Jesus: Sovereign, Majestic, Meek King Mark 11:1-11
Good morning brothers and sisters. It is such a pleasure to do church with you this morning. And I hope that the Lord is Blessing you and as we celebrate Palm Sunday is Holy Week as we get into the week of Easter. I hope your lens has been fruitful and productive and I hope that this morning's message will inspired it to continue to follow and to love our King. Jesus of the title of today's message is going to be Jesus The Sovereign Majestic meet King as we see in Mark 11 1 to 11. So we're going to read the scriptures this morning. So if you have your copy of God's word and encourage you to turn to Mark Levin on the 26th, or the scripture should be on your screen.
Beginning of the Gospel of Mark chapter 11 verse 1 when they approached Jerusalem at bethage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. He sent two of his disciples. And told them going to the Village ahead of you as soon as you entered. You will find a young donkey tied there on which no one has ever said I'm tired and bring him here. If anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say the Lord needs it and will send it back here right away. So they went and found a young donkey outside in the street Tied by a door. They untied it and some of those standing there said of them. What are you doing in tying? The donkey the answer them just as Jesus has said so they let them go. Then they brought the donkey to Jesus and through the robes on it and he sat on it many people spread their robes in the road and other spread leafy branches cut from the fields. And those who went to heaven those who followed kept shouting Hosanna he who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed one the coming king of Our Father. David is bless hosanna in the highest heaven. And he went into Jerusalem and into the temple complex after looking around at everything since it was already late. He went out to Bethany with the 12. Let's pray.
Father in Heaven, I just pray that the words my mouth. And meditations of my heart would be pleasing to you and how to find your people have mercy I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
One day when I was in the second grade I decided to go to not go home right away after school, but instead went to a friend's house to play and after about three hours of fooling around it dawned on me that I was going to be in deep trouble the rule for me was to go straight home after school. So my buddy and I decided to devise a story to try to tell my grandparents Mustang with time that a wild pack of dogs chased me through the woods and that it took me three hours or so to find my way home. Why should have known better? I'm not much different now than I was then and the idea of dogs chasing me implies that I was running and I don't really run the dogs win every time so it was no surprise to my grandparents. I didn't buy my story men's matter fact, none of my family bought the story because my grandparents cared about my character as a young man. My pop all decided that I needed quick insufficient indecisive discipline. And so he told me to get a limb off the peach tree out in the yard and to go to the bathroom and wait for To get to the bathroom. I had to walk down this long dark hallway, and it was a road. I often traveled but when I often needed I knew what wait for me at the end of its death. Well, at least it felt like that the long walk down the hallway was my walk of defeat. I was caught convicted and heading to the cross of judgment. There was no victory for me at the end of the hallway. So my walk was filled with tears and and moping and shame and anxiety and regret. And I see in today's passage that Jesus is walking down the same hallway. The difference is that he's actually heading towards a much darker hallway a much more severe judgment. It's the cross. This is what awaits him in Jerusalem and he knows it in yet. He enters Jerusalem like a boss. There's no tears. There's no moping. There's no shame. There's no anxiety. There's no fear just victory. He enters Jerusalem like a king who enters the city after a great one on the battlefield. Now my question is when I read the text is how in the world does he do this knowing what's coming? How does he face the cross with such certainty? How is he able to Rejoice with those around him ride in to the city? And be completely aware that was waiting on him is a cross. Walmart tells us in his gospel chapter 11 verses 1 through 11 that Jesus is The Sovereign Majestic meet King who's come tonight having an earth. And because he is this he can face death victoriously in friends. I tell you because of who he is The Sovereign Majestic making we can face death victoriously. So let's take a look this morning. And let's see a portrait of Christ. I Mark begins to unpack for us this Sovereign Majestic meet King to get there. We need to set up the setting just a little bit. And so I want to spend a little bit of time looking at the Divine geography and the purpose of the temple because this is really the backdrop of chapter 11 and this is where Jesus is heading to look at verse 1. Let's take a look at the Divine geography. the setting has something that begins here, you'll notice that they approached routes in the bethage and Bethany near Mount of Olives and the Mount of Olives the place where Jesus did a great deal of ministry and it's the place the Messiah will return if you look at Zechariah 14:4, it says that the Lord will go out and fight against the nation's as he fights in the day of battle. On that day, his feet will fight against the nation's on that damn. Sorry, his feet will sound the Mount of Olives which phases through some of the East the Mount of Olives will be split in half the West forming a huge Valley so that half the mountain will move to the north and half the South Zacharias talking about the day of the Lord when the Messiah returns to gather his people and restore the Earth see at the cross. Jesus is going to fulfill part of this prophecy. He's going to go to the Cross to bring victory over death and to be able to save a people for himself and one day he's going to come back and finish that work standing on the Mount of Olives and in bringing all those were with him and and we are living in this already not yet time, so waiting for that day to happen and he's heading towards Jerusalem, which is the city of God is the city work. God has chosen to meet his people on the Earth and really he's heading towards the temp. And this is significant because the temple is a sacred place where Heaven and Earth meet and sanctity and communion with God. The temple does not begin with Solomon or Israel in the wilderness the story of the temple actually begins in the Garden of Eden.
