https://youtu.be/IxtY_PKJQE0

Why are you doing this?

• Mark 11:1-11 READ• V 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

• Lots going on in this story.• Today is the day that Christians celebrate Palm Sunday• Why do they call it palm Sunday? Because it’s the day that we commemorate the day in which Jesus did his triumphal entry into Jerusalem• Jesus comes into town, sends his disciples to go and get him a donkey, they go and get it, lay down their clothes and palm branches at his feet to declare that he is the King of the jews! The messiah!• What a messiah? The savior! The one to save the Jews from Rome- establish the throne of David!

• Why is this day important?• One- It’s the fulfillment of the OT prophecy• Living out the prophecy Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.• Treating him as king- 2 Kings 9:13 Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”• Hailing him as Messiah Psalm 118:25-26 Save now, I pray, O Lord, O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.• When Jesus came into Jerusalem he was declaring to the crowd that he was the messiah and people received him as king!

• The problem-• They weren’t really wanting what Jesus came to do-• Ive said it before- Jesus did not come to be a political king in the way that people hoped• Jesus plan to change the world was through love and grace not through political might and laws.• Laws do not change hearts, only the Holy Spirit can do that.• Watch the story line- This week they are hailing him as king- next week they’ll be sending him to the cross! As soon as these people find out that Jesus isn’t going to serve their political means- BYE• Here’s the deal-• The opposite of turning on Jesus is turning TO Jesus-• I’m a simple man- there are many different types of Hermenuetics. High and low Criticism. Textual Critcism. Historical. Traditional.• Depending on where you went to college and why kind of Church you get saved in is usually how you approach scripture

• For the most part- I try to take the simpliest approach to scripture as possible. Things that are obscure or seem inconsistent with other parts of the Bible, I’ll do the historical research to try and figure out what its trying to say• I want to scream what the Bible screams and whisper what the Bible whispers. I’m not a guy who tries to find an obscure scripture that I can camp up around and worship- I want to worship Jesus.• But there’s a simple nugget in here- that squashes all theological arguments- that doesn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation• Christianity is a thinking mans religion- but I’m just tired of arguing about it.• The Nugget-• ; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”• “The Lord has need of it” Need- Requirement- Demand• When Jesus said that needed something- it wasn’t a need it was a demand• So this Palm Sunday, I’m not going to be found in the crowd next week crucifying Jesus• I want to be obedient to what Jesus is asking me to do- If the Lord has need of it- I’m IN• I’m done arguing with the people who are always asking Why are you doing this?