Palm Sunday Lessons
Scripture: Luke 19:28-40
Introduction: Today is Palm Sunday. Do you ever wonder why we celebrate Palm Sunday. What is Palm Sunday? Well as you know Easter is next week. Easter is a time we Christians focus on the resurrection of Jesus. But the week before the Resurrection, we celebrate what we call 'The Triumphal Entry'. Palm Sunday marks the start of what is often called "Passion Weeek" which is the final seven days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Palm Sunday was the “beginning of the end” of Jesus’ work on earth. As Jesus ascended to Jerusalem, a large multitude gathered around Him. This crowd understood that Jesus was the Messiah; what they did not understand was that it wasn't time to set up His kingdom yet - even though Jesus tried to tell them that.
But as we are awaiting Jesus' return in the age of grace, we are not to be idle we are sent to help build his kingdom to come.
"As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "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. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it? tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'" v. 29-31
"The Lord needs it." The Lord wants you and me to fulfil his needs. Our purpose in life is simply to glorify God. Here we see as Jesus is preparing to present himself as the Messiah, to his people in Jerusalem, he sent two disciples to get a colt for him to ride in on. The disiciples had their part in helping Jesus present himself as the Messiah, by putting away any doubt and trusting that Jesus knew what he needed and there was no way that Zechariah 9:9,10 was not going to be fulfilled that day. "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Transition: In Luke 19:32-40 we learn four lessons about the fulfilment of this prophecy, first we learn . . .
A lesson in the disciples' Obedience
"Those who were sent ahead went . . ." v. 32
All those who were told to go ahead of the rest to get the colt, did as they were told and went ahead to get the colt. They obeyed the command that Jesus gave them. It is such a simple thing, but there is no more important thing in all the Bible than to obey the Lord. He tells us to repent, we must repent. He tells us to believe, we must believe. He tells us to forgive, we must forgive. He tells us to go, we must go.
Ill. Missionary Rowland Bingham wrote "It is the impassioned pleading of a quiet little Scottish lady that linked my life with the Sudan, . . . in the quietness of her parlor she told me how God had called a daughter to China, and her eldest son, Walter Gowans to the Sudan.
She spread out before me the vast extent of those thousands of miles and filled in the teeming masses of people. I closed the interview she had place upon me the burden of the Sudan."
A year and a half later Bingham returned to Canada, alone. Her son Walter was buried in Nigeria. He wrote: "I visited Mrs. Gowans to take her the few personal belongings of her son, . . . She met me with extended hand. We stood there in silence."
Then she said these words: 'Well, Mr. Bingham, I would rather have had Walter go out to the Sudan and die there, all alone, than to have him home today, disobeying his Lord." (Sermon illustrations; Rowland Bingham founder of S.I.M)
Obedience seems like a hard thing at times, but it doesn't appear that it was difficult at all for those here in Luke 19 who were called disciples. They were told to go and they went. They were told what to do and they did it. They were told what to say and they said it. When the Lord presents himself again as the Messiah to the world in these last days, The last thing we want to be found doing is disobeying the Lord.
Thomas a Kampis said "Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace." We must crucify the flesh, and all its lusts - because the Lord says so. We must pick up our cross, without reservation - because the Lord says so. We must follow Christ wherever he goes - because he says that is what his disciples are to do. You can not be a disciple if you do not obey. Obedience not only defines what a disciple is, but who he follows.
We often see how our obedience leads to blessing. Abraham was obedient in going to a place that would be his inheritance, even though he didn't know where he was going. How many of us would leave behind everything that is familiar to us and just go without knowing our destination? Yet that is what Abraham did and what the fishermen did, and it is what any obedient disciple does.
Transition: We learn a lesson in the disciples obedience. Secondly, we learn . . .
A lesson in Gods' Providence
" . . . and found it just as he had told them." v. 32
God keeps his promises. If he tells you there is a colt tied to a tree in a nearby village, then there is a colt tied to a tree in a nearby village. They found it just as he had told them. When Jesus said that He was "The Truth" that is what he meant. The question is do you trust the truth?
There is a larger lesson here in faith and trusting God's word. The disciples could not see the colt. They had to walk in faith all the way to the village trusting that Jesus was telling them the truth and when they got to the village, the truth was realized 'just as he had told them'
We often will judge what we trust by how we feel. If we feel good, then we might reason that it must be good. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to feel good - myself included; but my feelings are not the final authority on what is good or bad / right or wrong. The word of God is the final authority on what is good and bad, right and wrong. The disciples could have trusted their doubt more than their faith. Sometimes they did, remember what happened to Peter on the water? If I relied on my reason and logic, I wouldn't be here today, I wouldn't be in this church. I preach Hell is hot, sin is bad, God is good, and grace is for everyone, and all those who believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins can and will be saved! Not because I feel good or bad about it, but because that is what the word of God says! To trust God's word is to trust God himself. If we tell our children to jump, we will catch them, only an unlving liar would let them fall. We know at least two things about God: God is love (1 Jn. 4:8) & it is impossible for God to lie (Hb 6:18). He is love and he is truth. His word is love and his word is truth because it comes from the one who is love and truth. The question is 'Do you trust it?'
Ill. A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with skiers who could see, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.
