Jesus' Not-So-Triumphal Entry
Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
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. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the Great River to the ends of the earth.
Jesus had spoken about His coming death on more than one occasion.
Mark 8:31–32 (NLT)
“Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later, He would rise from the dead. As He talked about this openly with His disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things.”
Mark 9:31 (NLT)
“For He wanted to spend more time with His disciples and teach them. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later, He will rise from the dead.’”
Mark 10:32–34 (NLT)
“Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to Him. ‘Listen,’ He said, ‘We’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence Him to die and hand Him over to the Romans. They will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him with a whip, and kill Him, but after three days he will rise again.’”
The disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with their request.
Mark 10:35-45 (NLT)
“’Teacher, they said, ‘We want you to do us a favor.’ ‘What is your request?’ He asked. They replied, ‘When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.’… When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So, Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Jesus knew His purpose… And He knew His timing.
2 Kings 9:13 (NLT)
“They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Will we allow His rule of grace, peace, and reconciliation in our lives?
Luke 19:41-42 (NLT)
“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ‘How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.’”
True Shalom Peace, Godly wholeness peace, will not just come in a change of circumstances…
A New Political Climate
A New Marriage Partner
A Man Cave Away from Tension
A New Set of Clothes
A New Haircut
A New Body
A New Church
A New Job
A New House
If you want to know peace, you must come to a place of surrender to Jesus.
