Sermon #46 Series: Mark

Title: “Blessed Is He That Cometh

In The Name Of The Lord!”

Text: Mark 11:1-11

Readings: Office: Bobbie Estes Auditorium: Bob Poncer

Subject: Christ’s Public Entry into Jerusalem

Date: Sunday Afternoon - March 29, 1998

Tape # U-60a

Introduction:

Mark 11:1-11 "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, (2) And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. (3) And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. (4) And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. (5) And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? (6) And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. (7) And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. (8) And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strowed them in the way. (9) And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: (10) Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. (11) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve."

We have before us a most remarkable story. It tells us of the only recorded event in the life of our Lord Jesus which he intentionally made public to the highest possible degree. It is recorded four times in the New Testament. Obviously, the scene before us is one which ought to be studied carefully and frequently by us. May God the Holy Spirit give us grace and wisdom to learn the things taught here, so that we may properly love, trust, serve and honor our great King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proposition: The Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, God the Son, the second person of the blessed Trinity, is the King of Glory and the King of the Universe.

NOTE: Our Lord Jesus Christ is, always was, and always shall be King over everybody and everything by virtue of the fact that he is God. The one true and living God is King everywhere. He always has his way and does his will. But in this text, we have a presentation of Christ as our Mediatorial King, which is a Kingship and dominion given to him as the God-man by his Father as the reward of his obedience to God as our Mediator (Rom. 14:9; John 17:2; Phil. 2:9-11).

Divisions: There are four things about our great King in this text to which I call your attention. Let’s look at each one briefly.

1. The King’s Power

2. The King’s Poverty

3. The King’s Parade

4. The King’s Praise

I. The King’s Power

This great King of ours displayed the universality of his power and dominion as the sovereign God and King, as the absolute Ruler of all things, by sending his disciples to fetch an ass’s colt, on which no man had ever even attempted to ride, to carry him into Jerusalem (vv. 1-6).

Mark 11:1-6 "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, (2) And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. (3) And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. (4) And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. (5) And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? (6) And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go."

There are many things in these first six verses which might properly demand our attention, but my purpose now is to show you the totality of Christ’s sovereign power as our God and King. Here we see clear, evident displays of that sovereign power.

NOTE: Though Mark simply refers to this beast as a colt, Matthew tells us that it was “a colt, the foal of an ass”.

A. His Power Over Providence - He put the colt where he wanted it when he wanted it there.

B. His Power Over The Wills Of Men - We have no way of knowing whether this man was a believer or an unbeliever. But there is no indication that he either knew the Lord or had any advance knowledge that the Master wanted his colt. Yet, he willingly sent his colt away with two strangers because the Lord Jesus so inclined his will.

C. His Power Over Nature and Animals - Who ever heard tell of a man riding an ass’s colt the first time it was attempted? Yet, the Son of God has such power over the animal kingdom that this untamed, ass’s colt rides him through the streets as quietly as the most gentle old mare a man ever rode.

D. Learn well the blessed lessons taught by these things.

1. Our great God and King has power to save whom he will. He who is God is God mighty to save!

2. We can safely trust to this great, omnipotent God and King the present and eternal welfare of our lives.

3. Everything that may be needed to carry this great King through the world, everything that may be needed to preach his gospel wherever he wants it preached, whenever he wants it preached, will be provided with ease by the King himself.

4. His servants beg for nothing!

I don’t serve a pigmy king or a pigmy god. I serve the omnipotent, sovereign God, the King of glory, who rules all things, owns all things, and disposes of all things as he will. You will not find this preacher bowing and scrapping before men, or begging men to help him do what God has sent him to do. The ambassadors of this King act like they are the ambassadors of this King!

II. The King’s Poverty

Now, look at verse seven and observe the great poverty in which our Lord Jesus Christ, the great King voluntarily lived all the days of his life on this earth.

Mark 11:7 "And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him."

The Lord Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a white stallion with a diamond studded saddle. He did not fly into town on a private jet. He did not come in a pope-mobile, wearing a white dress and funny looking hat with an entourage of effeminate looking men wearing red capes rubbing good luck beads.

The Son of God rode into Jerusalem exactly as he chose to live in this world, in utter poverty, though he was in need of absolutely nothing. He rode into town on a borrowed colt, not even a borrowed horse’s colt, a borrowed ass’s colt, without a saddle, sitting on someone else’s clothes.

2 Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

· When he was born, he was laid in a borrowed manger.

· When he crossed the Sea of Galilee, it was in a borrowed boat.

· When he rode into Jerusalem, it was on a borrowed ass’s colt.

· When he looked for a saddle, he was given borrowed coats.

· When he died, he was buried in a borrowed tomb.

In the person of our Savior, while he lived upon this earth, there was a marvelous, mysterious, blessed union of humanity and divinity, weakness and power, poverty and riches.

· He who fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and two sardines was hungry.

· He who healed the sick was often weary.

· He who cast out devils with his word was tempted.

· He who raised the dead died for us!

What divine, God-like power our Lord displayed in bending the wills of the multitude to escort him into Jerusalem! Yet, what human, man-like weakness he showed in riding into town on his inauguration day on an ass’s borrowed colt!

