Weekly Sermons

No Time for Silence!

“It is a thing most expedient for the edification of the church to sing some Psalms in the form of public prayers by which one prays to God or sings His praises so that the hearts of all may be roused to make similar prayers and to render similar praises and thanks to God with common love.”                                                                                                -John Calvin, Worship Leader, 1537

Luke 19: 28-40

The Old Testament prophets predicted that the Messiah would be BOTH a conquering king and a suffering servant. In Jesus day Israel’s leaders had minimized the Suffering Servant passages like Isaiah 53 & Zechariah 9 and looked for the Conquering King passages like Isaiah 9 & Zechariah 14.

Donkeys, Lambs, and God’s Suffering Servant                                    V. 28-35

Don’t miss that the donkey was unbroken (no one had sat on this donkey). We would have to break a donkey before riding it, but not Jesus! He who calmed the Sea by speaking to it, broke this donkey without sweating!

But why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a conqueror’s white horse?

Because a donkey was a beast of burden, a working animal, and Jesus had work to do in this first coming – dying on the cross for our sins

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”       -Zechariah 9:9

In His first coming Jesus was the Suffering Servant riding in on a donkey, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; At His return He will be the Conquering King riding a white horse, the Lion of the Trib of Judah.

Jesus hears the corporate praise He had experienced in Heaven     V. 36-40

Think about this time of praising Jesus – I believe this is the one time a massive crowd praised Jesus on earth TOGETHER, a small picture of the way He was and is constantly praised in Heaven (see Jn. 17:5; Rev. 5:9-10).

Let me make a plea for the biblical value of congregational singing and for the appreciation of choirs!