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15APRIL2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSADonkeysPointofViewAndwhenHehadcomeintoJerusalemallthecitywasmovedsayingWhoisthisMatthew211-11NKJVYoumayormaynotbeawarebuttheBiblecontainsaninstanceofatalkingdonkey.InNumbers2221-30BalaamsdonkeylikeFrancisthetalkingmuleMisterEdthetalkinghorseandmorerecentlyEddieMurphysvocalizationofDonkeyinthemovieShrekspoketohimafterbeingbeatenforcrushinghisfootagainstawall.Althoughauniquecircumstanceonecouldsurmisethatdonkeysatleastunderthepowerofdivineinspi-rationareabletohavesomecog-nitivethoughtandyeseventospeak.ItmaybeabitofastretchbutasweviewthePalmSundaytriumphanteventofJesusintoJerusalemletussupposethattheanimalonwhichJesusrodehadsomethoughtsaboutwhatmighthavebeengoingon.WhatdoyouthinkmighthavebeenhispointofviewABitAboutDonkeysvs.1-3.WhenwereadMatthewsgospelwefindthatthecoltwasactu-allytiedupalongwithanolderdonkeyandbothwerebroughtandJesusdecidestorideontheyounger.Heprobablydecidestorideontheonethathasnotbeenriddenbeforeandforgoodreason.Donkeysarecreaturesofhabit.Iamtolditisquitepopularincertainpartsoftheworldtohavedonkeyridesforchildrenattheseaside.Thedonkeyshavetheirfixedpath.Theywillwalksofarupthebeachturnaroundandwalkbackagain.Itdoesntmatterhowhardyoutryyouwillnotgetthatdonkeytogoinanyotherdirectionoranyfurtherthanitsnormalpath.Ifyouwanttogoinadifferentdirectionthenyouhavetouseadonkeythathasnotbeenriddenbefore.Jesusrodeonthecoltithadnotprevi-ouslybeenriddenhadnotbeenforcedtocarryanyburdenandhadnotbecomeusedtoaparticularroute.Thereforeitwouldntbetemptedtotrytogoitsownway.OhbeholdthewisdomofGod.IfwewanttobeusedbyGodthenitisimportantforustobelikeanunriddendonkey.SomeofuscannotserveGodifwealreadyhaveourownpreconceivedideasofwhereHewantstotakeus.IfwewantGodtouseuswecannotuseroutesthatwehavebeendownbeforeasaguidetowhereGodistakingusasachurchnow.WemustbeopentoGoddoinganewthing.TheDonkeyWasEssentialToTheFulfillmentOfProphecy.JesustriumphantentryintoJerusalemhadbeenprophesiedcenturiesbefore.Whenques-tionedofhisdisciplesastowhattheyweretosayintakingthedonkeythegospelwriterMatthewinaparentheticalstatementanohbythewaykindofstatementvs.45AllthiswasdonethatitmightbefulfilledwhichwasspokenbytheprophetsayingTellthedaughterofZionBeholdyourKingiscomingtoyoulowlyandsittingonadon-keyacoltthefoalofadonkey.TheprophetwhohadmadethisdeclarationwasZechariahprophettotheexileswhohadreturnedtoJerusalemfollow-ingtheirexileinBabylonZechariah99.JesusWasLiftedUpvs.67.ThediscipleswenttofetchthedonkeyandthecoltfoundthemandtheownerwillingtolendthemasJesushadsaid.Theybroughtthedonkeyandthecolt.TheydidnothaveasaddleforthecoltbutthedisciplesthrewsomeoftheirclothesuponitandsatJesusthereon.AsthemotherdonkeyreflectedonthediscipleswordstotheowneraboutJesusrequestTheLordhasneedofthemandasshewatchedshemayhavewonderedwhothismanJesuswas.Hisdisci-pleshadsaidTheLord.WasheroyaltyIfsowhydidheneedadonkeyWouldntahorsebemoresuitablemoredignifiedandmoremajesticmoreinkeepingwithroyaltyItmusthavecausedthedonkeytowonderwhoisthismanThecoltwasprobablytooyoungtounderstandthesignificanceofthemomentbuthismotherdid.IfthismanistheLordifheistheMessiahamajesticstallionwouldsurelyhavebeenabetterchoiceJesusdidnotchoosetheproudprancingmare.NothingaboutthedonkeytookawayfromJesus.ThedonkeylaterwouldhavethoughtsthatitwasallabouthimbutitwasaboutJesusandnothingwasintendedtodetractfromhispresence.Beingonthedonkeywassim-plythefulfillmentofprophecyandfromapracticalstandpointandpositionmadeJesusmorevisible.Whenwehumbleour-selvesChristbecomesmorevis-ibletoothers.BecauseJesuswasvisibleacrowdwasdrawn.JesustoldusJohn1232thatwhenHeisliftedupHewilldrawallmenuntoHimself.ThisdayHeislifteduponadonkeyincelebrationtheweekthatfol-lowsonacrossforcrucifixion.TodaytheycriedHosannainaweekCrucifyhim.WhoAreThesePeoplevs.8.AsJesusenteredintoJerusalemtheygavehimaroyalwelcome.Itwascustomarythatwhenakingwouldarriveinatownforthepeopletospreadtheiroutergarmentsontheroadasasignofrespectforthegreathero.Theywouldalsolayleafybranchesontheroad.TheyknewthatJesuswastheirconqueringhero.HoweverJesuswasadifferentkindofconquerorthanthepeopleexpected.ThesewerecommonfolkinneedofaSavior.Thesewerepeoplelikeyouandmelookingfordeliv-erancefromourdailycircumstanceandsituations.HoweverJesusfocuswastodeliverthemfromsinuntoeternallife.Tolivebetterintheircircum-stanceandsituationwasabyproductbuthisfocuswasnottodeliverthemfromit.WHATISTHISTHEYCRYvs.9.Theythatwentbeforeandtheythatfollowedcriedthesamething.Theyshoutedthesefourphrases.ThefirstphraseisHosannaHosannahascometomeanpraiseGodbutthatwasnotthemeaningthatthecrowdhadinmind.ItliterallymeansSavenowwiththeimplicationthatitisGodwhowoulddothesaving.ThepeoplewantedtobesavedfromRomanauthority.TheydidnotunderstandthatJesushadcometosavefromoppressionbutitwasnottheoppressionfromRomanrule.Itwastheoppressionfromsin.ThesecondphraseisBlessedishewhocomesinthenameoftheLordTheyknewthatGodhadsentJesus.TheunderstandingwasthatGodwouldanointagreatmanashehadanointedthekingsofIsraelspastandthatgreatmanwouldthrowofftheoppressorsandsetupGodskingdomonearthandIsraelwouldreturntotheglorydays.TheydidnotunderstandthatJesusjustdidntcomefromGodhewasGod.TheythoughtoftheMessiahonlyinhumanterms.TheycouldntconceivethatJesuswasGodintheflesh.TheirexpectationwasthatGodwouldselectagreatleaderashehadselectedKingDavidintheOldTestament.ThethirdphraseisBlessedisthecomingking-domofourfatherDavidDavidwasconsideredasthegreatestkinginthehistoryofIsrael.TheydidnotunderstandthatJesuskingdomwouldnotbeanearthlykingdom.Itwouldbeandisaspiritualkingdom.Earthlykingsdieandtheirkingdomsareoftendividedamongtheheirs.Theybecomemereshadowsofthetimespast.Jesusspiritualkingdomwillnotpassaway.Itwillnotbedivided.Itwilllastforever.ThefourthphraseisHosannainthehigh-estHereagainweencounterthephraseSavenowbutwithanaddition.ThismeansSavenowOGreatOne.Itisagainanappealtosavefromearthlyoppressors.TheydidnotunderstandwhatkindofsalvationJesuswasbringing.WhatkindofSaviordoweexpectJesustobeManytimeswedontgetitevenwiththeadvantageoflookingbackonthebiblicalevents.SometimeswethinkofJesusasourearthlySavior.Weexpecthimtosetuphiskingdomhereonearthsoourliveswillbebetter.Weexpecthimtobailusoutoftrouble.Jesusfocuswasandistosaveyoursoulnottopayyourbillsbutfaithinhimwillhelpyoulivebetterbebetteranddobetter.WhoIsThisvs.10-11.AswebeginholyweektheweekleadinguptoandcommemoratingthetrialcrucifixiondeathburialandresurrectionofJesusChristmanyareaskingwhothismanis.WhatisallthisEasterhullabalooaboutIshesomeprophetIshesomebenevolentsaintIshejustapersonthatpeoplecelebrateforhisdeedsIsheanotherMartinLutherKinganotherGandhiWhoisthismanWhatwasitthatmadehimspecialWhatthosepeoplemisunderstood2000yearsagoiswhatwemisunderstandtoday.Jesusdidnotcometobethekingpresidentprimeministerorleaderofapoliticalsystem.HecametobethekingpresidentprimeministerleaderandSaviorandLordofourlives.JesuscanbetheLordofourlivestoday.Hecanchangeourheart.Heisnottheearthlyconqueringherobuthecanconquersininourlives.HecangiveusrelationshipwithGod.ThatswhatEasterisallabout.Itsabouttheopportunityforeachoneofustohavethatrelation-shipandourresponsibilitytosharethatopportu-nitywithothers.Thedonkeyawakenedthenextdayhismindstillsavoringtheafterglowofthemostexcitingdayofhislife.Neverbeforehadhefeltsucharushofpleasureandpride.Hewalkedintotownandfoundagroupofpeoplebythewell.Illshowmyselftothemhethought.Buttheydidntnoticehim.Theywentondrawingtheirwaterandpaidhimnomind.Throwyourgarmentsdownhesaidangrily.DontyouknowwhoIamTheyjustlookedathiminamazement.Someoneslappedhimacrossthetailandorderedhimtomove.Miserableheathenshemutteredtohimself.Illjustgotothemarketwherethegoodpeopleare.Theywillrememberme.Howeverthesamethinghappened.Noonepaidanyattentiontothedonkeyashestrutteddownthemainstreetinfrontofthemar-ket-place.ThepalmbranchesWherearethepalmbranchesheshouted.YesterdayyouthrewpalmbranchesHurtandconfusedthedonkeyreturnedhometohismother.Foolishchildshesaidgently.DontyourealizethatwithouthimyouarejustanordinarydonkeyJustlikethedonkeythatcarriedJesusinJerusalemwearemostfulfilledwhenweareintheserviceofJesusChrist.Allofwhatwethinkaboutourselvesamountstonothing.Thebiblesayswearesinners..WithouthimallourbesteffortsarelikefilthyragsIsaiah646andamounttonoth-ing.WhenweliftupChristwearenolongerordi-narypeoplebutkeyplayersinGodsplantoreachtheworld.ItisonlyasChristisliftedupthatpeoplearedrawntohimJesuswantstomakeatriumphalentryintoyourheartandhometodaywillyoutakeHimthereWillyouallowhimtoenterByRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.SERMONRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.WilliamT.GolsonJr.MDivisPresidentoftheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAlliance.