Scripture: Psalm 92:1-15 and John 12:12-16
Theme: Palm Sunday
Title: Palm Life - Palm Tree Christianity
This is a topic sermon used on Palm Sunday - taking the characteristics of the Date Palm Tree and applying them to the Christian Life.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus who came to take away the sin of the world!
Today is the 1st Sunday of Passion Week - it is also the day that we in the church celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' Triumphant Parade into Jerusalem. In most Church circles it is called Palm Sunday.
What happened some 2,000 years ago this upcoming week changed everything. It changed all of history and all of creation. It changed the very present and eternal destiny of humankind. When our LORD Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom and as a sacrificial love offering for all of us it radically transformed everything. Jesus made a way through His death and Resurrection for every person born on our earth to be Reborn from Above and Filled with His Holy Spirit. Jesus made a way for us to experience human life in a whole new way - cleansed and purified by the Holy Spirit. We today can live a life infilled with the Holy Spirit and a life that can be lived out through that same Holy Spirit.
This was the week that Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, King David, Isaiah and all the prophets had looked forward to in anticipation. This was the week that all of heaven had been looking forward to since the Fall of Man. This was the week that Jesus would begin the final steps of his mission here on earth.
All of which, of course, brings us back to today - Palm Sunday. It's the anniversary of the day that Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on the back of a donkey as scores of followers surrounded him with praise, prophecies, prayers and palm branches.
This morning, I would like us to spend a little time looking at one aspect of Jesus' Parade. It's the use of those Palm Tree branches. Have you ever wondered why those who followed Jesus used Palm Tree branches instead of say oak tree branches, cedar tree branches or even olive tree branches?
Well, it's because of all the meanings and symbols that were associated with the Palm Tree. For our Jewish friends, the Palm tree was and still is seen as one of the greatest trees of all creation. It's image was carved on the doors, the door posts and on the walls of the Temple. It was one of the most visible symbols pointing back to the Garden of Eden, to life here on earth and to everlasting life to come. In the book of Revelation it is one of the trees that the Apostle John sees growing by the crystal waters on the New Earth.
Archeologists tell us that the Palm Tree was seen as a sacred tree by other tribes of people including the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greeks and even the Romans. There was something mystical and special about the Palm Tree that appealed to ancient man's spirituality. Ancient Egyptian coffins have been discovered with Palm Tree images carved on them to symbolize the passage of the inhabitant going from this life to the afterlife.
We all know this morning that certain trees, plants, animals and things take on a life bigger than their own. They come to represent certain ideas and thoughts. For example:
+A red rose signifies the idea of love whereas a white rose symbolizes the ideas of purity and innocence and at one time white roses were the main flowers for a wedding service.
+The Golden Eagle is a symbol of power as well as a symbol of holiness, perseverance and commitment.
+The oak tree is a symbol of strength, stability and endurance.
+The olive tree is a symbol of prosperity, peace and harmony.
+The raven is the symbol of death or sorrow whereas a dove is a symbol of new life and peace.
This morning, I would like for us to spend a few moments looking at the characteristics and symbolical ideas that surrounded the Palm Tree. In doing so, I believe we can discover some amazing truths that can help us live out our Christian Life here on earth.
Did you know that there are some 2,780 different varieties of Palm Trees all over our world? So, which one of these varieties did the People of God look up to? From all that we can discover through the images they used, from the stories they shared and from other sources it was the Date Palm. While other plants could not withstand the arid and harsh environment in the Middle East - the Date Palm was able to not only survive but thrive. The Date Palm provided food, shelter and comfort. It was argued that it took only one single Date Palm tree to meet all the necessary needs of a Jewish man, woman, boy or girl.
The Date Palm was seen as the Queen of all Trees. A number of places in the Middle East were named after the Date Palm. The Hebrew word for Palm is the word "TAMAR". In Genesis 14:7 we find a place named Hazezon Tamar and in 1 Kings 9:18 King Solomon named one of his new cities - "Tadmor" a variation of the word Tamar. Jacob's son Judah, King David as well as Absalom all named one of their daughters Tamar which stood for the ideas of grace, uprightness and beauty.
So, what is it exactly, about this tree that caused Bible writers to see it as a great symbol of a life dedicated to God? What was it about the Date Palm that made it a great teaching tool for ancient rabbis and teachers today?
I. The Heart of the Date Palm
Date Palm Trees are unique in many different ways. One of those being the way it grows and where it's heart is located. The Date Palm grows out from its center. It grows from the inside out.
Have you ever seen what happens when someone puts a wire around an oak tree? Sometimes this is done when an individual wants to put up a wire fence or a clothes line. Over a period of time that oak tree's bark will grow over that wire. The oak tree will in effect envelope the wire. In a matter of years it looks like the wire is growing out of the tree.
