The Triumphal Entry | Mark 11:1-11 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

How do you know if somebody is filled with the Holy Spirit? How do you know if a church is a church that is filled with the Holy Spirit? Well, I can tell you one thing for certain, they make much of Christ. Because he was sent to glorify, to glorify him. And that is what we have come to do in the word of God today, to glorify the son of God.

And so I invite you to join me on that quest in Mark chapter 11, beginning in verse one together. And as you're turning there, allow me to make a few remarks. There are very few events that are shared in all four gospel accounts concerning the life and the ministry of Jesus Christ. The major ones include what you and I have studied a few months ago, and that is the miracle of multiplication of bread and fish and the feeding, particularly, of the 5,000. That is something that you will see in Matthew.

That That is something you'll see in Mark, Luke. That's something you'll see also in John. And then there are the obvious events, the events of Christ's passion, his betrayal, his arrest, his trial, his death, his burial, his resurrection. All gospel accounts have records of Christ's final mission on earth. We also have in all gospel accounts the denial of Peter.

Every single writer sought to capture that. And what we have before us in this text today, this particular occurrence is no small event. It is paramount. It is significant. And it is significant for many reasons.

And, evidently, it was significant enough for all these four witnesses to give us a detailed report of what took place at this juncture of the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is commonly known as the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. And as you would expect, each of these gospel writers have their unique inputs and they have their unique insights. And when we compare each of them, they just provide an even more full picture of what took place in that parade. But I want us to read this, and I want you to read it with excitement because you were just told again that this is shared between all four writers, and we have reason to believe that there's something that the Lord wants to say to us in it.

And so let's begin in verse one and conclude in verse 11 before we see what God has to say to us. 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 as you enter, 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 him 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 fall 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.

And 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 12. Lord, bless the proclamation of your word. Bless the hearts who will receive it. We are eager to hear from you.

Be glorified in this moment. In Jesus' name. Amen. This is a very familiar story. We tend to hear it once a year, at least.

But we don't have to wait for that time of the year to explore what the scriptures have to say, and we should believe that there are practical insights and charges and comforts in this text, though it deals with a particular unrepeated moment in history. When we look at this text, I'm not sure if you caught on to it, but there are three particular groups that are mentioned on the scene, many actors on the stage. And we can easily group these different actors into three, three different categories, three different identities. The first one is a group that you are very familiar with, the Disciples. We've been following them throughout this journey in Mark.

The second group is unique. The group I'm speaking of are the owners of this cult that Jesus requested. And lastly, another group of people that we are familiar with pertaining to the ministry of Christ is the crowd. The crowd. And this is how we're going to approach this text together.

I want us to look at each of these groups because they are mentioned clearly to us, and we should prayerfully expect that the Lord has something to teach us about them and through them with the specific highlights that he has provided from them. And so it's a very simple approach today. Let's begin by looking at the first group that is mentioned, the disciples. We have learned so much from the disciples. We've learned so much about the disciples.

We have learned so much through the disciples. And sometimes what we've learned from them are repeated truths to our benefit. And sometimes when we come across them, we come across fresh principles that we can apply to ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ in 2024. And what we can draw from the first few verses of Mark chapter 11 is a simple observation, but but one that should comfort our hearts if we pay attention closely. We read here that when Jesus was approaching the city in verse one, he sent two of his disciples.

He had how many? You know, 12. But at this time, in this specific task, he recruits two out of the 12, and he sends them out to perform this specific mission. And again, this may be a simple thought, but it's worth chewing on. Here's the thing that we can take from this.

All of the apostles, all of the disciples were called to serve God, but with this specific illustration, we are reminded that not all of God's disciples serve God in the same way. God has designed and God has determined specific missions and ministries for each of us. And that's what we see here with just a glimpse. 12 were chosen, 12 were called, 12 were to be trained and used for the glory of God. And at this time, not all 12, but two out of the 12, we do something in helping prepare for prophecy to be fulfilled.

And I hope that comforts you because it's a reminder of the activity of the lordship of Jesus Christ over his disciples then, and it has not changed concerning how he manages the gifts and the callings of his disciples at this time. Some will be sent, some will remain. Some will serve. Others will speak. Some will be made more known.

Others, for their whole lives, will be made hidden. All for the glory of Jesus Christ. And your response in mine is very simple in understanding how the CEO of the church operates. You receive what he has given you. You obey it faithfully.