When God created the heavens and the Earth he made Man In His Image. He also made a special Garden for man and God sits well in together and this Garden was a sanctuary. There was no death no destruction or disease no deformity or evil only Perfection a holy God dwelling in harmony with his holy creation and His holy image Bears Adam and Eve in the garden with the Fulfillment of God's desire to dwell with man and fortunately though man broke commune with God through his Disobedience Adam and Eve decided to deliberately transgressed God's command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and in doing this Unity with God and the serenity they enjoyed was all lost and God curse create any kick Adam and Eve out of the garden and their simeprevir suffering from their only got As a matter fact there separation was so in fact that God station a cherub. Flaming swirling stored east of the garden to guard the way the tree of life now, the the Flaming sword is an instrument of death. No one was allowed back into the presence of God. No, God was not done with Humanity. God desired to to still dwell this people. So in Genesis 12 God calls a Vermin and gives him a promise of land Steven blessing and God makes a covenant with him promising to build a great nation from Avery's children a people he will call his own and this will eventually be Israel. And so God promised him landwers people with dwell in safety of his refuge in his Holiness has lost. You also said the people will be a blessing to the nation and they're going to come and they're going to gather to special place of worship to get to know and this special place was Jerusalem more specifically it was the temple And the temple was massive, it had separations. It had an outer Courtyard for the Gentiles to gather in the inner corner of reserve the priest for those making sacrifices and and there's this in a room called the holy of holies in the holiest Holly. This is the most sacred place on the planet Earth and the high priest was allowed to enter the holy of holies once a year only after completing a very rigid vacations process to be ceremonially clean the sacrifice. He made was for the atonement of the sins of all people of all the people of Israel rather in the Bible says without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins for Life is In The Blood. You see that Hebrews 9 the priest never enter the holy of holies without the blood of a sacrifice. Now the problem is there was never a perfect sacrifice. No animals Blood Cuz sufficiently deal with Man Simple heart. You see Israel failed at keeping the law. So much for the god of the X album from his presence twice. Solomon's Temple was raised to the ground by the Babylonians and 586 BC symbolize in the God's absence from the land was was eminent and the second temple was trouble was built 7 years later, but not nearly was Solomon's Temple was as matter fact of response of God people was a bit bipolar the younger Generations rejoicing but the older generation was lamenting because the fullness of God was not entirely seen or felt nothing like when the Shekinah Glory fell on the tip of the first time there was something missing. And the first century hair try to to build on this Temple and make it Grand and great and has mass back one commentator comments. He says that the temple consists of these four division. It was so immense and so proportionate that it took the columns were so massive that it took three people to bring their arms together to go around them. Is estimated the outer Courtyard could hold up to 75,000 people?
