AM Sermon preached at Central Christian Church April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday Message “5 Challenges from the “Un”parade”
SHOW SERMON TITLE SLIDE
Imagine this scene unfolding at a car dealership---the General Manager of the dealership who has just signed off on several new cars that have just been unloaded from a transport semi has returned to his office to make a few phone calls---before he even gets the first call made he sees a couple of scruffy looking men eyeballing, walking around and pointing at one of the new cars and then opening its doors and climbing inside---he’s pleased to see that Jim, his best salesmen, wastes no time in approaching and then talking to the two men---as he reaches for his phone to make a call---he sees his salesman waving for him to come out while at the same time the two men move back and forth from pointing at the car to pointing at the palm of their hands---as he quickly heads out the door to learn what’s going on he shouts to one of the others in the dealership---it looks like we’ve got a situation on our hands---if at any point you see me take my handkerchief out of my pocket and wipe my forehead with it call the cops--- with that pushes open the door, puts on a fake smile and nervously asks “Jim will you please tell me what you think we can do to make these men happy?” His salesman says “They want the keys to this car.” “Oh, I see they want to test drive this new car.” the manager says. He turns towards the two and explains “Well men you picked a good one that’s for sure but unfortunately I can’t let you test drive it until it’s been checked in and inspected by the maintenance department. I can put a rush on it and we can let you test drive it in say two hours?” The two men shake their heads and in unison say “We don’t need to test drive it. We know this is the car we’re supposed to get.” One of them points to his palm and says “Yeah this is the one for us. May we have the keys please?” The manager says “You’re that sure?” “Yes” they reply “We’re sure. We’d like this car.” “Wow. Well then okay. Take these two men inside Jim and introduce them to Tom in finance and let’s see what kind of deal we can work up for them.” Jim speaks up “No boss you’d don’t understand---they don’t want test drive or buy the car---they want us to give it to them.” “What, give it to them?” he shouts as he pulls his handkerchief from his pocket. And then before he can put it to his head one of the two men announces “Well it’s not really for us---the Lord needs it.” The manager quickly stuffs his handkerchief back into his pocket and says “Oh---the Lord needs it---well that changes everything. Jim hurry up now and go get the keys to the car and these men. The Lord needs this car.” I know what most of you are thinking---you’re thinking “yeah right---like that would ever happen.” You’re thinking you’re not sure what’s crazier--- two men asking a car dealer to simply hand over the keys to a new car because the Lord needs it---or a car dealer giving them the keys. That’s what most of you are thinking---though it wouldn’t surprise me if a few of you possessors of over active imaginations are thinking to yourselves--- “hmmm…do you think? Would that work for me? I wonder? Nah.”
SLIDE #2
The reality is that that little car dealership scenario I just shared with you isn’t that far off from what happened on that Sunday years ago when an impromptu parade formed as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey …It all began with an unusual request from the Lord---let’s read about it from Luke 19… SCRIPTURE SLIDES…. PLEASE FOLLOW ALONG!
29 As he (Jesus) approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"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. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "
32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" (if you read between the lines a little I think it’s not hard to see that what they were really saying was more along the lines of ---Hey you two---what do you think you’re doing? Be sensible. We’re the owners of the colt and we’re right here. So step away from the colt and there won’t be any trouble. You really don’t want trouble do you?” At that--verse 34 reports-- that they replied “hey hold your fire. We don’t want any trouble. We’d just like to take it out for a test drive because we’re interested in buying.” No that’s not what happened it says there in verse 34 that they answered just the way Jesus had told them to---they said, "The Lord needs it." Now we’re not given any of the details of where the conversation went from there---all we know from the scripture is that in the next verse we’re told they brought the colt to Jesus. Actually Matthew in his retelling of the event adds that they not only took the colt to Jesus but they also took the colts mother to Jesus. There’s nothing anywhere in any of the four times this event appears in the scriptures to ever make us think that the animals’ owners put up any kind of argument. To the contrary the way the story is told we’re lead to believe that when the owners were told that the Lord needed their colt that they immediately told the Apostles “take it and take its mother too!”
