| Reading from "Harmony of Four Gospels"
- Johnson M Cheney, p.149, Sect 117
Listen to the cry of the people of the Lord on that first Palm Sunday,
when most of the crowds spread their garments upon the ground and others
cut down branches from the palm trees, and spread them on the road, and
when "the crowds that went before the Lord and those that followed after
him shouted:"
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be the One who comes in
the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
The significance of this event is emphasized by the fact that all four
Gospels included it in their inspired-by-the Holy-Spirit telling of the
essential Gospel. It occurs in Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 9 and John
12 and it is harmonized into one account which I have read to you from
Johnson Cheney's Harmony of the four Gospels.
I. THINK ABOUT THE HISTORICAL EVENT
1. It is sometimes lost in reading these passages that the
action was a deliberate re-enactment of the coronation of King Solomon,
recorded in I Kings 7: 33ff. It was in the midst of a palace revolt
when David was a very old man and nearing the end of his life. And
David, in order to foil the intention of the conspirators, had Solomon
made the next King-in-waiting by public acclamation -- the way in which
a King was "crowned" (as we in modern times and the people in Medieval
times would have said).
2. In support of this understanding of the passage, the reaction of
the religious enemies of Jesus in Matthew 21: 16, shows it to be true --
even if we moderns, who do not know the customs of ancient Israel, fail
to see it. The hostile observers understood and were said to be "indignant,"
and according to v.16: they said to (Jesus): "Do you hear what these are
saying? It was not that they were saying "He's a jolly good fellow,"
or "Hurrah! Hurrah!" but they were acclaiming him the "Messiah, the King
of Israel," who is in our age recognized as the Great King over God's people,
for as long as time shall last!
These passages have a great deal to teach us latter-day-disciples about
the role of the Lord Jesus Christ in God's economy, in our own individual
lives -- and in our practice and understanding of Christianity. Let
us learn, or re-learn a lesson on this subject, today! Remember,
that we are not just general theists or Holy Spiritists, but Christians,
who hold to a theology that magnifies Jesus Christ, as the incarnation
of the Second Person of the Triune Godhead!
II. NOW THIS KINGSHIP WAS REALLY A DIFFERENT KIND OF KINGSHIP; THAN
THEY WERE USED TO AND, PERHAPS, EXPECTED, BUT IT WAS AN INFINITELY BETTER
KINGSHIP!
1. It was, and is, a spiritual kingship, though we who are
pre-millianarians believe that it will have a quasi-political significance
in the Millennium, when there will be an earthly rule of Christ over all
the nations, probably administered by the resurrected and glorified saints,
as we will likely be in that time.
2. But this kingdom for us, now, is essentially a submission to his
Lordship, even as we who are Christians, have submitted ourselves to his
Saviorhood -- whether or not all of us fully realize the full significance
and outcome of that Kingship/Lordship. He is King! Right now
in the lives of all who have accepted him as Savior! And this is
part of the Gospel!
Is it true in your life, my friend, that Jesus Christ is not only Savior,
but is Lord? If you profess to be a Christian, trusting in his salvation
by his giving of himself as an atonement for your sins, do you also recognize
him as your Lord, your King, who rules over your life and faith, through
the Holy Spirit who has been given to you, to represent him? Is it
true? This is not asking if you have become perfect but is there
a level of serious responsibility and obedience in your life, and a sense
of obligation to the divine King, who comes in the name of the Triune God
over all creation and over all reality? Is there? There certainly
should be! This is a part of a correct understanding of New Testament
religion!
III. NOW, JUST WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN PRACTICAL TERMS?
1. It is not just a matter of grand, dramatic, Palm Sunday
pageants, put on in magnificent temples of worship -- which are more reminiscent
of pagan temples, than of the humble churches founded by the Apostles of
the Lord.
2. I find it interesting that the Apostles usually changed the word
from "kingship" to "Lordship," probably to avoid the antipathy that both
Romans and Greeks had toward the idea of "kingship," which both peoples
thought to be tyranny. There were a lot of "dirty" words in Rome,
and "Rex" (King) was certainly one of them, as was "baseleus," which was
"king," in the Greek language. But the Lord Jesus -- "King Jesus,"
if you please -- is not only not tyrannical, but a blessing that will not
end in this life, but will go on and on and on into eternity, years and
centuries and millennia without end.
3. Several things are included in that kingship, that lordship:
a. One of them is his representation of the Divine Trinity.
