Have you ever found yourself having to reevaluate things that you believed and thought? And in the midst of doing that, have you ever discovered that things that you once thought and said in front of folks may have been wrong? And have you ever felt really embarrassed that you once believed as you did and were as outspoken as you once were?
I hate it when this happens.
You know, for years, I rebelled against using a lot of technology in church. I didn’t think it was a good idea to put my sermons online. If folks wanted to hear the sermon, they needed to come to church. We didn’t need screes in worship. Folks have a bulletin and hymn books. All of this stuff was just gimmicks anyway. What really counted was the Word of God and its power to change hearts. There was no need to dress things up. There was no need to put all of this extra stuff into it. Technology was just a bunch of fluff that was unnecessary.
But then in 2016, a study came out written by David Millard Haskell and Kevin Flatt. It was titled, “Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy.” I read the study. The authors studied mainline protestant congregations in Canada where church decline has been even steeper than here in the U.S. This study confirmed what I had thought before: In every church that was growing, it was the Word of God and it’s power to change hearts that took center stage. It was a robust, orthodox, evangelical faith that took hold and helped bring people to Christ. But that was not the only thing these churches had in common. Guess what every one of those churches used? They made liberal use of technology in spreading the Gospel. They connected with people’s smart phones. They had screens in their worship areas. They connected online.
When I reached this point in my reading, I knew I was faced with a choice: recant what I had said earlier in my life or continue in my stubbornness. I could acknowledge what these researchers had found and get with the program, or I could turn a blind eye and pretend what they found didn’t really matter. Well, most of you know that every Sunday I am recording the sermon that is delivered here and putting it online. I’ve also started recording the Adult Bible study and putting that online as well. It’s a start, but if I take seriously what this study said, then this is the avenue that should be traveled. I’ve got to be humble enough to change my stance and do the things that help bring people to Christ.
That also means that I have to sometimes reevaluate the things that I have said throughout my time as a pastor and preacher. For instance, back in 2008, I preached a Palm Sunday sermon where I talked about how the Roman soldiers viewed what was happening when Jesus came riding in on that donkey. I said the following, “Straining his eyes, the captain [of the guard] looked and saw the focal point of the crowd’s attention. There, sitting on a donkey, was a man. He was waving to the crowd, smiling, and basking in their attention. ‘How odd these people are,’ thought the captain. ‘They celebrate a man riding on a donkey.’ With that, he turned to the rest of his men, ‘Stand down!’ he told them. ‘There is nothing to fear. They have no weapons.’ After saying this, he looked back down at the man on the steed. ‘Who is this?’ he wondered to himself. ‘Who is this man that so many welcome him in this manner?’”
I am no longer quite so sure that this Roman captain would have approached this situation in such a fashion. Through my readings and growth in understanding, I have come to see that the Romans were not ignorant of Jewish thought and belief. The Romans knew that the Jews were a cantankerous group of people. They had their factions and groups, for sure. There were Jewish folks who collaborated with the Roman occupiers–including the Puppet King Herod. This group was very, very small. There were other folks who begrudgingly worked with the Roman occupiers but who resented their rule to the nth degree–these were folks like the Pharisees. This was a much larger group. Then you had those who were in rebellion–those who assassinated Romans soldiers and diplomats at every chance claiming that they owed allegiance to God and God alone. These were the zealots. The vast, vast majority of the Jews believed that they were destined to be an independent kingdom, ruled by the Messiah who would bring them power and prestige throughout the world.
They only needed someone to follow.
They only needed someone who might have power and authority and might.
They only needed someone who seemed to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies.
And they had Jesus.
Oh, they had heard the stories of Jesus. They had heard about his miracles, and they had liked what they heard. He could produce food out of thin air. He could calm storms. He could heal the sick and raise the dead. He had untold of power.
Of course, there had been other stories that had caused a bit of consternation. In his hometown, the people had tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. On a couple of occasions, crowds had tried to stone him for things that he had said. But these were ignored for the time being. Perhaps he was controversial because he needed to stir people to action. Perhaps they were just misguided in their understanding of Jesus. Perhaps they just needed to channel their anger in the right direction–toward the Romans.
And those Romans were probably worried when they saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on that donkey. They knew what that meant. They knew the Jewish tradition of how a king was to enter the city. The prophet Zechariah had talked about such matters hundreds of years earlier. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The fact that Jesus was doing this could only mean one thing: Rebellion. Jesus’ actions this day made himself public enemy number one in the eyes of the Roman occupiers.
And Jesus was no fool. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that riding in on that donkey was putting a target on his back. He knew that he would not be well received by the Romans. He knew they brooked no talk of rebellion or revolution. He knew they would not be happy at all.
But the crowd was. The crowd was exuberant. They wanted to get rid of the Romans. They wanted to get out from under their oppression. They wanted to get out from under their burdens of taxation. They wanted a true king, not the puppet king Herod who was of questionable Jewish heritage. They welcomed Jesus with open arms. They put palm branches and robes in his path. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
They were in a festive mood. Just as God had once saved them from the Egyptians by mighty deeds of power and might on the first Passover, God was now going to use Jesus and his acts of power and might to deliver them from the Romans on this Passover.
But what the crowd did not understand was that Jesus was throwing down the gauntlet not only to the Romans, but to his fellow Jews. Jesus was not only challenging the Roman’s ideas of power and might and authority, he was also challenging his fellow Jews to examine their own ideas of what they thought the kingdom of God would look like–to examine their own relationship with God. And once the crowd discovered this, their shouts would change. Their shouts would go from “Hosanna!” to “Crucify him!”
Why? They were not willing to reevaluate their understandings. They were not willing to change their belief in the face of new information.
Look at it this way. All their lives, these folks had been told that the Messiah was coming. They had been taught that their Messiah would usher in a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity, and power for the Kingdom of Israel. They had been taught that the Messiah would overthrow their enemies with the strength and power of God. Israel would no longer be subject to anyone. Israel would be feared and respected throughout the world. Israel would be the top dog, and it would be an honor and a joy to be a part of this kingdom!! That’s why they celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
Ah, but when Jesus challenged this notion of the kingdom; when Jesus began telling everyone that his kingdom was not of this world; when Jesus told everyone that they should love the Romans–the enemies of the Jews–and bless them when they were persecuted; this was more than they could handle. This was more than they could bear. This wasn’t how the Messiah was supposed to act. In their eyes, Jesus became a false Messiah. He deserved crucifixion. But why couldn’t they accept what Jesus was saying?
Here’s the question: what were the people really longing for? What did the people most desire? What did the people have their hearts set on? Prosperity. Peace. Honor. Power. Riches. These were the things that the people craved. These were the things promised in the Kingdom. They were longing for these things more than they were actually longing for the rule of God. In other words, they wanted what God could give them, they did not actually want to submit to God themselves.
And Jesus would not accept that.
Jesus does not accept that.
Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.”
Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Jesus says, “The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Jesus says set your deepest heart’s desire upon God and nothing else.
You know, the crowds that gathered that Palm Sunday were waving their palms for the wrong reasons. They wanted a king who would deliver them from the Romans. They didn’t want a king who would confront them with their own selfish desires and demand repentance. But that is who Jesus was and is. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He already reigns over the universe, but he wants to reign most of all in our hearts. But as long as our hearts cling to the desires of wealth, power, prestige, possessions, or whatever we so choose, he can never be king. Oh, we may make him a king for a day or for a few hours, but he will never be Lord of our lives.
