Blessed be the King

Luke 19:37-38 “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:2; John 12:12-19

COMPARATIVE GOSPELS

Matthew 21.9 

“And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Mark 11.9 

“And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.”

Luke 19:37,38

“...the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

John 12:12-13

“… much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

SERMON OUTLINE

•               INTRODUCTION

1.             BLESSED IS THE KING - PERSON

2.             BLESSED BE THE KING - PRAISE

3.             BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM – PLACE / PEOPLE

•                 CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION – “BEHOLD THY KING”

•               John 12:14-15 “And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.”

•               John 12:16 “These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.”

1. BLESSED IS THE KING - PERSON

•               Matthew 21:5 “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

•               Behold how the LORD came into Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:51; 18:31);

•               Behold how the LORD was received;

•               Mistaken identity of the LORD (cf. Matthew 21:10,11)

1. BLESSED IS THE KING

•               Matthew 21.4,5 ”All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

•               Quotation from Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

2. BLESSED BE THE KING

•               Luke 19:38 “Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

•               “Peace in heaven” – Peace is what is lacking right now in Jerusalem (cf. v.42);

•               “Glory in the highest” – “highest degree or highest strains or in the highest heavens.”

•               Their greatest desire of the blessings of the LORD (cf. Psalm 118:26)!

•               John 12:13 “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

•               “The palm-tree was a tall tree, with a single stem, which was surmounted with a tuft of feathery ramifications, six or eight feet long, and called sometimes branches and sometimes leaves. They were used in marches and processions as the emblems of rejoicing and victory.”

•               Hosanna means “Oh save” It was a political term more than a religious declaration. They were saying “Save us O king from these Romans. Free us from being under their authority.” They were looking for a king that would conquer and kill their enemy.

•               The people thought that Jesus was their Messiah. They believed that he might be the Holy One of God who was coming to overthrow the Romans and bring national freedom to Israel.

•               Instead He was coming to give His life as a ransom to bring spiritual freedom to all mankind.

PALM TREE – EMBLEM OF VICTORY!

•               Revelation 7:9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

3. BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM

•               Mark 11:10 “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.“

•               They considered Jesus the Messiah to restore the kingdom of David;

•               To bring back the nation to independence and prosperity.

•               1 Kings 2:4 “That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.” (King David)

•               1 Kings 8:25 “Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.” (King Solomon)

•               “This entry into Jerusalem should not only remind us of what was . . . it should also point us to what shall be.”

•               Luke 19:11-12 “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” (cf. Revelation 5:9-14; 19:1-6)

CONCLUSION

•               Look at Jesus in the proper light – a meek and gentle Saviour now;

•               Recognize Christ (Messiah) as the King of your life now and ever with your reverence and honour;

•               Praise Him with the appropriate praises not only in words but in life as well!

VERSES TO REMEMBER

Revelation 19:6-7

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”