This sermon explores the crowd's misunderstanding of Jesus, the manifestation of true salvation, and the importance of making room for Jesus in our hearts.
Good morning, beloved family of God. It is a joy to gather together in the Lord's name, to bask in His love, and to learn from His Word. We are not just congregants in a church, but brothers and sisters in Christ, bound by a love that transcends earthly understanding.
Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the Gospel of Mark, specifically the eleventh chapter, verses one through eleven. In this passage, we find ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with the crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. We can almost feel the dust rising from the road, hear the shouts of joy, and sense the electric anticipation in the air. Mark 11:1-11 reads as follows:
"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. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, 'What are you doing, untying that colt?' They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!' Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve."
In the passage we just read, we see a crowd of people welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. They're shouting, waving palm branches, and laying their cloaks on the ground in front of Him. It's a scene of joy and celebration. But there's also a misunderstanding at the heart of it. The people are welcoming Jesus as a king, but they're thinking of an earthly king, not a heavenly one. They're expecting Him to overthrow the Romans and restore Israel to its former glory. But that's not why Jesus came.
Jesus didn't come to be a political leader or a military hero. He came to be a Savior. He came to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life. The people in the crowd didn't understand this. They were looking for a Messiah who would meet their earthly needs and desires, not one who would meet their spiritual needs.
Jesus' closest followers struggled to understand who He was and why He came. They often asked Him about when He was going to establish His kingdom and free Israel from Roman rule. They didn't understand that His kingdom wasn't of this world.
This misunderstanding led to disappointment. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, many of His followers were confused and disillusioned. They had expected Him to be a conquering king, not a suffering servant.
We can misunderstand who Jesus is and why He came. We can expect Him to solve our problems and make our lives comfortable, and miss the fact that He came to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. We can also misunderstand what it means to follow Jesus. We can think it's about following a set of rules or being a good person. But it's not. It's about having a relationship with Jesus, trusting Him, and letting Him change us from the inside out.
We can also misunderstand the nature of Jesus' kingdom. We can think it's about power, wealth, and success. But it's not. It's about love, sacrifice, and service. It's about putting others before ourselves and seeking God's will above our own.
Finally, we can misunderstand the nature of Jesus' return. We can think it's something to fear or dread. But it's not. It's something to look forward to with hope and joy. It's the time when Jesus will come back to establish His kingdom in its fullness, to wipe away every tear, and to make all things new.
As we continue to examine the passage from Mark, we find ourselves drawn to the scene of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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