Will You Honor the King ?

A group of four year olds were gathered in a Sunday school class in Chattanooga. The teacher looked at the class and asked this question: "Does anyone know what today is?"

A little four-year-old girl held up her hand and said," Yes, today is Palm Sunday." The teacher exclaimed, "That's fantastic, that's wonderful. Now does anyone know what next Sunday is?"

The same little girl held up her hand and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter Sunday." Once again the teacher said, "That's fantastic. Now, does anyone know what makes next Sunday Easter?"

The same little girl responded and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter because Jesus rose from the grave" and before the teacher could congratulate her, she kept on talking and said, "but if he sees his shadow -- he has to go back in for seven weeks."

Luke 19:28-48:
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.
36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.
38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

Background - Palm Sunday
In fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 62:11 & Zechariah 9:9), Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds lined the street shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

(Psalm 118:25-26) They placed palm branches and robes in front of Jesus. This was particularly disturbing to the religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus. They demanded that Jesus silence the crowd, but he responded that even if the crowd were silent, the stones would cry out.

The events of the next week would forever change the world. Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd welcomed him as a king. By the end of the week they were demanding his death. His followers abandoned him in fear. None of his close followers had really understood the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week until after Jesus returned. They had all expected Jesus to be an earthly king, but God had given them something so much better - an open door into a Kingdom that would never end.

Will You HONOR The King?
Who honored him and how did they do it? Will you do it?

“Show me the man you honor and I will know what kind of man you are.” T. Carlyle

1. The disciples honored him with obedience.
The disciples honored the Lord by following his direction for their lives. Is it better to give your offerings to Lord or to obey his desires for your life?

He wants you to be saved. He wants you to serve Him in this life in a church where you can use your God given talents to honor him. The greatest ability you can have is availability

2. The owner of the colt honored him with what he owned.
Would you be willing to give what you have to honor the Lord? You can’t take it with you.

On a telecast Billy Graham told the story of the man who instructed his wife to put his money in his casket when he died, so that he could buy his way into heaven. So, when he died his wife deposited the money in the bank and wrote a check to put in the casket with her husband.

Too many times what we own becomes that which comes between the Lord and us. Instead of that which we use to bring him honor.

3. The colt honored him with submission.
Every new colt has to be broken before it can be ridden. The colt that Jesus rode had never been ridden before. It submitted itself to Lord for his use. And he was glorified.

When Jesus gets on an unbroken colt it immediately submits itself to the master. He is the creator so that when the creation recognizes him it submits to the higher power.

4. The crowd honored him by laying their clothes/palms in the way.
The people honored the King when he came into a town. They would greet him on the road with shouts, praises, and palm branches or anything else that they could find to lay into the path to make his entry into the town smooth.

What could we do to make his way smooth? To honor means to respect, admire, esteem, reverence, worship , or to be in awe of.

Will you honor him by giving to him what you have to make his way smooth into the lives of others? Will you give what you have as a sacrifice to him?


5. The whole multitude honored him by praising God and rejoicing for all the mighty works they had seen.


A teacher was doing her best to discredit the miracles of the Bible. She said, "Take, for instance, the crossing of the Red Sea. We know this body of water was only 6 inches deep." Immediately from the back of the room came the remark, "Praise God for the miracle!" Annoyed, the teacher asked, "What miracle?" "Well," explained the boy, "the Lord must have drowned the whole Egyptian army in just 6 inches of water!"

They praised Jesus one day and crucified Him the next. Do we do the same thing? Lip praise is useless if not backed by life praise. All God's creatures will praise. All were (vs.40) created to honor God. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. Now or later.

"Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord," is essentially the meaning of "Hosanna." The crowds were acknowledging Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of David, and the "chief priests and scribes ... were sore displeased" at this (Matthew 21:15).

6. The stones would honor him. All of his creation will honor him.

Roma 14:11 (KJS) For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Even the stone cold ones will one day be forced to bow to him in submission.

But now we can honor him willingly and lovingly. He is the King who has come in the name of the Lord. He is the Lord. Will you honor him?

7. The Pharisees could have honored him, but they chose to honor themselves.

Do we smooth the road or throw obstacles in the path of His work in the church? Are we holding back or trying to hold others back from praising the Lord? If we hold back then we are holding back all those who would come through our witness.

8. We can honor him today by laying our palms before him.


Will you go out of your way to honor and please the king? (vs.39)But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” Pharisees were faultfinders.

Some church’s have faultfinding Pharisees, never happy, never satisfied, always complaining. Those who will cause trouble & confusion in church dishonor Christ. They never allowed Christ to be their Lord.

Will you lay your palm before him today? If it is your desire to honor the Lord today by giving to him your life will you come lay your palm on the altar?
Just do it.