Glorify the Lord
2022 Lent / Genesis 37:1–11; Luke 19:29–40; John 12:12–19
• Intro
• Palm Sunday - A tradition well over 1600 years old.
• A Christian pilgrim in Jerusalem around 380 wrote that he saw local Christians descending from the mount of Olives waving palm fronds.
• By 1200 AD the practice of including Palms into worship on the Sunday before Easter was widely known.
• But on that first Palm Sunday did the crowd really understand what they were saying and doing? John says they did not.
• Several activities.
• Shouts of Hosanna!
• Singing psalms
• Waving palm fronds and laying them on the road.
• Spreading their cloaks on the road.
• All for Jesus of Nazareth. The One they would have be their king.
• Once again, we have to make connections into their world and culture to understand what’s going on. It’s more than just a parade.
• Palm fronds
John 12:12–13 NLT
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ??“Praise God! ??Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! ??Hail to the King of Israel!”
• Palm branches - symbol used throughout Israel’s history
• Palms were a big part of everyday life. Food, shelter, shade, etc.
• National symbol for Israel from inter-testamental time.
• On coins, carved into the temple walls and doors.
1 Kings 6:29 NLT
29 He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
• Used regularly in religious celebration.
Leviticus 23:40 NLT
40 On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days.
• A sign of godliness in royalty and the faithful
Psalm 92:12 NLT
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees ??and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
• They signified triumph, a victory symbol
• Hosanna! - Lord save!
• Traditional cry as the pilgrims entered the city.
• Palm fronds were waved as Psalm 118 was sung in the temple during the feast every day.
Psalm 118:25–26 NLT
25 Please, Lord, please save us. ??Please, Lord, please give us success. ??26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. ??We bless you from the house of the Lord.
• In their context, as they waved fronds and sang this song, they expected Jesus to be the long awaited military and civilian Messiah.
• But He had a different plan. So he breaks across that expectation with His method of entering the city.
• Donkey
John 12:14–15 NLT
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: ??15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. ??Look, your King is coming, ??riding on a donkey’s colt.”
• Unlike previous kings of Israel who had gigantic stables of horses, Jesus chooses the lowly and humble.
• Fulfillment of prophecy:
Zechariah 9:9 NLT
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! ??Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! ??Look, your king is coming to you. ??He is righteous and victorious, ??yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— ??riding on a donkey’s colt.
• Jesus is King who brings peace.
• Contrasted to previous kings who rode on war horses. (Solomon, Maccabees)
• Let’s bring this into our world.
Waving Palms Today
• The crowd who lined the road into Jerusalem that day sang traditional songs and waved palm branches just like they had always done.
• They were expressing their hopes, dreams, fears. Directing all of it toward Jesus.
• They were right to acknowledge Jesus as King but didn’t know just how right they were.
• Sadly, a few days later, they repudiated their celebration with cries of anger and fear: Crucify! We have no king by Caesar!
• It’s a powerful lesson for us as we prepare for Easter to recognize the truth that seemed to escape the crowd that day:
• When we “wave our palms” for Jesus.
• Stickers on our cars.
• Bible memes on social media.
• Bible on the desk at work/school.
• Do we really understand what we’re saying and doing?
We acknowledge our need for salvation.
• When we choose to wave our palm branches, we recognize that we need to be saved!
• We are shouting with our words and deeds “Hosanna!” Lord, save!”
Acts 4:12 NLT
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
• Culture tells you that a good moral life, filled with material blessing is the best you can expect.
• Don’t buy that lie.
• Recognize that a commitment to Christ begins when we acknowledge that all the stuff and all the good deeds don’t save. Jesus does.
• That means:
We agree that Jesus can save us.
Romans 5:6 NLT
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
• We recognize that all the effort we can make in this life is meaningless unless we agree that only Jesus can save us.
We make Him King.
• When we celebrate Jesus at this time of year, we are saying that He will be King.
• He is the one I am loyal to over all others.
Revelation 17:14 NLT
14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”
• We don’t elect our savior. We agree to make him Lord of life.
Matthew 7:21 NLT
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
Ephesians 4:21–24 NLT
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
• Pick your palm branch every day. Recognize that:
• You have salvation in Christ.
• He is the only One
• He must be King.
