Make Way for the Coming King

December 2, 1990

Matthew 21:1-11

Introduction:

This scripture, of course. describes the 'Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.' We rightly associate it with Palm Sunday and springtime. But this is also an Advent scripture: it contains the essence of what Advent is all about. The message of Advent is that GOD HIMSELF ENTERS INTO HUMAN AFFAIRS. Beyond all human control or manipulation, and yet also in a way which is somehow revealed by words of prophecy, GOD COMES TO WHERE WE ARE!

Zechariah, the Old Testament prophet wrote the words: "BEHOLD!—'Can You Believe it!"— See, Your King comes to you!" That is the heart of the message of Advent! The KING OF KINGS visits us! And ADVENT is for us, now, just as much it was in the darkness and spiritual silence of Zechariah's age, or as it was before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is every bit as true now as it was when the hosts on Mount Olivet shouted "Hosanna!"

I. ADVENT MEANS GOD MOVING ONTO THE SCENE

"Look! Your KING comes to you!"

1. God's coming means "HOPE." God is headed into LIFE and into JOY and into LOVE, and He wants His people to go along with Him.

   "HOPE" is a key part of prophecy! When we think of 'prophecy' we have been conditioned to think of "foretelling" and "prediction." As soon as the Persian Gulf crisis began to escalate the Christian bookstores and the fortune-telling industry began a boom in sales! The Late Great Planet Earth has had new editions printed, and anyone who pretends to see into the future has people who want to listen.

   But genuine prophecy is not so much foretelling as it is the forth-telling of the fact that God is going somewhere and taking His people along with Him.

2. God's coming means LOVE. The story behind our text is first of all a statement of great kindness, and gentleness, and love. The Son of God borrowed the unbroken colt of a donkey, and riding down Olivet's hill in the utter humility and veiled majesty and compassion that only Jesus could combine, Jesus underscored for all who will see His willingness to enter into life where meek souls will receive Him.
3. God's coming always means MYSTERY. "Hope" enters the UNSEEN! Beware of religious people who know too much! Remember, these are "boom days" for the predictors! But be warned, when it comes to Bible prophecy, anyone who clears away all the mystery is a quack!

   Some self-proclaimed "prophets" jump on the latest current events and deal in these mysteries as if they have a special pipeline from God. For 70 years prophecy geniuses have recognized Russia as the great Bear of the North sweeping down to destruction in Armageddon.

Now instead of tearing up their charts in shame, they are simply using "white-out" and inking in "Saddam Hussein" and "Iraq" as the Anti-Christ forces.

God thinks too much of His church to give key messages to a few people to make big bucks with it!

That reminds me of one more thing about God's coming to us: D. God's coming means JUSTICE!

Prophecy is not to satisfy man's curiosity. It is to vindicate a just and holy God. And while prophecy is HOPE and LOVE and all those good things, this is NOT to say that prophecy is all kindness and sweetness! Prophecy is also clear warning! Prophecy always declares: JUSTICE IS GOD'S THING!

Have you thought about JUSTICE very much? Do you know that straight and impartial justice isn't all that exciting if God expects to judge US by HIS holy standards?

It is one thing to think "Give those evil Arabs a taste of JUSTICE, Lord!" But do we really want God to visit all this whole earth with JUSTICE? Do WE want to receive from God what we deserve?

Prophecy never simply says that God is for "US" and against "THEM!" Prophecy says that the KING, when He comes, will deal with EVIL and INJUSTICE!

It would be good not only to highlight Zechariah 9:9, but also to ponder Zechariah 14:4, when this same King comes again to this same Olivet! It isn't the "American Dream" that is coming; it isn't the Roman Catholic OR Protestant OR Great White Spirit that is coming. Advent means that GOD IS MOVING ON THE SCENE! BEHOLD, YOUR KING COMETH UNTO YOU!

Advent means God is coming on the scene. But why is He coming? WHO is God coming to visit?

II. ADVENT MEANS THAT WE ARE VISITED

See, Your King comes to you!

1. Here is where WONDER breaks in! Wonder is perhaps the most cherished aspect of the Advent-Christmas season. The Story itself is full of wonder: the Star, the Magi, the giving and the bells and the children and all the rest. The Story lends itself to appreciation of the very best qualities of human existence.
2. WONDER BORDERS ON INCREDULITY! As we grow older, and our perspective lengthens and our horizons expand by light years, the wonder becomes almost unbelievable, unbearable. Why did God choose earth? Let me tantalize you with just a fragment of fantasy from C.S. Lewis:

   Once upon a time a very young angel was being shown round the splendors and glories of the universes by a senior and experienced angel. To tell the truth, the little angel was beginning to be tired and a little bored. He had been shown whirling galaxies and blazing suns, infinite distances in the deathly cold of interstellar space, and to his mind there seemed to be an awful lot of it all. Finally he was shown the galaxy of which our planetary system is but a small part. As the two of them drew near to the star which we call our sun and to its circling planets, the senior angel pointed to a small and rather insignificant sphere turning very slowly on its axis. It looked as dull as a dirty tennis ball to the little angel whose mind was filled with the size and glory of what he had seen.

