Sunday School Lessons on Jesus

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Sunday School Lessons on Jesus

Introduction

Christ is King

This week's lesson is the first in a set that be-gins to focus on Jesus as He is found in the bookof Revelation. Tlais..1.argeduring two important days in the.s,,Utien-dar: Palm Sunday and girrection auday(Easter) These two Sundays bracket a period inJesus' life called Passion Week—His final weekleading up to the crucifixion.

The events of Passion Week are always worthstudying and pondering anew. Taken together,the rest of the lessons for this quarter will allowstudents to see Jesus as more than the main char-acter in the events of Passion Week; He is alsothe reigning Lord of all creation. This is the glori-ous picture found in the book of Revelation.

A. Palm Sunday as Triumphal Entry

The title and words of the old spiritual "Rideon, King Jesus" recall the day when Jesus was re-ceived into Jerusalem as king. The welcome of Jesus into the holy city on the Sunday before Hiscrucinxion has long been called the triumphalenTh"7-Thls event is found in all four of theGpsne s, eac aving some unique aetai A1-though the Gospels do not_ make any refergo_e_tothis event as a "triumph," it does bear some. rela-t,ionshi custom of uniting a

The city of Rome had a tradition of staging tri-umphal processions. This parade would includethe Roman legions, enemy prisoners, wagonsloaded with booty, and the victorious general ina special chariot. Sometimes a new triumphalarch would be created. This custom was revivedby the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte,whose Arc de Triomphe in Paris was commis-sioned in 1806 for the glory of the French army.The triumphal entry of Jesus was a way of rec-ognizing Him as king. What did it mean for thosepresent to acclaim Jesus as king, and what doesthat mean for us today? This week's lesson willexamine some of the implications involved inrecognizing Jesus as king in our lives.

B. Lesson Background

Jewish law specified three important pilgrim-age festivals for which all able-bodied Israelitemen were expected to appear at the temple (seeDeuteronomy 16:16). They were Passover (veryclosely associated with the Feast of UnleavenedBread), Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks), and Taber-nacles. Passover came at the middle of the Jew-ish month of Nisan. This was in the spring, inMarch or April.

Passover was more than just a religious holi-day. Since it marked the liberation of the Jewsfrom Egyptian bondage, it was seen as a remem-brance of the birth of their nation. Thus, it hadstrong patriotic and nationalistic overtones. Itwas ironic, then, to celebrate a national day offreedom when all Jews knew that their nationhad again been subjugated, this time by the Ro-mans. This surely made it a bittersweet holiday!As observant and loyal Jews, Jesus and His disci-ples were expected to celebrate Passover, andthey did so willingly.

In Luke 9:51 we see that Jesus "steadfastly sethis face to go to Jerusalem." For the next 10 chap-ters of that Gospel, Jesus and the disciples wereon the pilgrim's journey to the temple city for thespring celebration of Passover. This was not aquick trip, and they were in no hurry. Traveling south from Galilee they passed through Jericho, asmall city just north of the Dead Sea. This was acommon route for travelers to Jerusalem from thenorth, and Jesus' band was doubtlessly a smallpart of thousands making the journey.While_in Jericho, Jesus was confronted by ablind man who understood Jesus' true identity.The man called out to Jesus and Jesus healed him.

I. Christ As Source and Goal(Revelation 1:8)

A fitting opening to today's study comes fromthe first chapter of Revelation. Hem the apostleJohn is being introduced to the key figures in hisheavenly visions. This includes God the Father and seven Spirits (Revelation 1:4). Jesus is intro-duced and described extensively in 1:5-7. Dra-matically, He speaks for the first time to identifyhimself in the verse before us.

8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning andthe ending, saith the Lord, which is, and whichwas, and which is to come, the Almighty.

It is striking to see that Jesus does not use thedescriptive terms John has employed for HMI inRevelation 1:5-7. Instead, Jesus uses the terms re-served for God in 1:4: which is, and which was,and which is to come. Revelation is never afraidto describe the risen Jesus in terms that remindus of Old Testament descriptions of God.

