Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and bestselling author Dr. Paul David Tripp

connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. What kind of Jesus do you want Jesus to be?

Today, we're going to continue through Paul's sermon series in the Gospel

of Mark, and in this message on the triumphal entry of Christ, Paul teaches that the crowd

wanted Jesus for all the wrong reasons, and many times we struggle with the same temptations.

Here's Paul with this message from the Gospel of Mark.

Thank you. Paul with this message from the Gospel of Mark. Well, I want to ask you right here, right now, what kind of Jesus do you long for?

You may think of that as a strange question. And I want to do this reverently,

but I want to give you some examples. Maybe if you were honest, what you actually want

is the Prozac Jesus. You just want Jesus to make you feel a little bit better

about your life, to calm your emotions, to numb you a little bit so life is easier. Maybe if you

were honest, you sort of want the target or Macy's Jesus.

Just be the place where I can go to get all the things that I've determined that I need

for my life.

Or maybe you would long for the district attorney, Jesus, who would go after all those people

who have made your life hard.

Or maybe what you actually want is the vacation planner, Jesus. Take him to a life that's easy and comfortable

and predictable. I am persuaded that there are moments for all of us that we would rather have a Messiah of our own making

than the one who is.

We would rather have a Messiah who would do our will than his own.

We would rather have a Messiah

who would seek and deliver the purposes of our kingdom

...