THE ENTRY AND ANGER OF THE KING
LUKE 19:28-48
PALM SUNDAY
INTRO-
LUKE 19:28-48
***JESUS MADE HIS TRIUMPHANT ENTRY
***THEY THREW COATS ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF HIM
HE FULFILLED PROPHECY
THE DISCIPLES FOUND THE COLT JUST LIKE JESUS SAID. JESUS MADE HIS ENTRY AND THEY WERE PRAISING GOD, THEY WERE PRAISING HIM FOR ALL THE MIRACLES THAT THEY WITNESSED.
“BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ”
“PRAISE IN HEAVEN AND GLORY IN THE HIGHEST”
THE PHARISEE’S , WHO WERE NO FRIEND TO JESUS, WHO AT TIMES PRETENDED TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN JESUS, WHO YOU KNEW RESENTED THAT JESUS WAS GETTING ANY RECOGNITION AND PRAISE- TOLD HIM TO HAVE HIS DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS TO SETTLE DOWN- “TEACHER REBUKE YOUR DISCIPLES”
***STOP THEM- DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO GIVE YOU IMPROPER PRAISE
HAVE THEM STAND DOWN- TELL THEM TO GET A GRIP
JESUS RESPONDS TO THEM- “IF THEY KEEP QUIET, THE STONES WILL CRY OUT”
***TELLING THOSE UNBELIEVERS THAT GOD CAN AND WILL RAISE UNLIKELY INSTRUMENTS TO DECLARE HIS PRAISE. THE POWER OF GOD WILL NOT RETURN EMPTY.
***TRUE WORSHIPERS ARE GOING TO KEEP WORSHIPING
***WE WILL KEEP OUR PRAISE ON WE WILL NOT BE ABLE OR SHOULD WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO STOP US FROM PRAISING
***JESUS WILL GET HIS PRAISE- HE CONTROLS AND CREATED EVERYTHING HE CAN AND WILL HAVE THE ROCKS TO CRY OUT IN PRAISE
MATTHEW 21- SAYS THAT JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM , WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF STIRRING AND THE PEOPLE ASKED “WHO IS THIS?”
THIS IS JESUS , THE PROPHET OF NAZARETH, THE ONE THEY CALL KING OF THE JEWS.
THERE IS A PRICE TAG ON JESUS HEAD ALREADY. HE HAD MANY FOLLOWERS AND HE ALREADY HAD PEOPLE THAT WANTED HIM KILLED. JESUS DECIDES TO DRAMATICALLY COME TO JERUSALEM UP AND OVER THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
HE PURPOSED TO RIDE INTO JERUSALEM. THAT WOULD BE AN UNMISTAKABLE CLAIM TO BE THE MESSIAH. THE ONE SENT FROM GOD.
GOD’S ANOINTED KING
YOU MUST NOTE CERTAIN THINGS FROM THE ENTRY:
1. IT WAS CAREFULLY PLANED- NO IMPULSIVE ACTION, THIS WAS NOT A LAST MINUTE THOUGHT
HE ARRAIGNED THE COLT AND FULFILLED THE SCRIPTURES
2. IT WAS A DELIBERATE CLAIM TO BE THE KING, A DELIBERATE FULFILLING OF ZECHARIAH 9:9
“REJOICE GREATLY, O DAUGHTER OF ZION, SHOUT DAUGHTER OF JERUSALEM, SEE YOUR KING COME TO YOU, RIGHTEOUS AND HAVING SALVATION, GENTLE AND RIDING ON A DONKEY, ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY”
IN TIMES OF WAR, THE KINGS WOULD COME ON A WHITE HORSE, WHEN THEY COME IN PEACE THEY CAME UPON A DONKEY. JESUS WAS COMING AS KING OF LOVE AND PEACE AND NOT AS THE MILITANT THAT THE CROWD WANTED AND WAS WAITING FOR
3. IT WAS A GLORIOUS ACT OF COURAGE
JESUS WAS A MARKED MAN, HE COULD HAVE SLIPPED IN AT NIGHT AND HIDE IN THE BACK STREETS
HE PUT THE LIMELIGHT ON HIMSELF, AND TOOK CENTER STAGE.
