INTRODUCTION: This past week my heart was thrilled as I watched our United States Military drive into Baghdad. It was amazing watching the cheering crowd rallying as they pulled down the massive statue of Saddam Hussein. In that crowd there were mixed reactions. There were those, the majority, which were genuinely thrilled that they had been liberated from the tyranny of Saddam. They cheered with shouts of joy. Then there were those in the crowd that were heartbroken because loved ones had been killed or injured in the conflict. They shed tears of grief. And as several shots from a hidden sniper rang out I was made clearly aware that there were those opposed to the liberation –those who jeered and were saddened by the triumphal entry of our troops. It reminded me of another Triumphal entry, which contained cheers, jeers, and tears – the entry of our Lord into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday.
I. There were the Cheers of the Admirers
A. Luke 19:37 “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;”
B. The crowd of Admirers was a mixed crowd consisting of two groups.
C. The sincere followers of Christ
1. In the crowd, undoubtedly, would be many of those Christ touched during His earthly ministry.
2. These individuals sincerely cried, "Hosanna" as they saw Christ as their Redeemer, Who not only met their physical and material needs but more importantly met their spiritual need.
3. There was the adulterous woman whom Christ forgave and said in John 8 that her sins were forgiven and that she would no longer walk in darkness but would have the light of life.
4. There was blind Bartimaeus who sat begging until Jesus passed by. Christ restored his sight. Mark 10:52 states that Bartimaeus “immediately received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
5. There was the widow with an only son, who had died. Christ had compassion on her when He saw the funeral procession and touching the bier raised her son from the dead. Upon raising the dead boy the testimony rang out, “That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” (Luke 7:16)
D. The superficial followers of Christ
1. The multitude of those who cried “Hosanna” were those who cried empty and hollow words. They were shallow, superficial followers of Christ.
2. It was this same crowd that cried “Hosanna” that would cry “Crucify Him” in just a few days.
3. Why were they so fickle? Why were their words so shallow?
4. Part of those who were there were praising Him for what He could do for them and not for who He is.
5. John 6:26-27 "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."
6. These were they who viewed Christ with an eye of flesh and not with the eye of faith.
7. John 12:37 "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:"
E. Today there are two groups of followers of Christ. There are those who follow and worship for what they can get. Their worship is mechanical and shallow. There are those who follow Christ out of sincerity. They have established a personal relationship with Him. They worship Him because of who He is and not what they can get from Him.
II. There were the Jeers of the Antagonists
A. Luke 19:39 "And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples."
B. The crowd included those who took great offense at the praise and adulation that Christ was receiving. Some were there trying to keep the crowd from cheering. They were antagonists and not supporters. They contemptuously shouted for Christ to silence the crowd.
C. Religionist’s hated Christ. He flew in the face of all that they stood for - their legalism and their hypocrisy.
D. They took offense at His popularity.
E. John 12:19 "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him."
F. They were offended by His teaching.
G. John 15:22 "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin."
H. Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men…”
I. Illustration - It is said that an old white-haired mother came to Governor Nash and said, "Governor Nash, I have come to speak to you in behalf of my poor boy who is soon to die in the electric chair. Governor, I have not come to ask for justice but for mercy, not for his sake but mine. He is my only son and support. Governor, if you can do anything, do it for my sake." The governor was courteous and promised to look into the matter and see if anything could be done. Soon he went down to the prison where the poor boy was awaiting the day of execution. When the young man saw the governor, thinking he was a minister who had come to speak with him, he became very angry and insulting. He said to the governor, "I have no time for you and I will be pleased if you will let me alone." "But," said the governor, "I have come to see you about an important matter and you might be interested." The young man almost cursed him and demanded that he leave him alone. "Very well," replied the governor, "good-bye." When the governor was gone the warden said to the young man, "How did Governor Nash and you get along?" When he learned that it was not a minister but the governor, he fell upon the concrete floor and cried, like a soul lost and damned, "My God, have I insulted the only man who could save my life?" Yes, that is just what he had done. And that is just what all are doing who are rejecting Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior. By William Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations."
J. Quote - A man cannot get God’s spiritual blessings if he does not want them. You take a hermetically sealed bottle, and put it into the sea; it may float about in mid-ocean for a century, surrounded by a shoreless ocean, and it will be as dry and empty inside at the end as it was at the beginning. So, you and I float, live, move, and have our being in the great ocean of God’s love in Christ, but you can cork up your hearts, and wax them over with an impenetrable cover, through which that grace does not come. And you do it, some of you. --A. Maclaren
III. There were the tears of the Redeemer
A. Luke 19:41-44 "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of thy visitation."
B. Christ wept, that is He burst into tears weeping out loud as He gazed upon the city of Jerusalem while the city was engaged in the excitement of the feasting and celebration surrounding the Passover and His triumphal entry.
C. Christ wept bitterly at the tragedy that surrounded His triumphal entry. He gives the reason Himself for His tears.
1. Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!"
2. They had rejected the way of peace – Jesus Christ. Their opportunity had slipped through their hands and all that lay ahead for them was judgment.
3. Christ wept for their persistent rejection of His Messiahship, the passing of their opportunity to embrace His Salvation, and the picture of their impending doom and destruction,
D. Illustration - An illiterate fisherman and pilot once told how he was lying aboard his boat in Plymouth Sound when he heard a splash in the water not far off. He jumped out of his berth, for he thought he knew what it was; there was another fishing boat not far off, and the man with it was a drinking man. He rowed there in his small boat with all speed, leaning over the side and praying God for help. Presently he got hold of the other man’s arm and pulled him up, and he was drunk, sure enough. He lifted him back onto his boat, put him in his berth, worked over him, and rubbed him an hour or more, till he began to come to himself. Doing everything possible to make the man comfortable, he came away. The next morning he pulled over to see how the man was. He was standing leaning over the side of his craft. To a "good morning," he returned no answer. "How are you this morning?" his rescuer said. "What’s that to you?" was the surly response. "Why," said the first man, "I can’t help taking an interest in you. I saved your life last night." "Get out," responded the other, and roundly cursed him for a liar. "I turned round my little boat and pulled away to my craft," he said in telling Mr. Pearse. "My heart was like a thing broke. The tears ran down my cheeks. I looked up to Heaven and could hardly get out the words that choked me. ’O Lord Jesus,’ I said, ’my blessed Lord Jesus, I am sorry for Thee! I know now how Thou dost feel. That is how the world is always treating Thee. I am terribly sorry for Thee, my dear Lord.’" --The King’s Business
E. Illustration - A famous scientist tells how that in the course of his experiments in the mountains, he used to be lowered over a precipice. He would step into the basket, and the men would lower him for his work; but whenever they lowered him they would always test his weight to see if they could lift him again. One day, they let him down farther and farther than ever before, until all the rope at their command was exhausted. When his day’s work was done, he would give the signal and they would draw him up. But on this night, when they took hold of the rope to lift him, they could not do so. They tugged, pulled, and strained, but they could not manage it, and he had to wait until they got additional men to pull him up. The scientist says that the reason they could not lift him was because they failed to take into consideration the length and weight of the rope. I know why a man of fifty years of age has a hard time to surrender. It is because he must always lift against his past refusals. You say "No," and your heart is hardened; you say "No" again, and your will becomes stubborn, and if you are finally lost, the responsibility is not with God. --J. Wilbur Chapman