the issue was God was not present wasn't there. And so the temple was missing something. It was missing God. However in Mark's gospel. God is about to enter the temple. Once again this time not to issue kind of Glory. But as a sovereign Majestic meet Qing Hui night have a nerd and that King is Jesus. So God Returns the temple through Jesus. And so now we have that as a backdrop and we're coming into entering the temple and verses 1 through 10. What Mark is doing? Here is he's he's paying a picture. He's he's paying a portion of Jesus in his narrative and he is letting us know something about Christ and I want to ask the question. I want to ask how how what does Jesus tell us about himself. When he enters the temple, what is he revealing to us that we should pay attention to? What is going to help us grow in our faith? What is going to help us better understand who he is and what he's about to through 7 is going to tell us several things. First of all, Jesus is going to show us that he is The Sovereign Lord And we see a 17 verses 2 through 7 right off the bat. Jesus tells disciples where they can find a young donkey. That's never been written. And he explains if someone ask you about this donkey to tell them that the Lord needs it and they'll send it back right away. Of course the disciples go and find that the Lord needs it and in their able to get it and the people do exactly as what Jesus said he would do now pay attention here to the word Lord. This is kind of central one of the key words that Jesus using for sovereignty is the word Lord the Lord can mean master and human scent but it's often used to describe. Jesus is divine Authority in Jesus refers to himself this way when he is so he's a lord of the Sabbath staying Mark 2:28 and further on Jesus quotes Mark, I'm sorry Psalm 110:1 referring to David calling the Messiah Lord and Mark 12:36. Is it so it's a term of sovereignty the term of control a term of authority. Secondly what you see is his ordaining of Events or his foreknowledge. And Jesus is showing us by knowing who the owners of the donkeys and knowing what to do with the donkey that he has for side or even or even sovereignty over future events and he's done this before in the past. He told Peter to go catch a fish with a coin in his mouth. We can pay the temple tax and Matthew 27 verses 24 27 Jesus also predicts his arrest death and Resurrection three times in markten any any EUC throughout the gospels that he steals the storms. He feeds the hungry and he heals the sick and I see that he is The Sovereign Lord and and you see him showing his for knowledge is power.
What you also see is his authority.
And this is beautiful my eyes because Jesus knows exactly what he's getting into by entering Jerusalem is going in the temple. Jesus intercedes Ruth was no accident or attempt of a revolutionary leader the sparkle revolve entering Jerusalem was all part of God's Sovereign plan is Peter explains. Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God in Acts. 2:23. Jesus is aware of this plan was entering Jerusalem, and he already told his disciples and John this he says this is why the father loves me because I am laying down my life so I can take it up again. No one can take it from me. I lay it down in my own. I have the right to lay it down. I have the right to take it up. I have received this command from my father. Jesus is not entered Jerusalem is a some unknowing victim. We don't serve a victim Messiah. We serve a sovereign Lord who voluntarily laid his life down to the father Sovereign wealth in a rose by the same Sovereign wheel. Yes, the Jews in the Romans were players in the game. But it pleased the father to crush the Son and the son rejoice and glorifying the father. I think Matthew Gilbert sums it up. Well when he says God is Sovereign over the death of his son because he is Sovereign over the salvation of his people the gospel would not be good news. If it were not for the absolute sovereignty of God it is to his foreknowledge Providence and for ordination that the sun is given the substitution a sacrifice for Sinners. The sovereignty of God is vital because without God's sovereignty in the death and resurrection of Jesus, there would be no advance of the gospel and no growth of the church.
Now I have to take a moment and consider how Jesus enters Jerusalem knowing that the cross is before him. the cross is not the object of his heart his father is He keeps is high on what matters most God the father Jesus is Love for the father and his joy and redeeming Sinners is greater than the suffering. He will endure at the cross. And this is key to keeping his Joy. while he suffers
in this life friend Our circumstances can be overwhelming. I mean despair destruction death constantly surrounded us uncertainty can strike our hearts at any moment. This is the result of living in a broken world.
