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WELCOMING JESUS INTO OUR LIVES
~Mark 11:1-11~
In-person service at
Second Baptist Church
2412 Griffith Ave.
Los Angeles
William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
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1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11:1-11 (Matt. 21:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19)
Introduction
The triumphal entry depicts Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as
Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19).
Something exciting was taking place. There were two processions that entered Jerusalem on a spring day. It was the beginning of the week of Passover - the most sacred week of the Jewish year. In the centuries since, Christians have celebrated this day as Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, with its climax of Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.
One was a peasant procession, the other an imperial procession. From the east,
Jesus rode a donkey down the Mount of Olives, cheered by His followers. Jesus was from the peasant village of Nazareth, His message was about the kingdom of God, love, forgiveness and sacrifice.
On the opposite side of the city, from the west, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea and Samaria entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers. This procession proclaimed the power of the Roman Empire.
Jesus approaches the city from the east at the end of the journey from Galilee and tells His disciples to go to the next village and get Him a colt they will find there, one that has never been ridden. They do so and Jesus rides the colt down the Mount of Olives to the city surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic followers and sympathizers, who spread their cloaks, strew leafy branches on the road and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Symbolism from the prophet Zechariah in the Jewish Bible is portrayed. According to Zachariah, a king would be coming to Jerusalem, “humble and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9:9). The rest of the passage details what kind of king he will be: He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations (9:10).
Jesus’ procession countered what was happening on the other side of the city. Pilate’s procession embodied the power, glory and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative vision - the kingdom of God.
This contrast – between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Caesar – is central
to what it means to welcome Jesus into our lives. To embrace the kingdom of God is
to embrace Jesus, the Christ To embrace the kingdom of Caesar is to embrace a kingdom of political oppression, economic exploitation and demeaning domination.
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus into your life instead
of the political oppression, economic exploitation and demeaning
domination of culture and society.
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Many people gathered on the streets to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Some gathered out of curiosity to see what’s happening. Some probably got caught up in the moment and were carried by the momentum of the crowd. There are those who were there who were convicted about Jesus’ identity as the one who comes in the name of the Lord. There were women in the crowd. We were reminded in the gospel of Luke that the twelve were accompanied by Mary Magdalene, Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna and many others who provided for them out of their resources. (Luke 8:1-3)
It was the beginning of the week of Passover, the most sacred week of the Jewish year. In the centuries since, Christians have celebrated this day as Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, with its climax of Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.
People were gathering because it was time to observe a sacred tradition of their faith, the Passover. Passover was a time to remember the deliverance from bondage and captivity and its continual implications for the present and the future. In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus' life.
It is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection.
Palm Sunday is an opportunity for believers to reaffirm their allegiance, reassess their loyalty and renew their commitment to Jesus as the One who comes in the name of the Lord to save us from the destruction we cause ourselves.
Consider what it means that Palm Sunday is a time to reaffirm your allegiance, reassess your loyalty and renew your commitment to Christ
as a representative of the kingdom of God.
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As the scene unfolds we can catch a glimpse of what it means to welcome Jesus into our lives.
First, we welcome Jesus into our lives because we are willing to subject ourselves to His authority.
“Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye
shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any
man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and
straightway he will send him hither.”
It was to His own disciples that He looked for the supply of what was required on this occasion. He appealed to the recognition of His authority. Disciples have all they need. It just needs to be freely rendered. Nothing but what is freely given is desired by Him or acceptable to Him.
The disciples were willing to follow Jesus’ instruction. The owner of the colt was willing to make available to Jesus what was requested. Submit to the authority of Jesus. Subject what you have to the use of Jesus (your mind, resources, strength, talents
and time). What kind of priority does the Lord get with you?
Lord, I’m available to you.
You gave me my hands to reach out to man,
to show him your love and your perfect plan.
You gave me my ears.
I can hear your voice so clearly.
I can hear the cries of sinners,
but can I wipe away the tears?
You gave me my voice to speak your perfect word,
to sing all your praises to those who never heard.
But with my eyes I can see a need for more availability.
I’ve seen the hearts that have been broken, so many people to be free.
Lord, I’m available to you. My will I give to you.
I’ll do what you say do, use me Lord, to show someone the way
and enable me to say … my storage is empty and I am available to you.
Now, I’m giving back to you all the tools you gave to me,
my hands, my ears, my voice, my eyes so you can use them as your please.
I have emptied out my cup so that you can fill it up.
Now I’m free, I just want to be more available to you.
Lord I’m available to you. My will I give to you.
I’ll do what you say do.
Use me Lord to show someone the way and enable me to say
… my storage is empty and I’m available to you.
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus because you willingly
subject yourself to His authority.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | |
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Secondly, we welcome Jesus into our lives because of the
way He comes to us.
7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way.
You see, He came in gentleness, not that He might be feared on account of His power but that He might be appreciated, embraced and received because of His love.
The Lord does not coerce, force or make. Jesus simply invites, offers, presents and requests. The Lord was unwilling to use what is not given willingly.
