BEHOLD, YOUR KING! Pastor Mark Barrett

March 20, 2016 BEHOLD, YOUR KING! Pastor Mark Barrett Good morning! Happy Palm Sunday to the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, and former Catholics. Holy Week actually starts today and ends on Friday. I am a strong proponent of Holy Week because it sets a time on the calendar for us to turn our hearts toward heaven and think of our Lord and his life, which I've done this last week to prepare my heart to bring the Word of God to you this morning. Before we do that, let's pray together. Our Father and our God, we are forever in awe of who you are. To think that 2,000 years ago, you came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, your divine Son, lived a perfect life for 33 and a half years, finished this week in such horror and brutality to go to the cross to save those whom you love We are forever in your debt. It's with that heart we come this morning to reflect on the character of our great King, Jesus Christ. May we honor you in our lives and our thoughts. Teach us your Word this morning. In your name, we pray, amen. I have spent the last week preparing my heart for Palm Sunday. I found myself this week, as I do every year at this time, captivated with thoughts of the incarnation, Christ's coming to earth, being born in a manger, the phenomenal life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and of course his subsequent walk to the cross at Calvary, which we're celebrating this week as you get your hearts ready for Easter Sunday next week. I find it a valuable and uplifting time to meditate on the events of Christ's life because (let's face it) our Lord was burdened. Life is burdensome, so meditating on him lifts us out of those burdensome times. This was a hard week for me, personally, as I received news that my oldest brother is now on life support and is losing his long fight with lung disease. He had a double lung transplant a year ago. I get on a plane after church today to fly to Arizona to see him and meet up with my family, who is coming in from Boston to say our goodbyes to him. I'm faced with that reality, which, to me, is grim because my brother is not a Christian. He's an atheist. Therefore, I am now faced with the reality of saying goodbye to my brother forever. Canyon Hills Community Church 1

I couldn't even tell you in 20 years of ministry how many people I've buried and memorial services I've done, but I've never had to do the funeral of someone close to me, family-wise. My parents are still alive, 87 and 85. My siblings are all in good health, so this is a new venture for me personally. On top of that, I am continually burdened by what I would call the silly state of evangelicalism in America. I am burdened because I long for a people to see Jesus Christ as something more than just a divine butler, some kind of genie in a bottle. I desire for people to see Jesus as more satisfying than sin. I long for them to treasure Christ for who he actually is, not for whom they would like him to be, which the Bible defines as idolatry. So Holy Week, for me, couldn't have come at a better time. I love that I can turn my eyes toward heaven. I love that I can take time on the calendar to let Jesus fill my thoughts. Since I know many of you are burdened and many more will be burdened because you live on this planet, I thought it fitting that, rather than focusing on his steps to Calvary, I thought we would focus this morning on the character of the King who took those steps. That's where we find our joy. Please stand with me for the reading of the Word of God. Zechariah, chapter 9, verses 9 and 10. Just two verses for us, this Lord's Day, to meditate on. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." That's our King. If you notice, it says in verse 9, "Behold, your king is coming " That's our sermon title for today. BEHOLD, YOUR KING! That's what we're going to look at. We're going to think long and hard about Zechariah's prophecy and its fulfillment in Matthew 21, when Christ fulfilled and did what he said he was going to do. 1. Behold, your King is a faithful King! This is important for us as Christians to be reminded of, that our King is faithful. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you " Beloved, what I love about prophecy (and that's what this verse is, a prophecy of the coming King), other than putting God's providential abilities on display, is that it also tells us something wonderful about the character of God. Prophecy puts God's divine faithfulness on display. I can look at the prophecy in Zechariah, chapter 9, that finds its fulfillment in Matthew, chapter 21, and I can know God is going to do what he said he will do. God is faithful to fulfill his promises. Isn't that really what a prophecy is, a promise? A prophecy is God in the past telling his people in the future that he is going to do something amazing that's going to defy human logic and physical law, something he does to secure his plans for his people by his means for his glorious purposes to his ultimate glory. That's what a prophecy is. Canyon Hills Community Church 2

