Dear Christian friends:

You can see by the decorations in the church, the Advent wreath and thee purple stole that this Sunday is the first Sunday of the Church season called Advent. I wonder how many of you can tell me what the word, "advent" means. Yes, it means "coming".

So during this season we think much about Jesus' coming. Our text for this Sunday also speaks about Jesus' coming to His people, the Church. In verse five of our text we read, “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The daughter of Zion means the Church. This is a prophecy from the Old Testament and Jesus made it happen exactly when He rode on the donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. "Tell the Church, Look, Your King is Coming to You."

You are the Church today. God wants me to tell you today,


How does your King, Jesus, come to you today? Today He is not coming to you riding on a donkey. True, we remember that today. This Christmas we will remember how He came almost 2,000 years ago as a Baby. This is beautifully explained to us in His Word. So it is through His Word and the Lord's Supper that Jesus comes to us today. He comes into our hearts and lives there and rules as our King.

Jesus will also come again in glory and all people shall see God's salvation when He comes on that Last Day of the world.

Your King comes to you today. Our text says, "Look!" Give attention to His coming. Get ready for His coming, so you can accept Him for your Savior and King or else His coming will be for nothing.

Many people of Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday accepted Jesus and welcomed Him when He came to them. In verse nine of our text they sang, “God bless King David's Son!” . . . “God's Man is here!”. . . “Bless him, Lord!” . . . “Praise God in highest heaven!” (TLB)

Will you also accept and welcome Jesus today for your Savior and King? You say, "Yes", but do you really understand what that means? He is our "Savior". Savior from what? Saves us from our sins. Often we think we have little or no sins. And so we think we do not need the Savior Jesus. We depend on self-righteousness or law righteousness.

Do you have sins? Many sins? Let us ask ourselves some questions: Do I fail in my duties as husband or wife, mother or father, son or daughter? Do I break my promise to God, to my wife, to my mother or father or teacher? Am I careless and lazy in my work and duties? Is my heart full of hatred against someone? Did I say bad or unkind words to anyone? Am I suspicious and seeking to find fault with others? Am I jealous. Do I tell friends and neighbors about our wonderful God and Savior? Do I read any news about mission work? Do I pray for my pastor, for my church for missionaries in foreign countries? Do I worry about my health and my job? Do I really trust in God my Maker and Keeper? Do I feel bitter and complain all the time?

These and other questions we should ask ourselves during Advent. Then if we honestly confess our sins we will feel blue or purple like the color of the stole. We will feel sad and tired and disgusted about our sins. Then we will be glad to ask God for mercy and forgiveness of our sins and will eagerly, like the people in our text accept Jesus for our Savior. By faith we put on His righteousness.

We, too, will sing, Our Savior, the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Lord's name! Our Savior, in the highest heavens.

And if we really are sorry about our sins and believe in Jesus for our Savior we will also accept Him for our King. We will gladly love Him and try to please Him by obeying His commands and wish not to make ourself right, but to show our thanks and love!

Sometimes people say they love Jesus, but they don't care to serve Him and obey Him. Do such people really love Him? If a husband tells his wife, "I love you," but then he doesn't try to help her and please here and make her happy, does that husband really love his wife?

So you, if you really accept Jesus for your Savior and King then you will try to help Him and serve Him and make Him happy. And if by weakness and temptation you fail, you will feel very sad and sorry and feel oh shucks and not be happy about yourself. You will eagerly seek His forgiveness and love and try harder in the future to successfully serve Him and please Him.

May God help us to look and attend now to our King who comes.

Amen.