Bible Passage: Mark 11:1-10
Pastor: Michael Willitz
Sermon Date: Palm Sunday March 28, 2021

Bulletin March 28, 2021

Mark 11:1–10

¹As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ²and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and he will send it back here without delay.”

⁴They left and found a colt on the street, tied at a door; and they untied it. ⁵Some who were standing there asked them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶The disciples answered them just as Jesus had instructed them, and the men let them go.

⁷They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their garments on the road. Others spread branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹Those who went in front and those who followed were crying out,

Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!

Hosanna in the highest!

The Royal Treatment

1. Observe the treatment that Jesus receives.
2. Acknowledge the treatment that Jesus deserves.
3. Marvel at the treatment that Jesus gives us.
4. Consider the treatment that we may give others.

Dear fellow redeemed in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of David,

What does royalty look like? And what kind of treatment should royalty receive? Should a king or a queen be seated on a throne, robed in fur and velvet, with a scepter in hand and a servant at hand to offer a tray of refreshments or maybe to fan the monarch with a large palm branch? Should a king or a queen ride in a limo or on a private jet? Should a delegation welcome the ruler at the airport and escort him or her to a private mansion where the finest accommodations in the land can be offered? What would be a proper definition for the royal treatment? Well today we see a King greater than any other, and today we see service that surpasses any other. On this joyful Palm Sunday, we greet the King as he comes to his city, and today, as we greet him, we learn what it means to receive The Royal Treatment.

It was the Sunday just before the feast of the Passover, and the city of Jerusalem was swollen with visitors. Long ago, God had commanded that every year on the three chief festivals all Jewish men should travel to the Holy City, there to present themselves before him. In accordance with this requirement, scores of Jews had flocked to Jerusalem. And now, on this Sunday, Jesus of Nazareth has also arrived among them. The scene is just bursting with anticipation as Jesus, the King, comes onto the scene. And as the multitudes greet him, we observe the royal treatment Jesus receives.

We see first of all that as royalty Jesus is obeyed with unquestioning submission. Our text tells us how he sends ahead of him two of his disciples, and he commissions these disciples with some strangely particular instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and he will send it back here without delay,” [2,3]. Were the speaker any other man, the disciples might have questioned him, “How do you know what we’re going to find when we enter the village?” Were the speaker any other lord, the owner of the colt might have objected, “No you can’t take my donkey. This one hasn’t even been broken.” But from his disciples and from the owner of his chosen steed, Jesus hears no back talk. Instead, they do exactly as their King commands.

Next, we see how King Jesus is honored with reverent gestures. The text narrates, “They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. Many people spread their garments on the road. Others spread branches that they had cut from the fields” [7,8]. Rather than letting their Ruler ride bareback, the disciples take off their cloaks and provide them for a saddle. Many throw their cloaks on the road to serve as a royal carpet in front of their King. Now, just imagine the reverence that it would show, to take off your finest jacket and throw it down in the dirt for a donkey to step on. But many count it a privilege for their cloaks to be used in this way, rather than letting their Lord approach Jerusalem the same as everybody else. Others bring to the road freshly cut branches from the fields to further fill out this kingly carpet welcoming Jesus down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem.

Finally, we observe the royal treatment Jesus receives as he is praised with loud shouts. The text says, “Those who went in front and those who followed were crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” [9,10]. No longer is the Messiahship of Jesus kept a secret. Now it is shouted by the crowds, as they cheer on the one they’ve been waiting for. Jesus is the one they were promised, the one who would rule over David’s kingdom. Jesus is the one they were promised, the one who would deliver them from all their enemies. So they shout, “Hosanna!”, which means, “Save us now!”. They sing Psalm 118, a victory song of Messiah. The whole Mount of Olives is draped in praises! The whole Kidron Valley is filled with joyful expectations! And how could it be otherwise? The ancient prophet Zechariah had said, “Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your King is coming to you!” [9:9]. How could it be otherwise? If the people were silent, then the stones would cry out. Look at Jesus entering Jerusalem and observe the royal treatment he receives.

Yet he deserves even greater, doesn’t he? He is owed royal treatment far grander than this. That Man whom you see descending the mountain on a donkey is none other than the one true God, who descended from heaven down to the earth. The one you see riding over a leafy carpet, seated on a donkey, is the one whom the Psalms describe as being seated upon a cherub and soaring on the wings of the wind. He deserves so much more than our cloaks spread on the road. He is owed so much more than a few hours of thankful fanfare. This is our Creator, who has made us and given us all that we have. This is our Defender who upholds the universe and ceaseless cares for us day after day. We owe him nothing less than all that is ours spent completely in his service. We owe him nothing less than our full obedience every minute of every day. But what do we have to show him for all the blessings he has lavished on us? What do we have to show him for all the years he has been patient with us? No one on of us has given this King the royal treatment he deserves. What loss and what terror it would be for us if he treated us as we deserve.

But look again at your King, and this time forget how the crowds serve him. Look again at your King and this time marvel at how he humbly serves you. The earth does not shake and the mountains do not melt as he gently rides down the descent to Jerusalem. He comes not with an army of angels behind him but surrounded by fishermen and a tax collector and other humble men. He has not come from heaven to exact vengeance on sinners, but instead to take away our sins and to provide all the righteousness we lack.

Marvel, dear friends, at the royal treatment Jesus gives you, that he who is true God takes the form of a slave on your behalf. See how he rides to the city, knowing that he rides unto his death. Yes, Zechariah 9 requires that today they rejoice in him, but Zechariah 12 demands that on Friday they will look at the one they have pierced [10]. And none of this is hidden from Jesus. Neither the whips nor the cross nor the very pains of hell are absent from his view. He sees these terrors ahead of him and is determined to go through them, delighted to give all that he has to win a crown for you.

Marvel at the royal treatment that the Savior gives you. Marvel that he comes to this place today to serve you. The same King who approached Jerusalem riding on the back of a humble donkey approaches you and me today in humble Words and humble bread and wine. He comes to you to deliver full forgiveness for your sins. He comes to you to credit his perfect righteousness as yours. He comes in humility with hands full of mercy so that on the last day when he comes in glory, you will not be shamed for eternity, but welcomed with all believers to rule in the new heavens and the new earth.

Your loving King shows you the greatest royal treatment. And having been lifted up by him to be a king or queen in the world to come, it is our privilege now in this world to see our neighbors the way Christ sees them. Just as Christ was delighted to give the royal treatment for every child of Adam, we share that delight and hold every neighbor in the same high esteem. Isn’t that the instruction that we heard in our Epistle Lesson? “Let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” [Philippians 2:5]. He put all that was his into service for us in our greatest need. Having been so served, and so saved, by him, we put all that is ours into service for others. Think how you can do that in your own circle in this world. How can you treat as royalty the members of your family? The members of your church? The people that you work with? The people of your neighborhood? How can you give the royal treatment to the people who don’t like you? The people who are against you? The people who make life difficult for you? It is a God-given privilege to live in service to any neighbor, even as Jesus gave himself in service for lowly sinners like ourselves.

The royalty of this world may enjoy the comforts and luxuries of this life. But we know a greater, more glorious King than them all. Because of all that he did, and because of all that he gave for us, we have a crown awaiting on the last day, and a bright future in the life to come with glory to which this world cannot compare. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is Jesus our King!

Amen

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