THE DONKEY AND THE CROWN

PALM SUNDAY: HOSANNA TO THE KING!

This Easter I bizarrely want to start our series with a story recounted throughout time by the Jews and given meaning on that first Palm Sunday onwards and written down in recent days by Jonathan Cahn in his work “The Book of Mysteries” (published 2016 by Front Line, day 79)

THE AKEDAH MYSTERY

“Have you ever heard of the ‘Akedah’?” asked the teacher. “It’s the offering up of Isaac by his father, Abraham.”

“I’ve heard of it,” I said, “but I never understood why it happened.”

“It was a test,” he said, “but also a mystery. At the end of the test God sealed His covenant with Abraham. In such a covenant, each party had to be willing to do what the other was willing to do. Now let’s open up the mystery. Abraham was willing to offer up his son as a sacrifice. Therefore…”

“Therefore, God,” I replied, “would have to be willing to offer up His Son…as a sacrifice.”

“The father brings his son on a donkey,” said the teacher, “to the land of the sacrifice.”

“So then God would bring His Son on a donkey to the land of the sacrifice…Palm Sunday…Messiah is brought on a donkey to the place of the sacrifice.”

“The father places the wood of the sacrifice on his son’s shoulder…”

“God would place the wood of the sacrifice, the cross, on Messiah’s shoulders.”

“The son carries the wood up the mountain to the place of the sacrifice…”

“Messiah carries the wood to the place of the sacrifice.”

The father lays his son upon the wood and binds him to it.”

“The Messiah is laid on the wood of the cross and bound to it.”

“The father lifts up the knife of sacrifice but is stopped…”

“And so the knife, the judgement of God, is lifted up…but is not stopped. Messiah is killed on the wood of the sacrifice.”

“Do you know what appears in this account for the first time in all of Scripture?”

“No.”

“The word ‘love’. The first ’love’ in the Bible is from this account, the love of the father for the son…just as the first love in existence was that of the Father for the Son. And yet the Father was willing to offer up the Son of His love, to save us. And what does that reveal/ If God offered up the Son of His love to save you, then He must love you with the same love with which He loved the Son. As it is written, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ So you don’t ever have to wonder how much God loves you. The sign is already there on the

wood of the sacrifice…As much as He loves His only begotten Son…the greatest love in all existence…that’s how much He loves you.”

Abraham was the father – just as God is our Father.

Abraham loved his son – the chosen one – Isaac.

Just as God loved His Son – Jesus.

Just as God loves us – His children.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son – to show his commitment to God.

God was willing to sacrifice His Son – to show His commitment to us.

God gave a ram (a male sheep) as a substitute for the sacrifice of Isaac.

God gave His Son as a (male) lamb – as a substitute for our lives.

God did this (it bears repeating) because He loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3: !6).

This Easter, we want you to see who this Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, really is. He is the King.

Is He? Is He really the King? Yes! The Bible calls Him such:

“Hail, King of the Jews” (soldiers mock Him – with the truth – John 19: 3).

“Here is your King” (Pilate – John 19: 14)

“Shall I crucify your King?” (Pilate – John 19: 15)

“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Notice fixed to the Cross – John 19: 19)

“Your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Prophecy of Zechariah 9: 9)

“He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17: 14)

“On His robe and on his thigh He has this name written: “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19: 16)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9: 6-7)

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18: 36-37)

“And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7: 14 ESV)

“The blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6: 15)

Jesus is the King…but what kind of a King did Jesus come as?

PALM SUNDAY PROCLAIMS JESUS AS THE SERVANT KING

On the Sunday before Good Friday, just 5 days before His crucifixion, Jesus came to Jerusalem – in what is called today “The Triumphal Entry” or “Palm Sunday” – where He is finally shown as King. The Gospel writer Matthew describes what happened in this way:

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’

4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:

5 ‘Say to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’

‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’

11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’ (Matthew 21: 1-11)

Let us break this down and see how it tells us the kind of King that Jesus was…

· He entered on a donkey – Zech 9: 9 says this:

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.

Our theme title is “The Donkey and the Crown”. The donkey was the transport of a king into a city when he was proclaimed as monarch. Palm Sunday was the fulfilment of prophecy – God, through Zechariah proclaimed this man King – and the Gospel writers proclaimed Jesus as this promised King (Matthew 21: 1-5; Mark 11: 1-7; Luke 19: 28-35; John 12: 12-16). By entering Jerusalem – the capital city and the place of the Temple, Jesus was showing that He was King and that He had divine authority.

· The donkey was the symbol of a king of peace (the horse was symbol of war) – Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6) – bringing His people peace with God, with mankind, in our hearts. When a conquering king rode into the city he had conquered on the back of a donkey it showed the people that his rule would be firm but fair, gentle and kind.

· The donkey was the symbol of humility – Jesus never exalted Himself – His service was always to Father God and for the benefit of you and me. This is why He was able to declare:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

· The donkey was the symbol of servitude – being the beast of burden – and on it a King showed that he was monarch not to oppress his people but to serve His people.

