This morning we come to one of the most fun passages in Luke.  We have been working through the Gospel of Luke and most of the passages have been pretty hard, on me at least.  Recently, we have been working on the importance of relationships to seeking and saving the lost.  That’s hard for me.  We have been talking about giving up our obsessions and humbling ourselves before God.  That’s hard.  We have seen that we can bring nothing to God but our brokenness.  That is not any fun.  So, I am excited to study a fun passage this morning.

But before we can get to the fun passage in Luke, we need to go back to the Old Testament and study two passages of Scripture.  We need to understand these two OT passages before we can get the full impact of our Luke scripture.  It is going to be fun in a minute but first we have to work, a bit, so that we can have some fun. It’s like my mom always told me, “Get all you chores done before you can go out and play.”  Not really, come to think of it, my mom never made me do chores, which explains several things. But anyway the point is we have to work a bit so we can enjoy Luke.   Ready to go to work?

The first passage we have to go back to is Zechariah 9:9.  You all remember Zach 9:9 don’t you?  Let’s open up the Book and see what Zach has to say.  Zechariah was a prophet who lived about 500 years before the birth of Jesus.  He lived in the time after the destruction of Jerusalem and after the return of the exiles to Israel.  Many of his prophecies are encouragements for the people to rebuild the Temple and renew their faithfulness to God.  In the second half of his book he looks to the future and predicts a coming king.  Listen to two verses from Zechariah 9:9-10.

Zechariah 9:9-10  Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Zach exhorts Jerusalem to rejoice because there will be a new king coming.  Remember, in his time there was no king.  The last king of Israel was killed by the Babylonians.  During Zach’s lifetime they only had appointed governors.  But the prophecy is some day there will be a New King.  Wow, that was exciting.  But notice this new king has several peculiar characteristics:
1) Righteous – Not wicked like so many of Israel’s kings – which led to their destruction.  But this king will be right with God.
2) He will have salvation.  I think the thought is that he will bring salvation with him.  He is a Savior, as well as a king.
3) He will be gentle.  That is not a typical quality you are looking for in a king. This king will be gentle. And the sign of the gentleness is that he will be riding on a donkey.  Most kings have ridden on huge white horses.  Most kings are conquerors and they lead parades of captives behind their war horses. But this coming king wasn’t like that.  The new king would be a gentle king who came arrives on a donkey into Jerusalem.
4) But that is not all. This new king is going to take away chariots and war-horses and break the bows.  He will proclaim peace.  This new king is not going to be a warrior-king but instead a peaceful-king.
5) Here is the exciting part.  His rule will be more than just Israel. The new king’s rule will extend from sea to shining sea and from the Euphrates to the end of the world.  He is going to be a global king. 

This was a significant prophecy.  This was one I think the people of Jesus time knew and were looking for. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. So, we have learned the concept of Zechariah 9.  500 years before Christ, Zack predicted a new and different sort of king.  Remember that. We are still getting ready for the fun section of Luke. 

But we have to do some more work.  This time we are going to the Jewish song book; the book of Psalms.  Just like our song books the book of Psalms is a collection of songs gathered over a long period of history.  Also like our song book some of the songs are divided into categories.  For example, pick up our song books and look at song 1007; America the Beautiful, in the Special Themes section.  This song is what we would call a patriotic song which recognizes God’s blessing upon our country. 

In the book of Psalms there is a special section called the Hallel songs. These song are somewhat patriotic and are sung on a special occasion.  Psalms 113-118 are songs sung as groups approached Jerusalem.  Most pilgrims going to Jerusalem for one of the holidays would be coming from the north from Galilee and other parts of northern Judea.  Many of them would be on the road from Jericho toward Jerusalem.  According to tradition these pilgrims would begin to sing the Hallel songs on the other side of the Mount of Olives.  They would sing while they came over the crest of the mountain and then were singing as they first saw Jerusalem.  They continued to sing down into the Kidron valley and up the mountain into Jerusalem all the way to the Temple.  Just like we might sing Christmas carols as we celebrate Christmas, they sang the Hallel songs to celebrate their arrival into Jerusalem to celebrate one of the feasts.

Let’s look at the last of these Hallel songs; Psalm 118.  I want to read and comment on the whole psalm to get the flavor of what is happening. 

Psalm 118:1-4 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."  Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever."  Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." 

The attitude of this Psalm is praising God for his faithful love!  God’s love is going to endure forever. 

Psalm 118:5-7 In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.  The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. 

