Good morning everyone
Let’s just praise the Lord!
Let’s lift up the name of Jesus. No matter where you are at in your journey of life, if you will lift up the name of Jesus, He will draw close to you this morning. Amen.
If you would turn to Luke 19:28-44 Read clearly and slowly
Prayer-
On this sacred Sunday, we look at Palm Sunday and you coming into Jerusalem to begin your final journey to the cross. We pause and are grateful for your faithfulness for us to experience salvation. We are thankful that as you went to the cross that you had each of us on your mind and your desire is that no one be left out of eternity. Help us to weep over our Jerusalem to see those that need you and what part we would play in their lives.
Introduction
Here we are the week before Easter. Moving ourselves into what is called the Passion Week. Jesus wants to speak to us this morning- He desires for us to experience Him fresh and new. Fresh if you are a believer and new if you have never given your life over to him. There will always be people looking on the outside looking in and there will always be people who are “gonna” come to Jesus”. Jesus is speaking to both in this passage.
The Davinchi Code book and movie are fictional-
Jesus did not marry Mary Magdalene.
He did not have any children from her. She did not move to France to raise the children.
I know this because of faithful eyewitnesses that proclaimed and recorded all the events.
If my Bible does not say it, I will not take the word of a movie producer.
Between what happens Palm Sunday to Easter has changed the world- no matter if we accept it or not.
You will have to do something with Jesus today- you will not after today be able to say I didn’t know.
Illustration-
Like most kids in High School, when my name was called on graduation, I walked across a stage and grabbed a cover pad with nothing in it and then received my diploma in the mail a few weeks later. There were some that did the same thing but they had not completed the requirements and they had to go to Summer school before receiving their diploma.
Some were going through the motions and only they knew the truth.
Life without Jesus is going through the motions - your cover pad is empty and without Jesus it does not mean a thing!
All the gospels record the account of Jesus coming into Jerusalem for the final week of ministry on this earth.
John 12:12
“The next day the crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 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!”
“The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves his life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves must follow me, and where I am, my servants also will be. My Father will honor the one who serve me.”
Jesus gives final instructions to his disciples as he makes final preparation to go to the cross and complete the task that our Heavenly Father had given him.
The conspiracy against Jesus had been building for years- They attempted to arrest him early/ They tried to kill him before he gets to the cross/ They lied/ They tried to use him as a political tool/ BUT THEY COULD NOT STOP THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION.
The religious Pharisees were a threat to many people. They did not know what to do with Jesus because he claimed to be “The Son of God”
He upset the business world- he turned the tables on corruption in the temple and the greed of the money changers.
He called the religious big shots vipers! White washed tombs.
He won all debates on the Word of God.
Some loved Him and some hated Him-
All had to do something with Jesus. No one can be neutral with Jesus- a car out of gear will always fall backwards. If you are not moving forward, you are drifting backwards.
If Passion Week is only a story you read once a year- you have not met the Son of Man and Lord Jesus Christ- you have no celebration of Easter. You have no power in your life.
A lot of people know about the cross and about Jesus Christ- but few have experienced the cross and allowed Jesus to change their life forever.
I am concerned about specialized holidays on the Christian calendar because we think we know the story so well that we tune out the fact that Jesus wants to speak to us each time that we come together or pick up His Word.
These are the verses of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his journey and passion to the cross. The only way of salvation was Jesus going to the cross! The task was at hand and Jesus was the only one who could complete it.
Jesus sends two disciples ahead toward Jerusalem to get a donkey and tells them what to say to the owner of the donkey- you will find an un-ridden donkey tied and you are to untie and bring the donkey to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them the Lord needs him. He said go but if the Lord had not divinely taken care of that the disciples would have been arrested for stealing. They bring the donkey back to Jesus and He comes ridding toward Jerusalem on a donkey. Not the first choice animal for a King to be riding on. You would expect a king, a noble to be riding a white horse with all the honors of a king. He comes down the Mount of Olives to a crowd of people joyfully praising the Lord and throwing themselves at his feet- “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” It was so loud and so much a distraction that the religious leaders who hated Jesus told his disciples to be quiet! “I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Let’s back this donkey up a minute- the king is coming on a donkey- fulfillment of Old Testament scripture from Zachariah.
They are lifting up his name and praising him. The city that had usually 50,000 people was at 3x’s that many and no more hiding- here come’s Jesus into the city.
The crowd has gathered both supporters and haters to watch him enter the city.
You may be standing on the side of the road and you were either a supporter or hater of Jesus but soon you will have to make a decision for or against Jesus.
There were followers- “Hail Jesus, the son of David…Hosanna in the highest.
There were critics- Hey who does this Jesus think He is?
There were curious people- Hey, what is all the noise about?
There were his core believers- those that would die for him.
All those people-1000’s, all different ways to look at Jesus-
Jesus tells the skeptics… if they keep quiet, the rocks will cry out- the time has come, the purpose and task is at hand. He will do what he set out to do and that was to go to the cross with each one of us on his mind.
