The
Humble King
They brought the donkey
and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches
from the trees and spread them on the road.
The 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!” Matthew 21:7-9
Now through June 30, the French government is hosting an exhibition on the
life of Marie Antoinette, staging it as a tragedy in three acts.
Marie Antoinette was brought to Versailles to be the future Louis
XVI's bride in 1770 at age 14. The event was depicted by Andre Basset, showing
her in a golden carriage led by trumpeters and horses in royal finery. After
the wedding, she spent her time riding horses, going to balls and hunting
- one portrait shows her looking boyish in a red hunting jacket. Her new husband
pronounced her "lively but rather childish," and her mother wrote to scold
her for doing "nothing solid or useful."1
She had the great misfortune of marrying Louis just at a moment when France
is becoming a caldron of revolution.
We know her by the apocryphal comment when told of Parisians rioting over
bread, "then let them eat cake."
She was an icon of fashion and whether she was as callous to the plight
of others as is portrayed may be in doubt.
But she and the entire Bourbon court lived a life of luxury, style and privilege.
But that is what kings and queens have done from time immemorial.
Marie was in no way exceptional and likely might seem modest compared to
the earthly pomp and glory of some rulers.
Compare this to Jesus, especially his royal entrance into Jerusalem.
We read Matthew's account of Jesus entering into Jerusalem and it is clear
that Matthew is telling us the Jesus is doing everything to remind us
that he is the messianic king prophesied for hundreds of years.
In our time there are a host of writers who go out of their way to say that
Jesus never claimed to be divine or to make any messianic pretensions.
It is clear when you read Matthew, that the evangelist certainly believed
this was what Jesus was saying.
Matthew quotes Zechariah saying, "behold your king comes to you riding on
the foal of a donkey".
Matthew along with the other gospel writers tells us that they along with
others spread their cloaks and palm branches along the pathway which Jesus
took into the city. This was the equivalent of a ticker tape parade.
Its meaning was quite obvious.
Jesus, or at least those with him, are proclaiming him the messianic king.
But he does not come in kingly glory. He comes in simple humility.
No golden coach pulled by white horses.
Jesus comes to us as king, but he comes in humility.
Why in the world, literally, would Jesus believe that he should come in
humility?
The answer is simple enough when you realize what is to follow.
Jesus knows his death is at hand.
And frankly, this demonstration helps to seal his death from an earthly
point of view.
Jerusalem is a city ripe for trouble. It is crowded with people there to
celebrate passover, which is a reminder to the Jews of their glorious past.
But now they are under Roman occupation . Jesus doing this at this time
was an invitation to trouble because the Romans would put up with no civil
disobedience.
Jesus is totally clear about what he is doing.
His choosing a donkey would be totally recognizable as a reference to Zechariah's
prophecy.
This is what infuriated and worried the Pharisees. They understood. But
they disapproved.
There are really two parallel demonstrations taking place.
There is the enthusiastic band of supporters who earlier had tried to take
Jesus and make him king by force.
They think the time has come and Jesus will restore Jerusalem and the entire
nation to its status of independence and glory.
Jesus will be their king. He obviously has everything it takes to be a
king. He is wise. He is fearless. He asks and God answers. He also has the
right lineage to claim David's throne. In every way he is a natural.
And he is too!
The problem is the timing is wrong and the method is wrong.
Jesus will be everything they hoped for--just not yet.
There is a parallel for our own time. We pray for God's will to be done
in our lives. We look for God's work in us and through us. But are we prepared
that this may lead us to a cross? The crowd wanted Jesus to sweep all opposition
away before him. They wanted a path that went directly to the blessings
of the kingdom.
Are we prepared that Jesus may call us to great sacrifice as well? Are
we prepared to lay down our lives, to endure hardship and make real sacrifice
for what we believe, or is there a bit of the same belief in us--we are
on Jesus' side, therefore we have the fast-track to eternal blessings.
Encounter a problem--Jesus will take care of it. No pain, no fuss no problem.
It is true that our Lord will hear our prayers and will often move mountains
and open doors, but it does not mean a pain-free, sacrifice-free free pass.
Jesus calls on us to take up our cross too.
What gave people like Gandhi and others such power and courage is that
he was prepared for the hard road and for what it would cost him. There
would be a victory, but it wasn't going to be accomplished without blood
sweat, toil and tears. And it wasn't necessarily going to come soon.
Jesus' kingdom is coming.
The kind of kingdom he is about to inaugurate is a totally different kind.
The task ahead of him is first to reclaim the world from sin's authority.
That was his purpose.
From the beginning of his ministry to its end he never deviates from that
one single minded purpose.
His demonstration that day had a clear focus.
He lays out his claim as King.
But his purpose is different from the crowd's.
He knows they don't fully understand.
But he knows that in time they will, and that we will.
This demonstration is for us.
He is saying across the centuries to you and to me, that he came as our
king.
He didn't come to claim it by force, he is forcing no one into his temple,
but he is nevertheless the king.
We know what he did as our king to remove our guilt and to give us an eternity.
But today we can stand with the crowd, a little back from them and observe.
We sing our songs as he rides into Jerusalem. We know what he is going
to.
We see him there for us.
And we know the rest of the story.
Jesus is coming again, this time in full glory as King of the Ages.
I would love to be there for that parade. Wouldn't you?
Who else would you entrust this world to?
Lets proclaim him King and Lord.
Prayer: Jesus we stand across time and remember what you did on that day.
We could not be there in person, but we can offer you our love and our loyalty
today, and we pause to show you our respect and our gratitude. (pause) ...amen.
Preached March 16, 2008
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia
Notes
1. "Marie Antoinette
exhibit traces tastes and tragedy of misunderstood queen." Canadian Press,
March 13, 2008
Resources Consulted
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 2, Broadman
Press, 1930
Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew A Commentary, Vol 2. The Churchbook, Eerdman's
2007
Online Resources Consulted
http://www.preachingtoday.com/
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