After receiving permission to take the colt---Jesus’ disciples lead it back to where Jesus was---then they put their cloaks on its back---to make I think something of a simple saddle on which Jesus could ride. And next thing you know they put Jesus on its back. No remember Jesus was a carpenter not a cowboy. It all sounds to me like the makings of a disaster. I mean, I don’t know about you but I’ve seen a few rodeo events on TV---I’ve seen the way unbroken horses react to having a rider on their back. And everything I’ve ever heard about donkeys is that they’re more stubborn than horses---so putting Jesus on the back of this animal that’s never been ridden before makes me think somebody’s going to get hurt. Amazingly though it appears that the colt willingly accepts its rider. And perhaps even more amazing is the fact that it carries Jesus into town even though there were thousands of people running around in front of it and behind it---people shouting and singing and racing up to it and throwing down their clothes and palm branches.
SLIDE #7
The cloak tossing and palm branch waving and the shouting and were all parts of the crowds uncommon reaction to Jesus riding a colt into the city. Jesus had made travelled this road into Jerusalem dozens of times---ever since he was a youth. And as an adult He often had crowds following Him around---but none of the crowd scenes which Jesus had been a part of before began to come close to the one taking place this day. You know the scene the people were shouting “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the son of David!” Some of the people were running here and there among the crowd telling people of how Jesus had they had heard about or actually witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
Now if you know Old Testament prophecy and history well you can quickly put things together---you’d know that Jesus intentionally chose to ride a donkey into Jerusalem as a way of making the statement that He was the Messiah, God’s chosen leader, a king and He was coming in peace. Kings, you see, rode into cities on the backs of horses during times of war but they rode into cities on the backs of donkeys when they wanted people to know they were coming in peace. Jesus was coming in peace fulfilling a prophecy made about Him by Zechariah. And the people---well all that branch waving and cloak throwing stuff could be traced back to ways the people had honored coming kings in the past. So here’s Jesus making the statement to Jerusalem---the king is coming…and the people escorting Him along the road are adding to that statement---hey Jerusalem this isn’t just any king coming to your city---this is our king coming! Now of reading about these events is something of a bittersweet experience because we know that many of this crowd crying out “hosanna” on Sunday will turn around and cry out “crucify Him” on Friday. Today they’re saying ---our king is coming to Jerusalem---on Friday they’ll be shouting out “we have no king but Caesar!”
SLIDE #8
We know that the stage for their rejection of Jesus is already beginning to be built and we see it in the undeserved ridicule of the Pharisees. As Jesus was making His way into town on the back of that young donkey---not everyone in the crowd was claiming that Jesus is their king---the Pharisees certainly weren’t shouting that. No, they were watching the whole thing with scowls on their faces and jealousy in their hearts. In fact they couldn’t keep their feelings to themselves---Luke reports that some of them shouted out to Jesus---Teacher tell your followers to knock it off! Tell them to stop hailing you their king!” Jesus in essence tells the Pharisees “No way. I’m not going to tell them to stop. You don’t understand what all going on---Why if the people were stopped---the very rocks themselves would start crying out my praises. If anyone should clam up, it’s you guys!” On He continues on His way.
SLIDE #9
As the city of Jerusalem comes more clearly into view, seeing it generates an unexpected release of emotion from Jesus. Now, although I believe there were others, the Bible only tells us of two times when Jesus wept. He wept as He approached the grave of Lazarus and He wept as He approached Jerusalem. The fact that we’re only told of two times where Jesus cried in public leads me to believe that Jesus was not the weepy pass me the hanky type of guy. By saying that I’m not in anyway wanting to take away from His being a compassionate guy. I mean after all---there’s no doubt He was a loving caring individual. But I don’t get the idea when I read the gospels that Jesus owned stock in the Kleenex company. I think Jesus was a tough guy with a soft heart who far more times than not controlled His emotions rather than be controlled by them. Now whether you agree or disagree with that assessment of Jesus won’t change the fact that here as He approaches Jerusalem Jesus begins to weep over it. I think it was an unexpected release of emotion. And a quick mental flashback to 9-11 reminds me how I can relate.
