I invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10. Mark, chapter 10. The reading today will begin at Mark, chapter 10, verse 32. And if you're looking for that, you will find that in those Bibles in front of you on page 1077. actually we're beginning at verse 35 verse 35 of mark chapter 10 today as we celebrate and think about palm sunday we'll be working all the way through to chapter 11 verse 11 let's give our attention to the word of the lord and james and john the sons of zebedee came up to him and said to him teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And he said to them, what do you want me to do for you? And they said to him, grant us to sit one on your right hand and one at your left in your glory. Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? And they said to him, we are able. And Jesus said to them, the cup that I drink you will drink and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant but it is for those for whom it has been prepared and when the ten heard it they began to be indignant at James and John and Jesus called them to him and said to them you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all for even the son of man came not to be served not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many and they came to jericho and as he was leaving jericho with his disciples and a great crowd Bartimaeus a blind beggar the son of Timaeus was sitting by the roadside and when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth he began to cry out and say Jesus son of David have mercy on me many rebuked him telling him to be silent but he cried out all the more son of David have mercy on me and Jesus stopped and said call him and they called the blind man saying to him take heart get up he's calling you and throwing off his cloak he sprang up and came to jesus and jesus said to him what do you want me to do for you and the blind man said to him rabbi let me recover my sight and jesus said to him go your way your faith has made you well and immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the village in front of you and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say, the Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately. And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them what are you doing untying the colt and they told them what jesus had said and they let them go and they brought the colt to jesus and threw their cloaks on it and he sat on it and many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields and those who went before and those who were fall who followed were shouting hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord blessed is the coming of the kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest. And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. When he had looked around at everything, it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. And there ends the reading of God's Word. I hope I don't sound arrogant in saying this, but I think most people celebrating Palm Sunday today don't really understand it. That sounds arrogant. I know it sounds arrogant, but I say that because I don't think I've understood it myself as I should, even as a pastor. What is so important about this? What is so important about what we just read of Jesus writing in? I mean, honestly, in all my years of sermon writing, I have found this to be one of the most difficult days, even though there's an expectation to celebrate it. I wonder if people know what they're celebrating. I look at the narratives in the gospels and i think what's so remarkable about this what really is so remarkable um it's everything contrary to what we would expect the arrival of a king to look like to top that off with the fact uh the people at the end this whole thing is dramatically anti-climactic isn't it the last verse 11 there made it seem like whatever just happened, everyone went home. Everyone was tired. Everyone wanted to go eat. Whatever of the moment of excitement that they had, it seemed to dwindle down to nothing. What is this? And I want to suggest that we really can't understand this until we look at it through the struggle of the disciples. And I think that will help us today understand what this is all about and what really is going on. I've never looked at it this way before. I often think that most times and most celebrations of Palm Sunday, we simply cut this particular section out of its surrounding context and I think that's a big mistake. What preceded this triumphal entry and how might that help us understand it today? That's what I want to consider with you in all of the gospels except the gospel of John, in close proximity to this triumphal entry section in all of the Gospels is a question that is asked by Jesus. A big question. What do you want me to do for you? And notice it's asked twice here before the triumphal entry. What do you want me to do for you? I think if you can answer that, and if you understand that, then you're going to properly be on the right track of understanding the triumphal entry. What do you want Jesus to do for you? What do you want Jesus to do for you? That question is just as important today as it ever has been, and especially when he originally said it. Most people, as is evidenced that day, were very interested, I suppose, in what jesus had come to do but the remarkable thing about it is they had seemed to pay lip service to it for many of them who would say as we often say when we look at the triumphal entry and i hear every pastor say under the sun the marvel of this is that so many of them said hosanna in the highest these same people were the ones who would soon be saying crucify him crucify him what a fickle mob What a fickle people. Well, I want to then think about these things and have us hopefully come to a better understanding of this great event and maybe a way to help you through that with these three points. I'm breaking it down like this. You'll notice first of His majesty being hidden. His majesty hidden. And then, of course, the second point being His mission understood. And then the final point I want to