The Palm Tree is vastly different. It grows from the inside out. If you were to put a wire around a Date Palm Tree something far different would happen. Instead of the wire becoming a part of the tree the tree would actually grow and expand until it broke the wire.
That is the same way you and I grow in Christ. We grow from our hearts. We grow from the inside out. We grow from drawing on the redemptive strength that the LORD puts within us. The Bible is very clear on the fact that our outward man is forever perishing. We see that every day we wake up and look into the mirror. We know that our skin, our muscles and even our bones over time begin to sag, weaken and become brittle. It's just a part of the human aging process. We may not like it but it happens. We may do all we can to slow it down but in the end we all begin to look a little worse for wear.
That fact does not have to apply to our spiritual bits. Rather than aging and falling apart the reverse can occur. Over time our spiritual bodies are able to constantly renew, flourish and mature. Our hearts, our spiritual minds and souls are able to continually mature more and more into being like Jesus. Growing in the Spirit does not have to come to a stop, plateau or stagnate. If we desire we can constantly and progressive grow in Christ.
It goes back to what Jesus told Nicodemus and the Woman at the Well. The life and water that they sought were physical in nature. But Jesus wanted them to have life from above - the New Birth. Jesus wanted them to enjoy living water - spiritual water that would bring authentic and everlasting life and comfort. Jesus wanted them to live as New Covenant Humans.
The People of God wanted a growing relationship with God that symbolized that of a Palm Tree. They did not want merely to have the appearance of outward holiness. They knew that you could look holy on the outside and yet be rotten to the core on the inside. Most of us have had seen that fact happen in other trees.
That recently happened to one of our fruit trees. It looked really good from the outside but the other day while we were leaning on it gave way. The inside of the tree had rotten away. It didn't take much of a push to push it over and expose all the damage. What I thought had been a vibrant tree was in fact a tree with a great deal of problems. Problems so bad that it took the life of the tree.
The People of God wanted to be like the Date Palm. They wanted to be living and growing on the inside. They knew that their physical bodies would mature, age and eventually die and go back to the earth. But they also knew their spirits, their souls could enjoy everlasting life. They knew that one day they could experience the resurrection and enjoy life on a New Heaven and Earth.
This morning, one of the joys of living in Christ is that we can have a heart that is growing more and more like Jesus. We can through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit be growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can be on a continual upward trajectory towards living a life of righteousness and holiness. We can experience a progressive walk in God's Holy Spirit.
II. The Root System of a Date Palm
Date Palms have this unique root system as well. They have roots that go deep in the soil and that can take absorb the smallest of water sources. Many Date Palms are able to grow 80 - 100 feet tall and yet they live in sand and in desert like environments. How do they do it? They do it by reaching down deep. They do it by sending out a root system that is able to search out the smallest drops of water while at the same time establishing a strong and stable foundation.
In like manner we are to make sure that we too are deeply connected to our source of Living Water and that we build on a stable foundation. We too live in a desert - all one has to do is to read social media, watch TV or go to a movie and you know that that there is a great deal of spiritual wasteland all around us. In other words, there is a great lack of holiness out there in our world. You can find holiness but you have to be searching for it, reaching out for it and ready to absorb each and every little drop.
We need to be Palm Tree Christians who have decided to have deep roots and a deep thirst for God's Word and for Holiness. We need to make sure that we have a firm footing in this life. We need to make sure that even though there is a world of sand out there we have our footing in Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Because of their deep roots, Date Palms can withstand the great wind and rain storms that come to the desert. In a storm they don't break. Instead, they bend down. They are flexible enough to bend down and allow the storm to go around them and over them. Without their deep root system they would be carried away. Without their flexibility they would be crushed by the wind and the storms that comes their way.
So, too is it with us as Christ followers. We need deep roots and we need to have the ability in times of great storms to bend down in humility and prayer. We need to be flexible as followers of Jesus. That is just one of the wonderful reasons we need to strive to be Bible scholars and Prayer Warriors. The Bible will help us have a great spiritual root system and prayer will help us be flexible and pliable in the Lord's Hands.
Date Palms also grow in clumps and they intertwine their root systems with one another. That way when the storm comes they are not trying to stand alone but they are reaching out and supporting one another. They are sharing space and helping one another.
Wow! Now, that is something we can all believe in today. Intertwining our lives with one another. Building relationships that will last and will help one another. Sharing space and life with one another. Communicating with one another. Becoming one with one another.
