IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

#1 · April 2, 2007, 2:20 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on April 2, 2007, 2:20 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
April 1, 2007

TEXT: Luke 19:28-44

General George S. Patton, Jr., that colorful, controversial, and impressive figure of World War 2, was quite an expert in the details of military history. In the biographical movie, Patton, he describes a victory celebration of a Roman conqueror. It was always a tumultuous parade in which the strange animals and carts laden with captured treasures and armaments from the conquered lands were displayed. Trumpeters and musicians would herald the approach of the Roman conqueror who would be riding in a splendid chariot. Members of his family would be in the chariot with him, or riding alongside on the trace horses. And also in the chariot "a slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ears a warning that all glory is fleeting."

Although the slave's warning to his Roman master might well be heeded by all of us at some time, we are also aware that this is a warning which requires one modification. What the Roman conqueror really needed to be told was that "all human glory is fleeting." What we are privileged to know is that there is a glory which is not fleeting; instead, there is a glory which is eternally enduring, and that is the glory of God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

We see one of those displays of the enduring glory of the Lord in Luke 19. As Jesus rode into his beloved city of Jerusalem, the excitement and festivity in the air sparked a spontaneous outburst of unbridled joy. Jesus had recently been teaching his disciples about his fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. He had been talking repeatedly about establishing the Kingdom of God. He had been performing amazing miracles, including the raising of Lazarus from the dead. At that point, many believed. These were all reasons to express excitement.

Jesus was given a tumultuous welcome. Hosanna! How many times had he been greeted with questions and challenges: Who are you? How can you do this? Who gives you the authority to forgive sins? But not this time: Hosanna! How many times had he been greeted with a threat or accusation: You do not observe the Laws. You perform your miracles in the name of satan. We will condemn and stone you. But not this time: Hosanna! The Hebrew word means "save us." Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! The people spread their coats and waved palm branches in front of him. "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Yet, in a matter of mere days, the shouts of joy faded swiftly away to become jeers and taunts and threats. "Hosanna, save us" became "crucify him"; "blessed is the king" turned into "remove that which reads 'king of the Jews'." Perhaps even Jesus would have done well to have had someone beside him with the reminder that "all glory is fleeting." The Pharisees would have thought so; the Roman officials would have thought so; even the disciples would have thought so. Yet, there is no other glory which can ever be more enduring than that displayed by Jesus at his entry into Jerusalem and the days following. The truth that those welcoming Jesus failed to comprehend was that their shouts of glory did not make Jesus a lord. They did not make Jesus their king. Jesus was the king who comes in the name of the Lord because he was and still is the Lord. It is this, and this alone, that makes this brief display of glory forever enduring. Take a look at the qualities that make the glory of Jesus, who comes in the name of the Lord, an enduring event.

First, the glory of Christ is humble. To see this more clearly, look at the parallel account in Matthew 21, where we read in verses 4 and 5 that the purpose of riding in upon the donkey was "...to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

The prophesy comes from the prophet Zechariah. He tells the dispersed citizens of Israel about the new promised land and the new ruler who God is preparing for them. From The Jerusalem Bible, we read in chapter 9, verses 9 and 10: "Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem! See now, your king comes to you; he is victorious, he is triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war will be banished. He will proclaim peace for the nations. His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth." One of the marks of the expected Messiah is humility. He is no arrogant warrior who rides into the city upon a fine war horse or in a grandiose chariot, leading imprisoned slaves from conquered lands. Instead, he is a humble king - a gentle king, as some translations put it.

That is how Jesus came. Who had ever been as humble as this king now entering the gates of Jerusalem upon a donkey? Who has ever since been as humble? All too often the world forgets this proclamation of Scripture. Over and over, we see replayed the pomp and circumstance of those who have come as conqueror. What do conquerors have to show for all of their efforts once they have established positions of power? An always increasing paranoia that someone is out to overthrow them. Small wonder that they need the warning that "all glory is fleeting."

Dictators, tyrants, and proud boasters come in all sizes. It matters not if we are talking about the head of a family, the head of a corporation, or the head of a nation. If the glory which is displayed is not bathed in humility and obedience to God, then it will be as a hollow echo, as was one 18th century New Englander's life when his survivors wrote upon his tombstone:
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave
Await alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
It is small wonder that we need to hear the whispered warning that "all glory is fleeting."

