Palm Sunday: Countdown To Resurrection

Palm Sunday: Countdown to Resurrection

John 12:12-19 (NLT2)

12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors

13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.

18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.

19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

What is Palm Sunday?

- Palm Sunday marks the beginning of what is called Passion Week

- Passion Week (Holy Week) is the time from Palm Sunday to Easter (Resurrection) Sunday

- It is referred to as Passion Week because of the emotional and physical suffering Jesus went through on our behalf… demonstrating His great love for us

- I think it’s important to note … the suffering and love Jesus has for us is not something that we just reflect on… one week out of the year

- Rather it is something that we remember throughout our lives… and our celebration of what Jesus did is reflected by how we live…

- We are no longer under the bondage of sin because of what took place during this week… and our lives should reflect that freedom … on a daily basis

- Because of what took place during this week… We are no longer walking around with a guilty verdict on our heads… doomed for the eternal judgement of God… and our lives should reflect that weight of guilt… being lifted off us

- So… while it is a celebration this week… it is only an extension of our daily celebration of Jesus Christ

Let’s talk about this first day of Passion Week called Palm Sunday…

Here’s the context…

- Jesus had just left a meal with Lazarus, Mary and Martha and was walking with His disciples to Jerusalem

- As they came to the Mount of Olives, directly outside the gate of Jerusalem… He instructed two of His disciples to go into a certain village and find a donkey with its colt… and bring both to Him

- The disciples did as they were told… then they lay their outer robes on the colt and Jesus sat on it

- As they were coming down the mountain to the gates of Jerusalem… the word spread that the man who raised Lazarus from the dead was riding in on a colt

- The people ran out to meet Him and cut down palm branches… laying them in the street as Jesus rode by

- They were shouting…

“Matthew 21:9 (KJV)

9 …Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

- All these things taking place… are actions and words reserved for a king

- Up until that day… Jesus had not announced Himself as a king

- He had more or less… stayed in the background and avoided accolades

- Up until that day… He had used imagery and signs to show who He was

- But on that day… He allowed His disciples to place their clothing on the colt for Him to sit on… something only done for a king

- On that day… He allowed the crowds to address Him as a king would be addressed

- On that day… He did not shun the accolades… but seemed to embrace them

- What was it about that first Palm Sunday that He decided… this is the day… I begin to reveal who I am in a more public way

- This is the day I begin to show My reason for coming in a less mysterious way

What was so significant about this day? It started a countdown to the event all of creation had been waiting for… the moment the curse of sin would be defeated

And I think to do it justice in understanding this, you must begin in the book of Genesis and make your way through the Bible

- Beginning in Genesis we have the creation of man… everything is perfect