The triumphal entry, the week before the triumphal exit.

The triumphal exit means we can have new life.

But it could not have happened without the triumphal entry which was prophesied centuries before.

And we read that prophecy in this scripture as well as we read in other accounts of the triumphal entry, other scriptures that prophesied.

And we read in Luke where Jesus prophesies and telling the future about what was going to take place in Jerusalem.

Some people would like to play down the idea that people can actually know the future, that God can give people a vision of the future or a message about the future and and it is their job as prophets to forth tell this message about the future.

But I’m convinced that one did not have to be, in any way shape or form, influenced by God to come to the conclusion that Rome was going to destroy Jerusalem in the near future.

Because the Israelites were in rebellion against Rome and they wanted their own kingdom, They wanted their own king.

They saw their situation with Rome as a punishment because of disobedience.

They did not want to be seen as those who were disobedient to God.

Their forefathers had been disobedient to God and God brought Assyria into conquer, the northern 10 tribes.

He brought in Babylon to conquer the southern two tribes.

They were released.

They rebuilt Jerusalem centuries earlier.

And now they were waiting for God to do something about this problem with Rome.

After a short 150 years of freedom between the Greek rulers and the Roman rulers, they found joy, they found peace, they thought they were right with God, they knew this is what was supposed to happen, and now they’re under Rome’s yoke, Rome’s burden, paying taxes, and being influenced by pagans who challenged their young people to think in different ways and to dissuade the authority of God in their life.

So they wanted change and they expected the Messiah to be the one who would change things.

And although they misunderstood a good deal of the message and it’s understandable that they misunderstood, they misunderstood a good deal of the message, they also understood this message, your king will come to you, humble and on a donkey, a young donkey that had never been ridden before.

And that means he’s going to come in peace.

We look at modern warfare, and there’s modern warfare taking place today in the world, and we sort of look at different signals.

So before the Ukraine was attacked by Russia, what they did know is that tanks Another heavy artillery was being brought from Russia to the Ukraine.

It meant that war was coming, and sadly, war has been there for over a year.

In the ancient Middle East and throughout all of ancient history, if a king came riding to your city on a large horse with implements of war attached to himself and the horse.

It meant trouble.

It meant bloodshed.

Or it meant a very quick surrender on the part of your authorities.

And that rarely took place.

Occasionally it took place, but rarely did it take place.

Jesus, the King of Kings, The Messiah they misunderstood, but the Messiah that they were awaiting came to them on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy and saying to them, “I’m not bringing punishment, but I’m coming to be with you.

” Luke tells us as he’s partially down the mountain, and there’s a beautiful chapel built where Some people suggest this took place.

We don’t know exactly where it took place.

But it’s still a great place to worship and to remember this event as Jesus is coming and Jesus knows what is ahead for him that week.

Instead of being only concerned about his experience, of punishment, of death, and of taking on the sins of the world, he was concerned about Jerusalem.

These leaders of Jerusalem that will soon pronounce him convicted of sins and worthy of death.

He is concerned about them.

He is concerned about his disciples.

He’s concerned about the masses that with some understanding and with a good deal of ignorance are so excited because he’s coming in, but those expectations are based on false expectations.

They’re based on false rumors, misunderstandings, and he weeps.

Should have been a time of great joy for him.

All that he had endured and finally masses of people are excited because he’s coming into Jerusalem.

Knowing that they were ignorant of many things, it still should have been a great time for but that’s not always the way things work.

Because he understood the other prophecies, that he would have to die.

But worse than that, they would not understand.

They were not listening.

They were not trying to understand.

They weren’t willing to rethink and learn new things and establish new expectations for themselves.

They were not willing to hear that Jesus was going to do for them things that they could not believe far, far greater than becoming a king, wearing a crown, waging battle against Rome, far greater than that.

Jesus was going to conquer sin.

I’ll say it again.

Jesus was about to conquer sin and death.

An eternity would be offered to us in heaven.

So he wept for their ignorance.

He wept for their false expectations.

He wept and that he knew.

He knew in 40 years, Rome would destroy Jerusalem.

And it was said of the events, blood ran through the streets.

