WhatcanJesusexpectofyouinhisSecondComing?

Expectationsareimportant.Apsychologist,backin1964,
conductedastudyintheSanFranciscoareawithsome
elementaryschoolteachers.HetookastandardIQtest
andputanewcoveronit.HecalledittheHarvardTestof
InflectedAcquisition.Thetest,theteachersweretold,
wouldindicatewhichstudentswouldhaveagrowthintheir
IQs.

Then,hepickedoutstudentsatrandomandtoldthe
teacherstheseweretheoneswhowouldshowadramatic
increaseintheirintellectualcapacity.And,youknowwhat
happened?Theteacherstreatedthestudentslike
intellectualgiants,andbecauseofthis,thestudentsIQs
didgrow.Allofthisbecauseofexpectations.

ThroughouttheOldTestament,GodgaveHispeople
expectations,chiefamongthemwastheideathata
Messiahwascomingtosavepeoplefromtheirsins.

However,throughouthistory,therehasnotbeena
consensusastowhatthistermmeans.TheHebrewword
meansanointedone.So,theMessiahisGodsAnointed
One.But,whatdoesthismean?

Whenpriestsanointedthingswithoil,theybecame
consecratedforGod,thusworthyofbeingusedin
religiousservicetoGod.FortheChristian,Jesuswas
consecratedforservicetoGod,toseekandsavethat
whichwaslost,tobethefinalatonementforthesinsofthe
people.

Itiseasyforustolookback2,000yearsanddeclarewith
certaintywhatandwhotheMessiahwas.But,whatifyou
wereaJewlivingduringthetimeofJesus.Youarea
devoutJew,faithfultoGod.Rabbishavetaughtyouabout
theMessiah.Whatwouldyouthinkaboutthisguywhose
momwaspregnantbeforeshegotmarried.Whonoone
knowswhothefatheris.Heissayingthingsthatare
shakingthefoundationsofallthatyoubelieveaboutGod.


Howwouldyoureact?

IhavenoproblemadmittingtoyouIhavenocluewhatis
goingtohappenwhenJesusreturnsforhissecond
coming.Giventhefactthatpeoplehaddifficultywithhis
first,whyshouldIbesurprisedthatIhavetrouble
understandingthesecondcoming.

Ititledthisweekssermon,WhatcanJesusexpectofyou
inhisSecondComing?ThepointIwanttodrivehomeis
this:WhenJesusreturns,Iprayhefindsyoufaithful.I
honestlymeanthisbecauseofwhatwearegoingtosee
unfoldbetweentheTriumphalEntryandthePassion.The
joyandthepain.Thebeginningandtheend.Thealpha
andtheomega.

Understandingwhatthewordmessiahmeanswillhelpus
betterunderstandwhatmighthavebeengoingoninthe
mindsofthepeoplewholinedthewayduringthe

TriumphalEntryandthosewhoturnedtheirbacksto
Jesus.

Asmentionedearlier,intheOldTestament,messiah
referredtoGodsanointed.ItisusedofSaulmorethan
anyotherthing.ItisusedofthecomingMessiah,aswell.
Thewordisalsousedtorefertoapriest,KingDavid,King
SolomonandtheProspectiveKing.

Whatbecomesinterestingisunderstandinghowtheword
messiahwasusedinthefourcenturiesbeforeJesusis
born.ThisisreferredtoastheIntertestamentalPeriod,the
timebetweenthecloseoftheOldTestamentwritingsand
thebeginningoftheNewTestamentwritings.

Someofthewritersduringthistimewantedamessiah
wouldbeaDavidickingandpurifyIsraeloftheGentiles
whotrampledoverthem,purifyIsraelfromtheJewswho
wereunrighteousandtomakeJerusalemholy.

Anotherwritersawthemessiahasusheringintheend
timesandbringingGodsjudgment.Themessiahisalso
seenasanewpriestGodwillraiseuptodeliverhis
judgment.Whilejudgmentcanbeseenasanegative
thing,thereisapositiveaspect,too:Salvation.The
intertestamentalwritingsalsorefertoauniqueprophet,an
onlybegottenone,throughwhomcomessalvation.

Themessiahisseenasawarriorking,apriestbringing
judgmentandaprophetwhodeliverthepeople.These
conceptsarecompetingforthemindsofthepeopleas
theylinethepathandrecognizetheTriumphalEntryof
Jesus.

LetslookatwhatMark,Matthew,LukeandJohnhaveto
sayaboutthisaccount.AllfourwritingaboutJesuscoming
inonadonkey.Ronreadearlieraboutthedisciplesgoing
intotowntofindtheanimal,howtheyspreadcloaksover
theanimal.

InthepassagefromMark11:111,therearetwothings
Iwantustonotice.

AsJesusiscomingintotown,ridingontheanimal,people
arethrowingtheircloaksandpalmbranchesontheroad
shouting,Hosanna,whichmeansSaveus.Blessedishe
whocomesinthenameoftheLord.Blessedisthecoming
kingdomofourfatherDavid.Hosannainthehighest.!

ThefirstiswediscoverJesusiscominginthenameof
God
.Thoughnotsayingitexplicitly,thisgivesusan
ideathatJesusisGodsanointedone.

And,heisusheringinthe
KingdomofDavid
.In2
Samuel7,wereadaboutDavidsGreaterSonwhowill
usherinaforeverkingdom.Jesusisthegreatersonof
KingDavid,andhecametoestablishanewkingdom.

SomeoftheJewswantedtobelieveJesuswasthe
MessiahKing,buttheirideaofakingwasonewhowould

leadanarmy,likeDavid,anddefeattheRomanintruders
andreestablishJerusalemtoitsloftyplace.

ButtheKingdomJesuswasusheringinwasaKingdomof
Heaven,asMatthewwrites.

LetusturnourattentiontothepassagefromMatthew
21:111.
Invv.46,Matthewtellsus,Thistookplaceto
fulfillwhatwasspokenthroughtheprophet:5"Saytothe
DaughterofZion,'See,yourkingcomestoyou,gentle
andridingonadonkey,onacolt,thefoalofadonkey.'

ThatprophetwasZechariah.So,welearninthispassage
thatJesusselectionofananimalwasafulfillmentof
Prophecy
.

Godistheonlyonewhocanwritehistorybeforeit
happens.HeknewandprophesiedwhatDavidsGreater
Son,hisMessiah,woulddo,thusgivingthepeoplean
ideaofwhattoexpectwhenJesuscame.


AlsointhispropheticpassageweseeJesus
Royalty
isemphasizedbyreferringtohimas
King
.Again,I
wouldestimatemostdidnotunderstandwhatthisnew
kingwoulddo.Hewasnotgoingtobethewarriorkingthe
peoplewanted.Hemightnothavedeliveredlibertyon
earth,buthewasbringinglibertytotheirsouls.

AsweturnourattentiontoLuke19:2844
,weshould
notbesurprisedtoseesomefamiliarthemes.Asseenin
MarkandMatthew,Jesusisequatedwithbeinga
Deity
andKing
.

Invv.3738,weread,Whenhecameneartheplace
wheretheroadgoesdowntheMountofOlives,thewhole
crowdofdisciplesbeganjoyfullytopraiseGodinloud
voicesforallthemiraclestheyhadseen:38"Blessedis
thekingwhocomesinthenameoftheLord!""Peacein
heavenandgloryinthehighest!"

Fromthisverypassage,weknowLukeclearlyconnects
Jesuswithbeingthekingwhocomesinthenameofthe
Lord.WhatisnotascleariswhowecansayJesusis
deityheisGod.Imaketheconnectionthisway:The
peoplearepraisingGodforallofthemiracles,allofthe
worksofpowerJesusdid.

