MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(CHANGED E-MAIL ADDRESS: FREE POWERPOINTS used with this message. E-MAIL ME at MNSERMONS@OUTLOOK.COM & request #450. These PowerPoints include pictures from FreeBibleImages.com. They are free with certain slight restrictions. Please email them & agree to the restrictions. You will probably find that they have many more free pictures that you can use also.)
(1. Title Picture) PALM SUNDAY – HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY!
TEXT: Luke 19:28-40; Zechariah 9:9
The event that is so much a part of this day, Palm Sunday, is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels, but this morning I’m going to use pictures from FreeBibleImages.com while I‘m reading Luke's account, found in Luke 19:28-40.
(2. Jesus & 3 men) "After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As He approached Bethphage & Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, saying to them,
(3. Jesus & 2 men) 'Go to the village ahead of you, & as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it & bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.''
(4. 4 men & donkey) "Those who were sent ahead went & found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' They replied, 'The Lord needs it.'
(5. Jesus on donkey) "They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt & put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
(6. Crowd rejoicing) "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:
(7. People shouting) 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven & glory in the highest!'
(8. Pharisees) "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' (9. Jesus) 'I tell you,' He replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'
A. I wish somehow we could all go to Jerusalem & relive the events of that tremendous day.
(10. Crowd) How exciting it would be to be part of the crowd, walk down that road from the Mt. of Olives, past the Garden at Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley, & up through the great Eastern gate into Jerusalem. It would be a parade we would never forget!
ILL. As a nation, we love parades. On Thanksgiving & New Year's we line the streets or turn on TV sets to watch parades. We even honor Super Bowl or World Series teams with parades in their home cities. Parades are often held to celebrate victories & honor returning heroes.
ILL. That reminds me about an elderly missionary returning to the United States to retire. He & his wife had spent over 40 years serving in Africa. But now he was alone. His wife & 2 children had long since found their final resting place in the soil of Africa.
As he got off the plane he saw a great crowd of people waiting at the gate. Some were holding signs, others were waving banners, & he could even hear sounds of music above the shouting voices. For a few seconds he thought, "Can it be? After more than 40 years of service, all of these people have actually come out to welcome me home?"
But no, that was not the case. On his plane was a politician returning from Africa. During his visit the politician had been catered to & waited upon. And now he was being welcomed home with all the ceremony his nation could provide.
As he waited at the airport, the contrast was almost more than the old missionary could bear. For a moment he began feeling sorry for himself, & he started to pray. "Father in Heaven, why? I've served You faithfully for so long, & yet, look. I didn't expect much, but is it wrong to desire that there be some kind of a welcome home?"
Then, almost as if God had spoken out loud, the old missionary heard Him say, "But my son, you're not home yet."
SUM. It’s true. This world is not our home. We’re just passing through. And as children of God, someday we want to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good & faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord."
B. But every once in a while wouldn't it be nice if our colleagues, if our brothers & sisters in the Lord would just pat us on the back? If we could just hear the applause of the crowd?
ILL. Watching my great-grandchildren as they grow makes me even more aware of the value of praise. In learning to walk they stumble & fall. Applaud & encourage them & they get back up & keep on trying until they get it right.
SUM. You see, everybody appreciates applause. And Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem provided an opportunity for people to lift their voices in praise to God.
I. LOOK AT THE CROWDS
A. It was Passover time, & Jews from all over the world were crowding into Jerusalem. News had gone out that Jesus was on His way from the town of Bethany. So a crowd rushed out to meet Him.
There were actually 2 crowds. One crowd was accompanying Jesus as He came from Bethany, & the other was surging out from Jerusalem to meet Him. The crowds must have flowed together in a surging mass like 2 tides of the sea.
(13. People cheering) And as the crowds met JESUS they received Him like a conquering hero. The sight of this tumultuous welcome sent Jewish authorities into depths of despair. It seemed that nothing they did would stop the people from following Jesus.
B. Of course, some in the crowds were simply curious sightseers. They had heard of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. And they wanted to see something else sensational, too.
(14. Man shouting) C. But most were greeting Jesus wildly, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the son of David!" The word "Hosanna" is Hebrew for "Save now!" & means almost exactly the same thing as "God save the King!"
With Jesus as their king, they were convinced that it was only a matter of time until the trumpets rang out, & the call to arms sounded, & the Jewish nation led to its long awaited victory over Rome.
II. NOW LOOK AT JESUS
A. In such a situation it was impossible for Jesus to speak to the crowd. An excited crowd won't stop to listen. So Jesus did something that all could see. He sent for a donkey's colt & came riding upon it, a dramatic fulfillment of the words of Zechariah the prophet.
Zechariah is the next to last book in the Old Testament, & both Matthew & John quote Zechariah 9:9 as a clear prediction concerning the triumphal entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem.