4. HE MADE HIS LAST APPEAL - WILL YOU NOT TAKE ME AS YOUR KING?
V41- “AS HE APPROACHED JERUSALEM AND SAW THE CITY, HE WEPT OVER IT AND SAID IF YOU , EVEN YOU, HAD ONLY KNOWN ON THIS DAY WHAT WOULD BRING YOU PEACE, BUT NOW IT IS HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES.”
JESUS WEPT BECAUSE HE KNEW THEY DIDN’T GET IT, THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF ACCEPTING THE SAVIOR INTO THEIR LIVES.
THEY HAD A PRE CONCEIVED IDEA OF WHO JESUS WAS AND THEY WERE ABOUT TO MISS THEIR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.
THE SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT THE DAY IS COMING UPON US WHEN YOUR ENEMY WILL BUILD AN EMBANKMENT AGAINST YOU AND ENCIRCLE YOU AND HEM YOU IN ON EVERY SIDE.
THEY WILL NOT LEAVE ONE STONE ON ANOTHER, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF GOD’S COMING TO YOU.
***AMERICA IS AT A CROSSROADS, OF HAVING ALL THE STONES OVERTURNED, NOT BEING ABLE TO STACK ONE ON ANOTHER BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY , LIKE THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM DO NOT SEE THE URGENCY OF GOD.
THEY DIDN’T SEE THEN WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO DO, AND TODAY THEY DO NOT SEE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE FOR EACH OF US.
JOHN 12:13- “THEY TOOK PALM BRANCHES AND WENT OUT TO MEET HIM, SHOUTING HOSANNA, “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD”
THEY WERE HAVING A MOMENT- BECAUSE THEY SAW JESUS AS THE ONE WHO WOULD STRIPE ROME OF IT’S POWER. JESUS WAS COMING AS THEIR SAVIOR. THE PEOPLE DESIRED JESUS TO SET THEM FREE FROM ROMAN OPPRESSION, HE CAME TO SET THEM FREE FROM SIN AND THE HOLD THAT SATAN HAD ON THEM.
I CAN PICTURE JESUS AS HE CAME FROM JERICHO TO JERUSALEM- WEEPING OVER WHAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE, SEEING WHAT IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE AND WANTING PEOPLE TO GET IT RIGHT
I THINK THERE ARE 3 SEPARATE INCIDENTS THAT JESUS EXPERIENCES AS HE LOOKS AT THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM
I. JESUS LAMENTED OVER JERUSALEM
FROM HIS DESCENT OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES THERE IS A MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF THE WHOLE CITY, FULLY DISPLAYED TO JESUS AND AS HE TOOK A TURN IN THE ROAD HE WEPT OVER JERUSALEM.
JESUS UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE CITY WOULD BE DESTROYED (70 A.D. )
THAT IF THEY WOULD ONLY ABANDON THEIR DREAM OF POLITICAL POWER, AND ACCEPT THE WAY OF THE SAVIOR
***THE TEARS HE SHED WAS BECAUSE HE SEES THE NEEDLESS PAIN AND SUFFERING MEN AND WOMEN GO THROUGH BECAUSE OF THEIR FOOLISH REBELLION AGAINST HIS WILL.
THEIR STUBBORN HEARTS TO RECEIVE HIS GIFT OF LOVE.
MANY PEOPLE TODAY THINK THEIR LIFE IS ABOUT THEM
“IT’S MY LIFE”, “I DON’T CARE” SELF CENTERED, AND SELFISH.
IT IS PART OF THEIR SIN NATURE.
ONLY THE LORD CAN BREAK A HEART LIKE THAT
YOUR LIFE IS NOT ABOUT YOU. IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. THE ONE WHO DIED FOR YOU. IT IS ABOUT WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU
AT THE HEART OF PALM SUNDAY IS THE RIDE JESUS MADE GOING TOWARD CALVARY
THE PEOPLE WENT FROM PRAISING AND SHOUTING “HOSANNA” TO THE FUTURE CRY OF CRUCIFY HIM
WHY WAS JESUS CRYING? BECAUSE THEY HAD EYES BUT COULD NOT SEE, THEY HAD EARS BUT THEY DID NOT HEAR.
