Behold He Comes: So What Were you Expecting
John 12:12-19
April 17, 2011
INTRODUCTION
Flashmob
A flash mob (or flashmob) is a term coined in 2003 to denote a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails. The term is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement, publicity stunts, that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.
T.S. A flash mob is a very good way to described what happened when Jesus came to Jerusalem.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the king of Israel!"
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 "Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"
JUST AS WHEN JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM, FEW OF US WILL GET MORE OUT OF A MODERN PALM SUNDAY CELEBRATION THAN WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING.
Every religious Jewish male has journeyed to Jerusalem for the celebration of the highest Feast. Rome has increased the visibility of its garrison in hopes to avoid any violent demonstrations. Zealots and political activists are looking for a chance to stir up a protest against Rome's ruling elite. Sellers of goods, line marketplaces anxious to do business and capitalize on the crowd's presence. Others are merely traveling through, on their way to the Egypt and lands south, or Samaria, Lebanon and Asia Minor. Religious authorities and sects are on the guard, each seeking to limit the expression of any thoughts deemed heretical, nontraditional or blasphemous.
T.S Into this environment rides Jesus. For each of those groups they got out of the experience what they expected.
So What did they Expect?
I. Religious individuals --
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.There were three pilgrimage festivals
Known that name because on them the Israelites gathered at Jerusalem to give thanks for their doubly joyful character.
They commemorative of national events and they were of agricultural significance as well.
Thus, the Passover is connected with the barley harvest; at the same time it is the recalling the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 12:6; Lev 23:5,8; Num 28:16-25; Deut 16:1-8).
Each Israelite was bound to "appear before the Lord," i.e., attend in the court of the tabernacle or temple and make his offering with gladness (Lev 23; Deut 27:7). Pious women often went up to the Passover: as Luke 2:41, Mary; 1 Sam 1:7; 2:19, Hannah. Those men who might happen to be unable to attend at the proper time kept the feast the same day in the succeeding month (Num 9:10-11). On the days of holy convocation all ordinary work was suspended (Lev 23:21-35).
A. Expecting a religious ceremony
Passover
B. Expecting a feast and festive times
Feast of unleavened bread
It was indifferently called the feast of the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, but where the object was to mark the distinction between the Passover as a sacrifice and as a feast following the sacrifice, the latter was designated the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:5-6).
II. Ambiguous group --
Travelers, Romans
In 6 AD, Judea came under direct Roman rule as the province of Judaea. The presence of so many Jews in the capital was always worrisome in this troubling province. Jews would revolt in 66AD. So on this date city is filled with a large garrison of roman soldier and citizens who oversee the government. Others are there because they have come to puy and sell. Supplies for sacrifices and trinkets are bought and sold everywhere even in the temple.
John 2: 13-16 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."
A. Expecting nothing
B. Accidental encounter
C. Spectators
D. Personal Gain
III. Predetermined Prejudicial Group
Zealots,
Cananaean; a member of a Jewish patriotic party, the surname of the apostle Simon (Matt 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), to distinguish him from Simon Peter. In the first two verses the KJV uses the name "Simon the Canaanite," perhaps a transliteration of the Heb. Aram. qana'na, "zealot." Meyer (Com., on Matt 10:4) says: "Zealots were a class of men who, like Phinehas (Num 25:7), were fanatical defenders of the theocracy; and who, while taking vengeance on those who wronged it, were themselves guilty of great excesses.
"God himself is recognized as the head" of the state, hence the term theocracy, from the Greek θεοκρατια "rule of God", a term used by Josephus of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.[3] Theocratic governments enact theonomic laws (rules).
A. Political Statement
B. Rebellion Ignition
IV. Judgmental Negative group --
Pharisees, Scribe, Religious Leaders
Mark 11:18
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
Luke 19:37-39
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
A. Looking for offense
B. Prepared for a fight
V. Receptive group
A. Risk Takers
Matt 16:15-21
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
B. Truth Seekers
John 14:6-7
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
C. Faith Walkers
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
CHALLENGE
So what were you expecting when you came here today?
Was this just a religious feast, festival?
Are you one of those I just happened to be here today people?
Did you come here with your predetermine prejudices of what this was all about?
Are you a part of a Judgmental Negative group looking for a fight an argument, a battle?
Or did you come as one of the Receptive People.
One who is a big enough risk taker, a truth seeker who wants all God has for you, to discover fully what that means, are you one of the faith walkers that will following him all the way to the cross and beyond.
At Norwalk Alliance Church, we're trying to b e that type of people.
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