I don’t know where you were when you got the news of the attacks of 9-11 but I was standing in my living room with my eyes glued to the TV. And when I saw the World Trade Center towers collapse I was suddenly overcome with emotion and I began to weep. I didn’t expect that kind of reaction, but that’s what happened. And I know that it wasn’t the loss of the buildings that bothered me---it was the loss of lives, the violence and the evil of it all.
As Jesus is approaching the city of Jerusalem, He knows that about thirty years down the road the Romans are going to invade and tear the place to pieces---but I really don’t think it was His knowledge about the loss of buildings that caused this emotional outbreak---no it was the loss of lives, even more it was the loss of souls. Jesus knew that the coming devastation of Jerusalem was going to be a punishment for their rejection of Him---and I think it was their rejection of Him that sorrowed Him to the point He could no longer contain it. I say this because on an earlier occasion Luke wrote that Jesus had said this about the city SCRIPTURE SLIDES “"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Luke 13:34 In spite of His sorrow though Jesus continues on this road to Jerusalem. Why? Because He’s on a mission from God. He’s set His sights on the cross and paying the price of our sins for us ---so we can be forgiven –and so we can spend our eternity in heaven with Him.
SLIDE #11
We know this today because we stand on this side of the crucifixion and resurrection. But back then, on that Sunday when He rode into town---very very few, if any understood who Jesus really was and what He was about to accomplish. That’s why people were giving such understated responses in answer to the question “Who is this?” Matthew brings this up in his telling of the days events. In chapter 21 he wrote SCRIPTURE SLIDE “10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" To which 11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." What an understatement. Yes, Jesus was a prophet from Nazareth in Galilee—but He was so much more than that. Jesus was Emmanuel. He was the Word become flesh. He was God the Son. He was and still is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb of God. Only He can take away our sins. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He’s the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And He’s so much more. He’s the Lion of Judah and the Prince of Peace. He’s the Great Physician. The Great Shepherd. He’s the door. The way, the truth, the life. He’s the bread from heaven. The Light of the World. The bridegroom. The Master. The resurrection and the life. If Jerusalem had only known, understood and accepted Him for Who He was when He rode into town that day---instead of seeing Him and thinking of Him as something less than what He was---the pages of the city’s history would read differently.
SLIDE #13
Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the way it ends kind of reminds me of a large July 4th aerial fireworks display. You know that kind I’m talking about, the kind that used to cap off the evening. In the moments immediately following the big telltale phooming sounds that let everyone know some big fireworks have been launched--- excitement and anticipation fill the air. People look intently upwards. And then it happens… the explosions of color light up the night sky as everyone oohs and ahs. Almost as quickly as they appear, the colors fade and the sky returns to its former darkened state. The short-lived excitement’s over. And before the smoke even clears people are what? They’re back in their cars and headed home talking about getting back into the daily routines.
I think that that’s kind of how things ended the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Everybody was really into the parade side of things. The cloak throwing, the branch waving, the shouting “Hosannas.” That was all kind of cool and exciting. But the oohs and ahs faded quickly. The crowd broke up. Evening was approaching and people began heading home for the night thinking “tomorrow’s another day---gotta get home and get some shut eye so I can get back on the old treadmill.” Here’s the way Mark describes things “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”
BLANK SLIDE
Now some of you may be thinking---Darren I appreciate the way you’ve told us the story of Jesus triumphal entry---and I enjoyed being filled in on some of the background stuff---but I can’t but think what’s all this have to do with the here and now---what’s all this have to do with us---with me? I want more than just the facts---I want to know the relevance. Help me out here preach.”