JESUS WEPT BECAUSE HE SAW EACH ONE OF US ON THAT RIDE.
II. JESUS CLEANSED THE TEMPLE
WHY WOULD THE INCARNATE GOD OF LOVE ACT WITH SUCH VIOLENCE TO THE MONEY CHANGERS AND THE SELLERS OF ANIMALS?
BECAUSE LESS THAN PERFECT ANIMALS WERE BEING SOLD AT RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO THE PILGRIMS OF THE CITY
ANIMALS HAD TO BE SPOTLESS. ANIMALS COULD OF BEEN BOUGHT CHEAPER OUTSIDE OF TOWN, BUT THE TEMPLE HAD THEIR OWN INSPECTORS AND THEY WOULD REJECT ANIMALS NOT BOUGHT FROM THEM AND THEY CHARGED UP TO 10-15 TIMES MORE
LEGALIZED ROBBERY.
JESUS CLEANSED THE TEMPLE BECAUSE THEY EXPLOITED HELPLESS MEN AND WOMEN WHO WERE COMING TO THE TEMPLE TO WORSHIP
IT IS MORE THAN BUYING AND SELLING , IT WAS MORE THAN THE DIGNITY OF WORSHIP- IMPORTANT AS THAT WAS.
IT WAS THE HOUSE OF GOD WAS BEING USED TO EXPLOIT PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING TO THE TEMPLE TO WORSHIP GOD.
III. JESUS SHOWED HIS COURAGE AND LOVE FOR MANKIND
THERE WAS A PRICE ON HIS HEAD- IT WAS SHEER DEFIANCE OF AUTHORITIES.
HE KNEW THE AUTHORITIES AT THAT TIME COULD NOT ARREST HIM. THERE WERE SOME THAT HUNG ON HIS EVERY WORD, IT WAS PASSOVER, THEY COULD NOT KILL HIM THEN.
BUT HE TOOK HIS LIFE INTO HIS OWN HANDS BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THAT THE END WAS NEAR
THE COURAGE OF CHRISTIANS SHOULD MATCH THE COURAGE OF THE LORD.
HE LEFT US AN EXAMPLE THAT WE SHOULD NEVER BE ASHAMED TO SHOW WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE SERVE
CLOSING:
THE CHURCH LIKES TO CELEBRATE THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY WHERE IS THE VICTORY? HOW MANY WERE CONVERTED? JESUS DID NOT OVERTHROW THE ROMANS OR SET THE KINGDOM THAT THEY WANTED
THE CELEBRATION ISN’T REALLY ABOUT PALM SUNDAY- WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIS ENTRANCE AND START TO THE CROSS- BUT THE REAL CELEBRATION IS NEXT WEEK, THE REMEMBRANCE OF EASTER SUNDAY
THE QUESTION BEFORE US THIS MORNING IS THIS- ARE WE GOING THE SHOUT THE PRAISES TO THE LORD ONE DAY AND READY TO CRUCIFY HIM THE NEXT BY OUR OWN WORDS AND ACTIONS?
I AM HAPPY IT DOES NOT END WITH THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY.
I AM GLAD THERE WAS A GOOD FRIDAY, AN EASTER, AND A PENTECOST
JESUS HAS COME ON A DONKEY, THE SYMBOL OF PEACE.
BUT ONE DAY SOON MY LORD WILL SPLIT THE EASTERN SKIES ON A WHITE HORSE.
REV 19:11 “AND I SAW HEAVEN OPENED, AND BEHOLD A WHITE HORSE, AND HE WHO SAT ON IT IS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE, AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS HE JUDGES AND WAGES WAR”.
WILL YOU ALLOW JESUS TO MAKE A TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO YOUR HEART TODAY?
IF YOU NEVER ASKED JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE, DON’T LEAVE HERE TODAY WITHOUT DOING THAT
IT IS A PRAYER OF FAITH
I WANT THAT HARD HEART REPLACE BY A HEART FOR GOD.
ALTAR CALL