God is with us.  Even in our anguish we know will set us free.  He is our helper there will be triumph over enemies.  As the pilgrims are singing this in Jesus’ day they are looking for a victory over their enemies, the Romans. 

Psalm 118:8-14 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.   It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.  All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.  They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.  They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.  I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 

Salvation; remember Zach 9:9?  The new king comes with Salvation.

Psalm 118:15-20 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!  The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"  I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.  The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.  Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.  This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. 

What else to Zach say?  The new king comes in Righteousness!

Psalm 118:21-24  I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.  The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;  the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

The day has come when the rejected one has become the capstone.   The day this happens will be a great day.  We must rejoice in it. 

Psalm 118:25-29  O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.   Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.  The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.  You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Here we have Zach 9 again; the salvation of the new king.  With branches in hand the procession moves to the altar; the temple.  A day is coming when The Lord will be exalted; the day when the blessed one come in the name of the Lord!  Wow.  This is an exciting psalm. It is full of anticipation; full of anxiously awaiting deliverance, full of wanting and waiting for the Messiah!

Okay, we have done our homework and I think we are ready to have some fun. 

Luke 19:28-31  After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"

Right where the Pilgrims would be beginning to sing the Hallel psalms, Jesus stops and sends his disciples on ahead to get a horse?  A chariot?  A BMW?  No a donkey.  Jesus knows Zach 9:9.  The pilgrims know Zach 9:9.  Jesus knows the pilgrims know Zach 9:9.  The pilgrims know that Jesus knows Zach 9:9.  Jesus knows the pilgrims know that he knows they know Zach 9:9.  Jesus, then, does Zach 9:9.  This is getting pretty fun; am I right? Let’s keep going.

Luke 19:32-35   Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"  They replied, "The Lord needs it."  They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

I think, I don’t know, so, don’t quote me, but I suspect the man who owned the colt had a dream the night before which told him to give his colt to the Lord, the next day.  He is ready to give his colt to anyone who says the Lord needs it. 

Luke 19:36-37  As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.  When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:  

Jesus rides over the top of the Mount of Olives and begins to ride his colt toward Jerusalem!  Right amongst the pilgrims who realize that he is proclaiming himself the new king.  Don’t forget last week.  He healed a blind man who has to be one of the pilgrims. He saved Zacchaeus who I suspect is right there with the rest of them.  Mamas whose babies have been blessed, the 10th leper who is now clean, and don’t forget the little dead girl Jesus brought back to life; there is a crowd of pilgrims going over the hill with Jesus.  These pilgrims know the miracle worker of Nazareth now is fulfilling Zach 9:9.  And they get fired up. Here is what they say as they are accompanying Jesus into Jerusalem.  Now we are ready to have some real fun!

Luke 19:38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Wait a second.  We just read Psalm 118:26.  It says, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”  But all the disciples mix Zach 9:9 with Psalm 118 and get, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”  All of this group traveling with Jesus up to the Temple in Jerusalem, get it right; Jesus is the new king!  Now that was fun, at least it was preacher fun.  Preacher’s don’t have a lot of fun, so this is as fun as it gets! The crowd proclaiming that Jesus is the New King! He is the fulfillment of Zach 9! He is the one to sing about as they march into Zion!  This had to be the high point of Jesus’ life.  He finally gets the praise he deserves, because he is the King! 

But what is Jesus really saying by fulfilling Zach 9:9-10?  Not only is he the new king he is a new kind of king. 

1) He is the king who brings righteousness. This new king not only is righteous, he brings righteousness.  To all who believe that he is the new king and respond to him and faith and are baptized into his name, he makes righteous! You and I can be righteous. We can be right with God through Jesus Christ!

2) But he is also the king who brings salvation to us!  By his death on the cross we can experience eternal life!  We can be saved.  The King brings salvation!

3) But he does it through humility!  How mind-blowing is that?  It is through his own humiliation, demonstrated on the donkey and realized on the cross, that he shows us the way of power!  He is the king who conquerors through submission. We give up our lives in service of others and we join him in his humiliation! 

4) He is not marching into Zion a military ruler, not he is going to take away the chariots, release the war-horses and break the bows.  His is a kingdom of powerful peace. 

5) The really good news is that he can be our king.  He started a kingdom which has spread to the ends of the earth; that’s Los Alamos.  We can be subjects in his glorious kingdom.  That is good news.  I don’t care who you are, that is FUN! 

All that is left for us to do this morning is join with the pilgrims who were singing Jesus into Jerusalem. Let’s stand and join in praising the new king.