Palm Sunday
John 12:12-19
March 24, 2024
If you’re a sports fan, especially basketball, this weekend is the best weekend of the year. On Thursday and Friday, there were 32 games and yesterday and today there’s another 16. Now, when I look at my favorite sports teams, I tend to be somewhat fickle.
I want my professional teams to play well. I want them to win, but if they’re not winning, then at least play well, but lose and get a better draft pick. Being from Chicago, I’m used to it.
My question to start you off this morning is this - - - - - ARE YOU FICKLE?
To be fickle means - - - you’re likely to change your mind. You are NOT constant or loyal in your affections. That happens to me with my sports teams.
Interestingly, fickle is an old English word, from before 1000 AD. The original meaning of fickle was - - - - deceitful, deceptive, treachery. That’s far harsher than where we are today. Another phrase that’s probable a little tamer ---- being a fair weathered fan.
Deep down I’m always going to root for my Bears and Cubs and Black Hawks. But if they do something that really aggravates me, I just may not root for them.
Have you ever done that with your favorite sports teams?
Or worse yet, maybe you’ve done it with family or friends.
They didn’t invite you to their party and you got mad.
Someone didn’t like your post, and you unfriended them.
Your favorite restaurant didn’t live up to your expectations and you leave a nasty review on YELP and you’re never going back.
A coworker, who’s a friend didn’t agree with your idea, and now you avoid them.
I can go on, but my point is how quickly we can turn on one another. We can be pretty fickle and fair weathered fans towards one another.
On that first Palm Sunday, there didn’t appear to be any fickle, fair weathered fans of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. Let’s look at the story from the gospel of John. Beginning in John 12:12, John tells us - - - - -
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out,
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified,
then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him.
17 The crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised Him from the dead continued to bear witness.
18 The reason why the crowd went to meet Him was that they heard He had done this sign.
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him.”
Everything sounded so good. The crowds came out, they were treating Jesus like a king, even though he only rode a donkey. Most kings came into town on chariots. Jesus was on a donkey.
The people continued to bear witness about Lazarus coming back to life again. The people were following Jesus, listening and hoping and waiting.
It’s hard to imagine that 5 days later Jesus would be dead. What happened? How do people turn that quickly? Did you know it happened to Woodrow Wilson. The 28th president of the US was being celebrated as a world hero, after helping the US and the allies to be victorious in World War 1. He was possibly the most popular man in the world.
On his first visit to Paris after the war, Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. Wherever he want there were thousands of people calling him a hero.
The cheering lasted about a year. Wilson ran into opposition in the United States Senate and his League of Nations was not ratified. He suffered a stroke and in the next election his party was defeated. He went from hero to a distant memory when he died.
It happened that way to Jesus. Jesus was an overnight sensation. Like a new rock star on the Voice. He would try to go off to be alone and the people would follow Him. People lined the streets and were mesmerized by His teaching. He healed 100's and when He rode into town on that last week, people were spreading and waving palm branches and shouting HOSANNA! Calling Him a KING.
In essence, they were saying, Jesus, save us now!! There was a sense of religious expectation throughout the nation. There was the hope that the Messiah, the mighty warrior and priestly king had arrived.
But just as quickly as it started, it ended! In that last week, Jesus’ words were more difficult to understand. He spoke more about death, than their expected victory. What leader speaks of a seeming defeat? It didn’t make sense.
His critics were coming out in full force. Lies and rumors were being told. It was getting bad. The fickle nature of people, you know, those fair weathered fans showed up. Even though they really didn’t know what was happening.
It looked like Jesus really wasn’t this mighty warrior King, and if my team is going down, I’m getting off the band wagon. I’m going to bet against Him and make some money off His downfall.
You know what it’s like when the rumors hit? We’ve been there. Stories are told about us, we want to lash out. We see that on social media. But Jesus didn’t answer! He was silent before the authorities who were questioning Him.