Maybe it’s a good thing that next year when Lent begins, these palm fronds will be burned and used to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. It’s a good reminder of how we should welcome Jesus. It’s a good reminder that all of the things that would draw us away from Jesus should burn away leaving a desire for repentance and a clean heart; leaving a desire to have Jesus sit enthroned upon our hearts as the Lord and Master of our lives.
And hear now the good news. Hear now where Jesus is going. Hear now what Jesus will do to capture your heart that you may fall in love with your Lord and Savior. For He will not rain down fire and brimstone on your head for failing to follow Him. He will not impose His will on you by force. He will not try to scare you into trusting Him or believing in Him. He will not ride that donkey to a great throne of power and might.
Instead, he will give up his heavenly power and glory. Even “though he is in the form of God, he will not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but he will empty himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he will humble himself and become obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” He will take your brokenness upon himself. He will take your pain upon himself. He will take your fear upon himself. He will take your distrust upon himself. He will take your sickness upon himself. He will take your anxiety upon himself. He will take your sin upon himself, and he will put it to death. He will die for you to cleanse your heart; to cleanse your being. And then he will pour his righteousness into you. He will pour his grace into you. He will pour his status as Son of God or Daughter of God into you. He will wash you, and he will clothe you. And He will do this not because you have earned it. Not because you have been all that you should be. Not because you are good. He will do this because He loves you. He loves you so much that he is willing to die for you. He wants that love to claim your heart so that you put your trust in him–you put your trust in the King.
Today, on this Palm Sunday, let us see past the pomp and circumstance. Let us see past the palm branches. Let us see past all the things that we think that Jesus can give us, and instead, let us see Jesus alone. Let us see the King of kings. Let us see the Lord of Lords. Let us see the one who has come to take our sin away. Let us behold our king. Amen.
Showing posts with label Palm Sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palm Sunday. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Monday, April 10, 2017
If They Only Knew... Palm Sunday 2017
As I prepared for my sermon this week, I began pondering and imagining what Jesus was thinking on this day. I wondered what He thought as He sent those two disciples to appropriate that donkey and colt. I wondered if He watched them walk away to fulfill that mission and thought to Himself, “If they only knew...”
For I am sure those two disciples were excited at what Jesus had commanded them. I am sure their hopes suddenly soared. “Did you hear what Jesus told us to do? Did you know the significance of His order? He’s told us to go get Him a donkey to ride on!! Do you remember what the prophet said? Do you remember that the prophet said that our king, our deliverer, would come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? Do you remember that prophecy? I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the first time I heard the Rabbis talking about how our deliverer would come. I remember being instructed to watch eagerly for the one who would enter into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Oh, today must be that day!! Today must be the day that our freedom is birthed!!! Jesus is going to enter Jerusalem on a donkey!!!”
The other disciple, perhaps also growing excited says, “Yes, we have been waiting for so long. Since the Babylonians defeated us, we have been waiting for this day. We have been subjected to the Greeks and to the Romans. We have had to deal with their puppet kings. A pox on Herod and his craziness. A pox on Caesar. A pox on Pilate. Jesus has the power to overthrow them all. Remember how He calmed the storm? What army can stand against one who can control the forces of nature? Remember how he cast the demon out of the man and made it enter the herd of pigs? Can you envision Jesus making a whole legion of Roman soldiers cast themselves into the sea? No one would even have to fight in battle. And if we actually had to fight? Well, remember how Jesus healed and brought the dead back to life? Imagine an army that all wounds are suddenly healed and the dead are raised to fight again. Invincible. That’s what we would be. With Jesus as our king, the people of Israel will inherit the earth!!!”
“And we will be remembered as the disciples who brought Jesus His donkey!!” Perhaps they laughed at this thought. Perhaps they then turned their attention to the task at hand and with a bounce in their steps that could not be missed, they brought the donkey and colt to their master, and Jesus, knowing their thoughts said to Himself once more, “If they only knew...if they only knew that indeed I am their deliver. I am indeed their Messiah. I am indeed their King. I am here to set them free, but it is a freedom that goes far deeper than what they think. They dream of being free from rulers, from foreign powers, from Gentile armies, but even if I were to drive all those folks away, they would still be in bondage. For there is a power that is so pervasive yet so subtle that it enslaves everyone. These two disciples believe that if only I became the King of Israel and drove out Israel’s enemies, then their lives would be perfect. Just get the right person in power, and everything will be happy and holy. They are putting their trust in earthly kingdoms.
They have learned nothing from their own history. No matter who has been king of Israel, people have always struggled. My Father had to keep sending prophets to correct the people for their errors. Putting a new king in place did little to affect the people’s hearts, for their hearts still yearned for wealth, for health, and for prosperity. Their hearts still yearned for the comforts of this world. They made idols out of these things and failed to yearn for my Father. They are corrupted by the power of sin, and I must free them from that power.
For once they are free from the power of sin, then their hearts will yearn for my Father. Their hearts will yearn to love Him. And when their hearts yearn for God, they will no longer look to kings and armies to make their lives better. They will no longer seek satisfaction in money or possessions. Their hearts will no longer be governed by greed or anxiety or self-centeredness. Their hearts will be my throne. I will live with them and in them, and they will be free from the power of sin. It won’t matter who sits on the throne; it won’t matter how many possessions they have; it won’t matter whether they are slave or free, male or female, they will find their freedom in me.
Yes, I will be their king, but I will not take the throne in the manner they think. My path is not toward a palace. I will not be clothed with expensive robes. I will not dine on fine food and drink fine wine. My path will be one of suffering and death. My path will take me to the cross. There, I will take all sin into myself–I will take the power of sin into myself, and I will defeat it. If they only knew...”
And Jesus mounted upon the donkey and began the trek into Jerusalem. And I pondered and imagined what He thought as the people lined the road and cheered Him on. I pondered and imagine what He was thinking to Himself as the crowds laid palm branches in His path along with their coats. They were laying out the proverbial red carpet for Him. And they were shouting!! Yes, they were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Their cry was a cry of revolution. “Praise be to the promised descendant of King David who was foretold long ago as the one who would defeat our enemies and help Israel become great once again!” Ah, the crowd knew who Jesus was. They too had heard of His miraculous deeds of power. They too had heard of His powerful teaching. They too knew He was from God, and they believed He was now here to deliver them from the hands of their enemies. Rome stood no chance. The puppet king Herod stood no chance. Pilate might try to wield the might of Rome and the legions, but God had appointed His Messiah. No one stood a chance against the Messiah. And so they shouted!! So they proclaimed!! So they paid homage to Jesus!!! Their king was coming!!!
And I cannot help but think Jesus simply thought, “If they only knew...
“For I will not be the king that they expect. The crowd has fallen into the same trap that my disciples have fallen into. They believe that earthly kings and rulers can make their lives change. They believe that earthly kings and rulers can make them free. But their hearts will still be in bondage to sin. Their hearts will still be in chains. And we will see just how chained they are.
In the coming days, I will teach and I will heal. I will challenge the principalities and powers. I will challenge their false idols, and they will hate me for it. They will turn on me because I will refuse to become who they expect me to become. And when I don’t give them what they want; when I refuse to live up to their expectations, their cries and shouts will change. No longer will they yell, “Hosanna!” Instead, they will yell, “Crucify!” The ones shouting for my rule today will be crying for my death at the end of this week. The power of sin will corrupt them so thoroughly that they will not even treat me as a human being–though I have done nothing wrong. If they only knew...”
