To Fulfill the Prophecy

Palm Sunday

“To Fulfill the Prophecy”

Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2: 5-11; Matthew 21: 1-11; 27: 11-54

Pearl: The Lord and King of the universe is in your midst as foretold.

Function: To invite worshippers to enter the pageantry of Palm Sunday and in so doing assent to the nature of our Sovereign’s reign of service to others.

 

“Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5).

1. “THIS TOOK PLACE TO FULFILL WHAT HAD BEEN SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHET” (Matt. 21:4).
   1. Envisioning Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is a picture of humility. Make no mistake, however, that a king rode a donkey during a time of peace. During a time of war the king would ride a war horse.
   2. Nonetheless, a persona of peace is what you would expect from Jesus.
   3. It is also quite important for Matthew, the Gospel writer, to demonstrate how Jesus fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. In this instance fulfilling Zechariah 9:9: “Your king comes…humble…mounted on a donkey.”
2. Accepting that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who fulfilled prophetic expectation, the church worships Jesus as…God. It really takes your breath away to say that.

Kings are glorious. There was no king on earth like King Solomon. This son of King David knew a level of human magnificence and opulence unparalleled in the ancient world.

1. His glory was so outrageous that you have to assume it was God’s doing. You recall that when Solomon was a young man in line for kingship, young people listen up, God asked him to request anything that he wanted from the Lord. He asked for a wise and discerning heart. God was so pleased by his request that he not only gave him exceeding wisdom but also unimaginable wealth and worldly splendor as well.
   1. The celebrated Queen of Sheba, as glorious she was, was stunned by what she experienced when she visited Solomon to see for herself if he was all that she had heard. She testified that all that she heard was only half of the truth of his glory.
   2. In 1 Kings 10 you read of the splendor of his life. Just listen to the description of his throne:
      1. It was a great ivory throne overlaid in fine gold.
      2. There were six steps leading up to the seat.

• Twelve lions were standing on the six steps, one on each end.

1. So, this was King Solomon—unsurpassed in glory for any human ruler. This, all due to the Lord’s unique anointing and gifting.

2. Now consider biblical descriptions of the glory of the immediate presence of God.
   1. In Isaiah 6: 1-3 is a description of the throne of God from which we derive our beloved hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
      1. Isaiah saw a vision “…the Lord sitting on his throne, high and lofty, the hem of his robe filling the temple.”
      2. Griffin-like creatures were around him and with six wings each they covered their faces and their feet and with some they flew.

• In God’s immediate, holy presence was an ongoing earthquake-like state…so weighty and dynamic.

1. In Ezekiel 1: 26-28 is another lessor known description of the glory of God’s immediate presence:
   1. There was something like a throne, of sapphire, and above the throne something like a human form.
   2. From that form appeared a gleaming amber radiance, and a fiery aura surrounded in a splendorous appearance. Something similar to a rainbow backlit the spectacle.

• Ezekiel described this vision and knew it was the appearance of the glory of the Lord and as he saw it he fell on his face.

3. All of this fantastic glory was invested in this one about whom it was written, “…your king is coming to you, humble, and riding on a donkey.”

The awesome King of the Universe rode into Jerusalem on that inauspicious day to the celebration of many, but unlikely the entire city as most might imagine and prefer to acclaim. It was actually a fairly underwhelming reception…for the King of the Universe.

1. By riding that donkey Jesus accepted the status of royalty.
2. By riding that donkey Jesus carefully fulfilled prophecy (Zech. 9:9).
3. By riding that donkey and having watching the crowd wave palm branches and throw their cloaks on the ground Jesus again fulfilled prophecy (2 Kings 9:13; Psalm 118: 26).
4. By riding that donkey Jesus portrayed the central nature of his reign on earth and in heaven as a reign of peace and humility.

Jesus, your Lord, the high and holy one, the one about whom Isaiah and Ezekiel described and in the spirit fell on their faces, speechless; Jesus reimagined and recast the authority and the glory of God which he wanted all to absorb.

1. It is a realm of peace and service.
   1. The Apostle Paul said Jesus humbled himself, setting aside his equality with God, and emptied himself, to serve others.
   2. Paul said followers of Christ were to have this same mind and this same love.
      1. He wrote “…do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others” (Phil. 2: 3, 4).
   3. The One, Jesus Christ, who sits on the throne of unimaginable glory set aside all of that glory, and gave his last breath in service for the world.
   4. The One, Jesus Christ, who is the King of the Universe, is the King of Service.
      1. You his followers are asked to serve him by serving others as well.
      2. You his followers are asked to have the same mind and the same love that was in Christ Jesus.
   5. Beware of thinking that because we sing and shout “Hosannas” that we are acknowledging Jesus as king in a way that Jerusalem failed to do.
      1. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven.”
      2. Our mission is to take on Christ’s burden of service for others—Christ’s burden of submission to others:
         1. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).

 

“Look! Your king is coming to you! Humbly do the will of the Lord.

Serve the King by serving others.