Jesus Christ did not come as a conqueror of nations. He came as a humble servant; as one who always sought and acted out the will of God. What could ever be any more humbling than to replace rightful divine glory worthy of entering Jerusalem in a heavenly chariot with the donkey of a commoner? By entering with humility, Jesus did not bring into the city that day his glory. He brought instead, the glory of God the Father. This is the first mark of a glory that endures.

A second trait of glory that endures is that it cannot be contained. There is something about God's everlasting glory that does not allow it to be muted. "Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'" I believe that on that day, even the stones would have been heard.

What Jesus told the Pharisees, and what he tells us, is that God's glory cannot be stopped. It will always be proclaimed. Even if all of humanity were silenced, the very heavens would cry out, as indeed they do. In the midst of war's brutalities and ruin stood the mute witness of Europe's cathedrals, pointing skyward, and groaning at man's attempts at glory. How many were not shelled because they represented the holy glory which endures? How many became havens for the wounded - German and Allied alike - because they represented the enduring moral glory of God?

Even on that dreadful day of crucifixion, Gods glory could not be muted, as nature screamed out in agony over the dark deed which was done:
While men stared and mocked,
a brooding sky, dark with sorrow,
draped itself like a black shroud
to cover its Creator who hung in shame.

While men pierced his hands and feet
and quibbled over his garments,
a veil was torn, rocks split,
and the earth shook with rage.

Should the inanimate
have more compassion than the living?
Let all creation recognize him and repent.
(Barbara Penwarden, Decision, Apr. 1987, p.3)

There is a glory which cannot be silenced: the glory of God which is so powerful that He "sent His only begotten Son." "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise" (Psalm 51:15)

The third characteristic of enduring glory is compassion. "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.'" Jesus knew of the dangers that lurked there for him. He knew that the religious leaders had a variety of conspiracies to bring about his downfall. He knew that the future disasters which would befall the city would be largely the results of their own pride and arrogance. And he could have despised them for it. He could have called down curses upon it, even worse than Sodom and Gemorrah.

These things he did not do. Instead, he wept over them. His heart - his very being - wept over his beloved city and his beloved people. This is a far different glory than that which comes with the proud conqueror or the pompous dictator. For even in their fleeting moment of glory, they are hard at work plotting how to use their assets to gain more. They are not interested in the cities and the peoples that are left behind in ruins; no, only how to retain what they have and then to gain more. That was what was in the hearts of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the priests, the scribes, the Romans. How can I maintain the status quo? How can I heap more recognition upon myself? How can I keep my power?

No doubt the priests enjoyed more parades of glory than did Jesus. No doubt the Roman authorities were the object of more pomp and ceremony than Jesus ever was. But there is also no doubt that these same figures of honor never looked upon the crowds of people in the same way that Jesus did. For the priests saw an unrepentant and ungracious people intent on disregarding the Law. The Romans saw a rebellious and selfish and stubborn people who did not appreciate the benefits of their rule.

Jesus saw people. Being the Christ, he saw much deeper than their outward appearance; he saw them as God; he saw their hearts; and he saw them with compassion. He saw Zaccheus, the tax collector, become a giver instead of a taker. He saw the prostitute grieve and wash his feet with her hair and tears. He saw even the blind recognize him, and he gave them sight.

No other's glory could even begin to match the glory with which Jesus was honored on that day of entry. For all others came to take; Jesus came to give. He came to give to his people life; he came to give to his people mercy; he came to give to his people that which they requested: "Hosanna! Save us!"; he came to give to his people that which no one could take from him: his very life.

As he looked over his people and his city, he wept. "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone unturned on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Their glory came to an end; God's glory has never failed.

Glory that endures is far different than glory which is fleeting. Fleeting glory is wrapped up in terms such as accomplishment, success, power, and the like; these can all be gathered up like the grass which has withered in the field and thrown into the oven. But enduring glory is caught up in humility and adoration and compassion; these can never be ripped out of our hands, for they are written upon our hearts.

