"THE KING IS ON PARADE"
Luke 19:28-38
Posted November 16, 2000
Introduction
It may have seemed to the casual observer that this was a very
impromptu procession, this parade we call the Triumphal Entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem. It had all the obvious organization of a pick-up game
of softball.
But in fact this was a very well-planned and deliberate
happening, this one-Man parade! It had been announced in detail
hundreds of years before by a prophet born in Babylon:
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. 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. Zechariah 9:9 - 10
As unlikely as it seems, even to the casual reader today this
was:
I. A PARADE OF INFINITE POWER
A. Usually when we think of power in a parade we think of booted
soldiers marching past Hitler, or massed tanks and missiles filling
Red Square. But those powers have come and gone, and the "parade" down
Olivet's hill manifested a power that still remains as vital as ever.
In fact, the people that day were thinking of the Triumphal
Procession in terms of power as they understood it! And they were all
mistaken about the nature of the power they saw, but real power was
there:
B. The enemies of Jesus saw Him as a threat. They hadn't really
worried until they heard He had said that everyday common believers
should have righteousness that exceeded the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees themselves! And then there were the miracles!
And finally, Lazarus! This Jesus had to be stopped!
C. Many if not all the friends of Jesus saw Him then as a
fulfillment of their dreams. "Will You at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?" "Hosanna to David's son! Surely HE is going to
throw out the Romans and their stooges!"
D. But this power, real power, was not what the friends or enemies
thought! Jesus was demonstrating the power of LOVE. He was carrying
out His mission, which was John 1:12-type power. To as many as were
going to receive Him, Jesus was giving the power to become the
children of God, to share in God's eternal life, to still be happy and
growing and useful when the stars grow old!
II. IT IS A PARADE OF INFINITE DURATION
A. How long was this procession? About one donkey long-- or two,
if the mother donkey came, too. About an hour's time, or less, if we
just count the time when people sang, "Hosanna!" For just a few
moments, in order to declare to three worlds that Calvary was not an
accident out of His control, Jesus accepted the praise of the
multitude. Jesus was King! He knew where He was going that week! He
knew Thursday and Friday were out there ahead! But He also knew that
He would know the JOY of completing the Father's will, and releasing
the mighty power that makes us all God's children. The parade was
short-- just a brief flash of power.
B. But this movement of Christ toward Jerusalem and the hosannas
and the cross and the empty tomb beyond began a long time before even
Zechariah prophesied about it! John tells us (in Revelation 13:8)
that Jesus was "the Lamb slain from the creation of the world."
Out of the fullness of His LOVE God sent His Son.
C. The movement of Jesus toward Jerusalem and the cross was
settled in the heart of Jesus long before this brief parade. On the
Mount of Transfiguration He had spoken with Moses and Elijah about
where He was going. Again and again He had told His disciples that He
was going to Jerusalem to die and to take back His life again.
C.a Yet what a strange display of power! Knowing He was going to
His death Jesus deliberately kept on doing the things we love Him for;
he attended to the details-- he heard the blind man shouting from the
edge of the crowd-- he saw Zaccheus up in the sycamore tree-- all this
was in Jericho-- as he was on His final journey to Jerusalem. Even
later in this last week of ministry, on the very night He was arrested
this King of All Power in Heaven and Earth took a towel and washed His
disciples' feet!
C.b And even though at the end of this procession He entered the
Temple and, as He had done before, cleansed it with anger, and
demonstrated His authority in a way we cannot understand-- it is true
that before He got all the way down the hill-- when He was in view of
the beautiful Temple, this great King of power stopped his little
mount and wept over the city that had rejected Him.
III. A PARADE OF CONTRASTS, OF CHOICES
A. That first Palm Sunday certainly was a day of contrasts! A
Carpenter being called a King! Little children and happy disciples
praising and shouting for joy while worried power brokers frowned and
plotted evil! Bright sunshine on a happy parade while black storm
clouds piled high on the western sky!
B. There was LOVE and there was HATRED contrasted that day! There
was PEACE and there was TURMOIL and STRIFE in stark contrast that day!
Suspicion, questioning every motivation, giving no one the benefit of
the doubt; while Jesus, who knew what was in the heart of every human
being still loved them and believed in them.
There was WORSHIP taking place that day in stark contrast to
BLASPHEMY AND DENIAL OF GOD.
C. The government, and the power brokers, and the policy makers
probably weren't too impressed by the POWER of that parade that first
Palm Sunday! The same kinds of people in our own world today are
exactly the same! Jesus doesn't really matter! God is a "Private
Matter!" Faith is the Great Irrelevancy!
But if we listen and look with the gift of faith, we can see
those same contrasts clearly even today: love IS stronger than hatred!
Trust IS greater than suspicion and pettiness.
And what is more, if we look and listen with our eyes and ears
of faith we can hear this King of Kings say, If you really want to,
you can come after Me! Get in line! Join the parade!
The only thing is, to join in the parade we must "Deny our own
self-sovereignty-- and say, 'Jesus is LORD!'" and we must take up our
own cross, day-by-day, and then we may follow Him!
Conclusion
And the wonderful thing is that we CAN get in the parade! We
CAN, because He DID!
Parades are supposed to inspire. I confess that I enjoy hearing
stirring marches, and feel a flutter when the flag goes past. But
those kinds of parades pale in comparison to what happens within when
the King Himself looks our way and says, "Come, Get in line! Follow
on!"
This is the way the writer of Hebrews has put it-- and how it
has worked again and again for me!
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus who, for the joy set
before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider Him that endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart!
Hebrews 12:2,3
Shall we get in His parade? The line forms here!
Prayer: Help us to see with the eyes of faith, and hear with the ears
of faith as You bid us to follow You, for we know that You have the
power to make us God's own children. Amen
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