We are going to talk about what is called the Triumphal Entry today.  

One week before Jesus was crucified He entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey.  And the crowd, celebrated Him with shouts of joy, and the highest praise. The question is WHY were they celebrating? There has to be a reason for joy.  There had to be something that stirred up such a celebration. 

This celebration was driven by the people, in some sense recognizing that Jesus is the king. That’s what they said, ‘Hosanna, to The Son of David, Blessed is the KING of Israel.”  (John 12:13) This title meant something HUGE to first Century Jews. The OT prophets emphasized that the Messiah would rule on the throne of David, in Jerusalem, over His people Israel. AND that His rule would extend to all the nations on the earth.  That’s the message of Zechariah. 

8:3This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth.  13As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid.

9:9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10And He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

10:16On that day the LORD their God will save the flock of His people; for like jewels in a crown they will sparkle over His land. 17How lovely they will be, and how beautiful!

14:4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two ... 5Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him…. 9On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.”

One week before Jesus was crucified, He rode into Jerusalem and proclaimed “I am that king!”  

To the people, based on the prophets, that meant their enemies would be destroyed. The Messiah would bring peace in Jerusalem and establish peace on earth by His power and authority. He would bring in everlasting joy and put an end to all sorrow forever.  

This coming Messiah-King was the hope of godly Jews. We sing about that at Christmas:  

O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. 

O come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be yourself our King of Peace.  Jesus will completely fulfill that longing!

Of course, many were just looking for a leader to defeat the Romans.  But some had the Biblical hope of a coming King who would restore all things, who would make the world right and safe, a King who would bring peace to Israel and rule the nations. They said, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.” Mark 11:10 That was their hope!

Simeon and Zechariah had that hope. The angel gave Mary that hope.  “You will give birth to a son. And He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”  This King was the hope of Israel.  And they were right to hope for that!

Did they completely understand God’s timetable? No, they didn’t. He was the King, but they didn’t know there would be a long period of time before Jesus would put that power on full display. (We still wait for that.) Did they know the King must first suffer and die to take away their sins (as Isaiah chapter 53 foretells so clearly)? They didn’t seem to understand that. But some DID know He came, “To be king over all the earth.”    

**The central point of the triumphal entry is that Jesus was proclaiming “I am THAT King spoken of by Zechariah.”  I will accomplish EVERYTHING which has been promised by God through His prophets!    

THAT’S what drove the celebration, and the shouting. That’s why the people went out with palm branches shouting Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. “The Lord has given us our King!”  In some measure, they comprehended that Jesus was their king! 

**Here’s why I think this story and the prophecies of Zechariah are important for us. We can begin to think of Jesus as King, ONLY in a spiritual or immaterial or symbolic way. And forget that he actually is coming to rule the earth, to judge the world, and to establish peace on earth.  

Jesus IS a spiritual king in your heart, now. You ARE to let Christ reign in your heart now. But He’s not ONLY a spiritual presence.  He is actually coming with real power, with visible glory.  He will be marveled at. He will usher in a real kingdom.

In the Lord’s prayer, we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.  The Father will bring this to pass through Jesus! Jesus will be the one who inaugurates this by his coming and enforces it by his power. There will be a day when the angel blows the trumpet and the loud voices in heaven say, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.”

In this present age, Jesus, is in His resurrected glorified body. He is seated at the Father’s right hand. He is interceding for us. He is reigning until all his enemies are put under His feet. THEN He really IS going to come back with His mighty angels and blazing fire, and set up a real kingdom with actual power. The government will be upon HIS shoulders, in a visible, real way. And God said every person who has ever lived will bow and acknowledge He is King.  

Isaiah 45:23,24 “By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. Surely they will say of Me,‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’ ” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.”

Paul clarifies that this bowing down will be before the Name of Jesus. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Our future is living forever, in the glory of resurrected bodies, reigning with Jesus as actual king, in the concrete realities of a new earth, in a glorified Jerusalem. 

So what do we do with this truth?

*First: We need to open our eyes to “see” Jesus as King. The prophecy from Zechariah begins, “See your king!” Recognize who Jesus is! He is not ONLY someone who receives little children. He is a mighty King. Study, contemplate all that the scriptures say about Him. Honor Him as King now! But also eagerly anticipate His rule and authority in the age to come. He is the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God!

Second: In all your present trouble, grief and disappointment, keep your eyes on the coming King and His kingdom! He is coming to replace your sorrow with joy, to replace your suffering with a massive weight of glory.  He’s coming with relief for your afflictions, and from those who afflict you. Everything is going to be alright because Jesus will be King over all the earth!  Isaiah 25 “He will swallow up death forever. He will wipe away tears from all faces”. And that future, has to grip your heart to the point it produces joy and comfort in the midst of life’s painful circumstances, now.

But we must also let the truth that Jesus is King affect our attitudes toward our blessings. Our earthly blessings, are only foretastes of the power and perfection of the age to come.  Do not mistake them for the “main course”. Do not mistake this earth for home. Be thankful for blessings but do not become overly attached to them.  

Paul said, “Brothers the time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none; those who weep as though they did not; those who are joyful as if they were not; those who make a purchase as if they had nothing; and those who use the things of this world, as if they were not dependent on them. For this world in it’s present form is passing away”.  Paul wanted their hearts connected to the new earth coming, where Jesus reigns as king, and wherein righteousness dwells.  