Jesus was not the kind of Messiah the people of Jerusalem expected, and yet they were right to greet Him as a king. Because even though His kingship will not be one of might, it will be one of mercy. He won’t release the people from Roman occupation or take revenge upon their enemies, but He will offer them redemption!
The crowds on Palm Sunday may not have had it quite right, but they were on target in this respect—a new power had come into the world. "Do we understand that we have a Messiah who gives us power, but it’s a whole new kind of power. It is the power of redemption, rather than revenge! It is the power of reconciliation rather than retribution! It is the power of renewal and restoration rather than retaliation! Do we understand that instead we get a Messiah who gives us power, all right, but it’s a whole new kind of power. It is the power of sacrificial LOVE!"
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus because
of the way Jesus offers himself.
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It’s a power that looks me in the eye, forgives my sin, my fear,
my anger, my resentment, my prejudice!
It’s a power that didn’t assert itself over and against me, but died for me!
It’s a power that sets me free from all of that which is within me t
hat dehumanizes me and others!
It’s a power that loosens my grip on all of my expectations and
even allows me to see Christ’s face in the least and most lowly on this planet!
It’s a power that relates in grace, and invites me to join with him
in being one of his special grace givers.
It’s a power that assures me I don’t need to be afraid of suffering,
self-giving love, because it’s the only way I will ever fulfill my humanity,
and find my purpose, and experience true joy and peace. ~Dietrich Bonheoffer
Consider what it means to welcome the power that the Lord offers in Christ.
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So what are we to make of this parade? What are we to make of Palm Sunday?
Well, we are on sure ground when we take the historical basis of the story: the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem—as the Church has taken it, to be a meaningful symbol of Jesus as King.
There is a wealth of evidence far and wide, gathered through history and experience
as to Jesus’ right to kingship in the lives of individuals and society.
We can see this validated by the way Jesus has met the deep needs of the human soul. He meets them in that dim borderland where our reach exceeds our grasp.
He meets them in our inability to find fulfillment in material things. He meets them in our dissatisfaction with ourselves; our inescapable sense of missing the mark---not only of the life we were meant for, but also of the possibility for forgiveness and new life.
And our experience of the strange self-defeating quality of selfishness fits into Jesus’ call to fulfillment in service!
Jesus’ right to kingship is also validated by the long line of people running down through the centuries…people who have taken Him as Master and Savior….
people whose lives of ministering love witness directly to Christ’s power to change the human heart.
Every year new mountains of evidence pile up that Jesus was everlastingly right
in His reading of life. Welcome Jesus into your life as one whose authority can be trusted.
Welcome into this place / Welcome into this broken vessel
You desire to abide in the praises of your people,
so we life our hands and we lift our hearts
as we offer up this praise unto your name
Creation declares your glory
And the universe declares your majesty
Yet you choose to abide in the praises of your people
So we offer up this praise unto Your name
Welcome into this place
Welcome into this broken vessel
You desire to abide
In the praises of your people / So we lift our hands
And we lift our hearts
As we offer up this praise unto Your name.
Consider what it means to welcome the Lord into you as a broken vessel.
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Thirdly, we welcome Jesus into our lives because He comes in the name of the Lord.
“Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.”
Hosanna means, “oh save.” An expression of the cry of the captives for mercy becomes an acclamation expressive of joy and deliverance.
“Hosanna!” Notice the exclamation point.
Jesus had often been greeted with a question mark. The world has had its millions
of question marks about Jesus. But here at the gates of Jerusalem were exclamation points!
One of the greatest journeys anyone of us can make is the journey from a question mark to an exclamation point.
From a question mark about Jesus to an exclamation point about Him; from a question mark about life to an exclamation point about life. And that journey can never be made by thought alone; it must be made by action!
When we follow Jesus, when we do the things that He says, our punctuation marks change. It is no longer, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory who rules over all creation with his heavenly armies."
Psalm 24. It is a definitive “Hosanna!” with an exclamation point indicating the certainty in declaring who Jesus is. It is a certification of welcoming the One who comes in the name of the Lord, into our lives.
Conclusion
O'er all the way green palms and blossoms gay
Are strewn this day in festive preparation,
Where Jesus comes to wipe our tears away;
E'en now the throng to welcome Him prepare.
Join, sing His name divine,
Let ev'ry voice resound with united acclamation,
Hosanna! Praised be the Lord,
Bless Him who cometh to bring us salvation.
His word goes forth and people by its might
Once more their freedom gain from degradation;
Humanity doth give to each his right,
While those in darkness find restored the light.
Join, sing His name divine,
Let ev'ry voice resound with united acclamation,
Hosanna! Praised be the Lord,
Bless Him who cometh to bring us salvation.
Sing and rejoice. O blest Jerusalem,
Of all thy songs sing the emancipation;
Through boundless love, the Christ of Bethlehem
Brings forth the hope to thee forevermore.
Join, sing His name divine,
Let ev'ry voice resound with united acclamation,
Hosanna! Praised be the Lord,
Bless Him who cometh to bring us salvation.
Consider what it means to join and sing his name divine, hosanna!
Praise the Lord. Bless him who comes to bring us salvation.
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