Palm Sunday
Notes
Transcript
Please turn to Luke 19:28. Luke 19:28.
The ushers were passing out a handout earlier as you came in. and I want to go over that with you quickly.
If you don’t have one, please raise your hand.
if you are online, you should be able to find this on whatever platform you are watching....
and if not, we are posting it on FB today as well—it was posted at 8:45am. it’s also on the home page of our website---fmcberne.com at the bottom of the page.
This handout, looks at basically the last week of Jesus’ life as He goes to die on the cross. Some call it Holy Week or Passion Week
We are on Palm Sunday today—when Jesus enters Jerusalem.
but this sheet starts the Friday/Saturday before.
let me just read the series of events that Jesus goes through and you can follow along.
(read them)
so I would encourage you to pull this out this week—and pick one of the passages 2 read each day as we celebrate Jesus Christ.
we are going to focus on the Palm Sunday passage today—when Jesus enters Jerusalem.
Let me read starting at Luke 19:28-40. I chose Luke’s account because he also wrote the book of Acts—same author.
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,
30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.
33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.
36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
I want to play a video that shows the context of what is going on here...
Play video? 1:27 - 4:20
We learn so much about Jesus...
and how to respond to Him.
Jesus, and how to resopnd.
First Jesus…what do we learn.
We learn that Jesus Christ is God’s anointed King...
everything about this passage…in Matthew, Mark, here Luke, and John—the Biblical writers are telling us—Jesus Christ’ unique identity—he is the king—the Savior-the Son of God.
how do we know…look at these clues...
if you look back at Luke 19:29
29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,
it mentions the Mount of Olives… (vs. 37) mentions it as well.
it was not a huge mountain---just east of Jerusalem—but it had significant OT connections. (rose maybe 100 ft overlooking Jeruslaem)
there is a passage that says this from the OT:
“A day of the Lord is coming (Zech. 14:1)...
“Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations… (Zech. 14:3)
on that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives East of Jerusalem (Zech 14:4)
anyone know what book AND chapter this is from the OT? (don’t look on your phone or concordance)
I will give $1…see it pays to study the Bible.
Zechariah 14...
this passage describes how the Lord will come—and He will defeat their enemies, and he will reign. it talks about how Jerusalem will always dwell in security—everyone will go to Jerusalem to worship.
by Jesus coming the way he did—by the Mount of Olives being mentioned—the Biblical writers are telling us (and the crowd back then)—that Jesus is God’s king. He is not just a man—but the Son of God—the Lord--who has come to reign. he has come to set everything right…he is the one prophesied from the OT—that a Savior, a Messiah, a deliverer would come from God…to set everything right....
not only that…we almost miss it—but go back to vs. 28—what city is Jesus coming to? another clue...
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem!!
Jerusalem was (and still is!) the central city of the Jewish people. it was where all the most powerful Jewish leaders and kings reigned in the past—rulers like King David, and King Solomon from the OT.
one writer says “Jesus’ claim to be the prophesied king of God’s kingdom and the Son of God, could be shrugged off as insignificant, as long as he stayed to the little county towns in Israel.”
“But coming to Jerusalem was a bold an dangerous statement and both Jesus and his disciples knew it!” https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/palm-sunday-unexpected-king/
all of this during the Passover time—when the city grew from 40,000 to almost 250,000—created this excitement…the crowd is sensing this—could Jesus be this King? the one prophesied from the OT to set everything right?
verse 38—shows that they are connecting these dots
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
that’s a quote from Psalm 118. a psalm that is all about the king.
and it’s not just a human king here—this king brings peace in heaven and glory in the highest—not just earth.
and that last quote reminds us of the angels at Jesus’ birth singing “Glory to God in the highest!”
if you look at Mark 11:10—a parallel passage to this—we see another clue...
Mark 11:10 (NIV)
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
David—the most famous king in Israel’s history—in Jerusalem...
so many OT passages—mention a king would come in David’s line and set everything right…
God had told King David this...
13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
this is why there is so much fervor—Mount of Olives—Jerusalem—King David—passover time...