   "I want you to watch that one particularly," said the senior angel, pointing with his finger.

   "Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me," said the little angel. "What's special about that one?"

   "That," replied his senior solemnly, "is the Visited Planet."

   "'Visited'?" said the little one. "You don't mean visited by- - "

   "Indeed I do. That ball, which I have no doubt looks to you small and insignificant and perhaps not overclean, has been visited by our young Prince of Glory." And at these words he bowed his head reverently.

   "But how?" queried the younger one. "Do you mean that our great and glorious Prince, with all these wonders and splendors of His Creation, and millions more that I'm sure I haven't seen yet, went down in Person to this fifth-rate little ball? Why should He do a thing like that?"

   "It isn't for us," said his senior, a little stiffly, "to question His 'why's,' except I must point out to you that He is not impressed by size and numbers as you seem to be. But that He really went I know, and all of us in Heaven who know anything know that. As to why He became one of them . . . how else do you suppose could He visit them?"

   The little angel's face wrinkled in disgust.

   "Do you mean to tell me," he said, "that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?"

   "I do, and I don't think He would like you to call them 'creeping crawling creatures' in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them. He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him."

   The little angel looked blank. Such a thought was almost beyond his comprehension.

   "Close your eyes for a moment," said the senior angel, "and we will go back in what they call Time."

   While the little angel's eyes were closed and the two of them moved nearer to the spinning ball, it stopped its spinning, spun backward quite fast for a while, and then slowly resumed its usual rotation.

   "Now look!" and as the little angel did as he was told, there appeared here and there on the dull surface of the globe little flashes of light, some merely momentary and some persisting for quite a time.

   "Well, what am I seeing now?" queries the little angel.

   "You are watching this little world as it was some thousands of years ago," returned his companion. 'Every flash and glow of light that you see is something of the Father's knowledge and wisdom breaking into the minds and hearts of people who live upon the earth. Not many people, you see, can hear His voice or understand what He says, even though He is speaking gently and quietly to them all the time."

   "Why are they so blind and deaf and stupid" asked the junior angel rather crossly.

   "It is not for us to judge them. We who live in the Splendor have no idea what it is like to live in the dark. We hear the music and the Voice like the sound of many waters every day of our lives, but to them— well, there is much darkness and much noise and much distraction upon the earth. Only a few who are quiet and humble and wise hear His voice. But watch, for in a moment you will see something truly wonderful."

   The Earth went on turning and circling round the sun, and then, quite suddenly, in the upper half of the globe there appeared a light, tiny, but so bright in its intensity that both angels hid their eyes.

   "I think I can guess," said the little angel in a low voice. "That was the Visit, wasn't it?"

   -from New Testament Christianity

   If Bethlehem is true then our God does not measure values simply in vastness or duration. If Bethlehem is true then the wonder begins to dawn of just how valuable we are to God, if He would come to us!

3. One other sobering thought: If Bethlehem is true, then so is Apocalypse! If we let God into our world at all, then God will have His way. If we do NOT let God in, then perhaps He will let us have OUR way!

   Advent means God on the scene; and that means AWE and WONDER- - and that means GOD IS HERE!

III. ADVENT MEANS A PRESENCE TO WORSHIP

See, Your KING comes to you!

If the KING truly comes— then what is our response? Well, it isn't always what we would like to have people think we would do for the King of Kings. For—

1. We debate. Do the loyal subjects of the king call themselves Catholic or Protestant? Are we to follow Calvin or Wesley? Shall we roll our trousers? Do we dare eat a peach?

   If the King of Kings truly COMES- how do we react? Well—

2. We "decide:" The Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Sovereign of the Universe, Babe of Bethlehem and Christ of Calvary, can have 10% of my money; can have a choice corner of our living room; can have two hours or so every Sunday except when we go on vacation— and we will also keep His Book on the coffee table all the time, even when non-Christians come to visit.

   But these responses are so inadequate!

   No— If the KING comes:

3. We declare: JESUS IS LORD! And then we see where the King wants to take us!

Conclusion:

We have the clear word of the scriptures, which we are free to believe or to reject: "SEE, YOUR KING COMES TO YOU!"

He CAME to this earth! He declared the Father's glory! He defeated sin and death and hell! He promised eternal life to those who confess Him as Lord!

He IS COMING AGAIN to this earth! You can count on it!

HE IS HERE RIGHT NOW! Your King comes to you, in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, to bring HOPE, and to inspire WONDER- - but also to enable you and me to say "JESUS IS LORD!"

Prayer:

We affirm, by Your Spirit's grace: 'JESUS IS LORD!' Amen.

EH #21 Sing with Glad Anticipation