Preparing The Way

All history (His Story of saving us from our sin) will hinge on the cross. In His triumphal entry (scholars have called it a-triumphal) we see the foreshadowing of His purchasing our pardon from sin and preparing for us the way called straight. His plan was prepared before the foundations of the world and in the fullness of time (Gal 4.4) Christ came. It was no accident in the way, the time, or the festival under which Jesus came. All of the scripture fulfillment, every little detail, from the donkey never ridden, the palm leaves waved, the clothes laid on the ground were prepared before the foundations of the world to show to us the light of the world. To let us know that God had prepared a way for us when we could not in own power do anything.

It is in the Triumphal entry we see our preparation to move from sinner to saint, from overcome by sin to overcommer of sin, from beaten to blessed!!!!

We can proclaim today these things because our redeemer prepared the way, and because he finalized the plan of salvation, and because he lives I can face tomorrow. Today is a day to rejoice at the triumph of our Lord and Savior. As we prepare to cleanse ourselves for the celebration of the Passover.

John 12.12-19

I. Jesus was preparing for a spiritual revolution.

-- Definition of revolution -- A fundamental social change

A) Change of hearts and minds

1) Expected a physical Messiah

a) They expected Jesus to bring a sword to liberate them from Rome

b) Instead he brought the sword of the spirit to liberate them from sin.

1) Matth 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

a) Peace here is not Shalom.

1) It is instead simply peace among men

2) ending of conflict

b) Jesus came to the earth to bring the sword

1) a short sword or dagger

2) Romans 13.4 it is an instrument of the judge or magistrate

3) Here implying that Jesus has come to subdue the impulses of sin by the Sword of the spirit.

Illustration: It is through the sword that the state has ever taken control and squelched many a revolt. It is through the sword of the spirit that God through Christ has taken control of the revolt of our disobedient hearts and drawn us back into willful obedience to His law of love.

2) Experienced a spiritual Messiah

a) Path of Triumphal entry

1) Jesus came down the mount of lives some 2700 feet above Jerusalem.

2) It is this route that was to be the entrance of

a) Messiah

b) Passover Lamb

c) Messiah and Passover lamb/ high priest both came down the mount of olives and were to enter the temple.

3) Fulfilling prophecy of Zechariah 9.9

b) Path of our heart.

1) From the Holy Hill of Zion, from Heaven God came down and was crucified on a Hill called Calvary.

2) He wants so to triumphally enter into our hearts as he did in Jerusalem that fateful day.

3) From the heights of heaven he will enter into our hearts if we will lay down the our sin, so that as the

conquering king he can cut it with the sword of the spirit out of our lives.

B) Chants of praise

1) Hossana (save us)

2) Crucify (save yourself)

3) When we don’t get what we expect often praise can change to curse (Children of Israel (bitter waters))

It is because Jesus came as a spiritual Messiah that we experience God’s grace and the passing over of the angel of Death.

II. Jesus was preparing for the Passover sacrifice.

A) Cleansing of the temple Matt 21, mark 11, Luke 19

1) Required to cleanse your house before observance of Passover

2) Removing any leaven from you house (sin)

B) Cleansing of His Church

1) Second coming will cleanse again His house

2) Second coming will reveal the tares and wheat

The separation of the wheat and tares will open the way for us to go to a place prepared for us by the Jewish carpenter.

III. Jesus was preparing a place for us.

A) John 14.12 “ I go to prepare a place

1) How was he going to go?

Death on a cross

2) His doorway to destiny as savior was death even death on a cross.

3) Our doorway to heaven is death, death to self, death to sin.

B) So what kind of a place has Jesus gone to prepare for us.

1 Cor 2.9

1) An eternal place (Heb 11.16 a city for them

Never more worry about sin or sorrow

Eternally secure.