land on is a message never to be forgotten. And hopefully that will clear the way for us today as we look at this. As we open up chapter 11, we see this great detail on the preparation for Jesus to ride on this donkey. It's really a remarkable passage, isn't it? A colt, Mark uses the explanation for. And there's no doubt it provides for us an idea and an appreciation of his kingdom being prepared. But verse 1 is fascinating, isn't it? Now, when they drew near Jerusalem to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, you'll notice there, Jesus sent two of his disciples to go and find this cult. Who are they? Which ones? You ever asked that question? It seems to me that's provocative on Mark's part. The Mount of Olives is a 2,900-foot hill facing Jerusalem. And you count down the eastern slope, you enter, as you come down the eastern slope, you enter the Kidron Valley and come into Jerusalem. His heart has been set to come here. This is where we are. From verses 2 to 7, you have this emphasis here on the details that are provided of what seems to be an obscure thing that really nobody seemed to know about. it was Jesus instructing these two disciples to go find this colt that no one has ever ridden on. Verse 2 says, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the village opposite you and as soon as you've entered it, you will find a colt on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say, the Lord has need of it and immediately he will send it here what is this you read it as if the masses knew this is quite a remarkable thing that has just happened here's my problem when this is typically preached the approach is taken that jesus is now finally showing himself unambiguously to be the messiah here he is he's come he's king and he's finally making clear the king has come. I want to be perfectly honest with you this morning and I want to be as straightforward as I can. This is not as big as we think. Actually, the crowds are not that great. Really, Mark doesn't say that. There were many, but these are not record numbers. There absolutely is nothing remarkable about this. Nothing. Now, if it were so remarkable the romans would have noticed i promise because you know if the romans thought we've been studying this in acts if the romans thought that a new king was entering in and was a threat to caesar imagine what would have happened right away but none of that happens as a matter of fact the triumphal entry is so under the radar that nobody even raises it at jesus's trial You rode in as a king. No one says that. No one acknowledges that. The only remarkable thing here is this. A cult was strapped up and two disciples went and said the Lord needs it. And the people said, why are you doing that? They mentioned that the Lord needs it. It's never been written. And they give it to him. Who knew about that? maybe that's what we need to think about just for a moment then what we try to do with this is make it greater than what it really is and i think that's our problem clearly to the people we have a moment of emotional excitement there's no doubt the emotions ran high that day this guy had just raised the dead in john chapter 11 this guy This man had just raised Lazarus from the dead and now he's entering Jerusalem. To do what? To ride to do what? What are they excited about? Well, he entered Jerusalem, verse 11. He went into the temple. He took a look at everything. And he noticed it's late. So he left. Some triumphal entry, huh? Some triumphal entry. If this was a king riding into Jerusalem, the king of Israel, talk about a downer. Talk about a downer. Everyone went home and forgot about it. And I wonder how many Christians today will go home from this supposed great celebration of Palm Sunday and forget all about it. you see i'm not convinced the people understood at all what they were celebrating and i'm not convinced that i have appreciated what we're celebrating so that's my point the whole thing is purposely confusing the whole thing is purposely obscure it's misunderstood it's veiled and nothing obvious says that the messiah had come in fact i want to make the case today that it was meant to be hidden whatever it is he is purposely concealing the meaning am i too strong in saying that well what then is this what is the meaning i believe the basic answer to that if you asked me initially so what is the meaning it fulfills scripture it fulfills exactly what uh the book of zachariah said would happen uh in zachariah 9 which i opened up the service with say to the daughter of zion see your king comes to you gentle and riding on a colt on a on a donkey on a colt the foal of a donkey rejoice greatly oh daughter of zion shout oh daughter jerusalem behold your king is coming to you he is just and having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey a colt the foal of a donkey he's fulfilling it he's fulfilling it did the people know that did the disciples know that why then does it sort of end so anti-climatically with everyone just going home sure everyone would be able to see this in the future and look back in Zechariah and say wow that fulfills Zechariah 9 that's really neat that fulfills Zechariah 9 doesn't it but if you ask the disciples that day what they saw how do you think they would have answered what did the disciples themselves see and that's where i think it's important to to take us back for a moment and look at what came before this and look at what is so important in this notice here go back to uh verse 35 um actually verse 32 that's why I did want to read that look at verse 32 of Mark chapter 10 and they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them and they were amazed and those who followed were afraid and taking the 12 again he began to tell them what was to happen to him saying see we are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him and after three days he will rise. Jesus here has given his usual prediction. He's done this many times throughout the course of his ministry and here he is describing for them the path of the cross, something that they would not accept, we know from Peter and something that they did not understand, we know from the rest of them. As soon as he says this, James and John come up to him, two disciples. Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you. That's a bold thing to say, isn't it? He fires back, what do you want me to do for you? If you had anything to ask Jesus today, what would it be? that's a probing question that's a good question isn't it if you could ask jesus something today that he could do for you and he came to you and said what do you want me to do for you or you would come to him and say jesus i want you to do something for me you know what you do it all the time in your prayers what dominates your prayers what are you asking for what are you asking for what do you need they said to him verse 37 grant us to sit one on your right hand and one at your left in your glory interesting way to say that in your glory in other words lord here's here's what we want from you we want to share in all that glory we want you to grant us the highest seat in your glory with you just give it to us give it to us give us a seat we want to reign in that glory now with you it's like it's like me coming to some of you and saying you know i'd like you to do something you know for me and you say well what do you want me to do for you hand over a check and i'll fill it in right that's what i want lord give us the highest position any room in the trinity in there you don't know what you're asking are you able to drink the cup that i drink and be baptized with the baptism with i which i am baptized with are you yeah we are it's just it's astonishing you know how many years have have have we uh supposedly uh taught the catechism and taught the heidelberg catechism and every pastor across the board will tell you it's remarkable how much congregation still don't know the heidelberg catechism uh it's it's really lord's day five isn't it if because of god's righteous judgment we deserve temporal and eternal punishment that's hard enough for people to accept we really don't think we deserve judgment what is required and how are we able to escape this judgment and be returned to his favor and the answer is well god demands that his justice be satisfied he doesn't just grant heaven without wrath and sin being dealt with propitiated so full satisfaction has to be made we teach this we've taught this and so the next question well can we do it and the answer is no you can't do it well can any creature do it no not it's just any creature can do it we increase our guilt every day they're having a heidelberg catechism discussion we should be amazed here at the hardness of the heart to really see what the issues are to really see what the issues are instead they're worried about their own glory they're worried about their own advancement they're worried about making themselves great and i say to myself how much are we like this this is this is me you know last week we looked at saul and we dealt with the problem of the idolatry of of outward appearance and you know this problem i have more people come up to me saying pastor this is our problem we've got to talk about this more the idolatry of outward appearance perfect family perfect life everything's got to look great and everyone has to see us looking great and kids have to turn out just perfect that's how we want everyone to see with all our rewards and all of our a's we are a people of glory now and we want everyone to see it you know nine out of ten americans think they're going to heaven and seven out of ten say jesus is not the only way that's a big dilemma give us heaven give us glory now of course that should never include suffering of course that that should never include having to deal with messiness you understand what do you want me to do for you what do you want for me you don't know what you ask do our prayers demonstrate really are you able to drink the cup that i drink and be baptized with the baptism i'm baptized with are you able to drink this cup what is this cup they want glory why would jesus speak of wrath you see this we want glory jesus talks about a cup i have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed i am until it's accomplished he's going to be overwhelmed to the point of death are you able to drink this are you able to be baptized with this kind of baptism why is he asking are you able to attain to glory with me what is he asking are you able to attain to glory with me this way you want glory now on your terms but do you understand what brings glory then comes the statement confusing to us you will indeed drink the cup that i drink and with the baptism i'm baptized with you will be baptized but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it's for those for whom it's prepared Oh, you will. You will. But the issue of being sat down somewhere, that's for somebody else. You hear it? Who will sit? Who will sit? But his disciples don't understand something very important. The Son of Man must be delivered over the chief priests and the scribes and condemn to death and they will deliver him to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him and after three days he'll rise. They don't get that at all. Now hold that thought. Now hold that thought. Verse 46, As they came to Jericho and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus was doing what? sitting by the roadside. They want a seat. Here's somebody sitting. