Two things to highlight:
Action and
Clarity between choices
God’s Kingdom
Or someone else’s kingdom
Jesus - Person of Power
Announces the arrival of God’s
Teaches with authority
Casts out
Forgives sins
Heals the sick
Outsmarts the Pharisees and other adversaries
Story begins…
Jesus is ahead of them with the donkey colt
How does Jesus use that power?
Enters the city on a donkey
Processions a thing
War
Dreamed a Jewish king
Donkey? - King of Peace
Listen to Zech 9:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and make you like a warrior’s sword.
Then the Lord will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
and the Lord Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
The Lord their God will save his people on that day
as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women. —Zech. 9:9-17
Next, Jesus curses a Fig Tree
Commands creation
Invites the disciples to trust and believe
In Jesus, we have access to that power
Cleanses the Temple
Why?
Gentiles and a House of Prayer
Authority questioned
Jesus turns the tables and responds with a question they are unwilling to answer
By the end of the story
Jesus shows himself as both
Remember - Two things to highlight:
Power and Response
Action and Reaction
Power
How does Jesus wield his power?
How do those around Jesus respond?
Take that light and shine it on our lives…
Prisoners of Hope
How do we wield power?
How do we respond to Jesus?
How does Jesus wield power?
Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is a power move
Procession of Peace
Next day, he appears at the Temple to cleanse it
Fig tree
Authority - turns the tables
Throughout history, humans wield their power like this:
Wealth
Influence
Violence
You and I have power
You and I are broken
selfish bending of the world to please, serve, placate our own ends
ultimately, we are like those in the story
Andy Crouch
“Power at its worst is the unmaker of humanity—breeding inhumanity in the hearts of those who wield power, denying and denouncing the humanity of the ones who suffer under power. This is the power exercised by the money lender, by the police who ignore or protect him, by the officials who would rather not confront him. This power ultimately will put everything around it to death rather than share abundant life with another. It is also the power of feigned or forced ignorance, the power of complacency and self-satisfaction with our small fiefdoms of comfort. Power, the truest servant of love, can also be its most implacable enemy.” —Andy Crouch, Playing God
Jesus uses his to bring peace, clear out the clutter so we can encounter God, to invite us into that power at the fig tree
People respond
worship, amazement
anger, plot to kill him
of course, the world can’t stand what they cannot own
of course, they need to destroy him
Prisoners of Hope
How will we respond?
Will we follow Jesus to the cross?
You and I have power of some kind
Will we use it to build up ourselves or
like our palms, lay it down at the feet of the King?
Serve others in love?
Clear out the things that seperate others from God?
Trust and Faith?