WHEN JESUS DOES NOT LIVE UP TO OUR EXPECTATIONS.
MARK 11:1–10 1AS THEY APPROACHED JERUSALEM AND CAME TO BETHPHAGE AND BETHANY AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, JESUS SENT TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES, 2SAYING 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. 3IF ANYONE ASKS YOU, ‘WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?’ TELL HIM, ‘THE LORD NEEDS IT AND WILL SEND IT BACK HERE SHORTLY.’ ” 4THEY WENT AND FOUND A COLT OUTSIDE IN THE STREET, TIED AT A DOORWAY. AS THEY UNTIED IT, 5SOME PEOPLE STANDING THERE ASKED, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, UNTYING THAT COLT?” 6THEY ANSWERED AS JESUS HAD TOLD THEM TO, AND THE PEOPLE LET THEM GO. 7WHEN THEY BROUGHT THE COLT TO JESUS AND THREW THEIR CLOAKS OVER IT, HE SAT ON IT. 8MANY PEOPLE SPREAD THEIR CLOAKS ON THE ROAD, WHILE OTHERS SPREAD BRANCHES THEY HAD CUT IN THE FIELDS. 9THOSE WHO WENT AHEAD AND THOSE WHO FOLLOWED SHOUTED, “HOSANNA!” “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!” 10“BLESSED IS THE COMING KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID!” “HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!”
PROPOSITION: IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO ACT WHEN JESUS DOES NOT MEET OUR EXPECTATIONS!
INTRODUCTION: I AM SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF, AND EVEN USED THE APP, TEMU TO PURCHASE SOMETHING. WELL, I WAS ON THE APP RECENTLY AND HAPPENED ACROSS A RAISED BED PLANTER FOR PURCHASE. I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME GARDENING AND USING BOTH RAISED BEDS AND 5 GALLON BUCKETS FOR MY PLANTS. WELL, I GOT EXCITED WHEN I SAW THIS RAISED BED PLANTER. IT LOOKED LIKE WHAT I NEEDED, AND IT WAS A GREAT PRICE. SO, I ORDERED IT AND WAITED EXPECTANTLY FOR ITS ARRIVAL. I WAS SOON NOTIFIED THAT IT HAD SHIPPED AND WOULD ARRIVE THE 10TH OF THE MONTH. IT DID NOT ARRIVE TILL THE 11TH, SO I GOT A $5 CREDIT (SMALL CONSOLATION). I EXPECTED TO COME HOME TO A BOX WITH MY RAISED BED. WHAT I RECEIVED WAS A POUCH WITH THE PIECES AND NO INSTRUCTIONS. MY EXPECTATIONS WERE DASHED WHEN MY RAISED GARDEN BED TURNED OUT TO BE A 12”X24” BED. HARDLY WHAT I EXPECTED. PERHAPS MY EXPECTATIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT HAD I READ THE DESCRIPTION AND NOT RELIED ON THE PICTURE.
TRANSITION: OUR TEXT THIS MORNING REVEALS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM. WHEN THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT REALIZED, WE WILL SEE THAT THOSE SAME PEOPLE WHO WELCOMED THE MESSIAH, WOULD QUICKLY TURN. “HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST” WOULD QUICKLY TURN TO “CRUCIFY HIM”!
THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN OUR EXPECTATIONS CONCERNING JESUS AND HIS WORK END UP BEING SHATTERED.
I. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ENTRY OF CHRIST
a. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE NOTICE AT HOW DETAILED THIS ACCOUNT IS
b. MARK IS NOT KNOWN FOR DETAIL
c. PART OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE THEME OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK
i. MARK IS PRESENTING JESUS AS A SERVANT
ii. SERVANTS WERE ALL ABOUT THE DOING
d. YET HERE, WE SEE A LOT OF DETAIL
i. THE PLACE THEY ARE TO GO
ii. WHAT THEY ARE TO FIND
iii. WHAT THEY ARE TO SAY IF ASKED
e. WE THEN SEE THAT THESE EVENTS ARE REPEATED BACK
i. THEY SHOW THE ACCURACY OF THE “PROPHECY” OF JESUS
II. WHY THESE EVENTS ARE SIGNIFICANT
a. “THE LORD NEEDS IT”
i. THE WORD LORD IN A GENERAL SENS MEANS ANYONE WHO IS IN AUTHORITY
1. THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE WOULD BE THE LORD.
a. NOT WANTING TO RISK A RIOT, I WILL NOT BE ASKING THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE AS A FAMILY TO LOOK TO YOUR HEAD OF THE HOUSE AND SAY, “MY LORD”!
