On June 2, 1953, Elizabeth II was coronated as the new Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The 25-year-old princess ascended the throne upon the death of her father, George VI. The coronation ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in London and it contained all the pomp and circumstance you would expect from British royalty. 

            The procession included foreign dignitaries and heads of state riding in stylish carriages. The first royal coach left Buckingham Palace and moved down the Mall, which was filled with flag-waving and cheering crowds. Along a route lined with sailors, soldiers, airmen and women from across the British Empire, guests and officials passed in a procession before about three million spectators gathered in the streets of London, some having camped overnight in their spot to ensure a view of the monarch. For those not present to witness the event, more than 200 microphones were stationed along the path and in Westminster Abbey, with 750 commentators broadcasting descriptions in 39 languages; more than twenty million viewers around the world watched the coverage on television.

            Celebrations took place across the Commonwealth realms and a commemorative medal was issued. During the service, Elizabeth took an oath, was anointed with holy oil, invested with royal robes and regalia, and crowned Queen. The whole event was estimated to have cost £1.57 million (over 50 million in modern American dollars).

            Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was neither televised nor did it cost over 50 million dollars, but it did bear some resemblance to a royal coronation. On Palm Sunday, Jesus began a procession that led him all the way to Pontius Pilate’s palace, where he was crowned as the King of the Jews. Do you remember the story?

            Jerusalem was buzzing with people! The city’s population swelled to over ten times its normal size as people came from all around to celebrate the Passover, Israel’s most prominent holiday. People bumped into each other on the narrow streets and as they tried to make their way through the busy marketplace. Local merchants tried to rip off the foreigners. Mothers and daughters hovered around fires preparing food while husbands and sons chose a lamb to sacrifice. Speaking of lambs, some estimate that there may have been 100,000 more lambs than usual in the city. All of this to celebrate Passover as they remembered how God delivered their ancestors from slavery in Egypt!

            During the weeklong festival, Jerusalem was like an American shopping mall on Black Friday; too many people in one place preparing for the holidays!  

            This is the scene Jesus enters as he and his disciples left the village of Bethany and arrived in Jerusalem. Just a day earlier Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, and now Jesus enters his beloved city for the last time before he would die.

            The word of Jesus’ arrival must have traveled quickly. By the time he entered the outskirts of the city, thousands of people had gathered to welcome him. No doubt, most of the people who had gathered had heard about Jesus and his miracles.  Those who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus in Bethany continued to spread the word throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Their witness contributed to the increase in Jesus’ popularity and prompted a huge crowd of people to go out and greet Jesus. 

            The crowds pulled palm branches off date trees and waved them as Jesus he entered the city. Palm branches had originally served as a symbol for righteousness, but they had become a popular symbol for Jewish nationalism. The Jews waved palm branches to show their patriotism the same way Americans fly red, white, and blue flags on Independence Day. They expected Jesus to be a great political leader and military messiah who would liberate Israel from Roman oppression. They were ready to coronate Jesus as their king and hope he was about to enter a golden age. 

            As the crowd proudly waved their palms, they shouted “Hosanna, Hosanna!” at the top of their lungs. This was a great Hebrew term that mean “save now.” The crowd was clamoring for Jesus to save them right now. Then they quoted Psalm 118 by saying “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Blessed is the King of Israel.”  This was a messianic phrase that insinuated that Jesus was from the line of David. They wanted Jesus to conquer the same way David did.

            But little did they know how sorely they would be disappointed. Jesus was indeed the king of Israel; in fact, he was the king of kings, but he was not the kind of king they were expecting. Jesus makes this clear in his choice of animal for his coronation. He did not choose a war horse to rouse the patriotism of the crowd, but he chose a donkey. In Jewish culture, donkeys were symbols of peace and gentleness. Jesus chose to present himself as a king of peace and humility rather than pride and power. This was a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy given hundreds of years earlier. In Zechariah 9:9, the Messiah is characterized as a leader of peace and gentleness. Even his disciples did not fully understand the significance of his riding a donkey until after Jesus had been glorified.

            When the Pharisees saw what was happening, they expressed their exacerbation with the hyperbolic remark “the whole world has gone after him.” It seemed as if their attempts to muffle Jesus’ ministry was backfiring; despite of their efforts, his popularity was growing.

             Jesus’ triumphal entry was the climax of his public ministry. It was the pinnacle of his earthly popularity. But it was one of the most misunderstood events of his life. The crowd assumed that Jesus and his movement would serve their agenda, but Jesus’ failure to satisfy their expectations lead to a cry for crucifixion a week later. They sang “Hosanna, Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday, but they shouted “Crucify! Crucify!” on Good Friday.