And as Jesus came into Jerusalem, I am sure He knew that the city was now on a razor’s edge. He knew that the crowd’s actions had left the city full of tension and anxiety. The crowds had welcomed Him like a king. Would a revolution begin? Could the city expect bloody battles? Would swords be drawn and blood be spilled? Would Jesus be the catalyst? And those who did not know of Him were asking, “Who is this man? Who is the one that the crowd’s welcomed in such a manner? Who is this man who is welcomed as a Jewish Messiah? Who is this man that rumors spread about sick being healed, demons being cast out, dead being raised, storms being stilled, and thousands being fed? Who is this man?
“This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
And once again, I can imagine Jesus thinking, “If they only knew...yes, I am a prophet. Yes, I am from Nazareth. Yes, I am from Galilee. But this world is not my home. I am not from here. I AM. Yes. I AM.” (And for those of you who did not catch that reference, in the Old Testament of Scripture, God refers to Himself as “I AM.”) I AM God’s only begotten Son who has come into this world to free my people from the power of sin. I AM the King of kings and Lord of lords who will set my throne in my people’s hearts. I AM the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world and open the family of God to anyone who trusts in me and what I do. I AM the redeemer of the world who will save my people not because of who they are because they are sinful, self-centered, and vain–I will save them because of who I am: gracious and forgiving even when people turn on me. I Am following my Father’s will because He does not want to see anyone perish but wants all to have eternal life with Him. I AM the light of the world who shines in the darkness and helps people see the reality of God. I AM destined to die so that anyone who trusts in me will live. If they only knew...”
Indeed, if we only knew...if we only knew..., but sometimes I wonder if we want to know. I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is. For if He is the Lamb of God who has come to redeem us by grace alone–through no work of our own, then we cannot boast in what we do. We cannot become self-righteous and think that we are better than anyone else. For God did not pour out His love because of us but in spite of us.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He has died for me and granted me salvation by Grace alone, then there is nothing He cannot ask of me. If He indeed is the King of kings and Lord of lords, if He is the King of Heaven and Earth, I owe Him my total and utter allegiance. My life no longer belongs to me. I have no control or charge. I serve and honor Him alone and am bound in service to Him.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He has become my Lord and my Savior, then I find my meaning, my purpose, and my identity in Him. I lose the privileges of being male or female. I lose the privileges of race and ethnicity. I lose the privileges of wealth and status. I lose the privileges of education and knowledge. For I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live but Christ who lives within me.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He is Lord of my life; I now live for God. I no longer live for myself. I no longer live for money, wealth, status, privilege, knowledge, power, control or anything else. I live for God and seek His purpose and His will in everything that I do. And that means I love what God loves. I seek what God seeks. I long for what God longs for, and that means care and concern for this world–for God loves the world. And so I am called to love it. I am called to care for it. I am called to make sacrifices to preserve it and all that live within it. And that means I care deeply for those created in God’s image. I cannot wall myself off with other Christians and simply wait for Jesus’ return. Because I love what God loves, I seek to bring other people into the family of God. I seek to bring God’s love and God’s compassion to those in need. I seek to feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; and visit the sick and imprisoned. Love of neighbor becomes the second most important thing I do in life after loving God.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He is Lord of my life, I cannot keep silent about what He has done in redeeming the world. With every breath, I long to sing His praise and worship Him at every opportunity. With every breath I seek to tell others of God’s great love. With every breath, I long to tell His story of redemption. I cannot keep silent. I cannot just go about my life with indifference. I must strive to point to and to worship my God and my King.
Do we really know this Jesus who enters into the streets of Jerusalem this day? Do we really know the extent of His love, His mercy, and His grace? Is He just someone we appreciate and try to implement a teaching or two of His? Or is He the Lord of our lives? Are our hearts His throne? And do we long to cry out Hosanna? Will you raise your palm branches? Will you put your coat down in front of Him? Will He be your Lord and your Savior? May our hearts respond with a resounding, “Yes!!!” Amen.
For I am sure those two disciples were excited at what Jesus had commanded them. I am sure their hopes suddenly soared. “Did you hear what Jesus told us to do? Did you know the significance of His order? He’s told us to go get Him a donkey to ride on!! Do you remember what the prophet said? Do you remember that the prophet said that our king, our deliverer, would come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? Do you remember that prophecy? I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the first time I heard the Rabbis talking about how our deliverer would come. I remember being instructed to watch eagerly for the one who would enter into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Oh, today must be that day!! Today must be the day that our freedom is birthed!!! Jesus is going to enter Jerusalem on a donkey!!!”
The other disciple, perhaps also growing excited says, “Yes, we have been waiting for so long. Since the Babylonians defeated us, we have been waiting for this day. We have been subjected to the Greeks and to the Romans. We have had to deal with their puppet kings. A pox on Herod and his craziness. A pox on Caesar. A pox on Pilate. Jesus has the power to overthrow them all. Remember how He calmed the storm? What army can stand against one who can control the forces of nature? Remember how he cast the demon out of the man and made it enter the herd of pigs? Can you envision Jesus making a whole legion of Roman soldiers cast themselves into the sea? No one would even have to fight in battle. And if we actually had to fight? Well, remember how Jesus healed and brought the dead back to life? Imagine an army that all wounds are suddenly healed and the dead are raised to fight again. Invincible. That’s what we would be. With Jesus as our king, the people of Israel will inherit the earth!!!”
“And we will be remembered as the disciples who brought Jesus His donkey!!” Perhaps they laughed at this thought. Perhaps they then turned their attention to the task at hand and with a bounce in their steps that could not be missed, they brought the donkey and colt to their master, and Jesus, knowing their thoughts said to Himself once more, “If they only knew...if they only knew that indeed I am their deliver. I am indeed their Messiah. I am indeed their King. I am here to set them free, but it is a freedom that goes far deeper than what they think. They dream of being free from rulers, from foreign powers, from Gentile armies, but even if I were to drive all those folks away, they would still be in bondage. For there is a power that is so pervasive yet so subtle that it enslaves everyone. These two disciples believe that if only I became the King of Israel and drove out Israel’s enemies, then their lives would be perfect. Just get the right person in power, and everything will be happy and holy. They are putting their trust in earthly kingdoms.
They have learned nothing from their own history. No matter who has been king of Israel, people have always struggled. My Father had to keep sending prophets to correct the people for their errors. Putting a new king in place did little to affect the people’s hearts, for their hearts still yearned for wealth, for health, and for prosperity. Their hearts still yearned for the comforts of this world. They made idols out of these things and failed to yearn for my Father. They are corrupted by the power of sin, and I must free them from that power.
For once they are free from the power of sin, then their hearts will yearn for my Father. Their hearts will yearn to love Him. And when their hearts yearn for God, they will no longer look to kings and armies to make their lives better. They will no longer seek satisfaction in money or possessions. Their hearts will no longer be governed by greed or anxiety or self-centeredness. Their hearts will be my throne. I will live with them and in them, and they will be free from the power of sin. It won’t matter who sits on the throne; it won’t matter how many possessions they have; it won’t matter whether they are slave or free, male or female, they will find their freedom in me.
Yes, I will be their king, but I will not take the throne in the manner they think. My path is not toward a palace. I will not be clothed with expensive robes. I will not dine on fine food and drink fine wine. My path will be one of suffering and death. My path will take me to the cross. There, I will take all sin into myself–I will take the power of sin into myself, and I will defeat it. If they only knew...”
