Your Majesty (Palm Sunday)

YOUR MAJESTY -> JOHN 12:12-19

[ENTER DRESSED AS KING, PLAY “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN YOUTH FALLS FOR YOU TO STEPON FOR STAGE, ETC.]

-good morning everyone and welcome to Palm Sunday.

-this is one of those holidays we celebrate every year, people bring palm branches to church, but do we see what it means anymore? I think in our reenactments with a dozen people we’ve lost the grandeur.

-this was a huge event, something that likely involved thousands and thousands of people. So let’s read it together, don’t feel like you have to read along, try to close your eyes and imagine what’s going on here.

**John 12:12-19 -> 12The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13took palm branches and went down the road to meet Him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” 14Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.” [that’s Zech 9:9 for those wondering]. 16His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into His glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about Him. 17Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18That was the reason so many went out to meet Him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after Him!” (NLT)

-to help explain this a little better, has everyone heard the story of Lazarus? A guy Jesus knows who dies, Jesus raises him from the dead, big deal. Well, Lazarus lived in Bethany which to explain in today’s terms was kind of like a suburb of Jerusalem, so everyone in Jerusalem probably heard about it. And it only happened a few months before this. So why everyone is so excited is the Person who raised someone back from the dead mere weeks ago was back in town. It’s like Jesus raising someone from the dead in Noblesville back in December coming back to visit. Everyone would know.

-now, the reason for the verse at the end with the Pharisees is from Lazarus as well. After doing this miracle the Pharisees realized they were pretty much done unless they could get rid of Jesus. That’s the reason Jesus left Jerusalem. So not only is Jesus coming back, but because His following has now grown so huge, the Pharisees realize their plan to get rid of Him when He came back won’t be as easy as they thought.

-that kind of clear things up, make it a little more real, make a little more sense?

-so this is where we are, this is what has happened. But why? Well, first because Jesus is showing He’s royalty

1. JESUS IS ROYALTY

-you had to figure out there was something with this outfit, right?

-this is a concept I think Americans have a hard time understanding. There is no king here, our leader is elected, they’re in no way “special” in the terms that we think of royalty. The only royalty associated with America was the King of England fighting against the colonists.

-see, I grew up different. Even though Canada has no king we are still very closely tied with England and we still value the relationship with the Queen, although it dies a little more every year.

-but Elizabeth Windsor is special because she is royalty. British people understand they are subject to the queen and they are devoutly loyal to her. I remember talking with someone here about two ladies who were becoming American citizens and they really struggled with this. The main thing holding them back was they would be severing their ties to the Queen, to the monarchy of England.

-and Elizabeth Windsor is treated differently because she is royalty. I’ve been to Buckingham Palace, nice place. I could live there if I had to. The Queen has never worn the same pair of gloves twice, why? She’s the queen, she gets whatever she wants. As royalty she is treated like royalty.

-in this passage, we finally have Jesus being treated like royalty. Think about it, He is the Son of God and He has spent the last thirty-three years of His life as a peasant carpenter. He spent the last three years doing ministry, walking around, eating grain on the side of the road, sleeping outside or at someone’s house if they were nice enough.