The Burden Bearer on a Beast of Burden

I’m inviting you this morning to turn in your bible to do, 2 different passages of scripture. I I had thought this morning I’ll tell you where to turn. That way, you can start. Turn with me to Luke chapter 19, and then also to Galatians chapter 6.

I thought this morning I was grateful that my homiletics professor and that my hermeneutics professor was not gonna be here this morning. They wouldn’t be here. And then I walked into Sunday school class and saw my hermeneutics professor. Earlier this week and he didn’t stop me on it. And so I’m I’m gonna try to do something.

I hope I’m not doing hermeneutics, gymnastics, and homiletical gymnastics to try to fit this together. But today’s Palm Sunday. Final day in our series, small But it’s also the final day in our series, small group series on one another. And as I was making preparation for our series, today, we’re gonna be looking at the subject of bearing one another’s burdens. And I thought, how fitting on, Palm Sunday that we would deal with that.

And so this morning, we’re gonna try to blend the idea of Christ burden bearing for us and our burden bearing for one another. Anybody ready to hang on to the end of the rope as we get swung around this morning? You alright with that? Inviting you to stand as we look at these passages of scripture together. I’m trusting.

By the end of our time together, you’ll see the correlation between these two, the correlation between these 2, Christ our burden bearer, as well as our call to bear one another’s burdens. We’re looking at Luke chapter 19 beginning in verse 28, and then we’ll be turning over to Galatians chapter 6. This morning just so that you’re aware of this out of the New King James version. This is what Luke records. When he had said this, he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem.

And it came to pass when he drew near to Bethpage in Bethany at the mountain called all of that cult tied on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you losing it? Thus, you shall say to him, because the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them.

But as they were losing the colt, the owners, that said to them, why are you loosing the cult? And they said, the Lord has made a Then they brought him, brought him to Jesus and they threw their own clothes on the court and they sat Jesus on him. And as they went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then as he was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice they had seen, saying, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory.

From the crowd, teacher, rebuke your disciples. But he answered and said to them, I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out. Now, as he drew near, he saw the city and he wept over it saying, you, especially in this, your day, the things which make for your peace, but now, they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies are embarkment around you, surround you, and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you to the ground. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation.

Now turn with me over to Galatians chapter 6 looking at verses 1 through 5. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you, who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted, bear one another’s burdens Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. For each one shall bear his own load. And then he will have rejoicing in himself alone.

And not in a For each one shall bear his own load. The subject that I really want to speak to us on this morning is the irony of burden bearing. Let’s bow our heads together. This morning, as we reflect today today on the triumphal entry of our savior coming into Jerusalem purposefully, intentionally, knowing that his entry in Jerusalem would mean his death. But it was for us.

To look into these passages of scripture and begin to look into these passages of scripture and begin to look into these passages of scripture and begin to look into these passages of scripture and begin to look into these look into these passages of scripture and begin to understand the great blessing that has come by your bearing our sin, help of the spirit, your the gospel accounts of Jesus’ entry into jurors, the first irony, is the fact that here comes the burden bearer, riding on what? A beast of burden, right? In fact, some of the newer translations, particularly in Matthew’s gospel, translate it that Christ came riding on a beast of burden. And I find it interesting, this concept that here comes the one who is bearing, the burdens, the sin of all of humanity comes in on a beast of burden. Kind of reminds me a little bit of number of years ago, I was I saw a fella who was riding a motorcycle.

And the And the motorcycle was rather, rather small motorcycle. And as I observed this happening, I thought, I think it should be the other way around. That fella probably should be carrying that motorcycle rather than that motorcycle trying to carry that. And when I think about the irony of the great burden bearer, Christ, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, a beast of burden, I think that’s a little bit ironic. The one who has come to bear all of humanity’s weight comes riding in on a beast of burden.

