Palm Sunday: The Humble King Who Brings Joy

Hello, Nexus Church family online, and welcome to our second week in our short

three-week series of looking at the life of Jesus, in particular, his last few moments.

And as we look into this life, this life that brings hope to a people who were

living in a time of darkness, much like ours, some things never change,

and we are given the opportunity to worship.

And today we come to what has traditionally been celebrated on Palm Sunday.

That is Jesus arriving to Jerusalem to people praising him, worshiping him.

And just a few days later, these same people would raise their fist at him.

And how so often we in our lives have the same response.

Joy and jubilation when Jesus comes in and does this amazing thing.

And then a raising of our hands in disgust when things don't go our way.

And it is my hope today that we can bring you to the place where even when life

isn't going the way you hoped it to, you can find joy.

Joy in knowing that He is the Messiah that brings freedom, that brought salvation

to not only the Jewish people in His day, but to all people of all time.

So let's take a look at Mark chapter 11, where we read of Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Mark 11 · chapter mention

In verse 1 of chapter 11, we read, When they approached Jerusalem at Bethpage

and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and told

them to go into the village ahead.

As you enter it, you will find a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, why are you doing this?

Say, the Lord needs it and will send it right back right away.

Now, first thing I take from this passage before we go on is the fact that these

two men trusted Jesus so much that they would go to a stranger and they would ask for something.

Now, I have a hard enough time asking to borrow a vehicle for a brief moment

when mine is broken down.

These guys were asking to take something that this person needed in order to work and they trusted.

But yet they had such absolute trust that they would boldly do it.

And then the second thing I notice about this is that Jesus sent two of them.

They trusted Jesus so much, and he sent two of them.

This isn't the first time that Jesus did this. Back in Mark 6,

we read that Jesus summoned the 12 and began to send them out in pairs and gave

them authority over unclean spirit.

Just a side note. Has really not a whole lot to do with this message.

But I think this is really important. You are not called to walk the Christian life alone.

I get it. You don't have to go to church to be a Christian.

It's the reality, right?

But there is something important that Jesus was modeling in this account.

We are called into community.

We need each other. Not just on the realistic side of life, like the fact that

you are safer together and you can do much more with more than one than you can on your own.

Like it just compounds and all those things are true and real. But the reality is...

You were created to do life with others.

And so if you're listening to this today and you don't have a church that you're

a part of, or you go when it's comfortable or when it's convenient,

whatever it might be, you're not going to like this.

But you have to find a community of believers where you meet with regularly

and you strengthen, encourage, and challenge one another. As Paul says in his

epistles, you are called to be in community.

That was just a sidebar. Let's continue on in our chapter.

Verse four. So they went together and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door.

They untied it. And some of those standing there said to them,

what are you doing untieing the colt?

Like, hello, you're taking what's ours.

You're stealing. Not okay. Right?

They answered them, just as Jesus had said. So they let him go.

They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it.

Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields.

Those who went ahead of those who followed shouted, Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

In other words, Hosanna means save us.

Save us. Blessed are you. They were still expecting a king to rule on earth. They were confused.

He went into Jerusalem and into the temple.

And after you looked around at everything, since it was already late,

he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

So Jesus rode in on a colt. This was so contrary to what they knew.

They thought that Jesus would come on a stallion, on this beautiful,

massive beast, showing victory.

Showing that they were going to be, once again, the beautiful city on the hill that they once were.

And they were to shine God's glory for all the world. That's what they thought.

But then Jesus comes on this lowly, unbroken colt or donkey,

showing that he was humble.

That he wasn't going to rule with authority. He was going to sacrifice himself

and give his life so that they could find theirs for ultimately all eternity.

Now, this fulfilled exactly what was written years ago before this in Psalms

118. And I want to read this to you.

118 verses 19 through 29. Open the gates of righteousness for me.

I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

He's entering through the gates of Jerusalem.

This is the Lord's gate. The righteous will enter through it.

I will give thanks to you because you have answered me and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This came from the Lord. It is wondrous in our sight. This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

And then Zechariah 9, 9, where the prophet says, Rejoice, O people of Zion.

Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem. Look, your king is coming to you.

He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey,

And with that, the crowds loudly proclaimed the praise.

And whether the crowds truly realized it or not, they were ushering in Jesus' final moments.

What a beautiful display of what it is to be a true believer.

However, Jesus comes humble, lowly,

and those who were watching worshiped, and they didn't even know what kind of

picture this is of what Jesus is requiring of us.

To be humble, to not display our power and demean others, but to serve,

to give our life as a ransom so that others can experience the freedom of knowing

their Savior and living for all of eternity with the King.

That's what we are to be. But yet there were some today that we read,

in this story who weren't so happy.

And in Luke 19, verse 39, we see the Pharisees yelling out from the crowd,

Luke 19:39

teacher, rebuke your disciples.

But Jesus responds in verse 40 and says, if they were to keep silent,

the stones would cry out.

Stones would cry out.

In a short while, just a few hours away, there would be much sorrow.

But today, in that moment, there was rejoicing.

This was a time to celebrate.

Jesus entered Jerusalem so we could be redeemed.

As I close our time together today and we prepare ourselves for the week ahead,

the week of remembering what Jesus has done and providing us a way to know the Father,

to be with Him for all of eternity.

I felt it appropriate to leave you with a celebration,

to focus your attention, to spend the rest of the day, not just alone and by

yourself, but to surround yourself with people,

to encourage you to celebrate with them, to do a meal with those you love and

trust and have a similar belief system with.

Go, spend time with them. Remember what Jesus has done. Celebrate with them.

Worship Jesus. Praise Him together.

Turn on some worship music and let that spirit of praise fill you.

You should be full of joy this week remembering what Jesus has done.

And as we close our time, I want to read to you a beautiful passage in the book

of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 12, where the prophet writes, on that day.

Isaiah 12 · chapter mention

Proclaiming this day where Jesus rode into Jerusalem.

On that day, you will say, I will give thanks to you, Lord.

Although you were angry with me, your anger was turned away and you have comforted me.

Indeed, God is my salvation. I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord, the Lord himself is my strength and my song.

He has become my salvation. You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation.

And on that day, you will say, give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his name,

make his works known among the peoples, declare his name is exalted,

sing to the Lord for he has done glorious things.

Let this be known throughout the earth.

Cry out and sing citizens of Zion for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.

See, the proper response for what God has done for us is to sing his praise.

Louis Giglio put it this way, a formerly famous worship leader said,

Worship is our response to what we value most.

As a result, worship fuels our actions, becomes the driving force for all we do.

Worship is a response for what we value most. Think about that.

What do you worship? What fills your soul with joy, with pleasure?

Is it Jesus? Or is it something in this world that ultimately someday will leave you empty and void?

Because it all will pass away. And you will be left looking at Jesus face to face.

He will turn away and say, I never knew you. You worship things in this world, but not me.

Bow your knee to him. Make him Lord of your life today.

And if he is Lord of your life, you will find pleasure and joy in nothing less than him.

Yes, you will find happiness in this world.

Kids will bring a lot of happiness. The sun, the warm weather,

nature, sports, activities, work that is meaningful.

These things will bring you happiness, but ultimately nothing will bring you

the joy that Jesus will bring.

Everything shall and must be nothing in comparison to what Jesus is.

And if he's not, I beg of you, spend some time.

Think about what really matters to you.

And thank Him. Turn around and worship Him. Praise Him. Because He is ultimately what matters most.

Will you show appreciation for all that Jesus has done?

Worship Him today. Sing, praise, dance.

Give Him all of the glory He deserves.

Father, I pray for every person listening that they will search deep into their heart today.

That they will find the joy of what it means to live for you,

to give their lives to you, to find their hope and their joy and their peace

and their purpose in you today.

Oh, Father, thank you for your mercy. Thank you that no matter where they find

themselves in today, it's never too late.

And that you continue to reach out and offer that hope that you desire to give,

that joy that you desire to give, that purpose,

that pleasure that can be found in you, in you alone. In Jesus' name, amen.