Preached by Chris Broom, 9/27/2009

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Janah Cook (center) Gets Baptized

We have followed Jesus throughout the book of Mark: from the time he began to preach “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near”, to the calling of his disciples to follow him and have their own ministry in his name, to the time he began to predict his own death. Now, in Mark 11, we are on the brink of the passion week and we see Jesus riding into Jerusalem amidst the praise of many voices shouting “Hosanna”. One question comes to mind… what is up with this donkey thing?!

Mark 1:1-11 Imagine being there, what a sight this would have been! But what is really going on here? And why a donkey?

Zecharaiah 9:9-10 By riding on a donkey Jesus is fulfilling this prophecy and telling all the Jews that he IS the Messiah to come. This would have further provoked the Jews to the anger that brought about his death. But why did he come?

He came to Proclaim Peace to the Nations
- How do we have peace? Think about society, peace is kept because there are laws and law enforcement. If someone breaks the laws they go to prison. It’s not that we want people to go to prison, but we want to live in peace and feel secure. We couldn’t do that if the guy next door was murdering people and there was no law enforcement or prison.
- This concept applies spiritually too. This is how heaven will be. God wants peace for his people, so everyone who doesn’t keep his laws will not be allowed to live in the society of heaven. Hell is like eternal prison. There can’t be a heaven without a righteous king! Jesus came declaring his kingdom and saying that people had to repent to enter it.
-The donkey was a mount of a king. It meant that he came in gentleness, but the next time he comes it will be on a war horse.
-Mark 11:11-26 Jesus is the ideal king. Following scriptures will bring a kingdom of peace. We must forgive or God won’t forgive us.

A Tree with No Fruit (Mark 11:12-14)
- Maybe it wasn’t the season for figs, but Timothy tells us to preach in season and out of season.
- If it had leaves, it ought to have had fruit. Matthew 7:15 -23 talks about how to recognize false prophets – it is by their fruit.
- Religious people that have leaves but no fruit are false prophets!

A Temple with No Faith (Mark 11:15-25)
- The lesson of the fig tree is have faith in prayer.
- The fig tree was a condemnation against the Jewish temple worshipers.
- Jesus turned over the tables of those that turned God’s temple into a place to make money. They were the trees with leaves but no fruit.
- It’s like a car with no engine – it may be beautiful on the outside but it is going nowhere. How’s your engine? Numbers 25:6-9 Think of today, if we were all under Jesus’ rule we would be free of today’s plagues: STD’s, HIV/Aids, etc.
- Judges 2:16-3:6 Why did God allow these temptations to remain? To test his people

A Question with No Answer (Mark 11:27-33)
- If we really want the answer, Jesus will give it to us.
- But many really do not want to know.

Categories: Mark Series, Sermons
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