Dwell in the Word Mark 11:1-11

Dwell on these questions as we look at Mark 11:1-11:

1. What is the significance of the crowd's actions and words during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem? How do they express their expectations and hopes for Jesus?

2. Contrast Jesus' demeanor during the triumphal entry with his actions once he enters Jerusalem. What does this reveal about his mission and purpose at this crucial juncture in his ministry?

3. Reflecting on the deliberate and calculated steps Jesus takes, how does this underscore the divine plan and sovereignty at work in the events leading up to his crucifixion? How does this provide comfort and assurance for believers today?

Transcript:

So, where we land today with the triumphal entry, has us understanding one thing as we continue through the Book of Mark. Business is about to pick up. This is the beginning of passion week. We see Jesus arriving near Jerusalem, and he asked for his disciples to get the cold. We know this story. And ultimately, what is happening here is Jesus is coming into the city and people have heard about him. We've been seeing the excitement surrounding Jesus, the people who have been following him and people thinking they know who he is. And now this excitement is going to follow him into Jerusalem where things are a little bit different. So far he has not been around Jerusalem. He's been out. He's been out in the boonies, and he has this big following. Well, now, as people are coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, they're hearing these stories about Jesus, and it's inevitable that his popularity is going to increase. And so, when Jesus comes in on the cold, they greet him. Here it says, leafy branches saying, Hosanna. Well, when they do this, they're not just saying a word of praise. For them, there is some significance here.

And as you probably remember from past Palm Sunday sermons of mine, the reasons they're doing these palm branches and they're spreading these leaves out in the cloaks is because this is reminiscent of a return home after a military battle several hundred years beforehand. They greeted the victors. These people were excited that they had won the battle, and they greeted the victors returning in this way. They elevated them. In fact, I don't know all the details, I've read about it, but I don't remember all the details of it. But what they were doing there, the victory that they had, is what the Jewish people now celebrate as Hanukkah. And so, it was a very big deal in their time. And now they're hoping for the same thing. They're greeting Jesus as a victor, as a conquering individual. But is that who Jesus is? Well, how do we know for sure that they see him as being a conqueror, one who is going to come in and throw the Romans out? Well, by the word they're using, Hosanna. Hosanna means that you want God to save you now. In other words, it's save us now. It's not save us or you're going to save us.

It's save us now. There's an urgency here. And we've been feeling that urgency throughout the book of Mark. There's an urgency of the message of Jesus. People are excited. There's this constant... It feels like movement towards the end that we're moving quickly towards this. And this is what the people want. And look at what they say about Jesus. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David. Now, this is not some throwaway phrase. Again, this is messianic. They have an expectation for who Jesus is and what he is going to do. But Jesus, who has been doing things immediately all throughout the Book of Mark, we get to verse 11, and he enters Jerusalem and he goes to the temple. He looks around. It's late. And so, he goes back to Bethany with his disciples. The people are saying, Save us now. Save us now. Jesus has been moving quickly and with deliberate action all throughout the Book of Mark. Again, that word immediately happens all the time. But here Jesus is calm. He's collected, he's patient. He doesn't go to the seat of the Romans like the people would expect. Instead, he goes to the temple.

He goes to a religious place, not a political one. You can get the idea here of what's going to happen. The people who are wanting to be saved from the Romans aren't seeing results. We know what happens. We know where the story is going. It won't be long until Jesus is going to the cross. We think about this, and we look at what happened. One of the big things about this story is that Jesus is able to set up the events to make this day happen. He sends the disciples to get the cult. This is the plan. What they are doing is deliberate. Jesus is on a mission here. He is heading for Golgotha. He is preparing to suffer and die for his people. He is deliberate and he's doing it. There's no rush here anymore, does it feel like? It doesn't feel like that. Instead, he is here to do a mission. And so, as we think about this passage, we think about this memory that we have of many Palm Sundays, it's the same message we have on those Sundays. Jesus is headed to his cross, and he's doing it deliberately, and he's doing it for you.

The important thing that we need to remember is that God works these things together. He is in control. He is the one who brings salvation to his people. We can find great peace in that. In the midst of turmoil that goes on around us, God cares for His people. He is deliberate. He follows through with His plan. And while we don't know the exact nature of that plan and every little detail of our lives, which is tough, we do know that His ultimate plan, His ultimate will for our lives is that we would be conformed to the image of Christ. And he is working that in us through His word and spirit. And it's all because he won victory for us in his death and resurrection. So, let's remember how deliberate Christ is to save as we hear this message today and be deliberate about remembering that good news and living for him in response to it today.