            Unfortunately, many people treat Jesus the same way today! It is easy to get excited about Jesus when we think he is going to give us what we want, but it is just as easy to turn our backs on him when he disappoints us. We love to pray to Jesus when we or a loved one is sick, but if Jesus doesn’t heal, we don’t want to pray anymore. We are quick to serve Jesus when we think he supports our pet agendas, but we want nothing to do with him when we discover that his plans are different from our plans. 

            Contrary to popular belief, Jesus doesn’t meet all of our personal expectations! But Jesus isn’t the problem; we are! Has Jesus ever broken any of your expectations? Has he ever disappointed you? How did you respond?  

            Jesus’ actions at the triumphal entry show what kind of king he is and isn’t! Palm Sunday shows us that Jesus’ kingship is not a political or military in nature. Jesus is no one’s political puppet or military messiah; King Jesus is a humble savior who sacrificed his own life for the salvation for our souls! 

1.) Jesus is not a political king! 
          Just as Jesus did not serve the crowd’s political interests at the triumphal entry, he does not serve our political interests today. The crowd was convinced that Jesus would be a Messiah who would grant them political freedom from Rome, but Jesus was not interested in leading a political advocacy group.  

            Many people today are just like this crowd of old.  They try to make Jesus their political advocate.  We see this in every election cycle.  I heard one politician proclaim from a podium, “If Jesus Christ was here today, he would be a Democrat.”  Republicans and Democrats alike try to use Jesus to promote their particular point of view. Activists always want Jesus on their side, but Jesus will not go there. 

            When it comes to Jesus and politics, we need to be very careful.  It is fine for us to have strong political views, but we should not identify Jesus with any political party.

            Years ago, in a relatively small Green Mountain community, a few Democrats decided to make the highly irregular move of holding a Democratic meeting and issued an invitation to the public.  The town minister was a staunch Republican, but he had a Democrat in his congregation and decided to attend as an observer to find out what was going on.  There being no other clergymen present he was asked if he would open the meeting with prayer.

            He said that he was sorry, but he would have to decline. “To be frank,” he explained, “I’d rather the good Lord didn’t know I was here.” 

            Next time you flaunt Jesus as a Republican or a Democrat – think again – don’t cheapen the King of Kings that way.  He didn’t come to choose sides, he came to die for the sins of Republicans, Democrats, Socialist, and Communists alike. Our privilege is simply to love him, and from that will flow our obedience for his desires, which will finally result in his Kingdom coming into our hearts and into the world.  Jesus is not a political king; he is a spiritual king who died for us on the cross!

2.) Jesus is not our military king! 
           Jesus is not our political king, nor is he our military king. The crowd wanted Jesus to rally the troops, sharpen his sword, mount a war horse, and charge into Rome. But Jesus was not interested in the crowd’s push for military action. The imagery in Zechariah’s prophecy is framed as a conscious alternative to militaristic rule. True, the Jesus’ kingdom has military and political implications, for it must reflect the righteous and just character of the God who is king over all, but Jesus presents himself as a king of peace and gentleness.

            Jesus is not our military conqueror, but he is a king who went into battle.  It was not a battle of swords, spears, or chariots. It was not a war of tanks, ships, or missiles, but it was a spiritual war.  The enemy was not Rome, Germany, or Iraq, but it was sin.  It was not a war that could be won by power or might, but it was a war that could only be won through humility.  Jesus didn’t carry a warriors sword, but he carried a criminals cross.  He did not wear a crown of gold and jewels but a crown of thorns.  His strategy was not to “divide and conquer”; it was to “suffer and die!”

3.) Jesus is our spiritual king! 
           Jesus is not our political king nor our military conqueror, but he is the savior of our souls.  The triumphal entry marks the last week of Jesus’ life before he would be betrayed, brutalized, and led to the cross to die. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he was about to be coronated with a crown of thorns!

            What kind of king would do this? What kind of king would willingly sacrifice his own life? Only the King of Kings would do this because he loves us so much.  King Jesus came to deliver sinners from God’s judgment and wrath. This is the only way our salvation could be won.  

            This is why King Jesus didn’t ride into Jerusalem on a war horse, but instead chose a lowly donkey.  His kingdom is a kingdom of perfect peace where there is no more war or death or crying. 

            Listen to the words of this ancient poem which was translated by the Scottish Presbyterian John Brownlie. It is titled, “Behold, the Lord to Zion Rides”:

Behold, the Lord to Zion rides,
And crowds hosannas sing;
They spread their garments in the way,
And hail Him as a king.

O Zion, blind with earthly pride,
Why couldst thou not behold
The Christ of God, whom sage and seer
From age to age foretold?

A king indeed, but not to reign
By power of earthly might;
The glory of whose royal state
Is hid from carnal sight.

