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A Sermon Delivered at First Christian
Church Stockton When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Everybody loves a parade, right? I used to love going to parades. When I was a kid I went to the parade of parades, the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The Rose Parade is the biggest and best parade in the world. The best bands from around the country are invited. Celebrities and horses and floats adorned with millions of roses. We arrived the night before, sleeping on the street, shoulder to shoulder. I tried to get some sleep in my sleeping bag, but the noise lasted all night long. It was a giant party, people celebrating the New Year’s arrival. I was too excited to sleep, even if the crowds had been hushed. But by the time the parade came, I was exhausted. It was hard to keep my eyes open, even with the crowd jostling me around. The bands were loud, the floats were huge, but it was all so overwhelming. I was hungry and cold and needed a restroom but I was afraid of getting swallowed up in the crowd. When the parade was over and we got in our cars to go home, I was wrought with disappointment. Never again would I go to the Rose Parade. Just stay home and watch it, take my word. The parade I want to see is the Jesus parade. Wouldn’t you love to have been there, shouting “Hosanna to the son of David.” Hosanna literally means “Save us now!” The crowd is worked into a frenzy. Many of the people who had witnessed Jesus raising Lazurus from the dead were in the crowd, I am sure. Maybe some had been miraculously fed with the loaves and fishes. Still others must have heard the sermon on the mount or been to the wedding when Jesus had turned water into wine. They had waited for this moment, the day a new king would arrive and drive out the infidels, those who had occupied their land, enslaving the people, oppressing them with high taxes. He would mount up an army and drive the Romans out and Israel would once again be a great nation as it had been under David and Solomon. I believe Jesus orchestrated his entrance into Jerusalem. He had prearranged his visit, coming into Jerusalem at the same time others were arriving from all over the world to celebrate the Jewish Passover. It was Holy Week, and security was tightened. The Temple would be full of the money changers. For the Jews who had come from afar, they would be required to change in their foreign money for the currency used in Jerusalem. Rather than giving the travelers a fair shake, the money changers shook them down and cheated them. If they wanted to make their religious sacrifices, it was going to cost them. Jesus did not choose a low profile entrance. He came in riding on a donkey as a king, and the people waved their palm branches, a sign of victory. They shouted out “Save us now, son of David.” And after arriving he chases the money changers out of the temple. What a day! What a parade! What a week! Can you imagine trying to sleep that week. Is it any wonder that the Disciples became tired in the garden of Gethsemanee? They had witnessed the parade of parades, the week of weeks, and Jesus was about to be crowned King of the Jews. But something was very odd about this parade. The king did not enter the city riding on a triumphal warhorse. He rode in on a donkey, a symbol of peace. There was no crown on his head, but he would soon be wearing a crown of thorns. And a throne? Only a blood-soaked cross? His robe tattered and torn, divided up by the soldiers and auctioned off. His drink, only vinegar. Do yourself a favor, my friends. Don’t rush to Easter. Stay on the road to Calvary. Hear the whole story; the Upper Room; garden of Gethsemanee; the trial and the crucifixion. This is a different sort of king, don’t you think?
Michael Malone
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