ESF, Lord’s Day service message
4/13/2025
The King of Humility and Gentleness
Mark 11:1-11

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. 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!”
11 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.

The event of today’s text happened on the first day of the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. On that day Jesus entered Jerusalem by riding on a colt. Five days later, on Friday of that week, He would be crucified and die. His body would be in a tomb on Friday night and all-day Saturday, then raised to life again on the following day which would be Sunday morning.

Usually in ancient times, a king or general who was marching to battle or returning from a victory in a war, rode on the best horse. Jesus was entering Jerusalem to fight the power of the devil and death and to be victorious over them. With victory He would be the King of all kings. But Jesus did not ride on the best horse but on a colt. What lessons does the King teach us with that?

Prepare well and in advance for all battles in your life.
Jesus prepared to ride a colt (donkey) to fulfill the promise of God regarding the coming of the Messiah. Through the prophet Zechariah God promised that the Savior would come by riding on a donkey: Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah9:9)

The reason Jesus rode on a colt when He entered Jerusalem was to accomplish this promise of God given through prophet Zechariah.

To accomplish the promise, Jesus sent two of his disciples to the village and told them to bring a colt. Jesus prepared ahead to find a colt and be ready to use the colt. Jesus could have entered Jerusalem differently. Jesus could have said to the disciples: Let’s go to Jerusalem, and let’s see what animal is available. If there is a colt, I will ride on it. But if there are no colts, I will ride on anything or I will just walk into the city. He did not do it that way.

Of course, He could have entered the city by walking. But He had prepared for a colt ahead of time. The right colt was available at the right time because He prepared in advance to get a colt.

Not only at that time, but also on every occasion in His life, Jesus made plans and prepared well ahead of time to accomplish the plan. In fact, He spent thirty years preparing for His three years of public ministry. He prepared for the battle of the cross which He would face that week for three years. Then He overcame all the suffering and pain of the crucifixion and won the final battle, the battle against the devil and the battle against the power of death.

People who are living victorious lives prepare well for achieving goals in their lives.

Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned a famous artist to paint a bird. Several months passed, then several years, and still no painting was brought to the palace. Finally, the emperor became so exasperated that he went to the artist’s home to demand an explanation. Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank canvas on the easel. In less than an hour, he completed a painting that was to become a brilliant masterpiece. When the emperor asked the reason for the delay, the artist showed him armloads of drawings of feathers, wings, heads, and feet. Then he explained that all this research and study had been necessary before he could complete the painting. For one hour of drawing a masterpiece, he spent several years researching everything well and accurately in relation to a bird.

Jesus teaches us the truth that preparing well ahead of time for the battles in our lives is the key to winning the battles. Jesus gives us two good illustrations to teach us the importance of preparation in Luke 14:28-32.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.

Living by faith does not mean that it is ok for us to live without careful, thoughtful, and wise preparation for battles in our lives. While we trust that God will guide us and provide us with what we need, we must do our part. It is to make wise plans. It is to prepare well and ahead of time to accomplish our plans.

Preparing ahead is the key to a victorious life. Before you do anything, take enough time to pray, seeking God’s guidance to prepare well in advance for the things to come.

Fight battles in life with humility.
Up to the time Jesus enter Jerusalem he was preparing ahead of time for his suffering and death. He had been living as an ordinary son of a carpenter for 30 years. After that, he ministered among ordinary people an additional 3 years. Although He gave many hints at His identity as the Savior, He seldom came out and said it.

Only in the last week of His life when He entered Jerusalem to be crucified, did He openly declare that “He is the Savior, the King.” Up to this point, He never tried to promote His fame or power as the King. Why? He did not want to be a proud king. The devil is the king of pride and destroys men through their pride. But Jesus is the king of humility. Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Jesus did not want to give the devil opportunities of pride to tempt, attack or destroy Him. He made himself a humble king who everybody could approach without being intimidated, through whom all sinners can receive God’s forgiveness and love. The devil always promotes pride and destructive violence in our lives. But Jesus, the King of all kings, brings humility and gentleness.

By riding on a colt when He was entering Jerusalem to be their King, Jesus proclaimed that He is the King of humility and gentleness. He fought all battles in His life and for all of us, not with the power of weapons or money or political position but with the power of gentleness and humility.

The Israelites had been waiting for a long time for a king who could save them from political oppression, social injustice and all the problems in their lives.

So, when they thought that Jesus was entering the city as the king whom they had been waiting for, they started praising Jesus as their king.

“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna means “Save now.” People were recognizing that Jesus had come to them as the Savior King. And Jesus accepted their praise of Savior, the King. He used a colt to prove that He is the king who enters our hearts not by force but by gentleness and humility. He accomplishes God’s promise of salvation through peace and humility. He brings victory without violent fighting but with a peaceful parade.

