From Ben Fronczek... Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday  (April 1, 2012)

Today is what traditionally we know as Palm Sunday. Therefore I would like to talk about the story from the Bible which Palm Sunday is named after. It began one Sunday morning as Jesus was walking toward Jerusalem. He sends 2 of his disciples ahead of Him into a nearby village to carry out a special errand. 

Here is how Luke records that event:  Read: Luke 19:28-31  

“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.’”

The two disciples must have wondered about what Jesus told them to do.  Before this none of the Gospel accounts ever mention Jesus riding any animal to get from one place to another. He must have walked hundreds of miles up & down the land we now call the “Holy Land,” but there is no mention of Him ever riding on anything, except in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.

But now, He gives this unusual command, to go into the village to get a colt that had never been ridden, and to bring it to Him. It must have seemed like a strange command to them. He even tells them the exact words they are to use should anyone question them. They are to say, “The Lord needs it.”  Was this prearranged? Did the owners know what Jesus was going to do? We don’t know. It is obvious, though, that Jesus knew what He was going to face in the city of Jerusalem. So His decision to go into Jerusalem must have been one of the most thought out and difficult things that Jesus ever did as a man apart from the cross itself. To ride into the city on a colt, rather than to walk into it as He had often done before, must have been a difficult decision in itself. Why?  Because riding a colt into the city was making a bold statement. Such a act, the way He came in, was only done by a King. In times of war the conqueror would ride upon a prancing stallion. But in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed. So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to publically declare that He Himself was a King.

I. Now how would the people respond to this? Would they recognize that His Kingdom was not of this world – that it was a spiritual kingdom, and that He was to be a spiritual King? Small chance!  He had been teaching them that for 3 1/2 years, and up to the very day He assended back to Heaven His closest disciples had not learned that lesson this and still were asking Him if He was Going to set up.  Read Acts 1:4-9

A. Perhaps some of them would greet Him with laughter. Maybe they would be amused by what Jesus was doing. After all, it was a rather ridiculous picture. ‘Here is a carpenter declaring Himself to be a King! ‘

Perhaps some would think, “He is a lunatic, living in a world of fantasy – imagining Himself to be a King!”

B. Others would probably greet Him with anger – upset because they would interpret His riding into the city as arrogance & blasphemy against God.

C. Of course, many would hail Him with joy, welcoming Him as an earthly King, who came to reestablish the throne of David, & overthrow the Roman Empire. They were ready & eager to place a crown upon His head.

D. Among the crowds would also be people He had healed. Some had been among the thousands He had fed. Many more had seen some of His miracles, & listened as “He spoke with authority.” They had listened, & their lives had been changed.

I believe Jesus knew what to expect. He knew that just over the horizon was the cross, looming like a monster ready to consume Him. But Luke tells us that in spite of it all, Jesus headed into Jerusalem anyway.

II. I can imagine that as Jesus rides down toward the gate of the city, the crowds are growing, & there is a festive air, for it is Passover and pilgrims are gathering from far and near for this greatest of all Jewish holidays. It when the Jews remembered and celebrated the events when God had freed them from the Egyptians during the time of Moses when the angel of death passed over the Jew’s first born and destroyed the Egyptian’s first born.  It was a celebration og God’s grace and their freedom from bondage.

A. Even before Jesus had arrive, I am sure the news spread that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. You can imagine the excitement that prevails.  (To read the story read or click on John 11:1-44) Can you just imagine some of the people saying, “Have you heard the news? Lazarus died, & was buried in a tomb so long that his body was starting to decay. But this teacher from Nazareth called, `Lazarus, come forth’ & Lazarus came forth. I saw him! They stripped away the grave clothing, & he actually walked & breathed & lived again! Surely only the Messiah – only the Son of God could do that!”   News like that would travel quickly from one person to another.

Finally when Jesus was ready to enter the city, great crowds had collected on both sides of the road. They were there! They had cut palm branches & were shouting, “Hosanna to the king!” Excitement prevailed throughout the whole city!

B. Then Jesus looked over His waiting audience. He must have seen the mixture of expressions on their faces.

1. There were those who loved Him: Perhaps Bartimaeus was there, a man who had received his sight, no longer in his beggar’s rags. How about Zacchaeus? He had paid back his debt to society, & had made his peace with God. And the lepers? Their skin had been cleansed & now they were rejoicing for the healing that the Lord had given them.

2. There were also sinister faces there. Faces with squinty eyes, waiting for Him to say one wrong word – to make one mistake.  The Sadducees & Pharisees were there.
And then there were the Romans probably fearing a revolt and watching for any sign of rebellion against Rome. They would be ready and waiting to crush any uprising.

Jesus also probably realized, as He listened to their “Hosannas,” that soon the voices of love, that those crying for Him to be King would soon be crying, “Crucify Him!” or they would simply stand aside, and say nothing at all.

C. Now Jesus is descending along the road from the Mt. of Olives, across the brook, toward the gate, the crowds pressing around Him. I wonder how the apostles were reacting to all of this? Were they excited and happy or anxious?

All these faces were in Jerusalem – loving faces – sinister faces – the curious. Crowds trampling almost one upon another – when………………..

