Posted on 03/23/2024 6:41:12 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson
“Reserved for a King” (Mark 11:1-10)
Our story today starts out with “a colt tied.” As our text says, “You will find a colt tied.” But no, I’m not talking about finding Peyton Manning tied with Brett Favre at 186 regular-season wins. This is not about an Indianapolis Colt. This is about a different colt, in a different town, tied in a different way.
The colt I’m talking about is the one that Jesus uses to ride into Jerusalem on. Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead to get it: “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.” Which they do: “And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.” Notice, this is a colt “on which no one has ever sat.” That is significant. This is a young colt, on which no one has ridden yet. It’s like it has been reserved just for this purpose, a sacred purpose, to carry the king of Israel--indeed, the King of kings and the Lord of lords--to carry the Messiah into his holy city. And so our theme this morning: “Reserved for a King.”
Our text is the Palm Sunday Processional Gospel from Mark 11, which you heard at the start of this service. And today, on this first day of Holy Week, we join with the crowds welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. We join their joyous cry: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Truly, this is a welcome fit for a king.
But that’s not the only thing in this story fit for a king. There’s something else, too, and it seems a little surprising. What I’m talking about is that colt! What is striking in our text is that, out of the ten verses, the first seven have to do with the colt! Why so much attention on it? Well, the donkey’s colt on which Jesus rides--this too is something fit for a king, for this king, at least. It’s like when the disciples go to get the colt, it’s as though it should have a sign by it that says, “Reserved for a King.”
Now I’ll explain why. Jesus and the disciples are heading to Jerusalem, to celebrate the upcoming Passover. But before they get there, Jesus sends a couple of his disciples ahead to the next village, where they will find a particular colt, tied up, right as they get into town. You see, Jesus is picking out his special ride for when he gets to Jerusalem and enters the city. He has a purpose for doing this. This donkey that carries Jesus into town will signal to the people that their Messiah has arrived. And the people welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem recognize this royal ride. They shout aloud: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
But what is it about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt that would lead them to think that this is the Messiah? Well, in the Old Testament, when King David was about to hand over the throne to his son Solomon, he directed that Solomon ride on his own--that is, David’s--mule. That was a sign that Solomon, the son of David, was the designated successor as king. Now here comes Jesus, the ultimate Son of David, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, a sign that he is the one to bring in the everlasting kingdom of blessing that had been promised to one of David’s sons.
On top of that, there was the messianic prophecy from the Book of Zechariah, which you heard: “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.” Again, Jesus riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, is a signal that the promise of the coming Messiah now is being fulfilled. This is a ride reserved for a king.
Friends, this king riding into town is your king too! He is righteous and has salvation, and he gives his righteousness and salvation to you, freely. Yet at great cost--at the cost of his own holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death, which win your salvation. For this king will, strangely, this same week, take up his throne on a cross and wear a crown of thorns. There on the cross the King of the Jews will suffer and die for you, taking your sins upon himself, suffering the judgment that you and I deserve. Christ’s holy blood covers our sins and the sins of the whole world, seeing as he is the one and only Son of God in the flesh. Nothing could be more valuable than that.
So, this colt is carrying valuable cargo into town! Amazon Prime has got nothing on this foal of a donkey! This is a ride fit for a king. But a unique king with a unique mission. Jesus rides a humble beast of burden, befitting this king who will bear the burden of our sins.
Reserved for a king. That Jesus would ride in on a colt “on which no one has ever sat”--well, that’s appropriate for this one-of-a-kind king. But that’s nothing new for Jesus. After all, there was a special vessel set aside for Jesus to enter this world at Christmas, and that was the womb of the virgin Mary. And then when Jesus dies, there is a special tomb set aside for his use, the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Except, Jesus is only going to use that tomb for a couple of days. He’s not going to stay there long. Jesus rises from the dead on Easter morning.
And now, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus shares his resurrection life with you. You are baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection, assuring your forgiveness and everlasting life. You are a new person in Christ. He has purchased and won you with his precious blood, so that now you belong to him. To what end? That you “may be his own and live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”
In other words, you--yes, you--have been set aside for a sacred purpose! You, dear Christians, are his holy people! You have been reserved for this king! In a way, you and I are like that donkey’s colt. It is a high honor to carry Christ with you. We bear his name. Our lives display Christ to the world. We belong to King Jesus. What could be better than that?
Of course, you and I are pretty humble donkeys to ride. But Jesus can still use us to display his glory and his grace. Jesus is quite able to use lowly means. Like here in church today. Jesus uses an imperfect pastor to deliver his message to you. Jesus uses humble means, bread and wine, as the vehicles to bless you with his life-giving body and blood. Humble means, yet priceless treasures. That’s how King Jesus rolls--and rules!
And as Jesus comes into our midst today--and every Sunday morning--we welcome our king as he comes to us in Word and Sacrament. We praise him and worship him, singing those same words that the crowds in Jerusalem shouted: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Ping.
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