Crown Him King
Crown Him King!
Matthew 21:1 through Matthew 21:17 (NIV)
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ “
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’ ?”
17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
1. Credentials Recorded in Expectant Prophecy.
A. The Word of God Validates
B. The Work of Christ Verifies
*king Arthur + the sword in the stone
II. Credentials Rehearsed in Excited Praise
A. Red carpet
Prepare The Way -- Here is one that did not ask for an entourage, but received one as a token of his office.
B. Rejoicing
***In Christian symbolism the palm has always been used to represent
joy, and especially that joy which comes from victory. Doubtless
this symbol came into the church through the use mode of palm
branches by the Greek and Romans to celebrate their triumphs over
their enemies. But to Christian the palm symbolizes victory over
self and the world. The great multitude of the redeemed are
represented as standing before the Lamb, clothed with white robes
and with palms in their hands. --- J. Burms
***A good Presbyterian minister of Old Scotland, of the staid and orthodox type, had a poor old woman in his congregation who was in the habit of saying, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," when anything particularly helpful was said, This practice greatly disturbed the minister and one New Year's day he went to see her. "Betty," he said, "I will make a bargain with you. You call out, 'Praise the Lord' just when I get to the best part of my sermon and it upsets my thoughts. Now if you will stop doing it all this year, I will give you a pair of wool blankets."
Betty was poor, and the offer of the blankets sounded good. So she did her best to earn them. Sunday after Sunday she kept quiet. But one day a minister came to preach who was bubbling over with joy. As he preached on the forgiveness of sin and all the blessings that follow, the vision of the blankets began to fade and fade, and the joys of salvation grew brighter and brighter. At last Betty could stand it no longer and jumping up she cried, "Blankets or no blankets, Hallelujah!"
III. Credentials Revealed in Exercised Power
A. Authority
B. Ability
***In the years 1014-1035 there ruled over England a Danish king
named Canute. King Canute tired of hearing his retainers
flatter him with extravagant praises of his greatness, power and
invincibility. He ordered his chair to be set down on the
seashore, where he commanded the waves not to come in and wet
him. No matter how forcefully he ordered the tide not to come
in, however, his order was not obeyed. Soon the waves lapped
around his chair. One historian tells us that, therefore, he
never wore his crown again, but hung it on a statue of the
crucified Christ.
***At a reception honoring musician Sir Robert Mayer on his 100th birthday, elderly British socialite Lady Diana Cooper fell into conversation with a friendly woman who seemed to know her well. Lady Diana's failing eyesight prevented her from recognizing her fellow guest, until she peered more closely at the magnificent diamonds and realized she was talking to Queen Elizabeth! Overcome with embarrassment, Lady Diana curtsied and stammered, "Ma'am, oh, ma'am, I'm sorry ma'am. I didn't recognize you without your crown!"
"It was so much Sir Robert's evening," the queen replied, "that I decided to leave it behind."
That's the kind of quiet humility Jesus would have applauded. The queen could easily have grabbed the spotlight, but she willingly gave the place of honor to another.
IV. Credentials Rejected at an Expensive Price
A. Empty of Praise
***In church last Sunday I noted a small child who was turning around smiling at everyone. He wasn't gurgling, spitting, humming, tearing the hymnbooks apart, or rummaging through his mother's purse. He was just smiling. Suddenly his mother jerked him around, and in a stage whisper that everyone could hear, said, "Stop grinning. You're in church." With that she have him a slap on his hindside, and as the tears rolled down his cheeks she added, "That's better," and returned to her prayers.
If you can't grin in church, where can you be happy?
B. Empty of Presence
***An Indian in Arizona was asked about his relation to God and
especially as to what he felt as he prayed. He answered: "When
I pray, it seems to me that my life is a little irrigation ditch
leading into a mighty river; and when I come close to God, it
seems that the water of that river is moving on down toward me
and into the little ditch, flooding my life. Then I feel the
power and presence of God." (Choice Illus." W.W. Clay pg. 56)
Conclusion:
When Queen Victoria had just ascended her throne she went, as is the custom of Royalty, to hear "The Messiah" rendered. She had been instructed as to her conduct by those who knew, and was told that she must not rise when the others stood at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. When that magnificent chorus was being sung and the singers were shouting "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth," she sat with great difficulty. It seemed as if she would rise in spite of the custom of kings and queens, but finally when they came to that part of the chorus where with a shout they
proclaim Him King of kings suddenly the young queen rose and stood with bowed head, as if she would take her own crown from off her head and cast it at His feet. Let us make Him King and every day be loyal to Him. This is the secret of peace. -- J. Wilbur Chapman
"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has
been reward for what he gave."
- Calvin Coolidge
Palm Monday
The donkey awakened, his mind still savoring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure and pride. He walked into town and found a group of people by the well. "I'll show myself to them" he thought. But they didn't notice him. They went on drawing their water and paid him no mind.
"Throw your garments down," he said crossly. "Don't you know who I am?" They just looked at him in amazement. Someone slapped him across the tail and ordered him to move.
"Miserable heathens!" he muttered to himself. "I'll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me." But the same thing happened. No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place.
"The palm branches! Where are the palm branches!" he shouted. "Yesterday, you threw palm branches!" Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.
"Foolish child," she said gently. "Don't you realize that without him, you are just an ordinary donkey?"
Just like the donkey who carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ. Without him, all our best efforts are like "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) and amount to nothing. When we lift up Christ, however, we are no longer ordinary people but key players in God's plan to redeem the world.
To be involved in the labor of the church is nothing, but it is to crown Jesus King of your every day that brings true victory.
Hosanna, Save now!