A Royal Redeemer Series

We live in a world deeply influenced by kings. We do not have one as the head of our government,

but they are a part of our environment. "The time is come the walrus said to speak of many things,

of shoes and ships of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings." In the children's world of our culture the

king is often mentioned. There is Old King Cole, the merry old soul. There is the Cannibal King

with the brass nose ring. All the kings horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty together

again. There is King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. There is the dainty dish of the black

birds set before the king. There is Old King Wenseslaus, and numerous stories of kings and their

sons and daughters. Most all of the folklore and literature on kings comes from our connection to

England, the land of royalty. Their history is a part of our history, as is the history of Israel with its

many Old Testament kings, and great ones like David and Solomon.

About 3 centuries ago the Spaniards were besieging the little town of St. Quentin on the frontier

of France. The walls of the city were battered; fever and famine raged within destroying the

defenders. There was good reason for pessimism and discouragement. One day the Spaniards sent a

shower of arrows over the wall with parchment notes attached promising that if they would

surrender and submit their lives and property they would be spared. Gaspard de Caligni, the great

Huguenot governor of the town, wrote a reply on parchment; tied it to a javelin, and hurled it back

into the enemy camp. His reply consisted of only two words, Regem Habemus, which being

translated is "We have a king." They were not interested in submission, for they had a king already,

and they would remain loyal to him under all circumstances.

This is the central theme of Palm Sunday, for this was the great fact revealed on this day-Jesus is

king. It is not recorded in all four Gospels so that we might learn some trivial truths about Palm

leaves, Eastern donkey's, or fickle crowds. There is a message of majesty here, for this was the day

on which Jesus purposely made it perfectly and publicly clear that He was the promised Messiah, the

Son of David, the King of Israel. As the fourth of July is the day our national forefather's declared

themselves independent of the king of England, so Palm Sunday is the day on which our spiritual

forefather's declared themselves dependent on the King of Israel. Palm Sunday is the King's

Sunday. It is the only place in the Bible where we see Jesus surrounded by subjects who hail Him as

their King.

If this event had not been recorded, we would not be able to clearly see that Jesus was prophet,

priest, and king, fully fulfilling all that the Messiah was to be. Palm Sunday reveals that Jesus did

not go to the cross as a carpenter, but as a King, and, therefore, He was in reality a Royal Redeemer.

As we examine the record of that first Palm Sunday it is the kingly aspects of it that we want to

emphasize. The first thing we want to consider is,

I. CHRIST'S ROYAL RESOLUTION.

We need to see here that this proclamation of Christ as King was not the result of a popular

uprising, but was the result of Christ's own determined and deliberate planning. The people had

sought to make Him King before, but He resolved not to be taken, but now He resolves to court their

allegiance and openly appeal for their loyalty. He stirs them up to make a public demonstration.

This is in contrast to His attitude all through His ministry of shunning publicity. This was all

ignited from the top. The King Himself has chosen the time and place for this public revelation.

This is all the outworking premeditated plan of Christ. Jesus came to Jerusalem determined to bring

things to a climax, and force the hand of His enemies. When He sent His two disciples to get the colt

He knew perfectly what the consequences were going to be. He knows His public proclamation will

result in rebellion, for the Jewish leaders will cry out, "We will not have this King to reign over us."

This was really not a triumphal entry, for this implies that one has just defeated his enemies, and

gained a victory. Lazarus had just been raised, and the people were stirred up about Christ's victory

over death, and so it is possible to consider this event from that angle. But, paradoxically as it

seems, we can see this event from just the opposite point of view as well. We can see that Jesus was