Rejoice in the callings that he has pro provided, and also rejoice in how he works through fellow disciples of Jesus Christ. But the scene of obedience and the lordship of Jesus Christ is even more profound when we consider what John says about the very same disciples at this time. So look at John 12, a parallel account, and look at the commentary that John gives concerning his fellow apostles to be. In John twelve sixteen, we read, after describing the triumphal entry from his spirit led perspective, his disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remember that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

No surprise. How many sayings, how many teachings, how many events did the disciples miss the significance of? And it is no different here in the final week of Jesus' time on earth. John tells us that the disciples did not understand these things at first. They couldn't comprehend it.

They didn't interpret it correctly. They viewed it through the personalized lens of what the Messiah should be and what he would do. And so they missed it. And so although they are operating here in obedience to the commands of Christ, they are still plagued by ignorance. And so yes, let's beat up on the disciples again.

No. No. No. No. No.

You're supposed to be comforted by this truth when you connected with what we just read in Mark chapter 11. In what way? Here's the value. Here are these disciples who were blinded even at this moment, partially seeing, and yet still the Lord Jesus was willing to use them to fulfill prophecy. Isn't that wonderful?

So you have these guys who have not yet been able to surrender their skewed perspective. You have these guys who are slow to learn from the best teacher, preacher, expositor in the world. You have these guys who again would be the ones laying the foundation of the church, and they have in many times attitudes of the flesh flare up way more than you would expect for guys of such caliber. And with all of that, Jesus Christ doesn't disqualify them. He still invites them and sends them.

He still utilizes them. You say, well, what does that mean for me? Well, you haven't caught on yet. Should you not also rejoice in knowing that even when you and I haven't fully grasped the significance of serving Jesus, of knowing his truth, even when you wrestle with the truth, Christ doesn't put you on the shelf. He's still willing to be glorified through you.

He's still willing to use you to touch other people for his name's sake. He's still willing to show his majesty in you and show others his majesty through you. He's still willing to position you in particular places and moments and with people, though you are weak, and though you are feeble, and though you are distracted like these were. You are supposed to take comfort in seeing Jesus sending these two out of the 12 and using these 12 as a whole even though John tells us they were ignorant. And so we see here that Christ again in his compassion.

What do you see here? Even in this, the grace of Jesus Christ. But not just his grace, you see his omniscience. He gave them instructions. Right?

Look at verse two. 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 you are doing this, say the Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately. Some would say, well, the Lord made prearrangements concerning this, and, the disciples just needed to fill in the rest of the equation so that this can be successful.

But we have every right to be persuaded that this is not Jesus making prearrangements and making those plans known. This is Jesus operating in his omniscience. Knowing all things, knowing exactly where things are, knowing exactly what needs to be said, knowing exactly what's about to transpire, this is Christ in his all knowing power demonstrating it to his own and to us. Do you know why that's important to see Christ in control here? Because he's about to enter a week where he is going to be betrayed, arrested, tortured, nailed to a tree.

And from the early settings of that time, we're already being proven that Christ was in complete control. Christ wasn't taken by surprise. Christ wasn't arrested outside of his will. Christ here, even from the beginning of the entrance here, is showing I have this all under control. This is going according to the script that I myself have written concerning my fate and the fate of humanity.

You wanna know how in control he is? Notice the type of colt that would be untied and used. We read here the last part of verse two, on which no one has ever sat. Nothing's random in the Bible. Yeah?

Oh, okay. Never nobody ever sat on it. No. Think about it. What would happen with an animal that is untrained?

That doesn't know what it's like to have a human on its back and steering it and guiding it? We have every reason to believe that it wouldn't be a graceful ride, a very difficult one. And yet with that, you have this unbroken cult, unused cult, inexperienced cult, and Jesus summons it and rides it perfectly. Showing what? Again, his lordship, his sovereignty.

Even this beast would submit to his authority, and would walk exactly where he needed to be taken. And would not interfere or interrupt with his plans. This is Christ fully in control. And so in control is he that he anticipated some witnesses of these disciples trying to take this colt. How do you modernize that?

Imagine two guys coming into your driveway and trying to get into your car. Knowing that there would be some potential witnesses, he gives them and equips them with the right statement that would ease any tension. And this is where we come to the second group that we're going to learn from. Not just the disciples, but the owners of this cult. We're not told here by Mark that they were their owners.

