Enter: Jesus

We CAN work on those things. But the result will never be satisfactory without outside input. Of all the influences in the world right now, there is only ONE that is able to draw us to all we were created to be.

You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for meeting Jesus and reading His book - the Bible.

I want to introduce you to three claims Jesus made at the most transformative point in His ministry. As Jesus expressed these claims, people had no choice but to follow Him closer, or turn away from Him.

It’s my prayer that today you will follow Him closer.

Prayer

Who Jesus Claimed to Be.

Jesus was a Jewish teacher in the 1st century. There were lots of Jewish teachers in the first century.

There were many guys named Jesus in the 1st century. But This Jesus of Nazareth was the only one who changed the world forever.

Jesus spoke of a new kingdom. There were lots of revolutionaries in His time.

Jesus spoke on behalf of God. There have been many who have spoken on behalf of God, we have their words recorded in the Bible.

So how was Jesus different than any of these? Jesus had been teaching and helping people publicly for three years. Many had followed, some only stayed for a time, others for a lifetime. None of those who followed Jesus had any idea that he was at the end of His ministry; that He would be killed within the week. They saw victory on the horizon.

Luke 19:28–40 ESV

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus entered the scene! The crowds came because they thought He was coming to overthrow the Roman authority. Spoiler: He didn’t. If that was their measure of success, Jesus was a failure.

If Jesus enters our life and WE determine what changes He needs to make, we would consider Him a failure too!

But there’s something more to this welcome He is given. Jesus knows it. And the other Jewish teachers know it. They tell Him to rebuke the crowds because of what is implied.

Zechariah 9:9–13 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. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Jesus knew He was setting the scene for this prophecy. He knew what was happening because it was who He was claiming to be.

He was claiming to be the promised king from God - the final authority on earth. That King, according to Zechariah, was to bring salvation to the world.

Jesus was claiming to be the covenant maker, who would fulfill all God’s promises to the people of the world. To bring people back to relationship with God.

Jesus was claiming to be the redeemer and restorer of our brokenness, hurt, and pain.

The Jewish teachers - the Pharisees - knew what Jesus was alluding to, and they disputed Jesus’ claim.

But Jesus doubled down. “I tell you, if these [people] were silent, the very stones would cry out.” The truth of who Jesus claimed to be was so foundational that even the inanimate parts of creation would tell about who He was.

Who did Jesus claim to be? He claimed to be God in a human being. He claimed to bring authority, healing, and hope to a world in need.

Jesus claims the same thing to you. His Authority is absolute, but

What Jesus Claimed to Bring.

Jesus claimed to BE the healer of the world. But what did He claim to bring?

Luke 19:41–44 ESV

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Care, concern, weeping for the lost.

Jesus brings deliverance and hope for those who choose Him.

How Jesus Claimed to Brings Life.

Later that week, on the night before He would be killed, Jesus shared a ceremonial meal with His core disciples. This meal was a symbol of how Jesus would bring life.

Luke 22:7–20 ESV

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

How does Jesus bring life? Through His own death. His broken body, His shed blood. How do we participate in the hope and healing that Jesus brings? By participating in His death.

That sounds confusing! It sounds confusing to me! And I’ve been in church since I was a baby! But let me tell you what it means.

It means that Jesus claims that if you

Notes

Who Jesus claims to be (Luke 19:28-40, Zech. 9:9-13) [The righteous King who brings salvation, the covenant maker, the restorer/redeemer. But, not of this world]

What Jesus claims to bring (Luke 19:41-44) [A broken heart for the lost, the plumb line between connection to God and destruction of sin]

How Jesus claims to bring change (Luke 22:7-20) [Through his body and blood]

What will we do with Jesus? Will He enter our lives triumphantly? Or will we reject the day of our visitation?