Palm Sunday
TEXT: Luke 19:28-40
Message: “The Humble King”
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“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” — Psalm 25:9
What is “humility?”
In his book “Humilitas” Ancient Historian John Dickson says: “…In ancient Rome, humility was a negative word associated with defeat. Humility before the gods and emperors was advised, but humility towards an equal was regarded as ill-informed. One of the prized virtues was “love of honor.” Academic research found that a humility revolution took place in the middle of the first century. Not only because of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus’ crucifixion changed the way people understood greatness and humility. Then cross of Christ was contrary to the understanding of greatness in the ancient world.”
- John Dickson says, “Humility is the noble choice to forgo your status, deploy your resources or use your influence for the good of others before yourself.”
- C. S. Lewis said, “Christian humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
TEXT: Luke 19:28-40
“…(this is) a deliberate act of symbolic self disclosure for those with eyes to see… secrecy was being lifted.” — D.A. Carson
Let’s break down Jesus’ humility in three ways. It’s…(1. Clear 2. Counterintuitive 3. Courageous)
1. Clear (v. 30-31)
“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” — John 6:38
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” ― C.S. Lewis
2. Counterintuitive (v. 35-36)
“And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.”
“In the midst of this excited crowd, an unbroken animal remains calm under the hands of the Messiah who controls nature.” — D.A. Carson
“Humility is crucial for Christians. We can only receive Christ through meekness and humility (Matt. 5:3, 5; 18:3-4). Jesus humbled himself and was exalted by God (Phil. 2:8-9); therefore joy and power through humility is the very dynamic of the Christian life (Luke 14:11; 18:14; 1 Pet. 5:5).” — Timothy Keller
3. Courageous (v. 39-40)
“And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Jesus rode into the city, not only courageously facing down the religious leaders of the day; but ultimately facing down sin and death.
“(Jesus) came to Jerusalem to die, and desired that all Jerusalem should know it…when the time came that he should die, he made a public entry in Jerusalem. He drew the attention of rulers, and priests, and elders, and scribes, and Greeks, and Romans to himself. He knew that the most wonderful event that ever happened in this world was about to take place. The eternal Son of God was about to suffer in the stead of sinful men-the great sacrifice for sin about to be offered up. He therefore ordered it so that his death was eminently a public death.” — J.C. Ryle
Takeaways: How do we see God pursing us?
1. Embrace the humble King
2. Rethink the narrative
3. Remember that human celebrity is fleeting
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8