· The donkey famously has a cross on its back. Jesus not only rode in on a donkey to show that He was King and the Prince of Peace but also to show the death by which He would sacrifice Himself for our sins.

· The donkey has a reputation of being a stupid animal. This is totally wrong – a donkey is clever, dependable, willing to serve the one they trust, hard-working. They have excellent eyesight and are very sure-footed – leading the way without even needing to be guided. With a keen sense of smell they are often used as guard-donkeys to warn of danger – remember Balaam’s donkey.

· Hosanna was the cry meaning “save!” Jesus came as the King on a donkey to save His people – not, as many believed, from the rule of Rome, but from the rule of sin.

· “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” goes with this and comes from Psalm 118: 25-26 –

LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

This is the declaration that Jesus is the Messiah – the anointed One, the Chosen One, the One who was promised – the King of the Jews!

· Palm leaves were waved and laid before a mighty warrior who was coming in triumph. This is for Jesus the King who has triumphed over sin and death. Here we symbolically see the recognition as to who Jesus truly is.

· Laying our cloaks on the ground or for Him to sit on is symbolic of laying our lives down for Him, our plans down for Him, our selfishness down for Him.

THE CHALLENGE THIS EASTER: WILL YOU MAKE JESUS YOUR KING?

On Monday the 18th of March 2024 Priya attended her “Oath Taking Ceremony” and became a British citizen with all the rights and responsibilities that this brings with it. She is now a citizen of “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. She is the citizen of a Kingdom. A Kingdom is “a country or region that is ruled by a king or a queen” (Colins Dictionary). Our King is Charles III…but it is a constitutional Kingdom and so little power rests in his hands. In our country the monarch has become very much a figurehead. But in Bible times the king was so much more:

· He was the one chosen to be the leader of a nation.

· He had rights: to be honoured, to be obeyed, to be followed, to be given all that he needs to do his job.

· He had responsibilities: to lead well, to lead in battle, to lead in peace, to lead in law, to protect his people, to save his people, to die for his people if needed.

I put it to you that only one man has ever fulfilled these responsibilities – Jesus.

He came as the Servant King – willing to die for His people.

He will return as the Conquering King – to bring His reign to us all for all time.

How are you going to respond?

When Priya became a citizen of the United Kingdom she had to swear an oath:

“I swear by Almighty God that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, his Heirs and Successors, according to law.

I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British Citizen”.

Maybe it is time – for some the first time, for others a re-affirmation – to swear, in our hearts, our oath of allegiance to our King – the One and Only true King of the World.

THE DONKEY AND THE CROWN

GOOD FRIDAY: THE CROWN OF THORNS

GOOD FRIDAY – WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY

Jesus had been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples had fled, Peter had denied Him three times through fear of what would happen to him. Jesus had been dragged before the

Sanhedrin, hit, spat upon, accused of blasphemy, handed over to the Romans…now followed the events that showed Him to be the Suffering King who took upon Himself the sins of the world – the true King who laid down His life for His people…

John chapter 19 takes up the story: [VISUAL GOSPEL OF JOHN 19]

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they slapped him in the face.

4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’ 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’

But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’

7 The Jewish leaders insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 ‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said. ‘Don’t you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’

11 Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’

‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked.

‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, ‘Do not write “The King of the Jews”, but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.’

22 Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

‘They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.’

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ 27 and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ 37 and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’

THE CROWN OF THORNS

Did you ever wonder why our Messiah wore a Crown of Thorns?

A crown – the symbol of royalty, power, kingship, wealth and glory…yet not made of gold or jewels, but thorns. Why?

When man fell after being tempted by the devil in the Garden of Eden, the consequence of that Fall was the Curse – the ground would now bear thorns and thistles (Genesis 3: 18). The thorns were the sign of the curse, the sign of a fallen world, a creation that could no longer bear the fruit it was called to bear, but now brought forth “thorns” – pain, piercing, blood, tears and destruction.

When a crown is placed on a man’s head, he becomes king. At that moment the weight of the kingdom rests on him.

When the Crown of Thorns was placed on the head of Jesus, He became the “King of Thorns” the “King of the Curse”. Thorns speak of pain and tears and so the Crown of Thorns means that our King bears the pain and tears of mankind. Thorns speak of piercing – so He will be pierced. Thorns are linked to the curse and so to death. So the Crown of Thorns ordains that He will bear the weight of the Curse on His head and that He will die.

But…by wearing the weight of the curse, He becomes the King over it – King of the Broken, King of the Pierced and Wounded in life, King of the Rejected, King of all those who cry. All who have fallen can come to Him and find redemption. For the One who wears that Crown has authority over these things – to turn sorrow into joy, death into life, thorns into blossoms. He who wears the crown is Lord of the Fallen, the King of Thorns. (adapted from Day 25 of the “Book of Mysteries” by Jonathan Cahn)

BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH

When Jesus was born, He fulfilled the prophecy given hundreds of years earlier by the Prophet Micah in chapter 5 and verse 2 of his book:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel”.

More than 30 years after His birth, Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples on the night that He was betrayed – through which He declared to His disciples that He was about to die for them – but that His death would be that of a King willing to lay down His life for those He loved. Luke 22 verses 14 to 20 tells us of the events of this meal – eaten just a few hours before He was hung on the Cross to die:

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God.”

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

This event harks back to the place of His birth…

In Hebrew, the word for “bread” is “Lechem” – and Jesus was born in Bethlehem – the “place of Lechem” – “the house of bread”.

In Hebrew the name “Ephrathah” – the name given to Bethlehem – comes from a word that means “the fruit of the vine”.

So, the place where the Messiah first appeared in flesh and blood bears the name of the symbols of His flesh and blood – Bethlehem Ephrathah – the bread and the fruit of the vine. It was all there from the beginning. His death was there from the time of His birth. He was born the sacrifice who lived to die as the sacrifice for us.

And He did this on Good Friday. He died and become the “Bread of Life” for you and for me. His blood (the fruit of the vine) was shed so that our sins might forever be forgiven.

Let us thank Jesus for what He did for us as we share communion and do this in remembrance of Him.

THE DONKEY AND THE CROWN

EASTER DAY: THE CROWN OF TRIUMPH

JESUS IS THE RISEN KING – WHO WILL REIGN FOR EVERMORE!

NEW LIFE ON RESURRECTION DAY

In the Jewish calendar the New Year does not start on the first of January. That is winter time. That is the END of the year. The word for winter in Hebrew is “setav” which means the “time of darkness” – the season of darkness, barrenness and death.

Each Jewish year then begins in the month of Nisan – the month of Spring – the month that ends the season of darkness, that breaks the death of winter. Nisan is the month when the earth again bears fruit, the flowers begin to blossom, new life starts. Nisan literally means “the beginning”.

This is very significant. Because Nisan is the month of the Messiah. It was the month that He entered Jerusalem on a donkey – proclaiming Himself King; the month that He wore the Crown of Thorns on the Cross – proclaiming Himself the Suffering King; the month that He died in our place – proclaiming Himself the Servant King. And it was the month in which He rose again from the dead – proclaiming Himself the Eternal King.

All this happened in the month of Nisan. Do you see why? Our “winter” ends; the season of our “darkness” ends; the season of our emptiness and spiritual barrenness ends. Jesus, through His resurrection brings us new life; Jesus brings us a new beginning; Jesus brings us a new flowering – a new purpose, a new hope, a new destiny – for our lives.

Of course this all had to happen in the month of Nisan – new life brought to earth by our risen Saviour and King – Jesus Christ.

JESUS IS COMING BACK AS THE CONQUERING, ETERNAL, KING

Forty days after His Resurrection, Jesus ascended back to Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father.

He is King right now. His Kingdom is here on earth. He is King of our lives. He lives in our hearts. We are citizens of His Kingdom.

But the day is coming – we are promised – when He shall return to earth – we call this His “Second Coming”. He will return not as the Suffering King, but as the Conquering King.

The Book of Revelation chapter 19 describes Jesus as King in this way:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron sceptre.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

For the Christian, His return is a great hope and will be a time of great joy. He will bring a new Heaven and a new Earth. And He shall reign forever, and there will be no more death, nor pain, nor crying. Hallelujah! We cry. Come Lord Jesus.

But not all will be part of His Kingdom. Those who never acknowledged Him as their King will not be there…WILL YOU?

RESURRECTION DAY – WHAT HAPPENED

Pilate agreed to the body of Jesus being handed over to Joseph of Arimathea, who, with the help of Nicodemus, wrapped it and placed it in the tomb. A guard was set to keep watch over the tomb as the chief priests feared that the disciples would steal the body. Friday ended. Saturday – the Sabbath day of rest passed. Sunday – the first day of the week – dawned. John takes up the story in chapter 20 of his Gospel:

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of

linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

THROW DOWN YOUR CROWNS

The vision of Revelation declares this act (chapter 4 verses 10-11)

“the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’”

This Easter let us remember, and celebrate, the truth that Jesus is King. Let us make Him the King of our lives. Let us throw before Him all that we have – let us throw our crowns before Him…

FOR FURTHER THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION:

JESUS THE KING WHO BECAME THE SCAPEGOAT FOR US.

On the Day of Atonement the priest took 2 goats – 1 to be sacrificed and the other (the Scapegoat) to be released into the wilderness – carrying with it the sins of the people (see Leviticus 16).

The Scapegoat was sent out into the land of “gezarah” (Hebrew) – literally meaning “an uninhabited land – a place where no one can dwell, a place that is cut off”). Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be “cut off” – ie “gezarah”. As such, He was being equated with the Scapegoat – One who carries the sins of the people away forever into the a place where they are gone forever. Psalm 103 verse 12 tells us that He has removed our transgressions totally in this way.

Study all these passages.

Can it be that Jesus is the Scapegoat? Some scholars believe that when Jesus and Barrabas were brought before the people it was Jesus who was the goat/lamb who was slain and that Barrabas was the Scapegoat. But how can this be? How can Barrabas be the one who carries our sins away?

Can it be that Jesus – the King – is also both the lamb/goat who was slain AND the Scapegoat?

Why not discuss this in your home groups.