Study in Mark’s Gospel

1. Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 34

2. The Triumphal Entry Chap 11v1-11 Presentation 34

3. Introduction Some people think that by your choice of the car you are making a statement about yourself. If you drive a Porsche people will think you are upwardly mobile and successful at work. If you go for a Range Rover then you're indicating either that you enjoy a sense of adventure with a healthy interest in outdoor pursuits. If you drive a Lada, you are a person of great strength of character able to cope with any amount of ridicule and teasing. I am not sure how reliable this test is but by his choice of transport for entering Jerusalem, Jesus was making a very clear statement. He was sending out signals for all to see! Signals that we will spend time examining. Presentation 34

4. Making A Statement We have observed as we have worked our way through this gospel that Jesus had a mission to fulfil and a goal to achieve. He was quite single-minded about this. He refused to be dissuaded or deflected even by those nearest and dearest to him. He had set his face towards Jerusalem for he was going there to die. But he was not going as a helpless victim, nor was he caught up in a momentum of events from which he could not break free. At every turn he was Master of the situation. This is something, which so many people have had difficulty in understanding, Jesus made a conscious and free choice to lay down his life. Presentation 34

5. Making A Statement As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, he gave them a very unusual command. They were to bring to him a colt on which no one else had ever ridden. Any concerns of the owner's servants and neighbours were to be dealt with by the words, ‘The Lord needs it...v3.' Why did Jesus need it? Oh to make a statement about, who he was and, why he had come. It was the practice of pilgrims coming up to Jerusalem to walk there. They would ascend the hill of Zion singing Psalms as they went. But Jesus, unlike every other pilgrim, chose to enter on a colt. His action was intended to be one of prophetic symbolism. Presentation 34

6. Making A Statement We read in Zecheriah 9v9: “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”. The prophecies of the O.T., with which every Jew would be more than familiar, made it clear that God's Messiah king would enter the city riding on the back of a colt. Therefore, by his style of entrance Jesus was saying quite unambiguously, 'I am the fulfilment of the O.T. prophecy. I am more than a friend, a teacher, a healer, I am your rightful king!' His transport declared his identity. Presentation 34

7. Making A Statement On previous occasions Jesus had entered Jerusalem secretly. He had gone to great pains to keep his identity a secret. Previously when a crowd had sought to proclaim him their king he had withdrawn from them. But now was Christ’s time. And we have in the passage before us, the unveiling of his majesty. There was no ambiguity, no uncertainty, in what Jesus was announcing. No one could profess ignorance of his claim and Jesus refused to disguise or water down its implications. He was saying then, what he has been saying to people for 2000 years, 'I have the right to rule over your lives, I am your rightful Lord and king, make room for me as king!' Presentation 34

8. Making A Statement Jesus’ arrival also served to clarify the nature of his kingship. He came in meekness and lowliness of heart. These are virtually the only qualities in his own character to which he drew attention. He invites people to come to him precisely because he is meek and lowly [Matt 11v 28]. The nature of his work would be profoundly humbling. Mark’s Roman readership would have been familiar with the return of Roman generals who entered in great pomp and show after some victory. It was a glorious triumphal procession. What a strange contrast is this picture of Jesus on a colt. And yet with what majesty did he enter the city. A king who was prepared to humble himself. The climax of which was to be his death on the cross! Presentation 34

9. Making A Statement Thirdly, Jesus' transport told the crowd was that he had come to Jerusalem to fulfil his Messianic function as the Saviour. There was a religious symbolism attached to this particular animal. It had never been ridden on before. Mosaic ceremonial law insisted that only animals that had not been employed in secular business could be used in the sacrificial process. This colt, which had never been used in secular employment, was being used to carry not only the people’s king but their sacrifice. Jesus had come to give his life as a ransom-sacrifice for men's sins. No other king can compare with Jesus. And no clearer statement of his identity and mission could be made through his choice of transport. Presentation 34

10. The Crowd’s Response How did the crowd respond to Jesus' statement? Mark records a variety of responses in v9-10... They are all responses of recognition. They are saying , ‘You truly are who you claim to be. You are the Messiah. You are God's Saviour.’ Is that not remarkable? You might be thinking, what more could one ask for on a day such as this? But notice that it is possible to recognise kingship and authority without submitting oneself to it. There is a world of difference between saying, ‘Jesus is a king’, or even, ‘Jesus is The King’and saying, ‘Jesus is my King. I have submitted to his authority, I have placed my live under his control, I have become his servant.’ Presentation 34