We're told by Luke in Luke nineteen thirty three. If you want this for a reference and see it with your own eyes, you can turn there or write it down for later. In Luke nineteen thirty three, we read, and as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, why are you untying the colt? You have every right to ask. That's your car.

Is there anything to learn from these owners? You better believe it. Primarily in their response to what the disciples relayed from Christ to them. Again, the Lord anticipated this and so he gives them the key phrase that would resolve it. The Lord has need of it.

And we'll bring it back immediately. And in Mark eleven six, you see the result of that declaration. They let him go. They let him go. You know, we don't know who these owners are.

We don't know their names. We don't know their backgrounds. We don't know their ties to Christ. But what they did in this moment speaks volumes about them, doesn't it? It does.

Because they surrendered. They surrendered their possessions. They surrendered their will. They surrendered their rights to the simple understanding of the knowledge of the wishes of Christ. All these owners needed to hear is Jesus needs it.

Then let him have it. Let him take it. This could indicate that these guys were believers. But I wanna take it beyond that. Not just believers, a certain type of believer.

Saturated and totally consecrated to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Swiftly, readily, joyfully surrendered. All they needed to hear, the Lord has need of it. What about you and I with the commands of Jesus? We're a little bit more hesitant with some of them, are we not?

There's no debate from these guys. There's no questioning. There's no negotiation. They threw the keys into their hands, so to speak. And I'm moved by these unnamed servants because this is the type of worship that the Lord Jesus Christ deserves.

That the moment you understand his will, it's made known to it's clear to you that your heart is unreserved in giving yourself to what his wishes are. That is what it looks like. And let me help you make it easier if you are one who feels tension in your heart. Imagining the thought that if Christ were to ask anything of you, it belongs to him anyway. It's all his anyway.

He's the rightful owner of it. Everything you have, the the nice shirts you guys have on right now, you guys look beautiful today. The colors and all that, and how you got you in your car, and the the warm house that you're gonna return to. All of those things, my beloved brothers and sisters, are borrowed. I know your name is on the contract.

I know you worked hard for it, but even the strength to work hard for it and the intelligence to save up for it came from God. It's his. And the more you rehearse that and the more you ask God to open your eyes to that, the more liberty you will know in the place of radical obedience. The Lord has neither. Well, it's his anyway.

Let him take it. But just meditate longer on this with me. Sometimes you just need to read slow and let it simmer on your heart. The Lord has need of it? The Lord has a need?

He's the all sufficient one. He is the great I am. I am that I am. How is it that we read here that the Lord has a need? Well, I can tell you right off the bat that this is not the Lord explaining that he's needy.

He is not needy nor is he lacking in anything as some would assume and only will know completion or fulfillment from getting something from us. He doesn't need anything. He's not lacking anything. He's complete and whole and holy. So what does this mean for the Lord to say, I have need of it?

I think about it even further. This is the Lord who created all things, who out of nothing, brought everything. I have no doubt in my mind and neither should you that if God really wanted a donkey, he could have called it into existence and its maturity. Alright. There we go.

We have it. Now let's go. Could he have done that? Absolutely. But he has need of it.

In what sense? I argue here that this is this is an example of the Lord and his character expressing what his desires are. He doesn't need anything, but he has desires. He's a person. He loves and he hates.

He takes pleasure and there are things that cause him to recoil. And in this moment, we learn that the Lord takes pleasure in seeing his servants express their trust and their love to him by giving what he asks of them. The Lord has need of it. The Lord requires it from you. He requests it.

Not because he is lacking again, but because he is longing. And I think you and I at this point can pause and ask, am I delaying in obedience in anything? Let me just speak to you as a brother, to a fellow brother, to a fellow sister. Are you delaying this afternoon? Has God been pressing your heart on something And you know it's from God, and you know you saw it in God's word, and you know that it pertains to a particular situation in your life, but you've been delaying.

Learn from these owners. They did not miss a beat. They did not reserve anything. They gave it freely and gladly and urgently. So let this be a reminder perhaps to some I don't know what's going on in your life.

God knows. But here we are with this text and this point, and maybe it will point at something in your life. Do not delay any longer. Get to it. God's been speaking to you about it.