I comes riding in on a beast. Right, this morning to somehow link to and the implications that it has for us. Not a random Jesus is intentionally Jesus is intentionally making his presentation of himself as the king of Israel. If you were to turn back in our your Bible this morning to Luke’s Gospel, chapter 9, you will notice Luke references in chapter 9 in verse 51, that Jesus is setting his sights on Israel. In fact, Luke specifically records it in verse 51 of chapter 9, when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

To come. This is this is Pash This would be the week for the sins, for the fulfill the will of his father. He knows that what will glorify his father, John records, is his death. And so he has set his sights to go into Jerusalem to fulfill the will of his father. He hadn’t come to do his own will.

That’s going to be recorded a little later in Luke’s gospel as Jesus praise in the garden of Gethsemane with such passion that he sweats drops of blood. Father, let this bitter cup pass for me. This isn’t this isn’t the will that Jesus has come. But this is the will of his father. And so Jesus has set his sights on Jerusalem to fulfill what his father has called him to do.

So he’s intentionally going into Israel or going into Jerusalem for the purpose for. And that I think is a tragedy in our separating old testament from New Testament is that there are times that we lose the grand scheme of what God is seeking to accomplish. And I want to say, no, that is God’s revelation of himself. Now I understand Old Testament, you know, the Old Covenant versus New Covenant. I get all of that.

Please don’t throw me out for the But what I do want to say is, God is in the process of revealing himself. Creation, the fall of man, redemption, the restoration of all things, and so Jesus has come into Jerusalem on a kingdom mission. He’s come for the purpose of fulfilling what God wants to do to fulfill the kingdom of God on earth. We lose the full scope of what God is doing. And to draw that God is work, all things, for their and to draw that God is sovereign in the universe today, and so Jesus has set his sights on this kingdom, that is it, the kingdom of God.

Inaudurated. And it’s implications for us today. The first thing that I want you to take note of is that the burden, the brain, the principle, is Burden bearing is kingdom activity. Jesus is coming into Jerusalem for the sole purpose that he would take your sins and my sins and bear them to the cross. He’s come for the purpose of offering himself as the guilt offering, and he does that through coming riding on a donkey, a beast of burden.

Jesus was making his way into Jerusalem to fulfill an eternal activity that had pertained to God’s kingdom agenda, something that God had set into motion 1000 of years before. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t start something and then stop half way? In fact, scripture says that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. And God, who had started his purpose of redeeming mankind after the fall, sets into motion the establishment of his kingdom, raises up David to be a leader, and says that there will be one who will come, who will sit on the throne of David forever. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

What are they doing? They’re looking at what God had promised 1000 of years before, that there would be one who would come. They’re they’re looking at the one who has come to take the seat of the kingship in Israel. Now, yes, they’ve they’ve misjudged what’s going on. What do they think is about to happen?

Jesus is coming into Jerusalem. He’s gonna throw out the Roman rule. He’s gonna establish his rule. He’s gonna deliver Israel from Roman oppression. The they’re crying out.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. They hail him as the son of David. They begin to sing, praises to Hosanna. They, they shout Hosanna. Now, we use that word, Hosanna, as a word of praise.

It’s actually a word of begging. It’s a word of pleading. The word Hosanna literally means please save. And the people are calling out to Jesus as he’s making his way in. Jesus, save us, set us free, deliver us.

That’s their Deliver us. That’s their and Jesus is making preparation to do just that, to set us free from the bondage of sin. The purpose of Christ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was to bear the sin of all of the world. To take the weight of the sin of all of humanity, to place it on his shoulders, our sin. He took our sorrow.

He took our shame. He took our guilt. And he took our guilt. And he took our He took our sorrow. He took our shame.

He took our guilt, and he bore all of it to the cross. We sing the song, my savior’s love. The second verse of that song says, he took my sins and my sorrow. He made them his very own. He bore the burden to Calvary and suffered and died for me.

Oh, how marvelous. Oh, how wonderful. It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s COURTIN: It’s a COURTIN: was kingdom activity to take our sins, our burden and bear it to the cross. This is where the second irony of the burden bearing comes in. When you and I are united to Christ, we become an ambassador of the kingdom of God.

So when you and I have had our sins born to the cross through Christ, and we have been redeemed, you and I become ambassadors of Christ to do what he has done in the world around us. It means that you and I are called to participate in the official business of the king. Hallelujah. You and I are called to do what he has done. So the burden bearing is not only kingdom activity, but it’s also kingdom responsibility.

