Outdone By A Brick Series

OUTDONE BY A BRICK

Text: Lk. 19:28-40

Introduction

1. Illustration: It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, 5-year-old Sammy stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm branches. Sammy inquired as to what they were for. 'People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by,' his father responded. 'Wouldn't you just know it?' Sammy complained, 'the one Sunday I don't go, and Jesus shows up.' [funny-jokes.com]

2. Well, Jesus is here today, in fact, he’s here every Sunday! The question is do we come prepared to give him the kind of worship he deserves?

3. Our text this morning not only tells us about the events of the first Palm Sunday, but also it tells us about worship. It tells us about…

a. Preparation For Worship

b. Exuberance In Worship

4. Read Lk. 19:28-40

Proposition: When we worship, we need to give God everything we have to give.

Transition: First, Palm Sunday teaches us about…

I. Preparation For Worship (28-34).

A. You Will See a Young Donkey

1. Jesus’ journey to the cross is starting to come to its height. To show that he knew his mission, and that it was not a hap hazard attempt, Jesus made detailed preparations to complete his journey. In v. 29, we read, “As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead.”

a. Bethphage and Bethany were two towns that were about a mile apart from each other and were located on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem.

b. This was an area they knew well because Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in Bethany.

c. Luke tells us that Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead on a mission.

2. The mission that he gives these two disciples in rather unique. He says, “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

a. The mission he sent them on was miraculous.

b. First, Jesus knew there was a young donkey there, it was unbroken and had never been ridden on.

c. The second part of the miracle is that Jesus knew the opposition they would face, and he told them exactly what to say.

d. He said, “just tell them the Lord needs it.”

3. Well, guess what? It happened just as Jesus said it would. “So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.”

a. It was remarkable that everything happened as Jesus said it would.

b. They found the donkey and untied it, and again, just as Jesus said, they were asked why they were taking it.

c. So, the disciples did as Jesus told them and said, “The Lord needs it.”

d. Now, understand what’s going on here. To just show up and take someone’s donkey for them is like someone showing up and running off with your car.

e. Now, I don’t know, but if someone walked into my driveway unannounced and starts climbing into my truck, we’re gonna have a problem!

f. And if they look at me and say, “The Lord needs it! I’m gonna tell them, “The Lord better come and ask me in person!”

g. But that is not how the owner of the donkey responds. He just lets them take it.

4. This whole scenario is very significant.

a. First, only an animal that had never been used for ordinary purposes were appropriate for sacred purposes.

b. Another reason it is significant is a donkey was a sign of humility.

c. Jesus wasn’t coming to take over from a worldly standpoint. He wasn’t coming to make war, he was coming to bring peace.

5. However, the most important thing in all of this is that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy. In Zechariah 9:9 it says,

a. Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.

b. Jesus was identifying himself as the Messiah. The donkey showed that he was a king in the royal line of David because before and during David’s reign the donkey was seen as a royal animal.

c. Secondly, it shows his humbleness. So, he was both a king and his character as a servant.