(16. Woman shouting) Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
B. Now that passage tells us some things about Jesus & why it was important to have this parade. Notice what it says, "See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation." The parade was announcing plainly that Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords, just as Zechariah prophesied.
C. But it was also saying that Jesus was a special kind of Messiah. We usually think of a donkey as a lowly animal, but in the Mid-East it was considered very noble. Kings, princes, & judges rode upon donkeys. A king rode upon a horse when he went to war, but he rode a donkey when he came in peace.
Zechariah said the king would be "gentle & riding upon a donkey" & Jesus deliberately fulfilled that prophecy to call attention to the fact that He comes, not as a war maker, but as a peacemaker. He comes into the world to bring gentleness & love & peace.
III. LOOK AT THE DONKEY'S OWNERS
(18. Donkey’s owners) A. Did you catch what Luke said about the donkey's owners? That's right, evidently this donkey had more than one owner. Donkeys were expensive, & this donkey was owned by more than one person.
Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew that donkey was there?
Did He have X ray vision like Superman & could see through walls to know where it was? Well, I don't want to limit the power of Jesus, but I'm more inclined to believe that Jesus must have walked up & down that street before.
Maybe He had seen this colt & where it was kept. Maybe He had already talked to the owners & explained that one day He would have need of it. And when that day came, would they be willing to let Him use it? And they said they would. Whatever the case, the day finally arrives & Jesus tells His disciples,
"Go into town & you'll find a colt, a donkey. No one has ever ridden it. And when you find it, untie it, & if anyone asks what you are doing just say, ‘The Lord needs it,' & that will be enough."
Donkeys were prized possessions. They were means of transportation. They were beasts of burden, & at times they pulled the farmer's plow. They did so many strenuous things that a man could not do by himself. So this donkey was a valuable possession. Yet Jesus said, "Tell them ‘the Lord needs it.'"
That is exactly what happened. They found the colt & untied it. And as they did, the owners rushed out to ask them what they were doing. They reply, "The Lord needs it."
B. When they heard that, they gave it. And when they gave that donkey they were giving the best & most they had to give.
APPL. Now what is the most important possession in your life right now? Is it your money, your house, your car, or something else that is very dear to you? Your answer will reveal a whole lot about you.
Ask yourself, "If Jesus came by today & said, ‘I have need of that,' would you surrender it to Him as these owners surrendered their donkey? Would you be willing for Him to take & use it for whatever time He needs it? Or would you hold on to it?
They said, "Whatever the Lord needs & we have, it is His." And so they gave their donkey.
IV. LOOK AT THE DONKEY
A. Last of all, consider that donkey. Donkeys play an important part in Scripture. It was a donkey that taught Balaam a valuable lesson. We picture a donkey carrying Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And now in the last part of His life here we see a donkey carrying Jesus in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Horses are beautiful animals with coats that shine in the sun. They have flowing manes that ripple in the breeze, & long graceful legs that gobble up the miles. They have soft eyes, & make a sound that radiates power & strength.
But not the donkey. His hair looks like ours does when we get up in the morning. His tail is unkempt. His mane is nothing beautiful to behold. His ears are too big, too floppy. And his braying sound causes us to laugh.
B. And yet, on the road to Jerusalem this little donkey hears people shouting, "Hosanna!" & sees them spreading their cloaks on the road before him.
And for a while, this donkey that is not supposed to be in parades is in one, & he is the focal point of attention. Why? Because he is carrying the King of Kings, & Lord of Lords.
ILL. Someone wrote a fanciful sequel to this event, entitled “Only A Donkey.” It was morning, & the donkey awakened, his mind still savoring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure & pride.
He walked into town & found a group of people by the well. “I’ll show myself to them,” he thought. But they didn’t notice him. They went on drawing water & paid him no mind.
“Throw your garments down,” he said crossly. “Don’t you know who I am?” They just looked at him in amazement. Someone slapped him on his rump & ordered him to move on.
“Miserable heathens!” he muttered to himself. “I’ll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me.” But the same thing happened. No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place.
“The palm branches! Where are the palm branches?” he shouted. “Yesterday, you waved palm branches!” Hurt & confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.
“Foolish child,” she said gently. Don’t you realize that without Him, you’re just an ordinary donkey?”
(Adapted from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice. Copyright 1994 by Youth Specialties, Inc.)
You know, if I ever have a parade in my life, it will only be because Jesus is sitting upon the throne of my life. Just like the donkey, we don't belong. But then Jesus comes & He makes all the difference.
C. Palm Sunday has a message for the church today. Jesus is passing by & we are told, "The Lord needs you." Now how will we respond?
Will we turn our backs as the Pharisees did? Or will we support Him for just a while like many others did? And then when we get out among others will we crucify Him all over again?
Or will you invite Him into your heart & your life? If you’re not yet a Christian, we extend His invitation to become one of His family, confessing His name & following His example & command in Christian baptism, rising in a new relationship as a part of the family of God.
You see, JESUS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! LET US PRAY.
