His Faithful, Fickle Followers
Mt. 21:1-11
Show “That’s My King” Video
What an amazing description of our King. But is it our description of the King?
Turn with me please to Mt. 21:1-11.
We’re looking at people in Scripture whose encounter with Jesus changed their lives.
•Today, we look at a group of people – the crowds during Jesus’ final week on earth.
•His Faithful, Fickle Followers
Today is Palm Sunday, the day the crowds celebrated the inauguration of the King.
•Unfortunately, we also know their shouts of joy quickly turned to shouts of contempt.
What caused their change? How did their encounter affect them?
•How does their encounter relate to ours? We’re going to find out after we pray.
Prayer
As we look at the fickle account of the crowds, it’s easy for us to condemn them too quickly by saying they were simply going with the flow, following the crowd.
•But there’s much more to their change of heart.
Let’s look first of all at their response during the Triumphal Entry.
v. 8-11 A VERY LARGE CROWD SPREAD THEIR CLOAKS ON THE ROAD, WHILE OTHERS CUT BRANCHES FROM THE TREES AND SPREAD THEM ON THE ROAD. 9THE 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!” “HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!” 10WHEN JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM, THE WHOLE CITY WAS STIRRED AND ASKED, “WHO IS THIS?” 11THE CROWDS ANSWERED, “THIS IS JESUS, THE PROPHET FROM NAZARETH IN GALILEE.”
(John McArthur) “It was an ancient custom for citizens to throw their garments in the road for their monarch to ride over, symbolizing their respect for him and their submission to his authority. It was as if to say “We place ourselves at your feet, even to walk over if necessary”.”
Not only did they spread their garments before Him, but they waved palm branches, which were symbolic of salvation and joy.
In order to truly understand the crowd’s response, we need to look at their expectations.
I. WHAT DID THE CROWD EXPECT?
What was on their minds as they celebrated and proclaimed Jesus their “King”?
Remember that this was the annual time of the Passover.
•Up to 100K Jewish pilgrims were making their way to Jerusalem to celebrate.
It was common practice for the people to sing psalms as they approached the city in preparation for the Passover, esp. the Hallel psalms found in Ps. 113-118.
What does Ps. 118:25-26 say? O LORD, SAVE US (HEB. – HOSANNA!)… 26BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD…
The songs they had sung for years were now being fulfilled right before their eyes.
•And not just the Hallel songs. They also were familiar with other Messianic psalms.
Num. 24:17 “I SEE HIM, BUT NOT NOW; I BEHOLD HIM, BUT NOT NEAR. A STAR WILL COME OUT OF JACOB; A SCEPTER WILL RISE OUT OF ISRAEL. HE WILL CRUSH THE FOREHEADS OF MOAB, THE SKULLS OF ALL THE SONS OF SHETH.
Ps. 2:7-9 I WILL PROCLAIM THE DECREE OF THE LORD: HE SAID TO ME, “YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BECOME YOUR FATHER. 8ASK OF ME, AND I WILL MAKE THE NATIONS YOUR INHERITANCE, THE ENDS OF THE EARTH YOUR POSSESSION. 9YOU WILL RULE THEM WITH AN IRON SCEPTER; YOU WILL DASH THEM TO PIECES LIKE POTTERY.”
Isa. 11:4,12 …HE WILL STRIKE THE EARTH WITH THE ROD OF HIS MOUTH; WITH THE BREATH OF HIS LIPS HE WILL SLAY THE WICKED… HE WILL RAISE A BANNER FOR THE NATIONS AND GATHER THE EXILES OF ISRAEL; HE WILL ASSEMBLE THE SCATTERED PEOPLE OF JUDAH FROM THE FOUR QUARTERS OF THE EARTH.
During the period of the Judges, whenever Israel cried out to the Lord, He sent a ruler who would overthrow their enemies.
David, as God’s anointed, and in God’s strength, was able to conquer all his enemies.
It was only natural for these Jews to expect a conquering, military King who would answer their prayers for deliverance from Roman oppression.
•And now it seemed their wait was finally over. It was an incredible moment.
Unfortunately, in their excitement they had forgotten other Messianic prophecies.
