Effective leaders understand the big-picture perspective of their mission, so that they can prevent their followers from being overwhelmed by discouraging setbacks or temporary road blocks, but, instead, stay motivated to pursue their mission. To be the best spiritual leaders we can, this episode’s goal is to help us form a crystal clear picture of what it means to lead our families to pursue Jesus’ top priority: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt 6:33).
This morning, most of us participated, though remotely, in a Palm Sunday worship service, celebrating Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event more earth-shattering for the history of the world than even the coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps you’ve seen children in kitchens or family rooms online waving something that Mom tried to make look like a palm branch, saying “Hosana, Hosanna.” I always look forward to Palm Sunday because I love to see the children waving the palm branches in worship. Yet, there is so much more to Palm Sunday. Understanding what happened on the day of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem helps us better understand the very mission assigned to us by Christ.
At the beginning of his final week, Jesus deliberately instructed his disciples to borrow a donkey colt for him to ride in order to fulfill Zachariah’s Messianic prophecy, which was widely known, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The crowd had added the powerful miracles they’d seen Jesus perform to his decision to deliberately fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, and concluded that he was the promised king from David’s descent, the long-awaited Messiah who had finally come to overthrow Rome and establish his kingdom. They expected a military/political kingdom. Yet, in the details of the triumphal entry, were clues about the true nature of his kingdom—clues that can help us know what it means to seek first Christ’s kingdom.
The Triumphal Entry: Luke 19:35-44
They brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! PEACE IN HEAVEN and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, IF THESE WERE SILENT, THE VERY STONES WOULD CRY OUT.”
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, HAD KNOWN ON THIS DAY THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR PEACE! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
To fully understand this text, we need some background. In the NT, the gospel writers are clear that the gospel is not just, “accept Jesus into your heart.” It is “good news about the coming of the kingdom of God.” Mark tells us that Jesus opened his public ministry with the words, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (1:15). Matthew writes, Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction (9:35). Luke records, Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God (8:1).
Despite the widespread notion that the kingship of the Messiah would be in the form of a political/military state, the messianic prophecies had always contained clues that the oppressors of God’s people to be overthrown were more deadly than earthly rulers. Their real oppressors were the triumvirate that had usurped Adam’s kingdom and enslaved his race—Satan, sin and death. For example, in the Isaiah 9 prophecy, the Messiah would rule a kingdom of peace, righteousness, and justice, (requiring Satan and sin to be vanquished), and rule an everlasting kingdom (requiring death to be vanquished).
The OT prophets consistently made it clear that Israel’s subjugation to foreign tyrants like Assyria and Babylon was not because they lacked MILITARY might but because they lacked the MORAL might to overcome sin. Such servitude to foreign powers was God’s judgement upon them for their sin. In fact, the generation of Jesus’ day had heard their own prophet, John the Baptist, proclaiming the same message. Matthew tells us, In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand….” Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins (vs 1-6).
The prophesied Messiah would free Israel from its bondage. But that bondage always was slavery to Satan, sin, and death. Let’s examine the clues in the triumphal entry that point to the true tyrants Jesus came to overthrow and consider what the implications are for our everyday lives.
Overthrowing Satan’s Kingdom
First, note the phrase, PEACE IN HEAVEN. (Luke 19:38) “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! PEACE IN HEAVEN and glory in the highest.”
Heaven is often used in Scripture to describe the place surrounding God’s throne where there is no sin. But it is also used to describe the place where the battle between the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Righteousness takes place. For example, we read in Revelation 12:7-8. Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back.
The expression, peace in heaven, proclaimed by the crowds on Palm Sunday, is only found one other place in the NT. That text, Colossians 1:20, also talks about Christ making peace in heaven. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in HEAVEN, MAKING PEACE by the blood of his cross. Only Messiah Jesus can bring about peace in heaven, because only he can vanquish the Evil One and his angels. The Apostle, John, tells us that overthrowing Satan was central to Jesus’ mission: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8b). Paul’s version of the same truth is stated in Col 2:15. He (Christ) disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them at the cross (Col 2:15).
What is the point? The Palm Sunday story reveals that Jesus’ mission is to destroy Satan’s work. As followers of Christ, we need to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to fight Satan?” Spiritual warfare is not just for church leaders and Charismatic Christians; it is fundamental to our calling as Christ-following men. Church leaders need to equip and expect their men to be fighting spiritually for their families, their communities, and the overall advance of Christ’s kingdom. What might that look like, practically?
The great Ephesians 6:10-20 passage on spiritual warfare can be summarized: BE STRONG IN THE LORD in two ways:
1. (vs 11-17) Defensively, we are to stand against Satan’s assault by putting on our armor. (We will look at this spiritual armor later in the month.)
2. (vs 18-19) Offensively, we are to fight through prayer for righteousness to prevail, in the hearts of our loved ones, and over the planet.