Do you realize that because Christ has set us free, we now become ministers of reconciliation in the world? Well, it’s awful quiet this morning. And then he calls you and I to be a own For Christ to fulfill the will of his father, he had to take up our sins and bear them to the cross. There is no way that Christ could get around this. That Christ could get around this.

You remember back in Matthew’s gospel chapter 4, and to engage your minds a little bit this morning? And to engage your minds a little bit this morning. And to engage your minds a little bit this morning. And to engage your minds a little bit this Trying to engage your minds a little bit this morning. Satan comes in to tempt Jesus.

And what does he do? He says, hey, here’s a stone. Turn into bread. Hey, let me take you to the temple. Throw yourself off of the temple.

Let the angels rescue you. You want to make a splash in the world? To a mountaintop and he says, now look at all of the kingdoms of this world. If you will bow to me, I’ll give them to you. And Jesus says, you have no rightful claim or legitimacy to the kingdoms of this world.

I do. And I won’t submit myself to your lies to bow before you. The only way to purchase humanity is the cross. Jesus didn’t circumnavigate the cross, but he he ran to the cross to bear our sins, our shame, our guilt to set us free. It was his responsibility and his alone to take the weight of our guilt and our sin to bear it to the cross.

While the blood of the lambs of the Old Testament sacrifice was sufficient to atone, it had to be replicated over and over and over. It was only the blood of Christ that could really satisfy once for all, the Hebrew writer said, to set us free. Paul writes of it in Romans chapter 6 that Christ died once for sin. You and I have access to that freedom through Christ Jesus and his sacrifice. His blood sets us free.

Once for all, Christ bore our sins to the cross. But here’s the irony. For you and I to live out our kingdom ambassadorship, You and I have to engage in kingdom responsibilities. And what are those kingdom responsibilities? Paul writes in Galatians that you and I are supposed to bear the burdens of one another.

Because Christ has born our burdens, our sin, then you and I have been united with him and called to be ministers of reconciliation in the world. Those who know that Christ loved them by bearing the burden of their sin also know to love 1 and other Christ. So the admonition for us to bear the burden of one another is not just a suggestion. You realize it’s not just a good idea for you to bear one another’s burdens. I wish somehow we could capture really what Paul is is saying to us.

And and maybe the way for us to do that is understand the forcefulness in which Paul writes this. If you were to read this in its Greek text, you would understand that it’s written in three tenses. It’s written in the in the active, and it’s written in the imperative mood, which means that it is your responsibility ongoing activity of doing this. And it’s not a suggestion, but it’s a command. You are called to bear one another’s burdens.

Paul’s admonition for us this morning is that we are called to bear the burdens of each other. If you don’t come away from anything from this series that we’ve been going through, I want you to take this away. The church needs one another to work together for the sake of the. We’re called to one another. You were called to one another.

You and I have responsibility to each other to love, to to to to stir up, to serve, but also to bear the burdens of one another. When I read this particular passage of scripture, it’s fascinating to me the context in which Paul writes Galatians. Did anybody pay attention to the context? Did anybody pay attention to the context? How does Galatians chapter 6 and verse 1 start out?

If any among you is taken in sin. That’s the context to which we bear one another’s burdens. Now, let me just link this back into the triumphal entry, Palm Sunday. What did Jesus come into Israel for? For the purpose of taking our sin, our guilt, our shame, bearing it to the cross.

And now, as we engage in kingdom activity, as you and I engage in our kingdom responsibility, it plays out in our kingdom building. It plays out in our kingdom building. You and I are called as ambassadors of Christ, ministers of reconciliation, to come alongside and bear the burdens of one another. And this is given in the context of one who has been taken in sin. Paul’s command to bear one another’s burdens is found in that context, that if a brother or sister is taken into sin, that we’re called to do what?

Restore such a one. Maybe I could help us understand, as as this relates to our kingdom building, the burden that is placed upon us to bear for one another is restoration. College, I was playing softball. Kendall, you may remember this. I don’t, I don’t know.

