VBS NIGHT 3

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Games: Scavenger Hunt

Marvelous Light

Lesson

Chairball.

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What are some things we like to celebrate?

birthdays, Christmas, thanksgiving, graduations, anniversaries, babies, pets, etc…

What is your favorite annual celebration?

It’s good to celebrate things. We should do that.

Here’s a harder question though

Do we look for opportunities each day to celebrate other people? Our friends, family, or even strangers?

Some of the most powerful moments we experience daily is when we are encouraged.

Like last night when we discussed Zachaeus, I’m sure the best part of his day, week, maybe even year was not just when he saw Jesus, but when Jesus saw Him and spoke to him.

It changed his life.

Words are powerful.

They can speak life into others, they can also completely wreck someone’s heart.

With our words, we can cause a celebration in someone’s soul today

or with our words, we can cut someone down so hard they will dwell on your words for years.

Here’s what we are going to do tonight.

I want you to stay in your groups from the scavenger hunt.

In your groups your going to read Luke 19:28-40.

And on someone’s phone in your group your going to make a list of 3 things.

Actions: What did they do?

Words: What did they say?

Reasons: Why praise Jesus?

Especially when you get to vs. 34, I want you to note what people did, what they said, and why people praised Jesus.

Go.

Debrief:

What were some things people did in this passage of Scripture?

follow Jesus directions.

People put their cloaks on the road.

Why did they do that? 2 Kings 9:13 “13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”” This was something Old Testament Jews did to recognize kings.

So what were people saying about Jesus through their actions?

That He is King!

What kind of King did they think he was?

A political one. Here to overthrow Rome.

But Jesus came for a greater enemy.

Sin.

What were some things people said in this passage?

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

At least, people seemed to think He was from God.

I think it was tough for people, as it would be for us too, to believe he IS God, but recognizing He is sent from God is a start.

This is certainly a man to celebrate and they did that through their words.

What did the Pharisees say?

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

Pharisees look for ways to turn the lights off on the celebration.

We will come back to that.

Why Praise Jesus?

Jesus said, “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

We praise Jesus because He’s the only one deserving of it.

He deserves all our words.

All our actions.

And all our motivations.

DEBRIEF/Application.

Have you ever experienced a time when one of your friends was really happy, but you were really sad?

Maybe they made the team and you didn’t.

Maybe they got a good grade and you didn’t.

Just from those 2 examples I’m sure we can all think of a few in our own lives.

In those moments, words are so important.

You are in need of encouraging words, but the words you want to give are destructive words.

We need to be slow to speak in those situations.

James 1:19 “19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”

Maybe you’ve experienced something even more intense where you were mad at God, but you knew you are supposed to praise Him.

There were lots of times in Scripture that David cried out to God.

Psalm 102:2 “2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.”

Psalm 102:4 “4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.”

Psalm 102:8 “8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.”

David is clearly frustrated in this passage.

It’s ok to be frustrated.

But remember, It doesn’t help to express that frustration on someone else.

It doesn’t help to take our anger, our frustration out on others.

Look at how Jesus handled disappointment and brokenness.

David also wrote this about God in the Psalms.

Read Psalm 103:8 “8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 103:10 “10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”

Romans 8:1 “1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

That is what Jesus came to do.

It’s ok if we are frustrated with God sometimes, David was.

But don’t stay there.

Remember who He is.

Twice in High school I remember being very angry about circumstances in my life I couldn’t control.

Girlfriend dad died. She broke up with me months later. Frustrating situation.

I was angry.

I felt used and hurt for just trying to be an encouragement.

Second time was when my buddy Derek died.

He drove a motorcycle and was hit and killed in and hit and run accident.

In those times, it’s easy to get mad.

It’s easy to focus on you.

It’s easy when you don’t make the team or life doesn’t go like you think it should for you to speak hurtful words to others.

But tonight just remember this, God is compassionate and gracious. Slow to Anger.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he knew that just a few days later, those with encouraging words would turn to destructive words and actions.

They would hang Him on a cross.

If you want to know the love of Jesus…

Don’t forget that last part.

Jesus knew that the same words to praise Him would be used to curse Him, yet He still continued on in His mission.

It was because of His death and resurrection that Romans 8:1 can be true.

Romans 8:1 “1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

That is the light shining in the darkness that we need to hold on to.

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good.

He came that dead people would come alive.

That he could remove the curse of sin and death and offer us life.

I hope we dwell on that tonight and never forget that.

Let’s pray.