The Living Word XI

Be Ready for the Day of your visitation

The living Word IX

Palm Sunday 2023

Today we are celebrating Palm Sunday,

I would like to continue with our series “The Living Word” from the book of john the 4th gospel.

John wrote this gospel to bring correction to the many false teachings going around and to encourage the believers.

Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Be ready for the day your of visitation.

Today is the day of your visitation!

I would like for us to look at John’s account of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Let’s go back to John 12

Let’s pray

1 Know the times.

To this event Jesus never allow himself, to publicly, be accepted or to be announced as the messiah, until now.

The event is the

The Triumphal Entry

Recorded in all the gospels, so is very important.

So, Pay attention.

This is Jesus final week on earth, and John gives half of his book to cover it.

The date is a very important date.

In the Hebrew calendar is the 10th day of the month of Nisan, sounds just like the name of the car but is spelled with one s, in the Julian calendar our calendar was April 6 32 AD

Why was this date so important?

On the 10th of Nisan according to Jewish law the lambs were selected for the Passover, not sacrificed but selected, they would be brought into the home for a few days, each home would select a fluffy cute, furry, a perfect lamb, with no defects, to be sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan, just a few days later.

It is very interesting that on This day Jesus decides to publicly present himself as the lamb of God, their deliverer, who came to save them, on the 10th day of Nisan the Messiah would come, their deliver would come, he would be inspected by the nation, they would rejected Him and kill him, but as God would have it, he was sacrificed during the Passover. It is fascinating chronology, and it is indisputable history.

In the beginning of this chapter Jesus just had a dinner with Mary, Martha, Lazarus whom he raised from the dead and now he was heading to Jerusalem for the Passover

one of the three mandatory feasts for every Jewish male to attend Passover, Pentecost, tabernacles.

Joh 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

The city was filled with people.

According to Josephus 256 thousand lambs were sacrificed, during the Passover, 10 people per lamb so over 2 million people were in town.

Not many hotels, so many open their homes, the city was packed.

Joh 12:13 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!"

They were coating psalm 118 the messianic psalm.

The idea of bringing out the palm branches.

200 hundred years earlier, Israel was invaded and was under siege by the Syrian king Antiochus IV, they were looking for independence and deliverance, the Maccabean revolt gave them that independence, saved them, that is the feast of Hanukkah.

They brought out the palm branches

Antiochus IV hated the Jews with a passion.

Now they were under the Roman Empire

Recognizing Jesus as the Messiah they were saying

We want for you to save us now

Just like you did with the Maccabean

Jesus first coming was to deal with sin, and they wanted him to overthrow the roman empire, so they were greatly disappointed

Joh 12:14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

This was to fulfill the promise in

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King (Messianic King) is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble and unassuming [in submission to the will of the Father] and riding on a donkey, Upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

On Palm Sunday Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled.

It had been 500 years since his prophecy.

Jesus gave specific directions where to find the donkey, this donkey was never ridden before.

When we lived in Kohala, our horse’s farrier owned several donkeys, he had a business that would take tourist into the valleys.

By the way, Don’t ever agree with your 10 year old to pray for a horse, his grandmother may give him one and the nice neighbor down the road another. That’s how we end up with two horses.

A donkey can do whatever you want if he trusts you, if not they will buck and give you trouble. This specific donkey miraculously got used to Jesus very quickly, served him.

Joh 12:15 "Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."

Historically Kings when coming in peace they would come riding on a donkey.

Jesus came in peace.

When Jesus comes the second time He will be riding a horse, ready for war.

2 Know the word of God.

Joh 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

The disciples missed; they had no idea of what was happening, until Jesus was glorified.

I’m glad this passage is here, how many times I read scripture and years later I see it, like my eyes are opened. As we hang out with Jesus more revelation will come to us.

This is the Triumphal entry

Luk 19:39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

Luk 19:40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Luk 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

The word here in the Greek is Klai-o, He sob aloud, He wail.

Luk 19:42 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.

Luk 19:43 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.

Luk 19:44 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 didn’t recognize the day of their visitation, Flavius Josephus the historian, wrote that on August 10 of 70 Ad, Titus the son of the new emperor Vespasian and the Roman general in charge of the siege, destroyed Jerusalem. “Everywhere was slaughter and flight,” wrote Josephus.

Not a stone was left on another. They missed their visitation.

Daniel 9 gives you the exact day when this would happen

Dan 9:24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Dan 9:25 "Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

Dan 9:26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

483 years the modern translation

You should know this date. The 10th of Nisan

God knows what he is doing, and He is right on time.

Don’t miss your day of visitation. Christ is here through the ministry of the Word and the Spirit. The time of visitation is now. Today is the day of your visitation. Today is your day of salvation. Today is your day of healing. Today is your day of deliverance. Today is your day of hope and restoration. Today is the day of visitation. Don’t miss your visit!

This past week talking to a dear pastor who recently moved to Kona we were talking about the homeless here in Kona, how to help them to recognize the day of their visitation. They can change any day, today, they can say I’m going to accept help, today I will leave the alcohol behind the drugs with help, I will get a place to live obeying the rules, today I will get help with my mental health issues, but they can’t see it. Some one needs to love them, pray for them believe in them. Christ needs you to share with them his words to show them His kindness.

How does Christ’s visitation happen today? Christ’s day of visitation happens through the proclamation of the Gospel. Every time you hear the Word of God proclaimed, or every time you read the Word of God, when you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, that is the time Christ is visiting you.

I am proclaiming through this message that Christ is visiting you to save, heal, and deliver.

Whatever your need, Christ has already accomplished through His finished work upon the Cross of Calvary. All we need to do is to recognize that today is the day of his visitation.

Don’t miss the day of your visitation. Instead, publicly proclaim Him to be the King of kings.

Joh 12:17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

This man was different he did something that we have not seeing before, he raised a man from the dead.

Joh 12:18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.

Joh 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

3 Know Jesus, the savior of the world.

Joh 12:20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.

Joh 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."

Only John presents these Greeks we don’t know who they were. I will go with those who believe they believed in the God of the Jews, they were seekers.

When Jesus was born the wise men came seeking Him from the east, now at the end of Jesus life Greeks wise men were seeking Him, Jesus came for the gentiles too, He is the savior of the whole world.

Joh 12:22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Probably not the answer they expected.

Joh 12:23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Joh 12:24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Joh 12:25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Joh 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

The Greeks were seeking Jesus

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

Joh 12:27 "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

Joh 12:28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

3 times this happen, baptism, transfiguration and this time before the cross.

Joh 12:29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Joh 12:30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.

Joh 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

The world is judge by the cross and Satan will be completely cast out.

Joh 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

Joh 12:33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Joh 12:34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

Joh 12:35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.

The Unbelief of the People

Joh 12:36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Joh 12:37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.

Joh 12:38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

Joh 12:39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

Joh 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them."

Joh 12:41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

Joh 12:42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;

Joh 12:43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

Joh 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.

Joh 12:45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.

Joh 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Joh 12:47 "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

Joh 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

Joh 12:49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.

Joh 12:50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

Be ready for the day of your visitation.

Know the times.

Know the word of God.

Know Jesus the savior of the World.

Make Jesus the Lord of your life.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

To receive Jesus, we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, we need to ask Him to be our Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.