Focusing On Christ Triumphal Entry Series

John 12:12-19

Focusing on Christ Triumphal Entry

Introduction

A. I may have been watching to much TV covering the War

B. Since the war has started I have been flipping channels between MSNBC, FOX News, and CNN.

C. What I find the most interesting things is how different people interpret different events.

D. I love when they show other countries reporting on the progress or lack there of the collation forces are making

E. I must admit my favorite is the Iraq minister of Information. He is great, I wonder how he can sit there with a straight face and say those things

a. Granted he is afraid if he doesn’t He will be killed by Sadaam

F. Today we are going to focus on Christ entering Jerusalem Triumphantly

G. Now this was during the Passover Feast, and during the feast, there were a lot of people who would come to the city of Jerusalem,

H. With this big of crowd there had to be different opinions about Christ

I. Today we are going to look at 4 different views people had about Jesus mentioned in our Scripture Passage

a. Sightseers

b. Conqueror Crowds

c. Peaceful Person

d. Frustrated Foes

I. Sightseers

A. Explanation

1. It is not every day when someone raises another person from the Dead

2. That just does not happen

3. However, There was a story out there about someone who did raise a person from the dead

4. This was major news

5. Everybody would go to the water cooler and you knew they were talking about this event

6. It was the top story on all the network news cast

7. Due to this popularity people wanted to see who this Christ guy was

8. They might have believed the story, maybe not, probably were just skeptical

9. However, like him or not, they all wanted a glimpse of this person

10. They wanted to see what all the fuss was about

B. Application

1. What does this mean for us today?

2. Our approach to reaching people for Christ is a little bit absurd

3. When we actually talk about Christ we think people don’t want to hear about it

4. These sight seers who came to see this person, did not come because they were committed to the Gospel

5. Did not come because they knew that Christ could save them

6. They came because they wanted to see what this Person is all about

7. They were curious

8. We have a choice as to what to do with them.

a) One we can ignore them, since after all they are just curious

b) Or two, we can let them be curious and come and find out for their selves who this Christ Person is

9. I serve a powerful God; I know that people will want to see who He is. If they are just wanting to find out who this God person is, let them. Once they realize who He is, they will want to serve Him

C. Illustration

1. Sales people have this figured out. I am quite found of the confidence that Old Spice has in their deodorant. You have seen the adds give it a try if you don’t like it we will refund your purchase and buy you a stick of your old deodorant. Why do they do that? They are confident that their product is that good.

2. What about you? Are you confident that Christ is that good?

3. Invite people to give Christ a shot. Once someone experience God to quote as song “I will never go back anymore”

II. Conqueror Crowds

A. Explanation

1. We notice in verse 13 they were shouting “Hosanna”

a) Hosanna is Hebrew for “Save us now”

b) The shout of the people would they be “God save the King”

2. The Jewish people were actually quoting Psalm 118:25-26

a) Now Psalm 113-118 was known as the Hallel-, which means literally Praise God!

b) Unlike our Hymnals, Jewish people were expected to memorize these Psalms, it was one of the first memory work that Jewish boys would learn in school

c) This particular Psalm, 118, was directly connected to the Feast of the Tabernacles, some feel it was written specifically for that occasion

d) At the feast of Tabernacles, worshipers carried bundles make up of palm myrtle and willow branches.

e) Everyday of the fest they would march around the temple singing this very psalm

f) Also this Psalm was characteristically known as the conqueror’s psalm

g) Back about 100 years before this, a guy by the name Simon Maccabaeus conquered back a couple of Syrian controlled areas, and they song the same thing

3. See they pictured the Messiah as a Conqueror

B. Application

1. What can we learn from this?