Sir, We Would See Jesus

PALM SUNDAY 2023

JOHN 12:17–21 NOW THE CROWD THAT WAS WITH HIM WHEN HE CALLED LAZARUS FROM THE TOMB AND RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD CONTINUED TO SPREAD THE WORD. 18 MANY PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY HAD HEARD THAT HE HAD PERFORMED THIS SIGN, WENT OUT TO MEET HIM. 19 SO THE PHARISEES SAID TO ONE ANOTHER, “SEE, THIS IS GETTING US NOWHERE. LOOK HOW THE WHOLE WORLD HAS GONE AFTER HIM!” 20 NOW THERE WERE SOME GREEKS AMONG THOSE WHO WENT UP TO WORSHIP AT THE FESTIVAL. 21 THEY CAME TO PHILIP, WHO WAS FROM BETHSAIDA IN GALILEE, WITH A REQUEST. “SIR,” THEY SAID, “WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE JESUS.”

INTRODUCTION: TODAY IS PALM SUNDAY. THIS IS THE EVENT IN THE CHRISTIAN CALANDAR THAT REMEMBERS AND COMMEMORATES THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF JESUS INTO JERUSALEM. THIS ENTRY ALSO BEGINS THE LAAST WEEK IN THE LIFE OG THE LORD WHICH WILL LEAD HIM TO THE CROSS AND THE TOMB. THIS EVENT WE REMEMBER AS PART OF THE HOLIDAY OF EASTER. EASTER, WHICH IS NEXT WEEK, CELEBRATES THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AS SEEN IN THE EMPTY TOMB, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ANGELS, AND WITNESS OF HIS DISCIPLES.

IN OUR TEXT WE SEE SEVRAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE FOR THE ENTRY OF CHRIST. THERE WERE THOSE WHO SAW HIM WHEN HE RAISED LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD. THEY SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT CHRIST – THAT HE WAS COMING. THERE ARE THOSE WHO CAME OUT TO SEE HIM BECAUSE HE HAD PERFORMED MIRACLES. THEY WERE PROBABLY LOOKING FOR MORE OF THE SAME. THERE WERE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO REALIZED THAT THEY WERE LOSING GROUND TO JESUS AND WOULD ULTIMATELY SEE ONLY ONE WAY OUT – TOTAKE JESUS OUT.

AND THEN THERE WERE THESE GREEKS, WHO WERE NOT AROUND FOR LAZARUS, HAD NOT HAD AND RELATION TO THE MIRACLES, AND WERE NOT LOOKING TO CUT OFF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS.

THEY JUST WANTED TO SEE JESUS. THEY WANTED TO MEET THE LORD. I CAN’T HELP BUT IMAGINE THAT SOME 2,000 YEARS LATER, PEOPLE STILL WANT TO SEE JESUS. THE REAL JESUS.

UNFORTUNATLEY, IN A WAY THEY MISSED THAT OPPORTUNITY BY ABOUT 2,000 YEARS. BUT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE – A REMEDY. THEY CAN SEE JESUS IN YOU, YES YOU.

JESUS MENTIONED HOW HIS FOLLOWERS WOULD BE IDENTIFIED. HE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS IN PRAYER TO KEEP CONNECTION WITH HIS FOLLOWERS. THE HOLY SPIRIT – OUR GREATEST SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH GOD ON THIS PLANET HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE ON OUR LIVES, SEALED US FOR ALL ETERNITY AND GIVEN US HIS FULNESS.

TRANSITION: AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, WE CAN ANSWER THE CALL, “SIR WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE JESUS.” TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU FOUR WAYS YOU CAN DO JUST THAT

I. PEOPLE CAN SEE JESUS IN THE WAY WE WALK

PSALM 1:1 BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO DOES NOT WALK IN STEP WITH THE WICKED OR STAND IN THE WAY THAT SINNERS TAKE OR SIT IN THE COMPANY OF MOCKERS,

a. WHEN I SAY WHERE WE WALK, WHAT I AM TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS WHERE OUR FEET TAKE US

b. TO NOT DO THESE THINGS BRINGS BLESSING, AND CAN I SAY A VISIBLE TESTIMONY

c. THE GODLY PERSON IS ONE WHO IS NOT CHARACTERIZED BY THESE THINGS

i. THERE IS SPIRITUAL PEACE AND JOY

ii. IN CONTRAST, THEY MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD

1. STUDY

2. RETENTION

d. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE PSALMIST IS ASKING US TO DO SOMETHING THAT GOES AGAINST OUR NATURE. WE DO NOT NATURALLY BEND TOWARDS RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR BUT AWAY FROM IT.

e. TO ACT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS OTHERS TO SEE JESUS IS A CONCIOUS CHOICE. THIS IS WHAT MAKES IT SO VISIBLE – IT GOES AGAINST HUMAN NATURE

f. WE DO NOT WALK IN STEP WITH THE WICKED

i. DO NOT ALLOW THEIR COUNSEL TO IMPACT OF INFLUENCE YOUR BEHAVIOR

ii. 1 JOHN 5:19 WE KNOW THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, AND THAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE EVIL ONE.

iii. IN A WAY THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF LIVING A LIFE THAT DOES NOT POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS

iv. THERE IS A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE TO LISTENING AND HAVING WHAT WE LISTEN TO IMPACT OUR ACTIVITY.

v. WE REAP THE COUNSEL WE KEEP

g. DO NOT STAND AROUND WITH STAND IN THE WAY OF SINNERS

i. THIS IS THE NEXT STEP THAT TAKES US AWAY FROM A LIFE THAT POINTS PEOPLE TO JESUS

ii. THIS IS THE BOTTLENECK EFFECT. AN ACCIDENT HAS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD AND NOW PEOPLE ARE SLOWING DOWN TO SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED, CREATIGN A BOTTLENECK.

1. IN ESSENCE THEY WANT TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED

2. AND NOW, WE EVEN TAKE OUT OUR CELL PPHONES SO WE CAN RECORD THE INCIDENT AND LOOK AT IT LATER – GREATER REVIEW!