Living Lent 6 - “The Donkey Reveals a Burdened Savior”
We are in the home stretch now. Lent… is coming to an end. We have spent five full weeks trying to get ready for Easter by focusing on Christ and preparing our hearts and minds for that splendid Easter morning. How many of you are ready for Easter? Well, ready or not here it comes… it’s time for us to get our Holy Week on! Because in today’s scripture passage… here comes the king! Why don’t we start out this morning by getting in the right mood… turn to someone next to you and say “Here comes the king!”
As a church, we have spent this time hearing from animals to teach us lessons about Christ and to help us prepare for Easter! Just for a quick review… we’ve heard from a fox… we’ve heard from a donkey… we’ve heard from a dove, we’ve heard from a chicken, and last week… we heard from (of all things) a vulture. This week we are visited by an old friend. Week one started out with the donkey… and guess what… he’s back. There was just so much that the donkey had to teach us that he couldn’t quite fit into just one sermon. One final thing before we read our scripture lesson… if you have enjoyed these lessons on the animals, and you want to know how it is going to end… you are going to have to come to the sunrise service on Easter. The 10:15 service is going to be something entirely different, so if you want to here the closing message… please join us at the 7:30 am sunrise service Easter morning. Now let’s turn to our text:
John 12:12-16 12
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
Folks… here comes the king! And there are three questions that we need to explore as we examine the significance of this event. What does the arrival of the king mean? What does it mean to the crowds? What does it mean to Jesus? And what does it mean to us?
For the Crowds:
People were making complete spectacles of themselves… throwing their cloaks down upon the path… tearing palm branches down to further pave the way. Several others waved the branches in a fine procession… this could mean only one thing… a King. But what King would be coming to Jerusalem during Passover? The Jews had no King… and any other king in the world knows far too well to avoid Jerusalem… the city of David itself… during the time of our Passover.
The key, to why this king was here… all depended… all hinged on what the king was riding! You see, there were so many traditions back then, so many practices… that it meant something when a king would ride into town… furthermore it meant something what the king was riding. So the crowd had one big question… “What is the King riding?” Is it a warhorse or a donkey? A warhorse meant war, a donkey… meant peace. Kind of like… if a king came riding to town today in a tank or a guarded humvee, you all would say… this is trouble. But if he came in a stretch limo in full procession… well we have a peaceful dignitary on our hands. It makes a difference what the king rides in on… and in today’s text… what is Jesus riding? "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." Jesus is coming in peace. We all know that Jesus is the PRINCE of peace… and he comes to bring PEACE! But for this crowd… that donkey… has made ALL the difference.
The people shout: Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! They can begin to make out the far off cries of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” What… “the Son of David?” Can it really be? The Son of David was a title reserved for the King of the Jews. The Jews have not had a King for far too long… only Caesar to be praised. Can it be? The King of the Jews approaches.
What a sight Jesus must have been for the crowds that day. A King? Is this a joke? He’s practically dressed in rags… had the look of a man who worked for a living. Surely they are putting us on! Perhaps this is a test by Roman administrators? But… everyone is so emphatic that this is indeed the King. I bet more than a few were confused… but the celebration has already started and it is easy to join in on a party. Especially if this really WAS the new king. The people celebrate. They can’t see into the future… to what will happen in a just a few short days to this mild prince of peace. They can’t even begin to fathom, what this next week will look like.
For Jesus:
“Christ knows what awaits him!” Imagine what Jesus must have been thinking as he rode into town! Jesus knew what his destiny was… Jesus knew the path… Jesus knew the sacrifice… Jesus knew the pain… and guess what! Here comes the king! Jesus knew that these people who shouted Hosanna today… would shout “Crucify him!” on Thursday. Jesus knew. Lets take just a moment to peak a tiny bit into the future:
John 18:1-11 NIV
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
“Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” That must be what Jesus is thinking the whole time he rides the donkey into Jerusalem. The donkey becomes even MORE symbolic at this moment… not just a symbol of peace… but as a symbol of a beast of burden. Donkeys were known for carrying very heavy burdens… and the heaviest burden of all was being carried by Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. We have talked about it before… how… even as Jesus was fully God he was also fully human… and he had our fears… he experienced pain… doubt. Imagine the burden he carried knowing that… “Here comes the king” means… this is the end! What a stark difference this ride into Jerusalem means for our Christ.
For the crowds… the donkey represented peace. For the Christ… the donkey represents the heavy burden that he had to carry. But what does the donkey have to teach you and I today? I think… in our scripture text today… of all the characters… you and I can most relate to the stinky one walking on all fours. Think about it… the crowds are throwing a big party… and today is not a party today for us. We know what this week is going to be like and our party doesn’t start for another week. We surely can’t fully understand what it is like for Jesus carrying the huge burden that he had to carry. No, if anything we are like the donkey going along for the ride.
We aren’t quite like the crowds in that regard… we aren’t even like the disciples… much more like some 3rd party off to the side… donkeys perhaps. That is what the donkey has to teach us today… that is the opportunity that awaits for us this next week. We will be invited to journey as that 3rd party on Thursday night as we sit at the table as here Jesus say goodbye to his disciples. We will be invited to witness Friday night where our Christ will be put to the cross. We will be able to take all of that in… and KNOW what it means for every single one of us… so that when we come back here on Easter Sunday… we will FINALLY be able to that party… FINALLY be able to join those crowds rejoicing… FINALLY be able to take our turn to shout “Here comes the king!” But we should follow the lead of the donkey today… and all throughout this week… and go where our master leads us… so that we can learn the lessons we need to learn… and have our hearts shaped in the way that God would have them shaped.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
