Palm Sunday: Why a King Matters | 1 Samuel 8:4-9 & Luke 2:29-40
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, April 2, 2023. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Queen Elizabeth passed away last year on September 8th. During her reign of 70 years and 214 days she was highly admired, appearing 52 times on the Gallup most admired people list throughout her lifetime. She was also the longest reign of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.
With her passing, the world has been anticipating the coronation of King Charles, which will happen on May 6th. The polls are still out on how the British people believe he will lead as he steps into this new role, following his mother’s stunning and incredible reign.
As someone who has lived my whole life in the United States, I haven’t experientially understood a monarchy government. It brings reminiscent ideas of knights and damsels in distress and peasants and nobility. Haven’t we progressed from this antiquated practice? How does it make sense to have one person leading a country that is handed down a family lineage rather than our model of democracy?
A good king or a queen is the embodiment of the nation. They become one with the nation, considering the best interest of their constituents over personal gain or interests. By taking on a spirit of unity with the nation, they become the moral regulators of politicians and lobbyists, who vie for their priorities and agendas. The monarch’s priority is for the highest interest of its people.
In fact, the idea of having a king was so appealing to the Israelites, we see their request in 1 Samuel 8.
“So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the LORD. But the LORD told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.” (1 Samuel 8:4-7, CSB)
If a king is good, then why was this request of the people so bitter?
Today, we are going to take a look at the procession of Jesus into Jerusalem and why this is such a symbolic act. If Jesus came to bring salvation and freedom to the whole world, not just to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well, then why is the world’s recognition of Jesus as king less than a week before his crucifixion significant? And what does this mean for our lives today?
We are going to go back… way back to Adam and Eve. Genesis 1:28
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28, CEB)
Adam and Eve were given dominion over the earth. The dominion that God had over the earth as its creator, he imparted over to Adam. Adam, while not God himself, was an extension of God in the Garden, and God’s expectation of Adam is that he would care as deeply over the earth as himself.
Fast forward to right after the the Israelites were brought out of Egypt during the Exodus. Before God gives the Israelites the 10 commandments, he reminds them of who he is to them: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” Hold on to that thought.
Later, in Deuteronomy, at the end of Moses’ life, he is handing leadership of the Israelites over to Joshua, whom he has raised up. He outlines for the Israelites what will happen to them if they disobey their covenant with God. There are over 50 verses about the aftermath of their choices, should they choose to walk away from God. In verse 36, we see one of those hints of following their own way rather than God’s.
“The LORD will bring you and your king that you have appointed to a nation neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will worship other gods, of wood and stone.” (Deut 28:36, CSB)
God made a covenant with the Israelites to be in a relationship of prosperity. He is the God who brought them out of bondage, out of hopelessness, out of oppression. God makes a covenant with the people to bless them, to exalt them above all nations, and to be prosperous in all the ways you can imagine.
Yet, just a short 50 years later, Joshua died, and they abandoned God as their only God, just as Moses prophesied. During the time of the Judges, they each did what they thought was right in their own eyes. They were living in “MY TRUTH.” And this is what now leads us to the last judge of Israel, Samuel.
Samuel was growing old, and his sons had made their own choices to not walk in the way of the Lord or Samuel. The Israelites realized they needed a leader, but they couldn’t see they had God already with them, that he wanted to be their king. They could have turned their hearts back to the Lord.
Instead, they looked at the other nations. They saw what they were missing, and they assumed the only way to get leadership, stability, and prosperity was with a physical king. They weren’t convinced that a God, who they couldn’t see, was able to advocate for them or to lead them.
“Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” (1 Samuel 8:5b, CSB)
Samuel went to the Lord because he was distraught. He didn’t know what to do with their request because he knew this was not the right way. He knew the words of Moses, that this was a path to their own destruction.
“But the LORD told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”” (1 Sam 8:7-9, CSB)
As directed, Samuel went back to the people and tried to tell them how bad this would be for them.