And Jesus mounted upon the donkey and began the trek into Jerusalem. And I pondered and imagined what He thought as the people lined the road and cheered Him on. I pondered and imagine what He was thinking to Himself as the crowds laid palm branches in His path along with their coats. They were laying out the proverbial red carpet for Him. And they were shouting!! Yes, they were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Their cry was a cry of revolution. “Praise be to the promised descendant of King David who was foretold long ago as the one who would defeat our enemies and help Israel become great once again!” Ah, the crowd knew who Jesus was. They too had heard of His miraculous deeds of power. They too had heard of His powerful teaching. They too knew He was from God, and they believed He was now here to deliver them from the hands of their enemies. Rome stood no chance. The puppet king Herod stood no chance. Pilate might try to wield the might of Rome and the legions, but God had appointed His Messiah. No one stood a chance against the Messiah. And so they shouted!! So they proclaimed!! So they paid homage to Jesus!!! Their king was coming!!!
And I cannot help but think Jesus simply thought, “If they only knew...
“For I will not be the king that they expect. The crowd has fallen into the same trap that my disciples have fallen into. They believe that earthly kings and rulers can make their lives change. They believe that earthly kings and rulers can make them free. But their hearts will still be in bondage to sin. Their hearts will still be in chains. And we will see just how chained they are.
In the coming days, I will teach and I will heal. I will challenge the principalities and powers. I will challenge their false idols, and they will hate me for it. They will turn on me because I will refuse to become who they expect me to become. And when I don’t give them what they want; when I refuse to live up to their expectations, their cries and shouts will change. No longer will they yell, “Hosanna!” Instead, they will yell, “Crucify!” The ones shouting for my rule today will be crying for my death at the end of this week. The power of sin will corrupt them so thoroughly that they will not even treat me as a human being–though I have done nothing wrong. If they only knew...”
And as Jesus came into Jerusalem, I am sure He knew that the city was now on a razor’s edge. He knew that the crowd’s actions had left the city full of tension and anxiety. The crowds had welcomed Him like a king. Would a revolution begin? Could the city expect bloody battles? Would swords be drawn and blood be spilled? Would Jesus be the catalyst? And those who did not know of Him were asking, “Who is this man? Who is the one that the crowd’s welcomed in such a manner? Who is this man who is welcomed as a Jewish Messiah? Who is this man that rumors spread about sick being healed, demons being cast out, dead being raised, storms being stilled, and thousands being fed? Who is this man?
“This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
And once again, I can imagine Jesus thinking, “If they only knew...yes, I am a prophet. Yes, I am from Nazareth. Yes, I am from Galilee. But this world is not my home. I am not from here. I AM. Yes. I AM.” (And for those of you who did not catch that reference, in the Old Testament of Scripture, God refers to Himself as “I AM.”) I AM God’s only begotten Son who has come into this world to free my people from the power of sin. I AM the King of kings and Lord of lords who will set my throne in my people’s hearts. I AM the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world and open the family of God to anyone who trusts in me and what I do. I AM the redeemer of the world who will save my people not because of who they are because they are sinful, self-centered, and vain–I will save them because of who I am: gracious and forgiving even when people turn on me. I Am following my Father’s will because He does not want to see anyone perish but wants all to have eternal life with Him. I AM the light of the world who shines in the darkness and helps people see the reality of God. I AM destined to die so that anyone who trusts in me will live. If they only knew...”
Indeed, if we only knew...if we only knew..., but sometimes I wonder if we want to know. I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is. For if He is the Lamb of God who has come to redeem us by grace alone–through no work of our own, then we cannot boast in what we do. We cannot become self-righteous and think that we are better than anyone else. For God did not pour out His love because of us but in spite of us.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He has died for me and granted me salvation by Grace alone, then there is nothing He cannot ask of me. If He indeed is the King of kings and Lord of lords, if He is the King of Heaven and Earth, I owe Him my total and utter allegiance. My life no longer belongs to me. I have no control or charge. I serve and honor Him alone and am bound in service to Him.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He has become my Lord and my Savior, then I find my meaning, my purpose, and my identity in Him. I lose the privileges of being male or female. I lose the privileges of race and ethnicity. I lose the privileges of wealth and status. I lose the privileges of education and knowledge. For I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live but Christ who lives within me.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He is Lord of my life; I now live for God. I no longer live for myself. I no longer live for money, wealth, status, privilege, knowledge, power, control or anything else. I live for God and seek His purpose and His will in everything that I do. And that means I love what God loves. I seek what God seeks. I long for what God longs for, and that means care and concern for this world–for God loves the world. And so I am called to love it. I am called to care for it. I am called to make sacrifices to preserve it and all that live within it. And that means I care deeply for those created in God’s image. I cannot wall myself off with other Christians and simply wait for Jesus’ return. Because I love what God loves, I seek to bring other people into the family of God. I seek to bring God’s love and God’s compassion to those in need. I seek to feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; and visit the sick and imprisoned. Love of neighbor becomes the second most important thing I do in life after loving God.
I wonder if we really want to know that Jesus is who He says He is because if He is Lord of my life, I cannot keep silent about what He has done in redeeming the world. With every breath, I long to sing His praise and worship Him at every opportunity. With every breath I seek to tell others of God’s great love. With every breath, I long to tell His story of redemption. I cannot keep silent. I cannot just go about my life with indifference. I must strive to point to and to worship my God and my King.
Do we really know this Jesus who enters into the streets of Jerusalem this day? Do we really know the extent of His love, His mercy, and His grace? Is He just someone we appreciate and try to implement a teaching or two of His? Or is He the Lord of our lives? Are our hearts His throne? And do we long to cry out Hosanna? Will you raise your palm branches? Will you put your coat down in front of Him? Will He be your Lord and your Savior? May our hearts respond with a resounding, “Yes!!!” Amen.
Monday, January 11, 2016
A Rather "Blah" Ending
The ending just doesn’t seem right.
And I am not talking about the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” No. I am talking about our Gospel lesson today from Mark chapter 11. We have returned once more to walking through the Gospel of Mark, and our first day back just happens to be the text that is usually read on Palm Sunday–Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In all my years preaching on this text, I have generally overlooked verse 11. I have focused most of my attention on all the rig-a-ma-roe that takes place when Jesus enters into the city. It’s a grand parade! It’s a note of triumph! There is singing and cloak spreading and palm branch waving. It is joyous and uplifting as Jesus enters into Jerusalem, but it ends abruptly, and, might I add, rather unsatisfactorily–at least to our taste.
It’s kind of like the way Christmas is now for many people. Maybe you have had this experience at some point and time. You go through all of the build up for the holiday: shopping, getting ready for the meal; wrapping presents; cooking, cleaning, decorating; putting tons of time and energy into it...Christmas Day finally arrives, and what happens? In less than 10 minutes, the kids have all the gifts unwrapped and they run off to play with their toys. You slave for hours cooking dinner, and it is demolished and eaten in less than 15 minutes. With full bellies, the adults all find their most comfortable spot in the house and doze off. The television is blaring. Kids are off making a bunch of noise. There are a boat load of dishes in the kitchen, and someone has to clean it all up. And you think to yourself, is this what it’s all about? Is this what I spent all that time and effort and worry for? There is a great sense of let-down as all that time, effort, and energy suddenly come crashing down. If you don’t know that feeling in regards to Christmas, I bet you know it regarding something else. All the grandeur ends in a whimper.