III. MAYBE THE WHOLE PROCESSION STOPPED SLOWED TO A STAND-STILL
 

A. But why? The people who were closest to Jesus could see , that it was Jesus who slowed down… and His mood seem to have changed.  Then they saw Him. Then they saw His face, and they saw sorrow and tears. He was crying.

B. The Scripture tells us that Jesus reacted emotionally many times from different scenes that He saw. When He saw the poor, when He saw the hungry. when He saw people sinning, when He saw the ill, the Scriptures say repeatedly that “…He had compassion on them.”

But it only records two occasions that Jesus cried. One time He cried at the grave of Lazarus. You remember, Mary & Martha were both weeping, & it says that Jesus wept with them. He wept for them. He entered into their grief with compassion and He identified with their sorrow and despair.

IV. BUT WHY WAS JESUS CRYING HERE, the 2nd occasion? He looked at the city of Jerusalem and He saw the mixture of faces & the masses of humanity crowding there - and He realized the emptiness of their lives and the effect it would eventually have on them. They had not understood the message of peace. Most of them did not understand the purpose of His coming or even who He was.

Read Luke 19:41-44. 

“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. 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.”

They had eyes, but they didn’t see. They had ears, but they didn’t hear. They missed the whole point of the message that God had given to them.

A. The fact they waved palm branches showed that they didn’t understand, because that is exactly what they did when the Maccabees overthrew the Syrian oppressors &

reestablished worship in the temple. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian times. The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches.

By waving palm branches they were showing that they expected Jesus to be another warlord – another general of the armies – one who would lead them to overthrow the Romans. They were saying that they were ready to pick up their swords & shields & go to war if He would lead them!

B. But in other places Jesus said, 

“I didn’t come for that purpose. I came to show you a more excellent way. I came to show you the way of love.” He had said, “Love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you. If someone smites you on the cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone wants your coat, give him your shirt as well. If they command you to carry their pack a mile, go two.”    (Read Matthew 5:38-48)

Those people who listened to Him must have thought, “Well, those are beautiful words, but surely He doesn’t mean Rome? He doesn’t expect us to love Rome? Only a lunatic would command you to love Rome. We can’t love Rome!” But don’t you see – that was exactly what He was saying? “Love even Rome – because Rome with her mighty army has seen the power of the sword. But Rome has not seen the power of love. Show them the love of God!”

C. Right there the nation of Israel had the opportunity to show Rome something new & different than all other nations. But because they didn’t understand Jesus – because they completely misunderstood who He was and His mission – Jesus wept over them because the opportunity would be taken away & they would never have it again.

These were God’s people – God’s chosen people. God had loved them & led them across the wilderness & into the Promised Land. But they did not understand that the Messiah, that God Himself was walking in their midst. Because of that, Jesus wept.

D. What He did see as He sat upon the beast of burden? Rather than seeing the towering Temple of God silhouetted against the sky, He saw beyond that – into years immediately ahead – He saw the armies of Titus surrounding the Holy City and the Temple stones being torn down & the whole city leveled.

He saw their bodies in the streets & blood running in the gutters & hundreds of thousands of people crying because they are starving to death while Titus waits for Jerusalem to surrender. All of that because they didn’t recognize the Messiah when He came! How different their lives could have been. How different the history of Israel could have been if they had only recognized the one who came into their midst, riding on a colt. (For more historical information click on Destruction of Jerusalem)

It is Matthew who adds that as Jesus looked at the city He said,  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings. But you would not come.”

In less than a week Jesus ‘walk His talk’ and would show all how much He love He had. He had come to that city to die on that cross for their sins, and even for the Romans, and for everyone who in faith would turn to Him and accept His wonderful gift. It was a gift of love that was being given to the world so that all could be made clean in God’s sight. That’s what happened that day so long ago. Five day later He would be arrested and severely beat until He was a bloody mess, and then He would be nailed to a wooden cross where He would die all of them and for you and me… because of our sins.

But so few then understood. Too few acknowledged Him for who He was nor did they appreciate what He was going to do for them. They had their own agenda… even for Him.

Today, just like the city of Jerusalem, we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus because He lives on. That’s what the Miracle of Easter is all about – His resurrection.  But I wonder what He finds when He looks at us, in our generation, into our faces? Does He see people like them who are concerned about so many other things…  - worried about income taxes – worried about their business or jobs – worried about their health, or lack of it? Does He see a generation of people who are more concerned about being entertained, or who are so busy that they never even bother to investigate or consider who He is and things that are eternally important? Is He weeping because He sees their destiny? Or does He see people who recognize Him for who He is? The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God? The very word of God that became flesh. The one who loved us so much He was willing to suffer and die for us and pay for our sins. When He turns and looks into our lives, I wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees? Or will He be happy and smile?

Today I challenge you to first of all to see Him and honor Him for who He is – our Savour, And then become one of those who will experienced the joy that passes all understanding when He stretched out His arms & says, “Well done, good & faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord”?  He wants to cut away all those sins from you so that enter Heaven. He promise believers that He Himself will cut away our sin while in the waters of Baptism. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colosians 2:9-13  

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  ¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins”

Will you accept Jesus for who He is?  Will you allow Him circumcise or cut away your sin. I hope so, otherwise He may shed a tear for you. I also hope that you can help others understand who Jesus is as well. Let us all share Jesus’ message of love and cleansing, so that we to will enjoy a resuurection of our own.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566