A king will take your sons to war, protecting him and his agenda against his enemies.
A king will take your daughters to work for him, for his own profit and gain.
A king will take the best of what you toil and work for so he may live in comfort and prosperity.
The best of everything, he gets a tenth right off the top.
I imagine as Samuel was sharing this with the people, part of him was hoping for the best. That they would turn their hearts back to God. The God who brought them out of Egypt. The God who wanted to give them mastery over the earth, like it was in the beginning.
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They believed that a king would be their advocate, their protector, and their leader. The Lord entrusted his people, his inheritance, to the kings. So Samuel did as the Lord and the people agreed and appointed Saul as their first king in 1020 BC. 1 Samuel 10:1
“Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, ‘Hasn’t the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?’” (1 Sam 10:1, CSB)
What follows is a spiral of darkness and destruction in a string of bad leadership, self-interest, and, in some cases, pure evil.
Saul is impatient, jealous, and enraged.
David is lustful and a murderer
Solomon is a womanizer and influenced by other nations and gods
From here, we see the nation split in 922 BC, less than 100 years after their first king.
Israel had a string of 19 bad kings, all who did evil in the sight of the Lord. They fell to Assyria in 733 BC
Judah was a little more fortunate. Of their 20 kings, 7 were good, which kept their exile to Babylon at bay until 597 BC.
I’m not really building a good case for a king, huh?
In enters Jesus.
A few weeks ago, we pointed out the waiting and wilderness the Jewish people were in. They were thirsty for the promised Messiah. When Simeon encountered baby Jesus in the temple, he cried out,
“Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory to your people Israel.” (Luk 2:29-32, CSB)
And as Jesus starts his ministry, there is a similar anointing poured out by God the Father.“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.’” (Mk 1:9-11, CSB)
Are you tracking with the story so far? God creates the world and gives rulership to Adam and Eve. They failed. God delivers the Israelites from their oppression and bondage and asks for them to follow Him alone in a mutual covenant. They failed. With envy for what others have, they demand a king, which God grants. And in less than 425 years, the nation is overtaken and dissolved. They failed.
God recognized that he needed to send himself, to intervene. This is what a king does. A good king operates in the best interest of his people, even if that means sacrificing a literal part of himself by sending his Son to earth. Here we see that God anoints Jesus with the mission of saving his sheep that are lost.
“When he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples and said, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” So those who were sent left and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
‘The Lord needs it,’ they said. Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their clothes on the colt, they helped Jesus get on it. As he was going along, they were spreading their clothes on the road. Now he came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!’” (Lk 19:28-38, CSB)
If earthly kings are so bad, then why does Jesus allow himself to be raised up in such a kingly manner among the crowds?
Throughout the ministry of Jesus, we see rejection after rejection of self-exaltation. John 6:15 says, “Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (CSB)
After he healed a man’s hand in Matthew 12, it says, “He warned them not to make him known, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not argue or shout, and no one will hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick, until he has led justice to victory. The nations will put their hope in his name. (Matt 12:16-21; Isa 42:1-4, CSB)
Jesus knew that to be made earthly king would not be enough.
In the chapters before his processional ride into Jerusalem, looking at each Gospel, we see story after story of Jesus’ affirmation of his place as a servant first and the expectation of those who follow him to do the same.