You can see a memorial to this victory.

Here in Rome, there’s an arch of victory in the forum towards the Coliseum.

And you can see carved on the interior of the arch men carrying the candelabra that was in the temple.

Totally destroyed.

Totally destroyed.

I wonder how many of the Jewish slaves that were brought back were involved in creating that arch.

We know many were involved in creating the Colosseum.

Jesus made that prediction.

He came to them in humility.

He came to them meek and mild.

As we are studying wisdom, we see one of the greatest examples of wisdom those aspects of meekness, mildness, humility, and servitude, and Jesus’ triumphal entry.

For he could have ridden in on a horse in honor and glory.

Instead, he came on a donkey and still received honor and glory.

as we hopefully seek wisdom, as we hopefully realize that Jesus died so we could become more like him and enjoy this wisdom, and God wants to give us this wisdom.

We looked at humility last week, and now we’re looking at meekness, being teachable, power under control is another way of describing it.

We see the power under control, the one who created the universe, the one who could wipe out the earth anytime he wanted to, under control on a donkey.

Some cultures are very, very concerned about what they ride in.

What does your car look like.

How new is it.

Are there extras that might impress people.

You know, I was just excited to have a bus pass, but some people get really excited about the car that they own, the image that they project.

Meekness says image doesn’t matter.

Meekness says God accomplishing what He wants to accomplish and me being given the tremendous opportunity to be a part of that.

In gratitude, we look to God and do what He asks us to do.

I would like to point out that the disciples were showing some meekness.

It wasn’t always true of their character, but they were showing some meekness.

When Jesus said, “Go to this man, pick up the donkey and the foal and bring them here.

” I’m sure I’ve got a nap I would like to take and I’ve got some business over here on another street.

I’ll get to it when I can Jesus.

I’ll get to it when it’s convenient.

Why don’t you have you know Peter and John do that.

I’m not interested so much right now.

It’s not gonna make me feel the way I want to feel so I’m not gonna go embarrass myself by asking somebody for this donkey and having to explain well the master wants it that that can be so uncomfortable.

You’re looking at me like, “What am I talking about.

I’m talking about us.

” I hope and pray we can look at what Jesus did 2,000 years ago, a week before he was brought up from the dead and see that in his life and at this point in the disciples lives also is a meekness and an humility that would benefit us.

The Lord’s Supper.

I love this one even more.

Jesus didn’t say, “I want you to go to this house and I want you to say we’re going to to prepare to celebrate the Passover meal here.

How did it start out.

The disciples came to Jesus saying, “Where do you want us to do this, sir.

” And we read about it and we go, “What a wonderful story, and aren’t they great.

” And wasn’t that so fantastic that because they were willing to be obedient to Jesus and these things took place, We can now have eternal life.

What’s for lunch.

What are you gonna do to entertain me now.

Oh, but last week it was kind of challenging and I think I said something I shouldn’t have said and I’m kind of embarrassed.

So maybe I’ll just watch on my screen today.

We see it in Jesus, amen.

We see it in Jesus, amen.

We see it in the disciples, both in what we’re celebrating in the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus, where can I serve you.

I know what you want.

How can I do this.

Where do you want me to go.

So we can have the Passover meal.

Jesus, you want a donkey.

It makes no sense to me.

Yeah, I’ll remember to tell them if they say, “Hey, that’s mine.

” I’ll remember that because it’s whatever you say.

Can you say that with me.

Whatever you say, say it with me.

Whatever you say.

Okay, remember you said that.

It’s not a trick.

I’m just messing with you a little bit.

They knew of the prophecy.

They expected things that the prophecy did not prophesy But they were not willing to listen to the rest of the story and I think we find ourselves there far too often Adam and Eve eating the wrong fruit.

They weren’t willing to listen the Tower of Babel.

They weren’t willing to listen Noah’s generation they were not willing to listen rebellious sons of Jacob.

Well, they wanted to kill Ended up selling their brother Joseph.