This is glory that endures. This is glory which the Roman conqueror could not have. This is glory which no tyrant can have. This is glory which no superpower can claim. Glory that endures - which lasts forever - is available only to those who will learn from Christ Jesus to trust His powers and to receive His glory as a humble servant, an adoring admirer, and a compassionate soul. This is the gift God gives to each one who is able to sincerely proclaim, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
April 1, 2007

TEXT: Luke 19:28-44

General George S. Patton, Jr., that colorful, controversial, and impressive figure of World War 2, was quite an expert in the details of military history. In the biographical movie, Patton, he describes a victory celebration of a Roman conqueror. It was always a tumultuous parade in which the strange animals and carts laden with captured treasures and armaments from the conquered lands were displayed. Trumpeters and musicians would herald the approach of the Roman conqueror who would be riding in a splendid chariot. Members of his family would be in the chariot with him, or riding alongside on the trace horses. And also in the chariot "a slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ears a warning that all glory is fleeting."

Although the slave's warning to his Roman master might well be heeded by all of us at some time, we are also aware that this is a warning which requires one modification. What the Roman conqueror really needed to be told was that "all human glory is fleeting." What we are privileged to know is that there is a glory which is not fleeting; instead, there is a glory which is eternally enduring, and that is the glory of God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

We see one of those displays of the enduring glory of the Lord in Luke 19. As Jesus rode into his beloved city of Jerusalem, the excitement and festivity in the air sparked a spontaneous outburst of unbridled joy. Jesus had recently been teaching his disciples about his fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. He had been talking repeatedly about establishing the Kingdom of God. He had been performing amazing miracles, including the raising of Lazarus from the dead. At that point, many believed. These were all reasons to express excitement.

Jesus was given a tumultuous welcome. Hosanna! How many times had he been greeted with questions and challenges: Who are you? How can you do this? Who gives you the authority to forgive sins? But not this time: Hosanna! How many times had he been greeted with a threat or accusation: You do not observe the Laws. You perform your miracles in the name of satan. We will condemn and stone you. But not this time: Hosanna! The Hebrew word means "save us." Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! The people spread their coats and waved palm branches in front of him. "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Yet, in a matter of mere days, the shouts of joy faded swiftly away to become jeers and taunts and threats. "Hosanna, save us" became "crucify him"; "blessed is the king" turned into "remove that which reads 'king of the Jews'." Perhaps even Jesus would have done well to have had someone beside him with the reminder that "all glory is fleeting." The Pharisees would have thought so; the Roman officials would have thought so; even the disciples would have thought so. Yet, there is no other glory which can ever be more enduring than that displayed by Jesus at his entry into Jerusalem and the days following. The truth that those welcoming Jesus failed to comprehend was that their shouts of glory did not make Jesus a lord. They did not make Jesus their king. Jesus was the king who comes in the name of the Lord because he was and still is the Lord. It is this, and this alone, that makes this brief display of glory forever enduring. Take a look at the qualities that make the glory of Jesus, who comes in the name of the Lord, an enduring event.

First, the glory of Christ is humble. To see this more clearly, look at the parallel account in Matthew 21, where we read in verses 4 and 5 that the purpose of riding in upon the donkey was "...to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

The prophesy comes from the prophet Zechariah. He tells the dispersed citizens of Israel about the new promised land and the new ruler who God is preparing for them. From The Jerusalem Bible, we read in chapter 9, verses 9 and 10: "Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem! See now, your king comes to you; he is victorious, he is triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war will be banished. He will proclaim peace for the nations. His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth." One of the marks of the expected Messiah is humility. He is no arrogant warrior who rides into the city upon a fine war horse or in a grandiose chariot, leading imprisoned slaves from conquered lands. Instead, he is a humble king - a gentle king, as some translations put it.

That is how Jesus came. Who had ever been as humble as this king now entering the gates of Jerusalem upon a donkey? Who has ever since been as humble? All too often the world forgets this proclamation of Scripture. Over and over, we see replayed the pomp and circumstance of those who have come as conqueror. What do conquerors have to show for all of their efforts once they have established positions of power? An always increasing paranoia that someone is out to overthrow them. Small wonder that they need the warning that "all glory is fleeting."

Dictators, tyrants, and proud boasters come in all sizes. It matters not if we are talking about the head of a family, the head of a corporation, or the head of a nation. If the glory which is displayed is not bathed in humility and obedience to God, then it will be as a hollow echo, as was one 18th century New Englander's life when his survivors wrote upon his tombstone:
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave
Await alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
It is small wonder that we need to hear the whispered warning that "all glory is fleeting."