—they put their cloaks down—an act befitting a king—almost like red carpet treatment. this was common in ancient times for welcoming a king. we see this in 2 Kings 9.
they wave palm branches (we don’t see that here)—but Matthew, Mark, and John — mention branches. John - palm branches. palm branches are like waving your national colors—
even the way Jesus arranges his ride—telling his disciples to go ahead into the village—find this colt—no one has ever ridden it. (It’s fit for a king!)
as they were untying it—the owners asked them—why are you untying it—the replied, “the Lord needs it!”
Jesus the king is in complete control arranging all of this...
HE IS THE KING…OF KINGS...
but we also learn about Jesus—#2.
2. Jesus Christ is not the king we expect.
There are clues in this passage about this.
one of the biggest clues we have...
is the donkey…or colt mentioned here that Jesus rode on.
this is fulfilling a prophecy from Zechariah.
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
but if you keep reading
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
this is a king—he will bring peace!
His rule will extend from sea to sea.
He is victorious! peace! Freedom!
but his victory is unexpected and unlike any other king.
He comes lowly and riding on a young donkey. You can’t go to battle on a donkey!
You can’t deliver the Jewish people from the Roman Empires on a donkey!
You can’t defeat your enemies on a donkey! This isn’t a warhorse or chariot!
and yet he comes bringing peace, deliverance, freedom—just not in the way they expect.
because his kingdom is not of this world—he says in John...
he achieves this freedom and peace not through military power—but in stunning weakness.
he brings victory not through shedding other people’s blood with an army, but by shedding his own blood.
you see that alluded to in Zech. 9:11—the blood of the covenant.
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
this phrase was mentioned back in the book of Exodus—when God had delivered his people from slavery in Egypt…an animal sacrifice was made in Exodus 24 to establish their relationship with God.
as Jesus would gather wish his disciples—he would talk about the blood of the covenant—how his blood would begin a new covenant with God—his blood, his death would be the atoning sacrifice that would free us from the pit of our sin—that would enable us to have true peace with God in heaven. for all those who trusted in Jesus...
one writer said it like this “It is for this atoning death that Jesus entered Jerusalem. That is why he comes lowly and riding on a donkey. That’s why he didn’t come on a warhorse. Hadn’t come to destroy his enemies. He had come to die for them. to offer them forgiveness with God—salvation with God from their sin.” to destroy the biggest enemy—not the Romans but sin and the devil and death.
he is offering them peace with God—forgiveness from sin—which separates us from him.
if you look at verses 41-44---he is not the king we expect..
Luke 19:41–44 (NIV)
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
Jesus is weeping—b/c he knows they will not receive him...
they will reject him…they will kill God’s anointed.
so unlike any king before him—he is weeping—becoming undone—he is compassionate and cares...
Jesus wants NONE to perish.
and so Jesus utters a prophecy...
43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
ironically—they wanted Jesus to save them from Roman rule---but because they are rejecting Jesus..the day would come when the Romans would come—
70 Ad—and surround the city, destroy the temple...
if you look at verses 45-46 - Monday now...
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling.
46 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
(quoting from isaiah and Jeremiah the prophets)
Jesus has the authority to truly cleanse his temple—many were selling all sorts of things—for travelers coming to Passover—they could use the help to get animals for sacrifices…but the temple was becoming more of a marketplace…it wasn’t a house of prayer—of meeting with God but of business transaction.
you know—as a side note—what would Jesus say about our house—about First Missionary’s house?
He is a king---in complete control..
and yet he is an unexpected king...
he is compassionate longing for them (and us) to receive him)
but also brings God’s judgment…for sin
so we talked about Jesus…look at all the responses…and how they relate to us
Responses:
The religious leaders… “hostility or outright rejection” (vs. 39, 47-48)
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.
48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
back in ancient times—whenever someone important came in—a political or military figure—the leaders of the city were expected to meet him and escort him in—even visit the temple.
Jesus received no such escort.
the leaders rejected their king.
There will always be people who outright reject Jesus—maybe that’s you. maybe that’s someone yo know. if that’s you this morning—what keeps you from accepting Jesus as king? what would it take for you to see Jesus as king? Maybe you have questions or concerns—let’s talk. there are incredible reasons to believe in Jesus and his kingship.
but if you have accepted Jesus—are we prepared to live in a culture that rejects Jesus and may show hostility towards those who do? how do we react in a hostile culture—some of the most hostile may be those who claim to be very ‘RELIGIOUS” yet not really following Jesus.
we see another response...