You see, beloved, when your King says he's coming to reign, and he says this 500 years before it actually takes place, you can take it to the bank because he's a faithful King. People will fail you. Your pastors will fail you, but your King will never fail you because he's faithful. In a world where faithfulness is lacking in most people, isn't it good to know you can always go to your King, who is a faithful King? You see, in America, we put a lot of stock in politicians. We put a lot of stock in politics. Politicians' lives are often surrounded by scandal. Oh, there are some good politicians out there someplace, but think about all the presidents we've ever had in this country. Think about all the plans those presidents have had. What happens when they die? What happens to their plans? Turn in your Bibles with me Psalm 146, verses 3-8. This is what God's Word has to say about this. The psalmist writes and says, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs [when he dies], he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish." Think about all the people in this country who are gearing up for November and they honestly think Donald Trump has the solution. He can't even comb his hair. You think I'm going to trust him with our government? The Bible says, "Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation, for when he perishes, his plans come to nothing." Yet look at verses 5-8. "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous." Beloved, this is your King. This is the King who rode into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago on the foal of a donkey. This is your King. It is your King who keeps faith forever. It is your King who executes justice for the oppressed. It is your King who opens the eyes of the blind. It is your King who lifts up those who are bowed down, and it is your King who is an ever-present help in time of trouble. I want you to take a minute this morning and I want you to think about whom it is we're talking about. Who are we talking about this morning? This isn't just some obscure Jew from Galilee. This is (a big word) theanthropos, the God-man. Let that settle in. God and man in human flesh. This is the one who spoke and the universe leapt into existence. This is Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. It is by Jesus all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities. All things were created through Jesus and for Jesus, and it is Jesus who is before all things and in Christ all things hold together, even you. Canyon Hills Community Church 3

Right now, your King is holding you together by the word of his power. When Jesus was nursing at his mother's breast as an infant, Holy God, nursing at a woman's breast, was holding the universe together by the word of his power. This is Jesus. This is your King, and he's a faithful King. What does that mean? It means it is was Jesus Christ who said, "'Let there be light,' and there was light." It is Jesus who says to you this morning and every morning, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle [humble] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." No doubt, some of you are saying this morning, "Pastor, you don't know what I'm dealing with." Yes, I do, because I'm a human being too. I'm getting ready to bury my brother. I'm not excited about that. How do you do it? You do it this way. Isaiah 26, verse 3: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee." How do you do it? You take your eyes off your circumstances and put your eyes on the cross. You look to your faithful King. It's Jesus who said, in John 16:33, " in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation." It's an indicative. It's a statement of fact. "But take heart " Be of good cheer! "I have overcome the world." This is our King we're talking about. Beloved, I trust Christ because he is a faithful King. I look to Christ because he is faithful. My gaze is forever fixed on Christ my King because he is faithful. This is why the Bible says, in Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." That's a faithful King. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in Zechariah with exacting precision because he is faithful. Only a faithful King fulfills prophecy, and only a faithful King will bring his plans and his purposes for your life to pass. No matter how glorious, no matter how seemingly devastating, he will do it for his glory and your ultimate good. That is what the Bible teaches. What are you facing right now, beloved? What trial are you facing right this minute that your faithful King, the Creator of all that is seen and unseen, can't be trusted with? What is it? Is it cancer? Your God is faithful. Is it a rebellious, wayward child? Your God is faithful. Is it an adulterous spouse? Your King is faithful. How about a broken heart? Your King is faithful. How about the loss of a job? Your King is faithful. How about a dying brother? My King is faithful. Why? Why is our King faithful? 2. Behold, your King is righteous! In Zechariah 9, at the end of verse 9, it says, " your king is coming to you; righteous " What I find so praiseworthy about my God-King is that he's just. This is what the word righteous means. It's the word tsaddiyq in Hebrew, and it carries the idea of justice. Our King is a just King. In Jeremiah, chapter 23, verse 5, it says, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." Canyon Hills Community Church 4

Let me ask you a question this morning, beloved. Do you hate your sin? Do you hate sin? I do. I hate it in my own life. I hate the fact that I'm a sinner, which is why I need a Savior. I hate sin in the world. I hate the fact that there's injustice in this world. I hate the fact that our government is teeming with injustice. I hate the fact that there are many in political power who hate what is good and love what is evil. I hate the fact that a bunch of Supreme Court justices, with the strike of a pen, can legalize immorality. I hate that. But do you know what? I know a King, and he is a just King, and he will rule and rule perfectly in holy justice forever when he comes. Isaiah 42, verse 1 says, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations." Who needs Hillary Clinton when you can have Jesus Christ? I knew that would get an amen. What does that mean? It means King Jesus, with righteousness, will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the meek of the earth. " he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked." That's what Scripture says. "Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins." "Righteousness and justice are the foundations of [his] throne." What does that mean? It means when our King is sitting on his throne, everything he does is right and just. In his time and according to his will, he will write every wrong ever committed on this floating rock. Your King is a faithful King. Your King is a righteous King. 3. Behold, your King is a saving King! In Zechariah 9:9, it says, " having salvation is he " You see, beloved, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was riding the foal of a donkey. The Gospels teach us that. You have to understand, from the moment he rode into Jerusalem, that was his coronation. Some coronation! In just six days (that's why we celebrate Holy Week), the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb, the sacrifice, would be sacrificed on the cross for you. In just six days, spikes would be driven into his hands and feet. In just six days, a crown of thorns would be thrust upon his brow. In just six days, he would be spat on, reviled, and beaten beyond all human recognition. In just six days That's 144 hours. That's a little bit different when you think about it in terms of hours. In just six days, his heart, a heart that beats for his Father in heaven, a heart that beats for you, will be silenced by a Roman spear. In just six days, divine love would endure, at the hands of foolish, faithless, ruthless men, such vehement bitterness and unrestrained hatred that it absolutely staggers the mind when you think about who he is. In just six days, he would bear in his body the sins of the whole world and be separated from his heavenly Father on the cross. In total isolation from his heavenly Father for the first time since there was time. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" That's your King. He's a saving King. Canyon Hills Community Church 5