Why are you delaying? The Lord has need of it. The Lord requires it from you and he is worthy to receive it. But Mark does something interesting here in talking about this cult. He he he doesn't do something that Matthew and John do.

He doesn't give us the explanation why Christ really wants this cult. What's the big deal? You know it. You've been through enough Easter services and Passion Week services to understand why this is happening. But let me remind you and read the two things that Matthew and John write concerning the fulfillment of this moment.

Matthew 21. Turn with me there in verse four. Matthew 21 verse four. In Matthew's account, we read this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying, say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foil of a beast of burden. This is prophecy being fulfilled, Matthew says.

And John echoes that. You read it in John chapter 12 verse fourteen and fifteen. You need to turn there because we're going somewhere with this. In John twelve fourteen, and Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it just as it is written, fear not daughter of Zion behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey's colt. This is prophesied.

This was something that was declared hundreds of years ago. Tell me who the prophet was. Anybody know? Zechariah. Zechariah declared this.

That Israel's king will come on a colt. Lowly, humble. A colt signifying peace, not a horse signifying war. But what's interesting is when you look at these prophecies and compare them with the original writing from Zechariah. So as you're turning there, go to Zechariah nine nine and maybe you'll observe something that is worth mentioning.

And as you're turning there, think about this. Why didn't Mark include the prophecy? You may disagree with me, but I believe there's a strong case for this point that although Mark is not shy in portraying Christ as the Messiah, as the son of God, as being divine, his preoccupation is not like Matthew and John in wanting to portray Jesus as a king. You've heard this week after week. What is Mark's goal in his writings?

To portray Jesus as what? A servant. A servant. So perhaps that's why he omits this prophecy, though not denying the significance of the moment. Here's what the prophet Zechariah says, and hopefully you remember what Matthew and John wrote.

Zechariah nine nine. Rejoice greatly, oh daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation as he humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey? Matthew and John don't record the prophecy word for word.

And some would be satisfied to say, well, this is just because they're paraphrasing and that happens in the gospels on many occasions. They're paraphrasing this prophecy. But perhaps they omitted something on purpose because they both do it. The thing that they remove is the first words of Zechariah nine nine. Look at it again.

Rejoice greatly, oh daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Matthew doesn't say rejoice greatly. John doesn't say rejoice greatly. Again, we can just be content to say this is paraphrase.

Or if not, it makes sense why they did not include that part. The reason why they would not write concerning this audience rejoice greatly in describing this moment is because they could not rejoice greatly as long as they rejected Jesus Christ as their king. In other words, the command to rejoice does not apply. The experience of true shouting from the heart is not part of this because they have not yet truly repented and received Jesus Christ as the Messiah that he truly is. So yes, Matthew and John say this is the one that Zechariah promised and prophesied.

At the same time, it's a sad thing to see that the rejoicing was not included because the people did not receive him as such. And let me make this as a side note. You can't know true joy without repenting and receiving Christ. You will know superficial shouting. You'll get excited by trivial trinkets of this world.

But this rejoicing from the soul, this shouting from your gut, so to speak, can only truly be experienced when you recognize him, when you repent of the sin that separates you from him, and when you receive him as the king on his terms, not your own. Because they're shouting. Are they not Hosanna? They're rejoicing. Yes?

But for what reason? We're gonna find that out in a moment. But while you're there in Zechariah nine nine, look at Zechariah nine ten. You know why? Many Jews would discredit this moment and this prophecy being fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

Because Zechariah did not complete his prophecy in verse nine. He continues it in verse 10, and the Jew today who knows their Hebrew scripture would say, you Christians missed it. How can you say that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when he hasn't fulfilled verse 10? Look at verse 10. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem and the battle bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace to the nations.

His rule shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. You believe Jesus is the Messiah? Oh, Zechariah nine nine and Mark 11, Matthew 21, John 12. Where is his rule from sea to sea? Where is the peace to the nations?

And so they write this off. But you're a studied servant of God. Are you not? And you understand how even prophecy works in many places that you can have a prophecy declared in one breath and in the very next breath, it speaks of a different time, a different advent. Zechariah nine nine is the first coming.

Zechariah nine ten is the second coming. We still believe it's Jesus, just another time there's a pause between those verses. Jesus does that himself when he quotes from Isaiah 61 where where he talks about this being the year of the Lord's favor, then he stops there and he closes the scrolls in the synagogue. Why? Because the next part is what?