Learn three things from our Lord’s voluntary poverty…

A. The Lord Jesus Christ is a sympathizing High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, as well as a God mighty to save.

B. There is no shame in poverty.

There is great shame, or should be, in those characteristics of life and behavior that lead to poverty: drunkenness, profligacy, extravagance, dishonesty, and laziness. But honest, hard working men and women who are poor are just as honorable as honest, hard working men and women who are rich. And they ought to be treated just as respectfully.

C. If we have experienced God’s saving grace in Christ, if we profess that we love the Lord Jesus Christ and wish to prove our love for him, there is one way prescribed in the New Testament, and only one way specifically prescribed, by which we may prove our love for him (2 Cor. 8:7-9).

2 Corinthians 8:7-9 "Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. (8) I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. (9) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

III. The King’s Parade

Normally, our Lord Jesus sought seclusion. He often withdrew from the crowd. When men sought to take him by force and make him a king, because his hour was not yet come, he withdrew himself. He was often in the wilderness, in the mountain, or in the desert place. He never sought the public eye, the applause of men, or even the attention of men. In fact, the only time we see the Lord Jesus deliberately calling public attention to himself is here, when he rode into Jerusalem as the King to whom the city belonged.

What a stir there was on this day. I doubt there was a house in the city, or even an inn, in which the events of this day were not discussed well into the night, as well they should have been. Never before or since did any city in this world behold such a parade as this. Yet, there were very few who had even the slightest idea what the events of the day meant. Do you? Do you understand the significance of the things recorded here?

Mark 11:8-11 "And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strowed them in the way. (9) And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: (10) Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. (11) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve."

Our Lord deliberately over ruled everything and everyone to draw attention to himself as he road into Jerusalem at the annual Feast of Passover to die as our Substitute, as the true paschal lamb. He fixed it so that every eye was upon him. The scribes, the Pharisees, the Romans, and all the people were made aware of his entrance. He wanted everyone to witness what he was doing.

Our Lord’s purpose in all this was threefold.

A. He publicly presented himself as the Christ, the Messiah, the King of Glory of whom the Old Testament spoke.

There is no question about this. As we shall see in just a minute, those who sang his praise used the very words of a messianic psalm to sing his praise.

1. He was about to enter into his kingdom and glory (Ps. 24).

2. His kingdom is not like any other. His is a spiritual, not a carnal, material kingdom.

B. When he came into the temple, our Lord Jesus, this man of Nazareth, came to announce himself as God almighty, the everlasting Son, to whom the house of God belongs and by whose word it is ruled.

The Lord willing, we will look at this in more detail next week, but down in verses 15-17, when our Lord Jesus drove the religious thieves out of the temple, he called the house of God his own house.

NOTE: Christ alone is the King and Lawgiver in his house. He alone is the Head of his Church. His Word alone is our Doctrine Book, Rule Book, and Ordinance Book!

C. The Son of God drew all this attention to himself on this occasion because he intends for us to know and understand the unspeakable importance and pre-eminence of his sin-atoning death as the Lamb of God.

It was not by accident that he came to Jerusalem at this time, but by special divine arrangement. The true Paschal Lamb had come to the holy city to make atonement for sin by the sacrifice of himself. And our Savior would have us to know that this is the most important of all events in history, the most important of all his works, and the most important of all things taught in Holy Scripture. Apart from and without this, everything else is altogether meaningless.

· Thank God for his incarnation and birth.

· Treasure up his gracious sayings.

· Seek to imitate his holy life of serving one another.

· Cherish his blessed intercession and priesthood.

· Look for his blessed second coming.

· But, listen to me now, that one mighty, mysterious work to which our Lord Jesus called the attention of his disciples, to which he calls the attention of the world, to which he especially calls our attention, the crowning act of God himself, is his death upon the cursed tree as our blessed Substitute.

God give me grace to prize it more every day, to preach it more fully and more constantly week by week, to think of it more moment by moment, and to stand in unceasing amazement and ever increasing love before him who loved me and gave himself for me!

· It is not the birth of Christ that gives me life, but his death.

· It is not the example of Christ that inspires devotion, but his death.

· It is not the second coming of Christ that gives me hope, but his death.

· Our Master gave us no ordinances to remember or celebrate his birth, or his life, or his passion; but he gave us two to celebrate his death.

Now, look at verses 9 and 10 again, and let me lead you in …

IV. The King’s Praise

Mark 11:9-10 "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: (10) Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."

This is almost a direct quote from Psalm 118:25-26.

Psalms 118:25-26 "Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. (26) Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD."

A. Here is a prayer of faith. - “Hosanna! Save now I beseech Thee, O LORD! O LORD, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity!”

B. Here is an ascription of praise. - “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!”

C. Here is a benediction of grace. - “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord...We have blessed you out of the house of the LORD."

Application: Let me wrap this message up and seek to prepare our hearts for the Lord’s table by reading with you the twenty-fourth Psalm, which speaks only of our great King.

Psalms 24 "A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (2) For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. (3) Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? (4) He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (5) He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (6) This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. (7) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (8) Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (9) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (10) Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah."

AMEN.