The Day The Cheering Stopped Series

THE DAY THE CHEERING STOPPED

Mark 11:1-11

Palm Sunday

Introduction:

How many of you have been "April Fooled" already today? There have been some memorable April Fools pranks pulled over the years. Here are a few of the all time favorites.

In 2005, the media reported that NASA had discovered water on Mars, and had actual pictures on the official NASA website. Those who went to the NASA website to check it out, found a picture of a glass of water sitting on a Mars candy bar.

On April Fools Day in 1996, Taco Bell announced that they had purchased the Liberty Bell, and that they would be renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Man, people were calling the national parks department, all in an uproar. Later in the Day, the press secretary for the white house announced that they would also be selling the Lincoln Memorial and renaming it the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

One of the best April Fools joke ever reported was when the BBC news program “Panorama” reported in 1957 that due to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Many people called in wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti tree.

But my absolute favorite was, On 1st April 1998 Burger King published a full page advertisement in an American newspaper announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left-Handed Whopper" especially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger, etc.), but all the items were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers. The next day, Burger King issued a follow-up.

The follow-up press release said that although the Left-Handed Whopper was a hoax, thousands of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich.

Simultaneously, according to the press release, "many others [had] requested their own 'right handed' version."

Have you ever wondered, what if the greatest event in all history was just a cruel April Fool’s joke? What if Easter was a hoax that never really happened?

You might assume, ridiculous. Yet, the resurrection and Easter remains the number one historical event that is still attacked by the enemies of Christ today. A recent headline in the New York Times reads,

New Archaeological Discovery Questions Jesus' Bodily Resurrection

Scientists Say Bones Discovered in Tomb Supported by Biblical Accounts

NEW YORK – A new archaeological discovery on a Jerusalem site is causing controversy as it revives the debate over the "Jesus tomb" and presents what scientists claim is proof that a burial box was found containing the remains of Jesus, and possibly his family – a direct contradiction to the belief in Christ's bodily resurrection.

While most if not all archeologist discount the evidence as forgery, and the discoverers of the tomb have been shown to be imposters, people today are curious, What if Easter could be proven false? It would mean we were the biggest fools on the planet.

The Apostle Paul summarized that if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.( 1 Cor. 15:18-19 NLT)

We know that Easter is true. It did happen as the Bible testifies. There is more than enough evidence to prove Jesus is alive.

Yet the resurrection remains the singular Christian doctrine attacked by the enemies of Christ today.

Last Wednesday we began our journey of discovery that will be continued this coming Wednesday and conclude next Sunday, Easter Sunday.

Today we will be centering on the event which set things in motion for Jesus, and catapulted him to the cross.

Today is Palm or Passion Sunday. This day is recognized as the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem upon a donkeys colt. ( Show Video )

The streets of Jerusalem were buzzing and things would only get worse as the week went on. The city of Jerusalem whose population normally stood around 60,000 swelled as the Passover approached and this year would be no different. Rumors circulated that a young rabbi from Galilee would be there—the one who supposably raised a man named Lazarus from the dead.

This Jesus drew crowds wherever He went. Unbelievable things were said about Him—that He had fed 5000 men with 5 small loves of bread and two fish, that He could make the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk. He was not only a healer but also a man who could command demons to come out of people and who claimed to have the authority to forgive sins. His teaching and ways were revolutionary to say the least—so much so that an unlikely alliance of the Scribes and Pharisees and even of Jew and Roman would be forged to rid the world of this young troublemaker.