Ps. 22:1-24 MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM SAVING ME, SO FAR FROM THE WORDS OF MY GROANING?... 16…THEY HAVE PIERCED MY HANDS AND MY FEET… 18THEY DIVIDE MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM AND CAST LOTS FOR MY CLOTHING.
Isa. 53:1-12 SURELY HE TOOK UP OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS, YET WE CONSIDERED HIM STRICKEN BY GOD, SMITTEN BY HIM, AND AFFLICTED. 5BUT HE WAS PIERCED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE PUNISHMENT THAT BROUGHT US PEACE WAS UPON HIM, AND BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED. 6WE ALL, LIKE SHEEP, HAVE GONE ASTRAY, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
The problem was, they had an entirely different picture of the Messiah than Jesus did.
•They chose to believe in a political, military king instead of a Redeeming King.
II. WHAT DID THE CROWD RECEIVE?
What they expected and what they received were two different things.
The truth is, Jesus didn’t meet their expectations.
They received a King all right, but a much greater King than they had imagined.
They received a King who would soon lay down His life as the Perfect sacrifice, not only for them but for all who would believe, even the Romans who ruled over them.
In fact, in Lk. 19:41-42 AS HE APPROACHED JERUSALEM AND SAW THE CITY, HE WEPT OVER IT 42AND SAID, “IF YOU, EVEN YOU, HAD ONLY KNOWN ON THIS DAY WHAT WOULD BRING YOU PEACE—BUT NOW IT IS HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES.
Jesus had His sights on Jerusalem. He came, not as a military King, but a sacrificial King.
The people, on the other hand, had their sights on glory and conquest and victory.
•They came to be part of the celebration, but not the sacrifice.
Through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, they received the opportunity to be forgiven forever and guaranteed an eternal dwelling in glory with God.
•But that’s not what they were looking for and not what they wanted.
III. HOW DID THEY RESPOND?
*Mt. 27:15-25 …17SO WHEN THE CROWD HAD GATHERED, PILATE ASKED THEM, “WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT ME TO RELEASE TO YOU: BARABBAS, OR JESUS WHO IS CALLED CHRIST?” 18FOR HE KNEW IT WAS OUT OF ENVY THAT THEY HAD HANDED JESUS OVER TO HIM… 20BUT THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE ELDERS PERSUADED THE CROWD TO ASK FOR BARABBAS AND TO HAVE JESUS EXECUTED. 21“WHICH OF THE TWO DO YOU WANT ME TO RELEASE TO YOU?” ASKED THE GOVERNOR. “BARABBAS,” THEY ANSWERED. 22“WHAT SHALL I DO, THEN, WITH JESUS WHO IS CALLED CHRIST?” PILATE ASKED. THEY ALL ANSWERED, “CRUCIFY HIM!” 23“WHY? WHAT CRIME HAS HE COMMITTED?” ASKED PILATE. BUT THEY SHOUTED ALL THE LOUDER, “CRUCIFY HIM!” 24WHEN PILATE SAW THAT HE WAS GETTING NOWHERE, BUT THAT INSTEAD AN UPROAR WAS STARTING, HE TOOK WATER AND WASHED HIS HANDS IN FRONT OF THE CROWD. “I AM INNOCENT OF THIS MAN’S BLOOD,” HE SAID. “IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!” 25ALL THE PEOPLE ANSWERED, “LET HIS BLOOD BE ON US AND ON OUR CHILDREN!”
How tragic and prophetic that this crowd who had, less than a week ago, celebrated and proclaimed Jesus as Messiah/King, were now calling for His crucifixion and their guilt.
Illus. When America first entered Baghdad and overthrew Saddam, the people cheered.
•Shortly after, however, their cheers turned to jeers and anger.
The crowd in Jerusalem had seen and heard about Jesus, the Prophet/King/Messiah.
•Some of them had been healed. Others had been fed.
•All had jumped on the band wagon when things were going well.
But when they realized their Messiah didn’t meet their expectations, their shouts of joy turned to screams of “Crucify”.
Their encounter with Christ wasn’t as glorious as they had hoped.
•But what about us? Are we like them?
IV. WHAT DO WE EXPECT?
How do you picture the King of kings?
•True, we have the Scriptures to tell us the whole story.
•But are we also guilty of painting our own picture of Jesus?
