Home » Blogs » Pastor Todd's blog » “Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord”

“Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord”

Sun, 04/05/2009 - 2:00am - Pastor Todd

Listen to the Sermon "Blessed is the One who Comes in the Name of the Lord" - (Right click to download)

Mark 11:1-11

Entry to Jerusalem

Only Mark, in his gospel account, has Jesus entering by a city gate into Jerusalem.  This whole scene that is offered in the Gospel is fascinating in its brevity, detail and comment on what a follower of Jesus ought to expect to do with one’s life.

Brevity

The story is short.  It starts on the Mount of Olives, in the village of Bethphage.  Jesus sends out two disciples to fetch a colt, then rides it into the city.  Along the way, people shout at Jesus “Hosanna” and things like “Blessed is the He who comes in the Name of the Lord”.  Some even cut palm branches from the trees and lay them on the ground along with some cloaks.  In eleven short verses it is all over, with a closing scene of Jesus entering a seemingly deserted temple, looking around and then leaving.

Fred Craddock in a commentary on this text suggests that there is a three-fold meaning, that this is Part Celebration, Part Protest and Part Funeral Procession.

Details

The details of the text are fascinating.  Most of the text is taken up with the two disciples looking for a colt and all the details surrounding the securing of the animal for Jesus' use.  Some scholars have suggested that the identity of the two disciples are James and John, who in Mark 10 begged Jesus for equal places of glory on his right and left when he came into his kingdom.  If this is true, the disciples, instead of glory, spend a day dealing with details.  In the great hymn “Are Ye Able” James and John are lifted up as heroic dreamers, indeed.  But there has always been a good share of heroic dreaming in the church!

Search for the Colt

Mark's Claim about Following Jesus

Mark's claim about following Jesus is pretty simple:  it is not about glory, but rather about the details of ministry.  Tom Long talks about the ministry that people sense that they have been called to that is world changing, exciting challenging and risk taking.  But what one finds when they submit to obedience is that ministry looks more like a lot of details that make up the whole rather than grand strokes of change.  And that, I believe, is Mark's claim.  To be in the kingdom is not some glorious endeavor, but it is about hard work, mundane tasks and yes, sometimes suffering.  If the two disciples identities are truly James and John, it is a lesson they needed to learn and us too!

Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord Sermon Outline

Comments

Post new comment