The King is Coming
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
For the next two weeks we are taking a little bit of a leave from the book of 1 Samuel, as we come into the Easter Season.
Today begins what is often called by two names: Holy Week; or Passion Week. It all begins with an even that is known as Palm Sunday.
So Sunday—Palm Sunday—we have Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
Monday was the Cursing of the fig tree and the Cleansing of the Temple.
Tuesday we are back in Jerusalem with a Day of Teaching—Jesus’ authority is questioned, and He shares several more parables.
Wednesday—The Day of Silence. John 12:36 reads, “When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid from them.”
Thursday we have Passover Preparation, Passover, Prayer in the Garden, His arrest, and the late night (or early morning) trial before the Sanhedrin.
Friday we find Jesus before Pilate, He is condemned, and around 9 a.m. Jesus is hanging on the cross. By 3 p.m. Jesus is dead! Finally, before Sundown He is in the grave.
Jesus is in the grave, Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday.
Then Easter Sunday Morning, the stone is rolled away, and out walks the Risen Savior of the World—Jesus is ALIVE!
But it all began, like an ordinary day. Jesus and His disciples are walking the 2 or 3 miles to Bethany. If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Mark chapter 11.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Headed Toward Jersualem
Headed Toward Jersualem
We’ll begin our story with verse 1.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”
Can you imagine being told to go into a town and untie a colt—the equivalent to stealing a car. And they a supposed to say, “the Lord needs it. . .” and they will just let them take the colt? That’s crazy—but then Jesus has asked His disciples to do crazy things before—things that didn’t make sense, so maybe theses two disciples didn’t think it was any more crazy than some of the other things Jesus had them do in the past.
What Happened?
What Happened?
They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
Can you believe it? The people who were standing around the cold, accepted what the disciples said an let the colt go! And they brought the colt to Jesus. Look at verse 7.
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
On the Road to Jerusalem
On the Road to Jerusalem
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
The people—those pilgrims headed to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
They spread their coats on the road,
And spread branches they had cut from the fields—some people assume these were palm branches, which is why we call this “Palm Sunday.”
So Jesus is riding on the colt of a donkey. The people are spreading their cloaks—or coats—and branches cut from along the road and place them on the road in front of Jesus. All of this was to fulfill an Old Testament scripture:
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.
As they are going down the road these people are singing!
Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
It begins with Hosanna which is an expression that means Please save us, NOW! It comes from Psalm 118:25
Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!
Then they continue with Psalm 118:26.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.
They continue remembering the prophecies about King David—Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
And they close with Hosanna in the highest heaven! Following our previous understanding it might say Please save us now from the highest heaven!
Jesus Movement
Jesus Movement
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Mark tells us that Jesus when into Jerusalem
He went into the temple courts and had a look around.
But we’re told that because it was late in the day, Jesus left and went out to Bethany—a town about 2 or 3 miles southeast of the Garden of Gethsemane.
And He went to Bethany with His 12 disciples.
Monday’ Activities
Monday’ Activities
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
The Cursing of the Fig Tree
The Cursing of the Fig Tree
On His way back to Jerusalem, Jesus sees a fig tree off in the distance.
It is too early for figs.
Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
So, Jesus cursed the fig tree.
And the disciples heard him curse the fig tree.
Jesus at the Temple
Jesus at the Temple
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
No doubt Jesus saw the trading that was going on in the temple courts on Sunday evening when He was in the temple.
This time He begins driving out both the buyers and the sellers.
And he over turned the tables of the money changes—those who changed the money from Roman money to Jewish Temple money.
And overturned the benches of those selling doves.
And Jesus would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts—which was often used by people to get from one side of town to another—which added to more chaos and confusion within the temple courtyard.
So Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7—which talks keeping the temple a house of prayer! Not just for the Jews, but for ALL Nations.
There were two responses to Jesus’ actions and message. Look at verse 18.
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
The chief priests and teachers of the law were angered by Jesus’ actions!
But the crowd was amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Jesus went back out to Bethany with His disciples.
Tuesday’s Activities
Tuesday’s Activities
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
Jesus and his disciples went back to Jerusalem.
And there was the fig tree—withered from the roots.
Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Peter remembered the fig tree, and points it out to Jesus.
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Jesus tells the disciples to have faith in God—When they exercise faith in God
The will say to a mountain “Go trow yourself into the sea” without doubting, will see it happen.
Their prayers will be answered, if:
—Believe you have received it.
—If you pray without holding anything against someone else!
—Jesus says we MUST forgive!
Jesus Authority Challenged
Jesus Authority Challenged
They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
Jesus (and His disciples) are back in Jerusalem, and they are walking in the temple courts.
The chief priests and teachers of the law, along with the elders want to know by what authority Jesus did things.
Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”
Jesus answers a question with a question—if they answer His question, He will answer their question.
John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from human origin?
Then Jesus “demands” an action.
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
They discussed it among themselves.
—If they say John’s baptism was from heaven, then Jesus will ask them why they didn’t listen to him.
—But they can’t say from human origin because the people believed John was really a prophet.
So they answered, “We don’t know.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
So Jesus tells them He won’t answer them about His authority—or where it comes from.
IF we were to continue reading in Mark, Jesus begins to teach the people. In fact, Mark records his teachings in chapters 12-14. So, today we looked at the two and a half days of Jesus last week on this earth.
On Sunday the crowds called out, “Save us, Save us NOW” as Jesus entered Jerusalem.
On Monday, Jesus threw out the money changers and those who were selling in the temple.
Tuesday brought a challenge from the religious leaders of Jesus’ authority, and then a long teaching opportunity for Jesus!
Wednesday is often referred to as the day of Silence—because we don’t have anything written about his activities.
Thursday was the day the disciples prepared the Passover, and then celebrated the Passover together—the Last Supper.
Then they went back to Gethsemane where Jesus prayed in the Garden, and then was arrested.
They took him before the High Priest where he was falsely accused. But because they could not execute him themselves,
They ultimately took him before Pilate.
Jesus was condemned to death—the death on the cross.
Friday morning about 9 a.m. he was taken to the cross where he was crucified.
And the, about 3 p.m. Jesus died.
Then he was placed in a borrowed tomb,
Where Jesus remained until early Sunday morning.
When suddenly the Stone was rolled away—And Hallelujah Jesus Rose from the Dead!
This should excite us. We serve the same Jesus! A Risen Jesus. A Powerful Jesus!
The question for us today is simple! Are you like the religious leaders who want nothing less than to do away with Jesus? Or are you like the people who are amazed by Jesus?