A King and a Cross: Don't Take Shortcuts

Every other king requires other people to shed their blood so that he can remain king. They might even actually send people out to do that on purpose. Our king laid down his life so that we could be saved. He didn't take the shortcut. And he established a kingdom that is still reverberating today where he is still on his throne, where he will be forever. Don't miss it because you want a king without a cross. [00:56:33] (34 seconds)  #KingWhoLaidDownHisLife

We often wanna escape, and he brings endurance. We want control. He offers surrender. We often want the king without the cross. But as we walk through this week, I want you to prepare your heart to celebrate what we're gonna talk about next week. I'll go ahead and tip my hand. It's not the king without the cross. It's the king over the cross. That's what Easter is. [00:54:42] (22 seconds)  #KingOverTheCross

Does this feel familiar? Does it does it feel familiar for us? Now let me be clear. I don't I don't think it was wrong that they wanted a king, and they weren't wrong that Jesus was the king they needed. They just didn't expect or want the kind of king Jesus was. See, the reality was and is they wanted the king without the cross. When it comes to a king and a cross, they wanted the king without the cross. [00:44:21] (31 seconds)  #WantedKingWithoutCross

Rome? Rome? The Roman Empire? Small beans. Doesn't even exist anymore, yet here we are. Imagine if Jesus had done what they wanted. Imagine if he had been the military leader or political leader and come and sit on the physical, earthly, temporary throne there in Jerusalem. Imagine that for a moment. He would be another blip on our historical radar. But, no, he came to reign on a throne that is still there today. [00:49:42] (34 seconds)  #ThroneBeyondRome

They wanted the victory without the suffering. They wanted the glory without the pain. They wanted the king who would take them out of the hard things. Because they were convinced based on all the power systems that they had witnessed in the world that this is what victory and kingdoms look like. How often do I want a king without a cross? I often want a king who fixes everything. Anybody else? Preferably by Tuesday, close of business. [00:48:05] (32 seconds)  #NoQuickFixKing

He came to establish a kingdom that would outlast every earthly kingdom that has ever been or ever will be. He still reigns supreme, unmatched, untouched, and in control and full power. It's just not what they expected. You know, the kingdoms that we fight for today will one day fade away. His kingdom that he established through the cross will exist for forever. [00:50:16] (27 seconds)  #KingdomThatLastsForever

We think our problems are governments. We think our problems are laws and systems and taxes. We gloss over the fact that the problem Jesus came to solve is our real one, us. It was sin, death, and separation from God. We don't realize that the kingdom he was coming to set up was greater than any that anyone had ever seen. Nothing that had ever been on Earth like this. [00:49:13] (28 seconds)  #NotPoliticsButSin

You know, when you think of Easter and holy week and today, which is Palm Sunday, these two elements are kind of core. They're kind of central. You're like, alright. I kinda I get the connection. But if you were to rewind before Jesus' day, those two things would have not gone together at all. They are still somewhat intention today, but back then, they would have been complete opposites. You would have never put a king with a cross, except for the fact that a king might send someone to a cross, but you'd have never assumed that that would involve the same person. [00:30:39] (36 seconds)  #KingAndCrossUnited