palm Sunday message.
I know that you have all heard dozens of “Triumphal Entry” sermons and I doubt my ability to keep you engaged through another one.
On the other hand I know that we must be a Christ centred church.
I know that we need to make more of the resurrection season - this is the heart of Christianity.
Even now there are Sunday’s when I arrive at home after church, begin work on the editing and uploading of the sermon and fear that I have failed in my mission because I preached ABOUT preaching the gospel - while not actually preaching it.
What I want pushed what Christ says I need onto the back burner.
In the events of what we celebrate today as Palm Sunday Jesus was sending a strong message that runs very much along this same line of thought:
Jesus declares himself to be the King
Critics of Christianity often like to say that Jesus never claimed to be God but that is patently false. Throughout the gospels Jesus said and did things that clearly stated He was God. The Pharisees picked up stones on numerous occasions to kill him for this very thing.
When Jesus claimed to be one with the Father in John 10 after saying his sheep hear his voice and that no one could take them out of his hand - they knew what that meant and so should we.
In John 8 Jesus claimed that before Abraham was - I AM - again they took up stones.
During Christ's trial, the chief priests asked Him point blank, "Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." And He said,
"I am." (Mark 14:60-62)
"Yes, it is as you say." (Matt. 26: 63-65)
"You are right in saying I am." (Luke 22:67-70)
This ride into town was one more of those clearcut claims; after the return from the Babylonian captivity in approximately 520 BC, Zachariah prophesied the coming of the Messiah in this very way.
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Besides forgiving sins, Jesus also receives praise - something only God can rightly do.
Luke 19:37-40
As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The crowd announces in their cries that he is the awaited king and they offer shouts of praise. When the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke them - he rather confirms what they are saying.
In this same scene we also gain another insight:
Jesus reveals that he is not the king of man’s choosing.
John 6:13-15
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Important truth:
Jesus rejects our attempts to make him into the Messiah we prefer.
This is nothing new, we love to recreate Jesus in our image today.
We decide on a Jesus who ignores sin and justice.
We prefer and preach a Jesus who bends to societies whims.
We create a Jesus who advocates happy healthy living and who is against any kind of pain or suffering for his people. (No cross, no rejection, no being hated as He was)
John 15:18-21
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We know well that the Jewish nation was waiting and hoping for a deliverer, a Messiah who would come and restore independence from Rome.
Even many who were not looking for a Spiritual leader were hoping for a political leader who would rally the people to throw off their oppressors. On multiple occasions we see that the crowds desired to take Jesus and “make him king”. He hid himself on those occasions.
Palm Sunday’s procession reveals the kind of king He is
Matthew 21:5
‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Final Thought
The people waiting for the Messiah, those who wanted a conquering king were not pulling these ideas out of thin air, they just did not understand the scope of what God was doing or the timing of each of the events they awaited.
I am no eschatological scholar - but I know this:
Acts 1:10-11
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in[d] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 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 tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
Follow Dan on twitter: @DanCormie
