We’ve been asking these questions throughout Lent.  What kind of king is this Jesus?  Who then is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him? What does it mean to follow him?  It’s kingdom time as Jesus approaches and enters Jerusalem today.   What kind of kingdom is this kingdom of God?  

It’s fitting that we haven’t gone for too much celebration in our service today.  We’re moving in our worship service from praise and adulation to quiet, silence, and introspection.  It’s fitting, I think.  Palm Sunday is a story that we come back to year after year, and I want us to pay particular attention to the way Mark tells it.  It’s relatively low-key.  No mention of palms in Mark (or Matthew or Luke for that matter – we get that detail from John). No uproar in the city, no turmoil.  Nothing to attract the attention of Pharisees.  No talk of “The whole world has gone after him.”  No talk of Jesus as Son of David or king here on the part of the crowd.  Silence from Jesus to end the scene as he goes to the Temple. 

I would like us to sit with the silence of Jesus as much as we can this day and this week.  “Who then is this?”  It’s the question we’ve been asking.  Who then are we, as His followers?  We have this picture of Jesus astride a young donkey, and we will borrow that detail from the other Gospel writers.  He’s not speaking.  His feet barely clear the ground.  This is not a Roman ruler coming in triumphant.  Wearing a red cape, riding a white warhorse.

Look, your king is coming!  What kind of king is this?

A king who is not about political or military triumph.  These are not his way.  We last saw Jesus at home in Galilee.  In Nazareth.  The second section of Mark details the journey to Jerusalem.  It begins with a question from Jesus.  “Who do people say that I am?”  Who do people say that he is?  This happens in a place called Caesarea Philippi.  A town named for a Roman emperor and a client king.  This is what power is all about after all.  The town is filled with buildings dedicated to the gods of this world, because we like to build things dedicated to our gods.  A town in what is called today the Golan Heights, close to the Syrian border.  Jesus and his followers are far enough away from where they’ve been operating for a measure of objectivity to come into play, and an objective question is asked.

“Who do people say that I am?”  They answer him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”  This makes sense.  Prophets tell forth.  Prophets tell you what’s going on.  We remember those opening scenes where Jesus was on the move, and his message was “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe the good news.”  God’s plan is in motion, the kingdom of God is within our reach, turn and believe, trust, and rest in him. Jesus is not here to simply ask objective questions.  We’re not here to simply speculate or have a philosophical/hypothetical discussion.  Caesarea Philippi might be far enough away to view things objectively, but if one looks south, one can see the lake.  One can see down the Jordan River valley, which looks toward Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is where this story was always going.  Looking south, we see images of John the Baptist and Jesus in the Jordan River.  We see the heavens being torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove.  We see Jesus walking along beside the lake, stopping by two sets of brothers and saying, “Follow me.”  We see people being made whole.  We see people asking, “Who does he think he is?” and rejecting him.  We see people being forgiven and made new.  We see him in a boat telling the wind and the waves, “Peace.  Be still.”

We want peace.  We want to take this man seriously.  We want to be people who are receiving him well as he asks the question. “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter steps up, “You are the Messiah.”  You are the chosen one.  You are the anointed one. You are the Christ.  Jesus says, “Don’t tell anyone” because it wasn’t quite time yet.  The time is here now, though.  Your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey.

Who then is this?  What kind of king is this?  We hear the shout “Hosanna!”  It means “Save us now!”  What kind of kingdom is this?  It’s not about us.  It’s not about me and my will and my glory and my recognition.  James and John, whom we remember from that day on the shore of Galilee, came forward and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  Again, Jesus asks a question.  “What is it you want me to do for you?”  They want the best seats in the house.  That’s what it’s all about after all.  “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left, in your glory.”  “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus tells them.  Calling all the disciples together, he tells them what kind of kingdom the kingdom of God is – “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.   But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

