Palm Sunday - Gateway To Change

Today is Palm Sunday – it is a day we remember that Jesus came into Jerusalem

Matthew 21:1-11New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse Examine Yourselves

…4For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. 5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test? 6But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.…

What season are you in.

Every life has it’s seasons – I spoke to a child and he said basically I am only a child and he was – I spoke to a youth and he said I am young I need to enjoy life – I spoke to a young parent and he said I have responsibilities now – I spoke to a man in his fifties and he said it is time to slow down I spoke to an old man and he said I have had a great life.

E very life has it’s seasons and it is important to understand what season you are in and to live your life according to what God has planned for this season of your life.

Jesus had had an incredible journey.

He was born in dramatic circumstances surrounded by heavenly testimonies and worldly violence lived in a remote and often scorned village - grew up in anonymity a carpenters son and apprentice at thirty years of age he struck out in dramatic and prophetic fashion – he walked and preached and God worked miracles through him He shook a nation the world trembled and the evil forces of the day rallied against him – Up to the point of palm Sunday everyone had heard of him and every one had reacted – some in adoration and worship and others in fear and tyranny. Poised on the edge of the pool of suffering Jesus takes a breath and dives in knowing that life as he has known it will never be quite the same again.

Jesus was facing change.

You face change too every day but there are seasonal changes and you need to know we all need to know when they happen and how to respond.

Because the Palm procession is the doorway to that change we do well to examine our own lives in light of what Jesus does here because we too cqn learn how to adapt to change gears to shift up or down to the next stage that Jesus has called us too.

If you have got the new heart that God has planned for you then you are going to want to examine yourself – that examination inevitably will lead you to the cross.

Lets explore how Jesus transitions from being the wanderin – nomadic leader and teacher, preacher and prophet, King in waiting to the era when he sill be the saviour of the world.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”