See Who The Son Of David Is
How do you tell someone who you are? If you wanted to teach and show someone who you are—who you really are, how would you do this? When I think of this question, I think of jobs and resumés. It’s been years since I’ve had to fill out a resumé. But it has to be a frustrating task. You have to condense your life down to one or two pages. You have to simply and succinctly communicate to a company who you are in one or two pages. How do you do that? How do you communicate to someone who you are? In the words we look at this morning that’s what Jesus is doing. He is introducing himself to his own city and teaching them who he actually is. In Mark 11, we read: “1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.” (Mark 11:1–6 NIV11-GKE)
We read these words and we ask the question, “Why does Mark spend so much time speaking about a donkey?” Jesus here in these words is teaching the people of Jerusalem who the Son of David is. The Son of David was a humble human. Every other king on the face of the planet would come into his own city with an honor guard. He would come into his city with a body guard and a chariot. So, with an example they can see, he teaches them that the Son of David is a humble human. But there’s more to it. It’s not just any donkey. It’s a donkey that no one has ever ridden on. It’s a sign and a hint that there’s more going on here. He is a humble human. But he is also so much more. So Jesus shows the people of Jerusalem that he is the Son of David by allowing himself to be treated as the Son of David. But Jesus teaches them in yet another way: “7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”” (Mark 11:7–10 NIV11-GKE)
Jesus shows that he is the Son of David by allowing himself to be treated as a humble human and also a holy God. But here we see that he isn’t just treated as a humble human and holy God, he is called both of those. He is called the name, the “Son of David.” It’s hard to find a name for Jesus that better teaches who he is. He is the human descendent of David. But he is also, at the same time, over David and greater than David. Jesus does all of this to teach to them who he really, truly is. He is a humble human and holy God. But there’s another way we see that he is the Son of David: “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” (Mark 11:11 NIV11-GKE)
Jesus shows us that he is the Son of David by letting us see that he is treated as the Son of David, called the Son of David, and here, he has the attributes and qualities of the Son of David. Or, to put it differently, he does the things that only the Son of David can do. As a humble human he looks around with his own eyes. But as the holy God he sees everything.1
We wrestle and struggle to show people who we really, truly are. But look at Jesus. There Jesus is wrestling and struggling to teach us who he really, truly is. And he does this by having people treat him as the Son of David, name him the Son of David, and show the attributes and qualities of the Son of David. He does all of this to show what it means to be the Son of David, that he is both a humble human and holy God. Jesus works so hard to teach the people. But who learns the lesson? So very few understand who the Son of David is.
And it might be tempting to be harsh and mean to those who cut down palm branches and laid down their clothes to pave Jesus’ way in to Jerusalem. But we too face the same temptation. We face the temptation to forget what it means that Jesus is the Son of David. Jesus is the Son of David. And that means that he is a humble human. And we can forget this. I remember when I was a child in Sunday School, my teacher once said, “Don’t forget, Jesus needed his diapers to be changed too.” Jesus was a humble human. I remember this when I think of that time when Jesus was invited to go into a Pharisee’s house and have dinner with him. The Pharisee, by his actions, shows Jesus that he despises him. He does not have anyone there to wash Jesus’ feet. But a woman who had led a sinful life shows up. And with her tears she stains Jesus feet. And what the Pharisee did not do, she did. She wiped off the sweat, the stink, the sand with her own hair. It’s so easy for us to forget how human Jesus is. And if we fall to that temptation we can fall into an even worse trap. We can begin to conclude that Jesus came not to save us from our sin, but instead, from our humanity. Being human is not sinful. No, instead, being sinful is sinful. God made us with these bodies. Jesus took on a human body. And just as he rose with a human body, so too will we.
Now, what I don’t want to have happen in all this is all you teenagers going home and saying to your parents, “Jesus’ feet stank, so it’s fine if my feet stink.” That’s not the point to walk away with this morning. No, instead, the point is that Jesus wants to show us who he really, truly is. He is the Son of David. And that Son of David was a humble human for us. And by being a human perfectly in our place he paid for all the times we used our bodies for sin or thought there was shame in just simply having human bodies themselves.
But there’s more. When Jesus shows them that he’s the Son of David, he’s also showing them that he is our Holy God. These are words you have to picture. Jesus gets up the hill to the temple. And the sun is just barely going down. The sky is mixed with orange, red and yellow. But is Jesus staring at the sunset? No. Instead, Jesus is looking around at everything. The Son of David sees everything. In Catechism class I ask the children this question: “Is it good or bad news that God sees everything?” Then I tell them, “God sees every thought that travels through your brain and every desire in your heart. Is that good news or bad news?” And then they say that it’s bad news. We forget this don’t we? Just as we can forget that the Son of David was a humble human, we can also forget that Jesus is our Holy God too. And that too is a sin. For we, as Christians, have no excuse. For we have been taught from little on up that God can see all. But the Son of David doesn’t just see our sin. He also sees our need for salvation. And since he is the one and only Holy God he does we could never do. He dies and pays for all our sins. He pays for the sin we commit when we forget Jesus’ humble humanity and holy divinity.
So my dear friends in Christ, if you wrestle to show people who you are, look at Jesus here on Palm Sunday. For here he wrestles and struggles to show the people and us today that he is the Son of David. He does this by showing them that he is treated as the Son of David, called the Son of David, and does the things that only the Son of David can do. And he does all of this for you. Amen.
1 “ⲡⲉⲣⲓⲃⲗⲉⲯⲁⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥⲡⲁⲛⲧⲁ” (Mark 11:11 GNT-ALEX)