I used to play left field. And there a lot. I used to play a lot. There was there was a particular game that we were playing, and a ball was hit into left field, and I went running for the just outside of my reach and so I dove for the ball and when I dove hand, my free hand, the hand that was and the landed in that sand and got finger and yanked it to the and yanked it to the fellow that was the umpire. I said to him, I said, I don’t know.

I did something to my finger. I He said, hold your hand out. It’s going to hurt, but just hold steady. And I held my hand out, and I was prepared. He And I held my hand out, and I was prepared.

He took a hold of that finger. He jerked it and shoved it. And a strivenly. I thought I can’t play outfield anymore. More.

I can’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I couldn’t I I moved to the infield, and I’d I moved to 1st base. I’d catch the ball, and then I’d drop my glove, and I’d take the ball out, throw it with my left hand. By the time the game was over, you couldn’t even see my It was so swollen. It just, it was like you couldn’t see knuckles or any. The problem was, is I had dislocated my finger and it needed to be set back into place.

That’s exactly what what Paul is communicating in Galatians chapter 6. A person who has been dislocated needs to be relocated. A person who has been caught in sin or taken in sin needs to be restored. And Paul is saying that is the responsibility that the church is called to bear. 1 and To restore another brother or sister into or brother or sister in Christ into the body.

The only way that you and I can be built up into this royal priesthood was through Christ, the great burden bearer, who has redeemed us. The order, look like? And the first question that we have to ask is, is how do you respond? What do you do when a brother or sister in Christ has been taken in sin? The Jerusalem Post and say, let me just tell the world what you did.

Christ didn’t go gabbing about the way in which we sinned. What did he do? He took that sin upon himself for it to the cross. Now let me just say, responsibility for the bearing the guilt and the weight of that individual in restoration back to the kingdom of God. Too many times, it seems like when we find a brother or sister who’s been taken in sin, And whispering about it.

And whispering about it. And whispering about it. And whispering about it. And whispering about it. And whispering about it.

And whispering about it. And whispering about it. And whispering about it. And I will help to shoulder and bear that load. Sadly, it seems like and I’m not talking about our church.

I’m talking about the church at large. All right? We understand that. And I’m not talking about our church. I’m talking about the church at large.

All right? We understand that. And I’m not talking about our church. I’m talking about the church at large. All right?

We understand that. And I’m not talking about the church at large I’m talking about the church at large. All right? We understand. It seems like sadly the church at large has not always done a very good job of binding up the wounded and bringing them back to health.

I’m sure that I’ve I know that I’ve told you the story of good friend of mine who had been caught with an addiction to pornography. He was a pastor. Ended up having to resign his church. And told me what was going on. In the process of his restoration, he got connected with a guy that became a mentor to him.

That fella had been a pastor in a denomination. He had had a moral failing himself. The denomination’s response was they kicked him out, pulled his license, and kicked him out. Instead of saying we’re coming alongside of you to help bind you up, heal what has been wounded. Kastim.

And can I just say to us today, church, No, we are not the ones who forgive them of their sin? And then, we are not the ones who forgive them of their sin, but you and I have a responsibility when their sin has been confessed, to help bear the burden that they care. When you clothe yourself with Christ likeness, you see the kingdom of God as he does. One of the things that I love about you have your Bible still open, go back to Luke chapter 19. If you have your bible still open, go back to Luke chapter 19.

When Jesus comes through this crowd of believers, it says that he’s making his descent off the Mount of Olives. And I picture this in my mind that as he rounds the corner and he begins to make his descent, he pauses pauses it looks down into the city of it’s the city as it’s all laid out, city, there are tents that are set up. People who have come to worship at the passover. There’s tents that are all gathered around in Jesus pauses, and he looks down into the city. He sees this throng of and instead of cast tears begin to well up in our saviors eyes.

Appear. Chirrs begin to well up in our saviors. And he looks upon the people, and he sees them for what they are. The enemy has come in and has robbed and stolen has destroyed, people who are bound by the sin of this world. And Jisus begins to weep.

