great expectations

HIGH HOPES

Pope Francis

New Pope

Rev. Dr. Labberton

New Prez.

Mark 11:1 As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. 2 He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Just as you enter it, you will find a donkey’s colt tied there. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. 3 Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you doing this?’

If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it. But he will send it back here soon.’”

4 So they left. They found a colt out in the street. It was tied at a doorway. They untied it. 5 Some people standing there asked, “What are you doing? Why are you untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to. So the people let them go.

7 They brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats over it. Then he sat on it.

8 Many people spread their coats on the road. Others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those in front and those in back shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything. But it was already late. So he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

“O save!”

The Triumphal EntryR

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your humble king

Didn’t See Jesus as a ThreatR

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Would have arrested Him.

Great Expectations!R

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Warm welcome to allEntrance of RoyaltyNew Passover hopes

for Jerusalem!

Battered ExpectationsR

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Rome: too powerfulToo many letdowns

Unacceptable Messiah

Zechariah 9:9-10“Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!    Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem!

Your king is coming!    a good king who makes all things right,    a humble king riding a donkey,    a mere colt of a donkey.

I’ve had it with war—no more chariots in Ephraim,    no more war horses in Jerusalem,

    no more swords and spears, bows and arrows.He will offer peace to the nations,    a peaceful rule worldwide,

    from the four winds to the seven seas.

Too Fancy for

KING JESUS

A Humble KingPhilippians 2:5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Philippians 2:9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or

anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will

bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he

is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Our Exalted King

“He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend

to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”

C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe