With all the bad weather, I can’t imagine that I am the only one who has driven on ice. It can be incredibly frightening to hit a patch of ice. Why? Because you lose control of the car and slide, spin, and even crash into other people and objects. I remember clearly on Tuesday, February 19th, Amy and I were going into Quincy around 5 p.m. and everything seemed fine since the highways were clear. It did seem to be getting slick out so I slowed down to around 25 to 30 mph. Well, a car behind me didn’t find that to be a smart move and came barreling down on us at probably 45 mph. So, I decided that I would pull off to the shoulder to get out of the way. Little did I know that the shoulder was a solid sheet of ice and as soon as my front wheels made contact we were sent into a spin. It can be frightening to lose control and power over a vehicle.
It can be frightening to lose control of your health or your family’s health. Mayah gives me the biggest scares over the smallest things. She has her own little mind and her own little world with no discretion for dangerous activities. So far, she has tried to climb the stairs twice and slid down after about two steps both times. Normally, we catch her when the gate isn’t up but just the other day she was crawling around and the gate was gone. Well, about one minute after she started heading that way, I stood up and started to go get her to prevent her from climbing the stairs. I stepped twice and then heard “thump thump, thump, splat” and then “wahhhhhhhhhhh!” I seriously think my heart skipped a beat but thankfully she was perfectly fine. Losing control can be very scary.
Losing control over your life personally can also be a scary event. Life throws some crazy stuff our way and can really throw us for a loop. Losing our jobs, fighting with our spouse and not even understanding why we fought, feeling insecure about being a father and husband or mother and wife, and so many others can cause us to doubt ourselves and feel weak and empty. It’s scary to think about how much we can’t control in this lifetime. Sometimes, life throws so much at us that we feel like we are in an endless spiral, spinning at uncontrollable speeds. Everything seems to be happening around us instead of with us involved.
Losing control of your life can be very scary but that is exactly what Christ asks us to do. “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” I want you to find true victory in your life. Today I want you to find the control you’ve been missing but first you must realize that victory will not come by your efforts alone. You cannot win in this life by yourself. You need Jesus Christ to give you victory. Some of you may be very scared of this prospect: giving up your control over your life. Your freedom to do whatever you would like may feel as though it will disappear. Yet, in Christ, with Him in control, you will find a greater freedom. You will have peace and assurance that when life throws all those curveballs; He can anchor you in the storm. He can enter your life like a triumphant King, conquering all your fears, doubts, regrets, and sins. God gives you victory over life!
In all of the gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), you will find the account of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Today, we will look at Luke 19:28-44. Allow me to summarize the story so you know what happened that day. Jesus was coming from the east towards Jerusalem. He had just healed people in Jericho and was now walking around and down a small mountain, Mount Olivet. As He walks down this barren road, He could see into Jerusalem and especially the temple courts. He sends a couple of His disciples to go and get a young donkey and even tells them where it is tied up. He even warns them that others will question their actions and all they are to say is, “The Lord has need of it.” I don’t know about you but if someone came up to my car and got in it and then said, “The Lord has need of it,” I would probably call the cops. Yet, the owners of the colt let it go. The men then place their coats on it and Jesus rides the colt. It’s never been ridden and yet He just climbs on! A crowd starts to build along the road as Jesus rides towards Jerusalem. People begin shouting in praise, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” They even began laying their clothes and palm branches on the road for Him to ride on. He was getting the royal treatment when a few Pharisees decided that was enough. They demanded that Jesus shut the people up! How dare He accept such praise?! Jesus replies simply, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
These men were losing their power. They were the elite class and had control over the people and yet now the people were siding with Jesus. They were praising Jesus and treating Him as a conquering hero. These Pharisees had lost control over the people, over their families, and even over their own lives. They were becoming desperate in dealing with Jesus so that they could continue living how they wanted to live. Jesus never asked to be crowned king nor did He bring an army to take down Jerusalem or Rome. No, He lived, loved, and healed the people. He conquered the cause of justice, righteousness, and truth. He brought hope. He victoriously conquered the Law of the Old Testament and started a new era of grace. The Pharisees continually tried to gather power and control and lost it every time but those who trusted in Christ and gave up control changed! I wonder what it looks like to have victory in my life. Have you ever wondered what life would be like under control? First, I would say it looks a little like a donkey.
