To worship means to ascribe worth to a person or thing. When someone captures a majestic mountain scene, enlarges the photo and hangs it in a nice frame on the wall – they are ascribing worth. When someone spends thousands of dollars on a signed Patrick Mahomes jersey and carefully arranges it in a glass case – they are ascribing worth. Each of us has a constellation of people, objects and ideas which we consider worthy. Most of us have one thing which is weightier than the others. It becomes the center of gravity all other worthy things revolve around.
What’s that thing in your life?
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, which we will look at in Luke 19, was a very deliberate demonstration of His right to claim that central place in our lives.
King of the Physical World
In this passage Jesus sent his two disciples to collect a donkey, foretelling the details they would encounter along the way, which demonstrated that he is king over the natural world. Not only did he have the foreknowledge of the disciples’ circumstances, he also had a power over the natural world, which he demonstrated by calmly riding an unbroken colt. Jesus is worthy of holding a central place in our hearts because he knows our circumstances and holds them in the palm of his hands.
King of History
Luke 19 also reveals that Jesus is king over human history through the perfect fulfillment of specific prophecies from the Old Testament. Genesis 49 and Zechariah 9 establish one of the many specific details which mark the future man who would be the great King – he would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. This example, in addition to a large number of details which fulfilled specific prophecies, demonstrated that Jesus is king over human history. In the coming days after the triumphal entry, the disciples would watch in horror as circumstances spiraled out of control. Yet Jesus demonstrated a calm mastery over every detail. Jesus is worthy of holding a central place in our hearts because he has mastery over every detail of human history.
King of Justice and Compassion
Finally, the triumphal entry demonstrates that Jesus is king of both justice and compassion. The first thing Jesus did upon entering Jerusalem during a moment of peak national and religious pride was turn a sword on his own people. He did not condemn Roman occupation, the seemingly obvious move, but instead turned to condemn the sin in the hearts of his own people. There is no ethnicity, no religion, no tribe which can lay claim to Jesus. He stands above us all. We all stand under the sharp edge of his justice. But that wasn’t the end of the story. We also see Jesus looking over the crowds in Jerusalem and weeping with intense emotion, flowing with compassionate love for his people. They would not listen to his words that week, they would seek to silence his unwanted interruption of their lives. They would seek to destroy him. And he would use that very act to love them and graciously make a way for their salvation. In Jesus we find a solution to the only real problem each of us has – our own hearts.
To bow the knee to Jesus as King is to find a center of gravity strong and safe enough to bring peace and order to the most anxious and broken heart.
He’s the King of the natural world. He’s the King of human history. He’s the King of justice and compassion.
Is He your King?
Tom Brown is the planting pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Wichita. Tom and his wife, Mandy, have worked together in ministry for 18 years and have four children. More about Pastor Tom Brown
Kuabudu humaanisha kumpa mtu au kitu thamani. Wakati mtu anapokamata mandhari ya mlima wenye fahari, anaongeza picha na kuifunga kwenye fremu nzuri ukutani <unk> wao ni sifa ya thamani. Wakati mtu anatumia maelfu ya dola juu ya saini Patrick Mahomes jersey na kwa uangalifu hupanga katika kesi ya kioo <unk> wao ni attributing thamani. Kila mmoja wetu ana kundi la watu, vitu na mawazo ambayo tunaona kuwa ya thamani. Wengi wetu tuna kitu kimoja ambacho ni chenye uzito zaidi kuliko vingine. Inakuwa kituo cha mvuto vitu vingine vyote vyenye thamani vinazunguka. Ni nini kitu hicho katika maisha yako? Kuingia kwa Yesu Yerusalemu, ambayo tutaangalia katika Luka 19, ilikuwa onyesho la makusudi sana la haki yake ya kudai mahali hapo katikati katika maisha yetu. Katika sehemu hii Yesu aliwatuma wanafunzi wake wawili kukusanya punda, akitabiri maelezo ambayo wangekutana nayo njiani, ambayo yalionyesha kwamba yeye ni mfalme juu ya ulimwengu wa asili. Hakuwa na ujuzi wa hali ya wanafunzi wake tu, bali pia alikuwa na uwezo juu ya ulimwengu wa asili, ambao alionyesha kwa kupanda farasi wa farasi bila kuvunjika. Yesu anastahili kuwa na nafasi kuu katika mioyo yetu kwa sababu anajua hali zetu na anazishika katika kiganja chake. "Luk 19:9 ""Lakini Yesu ndiye mfalme juu ya historia ya wanadamu kwa kutimiza kikamilifu unabii fulani wa Agano la Kale.""" "Mwanzo 49: 9 na Zekaria 9 ""kuanzisha moja ya maelezo mengi maalum ambayo alama mtu wa baadaye ambaye itakuwa Mfalme mkubwa"" yeye farasi katika Yerusalemu juu ya punda." Mfano huu, pamoja na maelezo mengi ambayo yalitimiza unabii hususa, ulionyesha kwamba Yesu ni mfalme juu ya historia ya kibinadamu. Katika siku za baadaye baada ya kuingia kwa ushindi, wanafunzi wangetazama kwa hofu hali zilipokuwa zikienda mbali. Hata hivyo, Yesu alionyesha ustadi wa utulivu juu ya kila jambo dogo. Yesu anastahili kuwa na nafasi kuu katika mioyo yetu kwa sababu ana mamlaka juu ya kila jambo la historia ya kibinadamu. Mfalme wa Haki na Huruma Mwishowe, kuingia kwa ushindi huonyesha kwamba Yesu ni mfalme wa haki na huruma. Jambo la kwanza Yesu alifanya alipokuwa akiingia Yerusalemu wakati wa kilele cha kiburi cha kitaifa na kidini lilikuwa kugeuza upanga dhidi ya watu wake mwenyewe. Hakuchambua uvamizi wa Waroma, hatua iliyoonekana kuwa ya wazi, bali badala yake aligeuka na kuchambua dhambi iliyokuwa katika mioyo ya watu wake. Hakuna kabila, dini, au kabila linaloweza kumwita Yesu. Yeye anasimama juu yetu sote. Sisi sote tumesimama chini ya ncha kali ya haki yake. Lakini hiyo haikuwa mwisho wa hadithi hiyo. Pia, Yesu anaona umati wa watu katika Yerusalemu ukimtazama na kulia kwa uchungu mkubwa, akionyesha upendo wenye huruma kwa watu wake. Hawakusikiliza maneno yake wiki hiyo, walijaribu kunyamazisha kuvuruga kwake maisha yao. Wangejaribu kumwangamiza. Na kwa njia hiyo, atawatumia kwa upendo na kwa fadhili kuandaa njia ya wokovu wao. Katika Yesu tunapata suluhisho la tatizo pekee halisi kila mmoja wetu ana <unk> mioyo yetu wenyewe. "Kumwinamkia Yesu kama Mfalme ni kupata ""kituo cha mvuto"" chenye nguvu na salama vya kutosha kuleta amani na utaratibu kwa moyo wenye wasiwasi na uliovunjika zaidi." Yeye ndiye Mfalme wa ulimwengu wa asili. Yeye ndiye Mfalme wa historia ya wanadamu. Yeye ni Mfalme wa haki na huruma. Je, Yeye Ni Mfalme Wako? Tom Brown ni mchungaji wa kupanda wa Vintage Faith Church huko Wichita. Tom na mke wake, Mandy, wamekuwa wakitumikia pamoja kwa miaka 18 na wana watoto wanne. Zaidi kuhusu Mchungaji Tom Brown