Well that’s what I want to do now---I want to take a few minutes to talk about what all this has to do with us…I want to help you see that the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem do much more than relay historical facts to us---they challenge us. I’ve come up with five---but I’m sure there are more. Very quickly now I want to throw the five I’ve come up with out there for us to think about…
SLIDE #14
The first challenge I see here is for us to be like the donkey Jesus rode that day and not like the Pharisees who ridiculed Jesus. In other words there’s a challenge in this story for us to be submissive not resistant to God’s will for our lives. All too often Christian people today act like the Pharisees of old---they talk about being people of God but instead of humbly submitting to God’s wishes they kick and buck and all but say to the Holy Spirit---why don’t you get off my back. The Pharisees of old said to Jesus ---tell your followers to stop making such a fuss over you---why did they say that? They said it because they wanted that attention for themselves. Some of today’s churchgoers are like that in that they raise a stink and whine and fuss when they feel that the people around them aren‘t giving them all the attention they feel they deserve. The donkey, not the Pharisees friends got it right. The Pharisees forgot that worship is about God and not about themselves. The donkey on the other hand seemed to instinctively know that this was Jesus parade---so it offered no resistance as Jesus took it for the ride of its life.
SLIDE #15
We’re challenged in these triumphal entry accounts to be like the donkey’s owners and to hold on wisely but loosely to our wealth. When Jesus two disciples walked up to their colt and began to untie it, the owners didn’t just sit idly by and do nothing. They questioned the men. And after learning from them that the Lord needed their donkey---and I’m guessing the disciples clarified that the Lord Jesus needed their donkey---after learning that Jesus wanted their donkey the owners said okay to the men’s taking it. Let me put it another way. The donkey’s owners were good stewards of their wealth. They held onto it wisely and yet at the same time they held onto it loosely. They recognized I think that a man’s life doesn’t consist of his possessions. They realized that what they had in their possession did not actually belong to them but in reality all they had was on loan from God---so when God asked for one of His things back they responded by saying “sure you can have the donkey after all it’s really yours to begin with.”
SLIDE #16
There’s a challenge here to be faithful and not fickle towards Jesus. It’s easy to follow Jesus when it’s popular. It’s easy to sing and shout Hosannas at church with the crowd. It’s not so easy to remain loyal to Jesus when the crowd you’re with is trying to pull you another direction. It’s difficult to be the only voice in a room or home that claims Jesus is Lord. It’s easy to want to hang with Jesus when you think He’s going to give you everything you want and more. It’s hard to stick with Him when He fails to meet your expectations. That by the way explains the fickleness of the crowd. When they thought Jesus was going to feed them like He did the 5000---when they thought Jesus was going to heal their illnesses like He healed Bartimaeus from his blindness---when they thought Jesus was going to raise their loved ones from the dead like He raised Lazarus---when they thought Jesus was going to free them from Roman rule and establish an earthly Jewish kingdom---when their thinking about Jesus wasn’t really about Jesus but was really all about themselves---well that’s when it was easy to follow Him. But when Jesus talked about turning control of their lives over to Him---when He talked about loving God more than money---praying for one’s enemies---turning the other cheek---and carrying one’s cross---it was more than most would take and they turned and walked away. Rather than take our cue from the crowd who on which on Sunday cried out to Jesus “You are my king” and then on Friday shouted “we’ve got no king but Caesar” let’s take our cue from Jesus. Jesus remained faithful to His calling, faithful to His purpose for coming to this earth. As He life came to an end on the cross He was able to say victoriously I’ve done it Father---I’ve finished the task you sent me to complete---I’ve remained faithful to the end. Listen friends if at the end of our lives we’re found to be fickle ---Jesus words to us will be harsh—He’ll say to us depart from me for I never knew you. But on the flip side---if we’re found to be faithful Jesus words will be music to our souls for He will say to us “well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord and the heaven I’ve prepared for you.”