Looking Like a Donkey: Gentle Obedience
With so many farmers around here, I can’t imagine that you don’t know what it would be like to ride an animal for the first time; especially an untamed one. This colt, or young donkey, would have never been ridden and so never trained. I remember my dad, back on the farm, when He was a kid. He told me a story about the time he rode a new horse they had gotten for cattle farming. His dad put him on the horse and off he went, kicking and bucking around. Then the horse just took off at a full run. He ran all the way across the field and straight up to a barb wired fence. Well, the horse slammed its brakes but my dad didn’t and he went flying over the horse, the fence, and into a giant patch of pointy stickers and cactus. He said he hobbled back home and my grandmother sat and picked them out of his behind for an hour. You just don’t ride a random, untrained animal. Yet, Jesus not only requested, but told them to pick out this very specific animal.
Did you know how the animal acted with its very first rider? It was perfectly gentle and obedient to its rider. The Bible doesn’t give many details concerning the young donkey probably because the donkey never did anything but behave. The animal didn’t fight those who took it away, put coats on it, nor did it fight to throw Jesus off. This is by all means absolutely insane. If you have ever been kicked by a mule, you would think so too. When I think of this episode, I always get this mental image of Jesus, riding with grace, into town slowly and peacefully. I have never once had the image of Jesus “bull-riding” into town. He wasn’t fighting to stay on for eight seconds for some points. They didn’t anger the donkey by poking it with a stick.
The donkey was perfectly gentle and obedient to the King it carried. In a life transformed by Christ the King, a victorious person doesn’t have to buck and kick to get there way. They don’t have to throw the King off just because they don’t want to have someone telling them what to do and what not to do. Honestly, a life carrying Christ can stand victorious over the rest of the world. Mary shouldn’t have to spend an hour pulling stickers and cactus thorns out of Jesus’ behind because you bucked Him off over a fence. When you have victory over your life, a change in you occurs. You learn to trust the King and let Him lead you. You learn that He gives your life direction and control even when you feel like you are spinning out of it. A life marked with victory in Christ is a life marked by gentle obedience to the guidance of Christ.
First, a victorious life looks strangely like a young donkey. It will be marked by gentleness and obedience to the master riding it. Secondly, a life of victory will look like a coat.
Looking Like a Coatless Beggar: Willingly Sacrificial
“They brought it to Jesus and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road.” You’ve seen it right. Chivalry used to be a big thing in how men and women interacted. I would almost imagine that idea came from this very text. They are walking along the sidewalk and they come upon a puddle. The gentleman would then take off his coat and put it over the puddle so that she can walk over without getting dirty. You know what I never see; a picture of the guy picking up his dirty, trashed jacket off the ground. These people apparently were not only placing their only clothes on top of a dirty, stinky donkey but also letting the donkey trample over them. Now, if anyone here has seen a parade with animals in it, we all know what happens if they don’t have a refuse-catcher. I used to be in a marching band back in high school and we had to do town parades. Now, for some sick reason, they always put us behind the horses. Our band looked more like a couple of snakes rather than a group because we spent most of our time dodging animal refuse. We would all walk with our heads and instruments towards the ground so that we could see where we were going.
When these men and women laid down their coats, they were giving them up completely. Now, these may have been the only piece of clothing they had other than their garment covering their mid-section. This wasn’t just some pleasantry where they picked it up afterwards, dusted it off, and then wore it the rest of the day. According to the Old Testament, this would take a large amount of purification time before it could be used again, if they did. This was a sacrifice for them. They were letting an unclean animal desecrate their precious clothing in honor of the triumphant King entering town. Seriously, how many of you would allow a donkey to walk over your favorite coat?
They willingly sacrificed their belongings to honor the King. This may sound like some extremely foreign idea to you. A good and victorious person should be in control of their lives. They should be able to buy what they want and have everything the way they want it, right? This doesn’t sound like the life of a victorious person. This sounds like the life of a slave. Why should I have to sacrifice to be happy and in control? Jesus wants to bring you victory in your life but you have to let go first. He wants to help you learn and grow but you have to give up you control over your life and that includes your desires for worldly things. A victorious life looks very much like these people who gave up their precious belongings. A truly victorious life can have much or have very little and still be content.
Paul speaks of his victorious life this way, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” You want real victory in your life. Victory isn’t having money, buying stuff, or controlling life. Victory is learning to trust Jesus with the most important and precious parts of your life. It is learning to be content with everything God has given you and not desiring more; that is one true mark of victory.
