"King or Cross?"

In history, the Sunday before his resurrection, Jesus came triumphantly into Jerusalem as King of kings. That week also brought about the Cross and what appeared to be victory for evil. So what do we feel this week, the glory of the Sunday or the fear of Friday?

King or Cross

(Matt. 21:6-11)

Introduction:

A.   The creator of the earth, came to earth in the flesh.  Born in humble means, Immanuel, God with us, came to walk in our shoes.  God on earth.  Think about it. The sovereign Lord who knows all chose to give it up to become you.  Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, would tell us that we need to be just like Jesus.  Phil. 2:5-11.

B.  Peter lets us in on a heavenly secret.  We were redeemed from our empty way of life, not by silver or gold or perishable things, but by the precious blood of Christ.  Now listen, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”  Jesus knew before he even created this world that he would leave the oneness of the Godhead in order to redeem man.  Before Adam and Eve were created, before they listened to Satan and ate that forbidden fruit, Jesus knew he would one day walk the road to Calvary.

C.  Some call it “Holy Week.”  It is the week that starts today and ends next Sunday with what people have come to call “Easter.”  While it was not celebrated in the early church until the end of the second century, it is a time that many Christian reflect upon all that Jesus did to bring us into a saving relationship.  He was willing to die for me.  He was willing to take this road that brought him into Jerusalem as a king to walking a road to Calvary as criminal.

I.  The King Is Coming

A.  Our text opens with the entry of Jesus coming into Jerusalem.  All four Gospels tell us this story.  Jesus coming on the colt of a donkey.  Coming into the great spiritual capital in splendor and humility.  As we read of that Sunday that Jesus came to town we read that people spread their cloaks on the road others cut palm branches down and laid them before him.  They people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”  “Hosanna in the highest!”  They people were treating Jesus as a victorious king who has come from battle and in humility leads a victory parade.  Jesus did not stop this time of celebration even though the people were expected a different king.

B.  While the crowds hailed Jesus, we realize that Jesus did not coming riding into Jerusalem on a horse with a great army behind him and string of slaves at the end.  Jesus came riding a donkey alone.  Yes, I understand that some of the Israelite kings did this, but it was not so might a sign of might but a sign of humility.  He allowed the concept of kingship, but under his conditions of humility.             C.  Jesus speaks about his kingdom in terms of servanthood not being served, but living to serve.  He speaks of the greatest being the least, the first being the last, and the master washing the disciples feet.  The kingdom of Jesus was different.  It was not a restoring of Israel to a time of a sovereign nation with a Davidic king on the throne.  Jesus would later tell Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world.  If it were his servants would fight to prevent his arrest.

D.  Let’s come back for a moment to that cheering crowd.  As Jesus came into Jerusalem the people laid down their cloaks and palm branches.  The laying down of the cloaks was two-fold.  First it was a public sign of submission to authority and second it was a public welcoming of this authority.  The people were proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one of God, and the religious leaders did not like it.  They told Jesus to have these followers stop, but Jesus told them even if they did the rocks would cry out.  Behold your king is coming.

E.  Will we today welcome him into our lives like this crowd did?  I am not talking about laying down your coat for him to walk on or cutting down palm branches as a sign of kingship, I want to know if we will shout “Hosanna!”  The word means “Save us!”  It was a sign of praise.  Today is the day of salvation to all who will come to Jesus.  Today is your day when we proclaim “Hosanna!  Glory to God in the highest!”  For us every Sunday is a time of public praise and proclamation.  We are not ashamed of our faith.  We want the whole world to know that we have a king that we submit to and follow.  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

II.  Authority Questioned

A.  The next couple of days became a time of Jesus showing his authority as a spiritual leader and teacher.  On Monday we see him cleansing the temple and standing up for God’s holiness.

B.  Through out that week we read of him teaching each day at the temple and healing the blind and lame.  We hear Jesus teach in parables.  He told a parable about two sons, another about tenants who killed the owner’s son, and a great wedding banquet where people made excuses and would not come.  We hear Jesus teach about the resurrection of the dead, the greatest commandment, the signs of the end.  We read of what is commonly called “the Last Supper” where Jesus washes the feet of apostles and offers his body and blood to them.  But throughout this time of teaching we also read about how the religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus.  It had gone too far for them and this public proclamation that Jesus was Messiah was simply too much.  He must die.  A few days at the beginning of the week were Jesus is king changes as Judas, one of his own apostles, looks for a way to betray him.  With a kiss, the cheering for a king, begins a new kind of cheering.  This time the crowds would not cry “Hosanna!” but “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

III.  Cross

A.  A king or the cross?  Which was it to be?  Was Jesus the Messiah?  Was this the Son of David, the Son of God, come to redeem mankind?  He just didn’t fit the right picture.  He was doing what a king coming to save his people was supposed to do?  He came to Jerusalem as a victor on Sunday but about half way through the week he became a criminal on a cross.

B.  Matt. 27:32-44.  If he was really the Messiah could he not save himself?  He could save other people could he not save himself?  Why hang there in a public execution if he is God in the flesh?

C.  I believe you know the answer.  He is king, not of the Jews, not of a single race of people, not of a land mass or country.  Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.  Jesus didn’t come down from the cross because he didn’t come to save himself, he came to save ME and YOU!  He came hung on that cross because I am sinner destined to Hell and Jesus wanted to buy me back and give me value.  Jesus wanted to save my soul and give me the opportunity to live a new life and one day live with him for eternity.  That is why he didn’t come down from the cross.  He didn’t come down because he loved the sinners of this world and wanted mankind to come home.

D.  Rom. 5:6-11.  Will you be reconciled to him today?