2. THE OWNER OF A BUSINESS WOULD BE CONSIDERED THE LORD
3. POLITICAL FIGURES WOULD HAVE BEEN SPOKEN TO AS “LORD”.
ii. IN THE JEWISH MIND, THE WORD LORD TAKES ON A FAR GREATER SIGNIFICANCE
1. THE WORD LORD WOULD BE EQUATED WITH GOD
2. IT WOULD ALSO SHOW WHY JESUS WAS COMING
a. JOHN SAYS IT THIS WAY IN HIS GOSPEL -- JOHN 13:3 JESUS KNEW THAT THE FATHER HAD PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS POWER, AND THAT HE HAD COME FROM GOD AND WAS RETURNING TO GOD;
b. THE USE OF A “COLT”
i. THE ENTRY OF JESUS WAS AN ENTRY OF PEACE
1. GENTLENESS
2. MEEKNESS
3. TO HAVE RIDDEN IN ON A HORSE WOULD HAVE GIVEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MEANING – ONE OF WAR AND CONQUEST, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS THE MESSIAH THE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR.
4. WE WILL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS LATER.
ii. THE USE OF THE COLT FULFILLED PROPHECY
1. ZECHARIAH 9:9 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.
2. AND EVEN FARTHER BACK IN BIBLICAL HISTORY, WE READ IN THE PROPHETIC BLESSINGS OF JACOB TO HIS SON, THIS SPOKEN OF JUDAH -- GENESIS 49:10–11A THE SCEPTER WILL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH, NOR THE RULER’S STAFF FROM BETWEEN HIS FEET, UNTIL HE COMES TO WHOM IT BELONGS, AND THE OBEDIENCE OF THE NATIONS IS HIS. HE WILL TETHER HIS DONKEY TO A VINE, HIS COLT TO THE CHOICEST BRANCH; HE WILL WASH HIS GARMENTS IN WINE, HIS ROBES IN THE BLOOD OF GRAPES.
3. IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, DANIEL RECORDED HIS PROPHECY OF THE 70 WEEKS. THE DAY JESUS ENTERED INTO JERUSALEM WAS THE PRECISE DATE DANIEL HAD PREDICTED CENTURIES EARLIER.
iii. THE USE OF AN UNRIDDEN COLT ASSERTED HIS MESSIAHSHIP
1. AN UNRIDDEN COLT WOULD BALK AT ITS BURDEN
2. CAN’T MISS THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN SOME DIVINE INFLUENCE HERE
3. ALSO, AN UNRIDDEN COLT COULD BE USED FOR A SACRED PURPOSE
AND AS A SIDE NOTE, EVEN THOUGH THE DISCIPLES WERE WITNESSES OF ALL THAT WAS GOING ON, THE SIGNIFICANCE WOULD NOT HIT THEM TILL LATER -- JOHN 12:16 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.
c. AND JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM
i. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT HERE AN DRAW OUT A FEW PRACTICAL THOUGHTS
1. FIRST – JESUS HAS NEEDS! SOUNDS FUNNY DOESN’T IT. THE GOD OF ALL CREATION HAS NEEDS.
2. EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FACT THAT JESUS HAS NEEDS, IS THE RESPONSE OF HIS DISCIPLES TO THOSE NEEDS.
a. JESUS NEEDS A DONKEY
b. THE DISCIPLES WENT AND GOT THE DONKEY
3. TODAY, WE WOULD CALL RESPONDING TO HIS NEEDS STEWARDSHIP
a. TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE GENEROUS WITH WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US!
ii. SECOND, DON’T TRY TO MIMIC SOCIETY
1. THINK ABOUT THE LONE RANGER. HIS CALLING CARDS: A SILVER BULLET, A BLACK MASK, HIS MIGHTY HORSE SILVER. SWAP THE HORSE FOR A DONKEY AND YOU WOULD RUIN THE RANGER.
2. SO MANY TIMES, BELIEVERS FLAUNT THE SYMBOLS THIS WORLD CONSIDERS SIGNIFICANCE
a. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO DO THIS, THINK OF THE DONKEY
b. THE DONKEY WAS THE CHOSEN LIMOUSINE OF JESUS
i. ADORNED WITH SWEATY OVERCOATS INSTEAD OF LEATHER
ii. ONE GEAR BEAST OF BURDEN INSTEAD OF AN 8 CYLINDER DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAMMI!
3. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 FOR YOU KNOW THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT THOUGH HE WAS RICH, YET FOR YOUR SAKES HE BECAME POOR, SO THAT YOU THROUGH HIS POVERTY MIGHT BECOME RICH.
a. TO PATTERN OURSELVES AFTER JESUS, WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER WHO OUR ROLE MODELS ARE
III. THE RESPONSE OF THE PEOPLE
a. RESPONSE NUMBER ONE
i. THE PEOPLE SPREAD THEIR CLOAKS ON THE ROAD
1. THIS WAS A SIGN THAT THEY WERE PUTTING THEMSELVES UNDER THE FEET OF A KING
ii. THE PEOPLE SPREAD PALM BRANCHES
1. SYMBOLIC OF JOY AND VICTORY
b. RESPONSE NUMBER TWO
i. HOSANNA
1. THE WORD MEANS – SAVE NOW
2. PROBABLY THE PEOPLE WERE JUST USING IT WITHOUT THINKING
a. “PRAISE THE LORD”
b. “HALLELUJAH”
ii. BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
1. RECITING THE WORDS OF PSALM 118
2. A BLESSING GIVEN BY THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM TO VISITING PILGRIMS
iii. BLESSED IS THE COMING KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID.
1. SPOKEN BY THOSE WHO UNDERSTOOD THE MESSIANIC SIGNIFICANCE
c. THE PROBLEM WITH THE RESPONSE
i. IT WAS A FAITHLESS RESPONSE
ii. THE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR BLESSING
iii. THE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR PROSPERITY
iv. THE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR DELIVERANCE FROM ROME
v. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR SALVATION
d. RESPONSE NUMBER THREE
i. ONE WEEK LATER
ii. THE LUSTER HAS WORN OFF
iii. THE CROWD YELLS, “CRUCIFY HIM”!
IV. THE PROPER ATTITUDE REGARDING OUR EXPECTATIONS OF JESUS
a. THE EXAMPLE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
1. HE PREACHED THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH
2. HE ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST
3. NOW IN PRISON HE HAS DOUBTS -- MATTHEW 11:3 TO ASK HIM, “ARE YOU THE ONE WHO WAS TO COME, OR SHOULD WE EXPECT SOMEONE ELSE?”
4. DOES THE GOOD NEWS REALLY WORK IN THE REAL WORLD?
ii. WE TEND TO BELIEVE THAT IF WE BELIEVE CORRECTLY THEN EVERYTHING SHOULD WORK OUT
1. OUR MARRIAGES
2. OUR BANK BALANCE
3. OUR KIDS
4. MAJOR PROBLEMS
iii. LIKE JOHN, EVEN WHEN OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE BIBLICAL, WE STILL SEE THEM THROUGH THE LENS OF IMPATIENCE.
1. IF GOD HAS PROMISED SOMETHING, GOD SHOULD DO IT NOW!
2. LIKE THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE ORBITS AROUND OUR TIMETABLE
b. THE EXAMPLE OF THE CROWD AT JERUSALEM
i. THEY EXPECTED A DELIVER
ii. WHAT THEY GOT WAS A SUFFERING SAVIOR
c. THE REAL PROBLEM
i. WE WANT TO BLAME GOD BECAUSE WE DID NOT GET WHAT WE EXPECTED
ii. IN REALITY OUR PROBLEM IS NOT GOD – AND IT NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE
iii. GOD DID NOT FAIL US; OUR EXPECTATIONS OF GOD FAILED US – EMPHASIS ON “OUR”
d. HOW DO I CORRECT THIS MOVING FORWARD
i. WE SHOULD HESITATE TO ASSUME THE PLAN OF GOD DOES NOT WORK WHEN WE CANNOT SEE THE BIG PICTURE.
1. I WILL REMIND YOU, AS I OFTEN HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF – THAT GOD IS NOT BIG ON GIVING US LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE FRONT END
ii. WHEN WE STRUGGLE WITH CONNECTING THE TRUTH OF GOD WITH LIFE AS WE SEE IT
1. WE NEED TO EMBRACE OUR LIMITATIONS OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AND WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES
2. EMBRACE THE LIMITLESSNESS OF GOD WHO DOES KNOW WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES AS WELL AS ALL OF THE OTHER SCENARIOS THAT DON’T PRODUCE HIS DESIRE AND FULFILL HIS PURPOSE.
iii. WE SHOULD NEVER JUDGE GOD’S LOVE FOR US BASED ON OUR OWN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES
iv. FINALLY, UNDERSTAND THIS – JESUS WAS WILLING TO DISAPPOINT EVERYONE BUT THE FATHER!
1. JESUS LOVED THOSE WHO FOLLOWED HIM TO DISAPPOINT THEM
a. ALLOWED THEM TO QUESTION HIS POWER
b. ALLOWED THEM TO STRUGGLE WITH WHAT THEY EXPECTED
c. IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THE ETERNAL PLAN OF GOD
2. JESUS IS WILLING TO DISAPPOINT YOU FOR THE SAME REASON
a. THE PLANS OF GOD ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN OURS
b. NOT BECAUSE GOD DOES NOT CARE, BUT BECAUSE HE CARES MORE THAN WE WILL EVER KNOW.
SO, I TRUST THIS MORNING, YOU WILL LEAVE WITH A NEW APPRECIATION FOR THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY!
