Mark 11:1–10
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples
2 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.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”
4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.
5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Today happens to be the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is basically about remembering Christ’s coming. But as we speak about Christ’s Coming, is that really a good thing? In our study of Revelation, and Christ’s message to the churches, his coming is not always joyful. Sometimes it’s downright terrible!
Revelation 1
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
The fact is that we are not worthy to stand before God in our own sinful condition:
Isaiah 64
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
Our own sin would crush us if we were to stand exposed before the One who will judge all of the living and dead. But now comes the good news:
Revelation 1:17
But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
The good news is that Christ didn’t come to destroy us! The foes that he came to destroy, and succeeded, are sin, death, and the devil.
Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
As God created Adam from the dust and brought him to life, so we are His new creations in Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at His coming:
1. He Came As Promised
The promise of a coming Savior who would defeat sin death and the devil came as early as our fall into sin in the garden of Eden:
Genesis 3:15 – I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
And then the providential foretelling, many years before, of his entry to Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey
Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
2. He Came in Humility
Mark 11:1–10
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples
2 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.
This colt who had never been ridden would carry the weight of another. Christ would soon carry the weight of the sin of all of his people.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”
Jesus knew that he would not be needing it long. He wasn’t coming to Jerusalem to be king; He was coming to die and rise again on the third day
4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.
5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.
God in his providence was directing all of these events from beginning to end which He foreordained from eternity past. This was no accident. The Lord Jesus was giving Himself willingly.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
Later that week Roman soldiers would gamble for his cloak at the feet of the cross. He would clothe his people in his own robe of righteousness.
9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
He humbly received their praise which was good and right for him to do. Yet he didn’t demand it like Herod or Cesear would do.
He came for those who would recognize him for who he is, the lamb of God who takes away the son of the world.
In fact his gifts were not just for those in Jerusalem that day but also for all who would trust him throughout the entire world and throughout history:
John 12:20–21
[20] Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. [21] So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (ESV)
This is exactly what we would expect because later in Revelation we see saints from all tribes, tongues, and nations worshiping around the throne.
3. He Came Bringing Gifts
We often hear about the three wise men or the little drummer boy who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. Ironically, the one who brought the best gifts was Jesus himself, and he gives them freely.
The gifts that Jesus brings are forgiveness, life, and salvation.
He doesn’t come promising temporal gifts, like new stuff, or new toys, or a promotion, or a good parking space, freedom from persecution, or health, or a long life, or prosperity, or even shalom in the home.
The gift that He brings is Himself, which he gives freely to all who call on Him, with all of the forgiveness life and salvation that comes with Him.
The only way to come to Him is through His cross, in other words, by faith, or trust.
If you have trusted into Christ and his perfect obedient life, substitutionary sacrificial death, and resurrection from the dead today, you are included in these words of the Apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge-
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you-
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
