Pastor Zach (3:55)

What does it mean to be great? Is greatness found in titles and accolades? Does greatness come from within or do others recognize it? The story of Jesus reveals to us the nature of true greatness and nobility. It's not in lofty titles or golden crowns, but knowing when to lay it all down for the sake of others. Welcome to the Jesus Podcast Stories of Transformation, Resurrection and Redemption. I'm Pastor Zach from Pray.com I'll be your humble host through this year long exploration into some of the most iconic stories, teachings and events surrounding the person and ministry of Jesus. You see, the greater our understanding of Jesus, the more significant our connection with God and the more tangible our purpose becomes. Make sure to follow and subscribe to this podcast so you can follow along these epic adventures. These are going to be dramatized stories based on the Gospels with deep commentary and personal reflection. For the next 19 episodes of this podcast, we're going to immerse ourselves in the story of Passion Week, Good Friday, Easter, and all of the events following the resurrection. Easter is about victory over our past, new beginnings, and the promise of eternal life in Christ, so no better way to open up our podcast. The pastel colors, picnics and egg hunts are all fantastic, but I think they can sometimes detract us from the dramatic events that led to Easter eggs. Jesus flipped tables in protest of the corrupt priests. Judas snuck through alleyways to conspire against him. Guards arrested, beat and mocked him before his march to the cross. The events of Easter were loud, disruptive and earth shaking literally. Sometimes these stories will take us back in time to fully appreciate Christ's passion. Let this be a time to remind ourselves of Jesus epic journey to the cross and from the grave. We're going to take time to feel the heaviness of the cross and the weight of our sins. But we're also going to take time to reflect on the magnitude of Christ's redemption. Then we're going to celebrate the resurrection and God's ultimate victory over sin, death and destruction. So let's hop back into our story now. Jesus has just given his disciples orders to retrieve a donkey. They do so with confusion and skepticism because it seems like Jesus is asking them to commit theft. But Jesus is going to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, thus fulfilling prophecies that remind us that Christ didn't just come to show off his power, but to rule as a prince of peace.

Narrator (6:30)

The disciples appointed Peter and John to retrieve the animals. The village was muddy from the rain that fell two nights before. A dreary gray haze shrouded the town. It was like all the sun's light was reserved for Jerusalem, and there was none left for the poor village residing in its shadow. The first property to the left was fenced in by a few stones stacked on top of each other. To the left of the house was a wooden beam carved from a terebinth tree. Tied firmly to the beam were a donkey and her colt. The donkey was already broken and ready to be ridden. The colt, however, raged against the rope. The beam that kept him from running away was a burden, not a comfort. He was unbroken, stiff necked and painfully unaware that the beam kept him safe. The two men approached gently, Peter from the front and John from behind. Their hands reached for the colt's rope when a man burst through the door behind them.

Donkey Owner (7:39)

What are you doing?

Narrator (7:40)

The owner shouted. He stormed toward them with a limp on his right leg. He hobbled briskly, churning up the mud behind him.

Donkey Owner (7:48)

Those are my donkeys. What are you doing with them?

Narrator (7:52)

What happened next was perhaps the oddest interaction either of the two men had had in their lives. Without pretense or apology, Peter raised his hand and repeated the words of his master, the Lord has need of them. Of course, he did not expect it to be a satisfactory answer, but to his dismay, the owner of the donkeys paused.

Donkey Owner (8:15)

The Lord?

Narrator (8:17)

He asked with a broken voice.

Donkey Owner (8:19)

The Lord requires my donkeys.

Narrator (8:22)

His feet remained buried in the mud, but wholly disarmed where he stood, the owner's previously violent demeanor melted like wax before a flickering flame. His eyes widened, his brow furled up, and in his expression was doleful, like he had just been scolded in the same way his mother used to. The man shuffled a few paces toward the men and untied the donkeys for them. He placed the rope in their hands.

Donkey Owner (8:53)

Here I am. Sorry I gave you trouble. May the Lord be with you.

Narrator (8:58)

He looked up at them with watering eyes. The reason for this man's change was a mystery, but there was no doubt that God himself was at work in his heart. Without saying another word, the man left back into his home. The two companions departed back to the Mount of Olives. The colt followed them the whole way up. They struggled to reach the shaded glen where Jesus waited. His hind legs kicked back and his head jerked in Every direction. Their master stood up and reached his hand out to the beast. Its punchiness subsided when he touched him. The frenetic energy of the colt melted away. Just like the owners, it was still submissive. Peter and John threw their cloaks onto the colt and their master mounted it. Then, in some extraordinary collective conscious, an ancient prophecy spoken in the darkness of Babylonian captivity hundreds of years ago came rushing back to their memory. Tell the daughter of Zion, behold your king comes to you humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The prophecy spoke of the promised Prince of Peace who would deliver Israel from its captors. They watched him ride down the hill toward Jerusalem. The coolness of the early morning dissipated with the risen sun. The light surged over the mountains, splashing the city with water. He heard a clamoring in the distance. Was it a riot or a reception that awaited him? Jesus descended the hill into a small valley beside the brook Kidron. A week from now it would be Passover, and the water would turn to crimson from the blood of animal sacrifices. He rode the colt beside the water and leaned down to see his reflection. He still wore the clothes of a peasant carpenter. From Nazareth, Jesus ascended the path leading up to the summit beside the city gates. A crowd of thousands gathered before him, thundering with applause and praise. They parted in the middle, creating a pathway for him to walk in their midst. His companions paced before him in complete awe of what they were witnessing. Hosanna to the Son of David. They shouted. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, they praised. Hosanna to the highest. They sang. This wasn't a mere gathering to hear him teach or a mob waiting to be healed. This was a coronation. They laid their cloaks and palm fronds onto the ground where he stepped. Women sang, men clapped and children danced as he passed them. The coatless multitude lifted their hands and welcomed their promised king, crowning him with their praises. The disciples kept pace a few yards behind Jesus. Although the people worshiped him, they could surmise something else was at work in the margin. Though the people showered him with praise, Jesus gaze was fixed westward toward the hills. In just a few days, he would march up those hills with wood and nails scraping his back. The people clamoring for Jesus to be adorned with a gold crown were unaware that a crown of thorns, thorns awaited him. They cheered for him to sit on a throne, not fathoming that a cross would be where he brought justice. Gruesome glory awaited him. Emerging from the shadows were the priests and Pharisees. The people's praise for Jesus was like nails to stone. The frantic religious leaders. Poison poured out of the gates protesting

