For those who are new to our worship service, you can see our host church gives great thought to their worship environment. Their theme for the Easter Season is "God still moves stones." And He does.
Whatever obstacle in your life that is keeping your from becoming the person God intended or relating with other the way God intended, unless God has a purpose for them to stay in your life, God is more than able to move them out of the way. Not only that, God is also capable of moving obstacles that keep us from seeing Him, just as He moved the stone away from the tomb so that Jesus’ disciples could see the resurrected Christ.
The Palm leaves behind me remind us that today is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday commemorates the first day of the final week of Jesus’ life on earth almost two thousand years ago. Palm leaves were a sign of victory to the Jewish people between 140 BC and AD 70. Let me begin by reading a record of the first Palm Sunday, found in Matthew 21:1-11.
This historic parade into Jerusalem also has current relevance. Just as many life events teach us valuable lessons, this parade that surrounded the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem brings us valuable lessons for life. The context of this parade was the revealing of God’s plan for mankind to experience peace with God. So these lessons, when we apply them to our own lives, will help us to live a life pleasing to God. Let’s look together.
First, we learn from the disciples the lesson: When God guides, He supplies. We read this in verses 1-6.
If I were one of the disciples, I would have said to the other disciple, "Listen, I know what Jesus commanded, but what he’s asking us to do isn’t going to work. Let’s see if we can put our spare change together and go rent a mother donkey and a young donkey. We can bring them back to Jesus, and everyone will be happy."
But that’s not what they did. They did exactly what Jesus told them to do. And the owner of the donkey and the colt cooperated.
Anyone who has tried to be obedient to God’s command knows that God supplies us with what is needed to be obedient. When I obeyed God’s command to leave my work in biotechnology to serve as a campus minister for two years, God supplied the $60,000 of financial support and the prayer partners I needed.
The supply didn’t drop into my lap. I prayed for God’s guidance, wrote letters, made telephone calls, and shared my vision with many churches. I knew God would supply what I needed, but like the disciples, I needed to do a bit of legwork.
For the last two years, several people have said to me we needed to move out of the annex in order to grow as a church. I didn’t feel it was time, and I said, "God will make known the right time for us to move."
A few months back, we were told that the Valley Baptist Church Annex Building was going to be demolished in April. I took that as God’s command for us to move. Within a short time, Elder Bill told me about this church, the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. I thought, "This is too easy." And that thought has made our facilities search harder than God intended.
When we obey God’s commands, whether from His Word or from His Spirit, He will supply the emotional, the physical, the financial and the relational resources we need. God will sometimes provide protection from harm as He did with Daniel in the lion’s den. Other times, God will provide courage and peace to die as He did with Stephen before the stoning mob.
On a daily bases, God commands us to live morally pure lives. If you obey, you will find that God provides the moral strength and the way out of temptation. Everyday God commands us to love our enemies. If you obey, you will find that God provides the power and the opportunities to love.
When you learn this lesson from the disciples, you will live the life that pleases God. You will look for possibilities rather than live in worry. You will reap success rather than regret missed opportunities. The disciples teach us the lesson that when God guides, He supplies.
Second, we learn from Jesus the lesson: God’s approval is more important than the crowds’ applause. We read this in verses 7-9.
The Jews laid their cloaks and cut branches on the ground, in honor of the one who might be their king. They wanted Jesus to deliver them from the Roman oppression and free them from Roman occupation of their land. They cheered and applauded Jesus.
They would have preferred that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a horse, but Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey with the donkey’s mother alongside. You see, Jesus was following God’s plan as laid out in Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Jesus sought God’s approval, not the crowds’ applause. We all have to make this choice moment by moment in life, because the crowds’ applause is rarely the same as God’s approval. We are applauded when we are doing what others want us to do. We are approved when we are doing what God created us to do.
Let me share an abridged version of Max Lucado’s story, You Are Special. The story is about Wemmicks. Sit back and enjoy the story:
The Wemmicks were small wooden people carved by a woodworker named Eli. Each Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. But all were made by the same Carver.
All day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, [Wemmicks] spent their days sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and find paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars.
Some Wemmicks had stars all over them and it made them feel [great]. Others, though, could do little. They got dots. Punchinello was one of these [who got dots].
He tried o jump high, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, his wood got scratched, so the people would give him more dots. Then when he would try to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him [even] more dots.
One day Punchinello met a Wemmick who was unlike any he’d ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lucia.
It wasn’t that Wemmicks didn’t try to give her stickers; it’s just that the stickers didn’t stick. Some of the Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would give her a star. But it would fall off. Others would look down on Lucia for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn’t [stick] either.