Talking about the vengeance of our God. He stopped the prophecy there because it wasn't time for the vengeance of our God that is yet to come. And the same principle, the same rule applies here. Zechariah nine nine, he's coming on a colt. Well, where is Zechariah nine ten?

Hold on tight. It's still coming. And when he comes that time, he ain't coming on a donkey. He's coming on a horse and he will speak peace to the nations and he will extend his scepter and he will have rule from sea to sea. So you learn something from the disciples, you learn something I hope from the owners, but now we come to the final group of people, the crowd.

Speaking of the Jews, let's read here again verse seven of Mark 11. 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 off from the fields. And those who went before 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. So you just heard that this is not true rejoicing. It looks like it. This is electric.

This is jubilant. More than that, this is not empty praise, though it really is. There's some substance to it because they're declaring scripture and they are ascribing Christ to messianic declarations. Psalm one eight Psalm one eighteen verse 25 and verse 26 is what they're quoting from. And some would say, well, no.

Those verses speak about the pilgrims who would come to the temple during the feast. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. This is not really messianic. Well, okay. When you go to Matthew, you know what it says?

Hosanna to the son of David. Okay. Now you can't say anything. They're crowning Jesus with messianic accolades. This is the son of David.

This is the one who's gonna usher in the kingdom of our father, David. And we think, well, this this is what we've been hoping for in the ministry of Christ. Isn't this what Christ himself longed for from his own people, the people of Israel? No. Because you you gotta question why they are getting excited.

You gotta question why they are rejoicing. Like the disciples, they had a skewed understanding of what the Messiah would do. And they got all excited about the the miracles of Christ and this is the best prospect that we've had in centuries. This is this is the best candidate for the Messiah that we've ever seen yet. Here's what they're hoping as Jesus is entering into the city on a colt.

Before them is that side and behind them is the surveillance and the oppression of the Romans. And so in these poor minds, what they believe is about to take place is Christ now is making his way into the city and he's gonna overthrow this government. He's gonna take over. He has the power to do it. He can command sickness to leave.

He can command demons to go. He's raised the dead. Surely by the word of his own mouth, he can relinquish and vanquish these enemies before us. And so they're shouting, they're declaring, they're quoting, but from a wrong understanding. From a skewed understanding.

And how we know that? The same crowd here that is hailing Jesus, crowning him with their praises are gonna condemn him in a few days. Do you know why they're gonna condemn him? Because they learned that Jesus didn't fulfill what they desired. And when they learned that Christ did not overthrow the government, he did not attack, he did not use his disciples to advance the purposes of God with the sword, and now they see him as a poor pitiful man on trial arrested.

So let's get rid of this guy. We're done with him. He didn't meet our expectations. And so Christ here is willing to absorb this for a reason. But before we get to that reason, let's think about this truth today.

You know, you have many people who look at even believers or a group of believers or ministries and what do they see? They see what they saw here. Excitement, shouting, praises, even things from scripture being proclaimed. Excitement is not the evidence that people are understanding or operating in the truth. Yeah?

It's not. Don't measure that to equate to these people understanding truth. Now if it is fueling the truth is fueling that excitement, that joy, then praise God, he's he's worthy of that zeal. But zeal in itself can be empty. Passion in itself can be misguided.

And so sometimes you look out and you see that too and you wonder, what are these people even getting excited about? What are they hearing week after week? How are they living in this way? How do they have such a poor grasp on the truth, but they can see more passion than those who have the truth? I can tell you this, it's not foreign.

You have the same thing here with these people. All the hoopla and the packed place and they didn't get it. They didn't have a true grasp on the truth. You know what's so amazing about this? It's not just what they're saying, but how Jesus is willing to tolerate it.

You know, for so long, Jesus and the ministry in the gospels suppresses this kind of stuff. How many times have we read Jesus not wanting those to spread the news of who he was and what he did? Christ wasn't prone to allowing things to be advertised unless he commanded it for a specific reason. And now you come here and you see Jesus not only willing to tolerate it, but he almost provokes it. He invites it.

He absorbs it, and he refuses to deny it. What what changed here? How is this so public and how is Christ actually allowing this? I mean, you even read in the different gospel accounts where the Pharisee says, teacher, rebuke your disciples. Do you understand what they're saying?

