Intro
- Kids wanting a gift MORE THAN ANYTHING, but then they never use it again
- Let’s dive into part 29 of our Mark series
Doctor Who skit
CONRAD: And today I’m excited to do my final sermon with Surrey CLA and dive into part 29 of our Mark series. DOCTOR: Thirty eight. [twenty] CONRAD: Pretty sure we’re doing the Gospel of Mark in order. 27, 28, 29. This isn’t some Christopher Nolan movie. We’re keeping it chronological. DOCTOR: People don’t understand time. It’s not what you think it is. CONRAD: Then what is it? DOCTOR: Complicated. CONRAD: I’m not an idiot. DOCTOR: Very complicated. CONRAD: Look, I don’t even know how you got on my TV, so you better get to the point, or I’m carrying on with Mark 11:12–26. DOCTOR: People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. CONRAD: That’s… quite… a… sentence… DOCTOR: It got away from me, yeah. CONRAD: So you’re saying I need to do verses 1–11, part 28? DOCTOR [on screen]: Afraid so. CONRAD: Let’s dig in, then. DOCTOR: Good luck. CONRAD: Thank you.
From the top of Chapter 11 then…
Scripture
11 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”
4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”[b]
11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
Set the scene
This is the start of the Passion Narrative. But these events are unlikely to be contained within a single week. John’s Gospel shows Jesus in Jerusalem in December, rather than Spring. Mark likely did this because — as I shared when we started this series in Mark — he is not worried about a strict chronological sequence of events, he is more worried about being thematically correct… you know… wibbly wobbly timey-wimey.
A Mission From God
Mark 11:1 (NLT) — 1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
Something I want to hang a lantern on is right in verse 1. It goes by so quick that if you blink you might miss it. As Jesus and his followers are headed to Jerusalem, he [sends] two of His disciples on ahead to go get a donkey.
The [word] ‘sent’ is the Greek ‘apostellos’. The very same word from which we get ‘Apostle’. We’re going to drop that in our pocket and come back to it.
A Noble Steed
Mark 11:2–6 (NLT) — 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it.
What did Jesus send the two Disciples ahead for? A [donkey[. Specifically an [unbroken] donkey. And Jesus even [knew] where the donkey was! How? Did Jesus use his omniscient God powers to foresee the donkey? Maybe.
More likely though is that Jesus had been to Jerusalem before and had seen the donkey or possibly even talked to the owner about borrowing it. Which would explain why when the disciples [say] “the master needs it, we’ll bring it right back” everyone is just… kinda… cool with it.
But that leads to the question… why? Why does Jesus care about this colt? This young donkey. This unbroken young donkey; one which had never been ridden before?
Because that’s what was prophesied!
And let this serve as another example that when God commissions a prophet, it’s not so he can demonstrate his knowledge of future events… God doesn’t need to prove anything to us. It’s so that we can look back and KNOW the one who claimed to be sent of God really, truly WAS. This is just such an event, is Zechariah 9:9 we read:
Zechariah 9:9 (NLT) — Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.
And why was the colt “unbroken”, never ridden before? Because God always wants something that is perfect, pristine, clean, pure, without spot of blemish… which is why Jesus cleanses us of our sin, so that we are also seen as perfect, pristine, clean, pure, without spot of blemish.
Jesus is fulfilling the Law and the Prophets as He lives out what will become the Gospel and the source of the new testament letters. Truly Jesus is God Word made flesh.
Entering Jerusalem
Mark 11:7–10 (NLT) — 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”
So as Jesus is entering Jerusalem his entourage rolls out the [virtual] red carpet by throwing their coats on the ground to make a path for him to ride this unbroken colt into the city. They pronounce a blessing on Jesus (but we know how that’s going to turn out) and they [quote] Psalm 118 and describe Jesus as the [promised] King form the line of David.
Exciting times, indeed!