I personally believe that Christ’s kingdom of righteousness prevails during this period of church history (Satan has been disarmed but not destroyed) by intercessory PRAYER. In Psalm 2:7, The Anointed One is established as King and then, God the Father says to God the Son, “ASK OF ME, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” As we join Jesus in intercession—ASKING—Christ’s kingdom of righteousness prevails. Here are some practical ideas for fighting spiritually in prayer for those you care for
- Pray for them to resist specific temptations they might face. Pray then like this...lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (Matt 6: 9, 13).
- Pray for them to be spiritually strengthened. May he grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Eph 3:16).
- Pray that deep in their inner being they would know Christ loves them. And I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves, may be able to grasp how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ—and to know for yourselves that love so far beyond our comprehension. (Eph 3:18-19).
- Ask for specific spiritual fruit to be produced in them. “Lord, empower Jim with self-control today.” “Lord, please produce the fruit of joy in Sally’s heart today.” If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples (John 15:7-8).
- Pray for believers to have the winsome boldness to share their faith if the opportunity arises. Paul wrote, Pray….also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel (Eph 6:19). For reasons known only to God, in this stage of redemptive history, the primary means for accessing the power of Christ to defeat the powers of darkness is intercessory prayer. That is one of the ways we are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness—to fight in prayer against the powers of evil.
Overthrowing Sin
Back in the Palm Sunday story, we’re told, not only that the Messiah will bring peace in heaven but that he will bring real peace on earth. The only true peace that can be achieved in the human race is through the eradication of sin. Scripture tells us, The works of the flesh are ….enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy (Gal 5:20-21). Jesus weeps for the citizens of Jerusalem, because they did not understand this truth. Back in Luke 19:42 we read, “Would that you, even you, HAD KNOWN ON THIS DAY THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR PEACE!"
Harmony always comes from aligning life with God’s design for life, given in his moral law. When Israel rebelled against the moral law, breaking the covenant, God brought foreign military powers like the Assyrians and Chaldeans to conquer them as an object lesson. Peace, i.e. harmony in human relationships, is the fruit of Jesus overthrowing sin, ascending to heaven, and sending the Holy Spirit to indwell his people, rooting out the works of the flesh and producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. That is the formula for peace! But such fruit is only produced by abiding in Christ. Jesus said to his followers, Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (John 15:4-5).
Christ-followers’ mission is to battle sin—never because we think it earns God’s favor; in grace, he has already lavished his love upon is. We fight sin out of loyalty to our leader. Followers make the cause of their leader their own. And, Jesus’ cause was to overthrow sin. We can only do that by abiding in Christ. This Greek word, MENO, contains two concepts: 1) to dwell in, to stay connected to 2) to remain connected over time, to continue to be joined together (like the branch connects to the vine). Here are some thoughts about keeping your relationship with Christ vital:
- Remember, you can never out-sin God’s wide-open arms of affection for you
- As David did in the Psalms, lean on the Lord to process all your emotions
- Build the habit of thankfulness. (One of the roots of sin is ungratefulness, which means thankfulness is a hallmark of spiritual health
- Remember, extra stress (like that caused by COVID 19) often steals time from your most important relationships. Intentionally refuse to let that happen. Christ is the source of the spiritual fruit that your family needs from you.
Overthrowing Death and Physical Decay
Back in the story of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus makes a statement that I believe is a reference to the third tyrant he had come to overthrow: death, i.e. the decay of the physical earth. When the crowds started to chant, “Glory to God in the Highest,” some Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Jesus answered, “I tell you, IF THESE WERE SILENT, THE VERY STONES WOULD CRY OUT.” Think of this statement in light of what Paul later explained:
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (Rom 8:19-22).
The spectacular mirror of God’s Glory—his creation--which he designed for us to discover and enjoy, became subject to decay and death because of Adam’s sin. Adam’s rebellion brought God’s just curse upon creation. As Adam rebelled against his king, God, so God makes the kingdom that Adam was to rule—creation—rebel against its king, Adam.
Praise God, that Jesus took that curse on himself at the cross. His bodily resurrection is the proof that Christ has redeemed his physical creation from that curse and is restoring it to glory. As we will see next week, the resurrection does not just mean that we have a certain hope that death is not final. The resurrection of Jesus physical body proves that God has begun to fix everything that is broken in creation. Just as our king, Jesus, wants us to join him in overthrowing Satan and sin, he wants us to join him in overthrowing the decay and brokenness of the creation caused by sin. Next week we will consider the reality that the resurrection not only gives us the certain hope of a day to come when the earth cannot have COVID 19, we will also examine how God’s commitment to the restoration of life on planet earth shapes the way we understand our mission from him.
For Further Prayerful Thought:
1. Look back to the suggestions for prayer. Are there any you might like to put into practice?
2. Look back to thoughts about abiding in Christ. What else have you learned about staying connected to Christ over the long haul? What do you need to do to make sure you keep abiding in Christ during the stress of the corona virus pandemic?