His "Kingship" means his pre-eminence in the Godhead. Though, in
eternity -- beyond time, God the Father will be pre-eminent, in the present
age, God the Son is the pre-eminent member of the Godhead. I have
spoken about this recently and won't repeat myself. Suffice it to
say, we are not just theists or spiritists, but we are well-called by that
name of "Christian," a name by which the disciples of the Lord were first
called in Antioch, according to Acts 11: 26.
Our dear Lord Jesus Christ is the image of the blessed Triune God, existing
in incarnate form, through whom we understand and approach the Father and
the Spirit. We glorify the whole Trinity when we glorify the Son,
the Second Person, who is our Savior and Divine Sovereign.
These ancient people, on that first Palm Sunday, waved their palm branches
and cried out "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David!"
And we do the same in hymnody and in prayers of praise and thanksgiving!
He is our King! He is our Lord! He is our divine Sovereign!
And, in a sense, we imitate his lifestyle -- not that we go about dressed
in imitation first century clothes made out of old bathrobes and p.j.'s
-- but we represent him as if we are emissaries of his Kingship in such
things as his love for all who will receive it, his concern for others,
his effect upon secular history- where, in a large part of the world, even
the calendar testifies to him! This headship over our lives calls
us to imitate his life upon the earth, representing our King!
Do I live my life; do you live your life, that way, being careful to
present a positive image to our generation? Sometimes, we are tempted
to think that God might be embarrassed at the actions of his professed
followers (except that God couldn't be embarassed, because of his very
natue). But let us not be in that category, even theoretically!
He was the perfect demonstration of what is called "common grace" because
the whole world benefited -- even in the secular-culture aspects of society
-- through his coming: Look at North America, the British Isles and much
of Europe and see how the coming of Christ has benefited humanity in general.
These parts of the world, in their best constituents and their best years,
multitudes clearly saw Jesus as their King and they intended to follow
their king in the way that they lived their lives, involved in society
in such a manner that was not hidden away in monasteries and hermitages,
but, as subjects of Jesus, involved with the general society, living for
him, as their dear Lord -- their King. And this will be true in your life
also, so far as Jesus is king of your life.
And as we look back over history, we see that the individual and corporate
efforts of Christ's subjects have had a significant salutary effect upon
society in the realms of government, living standards, civic integrity,
and even the advance of real civilization. These have been a secondary
response to his kingship.
But his Kingship/Lordship also calls us to obedience, regarding specific
commands, whether they are recorded in the four Gospels, as quotations
from the Lord's teaching during "the days of his flesh," or were delivered
by the Apostles, who were appointed to be his personal successors, and
who had authority to speak in his behalf -- or even in the moral commandments
of the Old Testament, which was under his kingship, unbeknownst to most
of the people of that time.
Our obedience to the King is evidence as to whether he is, indeed, our
king and our Savior. Of course we continually fall short, because
we are not yet made perfect in holiness and will not be, until we go to
be with him. (Thank God that there is forgiveness for the sins and
inadequate obedience of Christians, and not just a one-time forgiveness,
after which there would be no more forgiveness.)
We continually follow the Lord's instruction in his sample prayer, in
which he instructed us to have the functional equivalent in our prayers
of "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." And the most
godly saint has reason to pray in this vein -- not chanting the model-prayer-outline,
thoughtlessly, but praying as he meant us to do, using it as an outline
of specific things to pray for -- not just ripping off the phrase "forgive
us our debts," like nuns chanting the rosary, but specifying our sins,
repenting of them and confessing them and rejoicing in his atonement which
covers them.
If we were perfect, it would be assumed that we would always obey our Savior
and King. But we are not perfect and test his grace repeatedly.
And he demonstrates great grace toward us whom he loves; "great grace"
that is unfathomable. But even in that grace, that amazing grace,
we are called to obey our divine sovereign!
As a professing Christian, do you have some kind of a record of obedience?
Do you take this obligation of a "subject" to be submissive to his Sovereign?
And do you take the Sovereign's requirements seriously? It is general
evidence of the reality of his saviourhood to you: for to those to whom
he is Savior, he intends to be Lord! Thankfully, there is grace in
this, as there is in our initial justification. Let us, again, on
this Palm Sunday, 2008, confess him as our "Savior" and as our Lord --
our "King," asking him to send the Holy Spirit in all of his fullness,
to encourage and strengthen us in our obedience and love for him.
And let us joyfully celebrate his sovereignty over our lives and over his
church!
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he, who comes
in the name of the Triune God! Hosanna in the highest!"
Let this be the cry of our souls this morning, as it was the cry of the
lips and voices of his disciples on that first Palm Sunday 1,980 years
ago, at about this same time of the year! |