That is why it is vital that we bless one another, eat with one another, pray for one another, listen to one another, learn from one another and serve one another. When we do those things our roots come together and we get stronger and stronger. When we do that we can support one another and share Living Water with one another. When we do that we will be able to withstand the dry times and the storms that come into our lives.
There are people who visit our churches for no other reason than to find a group of people who will share Living Water and who will enable them to intersect their roots with thier roots. They want to be a part of a Body of Christ that when the storms of life come and they will come they will not be wiped out or destroyed. Each time we welcome someone we need to do whatever we can to connect life to life, heart to heart and root system to root system.
III. The Usefulness of a Date Palm
One of the reasons the Date Palm became a favorite among God's People was its resourcefulness. It has been said that the ancients found over 360 different uses for the Date Palm Tree. Its fruit, its branches, its lumber and even its roots were all valuable.
-From the fruit they would get food, jams and jellies and all kinds of drinks
- Dates are rich in Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, A and C, fiber, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, copper, magnesium, and manganese
-From its branches they learned how to make ropes, rigging, baskets and roofing material
-From different parts of the tree they learned how to make medicines
-From from its straight lumber they were able to make these fantastic beams. I
-From its sap they made spices.
-They used its pods to cook with, as firewood and for a time even as money.
The Date Palm was also a great signpost. When you saw a clump of Date Palms you knew that you could find water, shelter and comfort nearby. A clump of Date Palms was a welcomed sight to any travelers in the ancient world.
All of this brings us to some questions we must ask ourselves. One of those questions we have to ask ourselves in the Church is - WHAT USE ARE WE? HOW ARE WE MAKING OUR ENVIRONMENT A BETTER PLACE? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER THOSE WHO COME OUR WAY? HOW CAN WE BE A COMFORT, A SHELTER AND WHAT RESOURCES DO WE HAVE THAT CAN HELP THEM AND ASSIST THEM IN THIS LIFE HERE AND NOW.
Those are a series of tough questions. Ones that we have to ask as individuals, as families, as small groups who meet together and even as a whole local Church body. They are questions that need our time and attention. They are questions that will cause us to examine what we are doing, why we are doing it and even if we are really doing anything productive and beneficial.
I have gone to churches who have eagerly handed out forms for visitors to fill out that are loaded with ideas and suggestions of what they (as visitors) can do for the church.
-Would you like tithing envelopes?
-Where would you like to volunteer?
-What areas would you like to serve?
-When can we sign you up?
The only thing that most churches list as providing for or serving the visitor is when they allow for a space for a person to put a prayer request or if they want a pastoral visitation.
We have to be more than this. Now, there is nothing wrong in giving out tithing envelopes or providing information on where people can serve. But we in the Church have to be first and foremost people who are seeking to serve not looking for others to serve us. Jesus picked up the towel as an example for us. It was not for us to show him where he can clean up the messes all by himself. We are to join in and help Jesus serve.
Palm Tree Churches and Palm Tree Christians are seeking ways to be a resource for others. That is why there are so many new ministries including Celebrate Recovery, Grief Counseling, Learning English, Building Handicap Ramps and Financial Planning Classes. That is why for hundreds of years the Church has been involved both in evangelism that is both evangelical and social in nature. When people need help the Church is to be one of the first , if not the first place for them to turn.
After all, that is why the LORD has given all of us different gifts. We were not given our talents and our gifts just to make us a pile of money or for us to just enjoy them all by ourselves. We were given these wonderful different gifts so that we can use them to help our world become a better place. Yes, they were given so that we could support and take care of our families. But they were also given so that we can do for others.
I know this very wonderful mechanic that makes a great living but at the same time he makes sure that he gives his time taking care of his church's vehicles as well as doing some "pro-bono" work for others around him. I know this wonderful teacher that takes a part of her year to work with children in Church during VBS providing the church an excellent teacher. I know this person who is amazing at math and makes a good living in a related field but gives of their time to help the church and others with their financial planning. I know this carpenter who makes a good living fixing homes but at the same time helps out at the church repairing things and is a part of a building committee that helps build ramps for the handicap. And I know this nurse who volunteers a few hours each year to help the church with some health screening. The list could go on and on.
The truth is as a Body of Christ we have so many God given talents and skills to be a major resource area for our church, our community and even our world.
Therefore, we must do whatever is necessary to get out of the box and be a serving, assisting and needed resource in our local areas. People need to know that they can come to the Church for more than a few words of comfort or a ritual prayer. They need to know that in Christ we will do all we can to help them. They need to know that they can count on us emotionally, socially, physically, spiritually and financially. They need to know that we will do what we can to be Jesus in their lives.