"That’s the way I want to be," thought Punchinello. "I don’t want anyone’s mark." So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.
"It’s easy," Lucia replied. "Everyday I go see Eli, the Woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."
"Why?" [asked Punchinello.]
"Why don’t you find out for yourself?" [Lucia replied as] she turned and skipped away.
Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It’s not right," he muttered to himself. And he decided to go see Eli.
[When Punchinello arrived at Eli’s workshop, he wanted to turn away.] Before he could turn away, a deep and strong voice called out, "Punchinello."
Punchinello stopped.
"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."
"You know my name?" [Punchinello] asked.
"Of course I do. I made you." Eli then picked up Punchinello and set him on the workbench. "Hmm," the Maker spoke thoughtfully as he looked at the gray dots [on Punchinello]. "Looks like you’ve been given some bad marks."
"I didn’t mean to, Eli. I really tried hard." [Explained Punchinello.]
"Oh, you don’t have to defend yourself to me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don’t?" [Asked the surprised and relieved Punchinello.]
"No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars and dots? They are Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed, "Me, special? Why? I can’t walk fast. I can’t jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli looked at Punchinello and spoke very slowly, "Because you’re mine. That’s why you matter to me. Everyday I’ve been hoping you’d come."
"I came because I met someone who had no marks," said Punchinello.
"I know. She told me about you," replied Eli.
"Why don’t the stickers stay on her?"
The Maker spoke softly, "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
"I’m not sure I understand."
Eli smiled. "You will, but it will take time. You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me everyday and let me remind you how much I care."
Punchinello didn’t understand, but he believed that Eli really loved him. Just then, a dot fell off Punchinello.
When you learn this lesson from Jesus, you will live the life that pleases God. You will look for God’s approval rather than for the applause of people. Neither stars nor dots will affect you. Jesus teaches us the lesson that God’s approval is more important than the crowds’ applause.
Third, we learn from the crowds the lesson: Opinions allow for contradictions but Jesus’ life does not. We read this in verses10-11.
The crowds outside Jerusalem said, "Jesus is the Savior." The crowds inside Jerusalem said, "Jesus is a prophet." A prophet is a messenger of God’s truth. If Jesus were a messenger of God, he would be honest and truthful. Let’s survey the four records of Jesus’ life in the Bible and see what Jesus said about himself.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus tells a story teaching that He will judge mankind at the end of time. That sounds like God’s job. Jesus was either lying, crazy or telling the truth. A moral or religious teacher in his right mind would not make the claim that he is God, unless He is God.
In the book of Mark Jesus is recorded forgiving the sins of young man. We can forgive those who hurt us, but we have no right to forgive those who sin against God. Only God has the right. In fact, the religious people accused Jesus of doing only what God can do. Jesus was either delusional or he was divine.
In Luke, chapter 7, Jesus claims God’s authority to forgive sin. He either thought He was God, or He really is God.
In John 20, Jesus allowed Thomas to call Him, "God." If Jesus were only a human messenger of God, He would not let others call Him "God."
C.S. Lewis made the observation in his book, Mere Christianity, that Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic or Lord. Jesus did not leave himself the option of being a prophet or a moral teacher. A prophet or a moral teacher would not claim to be God.
To agree with the crowds and call Jesus a prophet, a religious teacher, or a good man may make you politically correct but not logically correct. Crowds allow for contradictions, but Jesus’ life does not.
When you learn this lesson from the crowds, you will live the life that pleases God. You will be overjoyed to know what God is like by looking at Jesus. Throughout human history, the question is asked, "If there is a God, what is He like? Is He angry? Does He love? Dose He forgive?"
Now you know! Just look at Jesus. We can fall at His feet in worship now rather than in judgment later. The crowds teach us the lesson that opinions allow for contradictions, but Jesus’ life does not.
Let me close with the following observation about Jesus’ life: (source unknown)
More than nineteen hundred years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood.
He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous and had neither training nor formal education.
In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the waves as pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.
He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.
He never wrote a book, and yet perhaps all the libraries of the world could not hold the books that have been written about Him.
He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined.
He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students.
He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under Hi orders, made more revels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired.
He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near.
Once each week multitudes congregate at worshipping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him.
The names of the past, proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone. But the name of this Man multiplies more and more. Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and the mockers at His crucifixion, He still lives. His enemies could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.
He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the risen personal Christ, our Lord and Savior.
We are either going to be forever with Him, or forever without Him. It was the incomparable Christ who said:
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)."
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through Me."