Whose subjects are the souls of men
From thrall of darkness won;
Whose kingdom knows no bounds, within
The dawn and setting sun.

Behold thy king to Zion rides
Where He the cross shall bear;
And on that throne with blood bedecked,
His robe of purple wear;

Where slaves to sin His love shall view,
And from their bondage rise
To noble fealty, by the power
Of loving sacrifice.

            The good news of the gospel is that we don’t have to wait until the end times to live in Christ’s kingdom.  It has already begun, and we can be a part of it right now.  If you have not yet declared your allegiance to the king of kings, I plead with you to do it today!  Don’t fall into the trap that so many others have fallen into.  Don’t reduce Jesus to a political puppet or a military messiah! He is our only hope for everlasting life. If you don’t know him, put your faith in him and coronate him as your king today! 

            I suspect that most of you enjoy celebrating holidays! And for good reason, holidays usually entail a host delightful activities: decadent decorations, a couple of days off work, a family gathering, a festive feast of flavorful foods, a lavish level of leftovers, and some kind of customary commemorative celebration. What isn’t there to like about holidays?

            Now I still cherish holidays today, but I especially treasured them when I was a kid. My siblings and I always enjoyed making homemade decorations weeks ahead of time. I would feel invigorated by the appetizing aromas wafting from our mother’s kitchen. And I would be overwhelmed with excitement at the anticipation of my uncles, aunts, and cousins coming to celebrate with us! What is your favorite holiday?

            Of all of the holidays my family celebrated, Passover was always my favorite. I suppose that is not a great surprise coming from someone who grew up in a large Jewish family like mine. Passover is the most important holiday of the whole in the Hebrew calendar. It is the day set aside to remember the Exodus when God used Moses to deliver our people from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. A few days before the Passover, my mother and sister would begin cleaning the whole house and my father and I would always select an unblemished one-year old lamb from our herd to be slaughtered for the main portion of our Passover meal.

            Then, on the day of Passover, our whole family would gather for the feast and we would eat the lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The bread was unleavened to remind us about how our ancestors had to flee Egypt in hast and the bitter herbs were dipped in salt water to remind us of the torment and tears our people endured in slavery. My father would sit at the head of the table, raise a cup of wine, and begin to retell the Exodus story by asking, “Why is this night different from all other nights.” As my father told the story, us kids would dress up and act it out. It was usually a pretty big production for a small town family. Then after dinner, we would all walk to the temple to worship God together. O how I loved those Passover holidays!

One Particular Passover Preparation (1-3)

            Today I would like to tell you the story of my most memorable Passover ever. I was only about 10 years old, but I remember the it distinctly. The Passover feast was to be celebrated on a Thursday that year and the preparations were to begin on the previous Sunday morning. After we finished breakfast, my father told me to walk out the pasture and begin looking for an unblemished yearling lamb that we could slaughter for the Passover feast; he would come and find me after he finished some other chores in the barn. I loved the smell of the spring grass as I meandered into the meadow, and began grazing among the lambs.

            We lived in the little village of Bethphage at the foot of the Mount of Olives. We were primarily date farmers, but we also raised some sheep, lambs, and other livestock. We also had a couple of donkeys that we used to pull the carts during the date harvest.

            As I searched for the perfect lamb, I noticed two men approaching our donkeys which happened to be tied to a tree on the far side of the pasture. I thought the men were trying to steal them so I ran toward them and yelled for my father. But as I approached them, I realized that they were not trying to steal them at all; they had rather perplexed looks on their faces. In somewhat sheepish voices, they said, “Shalom, young man…this probably isn’t going to make any sense to you, but our Master sent us here to acquire a donkey for his entry into Jerusalem.”

            As they explained this, I was relieved to see my father coming over the knoll. He calmly asked them who their Master was and they replied, “Jesus, the Lord.” When my father heard the name Jesus, he asked no more questions and immediately untied our old jenny and her young colt, who we had named Samson. He handed them the reigns and said, “May these beasts of burden be used for the Lord’s service.”

            Even though we had never seen Jesus, we, along with many other people, believed that he was the promised Messiah. We had heard about all of his miraculous signs that he performed in Galilee and just a few weeks earlier, in our neighboring village of Bethany, he raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. Who but the Messiah could do these things?

            As the men walked away, my father told me to go back to the house and tell my mother and siblings that we are going to Jerusalem.

A Prophetic Parade (4-11)

            My mother gathered my siblings and we headed west along the Jericho road. When we came around the big bend, we saw a huge caravan of people walking toward Jerusalem. By the time we caught up with them, we had already passed through Bethany and were just outside the walls of the Holy City. The people inside the city must have heard that Jesus was coming because hundreds, maybe even thousands of people came out of the city gate to meet him. And just as Moses had parted the Red Sea, the crowd separated into two sides and formed a perfect walkway for a parade.

