Welcoming The King Series

8. I learnt something when I was studying for this message that I never, never came across before, from years of private study, through four years of college and three years of seminary, I never saw this until now. From the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, it was characterized by the miraculous. At the wedding of Cana, He turned the water into wine, He healed the sick, opened blinded eyes, healed the lame and infirmed. Even as He journeyed from Galilee to Jerusalem, as He came by Jericho to Jerusalem to die on the cross, He healed blind Bartimaeus, even raising Lazarus from the dead. But did you know, after His entry into Jerusalem on this day, outside of cursing the fig tree, the miracles stopped until the cross? His last week, He healed no one. For Someone who did miracle after miracle, I find that very significant. What do you think that means preacher? I’ll tell you what I think it means. I believe Jesus was saying, “You have seen what I can do by raising Lazarus, but this week, I’m not here to be just your miracle worker, I’m here to be your Savior.” “I’m not here just to do what you want Me to do, I’m here to do what needs to be done.”

9. Some of them had saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave and they thought someone with that kind of power would surely do what they wanted. We want to serve and worship God but so often, only when He does what we want Him to do. However the greatest need wasn’t deliverance from Rome, but the greatest need was deliverance from sin and that’s why Jesus came to Jesus. What would it be like to like in a city free from the Romans yet still doomed to an eternity without God?

III. FINALLY THEY WELCOMED HIM WITH EXTREME DECEIT.

1. I find it so very interesting that no doubt, so many from this crowd from Jerusalem, in less than a week would cry out at the urging of the priests, “crucify Him, crucify Him.” I don’t believe that they were true in their praise but rather insincere.

2. Maybe deceit is too strong a word to use, perhaps insincere or artificial would be a better choice , but I don’t for one moment believe that their whole heart was involved in praising Jesus. Luke tells us regarding this same event.

Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

3. Why did He weep? I believe because He realized their insincerity. One preacher said, “He realized the cheering crowd was filled with people who were caught up in the excitement, but they were not truly recognizing Him as the Messiah. Before the end of the week, the cheers of the fickle crowd would turn to boos. Why? These people were looking for a Liberator to make their lives easier. Instead Jesus invaded their religious comfort zones and upset them. In the next verse after this passage, He scattered the tables of the crooked money changers. Over the next few days He would say things that were neither popular nor politically correct. Some of the ones shouting “crown Him” would be the same ones shouting “crucify Him.” Instead of “Hail Him” they’d be shouting, “Nail Him.” Jesus saw their superficial belief and it broke His heart.”