Palm Sunday Series

Big Idea - Who is Jesus in your life? Is He King? What does that mean?

Back track to John 12:12-36 Show video clip

John 12:12-36 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! "

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Blessed is the King of Israel!"

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

17 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 given this miraculous 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 Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Who is leading the parade?

Vs. 17 crowd was with Jesus raising Lazarus - other reports merely Jesus' disciples

Palm branches - linked to Festival of Booths

Macabees revolt - like waving a flag

Later Romans put palm leaves on their coins celebrating their crushing defeat of the Jewish revolt

Hosanna = Save us - Give salvation now

Can't make Him a king if He rides in as a King.

He already is KING -

Video clip - That's my king?

John 14:26 - HS will remind you of things

Crowd - disciples - everyone but the religious leaders fully expected Jesus to reign as king

Happily ever after

Even the Greeks wanted to see Jesus -

Greeks at the festival would only be allowed in the outer courts, those were the courts where buying and selling was taking place. In other gospel accounts, Jesus drives them out saying that this is a house of prayer for all nations.

What about the Greeks - now our militia can grow

Jesus not only of the Jews but of the Greeks, the Romans

All the makings of a Happily Ever After story - like the one you or I would write

But hold on - there was one key player who knew the story - wrote the story with His father, and knew that happily ever after was not in the script

JN 12:23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, `The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this `Son of Man'?"

I tell you the truth... Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies...

Visual illustration

Bring an apple - cut it in half - ask someone to count how many seeds are in the apple