            When we joined the crowd, we saw the disciples take off their cloaks and place them on our donkeys. Other people laid their cloaks on the ground cut palm branches and began to wave them with patriotic fervor and everyone started shouting and singing, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest heaven.” For those of you who may not speak Hebrew, the word “hosanna” is an expression of praise that means “save now.” By shouting this, the crowd was proclaiming Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah who was going to liberate our people from Roman oppression and restore the kingdom of David.

            Amidst all of the pleas for a display of political power and military might, I was shocked to see Jesus gently mount the young colt and ride him through the parade. If this was supposed to be a royal procession where Jesus took up his rightful position as King of Israel, it was all wrong. He should have been riding a great war-horse, a strong white stallion, which would have symbolized his true power and authority. A colt of a donkey, especially one that had never been ridden before, made Jesus look clumsy, meek, and gentle! Our beast of burden was in no way worthy of a king’s coronation.

            My father must have seen the bewilderment on my face. He smiled with wisdom and softly whispered in my ear, “Son, long ago the prophet Zechariah foretold, ‘Say to Daughter Zion, See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” And as we entered the city, the whole place stirred and people kept asking, “Who is this?” Other’s shouted back, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!”

            As I contemplated everything I saw and heard, I remember thinking, “Just what kind of Messiah is this Jesus?” I had always thought that the Messiah would reclaim the throne of David, amass a mighty army, overthrow the Romans, and take back our land, but as I watched Jesus ride on the gentle donkey and heard the shouts of hosanna and pondered Zechariah’s prophecy, I began to realize that Jesus was not the kind of Messiah that I thought he would be. But if he didn’t come to liberate us from political, military, social, or economic oppression, what was his plan?

The Tantrum in the Temple (12-17)

            Well, what happened next gave me more of a clue. Jesus paraded through the crowd of people and proceeded through the city gate until he reached the temple courts. When he saw how the merchants set up shop in the temple and how they were taking advantage of the tourists who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, his face flushed red with righteous rage and he ripped through the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and tipped the benches of those selling birds for sacrifices. He shouted, “My house will be called a house of prayer, you have turned it into a den of robbers!” He spoke with such authority that the merchants ran off and left their things behind.

            After everything calmed down, a multitude of disabled people came up to Jesus and asked to be healed. One by one, the blind and the lame walked away healed. It was an incredible sight to behold. When I saw this, I knew that all of the other stories that I had heard about his miracles were true.

            To celebrate all of the wonderful things Jesus did, a group of children formed a circle around Jesus and began singing, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” I instantly wanted to go with them, and when I looked at my father, he motioned for me to take my younger siblings and join the choir. As I looked at Jesus and the adults around us, their faces were filled with joy and delight. That is, everyone except the chief priests and teachers of the law who came to investigate the commotion—their faces were fraught with fury and indignation. One of them interrupted our song by asking Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus simply smiled and responded, “Have you not read the Psalm: From the lips of children and infants, you, Lord, have called forth your praise.”

            Everyone began to laugh at the irony of Jesus asking the teachers of the law if they had read the Holy Scriptures. Of course they had, but they completely missed their point. By this, Jesus was saying that he was the Lord! With that, we all burst into song again but Jesus and his disciples slipped off back toward the village of Bethany. And when we arrived home later that night, we found both of our donkeys tied to the same tree where that morning.

Epilogue

            Throughout that whole Passover week, I had a lot on my mind. I had wanted to meet Jesus for a long time, but after everything I had experienced that day, almost all of my expectations about him had been shattered. At first, amid all of the shouts of hosanna, the laying of the cloaks, and the waving of palm branches, I was so disappointed to see him ride my little colt. What should have been a triumphal entry seemed more like a tragic entry into Jerusalem. I realized that he was not the political organizer or military warlord that I was hoping for. But when I watched him chase the money changers from the temple courts and stand up to the chief priests and teachers of the law, I recognized that he was not some puny pushover either.

            It was all so confusing at first, but when I started to put the clues together, it began to make sense. The missing pieces were found in the prophecies! Yes, that was it. Why did Jesus ride on a donkey? Why did he charge the money changers with turning his house of prayer into a den of robbers? Why did he tell the chief priests that the Lord called forth praise from the lips of children? Because all of these fulfilled prophecies pointed to the fact that Jesus was not only the Messiah and the Son of David, but he was also the Son of God. And that explained why he could perform all of the miraculous signs.

