Triumphal Entry

Loaded with the Old Testament

lets start with describing the scene

It is passover week

many pilgrims are in town — Its like balloon fiesta

the airport is fully, traffic is up, burrito trucks are everywhere

People are gathering to look up to Heaven

We can assume it is Sunday of the week

Jesus is coming into Jerusalem

Remember He knows what is about to happen

He is aware of the threats to kill him

Crowds are likely one to two million people

There are Jews, Greeks, and foreigners present

Timing of God is in play.....

In the past we have read Jesus saying “ my time has not come”

but the TIME IS HERE

God is working it

Jesus is coming into Jerusalem

to proclaim that He is indeed the Messiah.

Palm Branches

so everyone got the invite via Facebook that Jesus was coming

and they got Palm Branches.

palm branches had already become a national (not to say nationalist) symbol.

When Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrian forces out of the Jerusalem citadel

he was fêted with music and the waving of palm branches (cf. 1 Macc. 13:51, 141 BC),

which had also been prominent at the rededication of the temple

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 432). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

If you are a Coin Geek or Coin Collector

you will find it interesting that the Coins from Jewish uprise in 66-70 AD

have Palm Branches struck on them.

Palm Branches were the Symbol for Judea --- Used to celebrate Victory

Palm branches were a SYMBOL of VICTORY

Lets read the story of the Triumpal entry

John 12:12–19 (ESV)

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

13 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!”

14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16 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.

17 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.

18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Patience in Perception

Victory is Defined by us as ..... ???

What is Victory?

how would you describe it?

team with the most points

Surrender of the enemy

Conquering

Overcoming

...

as simple as the question is… have you Pondered the Word VICTORY

we are going to hear it many times over the next few weeks

We saw the miracles of Christ

Climatic in the raising of Lazarus

But what is victory.

Victory is often short lived?

I think of tournaments where you win and advance

you have victory

but it only matters to get you to the next step the next round

Victory is a weak word ----- Jesus is the WORD

Victory often needs support to define itself

Follow me here.

We can have Victory in a battle over an enemy.

then they come back to fight again. the war is not over

Victory needs a supportive context or an adjective

They won the battle, but the war still goes on

Partial victory, one time victory

We must seek the ULTIMATE VICTORY

in football there is a victory in the majority of games,

yet it is just a pathway to the Super Bowl,

where one Team will rise to be the winner of the Final Victory

I can see that here.

The Jews are believing but the are believing in a Earthly King

to bring them immediate hope

To have the victory over there oppressors\

The Jews are celebrating the possibly of victory over ROME.

God has so so much more in mind.

____________________

Friends i know i keep saying this

But go INTO these verses

Seek to understand the peoples mind set

They are living under Roman Persecution

They are bound by Jewish Law

The Jews were expecting the Messiah

They are seeking to rid themselves of the Romans

and like us --- they are waiting on God to rescue

Just like He did over and over in the Old Testament

This is understandable

Charles Spurgeon wrote this:

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. VII (The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (No. 405))

There was an expectation upon the popular mind of the Jewish people, that Messiah was about to come.

They expected him to be a temporal prince; one who would make war upon the Romans and restore to the Jews their lost nationality.

There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps he might be to them a great temporal deliverer,

and we read that on one or two occasions they would have taken him and made him a king, but that he hid himself.

There was an anxious desire that somebody or other should lift the standard of rebellion and lead the people against their oppressors.

Seeing the mighty things which Christ did, the wish was father to the thought,

and they imagined that He might probably

restore to Israel the kingdom and set them free

They Saw the Hero!!! HYPE AND FANFARE

and we know in a few days

many are going to think it was a ZERO

BUT we know it wasn’t

There is a lesson today that must be preached.

Salvation is in Jesus Christ alone!

The salvation of the Jews was in Christ’s work alone

not simply a change in political oppression

but Victory over Death

the promise of Eternal life

the gift of Grace, of Salvation, of Being called Son or Daughter of the Lord Most High

many in our society today are looking for that TEMPORAL PRINCE

They look for political leaders to change our situation

Here is my bold statement for the day.

If you want to know what is going on in this world --- then FOLLOW THE MONEY

Healthcare, quality of our food, on and on

Friends — i ended up with a 7200 bill for 4 hours in an Urgent Care — 7 thousand 2 hundred

When i called and explained that i don’t have medical insurance, but am enrolled by my church in a health share --- the price was taken down to 5100.00

so lets think about this time, resources, expertise, testing were all the same

but not going through insurance 2100 discount

and i still think that 5100 for the visit is insane

Our medical care is dictated by money, not need.

you know who is the only one to balance that insanity --- JESUS

Our only hope is Christ the Lord

It pains me to say it but....

If you follow the money it is the world

if you follow the love it is likely GOD

God is Love

Christ is God

God is Christ

The Jews wanted a fair and just KING to bring them out of there CURRENT oppression

Our Jesus paid the price to take away our oppression to sin and the curse

Our Jesus paid the price that we couldn’t pay,

so that we could have the promise of

everlasting life with HIM in HEAVEN.

AMEN

Victory!!

The King of Kings

They saw what they knew

but they are soon going to see

Victory over the CURSE, OVER SIN, OVER DEATH

Jesus is KING

Jesus is riding in to Proclaim --- I AM THE MESSIAH

Listen to this OT verse.

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

9 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.

Prophesy is BEING FULFILLED.

God’s timing

1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Our next weeks - Cory will be leading us in the lessons

teaching on the ‘hour has come’ and then on the “Unbelief in people”

and then we wil have EASTER here at Horizon

Easter Service is Titled --- “Jesus came to save the WORLD”

Frankly --- Easter should be celebrated Daily.

Hosanna --- Give Salvation Now!

In our scene today

People cheering, waving palm branches, fulfilling Scripture right in front of the people

Hyped up on Jesus

Hope, Praise, Honor not to the King of HEAVEN

but to their inner wants and desires

Jesus triumphantly proclaims --- I am the Messiah

I am the Promised Savior

Jesus is the King of ALL, not the temporary Roman Conqueror

Jesus is ABOVE ALL

Jesus is the Victory MAKER

Our last verse

John 12:19 (ESV)

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The World is going after Him.

One of the truest statements the Pharisees had made.

I would guess that at the time of our verses today, there were hundreds that truly believed

But in the last 2000 years...

The world has TRULY gone after Him. Millions, or Billions of people have put there trust in Jesus

Billions have called Him LORD.

Friends,

My prayer today is that you will not get caught up in the empty hype

but truly deeply seek to learn, love and follow Him

On our road to Easter.

May we celebrate the Victory that we have in Christ Jesus.