And he you you remember what he said. Hey, if they don't cry out, the rocks will. So this is the Lord now allowing this. Not just allowing this, he's prepared for this. He's in charge of it.

And I believe there are two reasons why there's a shift now in how Christ deals with the praises and the messianic hailing of the Jews. One, it's time. The Lord Jesus is ready to be arrested, to be betrayed, to be put on trial, to die, to go into a tomb and to raise from it. This is the father's will. And we know that every time these kind of things were done, it only fueled the hostility of the religious leaders, and it would be no different now.

And Christ is ready for the hostility of his enemies to reach a boiling point through this because this is the moment that we've been all been waiting for. Christ is ready to surrender his life. And so in perfect providence, this parade was necessary. It was permitted. But there's a second reason.

I mean, at all the times that Christ could have done this, he does it during the time of feast, specifically the feast of Passover. We're gonna learn that Jesus himself dies the same time when these lambs would be sacrificed in Jerusalem. Everything is going according to the prophetic calendar. And so the Lord chooses to go public in this way when you have thousands of Jews in the city, when you have thousands of people from around the world, pilgrims coming to honor this feast. And here Christ is willing to be proclaimed as such and to confirm his identity from the lips of these people including the lips of babes.

You know why? Because this is his final massive public testimony of himself to this people. It would eliminate absolutely all potential doubt or misunderstanding of what people thought Christ thought of himself. There's no questioning now. Everybody's hailing him as the Messiah and he is riding on a donkey with a smile on his face.

He believes this about himself and that would only be accounted to their actions when they would kill him. You saw me receive these praises as the Messiah and you're still willing to kill me, so this is now going to just add to the guilt of the unbelief of these religious leaders and the Jewish people as a whole. This is very strategic what the Lord is doing here. And so here it is, you have the praises, you have the leafy branches, you have the coats, you have the shouts, you have babies singing, you have boiling red faced Pharisees on the sidelines. Where we're told in another gospel account where they say to one another, look the world has gone after him.

And with all of this, something happens. Verse 11, And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he looked around at everything as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the 12. I don't know about you, but that's pretty anticlimactic. You just feel like things are being built up.

You feel like there's gonna be this crescendo and what you read here is almost something of a mystery. Jesus comes through the city and then in one verse, everything is hushed. And you get the picture of Christ almost being alone as he enters into the temple. And there's no follow-up to the Hosannas. There's no again, on the side of the people, there's no confrontation with the Romans because he didn't come to do that.

There's no response from Christ to these crowds. It's just Christ now appearing, no people around, no word being said, and and if you can, this is what you would see from this verse. Christ in the temple doing this. I don't know how long he was doing it for, but Mark is very descriptive in saying that he looked at everything in the temple. That stirred me.

What is he doing here? Why is he looking at everything? Can I tell you why? He's inspecting. So what do you mean he's inspecting?

He comes into the house of God and he's evaluating the condition of the place that pointed to him at the place that was supposed to host the glory of God, at the place where the priests were supposed to serve the people of God, And he's looking. And he wants to make sure things are the way they're supposed to be and if they're not, he's gonna do something about it. He said, what do you mean? Well, scroll down here in the same chapter in verse 15. And they came to Jerusalem and he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

So when Christ came there in verse 11, that's what he learned with his investigation. They're making my father's house into a business, into a money making scheme. And you know what's so powerful about that? I can imagine this thought running through his mind because this is not the first time he cleansed the temple. He did it in John chapter two near the beginning of his ministry.

You remember that? Looks like my temple needs to be cleansed again. Why didn't he do it right there and then? Why didn't he do it in verse 11? He had the power.

He could've. It's a picture of how Christ is slow to bring judgment. And before he does bring his justice, he investigates. It reminds me of what we read with Abraham when the Lord, the the Lord came to Abraham with the two angels, and we're told that the Lord went to go to Sodom, and he expressed this to see if the evil that has reached the heavens is so. Did God need to come down to earth to see if the evil of Sodom was so?

No. But he chose to come down, manifest himself in the flesh, and to walk and make his way to the city, and make a final conclusion. Not because he is not omniscient, not because he's not all present, but because he wants to express and explain his character to us in a way we would understand. He is slow to judge, and his judgment is absolutely perfect. It is calculated.

And this is how we learn as people who've been commanded to judge. No. We haven't been commanded. No. You are commanded to judge.

Well, Jesus said judge not lest you be judged. Yeah. He told you how to judge rightly in that teaching, not to not judge at all. But as people who are prone to make judgments, as people who are prone to make assessments and make conclusions about people learn from Jesus, he was very slow before he made a judgment. He's very careful, intricate, mindful before he executed.

And so here's Jesus at this temple looking around and verse 15 is the verdict. But I see something else here. And if you're willing to go with me on this brief little journey, it will be worth it because there is, I believe, a deeper message here. And it's connected to a sequence of events in the Old Testament that many people are unfamiliar with because they're intimidated by this book as a whole. Jesus, in this snapshot, ends in the temple.

Where did he begin? Look back at verse one of Mark chapter 11. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount Of Olives and another account we're told that he descended the Mount Of Olives. So he starts at the Mount Of Olives and he finds his way in the temple. It reminds me of a series of events that took place in the days of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is a profound book. And in this particular part in Ezekiel, God shows the prophet the climactic consequence of the idolatry of the nation of Israel. You know what it was? The glory of God would be removed from their midst. They were removed.

A great part of the people of Judah were moved into exile, but Ezekiel receives this vision that not only are my people going to be removed from the land, I myself am changing my address. Where did God's glory abide for hundreds of years? In the most holy place. In the holy of holies where only one man, one time a year could enter. But the presence of God being in that very place that was concealed and hidden was enough for the people to understand God delights to dwell with us.

And God's presence is here is what marks us and makes us distinct from all the nations. Remember what Moses said, if your presence does not go with us, how will we be identified as your people? Everything centralized around the presence of God, the glory of God. And that glory represented, yes, his intimacy, his power, his favor, his willingness to walk in the midst of those who are sinners. And God says to Ezekiel, I'm so grieved.

I'm so fed up with after centuries of prophets being sent, and my people violating my laws that would ultimately violate my heart that I'm going to remove my glory from my house. And here's what's so amazing. The sequence of events of how God does it. You would think that for God to do that, he would remove his presence and it would evaporate in that moment. Not so.

And the only way you're gonna see this if you go with me in this final passage of scripture for today in Ezekiel chapter 10. Look at this with me. There are three verses I want you to see in Ezekiel 10 and in Ezekiel 11. Look at verse four of Ezekiel chapter 10. If you have been paying attention so far, like, let me give you a hint.

This is a good place to pay attention. And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house. And the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. So the glory of God resided between the cherub that was upon the Ark of the Covenant. But we're told here that the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house of God.

So it leaves the most holy place, the glory of God, and it parks at the entrance of the house. And then you come down and you read verse 19. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, And the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. So it leaves the most holy place and now it arrives to the threshold, the entrance into that sacred house.

But in verse 19, we read here that it now leaves the threshold and it comes into the entrance of the complex as a whole. What are you seeing here? Yes. The glory of God is being removed but in stages. Why is this happening?

Because God is reluctant to remove his favor from his people. God is not quick to turn his back on his people. God does not delight in removing his hand from his people. And the fact that this vision is being portrayed is to explain that God will lift his hand off slowly, so that you would realize it and realizing you will repent and you say, no Lord, keep your hand on my life. Keep your hand on this ministry.

Don't let your glory be removed. But what happens so often is like Samson, people don't even realize what's happening. They play sport with their sin. They they tempt themselves and they try to see how close they can come to the line. And God is so patient with that man Samson.

On an individual basis, the Lord is so slow to remove himself and allow yourself to be exposed to the elements of this dark world and your flesh. And we see here on corporate level with the nation of Israel, he goes from the most holy place. This is God I'm talking about. This is God. The one who has every right that every time you and I sin and do wrong to say, you know what?

I'm done with you. People, even Christians are willing to do that so quickly, not God. From the most holy place, to the threshold of the house, to the entrance of the east, but that's not the final place. You come to chapter 11 verse 23. And this is the final place that we read about the departing glory of God.

Ezekiel eleven twenty three, and the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the East side of the city. You know what mountain that is? The Mount Of Olives. So from the most holy place to the threshold to the entrance of the East Gate, and then it goes to the top of the Mount Of Olives. And you don't read about the departing of the glory anymore.