Donkey Owner (13:19)

the coronation, yelling, teacher, rebuke your disciples. They are worshipping you like God.

Narrator (13:26)

Jesus glanced away from the hill briefly and looked down at them for a short and frozen space in time. The peasant carpenter from Nazareth looked more like his predecessor, David. He sat atop that colt like a poor and said, if they are silent, the stones themselves will begin to shout. With those words he entered the gate. The resounding roars of the crowds dissipated and the Prince of Peace turned his face like a flint to the west. It was the beginning of the end, and the hero of heaven was on the move. The tip of a hill crested barely over the city walls. Clouds covered it like the spirit of God. His eyes were steadily set on the mountain called skull.

Pastor Zach (14:31)

Oppression, struggle and heartache. This was the backdrop of Jesus ministry. The boot of Rome was heavy on the Jewish people. At that time, Caesar's arm was stretched over the entire region of Judea. People were taxed beyond their limits, stripped of their agency and their identities were threatened to their very core. The prophets of old spoke of a hero who had come to deliver God's people a seed from Abraham, a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a son of David. They called him the Messiah. The Jewish people pined after this prophet, they this king, this conqueror who was going to liberate the Jewish people. They thought that maybe he would come to deliver them from the oppression of Rome and the boot of Caesar. No doubt they had images in their minds of a noble warrior riding from heaven to defeat the armies of Rome and take the kingdom of Israel back. No doubt prophecies like Psalm 2, 7, 9 echoed in their minds when it said, you are my son. Today I have become your father. Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter. You will dash them to pieces like pottery. You see, the people of this time wanted a king. They wanted a king to rival Caesar and to bring about a new era. An era like the one of King David. When Jesus came onto the scene and he began performing miracles and challenging the authority of the temple. They thought it was the beginning of some sort of revolution. Their conquering king had finally come. The son of David had arrived. And you really get that sense when Jesus arrives and people are heralding him as a king. However, Jesus didn't act like a typical king. He didn't come galloping in on A white horse with an army behind him. He rode in on an unbroken colt of a donkey, with a posse of fishermen and vagabonds behind him. Jesus was indeed on a kingly mission, and his eyes were set on winning the war ahead. But his mission wasn't to overthrow a government or usurp the throne of Caesar. Jesus had a bigger prize ahead of him. The souls of mankind. Jesus was a conquering king, but his victory wasn't over an army or a fortified city. His victory was claimed through loving sacrifice and taking the punishment for our sins. Knowing full well what awaited him, knowing that he must endure the cross before receiving the kingdom, Jesus marched forward. In his suffering, we should admire, not pity, Jesus. He knew exactly what was before him. They heralded him as a conquering king, but it wasn't a golden and jeweled arrayed throne that awaited him, but a cross. It wasn't a bright and shiny crown that was going to be placed on his head, but a crown of thorns. John 11:57 makes it clear. If Jesus was going to march into Jerusalem, the Pharisees and the priests were going to conspire to kill him. But despite all that, Jesus came into Jerusalem in the most public way possible. One constant idea we're going to explore in this podcast is, is that Jesus was not a victim. He wasn't a victim of circumstance. Although the path ahead of him would lead to suffering, Jesus confidently walked forward. He was and is the King of heaven and the promised hero of history. He was definitely worthy of the praise that people were giving him as he had this triumphal entry. But this story shows Jesus has a different perspective of royalty. This story shows Jesus displaying confidence, but also also humility. He received their praises because he was worthy of their praises. He was indeed the Son of David. He was the Messiah. However, he didn't lord that identity over them with heavy hands. He was humble and intentional with every word and never self gratifying. He entered in on a donkey with a posse of fishermen behind him, not on a white horse with an army. This entry into Jerusalem is what's known as the triumph of Christ. The triumphal entry. It was indeed a triumph, but it was a triumph of humility over pride, of poverty, over affluence, of meekness, over rage and malice. Jesus balanced humility and nobility. As believers, we're all supposed to strive for this balance of confidence and humility. We can have assurance in our identities, who we serve and the mission we're called to. That should give us a boldness and a confidence. However, when acting out our identities and mission, we should do so with humility and a tender heart. Jesus said, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. That meekness doesn't mean weakness. It doesn't mean that we're feeble people. It means we know who we are. We know the power within us, but we use it to help others instead of ourselves. We serve instead of demanding to be served. That is going to be a continual theme as we explore the story of Jesus. The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve. During this Easter season, let's put on the mind of Christ and balance humility with nobility. Let's walk confidently in who we are while always looking for who we can serve. Join us for our next episode to watch Jesus passionately storm the temple courtyard with fire in his belly. Do you think we serve a weak and passive God? Think again. Jesus is about to cause some commotion and set a divine plan in motion. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the podcast. That way you never have to miss an episode. You can find more epic stories from the Bible by downloading the Pray.com apply. See you next time. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.