So don’t grasp too tightly to things in this world, whether the hard things (like suffering)or the good things (like marriage or possessions). Don’t make too much of either your sorrow OR success here, because what matters for us is the glory to be revealed to us at the appearing of Christ. The king is coming.  

When we make too much of our present trials OR blessing it shows we have forgotten that this world in it’s present form is passing away.  It shows we’ve forgotten there is a Kingdom coming with Jesus as king of all the earth forever and ever. Paul wants our hearts are to be attached to THAT kingdom.

*Third: Learn to celebrate Jesus as King.  We’re commanded to “Rejoice greatly!  Shout out loud!”  God desires that response to the King he has sent to us! 

Luke said, “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” Jesus said, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”  If you  won’t rejoice or shout, God WILL raise up somebody else to do it. Be a man or woman boy or girl who celebrates Jesus. Be the one who rejoices. Be the one who shouts.

At the time of the 18th Century Methodist revival in Wales, when people understood how good the gospel was, they often would spontaneously would leap for joy in the middle of the service, and break out into songs. But the author said “the warmth of the revival was unbearable” to the established church. Why?  Because they had lost the sense of blessing that comes with Jesus!  Rejoicing and shouting for Jesus was totally foreign to them.  They could not comprehend that people would jump for joy over Jesus Christ. The church historically always trends towards deadness. Jesus said “the love of many will grow cold.” Let’s be a church that stands against that.

There is a lot for us to celebrate! Jesus is the glorious answer to the problem of our sin! He is the glorious answer to all our sorrow, and pain.  “He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.” He will bring in everlasting joy and everlasting righteousness and peace, in the age to come. We haven’t seen all the future glory yet, but we celebrate now even in our suffering because of all the glory that is coming. 

*Fourth: Obedience. A King requires is submission. Do you live your life under the authority of Jesus?  He is your savior, your friend, he is humble and gentle, full of compassion, able to sympathize with our weaknesses.  But he is the king!  He is not here just to give you a little help, a little guidance, and little coaching. He is not here only to help you overcome a problem, or a bad habit. Jesus comes to rule our hearts, our thought and attitudes and words.   

I heard someone say, the reason so many continue to cycle through sin and perpetual immaturity, is ALL they’ve been told is that Jesus wants a relationship with you. They’ve never known Jesus as Lord and King.  He said, “it turns the gospel into just a therapeutic self-help message”. We need to know Jesus as friend. We also need to know Him as we see Him in His terrifying glory. (as John did Rev. 1)  

**Fifth: We should banish fear from our lives because the King is coming.  John 12:15 says, “Do no be afraid O Daughter of Zion. See your King is coming.” Zechariah 8:15 says, “Fear not, but let your hands be strong!”  “I have purposed to do good to (you); do not be afraid.”  It’s not saying, do not fear because all your problems and your enemies will vanish today, but they will soon, when the King comes. Ultimately everything is going to be alright. So we live without fear. 

We lift up our eyes from the things that threaten our peace and safety and we remember that Jesus is with us NOW and will not forsake us, AND He is coming with relief, and glory!  He is coming to wipe away every tear and swallow up death forever.  Let the promise of all that is coming, settle your heart and relieve your fears. 

*Finally. Jesus as King gives us the willingness and the motivation to endure present suffering. Paul said, If we endure, we will also reign with Him.  He’s king and we’ll reign with Him. That hope gives us endurance and makes us over-comers in all the evil and hardships of life.

There is a day coming soon where Jesus will display His total  dominion, authority and power over all enemies including death! That’s our hope. And that carries us through the worst this life can throw at us. 

In 1 Cor. 15:19 Paul said, “If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are to be pitied more than all men.”  But Christ was raised from the dead, and so will all those who belong to him. 24“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

29If these things are not so, why do we endanger ourselves every hour.  I face death every day, brothers.  If I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus for merely human motives, what did I gain?  If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” 

What was Paul saying?  I am willing to suffer and to be in danger, because this life is not all there is! What we have now in Jesus, is NOT all there is! “If our benefits in Christ are ONLY for this life, we’re fools!”  It’s the hope of resurrection and reigning with Jesus in the age to come that makes fighting with wild beasts make sense.  (Or be worth the pain!) Why do we put ourselves in danger every hour? It’s the hope of resurrection in the coming kingdom, with the coming King!  We can endure a lot, now, knowing that!!

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We all know what is going to happen to Jesus in one week.  He’ll be crucified in humiliation and shame. But before that happens, He wants us to know HE IS KING!

Jesus’ death was the great purpose of his first coming!  He said, “I came to give my life as a ransom for many.” Hebrews 9:28 says, “Christ came once to bear our sins, but “He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.” So it’s not all over.  The King is coming.

This ALONE is the hope that can give us joy that is like an anchor to our soul. It’s a hope that gives us such joy that we willingly deny ourselves and endure the sufferings of the present time. 

Bill Gaither wrote a song called the The King is Coming. Some may know it. There’s a story behind the song.  He and Gloria were visiting with some friends about Jesus coming again.  Their hearts were greatly stirred by this hope. And one of the friends there told about a recent sermon he had heard. The pastor ended the service walking through the congregation shouting, “the King is Coming”, “the King is Coming”.  When Bill and Gloria heard that story they went home and immediately put the words and music together for that song. 

“O the King is coming, The King is coming! I just heard the trumpets sounding, And now His face I see, O the King is coming, The King is coming! Praise God, He's coming for me! 

Pray: Lord, give me a heart that celebrates You, as King.”