WhenwelookatMatthewsaccount,weknowthereisa
linkbetweenthisKingandDavid.IfwegobacktoLuke2,
invv.1114,weread,TodayinthetownofDavidaSavior
hasbeenborntoyouheistheMessiah,theLord.12This
willbeasigntoyou:Youwillfindababywrappedincloths
andlyinginamanger.13Suddenlyagreatcompanyof
theheavenlyhostappearedwiththeangel,praisingGod
andsaying,14GlorytoGodinthehighestheaven,and
onearthpeacetothoseonwhomhisfavorrests.

IncallingJesussavior,messiahandLord,Lukeis
equatingJesuswithGod.

So,wehavetheMessiahKingridingin,notonawar
horse,butonahumblebeastofburden.Thisshouldhave
giventhepeopleanindicationthatJesuswasan
altogetherdifferentking.Andtheentryofthe
King
requires
Jubilation/Celebration
.

Wereadaboutthepeopleofferingpraisings,shouting
Hosanna,peaceinheavenandgloryinthehighest.This
wasatimetocelebrate,thekingwascominghome.We
knowthereisvictoryinthisKingJesus,butitdidnotcome
onthebattlefield.Thiskingdefeateddeath.

Lukeindicatesthereis
Sadness
associatedwiththis
TriumphalEntry.LetsturnourattentiontoLuke19:3942,
SomeofthePhariseesinthecrowdsaidtoJesus,
"Teacher,rebukeyourdisciples!"40"Itellyou,"hereplied,
"iftheykeepquiet,thestoneswillcryout."41Ashe
approachedJerusalemandsawthecity,heweptoverit
42andsaid,"Ifyou,evenyou,hadonlyknownonthisday

whatwouldbringyoupeacebutnowitishiddenfrom
youreyes.

Thiswasatimeofjubilation,somuchso,Jesustoldthe
Phariseesthatevenifhisdisciplesremainedquiet,like
theywantedthemtodo,eventhestoneswouldcryout.

AsJesuslookedatJerusalem,heweptforit,because
despitehisTriumphalEntry,somepeoplestillcouldnot
recognizehewastheSavior,theMessiah,theProphet,
PriestandKing,comingtosaveGodspeople.

TheironicthingwasablindmaninLuke18couldsee
Jesusforwhohewaswhenhecalledhim,SonofDavid.

WeseefromJohn12:1219that
Jesusisdeclaredtobe
theKingof
Israel
.

Invv.1213and16,,itsays,Jesuswasonhiswayto
Jerusalem.13Theytookpalmbranchesandwentoutto

meethim,shouting,"Hosanna!'""Blessedishewho
comesinthenameoftheLord!""BlessedistheKingof
Israel!"16Atfirsthisdisciplesdidnotunderstandall
this.OnlyafterJesuswasglorifieddidtheyrealizethat
thesethingshadbeenwrittenabouthimandthattheyhad
donethesethingstohim.

WiththeideathatthingswerewrittenaboutJesus,they
arerecognizingJesusasthe
Messiah
.

However,thisrecognitionwouldbeshortlivedbecaseof
TheSadRealityoftheTriumphalEntry.

ItcanbesummedupinthisphrasefromJohn18:3840:
Giveus
Barabbas
.

Aweekbefore,JesuswascelebratedastheMessiah,and
nowhewasbeingsentencedtodeath.Falselyaccused,
falselyarrested,falselyconvicted.EventhoughPilate
foundnowronginJesus,heletthecrowdgatheredbefore

himtodeclarewhotheywantedfreed.Theysaid,Giveus
Barabbas.

Whathappenedtothosepeople.Whydidtheycriy,Give
usBarabbas.Whathappenedtothepeoplethatthey
wereshoutingHosanna,KingofIsrael,SonofDavid,
BlessedishewhocomesinthenameoftheLord.

TheApostlePaulwrotein1Corinthians10:12,So,ifyou
thinkyouarestandingfirm,becarefulthatyoudon'tfall!

IpraywhenJesusreturns,Hewillfindyoufaithful.