            Jesus was exactly the kind of Messiah and king that God always wanted him to be. He wasn’t going to conform to mine or anyone else’s expectations of who or what he should be. He didn’t come to the earth to fulfill some political or military mission; he came to fulfill the spiritual mission that his Father gave him. And he proved that a few days later by going to the cross to suffer and die to pay the penalty for our sins. Can you imagine that—the Son of God would willingly be crucified for sinners like you and me?

            I guess that is why I wanted to share my story with you today. All of this happened many years ago and I am much older now, but unfortunately, so many people still misunderstand who Jesus is and why he came to earth. Jesus is both meek and mighty! He is filled with holiness and humility! He is ferocious and forgiving! He is indignant toward the arrogant but kindhearted to the humble.

            Jesus is not a good moral teacher! He is not a wise religious guru. He is not some kind of political advocate or social activist. He is the prophet from the Podunk town of Nazareth in Galilee, but make no mistake: he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

            He did not come to set up a physical kingdom on earth! He did not come to promote a political position or to establish some social structure or to push some economic program! He did not come to conform to our expectations of who we think he should be! He came to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross! He came to make a way for us to enter his eternal kingdom in heaven! Indeed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

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In 1993 FBI agents conducted a raid of Southwood psychiatric hospital in San Diego, which was under investigation for medical insurance fraud. After hours of reviewing medical records, the agents had worked up an appetite. The agent in charge of the investigation called a nearby pizza parlor to order a quick dinner for his colleagues.

Agent: Hello. I would like to order 19 large pizzas and 67 cans of soda.

Pizza Man: And where would you like them delivered?

Agent: We’re over at the psychiatric hospital.

Pizza Man: The psychiatric hospital?

Agent: That’s right. I’m an FBI agent.

Pizza Man: You’re an FBI agent?

Agent: That’s correct. Just about everybody here is.

Pizza Man: And you’re at the psychiatric hospital?

Agent: That’s correct. And make sure you don’t go through the front doors. We have them locked. You will have to go around to the back to the service entrance to deliver the pizzas.

Pizza Man: And you say you’re all FBI agents?

Agent: That’s right. How soon can you have them here?

Pizza Man: And everyone at the psychiatric hospital is an FBI agent?

Agent: That’s right. We’ve been here all day and we’re starving.

Pizza Man: How are you going to pay for all of this?

Agent: I have my checkbook right here.

Pizza Man: And you’re all FBI agents?

Agent: That’s right. Everyone here is an FBI agent. Can you remember to bring the pizzas and sodas to the service entrance in the rear? We have the front doors locked.

Pizza Man: I don’t think so.

** Click **

If we would have been the pizza man, I think we would have been a little skeptical about the validity of that pizza order too. Doubt and skepticism are the subjects of today’s text.

Doubt Turns Into Belief (24-28)
Remember, it is still Easter evening. Jesus had risen from the dead early that morning and appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden. Peter and John had seen the empty tomb and had told the other disciples. Later that evening Jesus appeared to them and gave them the Holy Spirit.

Now when Jesus appeared to the disciples, we know it was the Ten and not the Twelve. Judas had already betrayed Jesus and had committed suicide and now verse 24 tells us that Thomas was not with them either. The text doesn’t tell us why Thomas was not with the other disciples, but it may be as simple as Thomas was of the personality that liked to be alone while he mourned. When grieving, some people are comforted by the presence of others, while some prefer to be alone.

Since Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus had appeared to them, the other disciples told him everything that had happened. But as you can imagine, if someone told you that a friend of yours who had died rose from the dead a walked through a wall and spoke to them, you might be just a little skeptical as well.

Thomas responded to the disciples’ testimony with pessimistic skepticism. Even though he witnessed the raising of Lazarus, he could not conceive of the possibility of Jesus raising himself from the dead. Perhaps he thought the other disciples had given in to wishful thinking or had overactive imaginations.

Thomas declares his conditions for belief. He not only must see the resurrected Jesus and the scars from the nails, but he demands the tangible evidence of putting his fingers in the nail marks and his hand in the spear mark in Jesus’ side.

One week later on the following Sunday Jesus once again appeared to his disciples in the house behind locked doors. Again his resurrection body allowed him to pass right through the walls of the house. This miraculous appearance would have evoked fear from the disciples, especially from Thomas because he had not witnessed this before as the other disciples had. The greeting was intended to calm their fear.

Jesus’ rebuke shows that he hears his disciples even when he is not physically present. This rebuke blew Thomas’ doubt away. Since he saw Jesus with his eyes and heard him with his ears, he had no more need to touch him with his hands. Jesus’ rebuke redefined Thomas’ categories for belief. Jesus offered to have Thomas touch him, but it was no longer necessary. Sight itself proved sufficient.

Jesus’ words “stop doubting and believe” are even meant for future disciples who might doubt Jesus’ resurrection. This phrase serves as a rebuke to the modern world which has dismissed the resurrection.

