What Have We Come To See?

“What Have We Come to See?”

Luke 19:41-44

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It began on what we now know as Palm Sunday, the day we’re now celebrating.

Imagine yourself in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. A great crowd gathered to celebrate the upcoming Passover Feast. It was sort of like what we see on TV as thousands of people gather in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It was a joyous occasion.

The Jewish historian Josephus estimated that over two million people were there, and it was estimated that over 250,000 lambs were sacrificed.

A carnival-like atmosphere prevailed as people jammed the streets, getting ready. But as they prepared to observe one of their most important feasts, word came that Jesus was on His way.

Not only is the place itself significant, that is, Jerusalem, but also that it is Passover which is also significant because the Passover Lamb foreshadowed Jesus’s, the Messiah’s death. John the Baptist introduced Jesus, saying just that.

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 NKJV)

But not everyone who came to see Jesus on this particular Sunday, came for the same reason.

The Skeptics

There were those, like the Roman soldiers, who probably laughed at the antics of the Jerusalem crowd and at the sight of this so-called King. What king would ride on a donkey? What powerful leader would stoop so low? They probably found it amusing. Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem was a paltry comparison to Caesar’s triumphal entries into Rome.

This is how some people treat Jesus today. They’re amused by the stories. They laugh at Him and at those who worship Him. ‘How can sophisticated people be so ignorant,” they say? After all, what educated person could believe some of the things people say Jesus did, such as making the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, walking on water, calming storms with a word, feeding 5000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, and, as a topper, raising people from the dead? Who in their right mind would believe such things? So they just laughed at those who believe in Jesus.

The Thrill Seekers

Others were there to see what was going on. These people were there to see the ringleader of this circus, not the Master and Creator of Heaven and Earth, but the master of ceremony. They wanted to know what was going on, but they weren’t really interested in why Jesus was there.

They heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, so they were there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus (John 12:9). They wanted to see a man who had been raised from the dead. They wanted to see the miracle. They were eager to see someone who had experienced such a phenomenal event and to see whether a resurrected man was any different.

This is how some people come to church today, to see the show. They don’t come to worship the King; rather, they come to see the show and socialize. They come for the events and atmosphere. If that’s missing, or if there’s something they don’t like, they don’t come at all. They’re there to get what they can. They’ve come to be entertained not to worship the King.

The Religious

Wherever the power was, that’s where you’d find these religious leaders, the Sadducees and Pharisees. Wherever the prestige, praise, and glory were, there you would find them. Remember, Jesus said they were the ones who liked the best seats in the house (Luke 11:43).

They wanted to be looked up to and to have all the influence. They were fine as long as they were the center of attention. They were only interested in themselves and in the prestige of their positions.

Many in the church want the visible positions. They want the power. They want to be the movers and shakers. And they’ll say anything to gain a following or to become popular. They’ll preach what the crowd wants to hear, not what the Bible has to say.

True Seekers

They were there to see Jesus.

 “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’” (John 12:20-21 NIV)

Today, they’re the ones who come to church seeking Jesus, wanting to see Him. They come not out of skepticism, nor for socialization or the atmosphere, nor to receive praise for their clothes or their supposed godliness. Rather, they come to meet with Jesus, just as Jesus said, “Where two or more are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them, there I am also.”