With Christ likeness, sob. And, What does it mean to bear one another’s burdens when Paul suggests, What does it mean to bear one another’s burdens? When Paul suggests, suggests that burden bearing fulfills the law of Christ, he makes it clear that the whole law, moral law, is in view. Every act of compassion and self sacrifice on behalf of another person is a means of displaying the love of Christ and thereby fulfilling the law of If you know the book of Galatians, There’s some almost as if as Paul comes down to the end here, he says, you want to observe a law you want to be bound to a law. Let it be the law of Christ.

If you want to have a burden imposed upon you, Take upon you the burden of one another. Load of this present world. They feel. Do you know what they do? Lot.

Lot of you need somebody to hold you accountable. I’m sure. You want somebody that you can meet with I’m here. Paul, have to bear alone. Verse 5 says, for each one will bear his own load, but the ways in which we can bear one another’s loads, we do it.

Let me give you an example of that. I drive a Ford truck. Look at it, brother David. I was expecting some sort of comment and I didn’t get it. Which means I keep a tow rope in the back of my Ford truck.

Don’t laugh. That Ford truck just pulled out a 4 wheel drive GMC. Thank you very much. I have pictures to prove it. Right, brother Paul?

I I carry that so that I can pull out stuck dodges, and stuck GMC’s, and Chevy’s. Alright? If my If my truck breaks down and I’m not able to get my kids, say, to school or wherever they need to go, I can call a neighbor or somebody else to do that, right? Create Grant’s shaking his head, no. No.

Stranger danger, can’t do that. I can, but you know what, I can’t do. I can, but you know what I can’t do? I can’t turn over my responsibility of being their father. This morning, yes, there are certain things that you and I must shoulder, but there are also things that you and I can help to shoulder for others.

The beauty of this idea is when you and I are in union when with Christ, when we have been made alive in Christ Jesus, and we put on Christlikeness, you and I are then called, just as Christ bore our sin to the cross, bore our burden to the cross to set us for you and I are called now to bear the burdens of one another. No, we can’t carry their sin, but we sure can come alongside to take the weight. Side to take the that a fallen world places on their shoulders and say, let me bear We’re being tasked with the responsibility to shoulder the heavy weight that another brother or sister may be, so that they can make it through. You know, there are times, so that they can make it through. You know, there are times that if you’ve carried a weight, you know what it’s like for that weight to crush you to the point that you can’t move.

Couple years ago, when Tanya and I were moving, we had an armoire that was up in the upstairs of our house. And I had the bright idea that I was gonna, I was gonna move that myself. And and come down the last two steps. And I got that armoire all the way down until my back was against the wall and the armoire was locked against a step, and I couldn’t move. That’s that’s a terrible position to be in.

There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t, I couldn’t stop. And all of a sudden I realized I need somebody to help me bear this load. You know, in your life there are going to be moments, whether it’s through failure and sin in your life or the cares because we live in a sin cursed fallen world. You and I need one another to bear our burdens together.

Tonight, as we come back to our small groups, we’re going to talk about what does this look like? How do we do this? How do we bear one another’s loads? But now he’s given us a ministry to do. For a kingdom, Lord help us to do it.

Let’s stand together as a close and prayer. Father, thank you for your word that we have looked at today. We rejoice. Knowing that whom the sun is set free is free indeed. And we rejoice in the we also know that you have brought us together in union with you for the purpose.

We would live out the Christ life in a part of that. It’s that we then come alongside fellow brothers and sisters. And we bear their burdens. And we bear their burdens. And we and we they’re they’re they’re they come alongside to help to shoulder the to restore them.

To reset them into the kingdom of God. To do. It’s we to together in relationship with you. And I pray that you would help us to take seriously the reality that you, our burden bearer, have put upon us the responsibility of bearing one another’s. And so to fulfill the law of Christ, Help us to do that.

I pray father that you’d watch over us as we go from here. May your hand of protection take us home and bring us back safely tonight. May you be glorified through our lives, and we’ll praise you for it in Jesus name. Amen. The Lord bless you.

You are dismissed.