There are many doubting Thomas’s’ in our world today who are skeptical about Christ’s resurrection. I would bet that there are even a few in the congregation this morning who have serious doubts about Christ being raised from the dead. They say, “I’ve never seen Jesus Christ, so how do I know if he really exists.” Or “I have never seen a resurrection, so how do I really know whether or not it can happen.” If you are a doubting Thomas, I challenge you with the same words Jesus used, “Stop doubting and believe!”

Even thought their may be a few who are struggling with skepticism about the existence or resurrection of Christ, I bet there are a lot more who like Thomas put conditions on our faith. Thomas said that he would not believe unless he put his finger in the nail whole in Jesus’ hand. Have you ever done that? Have you ever put a condition on your faith? Have you ever said, “I won’t believe unless you do this or that for me?”

This is utter foolishness! Sometimes Jesus doesn’t meet our conditions for faith. Then what? Would we really risk our souls for some silly deal we try to work out with God? I hope not! Jesus demands unconditional faith!

Carl Rogers, the U.S. psychologist, was 22 years old when he entered Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1924. While there, he participated in a seminar organized to explore religious doubts. Rogers later said of the group, “The majority of members…in thinking their way through questions they had raised, thought themselves right out of religious work. I was one.”

Faith without Sight (29)
Jesus’ mild rebuke to Thomas is intended to show the limitation of a faith in Jesus based on seeing him risen and to signal the transition from such faith to believing in the apostles’ testimony. Even Thomas should have believed his fellow disciples’ testimony rather than demanding further proof. Hence, Jesus’ blessing really pertains to John’s readers. Such a believing response to Jesus, in turn, is the pathway to eternal life, which transcends living merely in terms of physical presence and earthly relationships.

In Thomas’ case Jesus did give him tangible evidence of the resurrection, but he certainly doesn’t promise this to everyone. Here Jesus pronounces a blessing on all who put their faith in him even though they have never seen him. Why does Jesus emphasize faith over sight? Because he is a spiritual king who reigns over a spiritual kingdom! It cannot be seen with the eye or touched with the hand.

Harriet, the church gossip and self-appointed supervisor of the church’s morals, kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. Several residents were unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked all afternoon in front of the town’s only bar. She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there would know that he was an alcoholic.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and then just walked away. He said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Harriet’s house and left it there all night.

Sometimes sight is not the best sense to use in order to determine what is real and what is not. Our eyes cannot always determine truth. Something may look real and not be, like George and Harriet; but something else may not be seen at all but be very real, like the air you breathe. And it requires faith to turn doubts into action.

Let us keep believing, even though we don’t see!

Faith Produces Eternal Life (30-31)
Now John puts his whole gospel in perspective. The flow of thought is: Thos who have not seen the risen Christ and yet have believed are blessed; therefore this book has been composed, to the end that you may believe. John tells his readers that there were many more signs of Jesus he could have recorded, but these are sufficient to produce adequate faith.

The goal of this gospel is to produce saving faith. Saving faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that produces eternal life. John is trying to evangelize his readers.

Now John is speaking directly to us. He knows that Jesus is the only one who can give us eternal life. The whole reason he wrote this gospel was that every generation who reads it would be persuaded that Jesus Christ is God and that we would have salvation through him.

As you have read this gospel and have heard it preached, have you become convinced that Jesus really is God? Are you convinced that he really is the Messiah? Are you convinced that he really died on the cross and rose on the third day for the forgiveness of our sins? Are you really convinced that he is the only way to have spiritual salvation and eternal life in heaven? Has John accomplished his purpose in your heart? I hope so!

John uses this story about Thomas to spur his readers on to faith in Jesus Christ. John knew that many of his readers would be skeptical about the resurrection of Jesus Christ because they did not personally witness it. Thomas’ transformation from skepticism to genuine faith becomes a model for transformation in every age. John climaxes the scene with Jesus’ blessing on those who have not seen him but have believed.

John records all of this to convince his readers that Jesus really is God and that eternal life comes through him. Let us follow in Thomas’ footsteps and stop doubting and start believing!

The British writer J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy Lord of the Rings has regained popular since Peter Jackson put it into movie form. The third film of the trilogy, The Return of the King, won more Oscars than any other film released in 2004. The story chronicles a young hobbit’s journey to from the Shire to Mordor to destroy the evil ring of power and save all of middle earth. Along the way Frodo is joined by three other hobbits, a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, and two warriors.

One of the primary sub-plots of the third movie is Aragorn’s struggle to fulfill his destiny as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron and regain the throne of Gondor. By the end of the film Aragorn lead his followers to victory and paved the way for good to triumph over evil. Frodo destroyed the ring and Aragorn was restored to his rightful place as king; thus the title The Return of the King.

