A Royal Welcome

Somewhere a husband and wife are painting a room either bright pink with ballerinas or bright blue with baseballs, depending on what they see in the sonogram. The room whiffs the subtle smell of Lysol and baby powder. They have to finish soon because they want to be ready to welcome home their brand new baby.

On the other side of town yellow ribbons entwine up the old oak tree, around the front porch columns. Tiny flags stand like soldiers at attention in anticipation, while larger flag hangs over the front door. A crowd stands around chatting, watching out of the corner of their eye a single dirt road, waiting to welcome their solider home from boot camp, from Iraq or Afghanistan.

Across town, near noon dad and mom are busy in the kitchen, while little Jimmy sits in the living room with the preacher. The preacher makes small talk: I appreciate your family inviting me to Sunday dinner. Do you know what we’re having? Jimmy replies We’re having goat! The preacher says Jimmy, what makes you think we’re having goat? Jimmy smiles and says well, I heard my dad tell my mom, “We might as well have the old goat for dinner today!”

A long, long time ago, in a city on the other side of the world, a great multitude gave a royal welcome to a long awaited King. They thought they knew Who He was. They thought they knew what He came to do. They were wrong about a lot of and yet He was more than worthy of the welcome they gave Him. Today, we’ll read about their welcome to help us welcome that same King into our lives. Our text is Mark 11:1-11.

PRAYER

Jerusalem is a royal city waiting for her King.

Centuries before the events recorded here a shepherd boy who rose to the throne turned made Jerusalem his capitol city. David was a man after God’s own heart, and Jerusalem became known as the city of the great King—not just King David, but King Jehovah.

But sadly sin and rebellion corrupted this great city. After David came Solomon, and after Solomon came a long chain of chaos: kings who committed unspeakable acts to idolatry and murder and other injustice. Finally, the Babylonians cut the city on a hill down to the ground, sent her king and her people into exile. Now the man who called himself King, a son of Esau named Herod, rules in Jerusalem as a puppet of the Roman emperor. But the people remember a promise, spoken in

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Generation after generation read this promise, pray this promise, and die without ever seeing it come true. But today, they finally see it happen. Today they will offer their King a royal welcome.

It begins in vs. 1-7 when Jesus sends two of His disciples to get Him a ride into Jerusalem. Nowhere else does the Bible mention Jesus riding an animal during His ministry. As far as we know He got around like most other people, walking wherever He went. So this ride is significant.

One thing that’s significant is it is a borrowed ride. Jesus instructs His men to go and take a young donkey. If anybody questions why, they are simply to say the Lord has need of it. They find the donkey just as Jesus says, and of course, somebody asks just as Jesus says, and just as Jesus says, they let them take the donkey. Jesus is a King with authority to use whatever He needs.

Another significant detail is nobody has ever rode on this donkey. I don’t know much about horses or donkeys or any other riding animals, but I do know that before you ride one it has to be broken. It has to be humbled, tamed, before it’s safe to get on its back for a ride.

Yet as the disciples throw clothes for the donkey as a saddle, Jesus is a King Who has the power to tame the unbroken donkey.

These 2 details show us that welcoming Jesus means welcoming His authority.

When you welcome Jesus you welcome Jesus’ authority over all you possess. Whatever you own is at His disposal, available whenever and wherever …the Lord has need of it. Welcoming Jesus means what is yours becomes His.

That’s true about every donkey you own and every horsepower in your vehicle. It’s true about every penny in your pocket and dollar in your bank. It’s true about every moment of your day and every day in your year. It’s true about every talent or ability or gift. It’s true about every plan in your mind and every dream in your heart. Welcoming Jesus means welcoming His right to say to you …the Lord has need of it. That’s what He means when He says to each of us