The Lion & the Lamb

Children’s Church

We are beginning today what is called Holy Week.

This is the week that leads up to Easter. Today is what is popularly known as Palm Sunday.

This is the scene that we are going to look to first as we come to this situation.

As I

Early on in my preaching journey, I found that I had a problem where I would seek to pack too much into one sermon. It would all make sense to me, but when I would talk to Jada or someone else afterward, they would tell me they had a hard time following.

When coming to this passage, I discovered so many things, that I really feel need to be shared. Normally, I would just extend the series, but I have a very specific direction for where we are going on Easter.

I have broken it down into two major themes, but within the sermon we will cover a lot of ground, so I ask for your grace as we do so.

John 12:12–19 ESV

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The Mercy of God

The Triumphal Entry

I want you to picture this scene.

Imagine Franklin Street, your street whatever street makes sense to you.

Now imagine it lined withe people, and Jesus riding down the street on a donkey.

This stems from Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This also is significant because most kings would be riding a horse, as it was a display of power and victory.

The people are lining the street shouting Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Even the king of Israel!

The meaning of the word Hosanna - many believe it simply to be adoration and praise, but it is more than that.

Psalm 118:25 (ESV)

Save us, we pray, O Lord!

Yasha (Save us) anna (beg beseech)

Hosanna! Save us! Deliver us!

These people are there because they have heard about what he did in raising Lazarus from the dead.

This seems like a triumphal entry, and in many ways it is… But it is also the preparation of the Lamb of God that He might take away the sins of the world.

The lamb of God, preparing to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world.

John 1:29 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

I want you to reframe this scene with me for a moment. Think about what is happening. Jesus is riding into Jerusalem.

Amidst all of this celebration and preparation for the Passover.

Explain the Passover Exodus 12.

The 10th and final plague in Egypt - death of the firstborn.

The jews took a spotless lamb, and placed its blood on their doorposts, so that the Lord would passover their household.

This was the plague through which Pharaoh finally let the Jews go.

The Jews eat it every year in remembrance.

He knows why he is here. He knows what is coming.

He knows that he must soon take on the sins of the world.

To be the ultimate passover lamb, so that by him, the sins of the world may be passed over.

So that whoever might believe in him, would not perish, but have eternal life.

In the truest way, He is answering their cry of Hosanna, but they were ignorant as to how, and as to the extent of salvation they needed.

The disillusionment with Christ by the masses.

John 12:32–34 ESV

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

Their question could stem from many places, but Daniel 7:13-14 gives a good example.

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Their problem was that they did not understand the mystery of God’s plan in Christ. (Colossians - The mystery hidden now revealed)

From this point, Jesus is not with the masses any longer, and at this point, they begin to desert their following of Jesus.

John 12:37 ESV

Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,

The rest of John 12-17 is Jesus interacting with his disciples, teaching them, and then praying in the garden. He is betrayed in chapter 18 and in chapter 19 he stands before Pilate.

Though Pilate found no fault in Jesus the Jews insist that Jesus be put to death. After several discussions with them about what to do with Jesus, here is there last interaction.

The Rejection of their King.

John 19:14–16 ESV

Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

They went from shouting Hosanna and calling him the king of the Jews, to crying for his crucifixion.

They were so steeped in their sin, that they didn’t realize that they were crucifying the Messiah.

The beautiful example of what Christ has done.

Barabbas.

They chose sin over the messiah, but the Messiah chose to take their sin, that they might be saved.

How Deep the Father’s Love for us

Behold the man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders; Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished; His dying breath has brought me life – I know that it is finished.

I hope that you have seen that the entirety of the Triumphal entry to the Cross is God’s mercy and grace for sinners. Through his love for us, Christ went to the Cross so that through him we might live.

This is mercy. That God was patient with those who cried for his crucifixion.

This is grace. That through this, God now saves us.

We have to remember this, because God is merciful and God is graceful. But there is an essential element to this that we cannot forget.

We have a question that must be answered.

Why did Jesus have to go to the cross?

To appease the wrath of God.

The Wrath of God

The wrath of God is something that I don’t think we remember enough today.

There was a time, and in some churches today, where every sermon was a pounding and resounding from the pulpit about hellfire and brimstone.

The problem with this is not the content of the sermon, but that the message of the Gospel can be marred in it.

We live in a world where things are less shocking to us than they used to be.

Many things that were taboo or seen as wrong are now openly embraced by many. Even those who may not agree with certain things are permissive. “Who am I to judge”

There are many things that God calls sin that people don’t bat an eye at anymore.

I want to be clear here, I am not talking about just one thing, I am talking about vast amounts of sinful things.

The Bible is clear that sin is evil. It is rejection of God and His goodness. It is a chasing after our own pleasure and desire over Him.

The world has become numb to the evil of sin, and we must acknowledge the times and ways where sin, even our own, does not appall us as it should.

But there are times, where we are appalled and shocked by the evils of sin.

There are things that nearly all people will agree are evil.

The Nashville shooting.

People rightfully see things like this as an abomination. Evil. Deranged. Deserving of punishment. There is a collective wrath among people for the great evil that has been done.

We must realize that before a holy God, all of our sin, not just the things that shock us, is an abomination, evil, deranged, and deserving of punishment.

Being a just and holy God, God has wrath against us because of our sin. Because of this if God were to judge each of us by our merit, we would certainly be condemned.

God’s wrath is real, and we cannot forget it when we talk about the message of the Cross, because it is essential to the equation.

It is because of his mercy and grace that he doesn’t judge us right away, and has made a way of salvation.

That until Christ returns, whoever believes might be saved.

But this will not last forever, Jesus is coming back, and it will be under very different circumstances.

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Remember, in displaying his mercy Christ entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, look at how he returns.

He returns a victorious king, fulfilling the promises that God has made. To generalize - it is at this point that Satan will be ultimately defeated, and those who oppose Christ will be judged and punished, and those who have trusted Christ will be judged and declared righteous because of the blood of Christ.

Jesus is referred to in Scripture as the Lion of Judah, and the lamb of God. In the triumphal entry we see him the lamb of God, come to take away the sins of the world, in revelation we see him the conquering Lion of Judah.

We see that there will be judgement for sin.

The wrath of God remains for those who reject Christ.

As we come to this time of invitation, I want you to meditate on the full extent of what God has done for you.

That even though there is wrath against you and God would be just in punishing you, he made a way of salvation for all who believe.

You are one of two people today:

You have trusted Christ for your salvation.

Remember the full extent of what Christ has done for you!

Let that inform your life.

Develop a hatred of sin in your life and in the world.

Seek to lead others to the knowledge of the truth.

Or you have not trusted Christ.

You remain under wrath.

There is salvation for you in Christ.

Trust him today.

Acknowledge your sin

Believe in Christ

Confess him as Lord and Savior.