Since Tolkien was a Christian many believers has pointed out countless parallels in The Lord of the Rings and the Bible. There is even a professor at the seminary that I attend who teaches a class called J.R.R. Tolkien’s Apocalyptic Imagery. Whether it is my inherent skepticism or my lack of literary sense, I fail to see many of these parallel themes, but I do find the theme of Aragorn’s return to kingship strikingly similar to Jesus’ triumphal entry.

Through the narrative plot we learn exactly what of king Aragorn would become. Today’s text reveals what kind of king Jesus would be. Jesus comes out of private hiding and into the public scene through his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks last week of his life, and through it, we learn exactly what kind of king Jesus is. Let’s listen to the story!

Jerusalem was swarming with people! The city’s population swelled to over ten times its normal size as people came from all around to celebrate the Passover, Israel’s most prominent holiday. People bumped into each other on the narrow streets and as they tried to make their way through the busy marketplace as each family frantically made preparations. Local merchants tried to rip off the foreigners. Mothers and daughters hovered around fires preparing food while husbands and sons chose a lamb to sacrifice at the temple. Speaking of lambs, some estimate that there may have been 100,000 more lambs than usual in the city. All of this to celebrate Passover as they remembered how God delivered their ancestors from slavery!

Jerusalem during the week of the Passover festival was like an American mall the week of Christmas; too many people in one place making preparations for the holiday. People were everywhere! Jerusalem was crazy during Passover!

This is the scene Jesus enters as he and his disciples left the village of Bethany and arrived in Jerusalem. Just a day earlier in the village of Bethany Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, and now Jesus enters his beloved city for the last time before he would die.

The word of Jesus’ arrival must have traveled quickly. By the time he entered the outskirts of the city, thousands of people had gathered to welcome him. No doubt, most of the people who had gathered had heard about Jesus and his miracles. Those who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus in Bethany continued to spread the word throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Their witness contributed to the increase in Jesus’ popularity and prompted a huge crowd of people to go out and greet Jesus. They believed that he was the Messiah who had come to liberate Israel from Roman oppression. The people were excited; they thought that the days of suffering were over and that their nation was about to enter a golden age.

To show their belief that Jesus was the Messiah, they pulled palm branches off date trees and waved them as Jesus he entered the city. Palm branches had originally served as a symbol for righteousness, but they had become a popular symbol for Jewish nationalism. The Jews waved palm branches to show their patriotism the same way Americans fly red, white, and blue flags and put yellow ribbons on their cars. They expected Jesus to be a great political leader and military conqueror, and they were looking forward to the day he would lead a great revolt.

As the crowd proudly waved their palms, they shouted “Hosanna, Hosanna!” at the top of their lungs. This was a great Hebrew term that mean “save now.” The crowd was clamoring for Jesus to save them from Roman oppression right now. Then they quoted Psalm 118 by saying “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel.” This was a messianic phrase that insinuated that Jesus was from the line of David. Their king had returned! They expected Jesus to conquer the same way David did.

But little did they know how sorely they would be disappointed. Jesus was indeed the king of Israel; in fact, he was the king of kings, but he was not the kind of king they were expecting. Jesus makes this clear in his choice of animal for his coronation. He did not choose a war horse to excite the patriotism of the crowd, but he ironically chose a donkey. In Jewish culture donkeys were symbols of peace and gentleness. Jesus chose to present himself as a king of peace and humility rather than pride and power.

Jesus’ riding a donkey was a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy given hundreds of years earlier. In Zechariah 9:9 the Messiah is characterized as a leader of peace and gentleness. Even his disciples did not fully understand the significance of his riding a donkey instead of a war horse until after Jesus had been glorified.

When the Pharisees saw what was happening, they expressed their exacerbation with the hyperbolic remark “the whole world has gone after him.” It seemed as if their attempts to squelch Jesus’ ministry were backfiring; for in spite of their efforts, his popularity continued to grow.

Jesus’ triumphal entry was the climax of his public ministry. It was the pinnacle of his earthly popularity. But it was one of the most misunderstood events of his life. The crowd assumed that Jesus and his movement would serve their cause, but Jesus’ failure to satisfy their visions (religious, political, or social) leads to a cry for crucifixion a week later. They sang “Hosanna, Hosanna!” when they thought that Jesus was going to give them what they wanted, but the shouted “Crucify! Crucify!” when he broke their expectations.

It is so sad, but people treat Jesus the same way today! It is easy to get excited about Jesus when we think he is going to give us what we want, but it is just as easy to turn our backs on him when he disappoints us. We love to pray to Jesus when we or a loved one is sick, but if Jesus doesn’t heal, we don’t want to pray anymore. We are quick to serve Jesus when we think he supports our pet agendas, but we want nothing to do with him when we find out that his plans are different from our plans.