That’s what happens when Jesus enters into Jerusalem. Those of you who grew up in the church know the story. You know the actions of the day. Thousands upon thousands of Jewish pilgrims are headed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. It is the holiest of holidays for the Jews. This celebration was mandated by God Himself to commemorate the saving of the Jewish people from slavery to the Egyptians.
In Exodus Chapter 12 God said these words to the people:
14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. 15Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day shall be cut off from Israel. 16On the first day you shall hold a solemn assembly, and on the seventh day a solemn assembly; no work shall be done on those days; only what everyone must eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance.
This day; this celebration of Passover was a huge deal for the Jewish people. It symbolized freedom. It symbolized deliverance. It symbolized the removal of oppression and tyranny. It offered them hope for the future when God would once again make Himself known to the world and deliver His people.
Of course, at this time, that meant the Romans who occupied Israel. There was great hope; there was great expectation that God would indeed deliver them once more, and on this day, that hope rested upon one man: Jesus of Nazareth.
Oh, they had heard the stories about Jesus’ healing. They had heard the stories of His miraculous raising of people from the dead. They had heard of His feeding of the multitudes. They had heard about His preaching and proclaiming of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. They knew of His power, and now...now He was coming to Jerusalem–the center of power and authority for Rome’s occupation and the center of power and authority for Jewish religion and worship. How would things transpire? What kind of statement would be made?
Jesus sets the tone by sending two of His disciples into town to procure a donkey “that has never been ridden.” The commentaries note explicitly two important things: 1) an animal that has never been ridden is a special animal. Such animals were generally seen as being suitable for sacred purposes. 2) Jesus, and the people, know the prophesy from Zechariah chapter 9,
“9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”
This text was about the promised Messiah. The people knew it. Jesus knew it. A donkey was procured. The procession began. And people lined the streets. They took off their outer robes and put them in front of Jesus. They waved leafy branches. They shouted out, “Hosanna.” Now, please know that the original Aramaic word Hosanna! literally means, “Save us now!” These words; these actions by the crowd had great significance! This was not simply a spontaneous, happy gathering celebrating a person who was much admired. No. It goes much, much deeper.
Hear the words of scholar and theologian N.T. Wright:
You don’t spread cloaks on the road–especially in the dusty, stony Middle East!–for a friend, or even a respected senior member of your family. You do it for royalty. And you don’t cut branches off trees, or foliage from the fields, to wave in the streets just because you feel somewhat elated; you do it because you are welcoming a king. Two hundred years before, Judas Maccabaeus defeated the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, entered Jerusalem and cleansed and rebuilt the Temple–and the people waved ivy and palm branches as they sang hymns of praise. The point Mark wants to make, however, is clear. From chapter 8 onwards the disciples have believed that Jesus is the true and rightful King of the Jews, on his way to the capital city to be hailed as such. This is the moment of his royal reception...[And] In the middle of the chant they have inserted the dangerous prayer: Welcome to the kingdom of our father David!
So, I hope you see. This entry into Jerusalem is a direct confrontation of the powers that be. It is a direct confrontation of the earthly kingdom of Rome. It is a direct confrontation of the religious order. It is a direct confrontation of all of the principalities and powers. The crowd is in a frenzy. Everyone is worked up. Expectations are high. Jesus is announcing Himself as the one who comes in the name of the Lord! He is the one ushering in God’s Kingdom!
And how does it end? Jesus walks into the outer courtyard of the Temple. He looks around. He checks His watch–well, no, they didn’t have watches back then, but the language leads us to say almost the same thing. He checks the time, sees that it is late, and goes camping. That’s how it ends. All the pomp. All the circumstance. All the uproar. Poof! Gone.
Why? It seems so unsatisfactory. It seems like such a let down. It seems so contrary to the way we would write the story.
But this is not our story. It’s God’s story. It’s God’s story of redemption. It was deeply held that when the Messiah returned, he would do two things: He would cleanse the temple and set the religious authorities right and he would liberate the people from their oppressors. In doing so, he would make Israel, the chosen nation of God great once more. They would be a power to be reckoned with. All the nations of the world would once again tremble at the power of the God of Israel. That was the expectation, but the reality became much different. The true Messiah; the true Son of God had His sights set on a different temple and a different throne.
First, let’s talk about the temple that Jesus truly has his sights set on. It is not a temple built with hands. St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” This is a far cry from the Jewish understanding of where God was located. The Jews believed that God dwelt within the temple at Jerusalem in the holy of holies. They believed this was the most sacred place on earth. Jesus looked at that temple. He looked toward that holy place, and He walked away. He would return at a later date, but He would come to show the temple for what it truly was: a den of thieves. Jesus was casing the joint. He was making careful observations for He knew what He was here to reveal. He knew He was here to reveal to the world the true nature of God’s love and the true nature of our oppression.
For you see, there is a reason we are oppressed by worldly powers. There is a reason we feel oppressed by all the things that are going on in society. There is a reason we feel stressed out and burned out and at our wits end. There is a reason we feel out of control. We feel such oppression and are oppressed because the human heart is deeply selfish. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It can be good at times, but the reason there is so much pain and suffering in the world; the reason the rich get richer and the poor get poorer; the reason there is hunger and thirst; the reason people kill one another with guns and knives; the reason people steal and manipulate the system is the desire for power and prestige and security. The reason is fear that we won’t have enough or that someone will take what we have. At the center of our heart is a deep longing for security and well being, and we will do most anything to satisfy that longing.
And Jesus stands at the courtyard of our hearts casing the joint. He stands there looking at what He could possibly do to change our hearts. He stands there wondering if there is a possibility of change. How can a heart be changed?
The Roman Empire sought to keep people in line and sought to keep the peace by means of fear. If you didn’t pay your taxes; if you caused problems; if you tried anything that looked seditious, you were arrested, tried, and oftentimes executed. Troublemakers were not tolerated. People were publicly humiliated, killed, and crucified to send a message: step out of line, and this is what will happen to you.
The Jews saw these acts of power and believed that the Messiah would bring about God’s power. Wielding the authority of heaven would be something to be even more fearful of! When God’s might and God’s wrath were unleashed, then all would tremble at the power of Israel’s God! When the Messiah ascended the throne, things would drastically change. There would be peace because everyone would be terrified of what would happen if God were crossed. Of course, the Messiah would probably be seen as quite the tyrant–as would God. And would this really change a heart? Do you truly love a tyrant?
Jesus walked away from such expectations. There had to be another way. There had to be a way to ascend to the throne without fear. There had to be another way of cleansing the temple of our hearts without breaking and crushing them in terror.
The answer was the cross.
For even though Jesus could have ascended into that throne; even though He was worthy to sit on that throne. Even though He had obeyed all of God’s commands and observed God’s will perfectly; He chose to face utter rejection not only by the people, but from God the Father. He chose to face the wrath of not only the people for failing to live up to their expectations, but He chose to face the wrath of God so that those very people could be saved. He chose to give up the throne so that He could dwell within your heart. How so?
Most folks, when they hear the story of Jesus admire Him. I mean it. Even some of the most secular folks appreciate many of Jesus’ teachings. They love it when He talks about peace and justice. They love it when He talks about loving even your enemies. Other folks love Jesus when they hear that He can give them peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment. They desperately want those things, and go to church hoping to get them. There are others who have been promised wealth and health and strong relationships because of a relationship with Jesus. They admire Jesus for what He can give to them. In all of these ways, people come to Jesus with great expectations. They cheer Him on. They shout, “Save us now!” But then Jesus confronts them with more. He doesn’t act like they think He should act. He doesn’t give them what they think they deserve. You see, Jesus sees through our facades. He knows that oftentimes we want the things He can give us; we don’t necessarily want Him. We want the goods, but we don’t want to really commit to Him. We love what Jesus can give us, but we don’t really love Him.
