“Faces in the Crowd”

(S1)

A little boy woke up sick one Sunday morning; so he and his mother stayed home from church. His father returned holding a palm branch. The curious boy asked, "Why do you have that, dad?" "Son, when Jesus came into town, everyone was waving branches, and singing hosanna to honor him; we got these so we could join in the celebration." The little boy replied; Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss and Jesus shows up!"

Palm Sunday— we to join in the celebration, shouting our praises to Jesus; recalling his humble entrance into the east end of the city of Jerusalem.

Previously, Jesus had given direction to two disciples to, go into the next village and fetch a young unridden colt. He tells his disciples to steal, what the Lord needs—A sermon in itself!

Following his instruction, their action, would trigger a joyous celebration; a festive processional, with a multitude of people as

Hosanna! ”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

All because Jesus shows up—Today we will look at this grand celebration...

— The multitudes who had gathered— Why so many made their way up the dusty road and were waiting in the streets to see this man called Jesus?

— Their shouts of praise. Hosanna! What did it mean?

— The faces in the crowd. Who were they? Why were they there, waving palm branches and shouting praises at the risk of their own lives.

— Why it matters to us today?

Can you see yourself as one of those faces in the crowd? Knowing what Jesus did next...we all have a reason to give him our praise!

PRAYER

(S2)

All the gospels—A multitude of people came that day—Jesus from the very beginning of his ministry, knew how to draw a crowd!

“the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.” Luke 5:15

They came in great numbers to hear him teach and to see his miracles. He fed thousands, healed the sick, and brought the dead back to life—on seashores, and mountain sides, from boats and even in people’s homes—Peter’s mother-in-law

Who were the multitude?

(Luke) They were disciples—followers beyond the twelve

(John) they were a great multitude, those who had come to the feast —Passover- a yearly sacrifice of the pascal lamb—200,000+

Those who had witnessed or experienced Jesus’ healing presence

Wherever he showed up, Jesus drew a crowd

Church—Jesus shows up?

Nearing Jerusalem the crowds grew —Who were the multitudes? Those who liked him, and those who didn’t...Jesus was more than an honest politician…or even and inspirational evangelist—Many knew it!

(S3)—They shouted—cried out—Screamed at the top of their lungs

Hosanna! ”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Why with such enthusiasm?

Unaware of what Jesus was about to endure for them? The shouts only hours later...“Crucify him!” This was the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry; The worst was to come, yet they sang songs of praise?

Jesus had told to his disciples that his time was fast approaching. Yet, they like many who had arrived that day waving palms of celebration, remained still in the dark. Golgotha was near, and for us so is good Friday.

Jesus shows up, signs his own death warrant and they celebrate! They wave their branches and they shout Hosanna!

What did their shouts of hosanna really mean?

(S4) —

There are two school of thoughts on this—rooted in two Hebrew words

1. Hosanna (yasha), a shout of adoration for one who saves or delivers

In the crowd were those who had already accepted Jesus as from God—The one who saves

"Blessed is he who has come, in the name of the Lord!"

Yahweh (God), the one they worshipped had delivered salvation to them. Jesus was their man! Praise was ever on their lips!

Is that who Jesus is to you? Isn’t our troubled world in need of a savior?

Jesus Saves—Diana Matthews, a Baltimore public school teacher, wrote the words to this hymn for a missionary service in the Sunday School of Union Square Methodist

(S5) —

2. Hosanna! A cry of desperation—nä’ – “I (we) pray, now, please” SAVE US!

Some came in hopes of being delivered from the rule of power imposed by those in power. Jesus was to them, their new king, the prince of peace who had come to save his people

(John) —"Blessed is the king of Israel!"

One is in praise because of something God has done in the life and ministry of Jesus. The other is in hopes of something yet to be done- both meaning salvation—Jesus as the answer. The crowds were those who had been delivered and those who hoped that deliverance had come

(S6) —

Five hundred years earlier, Zechariah had announced that one day their king would arrive—“triumphant and victorious”—and that prophecy had been indelibly etched on their minds.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

This glory-starved nation had, in effect, been waiting for just this occasion of David’s successor to come galloping into town to assume His throne—Jesus shows up on a donkey!