Jesus won the difficult battle of suffering and crucifixion through gentleness and humility. Jesus’ humble and peaceful presence brings the presence of the living God into our lives.

In times of troubles, in times of turmoil, the gentle and humble King, Christ brings God’s presence where we can find peace. If you fight battles in your life with pride and with the power of the flesh, you will eventually lose the battles. But if you handle the battles with the spirit of gentleness and humility of the Lord you will win.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) has been known as one of the greatest composers of classical music. God used him to create marvelous music when he was humble. Once at the Vienna Music Hall, his oratorio “The Creation” was being performed. Weakened by age, the great composer was confined to a wheelchair. As the majestic work moved along, the audience was caught up with tremendous emotion.
When the passage “And there was light!” was reached, the chorus and orchestra burst forth in such power, that the crowd could no longer restrain its enthusiasm. The vast assembly rose to spontaneous applause.
Haydn struggled to stand and motioned for silence. With his hand pointed toward heaven, he said, “No, no, not from me, but from thence (God) comes all!” Having given glory and praise to the Creator, he fell back into his chair.

Always remember who you were before you were saved by Christ. Always remember what the Lord has done for you. Remember that you are just a forgiven sinner. Humble yourself before the Lord. Let the King of gentleness and humility rule your heart. He will make your life victorious.

Make yourself available to the King.
Riding a colt in those days was nothing unusual. But when Jesus rode it that day, it became special. It was used to fulfill God’s promise regarding the ride of the Savior. The colt did not need to do anything special to be used by the Lord. It just needed to make itself available to the Lord.

A colt can neither be as strong as a horse nor run as fast as a horse. But the Lord used a colt as it was for marching to the most important battle, the battle against the devil. By doing so, Jesus teaches us that we all can be used by Him preciously if we make ourselves available to him just as we are.

Are you not satisfied with the way your life is? Do you wish your life was completely different? Do you long for something to change that would make it all bearable? James Dobson points out that many teenagers look at their body and wish some part of it could be changed. It is too fat, too thin, too tall, too short etc. Always something is wrong. Not only teenagers but also many adults live with a feeling of unhappiness because of who they are and what they do not have.

But by riding on a colt to fulfill God’s promise, Jesus proves that we all can be used by God preciously just as we are. Jesus came to this world in order that the blind might see, the deaf hear and the lame walk, while the poor have good news preached to them (Luke 4:18). His healing was not only physical healing but also more importantly healing our crippled mind and spirits. Through coming to us by riding on a colt, Jesus encourages us to realize that in Him everyone has value, everyone is precious, everyone can be chosen by God and be used by God.

You and I have precious value in Christ because we are chosen by God. You would not be here if God had not chosen you. God has chosen you. Do you know that your parents did not create you? No matter how your parents wished and planned to have a child, they could not create you. They could not create you according to their wish or will. God did. Listen to the word in Psalm 139:13-14,
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

God created you. He chose you. He decided before you were born whether you would be male or female, have brown eyes or blue, be tall or short, whether you have a great talent or not. You were chosen before you were born, and a role for your life has been given.

Some years ago, an American tourist took a trip to Paris. During the trip he purchased a cheap amber necklace in a trinket shop. He took it to the US thinking that he did not need to pay any duty for it. But he was shocked when he had to pay quite a high duty on it to clear customs in New York. This aroused his curiosity, so he brought it to a jeweler for appraisal. After looking at the necklace under a magnifying glass, the jeweler said, “I’ll give you $25,000 for it.” Greatly surprised, the man decided to have another expert appraise it. When he did, he was offered $35,000. “What do you see that’s so valuable about this old necklace?” asked the astonished man. “Look through this glass,” replied the jeweler. When the man looked it through the glass, he saw an inscription: “From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine.” The value of the necklace came from its identification with a famous person.

God put Jesus’s name in your life. You are valuable because of the name Jesus in you. Listen to the word in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Hear that. You and I were created by God, in Jesus, to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Can you imagine a donkey trying to be a horse? It will never happen. The donkey will become miserable. You should be just yourself. Do not ask why you are just like you. Accept yourself as a valuable person who can be chosen by the humble King and used by Him. In fact, the humble King does not use proud horses, but humble donkeys. You can be used when you accept yourself just as you are and be thankful to the Lord for who you are.

Be available to Him always. Let Him use you. When God was seeking a servant, God spoke in front of Isiah, “Whom shall I sent? And who will go for us?” To those words Isiah responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Whatever the Lord asks you to do, respond gladly and willingly: Lord Here I am. I am ready to listen to you to follow your call, obey your instruction. And He will assure you of your self-worth. He will let you realize how valuable a person you really are, how important a person you are just as you are.