Listen to this- (41) “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Why would Jesus weep? The king of kings and the Lord of Lord who has come to accomplish the task of the Father is now weeping over Jerusalem, the city and people that he came to save-
Only one other place I know of where Jesus wept was when Lazarus died. John 11.
Lazarus became sick and Jesus purposely waited days before he went to him.
When he did go, the disciples warned him of the religious leaders who wanted him dead.
“This sickness will not end in death.” is what he told his disciples.
Jesus told the disciples that Lazarus sleeps but will be awaken. Jesus meant death and resurrection and the disciples thought literal sleep.
Mary and Martha meet Jesus at the edge of town
They are grieved over their brother dying- could not understand that Jesus who loved Lazarus would not come quickly and save him from dying.
Your brother will rise- I know said Martha, he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day-
You know what she is saying? I know about the resurrection- but what about now! My brother is dead and I miss him and you said that you loved him. How could you allow this to happen?
I am the resurrection and life, he who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?
(27) “yes, Lord, she told him, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Jesus goes with them to the body and place of Lazarus- in their brokenness, they say that if he would have come quickly, he would still be alive. When Jesus saw them weeping, it moved him deeply and he wept.
The same reason Jesus wept for Lazarus is the same reason that he wept looking over Jerusalem. Because He cares for us- He has compassion for us. He sees our needs and He sees our helplessness.
I can think of some reasons that Jesus weeps-
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
“Lord, why does bad things happen to good people”?
When Jesus hears our words and sees the sadness of his people, I believe his heart is broken for us.
Jesus wept for the pain he sees us go through
He saw the suffering people and the pain that death causes.
He deeply cared for Martha and Mary. He cares for us.
When you care about someone and you see them hurt, you hurt for them.
Jesus doesn’t enjoy seeing us in pain. Like a good father, you know that there will be pain and He wants to be there for us. If we don’t understand pain, we wouldn’t know to take our hands off a stove that was burning us- we have been given senses to know pain and avoid pain. One of the greatest gifts you can give a hurting person is your presence and love. Jesus, though we have to endure pain now desires that we allow Him to walk with us in His presence. Presence matter most! His presence matter most! He wept for the pain that he saw as he came into Jerusalem and understood what He had to do so that we would not have to suffer the pain of isolation from Him for eternity because of sin. He bear the weight of grieve so that our grief would be temporary.
Jesus wept for their lack of faith
Jesus is not afraid to meet us in our despair and darkness because when he shows up He brings light! He is the first to meet us in the valley as well as the mountains. Jesus saw their lack of faith! Jesus saw their rebellion. He saw what he would have to go through for us so we would not be lost for eternity. The disciples discouraged him from going back into the city- because he could lose his life, but that was exactly why He was so determine to go back to the city and give His life- for you and for me!
Jesus told the sisters- I am glad that I was not here when lazarus died, so that you may believe!
“I am the resurrection and the life.” “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die- do you believe this?” That is the question Jesus asked them and the one that he asks each of us this morning- do you believe He is who he says he is and do you believe that he will do what he says he will do?
As we close-
There were all kinds of people on that mountain when Jesus entered Jerusalem- from follower to critic! And… everything in between.
Some of us need to move from critic to follower
Some need to move from curious toward the core of belief.
You have to do something with Jesus! You will drift away if you remain in neutral.
No more roller coaster faith- settle it this morning.
The first time I saw a passion play, I did not know Jesus. I could watch what they did to Jesus because I was only a curious seeker. But as I became committed to him I saw the trial and death on the cross and it broke my heart. While they were all yelling crucify him, crucify Him, I was yelling inside no stop! I knew it was only a play but it became real to me! I started appreciating what Jesus did for me! As Jesus went up the hill of Golgotha, my heart became more open to what He did and wants to do in my life-after they had beat him and spit on him, I began to see what he has done for me. Now as Jesus was weak and broken, as I watched the Roman soldier follow aside of him almost dragging him and the cross… if he looked at me and told me to carry his cross like he told Simeon, I could do it now because he means that much to me. Because all this Jesus stuff had become real!
Are you curious? Today maybe become committed.
Are you a follower? Maybe pick up the cross and really follow Him with all your heart.
We are in the crowd of life- we all yell either hosanna or crucify him. Maybe today, you want to change what you are yelling- you want to serve the king of kings because today he has shown his live and revealed himself in a fresh and powerful way.
Open up your heart to him and let him into your life. Make today the day that will forever change your life for the good.
Maybe today we could all just renew our commitment to him-
Lord, I take you as Lord and savior
I ask you into my heart and want to become a committed follower
I believe that you died, you were buried, and God the Father resurrected you from the grave. Because you live, by faith, I can live also. I will never be the same again because of what you have done for me. In Jesus name, amen.
If you prayed that prayer for the first time, there is a new name written in heaven and it is yours congratulations!
Let’s pray!
