A Servant’s Attitude!
Mark 11:1-2 (NIV)
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
A Servant’s Attitude!
Introduction:
This week marks the beginning of the end of Jesus’ mission on earth. His thirty-three year journey is coming to a close. His Ministry still in its infancy is seven days short of being in existence for three years.
Jesus is very much aware of His fate. Rough days lie ahead, but beyond the seventh day, victory will be proclaimed.
The Bible declares His greatness:
• Matthew 28:18 (ESV) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
• Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
• Hebrews 12:2 (ETRV) “We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.”
• Revelation 19:16 (NASV) “And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
However for the next 168 hours, Jesus will face some of the most challenging times of His life. As He peers down the path toward Jerusalem, Jesus foresees the pain and suffering that He must endure so that you and I will have a chance for eternal life. Noticed, I said, for you and I to have a chance for eternal life. You see, without Him we have no chance to defeat the sin nature that is within us. . .
• Titus 2:14 (NLT) “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
But as Jesus waits on the roadside just south of Bethany and a short distance north of Bethphage, waiting for His disciples to return from the village with the untamed colt. Jesus does not wait alone. . You see the Comforter that He promised us is with Him. . . . .
• John 14: 16-17 (AMP) “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate)that He may remain with you forever— The Spirit of Truth. Whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him.”
• John 15:26 (KJV) “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me”
So with the Comforter as my Guide, (You know, the Spirit of Truth, the 3rd Person of the Trinity “also known as” The Holy Spirit). . . Do You know who I’m talking about. .
So, can I go a bit Old School on you today? So, in my minds eye, through my spiritual lens, using my Spiritual foresight, I was being caught up in the spirit just like Apostle John on the Island of Patmos; Better Yet, I love the way The Apostle Paul said it:
• 2 Corinthians 12:2 (NIV) “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows.”
So as I’m conversing with the Holy Spirit, I could see and hear clearly the conversation between Jesus and The Comforter.
I Had a Peter Moment:
• Matthew 17:4 (NIV) “Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Nevertheless, in my minds eye, I could hear Jesus saying to the Comforter; As they stand side by side, looking straight ahead into Jerusalem. Neither overly excited, nor afraid, just two men having a quite and somewhat surreal conversation.
You know, in the days ahead Jesus says:
• Religious Leaders will Plot to Kill Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Sorrow will Overwhelm Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Satin will Tempt Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• One of My Trusted Followers will Betray Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Temple Guards will Arrest Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Dedicated Disciples will Abandon Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• The Sanhedrin Council will Question Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• False Witnesses will Accurse Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• One of My Close Companions will Deny Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Government Officials will Ridicule Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• Roman Soldiers will Mock Me & Beat Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• My People will Demand That They Crucify Me – the Comforter Answers, I know.
• You the Comforter will have to Leave Me – the Comforter Answers, I know,
but only for a little while.
So my friends as you stand on the ledge of uncertainty, this sermon is for you.
Oh Yea! You know that all hell is about to break loose in your life. You know that your job is about to be eliminated; you know that your marriage will end in divorce;
Oh yeah! You know that your tuition has played out; you know that you have to accept a job that you don’t want or face eviction or piles of unpaid bills. You know that your past is about to confront your future. But there is Good News on this Sunday, called Palm Sunday.
The Comforter is closer to you than you think. The Comforter is closer to the situation than you realize. And His answer to your questions is “I know what you are going through, I know what you are facing, and I know what you are about to face; but my answer is not only that I know; for I know that it will only be for a little while.”
• Psalm 30:5 (NKJV) “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”
Just like Jesus, you are in a in-between time; in other words your donkey has not arrived.
A Quote by Sue Monk Kidd “The Secret Life of Bees”
“It was the in-between time, before day leaves and night comes, a time I’ve never been partial to because of the sadness that lingers in the space between going and coming.”
And just like Jesus, over the next 144 hours, the very crowd that worships Him today, will form a revolt against Him tomorrow. You see my friends, those that you thought were close to you have abandoned you, they’ve disowned you, and they are talking bad about you and gossiping about you. Further more they are plotting to do you harm.
• Psalm 105:14-15 (NIV) “He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
1 Chronicles 16:21-22 (SAME AS ABOVE)
Just like Jesus, brace yourself for impact; hold onto the words of Job as recorded in
• Job 13:15 (NKJV) “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
• And though I may cry out: Matthew 26:39 (NKJV) “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
But for the moment; on the roadside two miles southeast of Jerusalem; at the hills called the Mount of Olives, Jesus awaits the return of two of His Disciples. However, He waits near a place of significance:
• 2 Samuel 15:30 (NKJV) “But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.”
• Ezekiel 11:23 (NKJV) “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.”
• Acts 1:9-11 (NKJV) “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Jesus is in the right place at the right time for the right reason: You see for on this Hill called the Mount of Olives, the very prophet that foretold Jesus future nearly 600 years earlier was buried on the Hillside of Mount of Olives.
• Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
• Matthew 21:9 (NIV) “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”
So there is a great tribute to Jesus on the Mount of Olives as he fulfills A Prelude to the End!
Conclusion:
Like the colt (donkey, if your prefer), Jesus has requested our service to assist in fulfilling His purpose. Like the colt, we are tied to our old habits and ways. So he send someone to untie us. Some of us may think that Jesus dose not know that we exist, let alone where we live.
Like the Colt - Jesus can use you according to His Will.
When Jesus calls us, surely He knows that we are unequipped to perform the assignment. We are untrained to carry out the mission, but you are stilled needed and in requested. Noticed Jesus did not request the most eloquent of animals, he did not request a camel, nor an elephant nor a goat nor bull, nor a cow, nor a horse, but an untamed colt.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
• Romans 8:30 (NKJV) “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
• Ephesians 1:5-6 (NKJV) “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
• Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
• 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV) “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen”
Like the Colt - YOU ARE TO CARRY JESUS, But Overshadow Him
Now once Jesus calls you into His service to join His mission, like the colt, you are to carry Jesus to the multitude: Delivering Him to the people, He is the main message . . . . . The colt carried Jesus to Jerusalem and to a multitude of people.
• Mark 16:15 (NIV) “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
• Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
• John 3:28-31 (NASB) “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
Story: Only A Donkey (Anonymous) "Foolish child," she said gently. "Don’t you realize that without Him, you are just an ordinary donkey?” just like the donkey who carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ. Without him, all our best efforts are like "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) and amount to nothing. When we lift up Christ, however, we are no longer ordinary people, but key players in God’s plan to redeem the world.
So this week as we Remember Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, take time to Praise Him for staying the course. Ask to be used as the colt, bounded by life constraints but loosed for God’s purpose; Ask to be used in ways that you not been used before, seek areas outside of your comfort zone; Be obedient and humble in carrying out your roles; Don’t try to overshadow the task you’ve been assigned to and don’t worry that one will remember your name. . Just be glad that you are a donkey.
GLORY TO GOD - - AMEN
