MIDWEEK ADVENT 2

December 5, 2012

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Zechariah 9:9-10

“THE ADVENT OF OUR KING”

RISE TO MEET YOU KING

1.     Rise

2.     Don’t despise

Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV 1984) “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ¹⁰ I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

          You’ve seen it happen I’m sure. You are at a parade, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, the 4^th of July. The honor guard comes by with the American flag flying proudly in front. All those who are not already standing and are capable of doing so rise, stand, until the colors have gone by. Maybe as a child you wondered why they do that. Maybe as an adult you get righteously irritated by those who are able t,o but don’t rise. Maybe a little later when the 20^th  flag has come by some small  part in the back of your mind expresses its irritation at having to rise yet again. Why do we do that? Why do they say at the beginning of the sporting event “Please rise as the National Anthem is sung.” It’s about respect, honor. We don’t have many ways of showing that in western culture but that is one. You rise to honor a person or your flag. As we continue to follow the verses of Hymn 1 that is serving as the basis for this year’s Advent service we hear the pleading of verse 3,  “O Zion’s daughter rise, to meet your lowly King, nor let a faithless heart despise the peace he comes to bring.”

          First let’s get clear who we are rising for. This is Jesus. Only He is the king who brings His own righteousness to cover over our unrighteousness. Only he brings salvation, rescue by coming to give His life for us. Only He comes in lowliness. While you are used to hearing this part of God’s Word on Palm Sunday that shows us Jesus triumphantly yet humbly entering Jerusalem on a donkey there is another time that Jesus is at least pictured riding on a donkey—in the portrayals of Joseph leading the pregnant Mary on donkey to Bethlehem. And we cannot overlook the lowly way the King of kings entered His world—from His mother’s womb through a birth canal into a stable.

          Now let’s talk about rising. Here Zion’s daughter stands for the church, believers. The words of Zechariah the prophet were originally spoken to eastern culture believers. Now actually in eastern culture they have a different way of showing respect and honor. They prostrate themselves or bow or kneel. The rising they would do would be to make efforts to go and see and greet their king. This is what we are urged to do, to see Jesus coming to be our Savior as something to make an effort to do. Rise. Really, rise. That took some work, didn’t it?

          Now we have to think of what we want to do to meet our lowly king. Practically speaking we are getting ready to celebrate the coming of our King at Christmas. Oh the Holidays. So many things to do, to plan, to get accomplished. We get tired. Too tired to meet our King? What are ways that show honor to Him? How can we rise? Let’s think. Write them down. How about a daily devotion if you don’t have that in your habit yet? That would take effort. Extra worship services. Burden or blessing? Something you want to do, an effort to gladly make to meet your king or do we let ourselves get irritated that there is a special service again? Is Jesus on your gift list? An extra offering to meet your King?  A Christmas card to a friend that puts Christ first. Getting up the nerve to invite that unchurched co-worker.  O Zion’s daughter, rise, rise to meet your lowly king.

          Rise and don’t despise. Nor let a faithless heart despise the peace He comes to bring. What is that peace? “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” God’s word describes a peace to the nations. It is universal. Clearly this is not talking about peace between nations. This is not the absence of trouble in our lives. This is the peace the angels sang about and Jesus put into place. It’s peace between God and people. Peace based on the forgiveness of sins so God’s righteous anger is turned away. It’s the peace of forgiveness.

          There’s no way we would despise that, would we? Whenever I hear about someone despising something I can’t help but think of Esau. Remember him? He was the twin brother of Jacob. Only he was born first so he had the birthright blessing. And then we are told he despised that birthright. It happened when he came back from hunting and smelled that delicious stew Jacob had made. Oh he was so hungry. He just had to have a bowl of that stew. Focusing on his immediate need he sold the birthright for a bowl of stew. We can do a similar thing. How easy it is to get consumed in the temporary problems of today, rightfully taking them to God in prayer but failing to appreciate what it means to be forgiven. Children could you have a merry Christmas if you got no physical presents? You know that new x box or wii game? What if you only got Jesus lying in a manger? It’s faithless rather than faithful hearts that despise that. Adults, isn’t it so very easy to not really with words but with how we think and act basically say to God, “Yes, yes, my forgiveness is important but what I really want right now is…” and we despise the peace He comes to bring. Ask anyone here who’s recently had someone they love die as a believer in Jesus about that peace of forgiveness. They will testify that there is no despising of the peace of our king when you are in the presence of death. Let’s not let death be our motivator to value the peace of forgiveness. God’s remade us better than that. We are recipients of his blessings. We know the truth that sets us free to rise and not despise.

          I have to tell you that the parade picture I painted for you as I began was really a personal one. I love standing for the flag. I get irritated when I see people at a parade who can stand up not doing so when the flag goes by. I have shamefully found myself thinking when they come in quick succession, “Again?” But then I remember all those who died to protect the freedoms our flag stands for and I push my weakness down and rise for the flag. On a greater scale brothers and sisters as we prepare to meet our King for yet another Christmas and the weakness of our flesh feels burdened by yet another service, more things to do, let’s remember who died to provide the freedom from sin, the peace of forgiveness. Let’s push down our weakness and Rise to meet our King. Amen.