The Triumphal Entry
Text: Mark 11:1-11
Core Idea: Jesus is the humble King who comes to die for our sins. He may not be the King we expected or wanted but He undoubtedly is the King we need. Then I pray that we will give ourselves to Him – committing ourselves to live for His glory in all circumstances. He is the promised Messiah, the Savior King.
INTRODUCTION
We started going through the Gospel of Mark last November – so, it took only about 10 months for us to get to chapter 11. I really pray that this was a good opportunity to understand who Jesus is and experience the love and grace He has for you. I honestly feel like I benefitted the most from having to read and study in my preparation – but I still hope that you were blessed in many ways too.
Now, as we begin this message, I want to give you a quick overview of Mark’s Gospel as a way to summarize what we talked about so far and introduce what’s to come. To do this, let me read from Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” This verse really provides the overarching theme for the whole book as these 16 chapters explain how this is true and what this means for the readers. There are three distinct acts that divide this book. The first one is from Mark 1-8:21, which focuses on demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah. So, in this section, there are a lot of miracles – healing the sick, casting out demons, calming the storm, feeding the five thousand, walking on water, and raising the dead. His teachings and works were meant to reveal His identity. The second act is from Mark 8:22-10, which focuses on clarifying what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah. This section begins with Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah. But just like the blind man who needed two stages of healing to see clearly, Peter at first didn’t know what kind of Messiah Jesus would be – and this could help us understand why: under the rule of King David, Israel was at the height of its glory and power. But in Jesus’ time, the Jewish people found themselves living as minorities within this vast Roman Empire. So, they were waiting for a Messiah who would come to free them from Roman oppression, restore their power and glory, and lead them back to their rightful place in the world. In other words, they were looking for this political leader, this revolutionary King to lift them up. Now, Jesus will certainly come as the glorious King one day, but He wanted His disciples to know that He needed to come first as the Suffering Servant. This is why three times, Jesus predicted that He will be mocked, spat on, flogged, and crucified on the cross. And as Jesus emptied Himself and suffered, we too are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him – which is why this section talks about becoming like children, caring for the marginalized and forgotten ones, becoming last, becoming a servant, a slave as a way to pursue true greatness. Now, the third act is from Mark 11-16, which focuses on proving that Jesus is the Messiah. Here, there will be an intense conflict with the religious leaders in Jerusalem which will ultimately lead to Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s worth noting that the last 40% of Mark’s Gospel will be spent on describing the last week of Jesus’ life. One thing you’ll see in this section is that Jesus will intentionally and explicitly show that He is the Messiah. This is surprising because up until now, Jesus told people not to tell others about who He is and what He has done. This was because the time hadn’t come – but that time was here. There was no reason to hide anymore – Jesus was ready to show the world that He is the Promised Messiah, the Savior King coming to save His people from their sins. Then this passage is about seeing Jesus the way He wants to be seen – not the kind of Jesus we create for ourselves but Jesus as who He really is. Then with this in mind, please turn your Bibles to Mark 11:1-11. Let me read this for us.
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples, 2 saying 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. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those 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 heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
This passage may be very familiar to many of you because this is something we read every year on Palm Sunday. My prayer is that your familiarity with this story will not blind you from the wonder and amazement of this scene. I divided the passage into three sections:
· THE PREPARATION
· THE ENTRANCE
· THE DISPERSION
1) THE PREPARATION
Let’s take a look at verses 1-6. As they approached Jerusalem, we see Jesus giving instructions to the two of His disciples on how to obtain a colt (which is like a donkey), and we see that the events unfolded exactly the way Jesus described. Now, reading this, you can’t help but ask, “What’s up with all the attention devoted to acquiring this donkey? Why is it so complicated? Why does Jesus care so much about how and where the donkey is obtained? Why doesn’t it just say, ‘As they approached Jerusalem, His disciples brought Him a donkey’? Wouldn’t this have been sufficient?” And to make matters worse, the task Jesus assigned to His disciples appears to be strange – people will for sure assume that the disciples were stealing. Why would Jesus put them in that kind of situation – one that could create a huge misunderstanding? In fact, Jesus anticipated that they would be questioned which is why He told them to say, verse 3, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.” But seriously, if they were being accused of stealing, who’s going to believe that? What is going on here? Why is this even here?
Mark wanted to show us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT prophecies about the Messiah – to show us that He is the One they have been waiting for. This story specifically fulfills Zechariah 9:9, which says, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey instead of just walking? That’s what He did up until this point. Why change it now? It wasn’t because He was too tired to finish the journey on foot. No, it had to happen this way. This wasn’t a coincidence. Jesus intentionally, purposefully planned it to be this way in order to deliberately and publicly tell us, “Zechariah was writing about Me. In Me, God’s promise is fulfilled.” Now, this is important to see because it means that Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem as someone unaware of what will take place that week. He wasn’t an uninformed victim of these terrible things. No, He knew that all these things needed to happen this way because there was no other way.
What’s something we can take home from this? Well, this tells us that Jesus Christ really is the God-ordained, wise, sovereign King – He is the One we have been waiting for, the One who will make all the wrongs right again, which means that we must submit ourselves to Him in all circumstances. In this story, we clearly see that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing – He was in control over all things. Then brothers and sisters, think about all that’s happening in your life right now – the highs and lows of your life, the joys and pain, the worries and fears. In all circumstances, is Jesus truly the King of your heart, your life? Does He have the right to rule over every aspect of your life or do you sit on the throne of your heart – trying to take control over your life? We must guard ourselves against pride – thinking that we know better than God, that we don’t need God. Proverbs 16:5 says, “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” God hates pride – let that truth sink into your hearts. I pray that you’ll have the humility and faith to depend on Him, to trust Him – to be able to say, “Not my will but let Your will be done.” We must remember that He does all things right – even when it appears to be strange and even when it doesn’t make sense to us (just like the disciples in this story – “Jesus, what You’re asking us could get us in a lot of trouble.”). Everything happens according to His plan which means that nothing that’s happening in our lives will ever be wasted. He will use all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). He deserves our worship, our service, our obedience in all circumstances. Let us place our faith in our King.
2) THE ENTRANCE
Let’s take a look at verses 7-10. I hope you see the irony of this scene. Jesus Christ, the Sovereign One, God incarnate entered Jerusalem on a lowly, slow-moving donkey. The manner of His entry was definitely not in line with people’s messianic expectations. Think about it – many of them must have seen Roman rulers and generals enter the city on impressive and intimidating stallions for the purpose of displaying their power and authority. A donkey would not have been the animal one would associate with military conquest. Can you imagine how striking the contrast between Roman glory and Jesus’ humility must have been? I wonder if there were people who were a little confused – “Are you sure this is the One that we’ve been waiting for? Did we get this right?”
Interestingly, the crowd still showed their honor by spreading their cloaks on the road (like rolling out the red carpet), by spreading branches on the road (specifically palm branches which symbolized a sign of victory), and by shouting praises – verse 9, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Hosanna means “save us!” So, they were shouting, “Jesus, save us, save Israel! Make us great again!” Now, on the outside, it could seem like their worship and adoration were genuine but when you look deeply into it, you’ll see that it was completely misdirected because they weren’t really worshiping Jesus for who he is but rather for who they wanted Him to be. In fact, they had no idea who they were exalting. John 12:16 says, “At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that these things had been done to Him.”
Friends, then let me ask you, “What kind of Jesus do you long for? Do you just want Jesus to make you feel a little better about your life, to calm your emotions, to numb your senses so that life feels a little easier to go through? Would you be satisfied if Jesus was someone who would generously give all that you think you need? Are you looking for Jesus who would just go after all the people who made your life hard? Would you desire Jesus to just plan and tell you what to do in a way that will make your life easy, comfortable, and predictable? Or do you truly desire Jesus for who He really is even if His teaching is hard to hear, even if He demands you to die to yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him? Are you worshiping Jesus for who He is or for who you want Him to be?” Sadly, the reality is that, because of our sin, many of us would rather have a Messiah who would do our will than His own. We would rather have a Messiah who would seek and deliver the purposes of our kingdoms rather than have zeal for His own. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to humble our hearts and open our eyes to see who Jesus says He is. Then who is Jesus? How does Jesus present Himself to be?
Through this passage, we clearly see that Jesus is the humble King. He came in not with riches but in poverty, not in majesty but in meekness, not in power but lowliness. And through this, Mark wants to show us that Jesus may not be the King we expected but He surely is the One we need. Let me explain. Have you ever wondered, “Why did Jesus come riding on a donkey in such an important moment – so weak and vulnerable?” We can’t help but ask this because we’ve seen how powerful He is throughout the Gospel of Mark. He has authority over diseases, demons, nature, sin, and even death. Jesus is the Creator of the universe – the vast galaxies were created by Him just speaking a word. Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” In Matthew 26:53, Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus is powerful – and that’s the kind of King we would want. Right? Then why didn’t Jesus show up like that? Why didn’t He show up with the whole legion of angels, riding on a cloud in glory? Why didn’t He come to bring about judgment and fix everything that has gone wrong in this world? Well, the Bible tells us that He certainly will come like that when the time comes. Listen to Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Isn’t this incredible?
But here’s the reason why Jesus didn’t come like that: for you and me. Through His humble entrance, Jesus was essentially telling us, “I will come in glory in the future. But if I come like that now, I will destroy every creature that rebelled against Me – and that includes you. The judgment I bring is going to be so complete that you will not be able to survive. I come in humility because of My love for you, because I care.” Friends, Jesus didn’t come humbly on a donkey because He can’t come in power. He came weak and vulnerable in order to save us. “How weak?” you might ask. Well, coming in on this donkey was just the beginning – this was just a glimpse of His vulnerability and weakness. Borrowing the words of Isaiah 53:7, soon He will be “led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He [will] not open His mouth.” Jesus walked into Jerusalem not to sit on the throne but to be mocked, spat on, flogged, and ultimately crucified. He will sacrifice Himself for us so that we can be forgiven, so that we can be made righteous, accepted, and saved. He will take our judgment on Himself – the fullness of God’s wrath against our sin. Friends, Jesus’ humility, meekness, and weakness lead to life for us, strength for us, hope for us.