What do we have inside of us to keep our sanity? Nothing in them ourselves positive thoughts don't cut it. You can't send somebody positive thoughts that's absurd abstract faith has no rock or Foundation saying all things happen for a reason with no understanding of the force that's behind the reason they still at Beth fatalism trusting in some Willie Neal E4 sits out their governing things and it and it worst Despair and I think suicide No, we are not left fatalism. We're not left to some Magical Force out there. We're not left to to to what's uncertain about our future God has ordained or days and he is Sovereign and control in Jesus is a picture of that he walks into Jerusalem as The Sovereign Lord and understanding that he shows has the fruit knowing that there's a God in heaven who is working all things out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. The fruit of that is joy and faith and The Mists of hearts. You can have joy. And still Suffer Well, you can have joy even The Mists of this virus. You can have joy in the midst of hardship. I'm not talking about happiness happiness comes and goes but joy is Rock Solid and you can keep that joy and have that Joy if your heart is firmly convinced and convicted to the sovereignty of God as Jesus was And Jesus shows us that he is The Sovereign Lord you can trust. Now he also shows us though that he is a majestic king and you don't see it. This is a little more subtle because he's riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey that has never been ridden. It's the sacred Beast of Burden if you want to call it that James Edwards, who's the Theologian he explains the, during of a beast of burden was the prerogative of King in ancient times and this to suggest Jesus the king me role in unbroken Beast of Burden was regarded as sacred and you see that numbers 19 to and Deuteronomy 21 3 which made it appropriate for a king since according to the mission on no one else may ride the king's horse furthermore riding a donkey contract. We might think today was a kingly act which identified him the Royal line of David the donkey was the royal animal deer in King David's Reign after him the Hebrew king switch the horses and the donkey was considered unsuitable. To be the day that you came. So you have this kind of contrast happening with Jesus on the one hand doing a kingly thing by running the donkey on the other hand. He looks very undignified running a donkey. And so you have that going but you also have the Fulfillment of Prophecy and Zechariah 9:9 quotes. He says, Pacific quote this what you see this in Matthew and Luke if you read their account of this Zechariah 9:9 says Rejoice greatly o Daughter of Zion shout. Of Jerusalem. See your king comes to you righteous and having salvation gentle and riding on a donkey on a Colt the Falvey donkey some are choosing to describe the scene of the people preparing the donkey. And then laying down palm branches and cloaks all rejoice and sing the hello, which is the Hosanna. And he who comes in him Lord has blessed the king of our father day was blessed was in the highest. That's the hallel. So it was common practice in the culture to lay down palm branches and cloaks as a king was entering a city you see this and historical accounts by Plutarch, which record that when Cato a Statesman the Roman Republic in 95 BC retired from the military service of the soldiers honor him by casting their mantles down for him to walk upon a Biblical example of this is the scene in Israel's history when they not rated King. Jehu room. Sorry, I 2nd Kings 9:13, they hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him of his bare steps and they blew the trumpet in shouted Gyros King. Add to display of royalty the people also cried out this chant Hosanna, which is translated the Hebrew word that literally means save I pray as they would a king who was who was going out to battle. They're calling for him to save us blessed. Is he who comes in the name of Lord? And this is a reference to Psalm 118 24 to 25. Now Luke change the pronoun with key to the word King blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Who is this King verse 10. The king is as the one who's going to bring in the Kingdom date of David. So the people were literally saying save us Jesus or save us King Jesus, which is precisely what Jesus came to do. However, the people were not anticipating the way he was going to do it. You see the people were looking for a king who would lead a revolt against the Romans Ken Hughes brings up an interesting point. He says the palm branches represent of their nationalistic desire to be delivered for when Simon Maccabees delivered Jerusalem 150 years earlier. It was celebrating with praise palm branches a musical instrument. So the people were laying down the branches thinking that Jesus was going to be a revolutionary leader and they were confused and did not know what they're saying who they're sing to with the dough they misunderstood it there. They were correct about his position. Jesus is the Majestic King. Any rides into town is majestic King A Savior King, he came and fulfilling the Messianic prophecies that God for told about his Saviour King. He's going into battle for the Salvation with people and He will be victorious which is why there's rejoicing Jesus will die in the cross that Jesus will crush Satan head when he raises from the dead which is why Jesus can enter Jerusalem the way he's doing it cuz he's not coming into feeded. He's coming in Victorious just as a king would returning from Battle.