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus doesn’t meet all of our expectations! But Jesus isn’t the problem; it’s us! Has Jesus ever broken any of your expectations? Has he ever disappointed you? How did you respond?

Jesus’ actions at the triumphal entry show what kind of king he is and isn’t! The triumphal entry shows us Jesus’ kingship is not a political or military, but it is spiritual. Jesus is no one’s political advocate or military conqueror; he is a humble savior who gives us salvation for our souls. Let’s look at these metaphors for Jesus’ kingship more closely.

1.) Jesus is not a political king!
Just as Jesus did not serve the crowd’s political interests at the triumphal entry, he does not serve our political interests today. The crowd was convinced that Jesus would be a Messiah who would grant them political freedom from Rome, but Jesus was not interested political advocacy.

Many people today are just like this crowd of old. They try to make Jesus their political advocate and serve their political interests. I saw this clearly in this past election. I heard one politician proclaim from a podium, “If Jesus Christ was here today, he would be a democrat.” Republicans and Democrats alike try to use Jesus to promote their particular political point of view. Activists always want Jesus on their side of the agenda, but Jesus will not go.

When it comes to Jesus and politics we need to be careful. It is fine for us to have strong political views, but we should not identify Jesus with any political party. We don’t want to end up like the country pastor I heard about.

Years ago in a relatively small Green Mountain community, a few Democrats decided to make the highly irregular move of holding a Democratic meeting, and issued an invitation to the public. The town minister was a staunch Republican, but he had a Democrat in his congregation and decided to attend as an observer to find out what was going on. There being no other clergymen present he was asked if he would open the meeting with prayer.

He said that he was sorry, but he would have to decline. “To be frank,” he explained, “I’d rather the good Lord didn’t know I was here.”

Next time you flaunt Jesus as a Republican or a Democrat – think again – don’t cheapen the King of Kings that way. He didn’t come to choose sides, he came to die for the sins of Republicans, Democrats, Socialist, and Communists alike. He knows how to make the kingdoms of this world come into line with his Kingdom. Our privilege is simply to love him, and from that will flow our obedience for his desires, which will finally result in his Kingdom coming into our hearts and into the world. Jesus is not a political king, he is a spiritual king who died for us on the cross!

2.) Jesus is not our military king!
Jesus is not our political king, and neither is he our military king. I can still hear the crowd shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna, Save now, Save now!” They wanted Jesus to rally the troops, sharpen his sword, mount a war horse, and charge into Rome, but Jesus was not interested in the crowd’s push for military action. The imagery in Zechariah’s prophecy is framed as a conscious alternative to militaristic rule. True, the Jesus’ kingdom has military and political implications, for it must reflect the righteous and just character of the God who is king over all, but Jesus presents himself as a king of peace and gentleness.

3.) Jesus is our spiritual king!
Jesus is not our political advocate nor our military conqueror, but he is our spiritual savior. The triumphal entry marks the last week of Jesus’ life before he would be betrayed, brutalized, and led to the cross to die.

Jesus is not our military conqueror, but he is a king who did go to battle. It was not a battle of swords, spears, or chariots. It was not a war of tanks, ships, or missiles, but it was a spiritual war. The enemy was not Rome, Germany, or Iraq, but it was sin. It was not a war that could be won by power or might, but it was a war that could only be won through humility. Jesus didn’t carry a warriors sword, but he carried a criminals cross. He did not wear a crown of gold and jewels but a crown of thorns. His strategy was not to “divide and conquer”; it was to “suffer and die!”

Why did he do this? What kind of king would do this? Only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords would do this because he loves us so much. He came to earth to free sinners from God’s impending judgment and wrath. This is the only way our salvation could be won. He was the perfect sacrifice that has atoned for all of our sins past, present, and future.

This is why through faith in Jesus Christ we can have victory over sin and death. He is the only way to escape hell and live a satisfying life here on earth. This is why Jesus didn’t ride into Jerusalem on a war horse, but instead chose a lowly donkey. His kingdom is a kingdom of perfect peace where there is no more war or death or crying. His kingdom is eternal. It will live on for eternity. What a kingdom it will be? What a king we will serve?

The good news of the gospel is that we don’t have to wait until the end times to live in Christ’s kingdom. It has already begun and we can be a part of it right now. If you have not yet declared your allegiance to the king of kings, I plead with you to do it today. Don’t fall into the trap that so many others have fallen into. Don’t reduce Jesus to a political puppet or a military mirage. Know that he is our spiritual savior. He is our only hope at everlasting life and true peace. If you don’t know him, put your faith in him and accept him as your spiritual king today!