In just six days, the very same people who were shouting with euphoric adoration, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" will be shouting with equal fervor, "Crucify him, crucify him! [ ] We have no king but Caesar." This is your King. In just six short days, Jesus the Creator will be nailed to the cross for sins he never committed. Our faithful King will be treated as a criminal, even though he never committed one crime. Our righteous King will die a deceiver's death, even though he never spoke a word that wasn't saturated with love, grace, and truth. You see, beloved, only a saving King would be willing to be pierced for our transgressions. Only a saving King would be willing to be crushed for our iniquities. Only a saving King would be willing to be punished that we may have peace, and only a saving King would willingly be wounded so we may be healed. This is your King, and he's a saving King. In six days, our King, who knew no sin, would be made sin so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God. He went to the cross to secure something everyone needs, no one deserves, and most people don't even want, and that's salvation. Why? Because our God is a faithful King. He's a righteous King. He's a saving King. Only a faithful King who is a righteous King would endure such brutality at the hands of sinful men to be a saving King, all because he is a humble King. 4. Behold, your King is a humble King! Look down at verse 9. " humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Our Lord's life was marked by humility. He came into this world in the humblest of circumstances: born in a manger in the middle of nowhere, he was reared in an obscure village that was less than fashionable. Nazareth would be like New Jersey, if you're from the East Coast. He was not a man of means or notoriety. He was a humble man his whole life. In fact, Philippians 2 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a " doulos, a slave, " being born in the likeness of men." You see, beloved, a humble King takes no thought to himself. He's a King who exists to serve his people, to do what's best for them. He is a King who accepts insults, beatings, and the cross because he knows it's what's best for those whom he loves. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey in the fulfillment of this prophecy. I want you to think about this. The King of the universe rides in on the lowliest of animals, a stupid beast of burden. In doing so, Jesus shows us that the higher we are placed in this world, the more humbly we should walk. What does it say about Jesus, the God of heaven, who by his very nature should be exalted above the heavens, yet humbles himself to the very point of being a slave, even a slave on the cross? That's a humble King. Canyon Hills Community Church 6

Jesus Christ came into this world in complete human form, in total humility, to meet a universal need, and he did it in a way that is adequate for all time, across every cultural boundary, tribe, tongue, and nation. Jesus Christ is without parallel or substitute anywhere in the universe, and this is your humble King. That is why your humble King is King. 5. Behold, your King is King! It says he shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Beloved, listen to this. The gates of Jerusalem opened to the King of the universe, riding on the foal of a donkey. There was no pageantry befitting the coronation of this King, and in six days, they would crucify him. Yet do you know what? Do what you know I love about the Bible? It's the book of Revelation. One day, the gates of heaven will swing open and a white horse will appear, a horse befitting the King of creation. On its back will be seated the Lord Jesus Christ, faithful and true, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end " and he will reign " with justice and with righteousness " The God of heaven will set up his kingdom and his kingdom shall break in pieces all other kingdoms and bring them to an end. Our King and his kingdom will stand forever. If you're here today and you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please listen closely. The Bible teaches us that God has bestowed on Jesus the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. You see, dear friends, "Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made God a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has presented to the whole world concerning his Son, Jesus Christ." The Bible says, "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." Saint Paul said it this way: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." I want you to think about that this morning. How would you like to be totally forgiven for every sin, past, present, and future? How would you like to be totally new? That's what that word means. In the Greek text, it means completely brand new, to get a new slate, a new start. The Bible says, "God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so we might become in him the righteousness of God." What does that mean? It means on the cross, God treated Jesus as if he lived our sinful life. Then he turns right around and treats us as if we lived his perfectly righteous life. That's the gift God extends to everyone here this morning who does not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. He gives it to you this Palm Sunday. Isn't that fitting, as we get ready to celebrate Easter? Canyon Hills Community Church 7

Therefore, I'm urging you this morning to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead so you will be saved, for the Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Repent of your sin, accept God's free gift of his Son, come to faith with him, and go into heaven a new, saved, glorious person. We have people here this morning who would love to pray for you. They're going to come up front here. Please don't leave this morning without coming up to be prayed for. They will help you. They'll give you a gift. For those of you who are sitting, I'd like you to stand, please. Everybody please stand. As is my tradition, I like to send you off with a pastoral blessing because I know you're going into the week and I know you're going to be burdened, so bow your heads with me for the benediction. "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever." And all God's people said, "Amen." Canyon Hills Community Church 8