Jesus Christ did not come as a conqueror of nations. He came as a humble servant; as one who always sought and acted out the will of God. What could ever be any more humbling than to replace rightful divine glory worthy of entering Jerusalem in a heavenly chariot with the donkey of a commoner? By entering with humility, Jesus did not bring into the city that day his glory. He brought instead, the glory of God the Father. This is the first mark of a glory that endures.

A second trait of glory that endures is that it cannot be contained. There is something about God's everlasting glory that does not allow it to be muted. "Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'" I believe that on that day, even the stones would have been heard.

What Jesus told the Pharisees, and what he tells us, is that God's glory cannot be stopped. It will always be proclaimed. Even if all of humanity were silenced, the very heavens would cry out, as indeed they do. In the midst of war's brutalities and ruin stood the mute witness of Europe's cathedrals, pointing skyward, and groaning at man's attempts at glory. How many were not shelled because they represented the holy glory which endures? How many became havens for the wounded - German and Allied alike - because they represented the enduring moral glory of God?

Even on that dreadful day of crucifixion, Gods glory could not be muted, as nature screamed out in agony over the dark deed which was done:
While men stared and mocked,
a brooding sky, dark with sorrow,
draped itself like a black shroud
to cover its Creator who hung in shame.

While men pierced his hands and feet
and quibbled over his garments,
a veil was torn, rocks split,
and the earth shook with rage.

Should the inanimate
have more compassion than the living?
Let all creation recognize him and repent.
(Barbara Penwarden, Decision, Apr. 1987, p.3)

There is a glory which cannot be silenced: the glory of God which is so powerful that He "sent His only begotten Son." "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise" (Psalm 51:15)

The third characteristic of enduring glory is compassion. "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.'" Jesus knew of the dangers that lurked there for him. He knew that the religious leaders had a variety of conspiracies to bring about his downfall. He knew that the future disasters which would befall the city would be largely the results of their own pride and arrogance. And he could have despised them for it. He could have called down curses upon it, even worse than Sodom and Gemorrah.

These things he did not do. Instead, he wept over them. His heart - his very being - wept over his beloved city and his beloved people. This is a far different glory than that which comes with the proud conqueror or the pompous dictator. For even in their fleeting moment of glory, they are hard at work plotting how to use their assets to gain more. They are not interested in the cities and the peoples that are left behind in ruins; no, only how to retain what they have and then to gain more. That was what was in the hearts of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the priests, the scribes, the Romans. How can I maintain the status quo? How can I heap more recognition upon myself? How can I keep my power?

No doubt the priests enjoyed more parades of glory than did Jesus. No doubt the Roman authorities were the object of more pomp and ceremony than Jesus ever was. But there is also no doubt that these same figures of honor never looked upon the crowds of people in the same way that Jesus did. For the priests saw an unrepentant and ungracious people intent on disregarding the Law. The Romans saw a rebellious and selfish and stubborn people who did not appreciate the benefits of their rule.

Jesus saw people. Being the Christ, he saw much deeper than their outward appearance; he saw them as God; he saw their hearts; and he saw them with compassion. He saw Zaccheus, the tax collector, become a giver instead of a taker. He saw the prostitute grieve and wash his feet with her hair and tears. He saw even the blind recognize him, and he gave them sight.

No other's glory could even begin to match the glory with which Jesus was honored on that day of entry. For all others came to take; Jesus came to give. He came to give to his people life; he came to give to his people mercy; he came to give to his people that which they requested: "Hosanna! Save us!"; he came to give to his people that which no one could take from him: his very life.

As he looked over his people and his city, he wept. "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone unturned on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Their glory came to an end; God's glory has never failed.

Glory that endures is far different than glory which is fleeting. Fleeting glory is wrapped up in terms such as accomplishment, success, power, and the like; these can all be gathered up like the grass which has withered in the field and thrown into the oven. But enduring glory is caught up in humility and adoration and compassion; these can never be ripped out of our hands, for they are written upon our hearts.

This is glory that endures. This is glory which the Roman conqueror could not have. This is glory which no tyrant can have. This is glory which no superpower can claim. Glory that endures - which lasts forever - is available only to those who will learn from Christ Jesus to trust His powers and to receive His glory as a humble servant, an adoring admirer, and a compassionate soul. This is the gift God gives to each one who is able to sincerely proclaim, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org