I'll tell you friend, but that same Jesus who conquered death is the same Jesus who can live inside of you and conquered death for you. He is the Majestic King The Sovereign King the Messiah King and he rides in Victory into Jerusalem though. The cross has before him the resurrected life is coming and he offers that same resurrected life to all who believe in him and surrender themselves under his authority.
Is that describe you?
Now say that.
We don't only to see that he's a sovereign Lord. We don't only just we don't we not only see that he is the Majestic king of finally we see that he is the meek suffering servant. I just seen Mark 11:11 and Luke 19:41 to 44 and end really and it looks account to beat we open with his muteness by the sing the way he responds to Jerusalem. He weeps over Jerusalem if you look at Luke 19:41 244 and this was not a quiet whimpering of Swords but a deep wailing he wept and cried over his people who rejected him. If you knew he says this day would bring peace. But now it's hidden from your eyes. The days will come when you when your enemies will build an inventing against you and Surround you and him you and every side and they will crush you and your children but you to the ground and they will not leave one stone on another new because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. And what he speaking to is that Jesus is saying because you were they rejected him then the Romans were going to come on 78d and they were going to demolish the temple and the city that's exactly what Josephus reports and in his pistol historical account that the entire city was raised in the temple was brought down and Jesus knew that turning away from God had severe consequences Justice Adam turned away from God in the garden and death followed. So here got people turned away again and death follows and Jesus weeps because Jesus is not the Messiah who wishes people to die or wishes people to Paris. She's a Maasai who came to give life. And so he weeps over death. And you see him with all this power and all this Glory. He humbled himself and he weaves over his people. It's a sign of his muteness the other side of his meekness as you see that he appears in obscurity as I said before it was custom for a king to show up to a city with a whole charade of people and pumping and even today when the when the president flies into a city of the airspace the ground space is merely put on alert and all those from the politics and the business to show up in limousines and crowns are all cheering him on and playing hail the chief and what not and you have all this Pomp and Circumstances surrounding an important meeting but hear Jesus however rides in a donkey there's that contrast again. He's riding in them donkeys. Not a charger. It's not a noble Steed as it's not some stallion of a horse. It's this modest donkey and he comes in Fairly unannounced. He had some people cheering him on but the entire city was not in an uproar. Jesse came in the world is a baby born in a barn and putting a truck. So he arrives into Jerusalem with the same relative security. Not the king Lear response. He deserves.
Notice in verse 10 and verse 11 notice how the crowd is kind of fizzled at the end. There's there's no big $2. There's no to do with with him entering. There's no confrontation. It just kind of dissipates the crowd just goes away. What a contrast the Majestic Sovereign King arrives in meekness. Not pump and he arrives with a fizzle not glory and fame. And here he is the meat King does The Sovereign Lord The Majestic King riding in the donkey, and it comes again in obscurity. I think the highlight of Jesus's meekness though is seen when he can has a confrontation pilot. And in Jesus tells pilot that his kingdom is not of this world that he could charge his angels to come down and wipe out all Humanity if need be. And he has the power to do such a thing and this you see his his kingliness and is meekness most displayed because meekness is not weakness, but its power under control and Jesus displays the depth of his meekness at the cross. He couldn't turn the whole place inside out with a legion of angels multiple instead. He submits surrenders to the father's will be handed over to his enemies because he knew you and I needed salvation. And so he kept things at Bay. He kept his power under control even with every lash with every whip with every driving of the nail where you and I would quickly turned against our enemies and bring Hellfire and rat Jesus surrendered.
UC What's remarkable about Jesus is that his meeting this comes from a confidence that despite appearances? He is still in control and his father is just and righteous Mo vindicated mean time.
That's a difference between Christ in us. We demand Vindication. Now, we demand all counts to be settled regardless of how we handle the truth or how we see them. and what I would I find Beautifully compelling about Christ is that all this power at his fingertips and he's able to restrain it finding his confidence in his father to raise him from the dead. Do you understand that you and I can have the same confidence when we are send against when we are dealing with issues. We're having Christ empowered inside of you. As God is conforming To His Image. You have the power to have the same kind of control.
