Palm Sunday 2024

Hope is on the way

Palm Sunday 2024

Happy Palm Sunday

Hope is coming!

Do you remember the day, when you made a very important decision? a decision that impacted you till this day ? Most people do, for some it was the best thing they ever did, to others it was the worst thing they ever did.

God out of His love and mercy, He opens doors in front of us, that if we cross it, changes our lives and history forever.

The bible shows us many of these doors, Palm Sunday definitely one.

Let’s pray

Today we are celebrating Palm Sunday, Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday was the week before Jesus Resurrection, the tenth of Nisan, the same day that every Jewish family would select a lamb to celebrate their Passover.

Jesus was crucified on the preparation of Passover, the Friday before the Sabath of Passover.

On Palm Sunday Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled.

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King (Messianic King) is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble and unassuming [in submission to the will of the Father] and riding on a donkey, Upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He was riding on a donkey because He came in peace , Kings would ride horses when they would go out for war or a battle.

It had been about 500 years since Zechariah’s prophecy.

Luk 19:29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,

To get a donkey, a colt for him.

Luk 19:35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

Luk 19:36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

Luk 19:37 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,

Luk 19:38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

John in his gospel adds the palm branches, John 12:13 what was important to notice because described what was in the minds of the people, around 190 years before, we read about

The Maccabean Revolt of 167-160 BC was a Jewish uprising in Judea against the repression of the Seleucid Empire. The revolt was led by Judah Maccabee his father a country priest called Mattathias, and his military followers became known as Maccabees, they were successful and they were celebrated with Palm branches.

They were hopping for the same outcome, Jesus would overthrow the Roman Empire and become their King.

Luk 19:39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

The Pharisees knew what they were saying and what they meant.

Luk 19:40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

They would call aloud, would be the first rock concert in history.

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Luk 19:41 As He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it [and the spiritual ignorance of its people],

He wail and sob over it.

Luk 19:42 saying, "If [only] you had known on this day[of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

Luk 19:43 For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side, [Isa_29:3; Jer_6:6; Eze_4:2]

Luk 19:44 and they will level you to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you. They will not leave in you one stone on another, all because you did not [come progressively to] recognize [from observation and personal experience] the time of your visitation [when God was gracious toward you and offered you salvation]."

God in His great Love opened a door in time, to bless his people

Jesus gave Israel an opportunity to welcome their King. But they missed their opportunity and Jesus knew what would happen, as they experienced the consequences of their choices, so He wept over the city.

This is what Jesus saw and prophecy about it.

Less than 40years after this opportunity was given to Israel, in 70 A.D., Jesus words was fulfilled, although was not recorded in the new testament, 600 thousand Jews were killed and thousands more were lead away into captivity, this happened After 143 days of siege by the Roman army under the leadership of Titus.

For 60 years after the destruction of Jerusalem they had no history.

During the year of 134 A. D. another rebellion arose, and they were crushed, during this time even the foundations of the city were plowed up.

History would reveal something different if they had welcome Jesus as their King.

The Jewish people knew of the prophecies, and they knew about Daniel’s prophecy, Daniel 9, the seventy sevens leading to the 10th of Nissan, on that year. That’s why Jesus held them responsible for missing their visitation.

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King (Messianic King) is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble and unassuming [in submission to the will of the Father] and riding on a donkey, Upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Isa 9:6 For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God fulfilled His promise He sent, His son, His only son and He is the King.

But they rejected him, maybe because of their experience of oppression throughout history and at that point, by the Romans, the Jews wanted,

a conquering general to deliver them, a superman on a white horse, not Jesus Christ, a carpenter turned teacher, riding on a borrowed donkey.

Paul gives us a warning

2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

Apostasia, falling away, forsake, withdrawal from faith in God.

Satan

2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

This is what we call apostasy, the abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief.

You become charmed with your own beliefs and fantasy’s to the point of missing the words and prophecies coming from God.

On that day The people had a choice to make.

They could welcome the King promised by God, or the King of their apostasy.

having false expectations, about God and others, leaves us confused and angry. so important to know God’s words.

Ex: Talking to different people, I notice that some believe that Jesus belongs to their political party.

Jesus is not part of a democratic government. He does not belong to a republican, democratic party or independent. He is part of a theocratic Kingdom, no one elects Him, or appoints Him, He is not asking for our opinion, and yes he knows what needs to be done, he welcomes our participation, but never condones our disobedience.

He is a benevolent Lord and King.

If the Jesus of your apostasy is not working for you? try the Jesus of the bible.

Jesus came to be the king of our lives not the gene of the lamp.

As we welcome Jesus and submit ourselves to him to Him, we will find peace, deliverance from our enemies, the power of God, not on our terms but His.

Have you asked Jesus to be the King and Lord of your life?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Joh 3:16

To receive Him we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke itand said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks thiscup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Heb 9:14 dead works, acts, sins

E mau aku ka loko maika’i o ka Haku, Iesu Kristo; me ke aloha a ke Akua, a me ka launa pu ‘ana mai o ka Uhane Hemolele ia ‘olua, a me makou apau. Amene.