1. Deliverance.  Peace.  Peace with God.  Right relationship with God.  Right relations among God’s creation will come about through suffering and self-giving love and mercy.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” comes the cry from Bartimaeus.  He’s blind and sitting at the side of the way, as Jesus and his followers make their way up out of Jericho.  It’s a city 800 feet below sea level.  Jesus and his followers and a large crowd are going up to Jerusalem.    “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Bartimaeus cries out.  People tell him to keep quiet.  How unseemly to let our need be known.  Bartimaeus cried ever more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus says, “What do you want me to do for you?” Same question he asked of James and John.  A good answer from Bartimaeus, and may it be our prayer.  “My teacher, let me see again.”  “Go, your faith has made you well,” Jesus tells him.  Your faith has saved you, literally.  Your trust has saved you.  Whatever Bartimaeus does or does not understand at this point, he understands that he has been met by the mercy of God.  Transformed.  Given new life. Given eyes to see. Immediately, Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

Kingdom time is here as they approach Jerusalem.  There will be no more need to keep quiet.  Even now, though, the scene is cloaked in ambiguity.  Mark is keeping it subtle.  This entry is hardly what you would call triumphant, and I think we do well to consider that in our silence today and this week.  There is a kind of lowly grandeur in Jesus here as elements of “kingliness” are mixed with elements of humility.  There is a quiet dignity about Jesus.  He doesn’t try to dampen the praise of the crowd, but neither does he bask in it or encourage it.  There is a quiet authority to Jesus as he makes his way down the road of the King of kings, which goes through suffering and through death.  This is all part of God’s plan.  The things that will happen in Jerusalem are not simply being done to Jesus.  They are all part of God’s plan.  They are all part of Jesus’ way.  Three times between Caesarea Philippi and Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed he will rise again.” (9:31)  The plan is in motion.  They are at Bethpage and Bethany, and Jesus sends two disciples into the village (because we’re not meant to do this walk alone).  “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.  If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back immediately.” (9:2-4)  Was this divine knowledge or had Jesus made arrangements?  We don’t know.  Who does Jesus mean by Lord?  Himself?  God? The colt’s owner?  We don’t know.  We know that we, Jesus, in carrying out a divine plan, calling for a colt that had never been ridden (denoting a sacred purpose, God’s purpose) and invoking the name Lord.

Jesus is not going to be speaking, but his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt speaks for him.  This was not done.  Even Alexander the Great was persuaded to enter Jerusalem on foot.  Let the King come into town, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

They fashion a saddle out of cloaks for Jesus to sit on.  Many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the field.  This is not something you would do for just anyone.  It is how you would greet a king.  When you reach the top of the Mount of Olives, you get your first sight of Jerusalem.  It’s cause for shouting, for singing, for celebration.  They sing a pilgrim song from a Psalm that recalls the saving power of God in bringing God’s people out of Egypt.  It is Passover time.  It is Kingdom time.

People: Hosanna!

Leader: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

People: Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!

Leader: Hosanna in the highest heaven!     

From Psalm 118:25-26 – “Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!  O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.” This was a song for travelling people – pilgrim people.  We are a pilgrim, people.  This is our pilgrim song.  This is our King.  To count yourself as a follower of Christ means that this is your story, this is your song.  Hosanna!  Save Lord, we pray!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!  Hosanna in the highest heaven! Those who went with him, those ahead of him and those who followed him were shouting. So we offer up praise this day with singing and maybe even shouting.

Then let us be silent.  The crowd that went with Jesus seems to have dispersed.  They’re not mentioned again here in the scene anyway.  Jesus is still not speaking.  “He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” (11:11).

Jesus is not speaking, but he’s inspecting.  He looks around at everything in the Temple.  The place of God’s presence at the time.  Someone has said, “… Jesus is Lord of the Temple, who must inspect its premises to determine whether the purpose intended by God is being fulfilled.”  For the follower of Christ, you are the temple.  As Paul put it, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?”  Self-giving, sacrificing love of God.  The presence of God with us.  May we take the time to stand before this silent Jesus this week, as we wait.  Lent is a time of waiting and preparation to celebrate our crucified and risen King.  This week is a special one in that time of waiting.  May we come before God in silence, asking that we may be people who are fulfilling the purpose which God intends.  Let us sit now in silence and hear God’s word.

Read: Genesis 49:10-11aOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Isaiah 29:18-19Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Psalm 118:25-26Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Mark 1:14bOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Mark 1:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Mark 2:5bOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Mark 4:40Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)

Mark 8:29Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)