Lay Down Your Cloak: The Humble King

Jesus is orchestrating the anti triumph. He arrives with no armor, no army, no weapons. He's riding on an unbroken donkey, an animal apiece. He's entirely exposed. He isn't flexing his muscle or trying to intimidate anyone. He's looking at this abused and cynical and broken people and saying to them, I am not like the other leaders who have hurt you. I am safe. [00:38:57] (43 seconds)  #HumbleKing

He does not bait and switch. He does not manipulate. He is exactly who he appears to be, lowly, humble, fiercely in love with you, worthy of your full surrender. Imagine the moment where you finally surrender, where your pain, your vulnerability, your brokenness is exposed to him. Imagine what it feels to let your guard down, to take off that heavy armor, and to finally look up and to catch his eye. [00:42:21] (49 seconds)  #SurrenderToHim

I know you have wounds to prove that people are difficult. Jesus has the wounds to prove that he's safe. The king is riding on a donkey and doesn't ride into Jerusalem to execute his enemies. He rides to Jerusalem to be executed for them. The hands that hold the universe together will be soon nailed to a piece of wood so that you could be healed by his wounds. [00:41:41] (41 seconds)  #HealedByHisWounds

For so long, I I I bet you've been hiding your pain, your guilt, your brokenness hidden under that cloak because you are absolutely certain that if God saw the real you, his reaction would be a grimace, that you'd expect a look of disappointment, that you'd hear a long lecture of how you missed the mark. But when you do finally look up and your eye catches his, it won't be a grimace. It will be a grin. [00:43:10] (41 seconds)  #FromGrimaceToGrin

It was a shocking act of vulnerability. It was their way of saying, I'm taking off my armor. I'm choosing to believe that you are who you say you are. I am surrendering my heart to you, Jesus. This morning, Jesus is riding into the chaotic, broken streets of your life, and he's asking for your cloak. Your cloak, it's cynicism, self protection. [00:40:30] (39 seconds)  #TakeOffYourArmor

The Palm Sunday cried out, Hosanna, save us. And at that camp, that's exactly what he was doing, saving us, healing us, loving us. As I watched them worship, God gently lifted the heavy cloak of guilt off my shoulders. He looked at my feelings of failure, and he grinned. He showed me that my ministry wasn't a failure at all, that the youth had learned the most single most important lesson, that they connected with him. [00:47:59] (40 seconds)  #PalmSundaySalvation

They knew that if they gathered and worshiped him, that he would come by, that he would minister to them, that they would experience not a grimace but a grin, and that he would give them life, living water. Imagine what would happen if we too could look up when we worship him, putting down our cloak, being honest about our shame, our sorrow, our brokenness, sadness, and being real with him. [00:48:40] (46 seconds)  #WorshipWithHonesty

They were used to being manipulated. They knew what worldly bullying power looked like. I mean, the Romans invented the triumph, a massive parade where a victorious general would ride into the city on a golden chariot pulled by war horses, surrounded by his army. And the message of the Roman triumph was, I am powerful. You are weak. Do what I say, or I will crush you. Today, we find nations doing the same thing. [00:37:16] (36 seconds)  #PowerVsHumility