The Jesus Parade

The Jesus Parade – 04.05.09

Introduction – Have you ever been in a parade? It’s a fun thing to do. When I was a boy scout I was in several parades. These days Mary Kay is much more likely to be in a parade than I am. Today I want to talk about one of the most famous parades in history - Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

READ – Mark 11:1-11

Outline - This story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is much like our own Christian walk. We have PREPARATION, which moves to FASCINATION, and ultimately our DESTINATION. Let’s look at each.

I. __PREPARATION___ of the Parade.

Illustration: A parade takes some preparation. Every year we love to watch the tournament of roses parade. Did you know that it takes 60 volunteers working 10 hours a day for 10 days just to decorate one float? (If you’re trying to do the math - that’s 6,000 man hours - 3 years’ work per float!)

There is preparation for the Christ journey as well. At the very beginning of our journey with Christ we have an initial decision of obedience. Will we follow Him or not? We don’t know exactly what that will involve. Sometimes Christ will ask us to take some kind of step of faith - to show our belief in him. It might be baptism. It might be sharing our new found faith with a friend or family member.

This is preparation for the journey. It begins with obedience. Christ asks us to do something that it would seem he is entirely capable of doing himself, but he decides to use us. This doesn’t only happen at the beginning of our journey. It can happen along the way as well. It’s like a check up. Are we still engaged? Are we still obedient? Do we still trust?

READ: “And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.” Mark 11:4

Jesus asked two of his disciples to do something that seemed strange. Go take a colt. Untie it and bring it. If asked, say this. That takes some gumption, doesn’t it? The journey with Christ is like that. Sometimes he asks us to do things that don’t, at first, make a lot of sense. But in time we can look back and see how what Jesus has asked of us has brought us into a closer understanding of him.

READ: “His disciples did not understand these things at first...” John 12:16

Later, after Jesus was glorified, and they had time to think about it, they found the verse in Zechariah 9:9 that talked about how the king would enter Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey!

Are you going through something right now that you don’t fully understand? Maybe this is preparation for the journey! Maybe, right now, you don’t have to understand everything, you just need to be faithful and obedient, you just need to do the one thing Jesus has asked you to do today and not worry too much about the why or the where or the how.

II. ______FASCINATION______ of the Parade.

I love watching a good parade. Don’t you? There’s something surprising that happens when people are in a parade. It’s fun to watch.

Jesus invites us into the parade with him. We can be fascinated by what he does. One thing about the journey with Christ is that it will never be boring! More times than we would ever know, we are surprised by Jesus!

READ: “And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mark 11:9

WORD STUDY: Do you know how to say “Hosanna” is the Greek? Hosanna! (Same for Aramaic and Hebrew.) It originally meant, “save us” and was always used in association with God or with a king.

Examples: When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” 2 Samuel 14:4

No as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 2 Kings 6:26

O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call. Ps 20:9

Hosanna, originally meant “save us” turned into “Praise the Lord!” as in Psalm 117 2

BACKGROUND: The word “Hosanna” became a part of the liturgy during the Passover. The “Halle Psalms (113-118) comes into liturgical use: (1) accompanied by the waving of branches at Tabernacles, then (2) becomes a shout of jubilation in the solemn procession around the altar of burnt offering and (3) a recitation of Psalm 118.

READ: Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” Psalm 118:25-26a