Dancing in the Streets
“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:7 NIV
Intro: The triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate his last Passover is a point on the time line of history. It is palms and praise and passion that call for hope and deliverance and salvation. There were two crowds “Dancing in the Streets” that week. The first crowd was dancing when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. A large crowd of worshipers believing Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of David the Saviour. Waving Palm Branches…, casting their coats and garments in the road as a royal carpet being rolled out for their King of Israel has come. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest.
The second group in this crowd were the Priests and traditional Zealots, Pharisees and Sadducees believing Jesus was the challenger of their vision of a future state Jesus was an enemy of their cause and an apostasy against their God. According to the Gospel of John chapter 11:47 “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.”54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
Now Jesus had come out of his hiding and was entering the city of Jerusalem. Oh, the Priest and Sanhedrin and the temple leaders would be “Dancing in the Street” as Jesus was riding straight into their trap. Oh, there was a parade on that Palm Passover day. But there were two very different reasons why people were “Dancing in the Streets.” That is why we burn the dried up Palm leaves and turn them into ashes on Ash Wednesday and weep and repent for forty days of Lent leading up to Palm Sunday. Because we know the betrayal, the lies, the deception, the back ally meetings. The plot against Jesus thickens.
John 11:55 “When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?”57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.”
Oh, there was Dancing in the Streets when Jesus came into town. But not everyone was dancing for the same reason. The same thing happens in the crowds of people who gather in our world today. It was March Madness, Apple Days, Fireworks July all rolled up into one. People came to Jerusalem from Jericho, from Nazareth, Bethlehem, Hebron, Capernaum, Hazard, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Thelma and Van Lear. The streets were packed with crowds. Imagine a several hundred thousand people descending upon Paintsville Kentucky.
Some people in the crowd really didn’t care what was going on between the Jewish and the Disciples. They were just their to watch. In every community and in every church there are people who are nothing more than by standers. They are the crowd of apathy. The definition of Apathy is – Lack of feelings…, the lack of emotion; indifference…, boredom…, uninterested…, unconcerned. "After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice." Matthew 27:35 Apathy is one of the killers of the church today. Soldiers threw dice and divided Jesus’ clothing among themselves at the foot of the cross… Many of the people in the crowd that day had no concern..., no feelings…, about those being crucified.
“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are.”I Corinthians 5:7 As Hebrews prepared for their Exodus from slavery in Egypt, they were commanded to prepare bread without yeast because they did not have time to let the bread rise. We also are commanded to not wait or delay because the time for our salvation is upon us as well. The day of Salvation is today. Don’t put off making a decision to give your life to Christ until tomorrow. Today is the day to begin your new life. Jesus coming into Jerusalem this week of Passover is the deliverance for us from slavery of sin. We should have nothing to do with the old things of our past. Some did realize that something dramatic was happening…, but they went away…, having not been convicted by it having decided to do nothing about the things that were happening. "And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned." Luke 23:48 (KJV) The question for us today is how can anyone stand in sight of the cross, and do nothing?
BUT Still today…, Many people are living among the indifference and uncaring. You’ve seen the One on the cross, You have seen his suffering, and you have seen his death. But for you, it has had no meaning. For you have not made any real decisions in your life. The cross has no real affect on your life. You stand there, feeling nothing. Seeing only an historical event. Or maybe you are even sympathetic, but you have failed to grasp the significance of this great observance event. Some here today might have accepted Christ as your Savior, but over time you have grown comfortable without volunteering service for the causes of Christ. You stand here gazing at the cross, unmoved by its facts and implications. For truly, if you have met this Jesus, when you have accepted His death on behalf of your sins, you recognize the fact that Jesus has paid the penalty for your sin and has paid the price for your forgiveness. Your sin is a crime punishable by death. But Jesus became your pardon. Now he owns your life, …, to live for Him…, to serve Him…, to proclaim His name and what He did for all who follow Jesus to Jerusalem and the foot of the cross to the empty tomb. We cannot sit idly by…, do nothing…, unconcerned…, unemotional…, about a lost and unsaved world…, that is sliding into hell. We must “Dance in the Streets.”
