The Crown Or The Cross
“My life before attending City Awakening entailed going through the motions of my faith. I was just going to church because it's what my mom taught me to do, not because I knew Christ personally. But while attending City Awakening, I found a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Christ as my Lord and Savior. When I started attending a small group, it gave me an even deeper understanding, because it became a safe place to ask questions as I continued growing. I thank God for finding this church, because I have no idea where my faith would be if I hadn't.”
City Awakening, let’s praise God for this testimony!...This testimony is evidence that Jesus is still transforming people’s lives today in and through our church. It’s evidence that when you volunteer, financially give, and invite people to our church, it’s having an impact on people’s lives. So let’s keep volunteering, giving, and inviting, so we can keep impacting more lives in the future. In fact you have an opportunity to do that this week with Easter. On your seats are some invite cards to invite your friends and family to attend our Easter celebration. You can share those cards on social media, send a text invite, or invite them in person. Something we often say in our church is invitations lead to transformations. So let’s invite, and let’s pray for those we invite. Let’s keep Reaching People and Reaching The World, with the life-transformative message of Jesus.
Now as for today we’re continuing our teaching series called The Last Week. It’s a short 3-wk teaching series on the last week of Jesus’ life, and what we’re studying specifically today is the triumphal entry and trial of Jesus. It’s the time in history when Jesus enters Jerusalem, and the crowd starts praising him as a king. But a few days later he’s on trial, and crucified as a criminal. Jesus is a King who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross. Which would you choose?...If you had the chance, would you choose the crown, or choose the cross?...I think both skeptics and believers would rather choose the crown over the cross. We’d rather live a crown life of wealth and health, over a cross life of sacrifice and suffering. So why didn’t Jesus do that? Why didn’t he choose the crown over the cross? Let’s turn to John 12 and find out. If you open your Bible to the middle and keep turning right, you’ll find John. We’ll be in John Ch. 12:12-15 and Ch. 18-19. Title of the message is The Crown or The Cross. The big idea of the message is the King who deserved the crown chose the cross...Jesus is the King who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross...
Here’s your context. At this point in history we’re entering the last week, the last few days of Jesus’ life. It’s his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and his trial with the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. As we study this text, we’ll learn three things about Jesus. We’ll learn that Jesus is 1st The Unexpected King, 2nd The Rejected King, and 3rd The Crucified King...He’s the unexpected, rejected, crucified king who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross. Let’s check it out.
John 12:12-15, “The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!’” Okay so Jesus enters Jerusalem and the crowd starts celebrating. They start calling him the King of Israel. This is the historical event known as The Triumphal Entry. It’s also sometimes called Palm Sunday, because vs. 13 says they celebrated Jesus with palm branches. In our culture we roll out the red carpet for celebrities, but in their culture they’d lay down palm branches for Kings. They’re doing this for Jesus because they believe he’s their long-awaited Messianic King who’s come to save them from the oppressive Roman Empire. So they’re celebrating and shouting Hosanna, which means save us! They’re quoting Psalm 118, “Lord, save us! Please grant us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” They’re celebrating because they believe Jesus is their Messianic King, and they’re expecting he’ll conquer the Roman Empire with great political and military power. They’re expecting he’ll come out swinging against them like a fierce soldier, or like a majestic king riding in a chariot with majestic horses. But instead...
Vs. 14, “Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 ‘Don’t be afraid...Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.’” This is the moment when the party stops...It’s the moment when the crowd is silenced...It’s the March Madness buzzer-beater, when the fans stop cheering because their victorious expectations just got shattered...When this crowd sees Jesus riding on a young donkey, it’s the exact opposite of the victorious expectations they had. It’s the exact opposite of the triumphant victory they were expecting. I mean in our culture, it’d be like President Trump showing up in a Minivan...No offense to minivans, but if we hear the President’s coming, we’re expecting a motorcade of black SUVs filled with Secret Service agents, not a minivan...Just like we wouldn’t expect to see our presiding showing up in a minivan, the people back then didn’t expect to see their Messianic King showing up on a donkey. But Jesus didn’t come the way they expected, because he came to do something greater than they expected. He’s the Messianic King who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross.
