Jesus And His Disciples

Jesus and His Disciples

Luke 19:28-44

Introduction-

This morning we begin a celebration of the gospel, celebrate the life of the church, celebrate the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, and celebrate the great love of God for mankind.

The Holy week…Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, the time where the final acts of Christ were lived out and what changed the outcome for all mankind.

I asked you a while back to be thinking who you would invite to join you to have an opportunity to hear the simple truth of God’s love and the plan of salvation for mankind. I hope that you would be sensitive to His leading and let God use you.

Turn to Luke 19:28-44 read from Bible

Jesus, as he approached Jerusalem, the city filled with people that Jesus loves (41) “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

I said to invite people to an opportunity to experience Christ, but truth is their eyes are closed until God opens them. That is why it is so important to put them where God can minister to them.

People don’t just find Jesus- Jesus finds us and we respond.

People don’t come to Christ- Jesus comes to us. He makes the first move.

The plan of God was for Jesus to die for us. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the final days of the plan were coming together. The church calls it Palm Sunday; Jesus would call it Holy Week.

Holy Week

Starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem, triumphant entering on a donkey, the symbol of peace.

Some churches have services everyday looking at different aspects of his final week. Stations of the Cross, Foot Washings, Maundy Thursday, Last supper and the betrayal of Jesus, Good Friday Services, and climaxing on Sunday with the celebration of resurrection Sunday. The power of the empty tomb that we will look at next week.

It must be important if all 4 gospel writers record the event.

Jerusalem which had a population of 50,000 had tripled because of the Passover. Crowds had begun to assembly as they heard that Jesus was coming into town.

Political people hated him because they were afraid that he was stealing authority away from Rome.

Religious people hated him because they looked at him as being dangerous. He was blasphemous, teaching people that God actually cared for them and not all about man-made rules.

That this teacher was not just a man, but was God.

Jesus actually calling them vipers, devourers of widows. He threw out money-changers from the Temple.

Stopped crooked people from selling defective animals as a sacrifice to a holy God.

Today, this drama is drawn out as a passion play, but really if you think about it, it is “conspiracy” it is action packed as much as a Borne movie.

That conspiracy was building for the 3 years of Jesus ministry. One minute they were hailing him, throwing their coats down, waving palms, and the next week yelling crucify Him! Some of the same people!

Why the big crowds change? What happened? Or didn’t happen that changed their minds.

There is a parade so to speak and Jesus is coming into town.

There will also be people that love a parade, but never understanding what’s happening.

There will always be people shouting praise without knowing why they are doing it.

There will always be people on the outside looking in.

There will be people who are always weighing in on issues that should have been settled a long time ago in their lives.

The Da Vinci Code is a fictional book.

Jesus did not marry Mary Magdalene.

He did not have children with her.

She did not move to France to raise their kids.

I know this because there was faithful eye witnesses that proclaimed and recorded the events.

Recorded all of Holy week so that we do not have to wonder when and if it happened or how it happened.

Many people were on that parade route, there are many different reasons for them to be there.

Some like the excitement, the adrenaline rush, some like the free stuff that would be given out, some were just curious, some will get it, and some will not.

You have to do something with Jesus.

Each and every one of us.

To do nothing is to reject Him.

You cannot go through the motions.

We are all in that crowd in some way and at some time. Either yelling hosanna or crucify Him!

Some will change what they were yelling, some good and some not well. Some will follow and then reject Him.

Here me for a minute, we ask ourselves how someone could yell hosanna and then yell crucify Him the next.