The One Who is Coming!

Mark 11:9-10 -Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” NKJV

We’re in chapter 11 of the book of Mark. Things are being wrapped up as Jesus heads to Jerusalem for what we call the triumphal entry. Zechariah spoke of this event prophetically when he penned:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

Mark tells us that Jesus sends two of His disciples to the village to get a colt. We have no insight into how Jesus knew this colt would be there waiting for His use. Some attribute this to Him operating in a spiritual gift. Others believe that He set this up before He had need of the colt. I can believe that Jesus knew the colt would be there and that the people would be agreeable to His usage of the colt easier than Him setting it up. However it happened, the colt was there waiting to be used by Jesus.

It is said that in Palestine, when a king went to war, he rode on a horse; but when He rode on a donkey, He came in peace. Zechariah stated that the King would come in humility. Jesus was most certainly clothed in humility during His earthly time. This was confusing to the disciples and Jewish followers because they believed that the Messiah would come and take over the kingdom, conquering their enemies, and restating Israel as a great, even greater kingdom. But that’s not what happened.

He most definitely did come. He came as a babe, lived in obscurity for three decades, then showed up where John was baptizing to launch into public ministry. During that time, as we have discovered in Mark, He worked many miracles. He was passionate about the mission He had been given by God. He moved quickly and things happened immediately.

It didn’t take long for the religious people to dislike Jesus. As time went on, they literally hated Him. They plotted against Him. They tried to catch Him with His words. They tried to make it appear as if He was a zealot. To no avail. And finally they decided that they would just get rid of Him. They would kill Him, to stop Him!

So we find the King of kings riding into Jerusalem. He enters on a colt of a donkey that has never been ridden before. It is said that this symbolizes that this colt was reserved for a sacred purpose, which is why it had never been ridden. When they brought it to the King, they laid their clothes on its back, and Jesus sat upon the colt and was led through the gates of the city.

What came over the people? Was it the Spirit of God moving upon the hearts of the crowd causing them to worship? Was it pandemonium, and people just love to follow a crowd? I think, that God’s Spirit moved and they obeyed.

And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Mark 11:8 NKJV

What else would cause the masses to stop what they were doing and begin to spread their clothes on the road for the donkey to pass over. This was some pretty high adoration going on. Others cut down leafy branches and spread them on the road, also. Laying out a royal carpet for the donkey to ride upon. A setting fit for the King!

Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Mark 11:9-10 NKJV

A processional heads to the temple, a crowd of worshippers in the front, Jesus on the colt, the disciples leading the colt while others followed. I’m sure it was quite the scene. I’m also sure the religious leaders were ticked off and what was happening!

Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

Psalm 118:26 NKJV

Hosanna means save now we pray. The very words the psalmist wrote of the Messiah, the cornerstone that the builders had rejected! They are excited about the King who is able to save His people from the harsh rulership of the Roman empire.

He who comes or the One who comes is a phrase directly associated with the Messiah. They are worshipping the Messiah, the One who was to come in the name of the Lord! Recognizing He descended from the seed of David and is the One whose kingdom will never fade! And yet with all of their words of adoration, there was no realization of who they were praising!

John wrote of another scene where Jesus would be lauded:

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,  saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

Revelations 11:15-17 NKJV

Jesus is that One! They worshipped Him who they knew not. But we know Him and should worship Him even more! He entered Jerusalem as the Messiah who was to come, and they had a different idea of what that meant. But looking back to that time, we know Him as the Messiah! We know He paid for our sins! We know He redeemed us from death, hell, and disease! We know He rose again on the third day! We know He sits at the right hand of the Father! We know He is the mighty conqueror! We know He is God!

And He is still the One to come! He will come back again! This time to take His bride with Him! This time as the warrior King! He will come in all of His Glory! He will come with His angels! He will come with all power! There will be no guessing! No mangers! No star! He is the Star! The Bright and Morning Star!

Are you excited yet? Are you encouraged to know that He came, He left, but He is coming again! And He is coming for us! I’m excited today!

Many in that crowd missed it! Their praise was empty praise! But I’m sure that many figured it out and became true followers and worshippers of the Messiah! I encourage you today to take some time to offer your praise to the Messiah! Genuine praise to Jesus, the One who is to come! Wonderful Jesus!