They weren’t listening nation complained in Egypt’s when Moses came and said we’re leaving and then they had to make their own Make you know and get their own straw to make the bricks oh They complained and as they’re traveling across the they’re finally they’re friendly rid of Egypt and slavery and all they did was complain across the across the desert When they got to the opportunity the great opportunity of moving in and they see this tremendous food that that the spies have brought back And they said well, I don’t think so because they weren’t willing to listen They were not willing to listen They demanded a king And then complained when the king acted like a king and God said I don’t want you to have a king I want a cake.

I don’t want you to have it.

I want a cake.

We weren’t willing to listen.

They refused to worship in the temple far too often and far too often when they did worship in the temple They were worshiping the wrong thing.

Jonah refused to serve with a smile.

He served only because he had to.

Wasn’t listening.

idolatry.

Many didn’t return when they were given the opportunity.

They did not understand God’s plan for the law because they were not listening.

They did not recognize God when he came to them.

And they would die in the punishment that God had approved for them.

God had done all he needed to do that they wouldn’t listen.

I have a listening problem.

It has nothing to do with my age.

It has nothing to do with the information bouncing off those grey cells, the few that I have.

It has nothing to do with that noise bouncing, the noise is bouncing off the grey cells.

I just don’t pay attention sometimes.

And I know none of you have that problem.

So when God encourages us to emphasize studying the word, to worship with his body, to be committed to this body, to serve in some way, we sometimes don’t listen.

And it may not be Rome coming and crashing in through the walls, but it very well be, It very well will be that we will suffer.

We will not receive the blessing God has for us if we’re not willing to listen.

Henry Newn said that the word obedience comes from the Latin, I’m sorry about the pronunciation, abadire, which means to hear.

By contrast, the Latin word for deaf is absurdus, from which we get our word absurd.

To truly hear Christ is to obey him.

Not to hear and to obey is the way of absurdity in living.

Now you can say, Dave just said we’re absurd.

No, I read Henry knew it.

Okay, you can take it up with him.

You can take it up with him.

We need to listen.

We need to listen and obey.

It’s extremely important.

The late President Franklin D.

Roosevelt became tired of all the just ceremony.

And I hope and pray that this was not just ceremony, but we can make everything into a ceremony.

And he went to a lot of ceremonies where he would greet people and there would be this line and they would shake many hands and they would come to him and he would say things and he knew that people were not paying any attention to what he said.

Everybody was just nodding their head.

It’s kind of like when we walk past somebody, how are you doing.

Everybody says okay.

You know, there are times when I want to say, oh man, I’m terrible.

My spiritual life’s a wreck.

Everybody in my family’s sick.

I’ve got a problem in my back and I think I’ve got cancer.

And see if anybody’s actually listening.

Now none of those are true, I don’t think, But I want to do that.

Well, he did it.

So he’s at this very formal affair.

People are walking past.

He’s shaking hands.

And he decided that he would tell, say this to each and every person, I killed my grandmother this morning.

And everybody nodded their head and said, oh, yeah, it’s so wonderful.

Yeah, it’s so good to meet you.

Well, that’s nice.

And one diplomat who was going through heard what he had to say and his response was, “She probably deserved it.

” At least he was listening.

At least he was listening.

Listening.

The disciples were listening when Jesus said, “Go grab a donkey.

Tell him I need it.

” The disciples were listening when And they came to him and said, “Where do we prepare the Passover.

” I hope and pray that we will all set as a goal to listen to God, to listen to other people of course, because I think he speaks through other people, but to listen to God.

And it’s not listening if it’s not obeying.

It’s not listening if it’s not obeying.

Because God has some great things.

I’m not really that worried about my legacy for the rest of the universe.

But I think if I wanted the disciples, when we all get to heaven, we can all meet them.

And I want to know who it was that went and got the donkey.

I do.

We’ve been reading about these guys forever and they stand out as obedient because they listen and I want to know which one said where do we go to prepare the Passover because they were already listening before Jesus said anything.

They knew.

They wanted what Jesus wanted.

And there are millions of people around the world for take of the Lord’s Supper as we call it as a result of their obedience.

And hopefully we are all listening and remembering.

Jesus died for us.

As we are proclaiming, we need to listen and hear Jesus died for us.

Amen.