Ryan MandevilleRyan Mandeville6NaN2024-03-22T12:07:40Z2024-03-24T09:04:47Z717809798247OpenOffice/4.1.14$Unix OpenOffice.org_project/4114m1$Build-9811 Once upon a time, we called it symbolism. But as we become more and more of a media driven world, we tend to call them Easter Eggs. Objects or words that point to a bigger story than the one we are currently involved in, but enrich and bring meaning to our current story. Most of us did not pay too much attention to Luke Skywalker's clothing choices, (SLIDE) but someone who did could tell how close to the darkside he was at the moment. When we meet him as a moisture farmer, a white sand colored outfit with a brown belt around his waist. (SLIDE)In the second movie, he has moved to a gray color, not just because he has not had a chance to wash his clothesbut he is exploring the force and darkside. (SLIDE)As a Jedi knight in episode 6, the closest he comes to being part of the darkside, he is in all black. The darkside is being strongly considered. (SLIDE)At the pivitol moment of decision, (SLIDE)the flap of his jacket flips over to show white. Showing his choice of the force over the darkside.I tell you all of this, because our story has many symbolic acts in it that help us understand the story better. We need to understand the story better, because the Israelites did not fully understand their story of a Messiah and Jesus had to do things to set them on the right trajectory. When we look at John's telling of the triumphal entry in Jerusalem, we see that the palm branches are laid out for Jesus as he approaches Jerusalem. So this occurred somewhere on the 17 mile journey to Bethany. There are two details that John includes that should tell us we are not hearing Jesus right. (SLIDE)The first is how the crowd's chant from Psalm 118 is altered and the second is what Jesus does in response to their chant. When David wrote Psalm 118:26, he wrote, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (SLIDE)From the house of the Lord we bless you.” In John, we hear some ad libbing. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Check, word for word. (SLIDE)Blessed is the King of Israel!” What is the difference between “From the house of the Lord we bless you.” and “Blessed is the King of Israel?” Only the difference between being the manager of a Costco and being the owner and president of the Costco corporation.Benefits and paycheck are good either wayBut zeroes really start to matter.If we look at the whole of Psalm 118 that we read this morning, Israel is only mentioned once at the beginning (SLIDE)one of three sets of people who get to say, “God's love endures forever. It builds from Israel, to house of Aaron, to “those who fear the Lord.” The rest of the Psalm focuses on the righteous, those in right relationship with the Lord and what the Lord is doing. Some from Israel and some from the house of Aaron are doing this, but not all of them. The boughs that are to be brought to the altar are not just for the Israelites, but for all nations when the Messiah comes. The people in the course of their history have distorted the meaning. The last time they cut boughs for a would be king of Israel was during the Maccabean revolt, when the Hasmoneans rode into town. Jesus is not another temporary king. He is more than that. He is not only King over Israel, but over all creation.If we have read our Bibles or watched the news, we are aware how nationalism quickly infiltrates our politics. At any time,our greatest hope for change is Jesus and his in breaking kingdom. But as John is pointing out for the second time since the people tried to crown him king back in chapter 6, his kingdom is not coming to prop up our politics, the way we are doing things. Jesus' kingdom is coming to change the whole way we operate.So it should not surprise anyone who really understands what Jesus is about, that as soon as Jesus saw the people reacting with Nationalistic tendencies, putting the prosperity and value of the nation of Israel over the value of all other nations, that Jesus tries to set them straight. Verse 15 reads, “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” As we hopefully know after 15 years of me preaching Palm Sunday sermons, (SLIDE)a King rode a horse into war and rode a donkey into peace talks. The colt of a donkey quotes Zechariah 9:9 where the Lord comes humbly riding into Jerusalem. But it is not just peace for Israel that he brings. Verses 10 and 11 tell us, “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: that part is all of Israel, but Zechariah continues, (SLIDE)“and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the rivereven to the ends of the earth.” That is the whole world, not just the nation of Israel. God's Kingdom is bigger than one nation, (SLIDE)whether that be Israel or the United States. It goes to the ends of the earth.This is what the change in procession is trying to get the people to understand. Jesus was not just here for Israel, Jesus was here to redeem all creation, just like Israel was originally called to do. Jesus' death and resurrection was not for one nation, but all nations. Yes, the altar was in Jerusalem, but Jerusalem was supposed to be a light to all the nations.Since the people were not getting this, Jesus changes the procession in Bethany to help them understand with a second sign of what his kingdom is supposed to be. He sends a few disciples ahead to get a colt of a donkey. The humblest animal of peace possible, since he could not ride a dove. The last time a king rode into Jerusalem, it was after victory over Seleucid Empire and the Hasmonean Empire established Israel as an independent nation againfrom 167-37 BC. Palms were laid on the ground according to first and second Maccabees from the inter-testamental period. Creating the scene from Psalm 118 with a new interpretation.This action changed the way people heard Psalm 118.Close to 200 years laterthe expectation of Jesus was Israel's independence as a nation,and possibly most powerful nation,more than a world saving Messiah. This is what we often ask Jesus to do for us. Put us fully in control of the world. The thinking goes that the United States was created by God to be a city on a hill, a light to the nations, so obviously,we are to use all of the strength and power at our disposal to help the world see Jesus' light. We often do that in one of two ways. (SLIDE)Either imposing our ways upon the wider world because capitalism and our constitution are so solid, or at least backed by a strong military. Or we just focus on taking care of ourselves and once we have it perfected, everyone else will follow suit because we are so awesome. Either way would have Jesus pointing us to a third option. (SLIDE)As we are aware, Jesus could have called legions of heavenly armies to change the world and they would have. What he did instead, was to come into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a war horse. He came ready to lay down his life rather than protect it. He was ready to be arrested, put in prison, to be falsely accused, and put to death, rather than use his strength and power to force us to change. He allowed evil, death, power, might, perceived righteousness to do all that they could to him. Only to let death think it had won. Evil rejoiced for a period of time, three days, because it thought it had won. The world shook, the light disappeared, the earth mourned. (SLIDE)It never stopped to ask why did Jesus come on a donkey, why did he not accept the title of King of Israel when it was freely offered to him. What did Jesus know that the powers and the people did not understand?The same question is asked of us. (SLIDE)What are we wanting or expecting of Jesus as a nation, as a church, as an individual? Does what we wantreally align with who Jesus is? Are we expecting Jesus to do something with our nation that we are imposing on scripture, instead of scripture saying it clearly? As we look at what the people were hoping for and what Jesus was doing, they are 60-75% in agreement. Yes, Jesus is King. Yes, he would rule over Jerusalem. He would have more power than the Roman Empire. But he is King over the whole world. He rules over Jerusalem, and Rome, New York, London, Skagway, and all cities. He does have more power than the Roman Empire, he just exercised it in a completely different way. Jesus made it clear that the way to true peace was not through forcing others to align with your ways. It was through living humbly, so that those who tried to overpower you soon were humbled by your life and reaction to them. They realized their power caused no fear in you, because you walked a different road, a different way.Your fear was placed in a higher power. Jesus tried to teach us that on this day that we cried out to him (SLIDE)to Save Us or hosanna. He tried to get us on board. But as John records for his disciples in verse 16, (SLIDE)“At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.” I hope in the stillness of the next few days, you can see where you are still not understanding all of thisor at least living all of this. As we move towards glorification next Sunday, I hope you will realize these places. We will walk through his last meal on Thursday, his death on Friday, so that it may be so on Sunday.