SLIDE #17
A challenge I’d hope we really take to heart concerns our hearts---it’s the challenge to have a compassion for the lost. Read Jesus’ stories about the lost coin, lost sheep and lost son and it becomes obvious that lost people matter to God and therefore they should matter to us. I encourage you to take some time this week to read and reread the triumphal entry account found in Luke chapter 19 and as you read it don’t just buzz by the part where it says Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Think about the significance of those words. Praise God that Jesus loves the lost. If you’re a Christian, thank Him that you’re a lost sheep that’s been found. And if as you’re thinking about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem you realize you’ve never shed a tear or its been years since you’ve shed any tears over someone who’s not a believer talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you to see people the way He sees them---to love people the way He loves them---to long for their salvation the way He longs for it. Ask Him to lay on your heart a burden not only for the unsaved in general but for some specific people in your life who haven’t asked Jesus to be their Savior. Ask Him to help you to recognize openings where you can insert some good words about Jesus when they come up---and ask Him to give you the courage to speak up when you recognize the openings.
By the way, many Christians that carry a general burden for the lost I think fail to carry a specific burdens for the non-Christians in their circle. We want to see the world and all the people out there whose names and faces we don’t know come to Jesus while at the same time we fail to reach out to the people whose names and faces are familiar to us. Sometimes we forget that the way to save the world is one soul at a time.
A few years back a movie reintroduced the idea of how profoundly interconnected human beings are. It was called Pay It Forward. Pay It Forward was the story of a young boy who was given a homework assignment by his teacher to "change the world." This kid conceived a "pay it forward" scheme by which each person was to do something good, helpful, or kind for three other people. In turn, each of those three people was to do three good deeds for three other people. The results are exponential and explosive. If everyone kept his or her part of this equation, within months every single person on the planet would be touched by the goodness of another human being. The fact of the matter is folks you don't have to save the world all on your own. All you have to do is share a wonderful news about Jesus with three people not here in this congregation this morning. And then if your three people tell their three people, and so on, and so on, and so on, within a short time the message of Jesus will have filled the entire earth.
SLIDE #18
The final challenge I want to bring out of this morning’s triumphal entry accounts is to crown Jesus King of your life. Billy Graham’s probably seen by most people as the most effective evangelist of the past century---and I’ve always thought it both interesting and alarming that Billy has said many times that the greatest evangelistic field in the world is found inside our churches. I believe what he means by that is that a lot of people who attend church have never truly given their heart over to God. They’re like the crowd that walked with Jesus into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday nearly 2000 years ago---they throng Him but they don’t throne Him. They go through the motions. They say all the right things. They do many of the right things. But they only think of Jesus as the one Who can save them….they don’t think of Him as the one Who should rightfully rule over them. Many there are who want Jesus to be their Savior but not their king. The truth of the matter is Jesus is either both for us or He is neither.
Think about that---and if you believe God is urging you to make a public decision I encourage you to place the reins in His hands and follow His lead as we stand and sing our hymn of decision---
hymn slides……….
NOTE TO THOSE WHO READ AND OR CHOOSE TO MAKE USE OF ANY OR ALL OF THIS SERMON: I am sharing this sermon with the hopes it will be an encouragement to others. I apologize for any blatant typing errors! If you find any I’d appreciate hearing from you so I can correct them. I try to give credit where credit is due, noting writers and or sources to the best of my ability. I have for years been drawing from a wealth of sources including this website. I recognize that my mind and writing processes are fallible. I may occasionally fail to properly identify a source. Please do not take offense if you see anything of this nature. I never intend to plagiarize. Having said that I want you to feel free to draw from my message. When appropriate I hope you will give credit as I do. But most of all I hope Christ will be lifted up and God will receive the glory in all things.