I picture it being like this scene from Disney’s Aladdin
[ Aladdin – Prince Ali ]
But if you know the story of Aladdin, you know that none of that stuff was real. It was all a mirage set up by the Genie. And in the same way; this large group who was with Jesus and the Twelve proudly proclaiming Jesus as they entered the city of Jerusalem will vanish into the ether when the Roman guard comes for Jesus.
Later on when Pontias Pilate offers the crowds the choice of freeing Jesus the teacher or Barabbas the murder the crowd enthusiastically chooses Barabbas! There is no dissenting voice either in the majority or the minority. At best these proclaimers are silent when Jesus faces His murder at the hands of the Romans as requested by the Jewish authority. At worst they are a part of the crowd calling for Jesus to be killed.
We’re gonna pop that in our pocket as well and come back to it in a moment, but Mark also highlights how quickly the fickle crowds vanish in the very next verse.
Temple Visit
Mark 11:11 (NLT) — 11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
There are a couple interesting things to see in this short verse, not the least of which being… the total lack of a crowd! Where are the throngs of followers who heralded Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem? The people who Matthew tell us whipped the whole city into an uproar! They seem to have disappeared. I think Mark wants us to feel like Babu Bhatt from The Cafe episode of Seinfeld.
[ Seinfeld – Show Me People ]
But anyway, like I said, we’re going to be pulling that back out of our pockets in a minute or two.
Besides, I think it is worth taking a moment to stand back and admire the incredible irony of the picture Mark has painted for us.
Here is Jesus — God in the flesh, the living Word and Person of God in human form standing in the temple… THE temple… the worldwide center, hub, focal-point of the Jewish faith… the faith built on and borne of the worship of the God who now stands within it’s gates and… no one cares.
These people are too busy going about the BUSINESS of worship, without realizing that they are ACTUALLY IGNORING GOD.
And so, there stands Jesus, looking at how his house has been perverted by the very people who have been tasked with stewarding it.
Friends, let us not get so caught up in the business and busyness of our faith that we forget the OBJECT of our faith.
So What?
And all this brings us back around to the two items in our pockets. And we’ll start with the second one, since it dovetails into the first.
Jesus’ entourage, his booster squad disappears. This echoes the Parable of the Sower back in chapter four (shallow soil, sun scorched).
Let this be a stark reminder to us that enthusiasm is not the same thing as faith. And popularity is not the same thing as discipleship. Anyone can get caught up in a moment, swayed by an eloquent speaker, or touching music, or an emotional appeal. But at the end of the day, these things will only hold us for as long as they last. When the speaker is gone home, the music has ended, and the emotion has subsided you’ll be left with nothing.
We need… no… we MUST HAVE something deeper. We must [be a part] of something more. We must be rooted deeply in the truth so that when the storm comes we are able to stand our ground like an Oak rather than being blown like a feather on the breeze.
And how do we do this? Well, the answer takes us all the way back to the very first thing we put in our pockets… the disciples were sent to fetch a donkey. They were [on a mission] from God. They were called by God to do something so… ordinary. Jesus basically said, “Go get the car”.
[And friends], that’s each of us here today. God has called you and tasked you with something that will fulfill his purposes. Not everyone is called to be front-and-center preaching the Gospel and leading masses to salvation … NOR SHOULD THEY BE! We all have different roles to play in the kingdom, and you never know how your willingness to make coffee, fix cars, do taxes, or shovel your driveway will lead to being in the right place at the right time for the right person to accomplish God’s purposes!
But you don’t want to become overly protective of your role, because God might call you to somewhere or something else, and we don’t want to end up like the people in the Temple in Jerusalem where we are so focused on the work of God that we forget the PERSON of God.
In the words of those great Texas Philosophers .38 Special:
Just hold on loosely But don’t let go If you cling to tightly You’re gonna lose control
In summary:
1) Listen for God’s direction. 2) Do what He tells you to the best of Your ability. 3) See step 1.