11. The Crowd’s Response A great many people today, yes including a great many church people, pride themselves in the fact that they have recognised who Jesus is. They do not deny his historical existence as some have attempted to do. They do not reduce him to a mere teacher or moral leader as some have done. They so not deny his Saviour role as some others would. They say he is king. They say he is truly the Lord of glory! They affirm that Jesus is a Saviour-king. But we can do all that from a distance. We can do all that without bowing our knee and accepting his rule. We can say, ‘He is king‘, without saying, ‘He is my king'. Presentation 34

12. The Crowd’s Response This crowd not only recognised who Jesus was they gave him a warm reception. They were enthusiastic in their preparations as they cut down the palm branches and spread their cloaks on the road. They did not simply watch from their windows or rooftops they rushed out onto the street. They wanted to be involved in the coming of this king. But it is possible to warmly welcome Jesus without understanding the cost of being one of his followers. Remember the parable of the soils, “Since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the world, he quickly falls away”.Matt13v21 Presentation 34

13. The Crowd’s Response There were some who clearly misunderstood Jesus’ Messianic role. They thought they were welcoming a conquering hero who would defeat the Romans. They knew precisely the kind of deliverance they required, or so they thought! What in fact they were attempting to do was to rewrite the job description of the Messiah. They saw Jesus as a kind of 'Jim will fix it‘ character who had come to deal with all that ailed them. What an impertinence! But are we not often in danger of doing precisely that very thing whenever we attempt to write the agenda for Jesus’ activity and tell him what we expect of him? Presentation 34

14. The Crowd’s Response We say, 'Now Jesus, let me tell you those areas of my life that you should concentrate your attention on. When I am sick, or in trouble or have some desperate material need, you may come riding into my life - otherwise keep your distance!' Does that sound too far-fetched? I fear that is precisely how a great many people respond to Jesus today. They are warm and effusive about Jesus only as long as they think he will deliver exactly what they order. The blessings of the kingdom seem profoundly attractive. Who wouldn't want peace, joy and fulfilment? But suffering for Jesus sake, letting him shape our lives and rake out the sin we love to our extreme discomfort that is different! Presentation 34

15. The Crowd’s Response The crowd not only recognised Jesus and received him warmly they gave him their worship. The language used in v9-10 is not only the language of recognition it is the language of worship. Were they like so many pilgrims caught up on a religious high? Its easy to be captivated by the enthusiasm of any mass movement. But mere enthusiasm has little staying power when confronted with the cold realities of life. It is easier to applaud than obey, to sing praise than to show commitment, to acknowledge Jesus' worth verbally than to show it practically. Our worship can be a self-centred rather than a God exalting exercise. Presentation 34

16. The Crowd’s Response Was the enthusiasm and euphoria of the crowd produced on the one hand, by selfish expectations [Jesus ridding us of the Romans] or, on the other by a prospect of some goulish entertainment? Was Jesus’ arrival promoted as ‘Jesus v The Religious Establishment’ a show no one should miss? That is until it became clear that Jesus would not fight ! At least not in the way they had hoped. Indeed, jesus seemed determined to throw his life away and so anyone who identified themselves to closely with him would be in danger. This whole business of denying self and taking up the cross…had little popular appeal. Presentation 34

17. Conclusion As we expose ourselves to God’s Word he reveals himself to us. It is as if Truth comes riding into our minds and hearts. God shows us, who Jesus is and, why he came. We hear what millions of people have never heard! What a privilege! How much more answerable we are for what we have heard! Jesus has been closer to us by his Spirit, than he was to many of those who physically lined the streets of Jerusalem. Have we recognised the Saviour King without submitting to his rule? Did we initially receive him warmly but subsequently we have found our hearts cool towards him? Has the cost of commitment caused us to draw back? Presentation 34

18. Conclusion Are our hearts like the thorny ground of Jesus' parable. Has our worship lost its staying power as we discover that far from meeting our selfish expectations this king makes costly demands upon us? Or, do we still say 'blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord', because we have found in Jesus the only one who can save from the power and penalty of our sin? John writes; “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. Jn. 1v11-12 Our response makes a statement about the loyalties of our heart. Presentation 34