What do we expect from Him?
•Perfect peace, forgiveness, joy, security, contentment, blessings, freedom from trials?
All too often, people come to Christ for those very reasons.
Their expectations of becoming a Christian are a glorious and wonderful adventure.
•But then, when reality hits, their joy turns to contempt and they walk away.
Illus. It’s kind of like getting married.
•When we stand before the altar and say “I do”, we have this picture of a perfect union.
•Then reality hits and many people bail out because their expectations aren’t met.
(Wayne Major) “As long as we can prosper; as long as we can have good health; as long as we can sing about heaven; as long as we can claim the promises; we’ll follow Him ANYWHERE. But what do we do when it comes time to embrace the cross? What do we do when following Jesus means losing instead of winning? What do we do when it means giving instead of receiving? What do we do when it even means dying instead of living?”
It’s easy to follow Christ when it’s convenient. But if we become disillusioned and cynical when things don’t go well, then our expectations of following Christ are just as flawed as those faithful, fickle followers.
So what do we really receive when we follow Christ, no matter what?
V. WHAT DO WE RECEIVE?
First of all, we do receive forgiveness and blessings and eternal life in glory with God.
1 Jn. 1:9 IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST AND WILL FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND PURIFY US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jn. 10:27-28 MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE; I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME. 28I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; NO ONE CAN SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND.
We do receive His peace and comfort and grace and mercy.
What we don’t receive from following Christ is escape from trials and struggles.
•We don’t get a “Get out of Trouble” Free card.
Jn. 16:33 IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. BUT TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.”
Mt. 16:24-25 “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. 25FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR ME WILL FIND IT.
Phil. 1:29 FOR IT HAS BEEN GRANTED TO YOU ON BEHALF OF CHRIST NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE ON HIM, BUT ALSO TO SUFFER FOR HIM,
Whatever expectations you may have about what it means to follow Christ, unless we look at the whole of Scripture, unless we understand just Who Jesus is and what He came to earth for, unless we understand what it really means to follow Him, we will be sadly and greatly disappointed.
VI. HOW DO WE RESPOND?
The fickle crowd encountered Jesus, but their idea of Who He should be was faulty.
•They responded to their shattered expectations with shouts of “Crucify”.
(Alan Perkins) “Are we really so different than they? Do we recognize God’s presence and activity in our lives when it involves disappointment, or suffering, or weakness, or apparent failure? Are we willing to accept those things as part of God’s good, and wise, and loving plan for us?… In short, will we accept the savior God has given us, or will we demand another one, one of our own choosing, perhaps even one of our own making?”
There’s a very important point here. We can’t paint our own picture of God.
•We can’t expect Him to conform to our image of Him.
•We don’t get to choose the roses without the thorns; the dessert without the veggies.
Our expectations of who Jesus is do not change Who He really is and what He’s done.
We either accept Him as He is or we reject Him and walk away.
•That’s what the fickle crowd did.
Jesus came to give us eternal life and it cost Him His life.
He came as King and He’s coming again as King of kings and Lord of lords.
He came to keep us through the storms, not from the storms.
Following Christ is not a walk in the park. It will require sacrifice on our part as well.
We know the rest of the story. We have no excuse. So how will we respond to the King?
First of all, have you encountered the Person of Jesus Christ?
•Have you responded to His invitation? Is He Your Lord and Savior?
•Will we shout “Hosanna”, will we lay ourselves before Him and submit to Him even if it means hardship?
•Will we trust Him even when we don’t understand?
•Will we obey everything He calls us to do?
•Will we let Him reveal Himself to us rather than painting our own picture of Him?
I can tell you this. My King, the God of His Word, is worth it!
Who is Jesus to you? Is He your “Get out of Trouble Free” Card, your “Genie in the magic lamp”, your “Fix – it Man” when you mess up, your “Crutch”?
The Bottom Line: Is Jesus Your King?
Will you trust Him and obey Him and follow Him and submit to Him no matter what?
The road to heaven is steep/rough at times, but the destination is more than worth it.
Let’s promote Him and proclaim Him as our King and Lord, no matter what.
Prayer/Reflection
Hymn 45 Crown Him With Many Crowns
Sermon Outline and Power Point are available by emailing the author.
