Text: Luke 19:28-44
Title: Walking With Jesus: A Big Misunderstanding
Subject: Palm Sunday (Easter)
Proposition: Many misunderstood Jesus.
Interrogative: How was Jesus misunderstood?
Objective: Therefore, recognize Jesus and His coming today.
Transition: We find several misunderstandings about Jesus in the Triumphal Entry.
Introduction
Many misunderstand Jesus.
Some believe Jesus was a good teacher, a good man.
Some think He was a prophet.
Some believe that Jesus takes away all of our problems when we follow Him.
Others believe that Jesus only hears and answers prayer when He gives us what we ask for.
Some feel that Jesus cannot deliver us from a life of sin.
Some understand that Jesus has no power.
Many believe that the cross and talk of the resurrection are foolish.
Misunderstanding Jesus is nothing new.
Many misunderstood Jesus when He lived upon this earth.
We find some examples of people misunderstanding Jesus on the day of the Triumphal Entry.
Jesus was misunderstood as King (19:28-36).
It was believed Jesus would use His power and might to restore Israel as an independent nation.
Look at the display of power and authority in this passage:
• Jesus said, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.” (30)
• Have you ever tried or have you seen someone who tried to ride a donkey or horse that has never been ridden before?
• Look at what happens with Jesus, “They brought it (the colt) to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.”
• Authority – When they were untying the colt they were asked what they were doing and when they said that the Lord needed it, nothing more was said.
As Jesus traveled along the road the people waved palm branches and spread palm branches and their cloaks on the road.
They set out the red carpet like they might have for King David.
They were expecting an earthly king.
They believed He was a king sent by God – “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” (38)
They thought Jesus would resurrect the throne of David in Jerusalem.
They had the wrong resurrection in mind.
Their vision was not big enough because Jesus was the King of kings who came to deliver all men from a life of sin, not to deliver Israel from the Romans.
Is your vision of Christ big enough?
Jesus was misunderstood in regards to praise (37-40).
“The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.” (37)
They praised Him for what He had done, but failed to believe who He was.
We should thank Him for what He does and praise Him for who He is.
Some believed that Jesus should not be praised – “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” (39)
If we do not praise, the stones will cry out.
There are many examples of praise in the Bible:
• “Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to God as long as I live.” Psalm 146:1-2
• “I will exalt you, my God the King, I will praise your name for ever and ever. Everyday I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-2
• “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.” Psalm 149:1
• “Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with strings and flute, praise him with clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:1-6
• “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Rev. 4:8
• “You are worthy, our Lord God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Rev. 4:11
• “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty, just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Rev. 15:3-4
Jesus’ mission was misunderstood (41-44)
They missed his heart for those who failed to believe in Him – “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” Luke 19:10
Jesus also said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17
They thought Jesus came to bring peace – freedom form the rule of another nation.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Jesus said, “Do not suppose I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to bring a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be his own household.” Matthew 10:34-36
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
Jesus came to make a way for man to be at peace with God.
True peace was within reach, but they misunderstood.
Conclusion
Because of their misunderstandings, they did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them.
As a result Jesus said, “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another.” Luke 19:43-44
The message to us today is, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15
True peace is within your reach.
Will you choose to grasp it today or will you harden your heart?
Jesus said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace.”
Don’t let your opportunity for peace pass because the day is coming when it will be hidden from your eyes.