Christ As Lord to Be Served(Luke 19:28-34)

Peter preached that Jesus "went about doinggood, and healing all that were oppressed of thedevil" (Acts 10:38). As we move into Luke 19,that period is nearly over. Jesus has come toJerusalem for the most sobering and importantpart of the plan for human redemption. Jesusalone is aware of what is about to happen, butHis disciples play their parts by 'slaking prepara-tions for His entry into the holy city.

A. Disciples Given a Mission (vv. 28-31)

28. And when he had thus spoken, he wentbefore, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Jesus and His disciples leave Jericho to makethe long climb to Jerusalem. This is a couple of days before what we call Palm Sunday, for theydo not travel on the Sabbath (Saturday), and thetrip is difficult to finish in a single day.

We can imagine a large throng of pilgrims mak-ing this climb, singing some of the joyous Psalmsof Ascent (Psalms 120-134). One they may sing isPsalm 122:1, 2: "1 was glad when they said untome, Let as go into the house of the Lord. Our feetshall stand within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem."

29. And it came to pass, when he was comenigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountcalled the mount of Olives, he sent two of hisdisciples.

Approaching from the east, the band firstcomes to two small villages near Jerusalem. Wedo not know the precise location of Bethphage(meaning "house of figs"). But Bethany ("house ofmisery" or "house of dates") is at the foot of themount of Olives, less than two miles from Jeru-salem. Bethany is the home of Mary, Martha, andLazarus (John 11:1). This seems to be Jesus'"headquarters" for the coming week (see Mat-thew 21:17). Jesus probably arrives in Bethanyjust before the Sabbath begins (John 12:1).30, 31. Saying, Go ye into the village overagainst you; in the which at your entering yeshall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat:loose him, and bring him hither. And if any manask you, Why do ye loose him? has shall ye sayunto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

The village to which the two disciples are sentis Bethphage (see Matthew 21:1, 2). The two menare asked to do something very puzzling: fetch acolt belonging to someone else. If accused ofbeing thieves, they are to answer that Jesus, theLord, needs to use the animal.

This request shows us two parts of Jesus' plan.First, Jesus' simple instructions indicate His au-thority. To steal a colt is a serious, punishable of-fense. But that is not what Jesus is doing, and themen obey with confidence. Second, Jesus acts inorder to fulfill prophecy. Matthew 21:4 makes itclear that what is about to happen is a fulfillmentof Old Testament predictions about Jesus' entryinto Jerusalem (see Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9).The fact that this animal has never been rid-den has a dual significance. First, it offers asense of holiness for the occasion. This is an or-dinary animal but special in that it has neverbeen mounted by any other person. Unknow-ingly, the owners have been preparing for Jesus'royal ride for many months. Second. Jesus' abil-ity to ride an unbroken donkey is a way ofdemonstrating His lordship over all of creation.He is the prince of peace, whom even the un-tamed animals obey.

B. Disciples Serve Their Lord (vv. 32-34)32. And they that were sent went their way,and found even as he had said unto them.

We can imagine the surprise and wonder ofthe obedient disciples when they find everythingexactly as Jesus had predicted. There is no wayto explain this except to believe in the supernat-ural knowledge and authority of Jesus. Lou ques-tion /12, page 272.J

33, 34. And as they were loosing the colt, theowners thereof said unto them, Why loose yethe colt? And they said, The Lord hath need ofhim.

The details of Jesus' prediction even extend toa confrontation with the owners of the colt. Jesus'foreknowledge has already covered this, so thedisciples answer as He had advised them. Theygive no long rationale such as, "Jesus of Nazarethis in town for Passover and needs to borrow adonkey because He wants to ride it into Jeru-salem." They merely assert The Lord hath need ofhim. In so answering, they demonstrate boththeir confident obedience and their submissionto the lordship of Jesus the Messiah.