And so the opposition grew. The squeaky wheel was getting greased. The Pharisees and scribes were getting the attention of the Roman leaders. With Passover coming, and 1000's of people coming into Jerusalem, the last thing they wanted on their watch was a revolt. The Roman leaders wanted to appease the Jews, which of course, bought their loyalty.
Before it was all over a tidal wave welled up that brought Jesus to His knees under the weight of a cross.
Why did the people so radically turn against him? How did the shouts of Hosanna on Sunday transform into the shouts of crucify him on Thursday and Friday? What were the deeper root causes? The underlying issues? Why did the cheering stop?
And when we think about this, what part do we play in it. I’m not looking at a church wide level, but on a personal level. Are we cheering for Jesus one day, and railing against Him 2 days later, just like the people in Jerusalem?
Are we fair weathered fans as well towards Jesus. When all’s going well, we’re all for Jesus. He’s the best! He’s my best friend! But when tragedy hits, we start the blame game and question and get pretty angry . . . . and suddenly Jesus isn’t my best friend. He becomes that friend whom I avoid.
There were a lot of underlying issues, but I want to point out 3 thoughts from His last week - - - - and give you a word of encouragement from the call of a donkey.
JESUS TALKED MORE ABOUT COMMITMENT
Many people become very uncomfortable when they hear the word commitment. It’s often easier to go through life as a fair weathered fickle fan, than to go all in for Jesus. That way you never really get hurt. But you never really experience the hope of abundant life in this lifetime, either. It’s kind of a trade off.
Jesus was calling the people to live differently. You were supposed to love your neighbor. You were supposed to help someone in need, even if it was inconvenient to you. That’s why the parable of the good samaritan is so powerful.
You were supposed to love Jesus more than everyone else in your life. Love your family, but love Jesus first. Be devoted to Jesus. But that was a foreign idea to the Pharisees. And deep down, I believe many of them knew it. They knew they were hypocrites, doing only what they had to in order to serve God. Put on a good show and you had a top seat at the banquet.
But now Jesus says, don’t sit up front at the seat of honor, but sit in the back and wait for the host to honor you. It’s difficult to wait on others to recognize you, isn’t it? We want to let others know what we’ve done so that all the world hears about it, and then applauds our efforts.
But Jesus ultimately tells us don’t let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. So, do what you’re called to do, and don’t make a big scene about, because ultimately you are working for the Lord and not for any person.
JESUS ALSO TOLD US TO LOVE ALL PEOPLE
That’s not necessarily easy. I want to love people I want to love. I don’t want to be told to love people who aren’t like me. Yet, Jesus tells us the 2 great commandments are to love God with every fiber of your being and to love your neighbor.
The issue comes down to the fact that if I don’t love my neighbor, but say I love God, I’m really deceiving myself. As John would tell us, you’re a liar if you say you love God, but don’t love your neighbor, because you can’t have one without the other.
So, that meant the Pharisees and scribes were to love the outcasts. They were to love the person who was not like them. That was not part of who they were, because they believed they were better than others. They weren’t like those sinners, so they had this elitist view of themselves. Yet, Jesus’ call was to - - - -
Love the leper, love the sick, love the blind, the tax collector,
love the difficult family member, love the prostitute,
your enemies - the Romans, the lazy person, the gay person,
love the thief love the people with no common sense
love the incorrigible . . . . love, love, love.
If we’re to be honest, it’s not an easy assignment. Jesus never said don’t hold others accountable for their actions or inactions. He believed in accountability. But even as you hold someone accountable, can you still love them?
That’s the power behind so many of His parables. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the people come to the aid of those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison, sick and more. Jesus said, ‘if you did this for them, then in reality, you did it for me.’
But the people respond by saying, Jesus, we never saw you hurting or hungry or naked or thirsty.
That’s the response Jesus wants from us. It doesn’t matter who, it just matters that you see someone who was created in the image of God and helped them.
Those aren’t always easy words. They weren’t back then, and they still aren’t today. Think about how many people turn away from Jesus because of the radical call to love one another.
