MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
The event that is so much a part of this day, Palm Sunday, is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels, but this morning let’s turn to Luke’s account of it, found in Luke 19:28-44. Listen as I read it to you.
"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,
`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.’’
"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.’
"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.
"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: `Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven & glory in the highest!’
"Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, `Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ `I tell you,’ He replied, `if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’
"As He approached Jerusalem & saw the city, He wept over it & said, `If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace but now it is hidden from your eyes.
“The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you & encircle you & hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you & the children within your walls.
“They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you’" (Luke 19:28 44).
A. I wish that somehow we could all go to Jerusalem & relive the events of that tremendous day. How exciting it would be to be a part of the crowds, & walk down that winding road from the Mt. of Olives, past the Garden of Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley, & up through the great Eastern gate into the city of Jerusalem. It would be a parade that we would never forget!
ILL. As a nation, we love parades, don’t we? On Thanksgiving & New Year’s we turn on our TV sets to watch parades. We line the streets.
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 of the old story 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 & two 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 a visit to Africa. During his visit the politician had been catered to & waited upon & all his needs had been met. And now he was being welcomed back with all the ceremony his nation could provide.
As he waited & 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 don’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 is true. This world is not our home. We are just passing through. And as children of God, someday we want to hear Jesus say, "Well done thou good & faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord."
B. But every once in a while wouldn’t it be nice if our peers, 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 grandchildren & great-grandchildren as they grow made 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 the 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, just passing by the towns of Bethphage & Bethany. So a crowd of people 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.
Jesus was coming, & as the crowds met Him they received Him like a conquering hero. The sight of this tumultuous welcome sent the Jewish authorities into the 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.
C. But most of the people were greeting Jesus wildly. They were shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the son of David!" The word "Hosanna" is the 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 delayed victory over Rome & over the world.
II. LOOK AT JESUS
A. In such a situation it was obviously 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 Jesus into Jerusalem.
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." This parade was announcing plainly to the world that Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords.
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 East it was considered very noble. Kings, princes, & judges rode upon donkeys. A king rode upon a horse when he was bent on war, but he rode a donkey when he came in peace.
Zechariah said that 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 peace maker. He comes into the world to bring gentleness & love & peace.
III. LOOK AT THE DONKEY’S OWNERS
A. Did you catch what Luke said about the donkey’s owners? That’s right, evidently this donkey was owned by more than one owner. Donkeys were expensive. Probably one person couldn’t afford a good donkey. So they pooled their funds & bought this donkey.
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 do not want to limit the power of Jesus, but I’m more inclined to believe that Jesus must have walked up & down that street many times before.
Maybe He had seen this colt & where it was kept. Maybe He had already talked to the owners & explained to them that one day He would have need of that animal. And when that day came would they be willing to let Him have it? And they said that 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."
That is exactly what happens. They found the colt & untied it. And as they did, the owners rushed out to ask them what they are doing. They reply, "The Lord needs it."
Donkeys were prized possessions. They were means of transportation. They were beasts of burden, & they pulled the farmer’s plows. They did so many strenuous things that a man could not do by himself. So this donkey was a very valuable possession. Yet Jesus said, "Tell them ‘the Lord needs it.’"
B. When they heard that, they gave it. And when they gave that donkey they were giving the best & the most that they had to give.
APPL. Now what is the most important thing 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 tell a whole lot about yourself.
Ask yourself, "If Jesus came by today & said, ‘I have need of that,’ whatever it is, would you give it?" Would you surrender it to Him as these owners surrendered this donkey? Would you be willing for Him to take it & 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, look at that donkey. Donkeys play an important part in Scripture. It was a donkey that taught Balaam a valuable lesson. It was a donkey that carried Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And now in the last part of His life 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 & haven’t combed it. His tail is unkempt. His mane is nothing beautiful to behold. His ears are too big, too floppy. And his braying sound causes us all to laugh.
B. And yet, on the road to Jerusalem this little donkey hears the 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, & the Lord of Lords.
ILL. Someone wrote a fanciful sequel to this event, entitled “Only A Donkey.”
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 the side & 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 are just an ordinary donkey?” (Source: 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 & He is saying, "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 most of the people did? And then when we get out into the real world crucify Him all over again?
Or, will we be like the owners of the donkey who gave what they had just so Jesus could have a parade? We’re like that donkey & God wants to change us & transform us & make us new all over again.
SUM. Will you invite Him into your heart & into your life? When you are faithful & obedient to Him then He becomes your Lord & Savior too. And you begin to march in the great parade of Christians that carries on down through the ages.
We’ll march till Jesus comes, with "Hosanna" on our lips, palm branches in our hands. We’ll crown Him King of Kings & Lord of Lords.
If you are outside of His kingdom this morning, we extend to you the invitation of Christ to become one of His followers, to be changed & transformed by His mercy & grace, to be obedient to Him by confessing His name in faith & responding to Him in Christian baptism as you are buried in water & raised to walk in the newness of life.
We offer His invitation & we pray that you will respond as we stand & as we sing together.