III. Christ as King to Be Praised(Luke 19:35-38)

Artists have attempted to illustrate what Jesus'triumphal entry may have looked like. Com-posers too have worked to bring the event alivemusically. All of these efforts fall short of thejoyous, even riotous celebration that accompa-nies Jesus as He enters the holy city. This isshown by the reaction of Jesus' jealous oppo-nents: "Master, rebuke thy disciples" (Luke19:39). Jesus responds that if He did this, "thestones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40).This indicates that the joy of this occasion is in-spired by God himself. If God is behind such re-joicing, who are humans to stifle it?

A. Preparing the Way of the King (vv. 35, 36)35, 36. And they brought him to Jesus: andthey cast their garments upon the colt, and theynet Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spreadtheir clothes in the way.

The word him refers to the borrowed animal.The crowd quickly joins the excitement of thecelebration, improvising the best parade possi-ble. There is no royal saddle for the donkey, sothe disciples throw their outer garments up onthe beast. These are their best clothes, their big-city, high holy day celebration clothes. There isno red carpet or newly paved street, so those inthe crowd toss their cloaks to cover the dirt and give an air of elegance to the procession. Thisshows the size of the crowd, which may be suffi-cient to have garments that cover the mile or soof this march. Matthew 21:8 says the crowd is"very great." ',Sec cities1 ion #3, page 2721We are_reminded that King Jesus does not re-ceive the trappings of human royalty, in tli-G-c71CeT of Luke. At Jesus' birth, He is not laid in aroyal bed-in a palace but in a manger in a stable(2:71. He does not send out His emissaries withtroo s and lavish trans ,ortation butno money 110:4). Even so, they preach tlIcjng,'-dom of God (10:91. Jesus taught that His idealkingdom members are not the rich and powerfuldffhe world but those as little children (18:10).

BLEEX

BLEEX—no, that's not the sound of some-thing getting bleeped out of a TV program. It's anacronym for Berkeley Lower Extremities EX-oskeleton. The University of California devel-oped the device to help people carry heavyloads. For example, firefighters can use a BLEEXas they struggle up the stairs of a building whilecarrying heavy rescue equipment.

BLEEX is not a hypothetical science-fictionpdget we have seen in Star Wars-type movies.BLEEX is real. It is a set of strap-on metal legsand power unit. Sensors and a hydraulic systemassist the normal motions of the human body. Asa result, the 100-pound exoskeleton and a 70-pound load can feel as light as 5 pounds. Imag-ine the superman impression one could makewhile transported by a BLEEX!

Had Jesus used something like a BLEEX toenter Jerusalem, the media undoubtedly wouldhave focused on the contraption rather than onJesus. By riding a humble beast such as a don-key, the attention was appropriately focused onJesus himself. Jesus' significance came from whoHe was, not from the technology He used. That'simportant to remember. People today are enthu-astic about technology, and we use technologi-.1 innovations at times to further the cause ofChrist. But to allow technology to overshadowthe message and identity of the king would be agrave mistake. —C. R. B.

B. Praising God (v. 37)

37. And when he was come nigh, even now attie descent of the mount of Olives, the wholemultitude of the disciples began to rejoice andpraise God with a loud voice for all the mightyworks that they had seen.

Our age is obsessed by the cult of celebrityworship. Many long to know every detail of the lives of their favorite stars. We often witness thefolly of assuming that famous people are wiseand/or good examples. This verse shows us thatthe triumphal entry celebration is much morethan celebrity glorification.

The crowd is not raisin,famous. ley praise God because in the ministry-J-.7They -have seen the j2_ower of Gad_dis-p I ved . This is the crowd that teas led withleshealed a blind man just shortly before.

C. Blessing the King (v. 38)

38. Saying, Blessed be the King that comethin the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, andglory in the highest.