So what we’re learning here is #1 Jesus is an Unexpected King...Jesus is an unexpected King, who doesn’t come in triumphant victory like they were expecting. That’s why it’s called The Triumphal Entry, not The Triumphant Entry. It’s because the victory hasn’t happened yet. The crowd is celebrating because they think the victory is about to happen, but Jesus knows he’s about to face a trial before the triumph. He knows he has the right to take the crown, but he’s about to take the crown of thorns. So he doesn’t enter riding a warhorse; he enters riding a donkey. It’s the fulfillment of a prophetic claim that was made several hundred years earlier in Zechariah 9:9, “Look, your King is coming to you; he’s righteous, victorious, humble, and riding on a donkey!” Jesus is showing them he really is the Messianic King the prophets pointed to, but he’s come in an unexpected way to save them from the oppressive curse of sin and death, not the Roman Empire. He’s come as an unexpected King whose triumphal entry, isn’t the triumphantvictory they were expecting. As a result, the hosannas started fading. Jesus received hosannas on Sunday, was arrested on Thursday, and put on trial on Friday. So let’s fast forward to Friday, let’s turn to Ch. 18-19, and see what happens when Jesus is on trial with the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate.
John 18:28 states, “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning…29 Pilate came out to them and said, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ 30 They answered him, ‘If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.’ 31 Pilate told them, ‘You take him and judge him according to your law.’ But the Jews declared, ‘It isn’t legal for us to put anyone to death.’” Notice the Jewish religious leaders are already giving Jesus a death sentence. They want Jesus to be put to death. But they can’t do it, because the Romans passed a law forbidding the Jews from executing people. So they’re coming to Pilate because they want Jesus executed, and to suffer the maximum punishment under Roman law, which is death by crucifixion. They considered the cross the most painful, shameful death you could die. They believed in Deuteronomy 21:23, “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” So they’re thinking if they convince Pilate to crucify Jesus, then people will stop following him because they’ll think he’s cursed. They’re trying to curse Jesus, but they’re actually helping to fulfill his plan to sacrifice his life on that cursed cross, to remove sin and death’s curse on us.
Vs. 33, “Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’...36 Jesus said, ‘My kingdom isn’t of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews.’” Jesus admits he’s a King, but that his kingdom isn’t of this world. In fact his kingdom is far greater than all the kingdoms of this world combined. It’s why he isn’t even the slightest bit rattled by Pilate or the greatly feared Roman Empire. It’s because Jesus knows he can easily flex, and cause Caesar to flinch. But Jesus didn’t come to flex and take the crown; he came to die and take the cross.
Vs. 37, “Pilate asked, ‘You are a king then?’ Jesus replied, ‘You say that I’m a king. I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ 38 Pilate said, ‘What is truth?’ After he said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no grounds for charging him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ 40 They shouted back, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’” Notice that Pilate declares Jesus is innocent. He says I find no grounds for charging him. So he gives the Jews a chance to release Jesus according to a custom they had, which was to release one Jewish prisoner as an act of goodwill for Passover. He gives them a chance to choose between releasing Jesus who’s innocent, or Barabbas who’s guilty of stealing and terrorism. Barabbas harmed a lot of people, including the Jews, so they knew he was guilty and deserved to die. But they chose Barabbas who’s guilty, over Jesus who’s innocent.
Ch. 19:1, “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ and were slapping his face. 4 Pilate went outside again and said, ‘Look, I’m bringing him out to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.’ 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe...6 When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate responded, ‘Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.’” In vs. 4-6 Pilate declares Jesus is innocent two more times, but he has Jesus flogged hoping to satisfy the Jews. But they aren’t satisfied, and they start yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” This leads to the 2nd thing we’re learning, which is #2 Jesus is a Rejected King...Jesus is an unexpected King, but he’s also a rejected King. He enters Jerusalem as an unexpected King with people shouting hosannas and hallelujahs when they thought he’d meet their expectations. But then a few days later he’s on trial as a rejected King with people shouting crucify him! That quick shift doesn’t just expose their hearts; it also exposes our hearts, because it’s a shift that sometimes happens in our hearts too. It’s a shift where we’ll praise Jesus for meeting our expectations, but then a few days later put him on trial for not meeting our expectations. Skeptics often struggle more with trusting who Jesus is, but believers often struggle more with trusting what he’s doing. We often struggle more with trusting what he’s doing when he doesn’t give us the better job, the better salary, the solution to our problems, the answer to our prayers, or meet our plans and expectations. We believe in who he is, but we often struggle with his plans when they don’t align with our plans. When his plans don’t align with our plans, we’re faced with the decision to trust him or reject him like the people in the text.