The second group in the parade were the haters. They were the crowd of dislikers. They are the antagonist. By definition antagonist – these are the people who actively stir up trouble. Some in the crowd would become openly hostile toward Jesus. They would mock Jesus. They “Dance in the Streets” when Jesus is arrested. They will walk by the cross he is crucified on and spit in his face. Many in the crowd that day would say. (Mt. 27:39-40) "It had been reported widely that Jesus had said that if the Holy Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed, He could rebuild the Temple in just three days. The Holy Temple in Jerusalem to which took 46 yrs to build. How could any one man rebuild it in just three days? If He was capable of rebuilding the Temple in 3 days…, surely He could rescue Himself from the cross!"
Of course, Jesus’ meaning was misunderstood, but now the people want a show! The Triumphant Entry…, the Hosanna-Palm Parade that happened at the first of the week and was just a prelude. This man who road into Jerusalem on a donkey might have wanted peace, but he has waged war with the Zealous Jews, spoke blasphemy before the Sanhedrin, and has brought contempt to the Roman court.
This man Jesus started it…, when he had the audacity…, to say to the blind and crippled…, the tax collectors and the adulators.., to the scourge and outcast of society, be healed…, take up thy garments and go home…, thy sins are forgiven…, go and sin no more. Yes, even the religious leaders were motivated to attack Jesus. (Mt. 27:41:43) This man had claimed to be the Messiah…, the Anointed One, Even the Son of God. If He would come off the cross now…, it would be proof that He was who he said he was…They even suggest that they will believe on Him if He comes down from the cross! Through their disrespect and scorn, they ridicule Him,… He "saved others!" Let Him save Himself! The very religious were among those “Dancing in the Streets” when Jesus died but for the wrong reasons.
Just this week…, in the news…, lawmakers have put pressure on the United Nations to declare the attacks on Christians around the world as war crimes and genocide. We cannot sit by in apathy and do nothing any longer. Because there are those who are Dancing in the Streets when Christians are killed.
Just look around you at the empty pews. Just look at the aging of the Christian population, the lack of evangelism of youth to replace them. It makes me wonder…, Why does the voice of true believers sometimes seem to be so absent? While the voices of those in the crowd of hostility seems to be embraced by so many?
The cross is a loud…, piercing shouts…, to those who will stand up…, for the cause of Christ. Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed be the King of the Jews. But soon many in that crowd will be shouting, Crucify Him, Crucify Him! Every generation is responsible for teaching the next generation the love, fogivness and salvation of Christ.
There was a man who was very faithful to attend church every Sunday. He fell and fractured his hip and had to have surgery. He was in the hospital and physical therapy for three months. The first Sunday he came back to church the pastor met him and said, “Wow! We are so glad to have you back!” The elderly man said, “I am slow and I am hurting but I’m here.” That is the kind of people God rewards for their faithfulness and uses to grow the Kingdom. People who are determined. Believers who fall down, but don’t stay down. People who don’t let the hurt and pain and brokenness of life cause them to become bitter and lose their passion. I am going be an encourager. Will you be an encourager too? I am going to claim God’s favor and blessings. Will you claim God’s favor and blessings too? I am going to Dance in the Street because Jesus Christ is Risen! Will you Dance in the Streets also?
“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:7 NIV In our opening text in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, the Apostle Paul uses the words “old yeast” as a metaphor for sin. Paul instructs that we are to get rid of bread with old yeast representing malice and wickedness and hatred and to use new bread without sin which represents sincerity and truth and love. Turn to the person beside you and say to them, "I am not old yeast. Jesus Christ is my Passover lamb. Jesus has been sacrificed for me!"
Thanks be to God for people who are defenders of the faith! Thank God for the hundreds of Churches in Johnson County where the Gospel is preached! Thank God for communities of faith, even though we have our differences in denominations we will come together during Holy Week. We will worship God together. We will give to the Ministerial Offering that will provide aide to hundreds of families in crisis this year. We will unite in singing hymns and songs, and join in prayers for the poor and hurting and listen to Preaching the Good News that “. . . Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." – 1 Corinthians 5:7
Jesus is the lamb that was killed and His blood is applied to our sin. So, let there be Dancing in the Streets but let it be dancing for the Glorious Day of the Lord who has saved us by His Grace.