Jesus may not be the King we expected or wanted but He undoubtedly is the King we need. He came not to reign but to die to rescue sinners like you and me. He came not to deliver Israel from the power of Rome but deliver all people from the power of sin. This is the humble King we serve – and Him riding on a donkey is a reminder for us that we too should get off our horses, get off our thrones and live for His glory, live in humility before others. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.” Brothers and sisters, humility gets God’s attention. The sovereign God is drawn to those who are humble in heart. I pray that you would daily reflect on the wonder of the cross (experiencing His unending, unconditional love for you) as you continue to grow in humility.
If you’re not yet a believer, I pray that you would hear this truth today – namely, that Jesus is coming back. And when He comes again, He will not come to be crucified; He will come to be crowned as King. In other words, He will not be rescuing sinners – He will not be coming gently on that day; He will come with power and vengeance against sinners who haven’t given their allegiance to the King. Friends, I don’t say this to corner you, threaten you, manipulate you, or force you to make a decision. I say this out of my love for you – to invite you with urgency because I want you to experience Jesus’ love for you, not His justice. Give your life to Jesus today. Surrender the throne of your heart to Him. He is the King you need. If you want to know more about what that means, I would love to talk to you after.
3) THE DISPERSION
Let’s turn to verse 11, “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” Now, this is not the conclusion you would’ve anticipated. This verse seems to describe a non-event. We saw the detailed preparation. We saw this entrance to Jerusalem accompanied by celebration and jubilation – people were excited. So, you would think that it’s going to reach an emotional pinnacle by this point – you would expect to read something amazing (maybe that Jesus would be crowned by the people in the temple or that many people were coming together in hope or that the Roman authorities were trembling in fear). But here, we see Jesus arriving at the temple late, looking around, and going back out to Bethany. That’s the climax – He wasn’t recognized or welcomed; the climax is that He looked around and left. The whole scene comes to nothing. What’s going on here? What happened to the crowd? They just dispersed – nowhere to be found.
We may feel like this was an unimportant transitional verse, but this was Mark’s way of building that suspense – like the calm before the storm. Mark tells us that Jesus “looked around at everything” before He left – in other words, He wasn’t just observing; He was evaluating. ESV Study Bible notes, “He looks around the center of Jewish religious life to see if it is fulfilling its purpose of leading people to true worship of God.” The temple was the centre of Jewish religious life. He must have looked at the places where the sacrifices were offered. He must have looked at the money changers’ tables and the animals in their cage ready to be sold to the highest bidder. He must have seen the chaos yet this emptiness of the place. And He must have concluded that the religious leaders and this temple were not fulfilling their purpose of leading people to true worship of God. He must have been burdened, grieved. And this scene will serve as a prelude to a conflict that will erupt the next day as He will cleanse the temple, which we will look at more closely next Sunday.
Then here’s something I want to leave you with – through this verse, Mark is warning us about mistaking enthusiasm for faith and popularity for discipleship. Just like the seed in the parable of the Sower that received the Word with joy but had no root and lasted only for a short time (Mk. 4:16-17), the crowd dispersed – revealing their motivation. It’s clear that they were not true disciples. They were momentarily enthusiastic because of Jesus’ popularity but they didn’t perceive who He was, and they didn’t intend to follow Him – they just wanted to briefly participate in the celebration, they simply wanted to belong. Jesus makes it clear that the way of discipleship involves denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and following Jesus. Mark is warning us that it’s easy for us to praise one minute and go about our business once we walk out of this building. It’s possible for us to mistake our enthusiasm for faith and popularity for discipleship. We could be coming to church simply because we want to belong, because we want to be part of the hype. We might be happy for the celebration but not for the cross. Brothers and sisters, I pray that with the help of the Spirit, this would not be us. I pray that no one here will miss the point – that we would not miss Jesus.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus is the humble King who comes to die for our sins. He may not be the King we expected or wanted but He undoubtedly is the King we need. Then I pray that we will give ourselves to Him – committing ourselves to live for His glory in all circumstances. He is the promised Messiah, the Savior King.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Jesus is the God-ordained, wise, sovereign King. How can Jesus be exalted as King in your life and the life of your family? Are there areas in your life you find yourself resistant to His Lordship?
2) How can we mistake enthusiasm for faith and popularity for discipleship? How can we avoid this?
3) What kind of Jesus do you long for? Are you worshiping Jesus for who He is or for who you want Him to be? Who is Jesus according to this passage? How is Jesus the King we need?