So check your heart before you judge the crowd, because your heart can quickly shift like the crowd. Are you shouting hosannas and hallelujahs when he’s meeting your expectations, but then a few days later shouting your version of crucify him when he isn’t?...Where in your life is Jesus not meeting your expectations, and you’re putting him on trial?...City Awakening don’t remove his reign, when he doesn’t follow your rules. Don’t shout your version of crucify him, when he doesn’t give you the crown. Don’t put him on trial, just because you can’t see his plans for triumph. The people in the text put him on trial because they couldn’t see his plans for triumph. They couldn’t see that he came not to meet their expectations, but to exceed them. He came not for a coronation, but for a crucifixion that leads to eternal salvation. He came as an unexpected and rejected King who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross for them and for us.
Vs. 9, “Pilate went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus didn’t give him an answer. 10 So Pilate said, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?’ 11 Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me, if it hadn’t been given to you from above.’” Pilate thinks he has the authority to release Jesus or to crucify Jesus. But Jesus is like, “You only have authority because I’m allowing you to have authority. You aren’t taking my life; I’m freely giving up my life. You aren’t taking my crown; I’m choosing to freely give up my crown, to take up the cross!”
Vs. 12, “From that moment Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, ‘If you release this man, you aren’t Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!’ 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside...Then he told the Jews, ‘Here is your king!’ 15 They shouted, ‘Take him away! Crucify him!’ Pilate said, ‘Should I crucify your king?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ 16 Then he handed him over to be crucified.” The Jewish leaders declared Caesar as their king over Jesus, which forces Pilate to execute Jesus. It’s because they’re basically accusing Jesus of treason, of being a king who’s threatening Caesar’s throne, which forces Pilate to execute him even though he believes Jesus is innocent. This leads to the 3rd thing we’re learning here, which is #3 Jesus is a Crucified King... Jesus is an unexpected King, a rejected King, but also a crucified King. He’s a king who could have chose the crown, but he chose the cross, and who gets to walk free? Barabbas...It’s sinful, guilty, Barabbas...We know historically three men were supposed to be executed that day. It was Barabbas, and two other thieves on the left and right of Jesus. Barabbas was supposed to be the one executed in the middle, but Jesus was executed in his place. This is the good news of the Gospel! It’s that we’re supposed to be executed for our sins like Barabbas, but Jesus took our place on the cross! He took our place on the cross and died the death we deserved to die for our sins. In the words of John Stott, “The essence of sin is us substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us.” City Awakening Jesus chose the cross over the crown, so we don’t have to die an eternal death for our sins! He chose the cross over the crown, so we can be set free from the curse of sin and death. He chose the cross over the crown, so we can enjoy life with him now, and an eternally joyful life in heaven with him later! But Jesus isn’t just a crucified King, he’s also a triumphant resurrected King! His triumphal entry becomes a triumphant victory, when he rises again on the 3rd day victoriously. We’ll celebrate his victorious resurrection next week on Easter, but for now, be thinking of who to invite to celebrate with you.
The big idea of the message is that Jesus is the King who deserved the crown, but he chose the cross...He chose the cross for me, and for you...Both skeptics and believers, the salvation and transformation we so desperately desire for our lives, is all found in the unexpected, rejected, crucified, resurrected King Jesus. It’s all found in the King who deserved the crown, but chose the cross. We’re the ones who would rather choose the crown over the cross. But Jesus is the one who loved us so much, that he chose the cross over the crown to save us. That’s love! That’s King Jesus! That’s the one who deserves our worship regardless of our met or unmet expectations! So let’s stop chasing crowns, and worship the only one who deserves the crown. Let’s stop chasing crowns, and worship King Jesus for choosing the cross over the crown. Let’s stand, let’s shift our hearts on singing All Hail King Jesus as our hosanna, in response to Jesus choosing the cross over the crown.