It ends there. And there's no indication if it removed itself from there or not. But what you do read is later on in Ezekiel 43 that the glory of God will return to this new temple, a temple that we have not seen in history yet, a temple that is for a future time, a temple that will come when Christ comes. But here's what's so interesting. You have the glory leaving the house of God, going to the Mount Of Olives.

And I'm reminded of something concerning the person of Jesus Christ. According to Hebrews one, he has been described as the radiance of what? The glory of God. And what do you see about the radiance of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ in Mark 11? He starts on the Mount Of Olives and he descends back into the house of God.

So God in his grace and mercy, in the glory of the person of Jesus Christ returns to where Ezekiel said he left from. And here he is, the glory of God in the temple and the people missed it again. Did they honor the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ? Did they recognize him as such? No.

They performed the most gross act of idolatry and apostasy. They killed him. What happened to this glory in the person of Jesus Christ? The same thing that happened to the glory of God in Ezekiel. They rejected the glory of God in Christ.

Where does Christ find himself after his death, burial, resurrection? Acts one. Let me remind you. Go to Acts one and we're ending it. Maybe.

Look at acts one. Jesus in his resurrected state, he ascends into heaven. A cloud took him from their sight. And in verse 10, and while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white robes and said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet. That's where he was. So in the same way that the glory departed from the temple up to the Mount Of Olives in Ezekiel, here we see the glory, the grace of God in Jesus Christ starting on the Mount Of Olives, coming back into the temple. They rejected the glory of God and where do you find him now? On the Mount Of Olives again.

And what's gonna happen? Is that it? No. No. No.

Zechariah fourteen four says that the feet of him will come and plant them on the Mount Of Olives. The glory of God in Jesus Christ will return again. And here's the best part, he's not gonna leave after that. No. No.

No. No. No. Those who would reject his glory at that time will not be able to remove the glory. They will be removed by his glory.

And you and I will enjoy his glory forever and ever and ever if you belong to him, if you know him. Are you like the crowd today? You like the Christian songs and you like the Christian people and you like the Christian conferences, but you don't know Christ? You have this idea of Christ. He's this fluffy teddy bear up there.

He's a grandfather in the sky that you can just plop on his lap whenever you need something and you ignore him for the rest of the year, but he's there, the smiley grandpa whenever you come back with treats. No. He's king. He is ruler. He is lord.

He is a bridegroom. He is a shepherd of your soul. He wants what you say with your lips to come from a heart that has been washed in his blood. Are you surrendered? Are you a spectator?

Are you a follower? Are you a conference attender? Which one are you? He wants you today And he wants you today because he loves you. And in loving you, he prayed a prayer in John 17 that those who would belong to him would be with him forever that they may see his glory.

Because in seeing his glory, you will know true fulfillment. You will know true satisfaction. You will know why you were created. Lord, we thank you for this time in Mark 11. We thank you for the depth of the word of God.

We thank you of how rich it really is. And, Lord, we thank you that we can, from redeemed hearts, say, Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We can say you have saved us, and as Hosanna means, we can say, save us now. Save us from our temptations.

Save us from our troubles. Save us from our flesh. Save us from our unbelief. And so let at this time, we rejoice in you knowing that you are the one who will come back in his glory, and we will share in that glory and enjoy it forever. We bless you, and we worship you today.

In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. The praise team can come as we worship the Lord, and I wanna invite you. If you're a person here who doesn't know Christ on a personal level, this is how glorious he is, that even during this time of singing, you can engage with him, and you can confess with your mouth that he is Lord, and you can believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. And from doing so, you will know justification.

You will know redemption. You will know forgiveness. And I'm telling you, it will change you. It will restore you. It will be what the Bible says, a born again experience where you feel like you've just come to life for the first time.

You can't choose whether you're born or not in the physical. You can choose if you get to be born again spiritually. That's up to you. And I hope that you would want to take advantage of a message like this to see the absolute brilliance of God's mind in his word and say, I wanna follow this God. And more than the brilliance of this word, the brilliance of his humility and his love, in his sacrifice and saying, I wanna serve this God who has graciously given his life up for me.

That's your opportunity today. You can leave here more than just an exciting experience in a building. You can leave here with life in Christ. And as they sing, you can cry out to this God and he will answer if you do so from faith.