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And then he rebuked him. He'd be quiet. But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped. He said, call him. He made a big moment of this. And they called the blind man, saying, take heart, get up, he's calling you. And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, what do you want me to do for you? Huh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it? You see what the text is doing, you see what Mark is showing you. What do you want me to do for you? Here's a blind beggar. Here's a guy who sits in the ash heaps. Here's a needy, poor man he can't even see. And I think Jesus makes a big moment right now. And I wonder if he was looking at these two disciples when he asked this question. What do you want me to do for you? Lord, we want you to give us glory. We want a seat now in glory. Give us the best seats. Lord, I'm asking for mercy. And I want to be able to see you. It's really the emphasis. Give me my sight. I thought at this moment, I'm always reminded about the preparatory. The elders want to make sure that's done. And this whole sermon is that. But I want you to think about this for a minute. You're coming to the Lord's Supper Friday. What do you want Jesus to do for you? That's kind of the best preparatory question you could ask. What do you want Jesus to do for you? God will surely receive at the table of His Son all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and desire to do His will. All those, however, who do not repent, who don't put their trust in the Lord Jesus and have no desire to lead a godly life are warned according to the command of God to keep themselves from the Holy Sacrament. It goes on to say, if any of us wants to live in willful disobedience, that the supper can become judgment. But notice it goes on, the solemn warning is not designed to discourage Bartimaeuses from coming. We don't come to the supper as if we're righteous. We're testifying that we're sinners and we need Jesus. and we don't have perfect faith, and we don't serve and love God with all our hearts and don't love our neighbors as we ought, we're confident that the Savior accepts us when we come in humble faith, with sorrow for our sins, and with a will to follow Him as He commands. You see, that's examination. And Bartimaeus is sitting here seeing that this is the King, and what is the King bringing? Mercy. the Son of David would bring mercy. Jesus asks you today, you come to celebrate Passion Week, what do you want Jesus to do for you? Fix your life? You want Him to make it easier for you? You want Him to solve all your suffering now? You want Him to take away all your pain? You want Him to fix in all your surgeries? You want Him to immediately stop all the depression? You want all the sorrow from your bad circumstances fixed? You want all the hardships in life to be turned to victories? Give me more. Pamper me, Jesus. That's me. Give me glory. Let me look good. Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you? Mercy. Let me see. See, depending on how you answer that question depends on whether you understand the triumphal entry, I think. Depending on how you understand and answer Jesus' question depends on how you understand the triumphal entry. I would suggest Bartimaeus was one of the few that saw that day. What did Zachariah say when he rode in on a donkey what he would do? He would speak peace to the nations. Lord, let us sit on one side of you in your glory Jesus is saying my glory is that of the cross Luke says this and they brought the colt to Jesus the donkey and throwing their cloaks on the colt they set Jesus on the colt think of that imagery the seat I sit on is that of a donkey you can't sit on that seat you can't sit on that seat you understand this this was prepared by my father that i go do this you sit by the roadside begging i sit and ride to the cross for you you sit as the beggar i sit as your savior with the greatest benefit that i will speak peace to you and i will forgive all of your sins that's what we should see today that's the the humble king in obscurity hiding his glory that's why this so fits it nothing is done outward to display this to you nothing is done that's remarkable here because going to the cross is the deepest humbling of himself it's everything to the bartimaeuses it's everything to those who truly see their messiah that the son of man must die to enter into his glory and this is just what jesus will say on the resurrection how foolish are you how slow to believe all the prophets have spoken did not the messiah have to suffer these things and then enter into his glory that's what you should see in the triumphal entry the disciples would always be able later to look back on this with understanding you see this is why the holy spirit would come and give them understanding and what it really meant and and i believe that that's why the holy spirit helps us today to have a good understanding of this and marvel in what god has done for us what do you want jesus to do for you Jesus I want my experience of Passion Week and then I want to go home just like every Sunday don't press me too much don't press me about more church don't press me about following or devotion what do you want Jesus to do for you I have two requests of you mercy and I want to see you. If you're celebrating this week correctly, that'll be in your forefront. That'll be in your mind. That's what you can ask this week of Him and every day of your life. And you know what He promises? He promises that all that come with a broken and contrite heart, realizing your mess, realizing how much we have made a mess of life and that the facade of an outward perfect life is a lie. Those who come to him this way, guess what he says? Mercy I give you. And you're going to see Jesus. What a blessing this is. What good news we have. Let's praise him today. Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful text and thank you for, oh Lord, showing us who rode and took the seat that he might enter into his glory through the pathway of the cross that we indeed might have access and we indeed might have full forgiveness of our sins, the most important thing. Thank you, Lord, for everything that was accomplished for us. And thank you for speaking peace to us. This is the best news ever. We are a joyful people because you've spoken peace to us. And forgive us often that we are pushing you in this life and not realizing that the pathway to glory is a pathway of suffering even for us, maybe even martyrdom as we've been studying. But in all these things, we know that that glory is secured by our Savior and that those for whom the Father has prepared it will be there. Thank you for encouraging us and give us a proper perspective as we come on Good Friday. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.