The crowds…one writer calls it “confused passion” (vs. 37-38)
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
we get the sense they are excited about Jesus—b/c they are oppressed by the Romans. they know about Jesus’ miracles and power—this guy raises the dead. Could he be the one to defeat the Romans and give us our own power. Could he MAKE ISRAEL GREAT AGAIN… not MAGA BUT MIGA.
but as one writer says—”Jesus is NOT political zealot, nor a jihadist. His victory will come through something lowly, humble, shameful—death on a cross.”
how often do you and I have misplaced passion about who Jesus is? misplaced understanding? one test of this-- what happens when Jesus doesn’t meet our expectations—what happens when Jesus doesn’t answer our prayer like a magic genie? what do we do?
do we truly understand who Jesus is—He is a king—incomplete control—but who came first to give us peace with God. He doesn’t always give us everything we want or do everything we want Him to do. BUT he has given us everything we need for a changed heart, for new life with Christ, for a life that now is all about Jesus—a life to the full.
He is weeping over us—compassionate—wanting us to return, but warning of the coming judgment if we don’t b/c of sin.
this category of responses may be the most dangerous—because these people look supportive—but they are following Jesus not for who He truly is—but who they want him to be.
they want him to the miracle worker...
they want him to be the political figure...
but Jesus came—as the one who would live on our behalf, die on the cross for our sins, and rise again…so we could have new life with God.
another cateogry...
the disciples…surrender and obedience (vs. 29-35)
we read the 2 disciples—listened to Jesus, went on a wild donkey chase, found it, and did exactly as Jesus said.
i wondered if they thought as they were looking for the colt and untying it— “This is crazy...” “This is awkward...” but they did exactly as Jesus said.
they surrendered, they trusted, and they obeyed.
the idea of a king—is a little offensive to us as Americans. we hate the idea of having someone have absolute power over us…we rebelled against that very nation. because someone with a king is bad—we have checks and balances—the 3 branches of gov’t—the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branch....and if someone in gov’t starts abusing their power—we scream “impeachment”—or they need taken down.
while I am sympathetic with that—it makes it difficult for us to trust someone like Jesus. we look at him with suspicion rather than submission.
Jesus calls us to surrender all—to take up our cross and follow Him. to give everything to Him. we don’t earn this salvation—He does. Not our works but His—but as we trust in Jesus to save us—He calls us to surrender all to Him.
so many of us think that if we surrender to Jesus—2 things will happen:
our freedom is taken away
and our fun is taken away
but the reality is—if Jesus is not your king
something else will be…it could be your career that you surrender and submit to.
it could be that money is your master....i just need more...
it could be that beauty and romance and sexual allure are your king—if I just find that perfect person, or if I just look and recapture my youth...
or maybe it’s the approval of people....
if Jesus is not your king—one of these things will be...
and they are harsh masters. they are slave drivers---you can never have enough youth, or money, or career success—or people’s approval.
Jesus is the kind of king who would lay down His life for us…He is the kind of king who would leave the comfort of heaven—move to earth—take on flesh…and go into Jerusalem where he knew—death was awaiting—death on a cross, experiencing God’s wrath for sin in our place...
He is the kind of king who truly can forgive you if you fail him
and fulfill you if you find him.
are you willing to surrender all to him?
call up Mike and team...
one more response...
4. the rocks…Worship
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Jesus is saying if his followers did not cry out, creation would cry out. Jesus is saying something ironic--creation is aware of who Jesus is, but the leadership of the nation is not. Bock says, “That which is lifeless knows life when it sees it, even though that which is living does not.”
and if we reject him—if people reject him—Jesus will still be acknowledge as king—even by a pile of rocks…all creation will glorify Him even if we don’t.
b. I almost entitled this sermon--“Don’t be outsmarted by a bunch of rocks...”
What I mean by that is--if inanimate creation recognizes Jesus--why can’t we as human beings?
let’s pray...
how do you need to respond to Jesus?
what do you need to surrender to Jesus in your life?
how can you spend some intentional time this week—thinking about Jesus?
final plug:
Good Friday Service at 7pm
Easter
Invite someone