The crowds faith does not wane? How do we anticipate that Jesus will show up for us?

Their enthusiasm — Their shouts of hosannas

Because Jesus showed up, they are more than ready to let the party begin. Lining the streets, cheering wildly and lifting their voices in song; It was a joyful and glorious day, a time of excitement, optimism, and renewed national pride for the people

(S7)

But this was more than a multitude—There were faces in the crowd—Imagine for a moment as we look deep into the crowd, who may have been there. People whose life's changed because Jesus showed up?

Every person either had a story, or were witnesses to the teaching and miracles of Jesus—Who are the faces in the crowd?

John 12:9 “ When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.”

Lazarus and those who saw him raised from the dead were there. Do you think Lazarus had reason to shout? The people certainly did!

The woman Jesus encountered at the well? The one who had told her everything about herself? Her testimony of the one who saves brought a whole town to faith and now she shouts in praise.

Nicodemus? A man of great status and faith. Yet Jesus tells him, you must be born again….you can bet he went back and told all his religious brethren in the temple. Now he shouts in praise!

The royal soldier whose son was on the edge of death? When Jesus showed up and because he had faith, his son would live and his whole household would believe. Maybe his shouts are the loudest of all.

The man at the pool? Invalid for 38 years! When Jesus showed up and asked do you want to get well? He was able to get up and walk! Now running around shouting praises in the crowd!

Those who were hungry on the hillside. Jesus filled their aching stomachs and more— Jesus as bread that gives life!

The man born blind from birth can now see; do you think he is shouting praises to the man who showed up for him?

Mary Magdalene? Whom Jesus had driven seven demons. Do you think she was singing hosanna because Jesus showed up in her life?

The prodigal son, the loving father, the widow who gave all she had, the once paralyzed man who could now walk and sins were forgiven, Mary, Martha, Peter who denied him yet Jesus loved anyway...

More than just faces in the crowd, they all had a story because Jesus showed up, and they couldn’t help but to shout hosanna!

(S8)

HOW HAS JESUS SHOWN UP FOR YOU—Is there cause for praise on your lips?...

What had begun with a handful of disciples offering their praise to God turns into a citystreet celebration and a multitude had gathered. Yet, they would soon discover that Jesus’ proclamation of god’s kingdom come, was not what they expected! Jesus showed up so he could die!

For each one of them, he would give his life —Their stories he took to the cross, so he could write the greatest story ever told—In complete humility, Jesus would die for the sins of the world! The reason he needed only a colt—no saddle, no weapons of war, his feet dragging on the ground, on the back of a virgin mule— Jesus showed up in the most human way possible

“5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it.”

Why does it matter to us?

I see Jesus gazing into the crowd at each face as he enters the city of cheering people— looking at each person the same way he did Peter when he denied him and the disciples when they doubted him! Because to Jesus we are more than faces in a crowd! He knows your story, my story each and he showed up for you and me.

(S9)

Today, we gather with the crowd, we wave our palms and we shout hosanna! Why do you shout? Or do you? Are you wanting Jesus to show up in your life? What is our story; where do we find our place in the crowd? Why do you shout Hosanna? is yours a praise of ADORATION to the one who saves, or of the one who showed up for you?

Palm Sunday; draws us nearer to God’s marvelous plan of salvation and to Jesus—To Jesus YOU are MORE than a face in a crowd!

PALMS TO PASSION—EASTER’S COMING—but we can’t miss Good Friday, to truly know the reason jesus showed up—More than reason enough to raise our palms and shout hosanna!

The good news—followers of Jesus have a future hope—so bright you gotta wear shades

Revelation 7:9-12, A great and mighty procession yet to come!

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Resources

Jesus enters Jerusalem and the crowds welcome him, painting by Pietro Lorenzetti, 1320