Sermon Tone Analysis
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*The Gospel of John XXIII: Disappointed by God*
*John 12:9-19*
*/July 5, 2009/*
* *
*Prep: *
· “Palm Sunday Test” (esp.
Dunbar house), 038, 077
· Survey of Hasmondean history
· First part of Driscoll’s sermon
*Main Point(s) of sermon:*
· The Jews hailed Jesus as a conquering hero in the Triumphant Entry, but when he failed to remove the Romans, they turned on him, shouting "Crucify."
· Jesus brought salvation (Hosanna means "Save us!"), but in a way they did not understand or recognize.
· The Jews We want him to do when we wnat, but when he fails to do so, we likewise turn on him.
When we trust and seek him even when discouraged or disappointed, we demonstrate that we want him more than what he gives.
· Jesus will be king, not a provider of idols.
When we come to Jesus in order to be healed, restore our family, take care of us, we are asking him to take care of our idols.
Seek him for his sake and trust him.
· Disappointment with God will take three forms: Doubting his plans, doubting his character, doubting his existence
*Objectives of sermon:*
· To encourage us to trust God even when we don't understand, which demonstrates that we want him more than what he gives.
Scripture Reading: John 12:12-19
Intro
This story is traditionally called “The *Triumphal* *Entry*.”
That’s how we celebrated it as kids (*sword* *ferns* for palms).
But that is *not* the *case*, at least not in the way that anyone there but Jesus understood.
They thought he was coming to *rule* the city, he knew he was coming to *die*.
They were thinking “*Rocky*,” he was thinking “*Dead* *Man* *Walking*.”
Within *five* *days*, these same folks were shouting “*Crucify*!”
*John 19:14-16 * It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, “Take him away!
Take him away!
Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
How do you go from “*Hosanna*” to “*Crucify*!” in less than a week?
Some say that’s the *fickleness* of fame (seen in how we handle Michael *Jackson*).
But I don’t think that’s what happened here – simply put, Jesus has *failed* *them*.
These stories together present a picture of *distorted* *theology*.
They demonstrate an important point – what we *believe* about *God*, his *character* and *actions* (*theology*), and *why* we want follow him (*worship*) has *radical* *implication*.
· When we are *disappointed* by God, our *theology* is tested more thoroughly than *any* *skeptic* could do.
Rather than looking at the crowd as a *caricature*, I want us to see *ourselves* in *them*, as to examine ourselves.
My *hope* is that we will be *encouraged* to *trust* God even when we *don’t* *understand* and that we will deeply *desire* *him* *more* than what he gives.
prayer
Passover and the 4th
We first need to understand the *background* of the story.
This occurred on the eve of the *Passover*.
· *Passover* celebrated their *deliverance*, like our 4th of July.
· But imagine if America was *occupied* – the 4th would be a time of unrest and *rebellious* *sentiment*.
All of Israel was hoping for a *military* *leader* to come and defeat the Romans.
The King of Israel
As you may know “*Christ*” is not Jesus’ last name, but a *title*, meaning “*Anointed* *One*.”
In Jesus’ day there are a growing *expectation* that God would bring up *new* *king* to conquer the oppressors and restore Israel.
There were various rebels in Jesus’ day and *false* *messiahs*, yet the people *kept* *hoping*.
They looked back on their *history*, and expected God to *act* as he had *before*.
Most recently (c.
160 BC), *Judas* *Maccabeus* and his family had fought against and removed Antioch Epiphanies.
Not coincidently, Israel *celebrated* his victories by waving *palm* *branches* – *symbols* throughout the ancient world for *victory*.
· This was basically a *ticker*-*tape* *parade*.
*John 12:12-13 (NIV) *The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
Q Are you starting to get the picture?
Jesus already has large *following*, and his *miracles* demonstrated that God was with him.
But when we raised *Lazarus* from the dead, on the eve of the *Passover*, it was settled it in everyone’s mind – this guy was the *Messiah*.
· After 90 years of Roman oppression, they would be *free*.
They were *not* welcoming Jesus as “their *personal* savior” but as a *national* *savior*.
“Hosanna” was not *worship*, it was a *command* –hosanna means “Save us *now*!”
In the *Synoptics*, the first thing he does in Jerusalem is to *clear* the *temple*, asserting his *authority* over the temple.
They remembered that one of the first things *Judas* *Maccabeus* was to cleanse the temple (commemorated during *Hanukah*).
Jesus doesn’t come through
At this point, the atmosphere of the crowd would have been electric, The city was on the *edge* of a *revolt*.
Here is the *true* *king*.
He will lead them in *victorious* *battle* against the *Romans*.
The crowd knows His *next* stop; He’ll march on the *Antonia* *Fortress*, the Roman barracks.
It will be just like the *days* of *old*; God will *miraculously* *destroy* the Romans.
This is it!
But Jesus just goes back home.
Imagine being part of the crowd: You *wait*.
And *wait*.
You are *confused, disappointed*, *angry*.
But then comes the *fear*.
You’re sure the Romans will *punish* Jerusalem for Sunday’s *demonstration*.
How *many* will *suffer* because of this *false* *messiah*?
What are we going to do?
How could we be *fooled*?
And so on *Friday* *morning*, when the priests tell you that Jesus is another *pretender* and that Lazarus’ resurrection was just a *staged* *trick*, it is a simple choice Jesus to be the *scapegoat*.
*He* can take the Roman’s *punishment*.
· And so you, along with everyone else, shout “*Crucify*!”
*Disappointment with God*
*Q:* Are you sure that you would have done any *different*?
*Q:* Have you ever felt like God has *failed* you?
You were in *desperate* needed God’s *help*, for yourself or someone you love.
But instead of coming in and making everything right, he seems to just *disappear*.
· What do you do when God disappoints you and leaves you *confused*, *discouraged*, or *angry*?
Here’s the thing: I don’t think God is *threatened*, or even *upset* by our *confusion*, *disappointment*, or *anger*.
The Bible is full of saints who got angry with God.
But what do you do *next*?
· The “*Why’s*” probably can’t be answered (though it’s *okay* to *ask* them), the only question we can answer is “*What* *now*?”
How we *respond* when God *fails* us is one of the most important tests both of our *trust* in him and our *motives*.
The trust test
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