Over yourself. You have the ability to love your enemies. You have the ability to turn your cheek. You have your ability to see if your enemy is thirsty to give him water. If he is hungry to give him something to eat. You have the ability to love your neighbor as yourself. That's exactly what Christ was doing the same power that he has he's given to you. We can look forward to a day when God will vindicate us and every wrong will be made right. Can you imagine what our churches and communities and homes would look like if our confidence was like that of Jesus's? imagine how humble and meek our marriages would be our parenting would be our dealings with our neighbors would be it would be Heaven uniting earn.
Now he came make on a donkey this time, but there's going to come a day when Jesus is going to come as a warrior king. And he's not going to return and meekness me some return in power and he's going to come back and he says in Revelations 19 11 to 16 and he's going to come as a warrior. Listen to what the text says that I saw the heavens open Behold a white horse. The one sitting on it was called faithful and true and righteousness. He judges and makes War. His eyes are like a flame of fire. And on his head are many diadem's and he has a name written that no one knows but himself he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood a name by which is called the word of God and the armies of Heaven a raid in fine linen, white and pure we're following him on white horses from his mouth comes a sharp sword, which is a 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 and on his robe and on his thigh. He has a name written the King of Kings and the Lord of lords one day. We're going to see The Sovereign Lord The Majestic King was going to come he's not going to be the suffering servant. He is going to be the warrior king who was going to restore having an earth and unite the whole thing together.
Now my question to you this morning is how are you responding to what Jesus has shown you about himself? He is showing you that he's a sovereign Lord. He is showing you that he's a majestic King. He is showing you that he came as a suffering makes servant all on your behalf. Now I'm pilot confronted him and her buddy had to say pilot just walked away. And if you look at verse 11 the crowd to welcome them into the city like a king just Fizzles out and eventually they turn their backs on him and treat him like a criminal they don't recognize him for who he is friend. This is an act of God. God must open your eyes to see ask God to open your eyes. If you cannot see him a sovereign if you cannot see him as Majestic, if you cannot see him at the suffering servant asked the Lord to give your eyes eyes to see give the heart of your that the eyes of your heart the ability to Behold The King. Because if you if you read on in chapter 11, the first 10 verses are not the main point of chapter of the chapter Jesus entering Jerusalem, not at the end of the journey.
But at the beginning of Jesus's heading to the temple remember remember? That he is heading to the temple where the temples were God meets his people the temples were the high priest must enter into the holy of holies presented sacrificed a lamb without blemish spot with no corruption to atone for the sins of God's people when when when man fell from Grace Lin Garden God sacrifice to lamp and covered Adam and Eve with the skin. He also promised that one day on the side with, King from Heaven who give his life as a ransom for many and he will come from a virgin in the line of David and he'll come riding on a donkey and be calling his people to repent and believe he's not going to come as a political pain or Warrior Kings, but he's going to come as a mica humble King who will not kill the Gentiles and Revolt but lay his life down for these Gentiles to save them. Jesus was entering the temple challenge the old sacrificial Sims a system. The temple is no longer going to be the place where God was going to meet his people God was coming to them and is going to offer himself to all those who believe. So that we can be with God God's desire is to dwell with his people. It's going to be through Christ. You're going to find faith in Christ. You going to find forgiveness in Christ? And you going to find the ability to be in God's presence through Christ? the sovereign The Majestic the meek King and that is how he is going to unite Heaven and Earth he replaces the temple and threw him God dwells this people now one day all of us are going to have to walk down that hallway. It's appointed for man to die once and then face judgment. Do you know what's waiting for you at the end of that hallway?
Now the answer lies and how you respond to Jesus.
Is he your Sovereign Lord? Is he your king? Have you accepted him? The Bible says to all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. I pray this morning. I pray this morning if you're hearing this that you'll listen. You'll give your life to Christ that you'll see him as a sovereign Lord, you'll see him as a majestic King. You'll accept his humility his work in the cross and exchange it for your sinfulness. You give you his life and his righteousness and you will be able to live with him forever in eternity.
Let's pray father I ask for that you please bless your people bless. This word me and glorify your name and give us great joy in his name. We pray I'm in.