Like the city of Rome, Jerusalem also knew oftriumphal processions. The non-biblical passage1 Maccabees 13:49-53 recounts a triumphal entryinto the city with praise, palm branches, andmusic in 141 BC. Many centuries earlier, Davidreturned to the city in triumph after slaying Go-liath, the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:54: 18:6).This type of victory procession is also re-flected in Psalm 118. The psalm begins with aconversation between the king and his army asthey approach Jerusalem, giving praise to God forthe victory (vv. 1-18). In verse 19 they arrive atthe gates of the temple and ask to be admitted.Once inside, they are filled with praise (v. 24).The celebration calls forth a blessing from thepriest (v. 26). Then the king's sacrifice is ac-cepted for the holy altar.

This mighty refrain is taken up by the crowdsof Jewish pilgrims as Jesus enters the city:Blessed he the King thot cometh in the name of the Lord. Although Jesus had won no militarybattles, they recognize and celebrate His king-ship.

Jesus' triumphal entry is characterized bymore than a Mardi Gras-like party spirit, how-ever. The crowd's spirit is one of worship. Theacclamation is not at all inconsistent with that ofthe angels at Jesus' birth: "Glory to God in thehighest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

No P. T. BARNUM, No APRIL FOOLBridgeport, Connecticut's annual Barnum Fes-tival is an upbeat civic event celebrating the lifeof P. T. Barnum (1810-1891). Barnum was thenineteenth-century circus king and was once thecity's mayor. Barnum was called "The Prince ofHumbug." He enjoyed playing hoaxes on people,all in the spirit of creative capitalism.

Barnum saw his sideshows as harmless waysof fooling people while giving them theirmoney's worth in good, clean fun. His "CardiffGiant," his "161-year-old nanny to George Wash-ington," and his "Fejee Mermaid" are legendary.He even wrote a book entitled Humbugs of theWorld (see www.ptbarnum.org).

Jesus of Nazareth was no P. T. Barnum. Therewas no humbug, no hoax, no April fool in whatJesus offered the crowd that joined His entry intoJerusalem. He was not motivated by the idea ofaccumulating earthly possessions. Many hadseen His miracles, heard His authoritative teach-ing, and witnessed His humility. Many peoplejoined His procession that day; many probablydeserted a few days later; some stuck with Himfor the rest of their lives and into eternity. Willyou follow Jesus today?

Conclusion

A. Jesus the King: Past, Present, and Future

Several years ago, I was in a crowd that was ad-dressed by Queen Elizabeth II, the reigningmonarch of Great Britain. I was within a fewdozen yards of the queen, and I saw and heard herclearly. She seemed to be a fine woman. The real-ity, though, is that her authority as queen is verylimited. Our world no longer embraces the con-cept of hereditary monarchs who reign absolutely.A central theme in the Bible is the kingship ofJesus. Jesus does not inherit a kingdom from anearthly father or win it through His accomplish-ments. His kingship is not bestowed upon Himby adoring citizens of the realm. He is king, hasalways been king, and will always be king. Therewill be challengers to His throne, but He willreign supreme (1 Corinthians 15:24, 25). Manyrejected Him as king (see John 19:15), but in theend He will receive their acknowledgment (seePhilippians 2:10, 11).

What are the personal implications of Jesus'kingship? Does He reign in your life? Considerthe question this way: When you willingly dis-obey King Jesus, do you fear His wrath (see Reve-lation 6:16)? The New Testament teaches thatthose who reject the reign of the Lord will becrushed in "the winepress of the fierceness andwrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15).Those who love Him, those who serve Him, willbe those who obey Him. When Christ reigns inour lives, we can be free from the fear of God'smighty wrath (see 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

If you claim citizenship in the kingdom of Godand of His Christ, is your allegiance absolute andconsistent? Is your loyalty unwavering, even inthe face of opposition? Are you able to let go ofyour own selfish desires to serve the King ofkings without reservation? May God bless as aswe each strive toward perfect and unreservedservice, so that one day we will hear the words."Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . .enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21).

B. Prayer

God in Heaven, we repeat the refrain: Blessedis He who comes in the name of the Lord! Wethank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to bringas salvation. May He reign supreme in our lives,now and forever. In His blessed name we pray,amen.

C. Thought to Remember

Celebrate the king!

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