Jesus confronts the rich young ruler, challenging him to leave behind everything he owns to follow him
Points out that anyone who abandons their earthly wealth and comforts to follow Him will be rewarded eternally
Rebukes the disciples for their bickering regarding their place in the Kingdom of God
Reminds them that he will die very soon, in the most shameful and embarrassing ways
Challenges the works and efforts of those who’ve put their stock into their good deeds
Demonstrates compassionate servanthood, setting aside his own future death that could have consumed him to meet the physical needs of 2 blind men in Jericho, healing them
Demonstrates both his full humanness and divinity in the death and resurrection of Lazarus from the dead
Has dinner with Zacchaeus, a tax collector who would have been considered a traitor and a thief by his Jewish people, which leads to transformation and salvation for Zacchaeus and his household
Provides the disciples with a parable about the 10 Minas, reminding them that it’s not about what one is given (status, money, title) but what one does with what they are given
Jesus operated as anything other than a king from the time of his baptism up until he sat on the colt to ride into Jerusalem. He repeatedly removed himself from the public spectacle of celebrity status. Yet, here he allowed people to cast off their clothes as a pathway for him. When they ran out of clothes, they used large branches. And all the while, they were shouting.
But, not everyone was rejoicing for the entrance of Jesus. There was a plot going on behind the scenes that had been building up to this point in the gospels. A plot of Jesus’ death.
“Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”” (Lk 19:39, CSB)
They were asserting their power and position within Jerusalem, both within the temple and the government, because they could not recognize what Jesus came to bring restoration-restoration of dominion, covenant, prosperity, and anointing.
They didn’t like that Jesus was associating with people they didn’t consider as good. They projected their idea of what was right and wrong onto others, yet those “sinners,” they were the ones Jesus was hanging out with. And tt wasn’t just that Jesus was spending time with those people. It’s equally that Jesus wasn’t spending time with them, and when he did, he challenged their morals and ethics. He questioned their sense of righteousness and justice that was so vital to their culture.
Jesus forgave sins - how could he?!
When Jesus was asked who he was, he responded with “I AM,” a statement that told them he was God - how dare he?!
And now the people are lifting him up as their King?! They asserted the earthly authority they had to force Jesus to try to shut up the people.
But Jesus didn’t deny the shouts and praises of the people, even though, within a few days, he knew many of them exalting him today would be crying to crucify him. Jesus received their proclamations because he knew who he was - one with God the Father himself.
He responded to the Pharisees, “He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.”” (Lk 19:40, CSB)
If you were the only person in the world, who would be proclaiming the name of Jesus? You or the rocks?
We refer to the Great Commission a lot around here because this is another way that God has brought us into partnership with him. This time though, it’s not for earthly dominion or power or prosperity.
“Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18–20, CSB)
Jesus has all authority, just as God has all authority. God extended dominion of creation to Adam. God entered into a covenant with the Israelites for their prosperity. God entrusted the Israelites to the kings. God saw over and over again our path, our choices, and that’s why he entrusted salvation to his Son Jesus.
And now Jesus has entrusted the battle to us with him leading us as our King. When we go our own way - when we want what’s not given to us, when we assert our personal agendas, when we go after what’s not ours to have, when we abandon Jesus as our king - the path leads to destruction.
Have you convinced yourself that you don’t have effectiveness in God’s kingdom, in God’s rulership of the earth, in impacting the outcome of the spiritual battle that rages on? Consider who has given you authority.
What’s your response today? What is taking your eyes off of King Jesus? Are you pursuing something that hasn’t been entrusted to you? Have you rejected God’s protection of you to chase what others have?
Or will WE let him lead us as our King? Will WE declare his kingship? King Jesus is our advocate and has given us authority. Will WE surrender ourselves today, because we only have today, to King Jesus and operate in the authority that he gives us?
In Revelation, John describes what it’s like around the throne of God. That day and night, those around the throne never stop singing: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.” (Rev 4:8, CSB)
Over and over and over. Singing the same praises - Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.
We are going to take some time to reverently enter into the presence of the King. And in the presence of a king, there is often a change in posture as a signal of respect. I encourage you to take a humble posture. That might look like sitting in your chair with your hands open. You might bow your head or stand in the presence of the Almighty. You can kneel if your body allows. You might be compelled to come up front, not because there’s something special about the front, but because it’s an act of posturing in humility before our God. There is no right answer, but it is about engaging our bodies to be in alignment with our hearts before him.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.