If we cherish things above our relationship with God, we commit idolatry. We commit sin. If our desires supersede God’s desires, we are acting out of selfishness, and that selfishness ends up causing great pain. We are all guilty of this. We deserve condemnation, but instead of allowing God to bring such condemnation upon us; Jesus takes it upon Himself. Jesus faces God’s wrath for us. Jesus takes our place because He loves us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
It’s unexpected. It’s a different ending to the story. It’s not what we are used to. For every other religion and philosophy says, “Do this and God will bless you. Do this, and God will love you.” Christianity says, “Jesus has already done this; Jesus has already blessed you; Jesus has already loved you; now do this.” It is that love which truly changes a heart. Has it moved yours? Amen.
And I am not talking about the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” No. I am talking about our Gospel lesson today from Mark chapter 11. We have returned once more to walking through the Gospel of Mark, and our first day back just happens to be the text that is usually read on Palm Sunday–Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In all my years preaching on this text, I have generally overlooked verse 11. I have focused most of my attention on all the rig-a-ma-roe that takes place when Jesus enters into the city. It’s a grand parade! It’s a note of triumph! There is singing and cloak spreading and palm branch waving. It is joyous and uplifting as Jesus enters into Jerusalem, but it ends abruptly, and, might I add, rather unsatisfactorily–at least to our taste.
It’s kind of like the way Christmas is now for many people. Maybe you have had this experience at some point and time. You go through all of the build up for the holiday: shopping, getting ready for the meal; wrapping presents; cooking, cleaning, decorating; putting tons of time and energy into it...Christmas Day finally arrives, and what happens? In less than 10 minutes, the kids have all the gifts unwrapped and they run off to play with their toys. You slave for hours cooking dinner, and it is demolished and eaten in less than 15 minutes. With full bellies, the adults all find their most comfortable spot in the house and doze off. The television is blaring. Kids are off making a bunch of noise. There are a boat load of dishes in the kitchen, and someone has to clean it all up. And you think to yourself, is this what it’s all about? Is this what I spent all that time and effort and worry for? There is a great sense of let-down as all that time, effort, and energy suddenly come crashing down. If you don’t know that feeling in regards to Christmas, I bet you know it regarding something else. All the grandeur ends in a whimper.
That’s what happens when Jesus enters into Jerusalem. Those of you who grew up in the church know the story. You know the actions of the day. Thousands upon thousands of Jewish pilgrims are headed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. It is the holiest of holidays for the Jews. This celebration was mandated by God Himself to commemorate the saving of the Jewish people from slavery to the Egyptians.
In Exodus Chapter 12 God said these words to the people:
14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. 15Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day shall be cut off from Israel. 16On the first day you shall hold a solemn assembly, and on the seventh day a solemn assembly; no work shall be done on those days; only what everyone must eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance.
This day; this celebration of Passover was a huge deal for the Jewish people. It symbolized freedom. It symbolized deliverance. It symbolized the removal of oppression and tyranny. It offered them hope for the future when God would once again make Himself known to the world and deliver His people.
Of course, at this time, that meant the Romans who occupied Israel. There was great hope; there was great expectation that God would indeed deliver them once more, and on this day, that hope rested upon one man: Jesus of Nazareth.
Oh, they had heard the stories about Jesus’ healing. They had heard the stories of His miraculous raising of people from the dead. They had heard of His feeding of the multitudes. They had heard about His preaching and proclaiming of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. They knew of His power, and now...now He was coming to Jerusalem–the center of power and authority for Rome’s occupation and the center of power and authority for Jewish religion and worship. How would things transpire? What kind of statement would be made?
Jesus sets the tone by sending two of His disciples into town to procure a donkey “that has never been ridden.” The commentaries note explicitly two important things: 1) an animal that has never been ridden is a special animal. Such animals were generally seen as being suitable for sacred purposes. 2) Jesus, and the people, know the prophesy from Zechariah chapter 9,
“9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”
This text was about the promised Messiah. The people knew it. Jesus knew it. A donkey was procured. The procession began. And people lined the streets. They took off their outer robes and put them in front of Jesus. They waved leafy branches. They shouted out, “Hosanna.” Now, please know that the original Aramaic word Hosanna! literally means, “Save us now!” These words; these actions by the crowd had great significance! This was not simply a spontaneous, happy gathering celebrating a person who was much admired. No. It goes much, much deeper.
Hear the words of scholar and theologian N.T. Wright:
You don’t spread cloaks on the road–especially in the dusty, stony Middle East!–for a friend, or even a respected senior member of your family. You do it for royalty. And you don’t cut branches off trees, or foliage from the fields, to wave in the streets just because you feel somewhat elated; you do it because you are welcoming a king. Two hundred years before, Judas Maccabaeus defeated the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, entered Jerusalem and cleansed and rebuilt the Temple–and the people waved ivy and palm branches as they sang hymns of praise. The point Mark wants to make, however, is clear. From chapter 8 onwards the disciples have believed that Jesus is the true and rightful King of the Jews, on his way to the capital city to be hailed as such. This is the moment of his royal reception...[And] In the middle of the chant they have inserted the dangerous prayer: Welcome to the kingdom of our father David!
So, I hope you see. This entry into Jerusalem is a direct confrontation of the powers that be. It is a direct confrontation of the earthly kingdom of Rome. It is a direct confrontation of the religious order. It is a direct confrontation of all of the principalities and powers. The crowd is in a frenzy. Everyone is worked up. Expectations are high. Jesus is announcing Himself as the one who comes in the name of the Lord! He is the one ushering in God’s Kingdom!
And how does it end? Jesus walks into the outer courtyard of the Temple. He looks around. He checks His watch–well, no, they didn’t have watches back then, but the language leads us to say almost the same thing. He checks the time, sees that it is late, and goes camping. That’s how it ends. All the pomp. All the circumstance. All the uproar. Poof! Gone.
Why? It seems so unsatisfactory. It seems like such a let down. It seems so contrary to the way we would write the story.
But this is not our story. It’s God’s story. It’s God’s story of redemption. It was deeply held that when the Messiah returned, he would do two things: He would cleanse the temple and set the religious authorities right and he would liberate the people from their oppressors. In doing so, he would make Israel, the chosen nation of God great once more. They would be a power to be reckoned with. All the nations of the world would once again tremble at the power of the God of Israel. That was the expectation, but the reality became much different. The true Messiah; the true Son of God had His sights set on a different temple and a different throne.
First, let’s talk about the temple that Jesus truly has his sights set on. It is not a temple built with hands. St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” This is a far cry from the Jewish understanding of where God was located. The Jews believed that God dwelt within the temple at Jerusalem in the holy of holies. They believed this was the most sacred place on earth. Jesus looked at that temple. He looked toward that holy place, and He walked away. He would return at a later date, but He would come to show the temple for what it truly was: a den of thieves. Jesus was casing the joint. He was making careful observations for He knew what He was here to reveal. He knew He was here to reveal to the world the true nature of God’s love and the true nature of our oppression.
