When Jesus Does Not Live Up To Our Expectations.

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