As she entered her Sunday School class, she noticed that they had a new teacher—a substitute. Right away, she saw several objects on the table—a crown of thorns, a wooden mallet, and a huge spike. After explaining each of them, the teacher asked, "We're here to remember the resurrection, but I wonder, why did Jesus have to die in the first place?" Silence! The girl wasn’t used to that—not only was the class usually loud and boisterous, but the teacher would always answer her own questions, simply because no one else would. But not today! Silence!!!
After the class was over, the little girl approached the table to find there were also two pieces of paper on the table—one was an indictment with "Guilty" scrawled on it, and the other read "Forgiven," with the signature of Jesus written in red. Lately, she had been dealing with a lot of guilt over being disrespectful and disobedient to her parents, and yet somehow she knew that what she was about to hear would change her life forever. And as the teacher spoke, it did—she felt as if someone had stepped up behind her and gently rested His scarred hands on her shoulders. That day would be anything but "church as usual." I'm sure you have noticed that our society today is sensory overloaded. From cable to satellite dishes to high definition to Ipods to cell phones, and televisions hanging from the ceilings of stores, we are certainly being bombarded with boisterous noise from every direction. It seems, anymore, people don't take any time to just be quiet and think—especially of the things of God! I think that many like it that way—they don't really have to deal with the important things of life—or better yet, the Lord dealing with them!
I remember hearing of a day filled with crowds and filled with shouting. Palm Sunday, they call it! Hundreds of people had gathered to watch the parade. The new preacher of faith was at the head of it—riding on the back of a donkey, of all things. Actually, it really isn't so odd—the Scripture had prophesied it—"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."expect it; IF you, instead, were expecting "church as usual." Many had hoped that He would be a great military leader to free them from the bondage of Rome, but this conqueror had a quite a different purpose—He would bring freedom from bondage to sin and lead all into true faith!
(Zechariah. 9:9) I guess it's odd, though, IF you didn't
Hebrews 12:2 emphatically states that, "Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.""The writer of Hebrews represents Christ as One who takes precedence in faith, and is thus the perfect example of it. In the days of His flesh, He trod undeviatingly the paths of faith, and as the Perfecter, has brought it to a perfect end in His own person. Thus He is the leader of all others who tread the path of faith." In that Palm Sunday parade, we see three aspects of this amazing leadership and its ultimate result. First, HE WAS THE PERFECTION OF TRUST IN GOD. In that same book of Hebrews, we find His own personal affirmation—"I will put my trust in Him." (2:13) Actually, His entire life was a manifestation of such a faith in God. His prayers revealed this trust—"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; In thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22) Not even His sufferings could diminish or destroy His faith—"And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Mt. 26:39) Jesus knew, that even though the parade began with exuberance and palm-waving joy, there were many steps yet to be trod through faith.
Herbert Lockyer once wrote,
Even His death on the Cross of Calvary was triumphant because of this irrepressible trust. Luke 23:46 tells us, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost." Imagine—dying, trusting in God to raise you up again—and if He didn't? Whoa! But the faith of Jesus went all the way to knowing that God would do it! And that, in a sense, was contagious—it not only would speak powerfully to His followers, but it was a witness to even His enemies—"Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(Mt.27:54)Every step He took was in faith—faith in a faithful God!
Secondly, HE WAS THE PURCHASER OF THE SPIRIT OF FAITH. I believe that all 66 books of the Bible make it clear that the people of God will always need the Holy Spirit—every chapter points to that fact. Not everybody along that parade route—if anybody at all—knew this, which is precisely why Jesus was heading in this direction. He had already begun the transaction, but now, He would complete it. Galatians 5 makes it clear that true faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and that was about to be purchased for all of us. Thirdly, HE WAS THE PUBLISHER OF THE RULE OF FAITH. As the parade continued, much was published, or, to put it another way, much was proclaimed. The people shouted, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." (Luke 19:38) But would they let that King rule His way—through trust and faith in God, which will be evidenced in purity, holiness, and obedience? Some of the so-called "leaders" were there, objecting—demanding that He stop this "publishing" of the truth. They wanted silence! But Jesus said, "No way!"—"…if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." (vs. 40) You see, there is a time for silence and a time for sound (Eccl. 3:7)—the silence came first as His followers listened to His every word, but now, it was a time to make known the Good News. Silence is good—"Be still, and know that I am God."(Psalm 46:10)—and once we know, by faith, we must then make Him known to others.
Obviously, in every way, Jesus alone is the true Leader of Faith, and the perfect example of unshakable trust in God. He rides at the head of the parade, as the ultimate Grand Marshall, leading the way for all to follow. I looked up the word "parade" in the dictionary, and found this among the definitions: "A marshaling and maneuvering of troops for display and inspection." And, Praise God, Jesus is the Grand Marshall—not just as a figurehead, but with true authority as the parade rolls along, and all follow along. In Reginald Heber's hymn, "The Son of God Goes Forth to War," we find these words:
A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
And mocked the cross and flame:
They met the tyrant's brandished steel,
The lion's gory mane;
They bowed the necks the death to feel:
Who follows in their train?
Good question—who will be in the same way with Jesus? As the "Author and the Finisher of our faith," He is truly the Leader who brings all things to perfection. Will we insist on the mind-numbing noise of life, and somehow, whether it be through boredom or entertainment, make it through "church as usual?" Or will we cease from our own works, being still and silent before God, even feeling His nail-scarred hands on our shoulders—and then follow in His train?
