HOW DO WE MAKE JESUS KING?
By Ernest O'Neill
HOW DO WE MAKE JESUS KING?
By Ernest O'Neill
But after all, is said and done, the outward show has an awful lot of bluff and hypocrisy in it, hasn't it? I mean there are an awful lot of us who are all excited about the outward show of this ministry or that ministry or of Jesus coming in on the donkey and everybody cheering Him and yet there's a lot of bluff underneath.
There are a great many of us who are giving all the praise, applause, and support because it's easy for us to give money either to this place or to some other place or ministry. It's easy to have a lot of outward excitement and yet that doesn't say much about your own attitude to the King Himself. Loved ones, these days are important for us because they are an opportunity for me to say very plainly to you: it's no big deal whether you throw down palm branches or whether you throw down your clothes and garments for the guy to ride His donkey over. It's no big deal whether you give money to this ministry or that ministry. It's no big deal whether you're there when the crowds are there.
The important thing is, is He king in your own life? That's it, you see. That's what Jesus was reacting against here. He knows us human beings. We are dear people but we are dumb. We are such silly little kids. We love the excitement and all the fun and yet we're just miserable old hypocrites when we're away on our own. We're okay when the crowds are there and they're bringing Him in on a donkey. But when the machine guns are out there, or the guy with the number 666 that we are watching for comes, then we're not so strong. The Lord knows that. He tries repeatedly to say to us quietly, "But listen, am I the king of your own life? Do you let Me ride into your life on My little donkey? Do you let Me guide your life, run your life, and rule your life? Do you treat Me as king personally, privately?"
I think that's what Palm Sunday is about. It's God saying to us, "Look it's not the big show that counts. I really don't want to be an earthly king. I really don't want everybody to treat Me as the king of America. I don't want that. My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My disciples would fight. That's not what I am after. There's only one kingship that I treasure and that's the kingship of your own life, your own personal life. Your own life is dear to Me. You are precious to Me. Your will is dear to Me. I want you to be Mine and I want to be king of your life. That's why I put you here. I put you here so that you and I could live this life together so that you could do what I've put you here to do."