The recent Western Australia Senate elections highlighted something about the human condition. We are a fickled lot. Some people and parties dropped in popularity but up to 7% from 2013 to 2014.
Highlighting it doesn’t take much for us to change our mind from praising and following someone to rejecting them.
At times we treat people like last year’s Christmas present, we loved it for a short time but now have lost interest in it and are looking for someone or something new to please us.
And today’s bible reading from Matthew chapter 21 verses 1 to 11 highlights that this is exactly what is about to happen with Jesus as we prepare for the final run home to Easter.
By this time in Jesus’ life Jesus had developed quite a following.
Matthew chapter 20 verse 29 says a large crowd was following Him.
But why?
Was it because they thought he would make their life more comfortable now?
Was it because he had great teaching or was an engaging speaker?
Was it because he was fulfilling some of the prophecies that what we know as the Old Testament speaks about?
Was it because he was going to lead them to regaining some power?
Was it because they knew he was the Messiah. the one sent from God?
Or was it because they understood that Jesus was going to be the one who fixed up their relationship with God?
It could have been all of the above.
To get a better grasp on today’s reading from Matthew chapter 21 verses 1 to 11 there are a few things to remember.
Firstly the Gospel of Matthew is written to primarily to a Jewish audience.
A group of people who believed they were God’s special people.
However they were also a group of people who for years had encountered persecution and oppression.
Although they were living in their own land, they were being ruled by foreign powers.
Foreign powers who worshipped and praised not the Triune God but foreign gods and wanted others to do the same.
They felt powerless and they were looking for a leader to over throw these foreign leaders.
They were waiting for God to deliver them from this life of misery and difficulties.
Now does their situation sound familiar to your life.
Do you at times feel like you are under some form of oppression because of the society you live in?
Do you feel like a foreigner in your own land?
Are you waiting for God to do something?
If you do…then you are not alone!!!
There is good reason for this….
Earth, this time of your life, is not your home….
1 Peter chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 remind us of this
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The difference between us and the Jewish people of Jesus day, is that even though at times we both feel oppressed as we live our lives under earthly rulers who are not ruling in a way that is consistent with God,
it is clear through the scriptures that this life is not where we are supposed to be.
God clearly says this life is only temporary.
He even says we are aliens, foreigners on earth.
As a consequence we shouldn’t be surprised when people have different standards, rules to live by and focuses that are not consistent God.
And God encourages us not to be distracted by these but rather remain focussed on Him and His way of life.
he simply encourages us to remain focussed on what is important to Him, to allow His way of life to guide us and influence us.
and why because God has something better in store, a life of with Him forever.
A life where we will be praising God continuously and living in harmony with everyone else in heaven.
A life where we won’t be oppressed but rather not only feel we are on top of the world but actually we will be on top of the world.
And for this to happen Jesus needed to enter Jerusalem….
And for those who knew the prophecies…they probably had a good feeling about Jesus….
He was entering on a donkey…..
which is part of the prophecy of Zechariah
A prophecy written around 500 years before the events that took place on that first palm Sunday…
Listen again to what it says
9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Riding on a donkey was a sign that God’s Messiah was going to arrive in meekness and as a servant, not as a grand conqueror or domineering leader.
Many people back then and today, want leaders who are strong, give the impression they are in control of everything and have it all together.
A big stallion not a donkey would have portrayed this message.
But the donkey sends a message that here comes a servant leader, a caring and meek leader.
Jesus repeatedly does things in his life that points to the fact that He is a servant.
On Maundy Thursday, we will be highlighting another of Jesus’ servant actions, as we retell the Jesus washing the disciple’s feet.
So no wonder many people were asking Who is Jesus? when he entered the city….
Remember this question was asked after a crowd were praising Jesus.
For some who we relying on their own thoughts of what God and the Messiah should look like, they would have been confused…
In their minds He is riding on a donkey….how could he be the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
As disciples of Jesus we are called to reflect who Jesus is…
Sometimes we mess this up…
Sometimes we portray that Jesus is more about how we look, how powerful and perfect we are because of how we look and what we do,
rather than we need to rely on Jesus, and reflecting who He is by serving others.
We need to ask does how we relate to others reflect who Jesus is?
Many people are asking the question …
Who is Jesus?
Some I suspect are asking is Jesus going to live up to my expectations of what a leader or king should be?
Others are probably asking is Jesus going to give me what I want?
Will Jesus be my key to earthly success and comfort?
Will he be the king that will help me have a better more comfortable life now?
However there is a better way to approach this question…
When you ask ‘Who is Jesus?’
Ask it in a way that asks
How is He the Messiah? and What does Jesus tell us about God?
When we approach the question who is Jesus like this;
• we will dive regularly into scripture discovering how Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies that appear in the Old Testament
• we are opening up ourselves to be led and guided by Jesus.
• we are allowing God to inform us who He is and what He is on about rather than us trying to tell God what He should be doing or being disappointed with God that He doesn’t live up to our expectations.
As we have spoken about on many occasions…being a disciple of Jesus affects us in two main ways.
The first who is Jesus for us?
And second how are we being called to answer the question for others…who is Jesus?
As disciples of Jesus, when someone asks why do you follow Jesus or who is Jesus, are you ready to answer this question for them?
What would you say that will help them discover who Jesus is?
The crowds that gathered on that first palm Sunday…clearly proclaimed who he was when they shouted
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
Hosanna means He is the one who will save us…
And this is what Easter is about
God clearly demonstrating that Jesus is the one who will save us
Ironically some of the people in the crowd were probably hoping he would save them from the troubles they were experiencing with a foreign ruler.
But the events of Easter highlight that Jesus saves us from something bigger and far more detrimental to our lives.
Jesus saves us from the consequence of our sins, which also means he saves from eternal death.
As Romans chapter 5 verse 9 to 11 says
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Not only does Jesus save us…in saving us He gives us something spectacular, a new and better life than we could ever imagine or create ourselves.
As you prepare for Easter….
continue listening to who Jesus is
continue to allow God to inform your thinking
and keep your eyes and minds on the long term life God is offering you and others because Jesus saves you through the actions that happened at Easter.
Jesus may not be everyone’s choice of a leader or Messiah but He is God’s choice and so we can look forward to the life God is making possible for us and others through the actions of Jesus. Amen