What a vivid picture of the Christian life! In this world, we are blind about what course to take. You can not see tomorrow or next week or next month or next year "who knows what a day may bring forth?" We must rely on the one who can see ahead of us, we must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted --God Himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course. (modified from Robert W. Sutton-sermonillustrations.com)
The question is 'Do you trust the word, or do you trust yourself?' 'What guides your decisions? His word or your feelings?' 'what is the final authority in your life? Your logic, reason, and intelligence or God's word?' When we learn to trust God's word and his promises above our logic and feelings, we will begin to see good things happen - "And we know that in all things God works for the good, of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
How often does faith preceed obedience? The disciples got the colt, trusting that the colt was there even though they couldn't see the colt at the moment.
Transition: We learn a lesson in the disciples' obedience, we learn a lesson in Gods' providence, and thirdly we learn . . .
A lesson in Jesus' Eminence
"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: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" v. 37, 38 (A praise from Psalms 118:26)
David said "I called to the LORD who is worthy of praise . ." (Ps. 18:3) There is only one that is worthy to be exalted. There is only one worthy to be worshiped. There is only one who is truly worthy to be praised and it is the Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, the Blessed Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, Almighty, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus the Christ! The Glorious One has come down from his perfect throne to be among us to save us! If in all of history there was a moment to rejoice, it was the moment the Messiah came into Jerusalem. They laid down their cloaks and palm branches before his procession.
Their minds could not comprehend fully what was at work. They thought Jesus was headed for a crown of jewels, He knew it would be a crown of thorns. They thought he would sit in the Temple. He knew he would hang from a cross. They thought Jesus was going to march through the gate and promptly drive out the Romans and begin to establish his kingdom, in which all the disciples would then have a place in his administration. The reality was greater than that. Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world" Christ is above a physical kingdom, political kingdoms, and worldly kingdoms. He is KING OF KINGS The Lord said through his prophet Isaiah "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? Where will my resting place be?" He is worthy to be praised!
Ill. In 1715 King Louis the 14th of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself "the Great," and was the monarch who made the famous statement, "I am the state!" His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, "Only God is great." (Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 24.)
Only God is great. His greatness will cause men to tremble in fear or bow in reverence or sing with joy. I refuse to worship anyone who is not great and our God is not only great, He is the greatest! The fact that he would allow such sinful pathetic creatures to worship him at all is a grace in and of itself.
Transition: We learn a lesson in the disciples obedience, a lesson in God's providence, a lesson in Jesus' eminence, and finally we learn . . .
A lesson in Unbelievers' Belligerence
"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." v. 39, 40
The Pharisees were indignant and jealous. Some Pharisees might have been in the crowds when Jesus performed miracles and spoke the parables and some were not to proud to admit that he was a prominent Rabbi or even a powerful prophet but they wouldn't go as far as to entertain any thoughts of him being anything more than that. And there were others who made it their duty to follow him around trying to spy out a fault in order to humiliate him and have some crime in which they could prosecute him with, in order to steal away his following to themselves. How evil and shameful were these religious fools, that could not see the obvious. They had ears but couldn't hear, they had eyes but couldn't see. The divinity of Jesus was right in front of them but their proud and jealous hearts would never admit it.
Ill. Dwight L. Moody once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, "I wish you would bring down that eagle up there." The man said he owuld if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. the arrow was shot, but it didn't quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. the first eagle pulled out another feather, then another -- until he had lost so many that he himself couldn't fly. the archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird. Moody made this application: if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.
Many people including the disciples were aware that there were people saying Jesus was John the Baptist and some were saying he was Elijah. That would be flattering to anyone who wasn't God himself. Jesus laid down the dividing line. "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered "I say you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said "Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood but by my father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."
The foundation of the true church is built upon the faith that Jesus is the Messiah. He is Son of Man and Son of God thereby being God in the flesh. But not everyone is privy to this revelation and the one thing that will hinder faith in God is having pride in yourself.
Frederick Buechner said "The trouble oftentimes with religious people is that they try to be more spiritual than God himself." This is certainly the case with Pharisees and Saducees.
The Pharisees could have been disciples of Jesus, if they would have believed and come to him on his terms. We know that later one prominent one: Saul of Tarsas would be Christs' chosen instrument for his service. God does not show partiality. Man may look at the outward appearance but God looks upon the heart and he sees what we can not. What may look like a righteous priest to men may be nothing but a worthless hypocrite to God and what may look like a poor shepherd boy to us, God may see the next king of Israel.
Conclusion: In an essay by Louis Goldberg he writes "Although there were hundreds of people who recognized Jesus as the Messiah on Palm Sunday, they were a small minority. By the end of the 1st Century, perhaps 20% of the Jewish population had accepted Christ, but the leaders and the majority did not."
Jesus is the narrow way and there are few that will find it. Count yourself fortunate for being one of the few that have found the way of life, but don't hide that way from others, do all you can to take them with you.
The Triumphal Entry, the moment before the beatings, the lashings, the mockery, the gory crucifixion, Jesus offers himself to the world and to us this morning as THE KING ...THE SAVIOR... THE MESSIAH
He says "Come follow me" what is your reply?
* Invitation
(*Communion)