For you see, there is a reason we are oppressed by worldly powers. There is a reason we feel oppressed by all the things that are going on in society. There is a reason we feel stressed out and burned out and at our wits end. There is a reason we feel out of control. We feel such oppression and are oppressed because the human heart is deeply selfish. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It can be good at times, but the reason there is so much pain and suffering in the world; the reason the rich get richer and the poor get poorer; the reason there is hunger and thirst; the reason people kill one another with guns and knives; the reason people steal and manipulate the system is the desire for power and prestige and security. The reason is fear that we won’t have enough or that someone will take what we have. At the center of our heart is a deep longing for security and well being, and we will do most anything to satisfy that longing.
And Jesus stands at the courtyard of our hearts casing the joint. He stands there looking at what He could possibly do to change our hearts. He stands there wondering if there is a possibility of change. How can a heart be changed?
The Roman Empire sought to keep people in line and sought to keep the peace by means of fear. If you didn’t pay your taxes; if you caused problems; if you tried anything that looked seditious, you were arrested, tried, and oftentimes executed. Troublemakers were not tolerated. People were publicly humiliated, killed, and crucified to send a message: step out of line, and this is what will happen to you.
The Jews saw these acts of power and believed that the Messiah would bring about God’s power. Wielding the authority of heaven would be something to be even more fearful of! When God’s might and God’s wrath were unleashed, then all would tremble at the power of Israel’s God! When the Messiah ascended the throne, things would drastically change. There would be peace because everyone would be terrified of what would happen if God were crossed. Of course, the Messiah would probably be seen as quite the tyrant–as would God. And would this really change a heart? Do you truly love a tyrant?
Jesus walked away from such expectations. There had to be another way. There had to be a way to ascend to the throne without fear. There had to be another way of cleansing the temple of our hearts without breaking and crushing them in terror.
The answer was the cross.
For even though Jesus could have ascended into that throne; even though He was worthy to sit on that throne. Even though He had obeyed all of God’s commands and observed God’s will perfectly; He chose to face utter rejection not only by the people, but from God the Father. He chose to face the wrath of not only the people for failing to live up to their expectations, but He chose to face the wrath of God so that those very people could be saved. He chose to give up the throne so that He could dwell within your heart. How so?
Most folks, when they hear the story of Jesus admire Him. I mean it. Even some of the most secular folks appreciate many of Jesus’ teachings. They love it when He talks about peace and justice. They love it when He talks about loving even your enemies. Other folks love Jesus when they hear that He can give them peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment. They desperately want those things, and go to church hoping to get them. There are others who have been promised wealth and health and strong relationships because of a relationship with Jesus. They admire Jesus for what He can give to them. In all of these ways, people come to Jesus with great expectations. They cheer Him on. They shout, “Save us now!” But then Jesus confronts them with more. He doesn’t act like they think He should act. He doesn’t give them what they think they deserve. You see, Jesus sees through our facades. He knows that oftentimes we want the things He can give us; we don’t necessarily want Him. We want the goods, but we don’t want to really commit to Him. We love what Jesus can give us, but we don’t really love Him.
If we cherish things above our relationship with God, we commit idolatry. We commit sin. If our desires supersede God’s desires, we are acting out of selfishness, and that selfishness ends up causing great pain. We are all guilty of this. We deserve condemnation, but instead of allowing God to bring such condemnation upon us; Jesus takes it upon Himself. Jesus faces God’s wrath for us. Jesus takes our place because He loves us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
It’s unexpected. It’s a different ending to the story. It’s not what we are used to. For every other religion and philosophy says, “Do this and God will bless you. Do this, and God will love you.” Christianity says, “Jesus has already done this; Jesus has already blessed you; Jesus has already loved you; now do this.” It is that love which truly changes a heart. Has it moved yours? Amen.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Behold Your King! Palm Sunday Sermon
I remember vividly back in 2008 when Barak Obama was elected president of the United States of America. I know this was not a popular choice here in Texas or in Austin County, but in the scope of the nation, at the time, this was a minority position. The newly elected president had somewhere around a 71% approval rating even before his first act in office. The senator from Illinois had burst on the scene with outstanding rhetoric and capitalized on the extreme unpopularity of President Bush. He cruised to victory in the presidential election, and his victory party was a sight to behold. So was the inauguration. The president drew thousands upon thousands of people. Shortly after entering office, he drew thousands to a speech in Germany. He won the Nobel Peace prize. Millions of people around the world celebrated Barak Obama’s ascension to the highest office of leadership in the United States–arguably the most powerful seat of authority in the world.
Most new regimes are welcomed in such a fashion. If you study history, you know this well. For whatever reason, people usually grow tired of the old leaders. Countries and nations become stuck in a rut. They hear the same tired old speeches. Their lots in life never seem to change. Corruption enters the picture. Friends of those in power get rewarded. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. Those in power enjoy the perks of the office, and there often is a growing perception that those leaders are out of touch with the reality of common folk. Before you know it, people are clamoring for change. People are clamoring for new leadership. And when it comes, they welcome it.
Case in point, let’s look at a snippet from Jewish history. Long ago, the Greek armies under the Selucid empire invaded Israel. They overran the country side, but as the Greek empire became stretched thin, some rebellions became successful. The Jewish Hasmoneans rebelled against this empire and briefly issued in a time of independence for Israel. Briefly. Please know I am painting in large brush strokes here. The details are much too intricate to get into in this sermon. The Jews were all to happy to rid themselves of foreign rule; however there was also dissension. As time passed, the people became less and less appreciative of the Hasmoneans. They became disenchanted with their corruption, and supposedly, when the Roman empire began asserting itself in Israel, instead of offering resistence, the people of Jerusalem opened the gates of the city to welcome the Roman armies in. Interesting historical note there, isn’t it.
Of course, the Jewish folks then resented the Romans who governed them. All to happy to welcome them to begin with, they were more than ready to overthrow them and become independent once again. They were all to ready to have new leadership and new governance. The seeds of rebellion were indeed planted, and all they needed was some energy to begin germination.
This is one of the reasons for the crowd’s enthusiasm on that day when Jesus made his way into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. This is one of the reasons the crowd placed palm branches and cloaks in His path. They had all heard about Jesus. They had heard about His deeds of wonder and power. They had heard about Him healing the sick, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. They had heard of His feeding of the multitude. They had heard of Him calming the storm. They had heard about Him raising the dead. They knew He claimed a special relationship with God–the Son of God; the Son of Man. Here was, they felt, the one who would now lead them; who would defeat the Romans; who would usher in a new Jewish dynasty. And he was riding on a donkey to prove it!
This act of Jesus was intentional. It was no act of humility. The people knew that the prophet Zechariah had foretold in a vision long ago that the king would come to them in such a fashion. You can read the prophesy yourself in Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus knew that prophesy. The people knew that prophesy. The King was coming! Regime change was on the way. Celebration ensued!
But, you know, there is something that must be said about Kings. There is something that must be said about political and religious leaders who rule over others. These folks demand obedience. These folks place demands upon their followers. There is no king, no ruler, no prince, no president, no despot, no monarch, who does not give their subjects complete and total freedom. None of them. Zip. Nada. Zilch. All of them, yes, all of them expect something out of their subjects. This is probably one of the reasons people long for regime change after so many years. They begin to reject the rules imposed by their king or leader. They begin to rebel against the things that they perceive to be an imposition upon their lives. Subjects begin to want to do what they want to do–even if they know the King is looking out for their best interest.
