Sermon Title: Victory Before Death
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
They praised Christ as He entered Jerusalem on the Sunday before His death. Some of the very people who were praising Him also called for His death later that same week. What happened to cause them to change their mind? It was unmet expectations. These people thought Jesus was coming as a conquering hero. When they were presented with Christ by Herod, beaten and bloodied, they felt betrayed and deceived. But the truth is that they needed a Savior more than a conqueror and Christ had come not to reign, but to die.
Theologian A.W. Augsburger writes the following concerning how Christ entered Jerusalem: “Jesus entered Jerusalem not on a white charger, but on a lowly beast of burden, not on a horse as a symbol of power, but on a colt as a symbol of humility. He is the peaceful King of the people of God, not a revolutionary with political interest (Is. 11:1–2).”
Many in the crowd that day misidentified Christ and did not realize that Christ as Savior (not as conquering King) had power over the future, ignorance and the present age. We will explore each of these elements as we continue our sermon series, “The Victorious King” this coming Sunday, Palm Sunday. Hope to see you then!