FINALLY, JESUS BEGAN TO TALK MORE ABOUT A VICTORY THROUGH A CROSS, NOT A NATIONAL VICTORY, BUT AN EXCRUCIATING PERSONAL VICTORY
This was not going to be a revolt. There was not going to be shedding of blood, except by ONE person, Jesus. He spoke about His death and the disciples didn’t get it. They couldn’t fathom how Jesus was going to die . . . and even more complicated were His words about coming back after 3 days! That made no sense.
The people wanted a warrior to destroy the Romans. They were the enemy. They were the oppressors, but that wasn’t going to change. Jesus came to change each one of us.
He came to offer us life. Abundant life is always the offer from Jesus. It’s living the abundant life today and experiencing it in greater ways when we meet Jesus when we die.
People wanted Jesus to be a miracle worker. Just heal my wounds, I don’t care who you are. I’d sell my soul to whomever could make me better. But Jesus wasn’t about selling faith. It came as this strange package. It was a gift. A simple life changing gift from God to you and I.
There were no strings attached. It was simply believe. Allow your life to change from the inside out. Show the world who Jesus is by the way you live, the way you honor God and love your neighbor. That’s the only Bible anyone will have to read - - - - the way you live and love.
Many of the disciples said they’d go with Jesus and die, but when push came to shove, they were fair weathered, fickle fans too. They deserted Jesus in His greatest time of need for community. Where were they all?
Where did it all go wrong? Maybe that’s the wrong question. Maybe we can better ask ‘how did it go so right, yet appear so wrong?’
Isn’t that the real way it worked. It went exactly according to plan. Scripture was fulfilled in ways we can’t imagine. It went the way God had planned it out. The Son’s life for yours and mine. The great gift.
Jesus rode into town on that Palm Sunday on a donkey. A never ridden donkey. A donkey fit for a servant, not a king. Yet, here was Jesus, our servant King. Palm branches waving in a way which would honor a king.
The Pharisees complained and griped that the whole world had turned to Jesus. Just a bit of an exaggeration. But that must be how it felt to them. Everyone was out for the parade. It was a great victory celebration.
In the end, Jesus was on this particular donkey. Why this one? We don't really know, but He does.
The donkey was given to Jesus to ride, because the Teacher, the Rabbi had need of it. The Lord had a need for that donkey.
Have you ever thought that you might be that donkey. Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus has chosen you. You’re not sure why, but the Lord has need of you.
The Lord needs me. On the one hand, you may think, that’s absurd! He could never use me. But you’re so wrong! He wants you to follow Him, so that you can find fulfillment in this life.
Yet, at the same time, you may think, that’s kind of boastful. But the Master has called for you . . . . and now you’re somehow, saying, “here am I, send me!”
You know, an unbroken donkey can be stubborn and unruly and skittish. But as it becomes more comfortable with the owner, it begins to enjoy the rides.
Dear friends, look forward to the call. Be listening and be ready. To be needed, desired, wanted, and used by the Master is an amazing privilege!
Folks, Jesus needs you. He’s picked you and now He’s calling you.
Are you willing?
Or will you be stubborn, selfish and fearful so that you freeze, refusing to move.
It’s easy to go through a difficult time and be fickle towards Jesus. It’s easy to vacillate between a good God and a fair weathered, maybe even fickle God. It’s easy to get stuck. It’s sometimes harder to get unstuck.
But I believe Jesus is calling for us to be a people who are Palm Sunday people. People who celebrate the Lord, on the good days and bad days, we honor and glorify Him.
We recognize who He is and what He did for us. We believe it and trust it. We have full confidence that better days are coming. Even if that means I suffer today, we trust in His power and grace. His love and the hope which we will celebrate next Sunday!
So, relax and trust Jesus. Jesus knows how to calm you, how to use you in ways that will forever mark your life with hope. Let Him take the rope without any more drama. It'll be okay, I promise you.
The story of Palm Sunday begins with a wonderful word: "The Lord needs it." That is enough. Permission granted.
The Lord needs you! Say, "Yes."
