Expecting God Series

I’ve been told that when people come to God –– they have certain expectations. They have certain opinions of what they think God should DO for them. They visualize a God who is going to do what they want done.

ILLUS: A woman named Donna had a conversation with her 4 year old niece. The little girl’s mother was pregnant and Donna asked her niece: “So, what do you want, a baby brother or a baby sister?” The niece looked up at her and said: “Aunt Donna, sometimes you just gots to take what God gives ya.” (Donna Patton, Hillsboro, OH. Christian Reader, “Lite Fare.”)

In other words, Aunt Donna thought her niece would have expectations of what God would do for her. A baby brother or sister. But this little girl trusted God and figured that God knew better than she did - what was best for her.

In our text this morning, we read about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowds excitedly line the streets of the city because their long expected Messiah/King had come and they were electrified.

Now, I did some background study on this issue. I wanted to know WHY the Jews would have expected a Messiah King who give them safety and security - and I found that God’s prophets kept beating on that topic like a drumbeat.

Jeremiah 23:5-7 (for example) wrote: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’”

Zechariah 6:12-13 echoes that promise: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."’

AND OF COURSE, there’s this passage from Isaiah 9:6-7

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

That was the promise – a King would be born to give the Jews what they needed. And the Jews studied so hard to find out what they could about this Messiah King, that they even knew where this Messiah was going to be born. When the Wisemen came to Jerusalem seeking He who was born king of the Jews, the chief priests and scribes knew just where to look for that information. They looked to Micah 5:2. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

They even knew that - when He came - He’d come riding into the city on a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 declared “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The expectation of the Messiah had reached a fever pitch by the time of Jesus’ ministry (and even afterwards). There’s a list of at least 6 men who claimed to be this coming Messiah/King… and they all died at the hands of the government at the time. Why did these “Messiahs” die? They died because they believed the Messiah was to be a military leader who would lead His people in armed conflict, and overcome their enemies. So these “Messiahs” tried to fight the Romans… and they lost!

That’s what the crowds on Palm Sunday were expecting. They were expecting a military general and a conquering King. And Jesus fit the bill perfectly. He was a highly influential man, and a charismatic leader. And if He led Israel’s armies into battle, they’d be unstoppable. IF His soldiers were wounded on the field of battle, He could heal them with a touch. If they were hungry, He could feed them with them just a few fish and loaves. And if they died… He could raise them back to life. No army on earth could hope to oppose Jesus!