IV. The Sweetness of the Date Palm
Palm Trees are evergreens and as such they have been created to stay green, growing and fresh. They have also been designed so that the more mature they get the better fruit that they provide. Starting around the age of about 7 and going on to the age of around 90 - 100 Palm Trees are able to give their best fruit. Each year they can provide up to 200 - 250 pounds of fruit per tree. Some palms have even been reported to being able to give good fruit past 125 to 150 years of age and older.
It was not merely their longevity that attracted the ancients to the Palms it was also their ability to grow sweeter and sweeter fruit. It was their ability to stay green and be pleasing to the eyes as well as good for soul.
Is this not the goal of our lives as followers of Christ? Isn't this the intended life of the sanctified? Is not this the life that Jesus had intended for us to live as Abundant Life Disciples?
Far too often we have seen people who have lived for Jesus begin to shrive up and become bitter, critical and judgmental. We have witnessed those who instead of getting sweeter and sweeter have become bitter, mean and judgmental as the years go by. They suddenly have no filter in sharing their thoughts and they have no concern how their words are going to be received.
We all have our bad moments. We all know that. But as we grow more in the LORD those bad moments are to come farther and farther apart. As we grow in Christ we are to be more loving, kind and respectful. As we grow in Christ our spiritual fruit is to be richer, more choice and more enjoyable to share with others. As we grow in Christ we are to become more attractive in the Spirit and more of a benefit to those around us.
Some years ago a rehab/therapy clinic was doing its best to work with people who were suffering from all different types of emotional difficulties. Things were going well at the practice and the clients were improving. Everything was on the upswing. Some of the staff thought that while their clients waited it would nice to provide a cup of coffee for them. That way they could calmly sip a cup of coffee while they were waiting for their name to be called.
At first, everything went wonderfully. People were able to sit down, grab a cup of coffee and calmly sip it while they were waiting. However, something strange began happening over a period of weeks. It appeared that the more caffeine certain patients consumed the more they became agitated, depressed and combative. No one knew what was going on but a decision was made to remove the coffee pot for a while to see if the problem would cure itself. Thankfully, it did. Later on they discovered that with certain medications the presence of caffeine caused an adverse reaction.
In a similar fashion we all need to examine what is going on in our lives to make sure that we don't suffer from any adverse spiritual and emotional reactions. What we take in through our minds, our hearts and our eyes can cause us to have spiritual and emotional adverse reactions. John Wesley's mother Susanna used to tell her children to be careful of anything that took the relish off of their Christian experience.
"Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the delight for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin." ( Written to Susanna Wesley's son John before he departed to college.)
In other words, if after a period of time watching something, reading something or doing something causes you to become lukewarm, a little bitter or a little more judgmental then it is time to remove that item from your life.
For like the Date Palm we want to be Christ followers that age well and that continue to provide wonderful spiritual fruit all of our lives. We don't want to become a person that others avoid or are seen as Spiritual Prunes.
We need to constantly be under the care of the Holy Spirit to have our hearts, minds and souls renewed. We need to spend time with the LORD in His Holy Word allowing the Word to teach us, reprove us and encourage us. We need to pray for wisdom, for revelation and for empowerment. We need to pray that our faith is strengthen, our hope is renewed and our love leads us to serve others with celebration and joy. We need to pray for hearts that are generous and attitudes that are liberal in grace and love.
The Holy Spirit has promised to cleanse us and purify us. The Holy Spirit has promised to lead us and direct us. The Holy Spirit has promised us that we can live a life in which we actually do get sweeter and are able to produce more fruit for our LORD.
So, as we close this morning - let's do our best to simply become a PALM TREE CHRISTIAN - A DATE PALM FOLLOWER OF JESUS
+That means that we will allow the LORD to help us grow from the inside out. That means that we will put our hearts in the hands of Jesus and allow Him to redeem us and transform us.
+That means that we will commit to the LORD completely and that we will do all we can to stretch out - to stretch out by getting deeper in the WORD, in PRAYER and by doing all we can to drink God's Living Water. It means that we will do everything we can to connect with one another and establish a good root system foundation built on trust and togetherness.
+That means that we will ask the LORD to help us to become the best resource area possible. That when people need help spiritually, emotionally, socially and financially that they can depend on us for a helping hand. That we will be their support partners, their encouragers as well as their accountability partners.
+That means that we do our best to mature productively and with a great deal of sweetness. That we will become more and more like our Savior and LORD - Jesus Christ.
You know this Palm Sunday that is a tall order. But it is an order that Jesus Christ has made possible through His Death, Resurrection and the infilling power of His Holy Spirit.
As we sing this morning let's allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives:
Contemporary Song - I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb Ray Boltz
Traditional Song - Take my life and let it be - Frances Ridley Havergal
Closing Prayer/Blessing