It didn’t take long for people to rebel against Jesus. For Jesus made demands, and He still makes demands of His subjects. His teachings are clear, and He continued to make those demands after He entered Jerusalem on that day long ago.
“Pray for your enemies and bless those who persecute you.”
Jesus, do you mean I have to pray for those Roman soldiers up there? Do you mean I have to ask God to bless them? Yes.
“Your neighbor is the person who is in need. Even an infidel who acts in kindness is doing the will of God–if your enemy is neighborly, He is fulfilling the command of God.”
Jesus, do you mean that God approves of and loves those outside of the Jewish faith? Does God look down upon them with kindness? Yes.
“If anyone wants to become my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me. For you cannot be my disciple unless you give up all of your possessions.”
Jesus, do you mean I have to give up everything to follow you? Do you mean that I have to die to follow you? Yes.
“Give to anyone who begs.”
Jesus, do you mean anyone? Really anyone? What if you know they are taking advantage of you? What if you know they have plenty and are using you? You still want us to give? Yes.
Is it any wonder why people rebelled against Jesus?
Is it any wonder why we rebel against Jesus today?
The obedience He asks for is simply too much. It is an unobtainable reality. We simply value our freedom too much. We value our time too much. We value our money too much. You want everything from me, Jesus? It’s too much to ask. I can’t give it.
Is it any wonder that the very crowd crying “Hosanna!” began yelling “Crucify!”?
And here is a most interesting twist–a most interesting twist indeed. For usually, when people rebel against their rulers, their rulers react swiftly and harshly. Violence is usually the order of the day. Imprisonment is certainly an option. Fear of arrest, of marginalization, of being audited by the IRS, and a host of other such methods is usually the rule of thumb to keep people in line. Kings throughout the ages have come up with nasty ways of keeping populations in line and in control. Gas chambers, bombs, tanks, tear gas, you name it.
But what was Jesus response? How did this King handle our rebellion?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.
Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested. He allowed Himself to be beaten. He allowed Himself to be condemned, and He willingly stretched out His arms and died. He died for His rebellious subjects so that they may see His great love for them and then moved by His love, they may strive toward obedience–not out of fear, but out of love for their King. A King who willingly dies that His subjects may have life; abundant life; eternal life.
Behold, this is your King! Amen.
Most new regimes are welcomed in such a fashion. If you study history, you know this well. For whatever reason, people usually grow tired of the old leaders. Countries and nations become stuck in a rut. They hear the same tired old speeches. Their lots in life never seem to change. Corruption enters the picture. Friends of those in power get rewarded. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. Those in power enjoy the perks of the office, and there often is a growing perception that those leaders are out of touch with the reality of common folk. Before you know it, people are clamoring for change. People are clamoring for new leadership. And when it comes, they welcome it.
Case in point, let’s look at a snippet from Jewish history. Long ago, the Greek armies under the Selucid empire invaded Israel. They overran the country side, but as the Greek empire became stretched thin, some rebellions became successful. The Jewish Hasmoneans rebelled against this empire and briefly issued in a time of independence for Israel. Briefly. Please know I am painting in large brush strokes here. The details are much too intricate to get into in this sermon. The Jews were all to happy to rid themselves of foreign rule; however there was also dissension. As time passed, the people became less and less appreciative of the Hasmoneans. They became disenchanted with their corruption, and supposedly, when the Roman empire began asserting itself in Israel, instead of offering resistence, the people of Jerusalem opened the gates of the city to welcome the Roman armies in. Interesting historical note there, isn’t it.
Of course, the Jewish folks then resented the Romans who governed them. All to happy to welcome them to begin with, they were more than ready to overthrow them and become independent once again. They were all to ready to have new leadership and new governance. The seeds of rebellion were indeed planted, and all they needed was some energy to begin germination.
This is one of the reasons for the crowd’s enthusiasm on that day when Jesus made his way into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. This is one of the reasons the crowd placed palm branches and cloaks in His path. They had all heard about Jesus. They had heard about His deeds of wonder and power. They had heard about Him healing the sick, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. They had heard of His feeding of the multitude. They had heard of Him calming the storm. They had heard about Him raising the dead. They knew He claimed a special relationship with God–the Son of God; the Son of Man. Here was, they felt, the one who would now lead them; who would defeat the Romans; who would usher in a new Jewish dynasty. And he was riding on a donkey to prove it!
This act of Jesus was intentional. It was no act of humility. The people knew that the prophet Zechariah had foretold in a vision long ago that the king would come to them in such a fashion. You can read the prophesy yourself in Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus knew that prophesy. The people knew that prophesy. The King was coming! Regime change was on the way. Celebration ensued!
But, you know, there is something that must be said about Kings. There is something that must be said about political and religious leaders who rule over others. These folks demand obedience. These folks place demands upon their followers. There is no king, no ruler, no prince, no president, no despot, no monarch, who does not give their subjects complete and total freedom. None of them. Zip. Nada. Zilch. All of them, yes, all of them expect something out of their subjects. This is probably one of the reasons people long for regime change after so many years. They begin to reject the rules imposed by their king or leader. They begin to rebel against the things that they perceive to be an imposition upon their lives. Subjects begin to want to do what they want to do–even if they know the King is looking out for their best interest.
It didn’t take long for people to rebel against Jesus. For Jesus made demands, and He still makes demands of His subjects. His teachings are clear, and He continued to make those demands after He entered Jerusalem on that day long ago.
“Pray for your enemies and bless those who persecute you.”
Jesus, do you mean I have to pray for those Roman soldiers up there? Do you mean I have to ask God to bless them? Yes.
“Your neighbor is the person who is in need. Even an infidel who acts in kindness is doing the will of God–if your enemy is neighborly, He is fulfilling the command of God.”
Jesus, do you mean that God approves of and loves those outside of the Jewish faith? Does God look down upon them with kindness? Yes.
“If anyone wants to become my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me. For you cannot be my disciple unless you give up all of your possessions.”
Jesus, do you mean I have to give up everything to follow you? Do you mean that I have to die to follow you? Yes.
“Give to anyone who begs.”
Jesus, do you mean anyone? Really anyone? What if you know they are taking advantage of you? What if you know they have plenty and are using you? You still want us to give? Yes.
Is it any wonder why people rebelled against Jesus?
Is it any wonder why we rebel against Jesus today?
The obedience He asks for is simply too much. It is an unobtainable reality. We simply value our freedom too much. We value our time too much. We value our money too much. You want everything from me, Jesus? It’s too much to ask. I can’t give it.
Is it any wonder that the very crowd crying “Hosanna!” began yelling “Crucify!”?
And here is a most interesting twist–a most interesting twist indeed. For usually, when people rebel against their rulers, their rulers react swiftly and harshly. Violence is usually the order of the day. Imprisonment is certainly an option. Fear of arrest, of marginalization, of being audited by the IRS, and a host of other such methods is usually the rule of thumb to keep people in line. Kings throughout the ages have come up with nasty ways of keeping populations in line and in control. Gas chambers, bombs, tanks, tear gas, you name it.
But what was Jesus response? How did this King handle our rebellion?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.
Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested. He allowed Himself to be beaten. He allowed Himself to be condemned, and He willingly stretched out His arms and died. He died for His rebellious subjects so that they may see His great love for them and then moved by His love, they may strive toward obedience–not out of fear, but out of love for their King. A King who willingly dies that His subjects may have life; abundant life; eternal life.
Behold, this is your King! Amen.
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