A victorious life has many marks. It may look like an obedient donkey or even a coatless beggar. It may even look like the rocks on the ground.
Looking Like a Dumb Rocks: Powerful Praise
The Pharisees were losing control quite quickly due to Jesus. They wanted no more of His meddling with their people and their power. When the people were all praising Jesus for freeing them from the repressive law of the Old Testament, the Pharisees were telling Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” Yet, instead of silencing the people, Jesus said, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out.” Now, hallucination aside, I have never heard of inanimate objects doing anything much less shouting out in praise. The King, entering the city on a colt, didn’t demand praise from the people. They gave it willingly but even if they decided to quit, something or someone was going to praise.
I have been called many things and one of them was “dumb as a rock.” I remember as a little kid I was called the fat and stupid one. I made it my goal in life to become smarter and stronger than the other kids and especially the teachers. Well, I did gain a great amount of knowledge but I think I may have failed to beat the fat part. I just consider that I became a well rounded person. See, I am almost a perfect circle. Seriously enough, maybe being “dumb as a rock” isn’t quite as bad as I thought it was. You see, even the rocks have the sense to praise God when they see Him, unlike the Pharisees who hated Christ for taking away their power.
If mankind won’t praise God, then the rest of His creation will. The triumphant King came on an obedient donkey, walking on the sacrifice of a shirtless beggar. Every person was rejoicing and singing out praises to His name. This was a day of wonderful joy for everyone who believed in Him. Think about it. A victorious life has Christ. If your victorious life has Christ, it will be filled with the sound of praise, not the sound of defeat. A victorious life in Christ has nothing to hide and everything to gain. A victorious life gives control of its life to Jesus Christ and opens itself up to shower praise on Him. A victorious life will be marked by a heart filled with joy and jubilation at the coming of the triumphant King. They don’t fear the loss of power and control. They rejoice at the freedom they receive from God; freedom from their worries, doubts, and fears about this life, freedom from the strains of an overly greedy world, freedom from the baggage of the past. A victorious life has the mark of praise because of the freedom the King grants.
We all want our lives to have some semblance of control. We want to feel safe and secure. We want to have victory in our lives over our troubles. Jesus, the triumphant King, has come to enter your life to do just that. You must give up your power and control over your life. The Pharisees desired power and control and the more they struggled, the more they lost themselves. This reminds me of a story I read about the love of a grandfather for his grandson.
“Grandpa walked into the family room and found his little grandson, Jeffy, standing up in his playpen, crying. He looked so pitiful, standing there in his little baseball T-shirt and diaper. His face was red and tear-stained from crying. When Jeffy saw his grandpa, his face lit up in a way that smote the old man’s heart. He immediately reached up his chubby little hands in supplication. “Out Papa, out!” What grandpa could resist such a plea? Not this one! He walked over to the playpen and reached down to lift his little buddy out of captivity and distress. Just then, however, Law and Order stepped into the room. Jeffy’s mother walked out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hand and spoke sternly. “No, Jeffy! You are being punished. You have to stay in bed! Leave him right there, Dad.” Oh, fine. Now what’s a grandpa to do? His grandson’s tears and reaching little hands tugged mightily at his heart- but he didn’t want to interfere with a mother’s discipline either. He couldn’t stand staying in the same room with the boy, reading his newspaper and pretending to be aloof. Nor could he turn around and walk out the door without feeling like a betrayer to his little pal. What could he do? Love found a way. Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffy out of the playpen, he climbed in with him. “If you’re in the playpen, Buddy, I’m in the playpen. What’s your sentence? How long are you in for?” And finding a big, jolly grandpa suddenly filling his little prison cell, the little boy found comfort even in his captivity.”
Life can feel like a huge cage. With work, family, and church, your schedule may be super packed. It may feel like life is spiraling out of control. I am here to tell you how to get it back. Just like little Jeffy, you may feel trapped and want out. Jesus, the King, won’t get you out but He will gladly join you in your life and make the whole situation all the better. You do not have the power to control life. If you did, life wouldn’t spin out of control sometimes but with Jesus your life can regain control. Life can get scary but with Jesus you can have confidence through His victory. Amy and I had little or no fear when we wrecked. We have Jesus and trust Him with our life. Would you like to have your life under control? It’s time for you to get to know Jesus, the triumphant King, who can bring victory to your life. Victory can be yours through Jesus Christ.
