Blessed Is He

Palm Sunday

Here we are again at that season we called “Easter.” If you have been in the church like I have you have seen and heard this story told a thousand different ways.

This morning, I want you to experience the emotion of the story. You know the story, but do you know the emotion behind the story.

Jerusalem

Jesus was ministering around the Sea of Galilee, when He decided it was time to head to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

On their way to Jerusalem Jesus told His disciples:

​Mark 10:33-34

Mark 10:33–34 NIV

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

STOP! This is one of the places that we need to feel (or experience) the emotion of the story.

These men had give Jesus 3 years of their lives.

They were expecting him to be the conquering king.

In fact, they were hoping to be part of His rule when He took over! In fact, in the next verse of Mark 10, James and John are arguing over who will be the most important helper in Jesus’ Kingdom.

Now, when we get chapter 10, Jesus tells the disciples that He is going to Jerusalem to DIE!

Let’s pick up the story as Jesus and His disciples walk to Jerusalem. We’ll pick up the reading in Mark 11:1-6.

Mark 11:1–6 NIV

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.’ ” 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.

Bethphage & Bethany

On their way to Jerusalem they came to two cities.

The first was “Bethphage” which means “House of unripe figs.”

The second one was “Bethany” which means “House of figs.”

Now remember these two names. It will come into play later.

Jesus told two of his disciples to go into the village—most likely into Bethphage (based on the way the Greek is written).

They are told they would find a colt that no one had ever ridden.

And Jesus tells them if someone questions them taking the colt, they were simply to say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly” (v. 3)

Bethphage

The two disciples went to the village

They found the colt,

And they began to untie it so they could bring it back to Jesus.

In the process some people asked them what they were doing—just like Jesus said might happen.

And they answered them just like Jesus told them to answer

Amazingly, those who were asking the questions let the disciples go.

​Now, look at Mark 11:7.

Mark 11:7–11 NIV

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 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!” 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.

Onward to Jerusalem

The two disciples bring the colt back to Jesus.

The disciples throw their cloaks (their coats) on the colt’s back

And Jesus sits down on it, riding it as they head towards Jerusalem.

KEY—Jesus and his disciples are not the only ones headed towards Jerusalem—there is a great number of people traveling up to the city. That is because it is almost Passover, and during Passover Jerusalem would swell several times its normal size because the Jews would come to celebrate Passover there.

Many of these other travelers begin to join with the disciples in the excitement of getting close to Jerusalem.

They begin spreading their cloaks (coats) and palm branches on the road before Jesus.

And those walking in front of Jesus begin to shout “Hosanna” (This is a Greek trasliteration from three Hebrew words, hôšî ‘âh nâ’ meaning "O save us now!")

They begin to shout “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest!” (which again could be translated “O save us now, O God who lives in the heavens!”)

Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples went into Jerusalem.

They went up to the temple—he looked around at everything.

But since it was late, he and the 12 left and went to Bethany.

Most likely, Jesus felt that it was too late or it wasn’t the right time to address the problems he saw in the temple!

Back to Bethany

Mark 11:12–14 NIV

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. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Jesus and the disciples were staying out in Bethany. It’s a village that lies about 2 1/2 miles from Jerusalem.

The next morning they left Bethany—remember the name “House of figs.”

Jesus was hungry and he saw a fig tree off in the distance.

So He went over there to see if the tree had any figs since it had already leafed out.

But when Jesus got there, the tree did not have any figs

And we’re told the reason! It was not fig season.

When he finds the tree has no fruit, he curses the tree. At first glance it seems that Jesus is being unreasonable, but he really isn't. While it would not normally have figs, it should have had fig buds which the peasants would often pick and eat.

These buds would fall off and soon be replaced and with ripening figs.

The absences of buds this time of year would indicate that this tree would not bear fruit this year.

A key to note is the last part of verse 14. It tells us that Jesus’ disciples heard him curse the fig tree.

Back in Jerusalem

Mark 11:15–19 NIV

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.’” 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. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Jesus goes back to the temple.

This time he begins driving out those who were buying and selling.

He began to turn over the tables of the money changers—these were money changers and those selling animals for sacrifice.

THE SCAM:

There was a scam going. You see, Roman money was no good in the temple. So you had to exchange it for temple money—at an extremely unfair exchange rate.

Your sacrifice was not good enough so you had to tradea it in (and pay additional money) to get an animal that would be appropriate or acceptable for sacrifice. (Meanwhile the one you traded would be sold to someone else.)

Jesus drove these guys out saying, “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.’”

This infuriated the religious leaders who began (in earnest) to find a way to kill Jesus.

Notice Mark says, “for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teachings” (v. 18).

And once again they leave and go back to Bethany.

STOP—Let’s do an emotion check. If you are one of the disciples who had followed Jesus for 3 years, you should be pretty pumped right now!

We’ve see the people who were coming to celebrate the Passover cheering Jesus, honoring him as a great celebrity or as a King.

Now you’ve seen Jesus clear out everyone who was selling things in the temple area.

And to top it all off the religious leaders did nothing!

It looks like Jesus is getting ready to take over and become the conquering King! This is amazing.

To top it all off the next event was even greater! Look at Mark 11:20!

Mark 11:20–26 NIV

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “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.”

The Next Morning

The next morning as they headed back to Jerusalem,

Peter notices the fig tree.

Peter calls Jesus’ attention to the fig tree.

It has withered! That’s amazing!

Jesus begins to tell them they will do even greater things than cursing a fig tree.

Jesus tells his disciples if they command the mountain—the very they are walking on—to “Go, throw yourself into the sea” and if you don’t doubt in your hear it will happen!

Now, he’s giving them power—SO certainly the kingdom is next!

Jesus tells them that when they pray, they must pray with a heart of forgiveness!

Conclusion

I hope this morning, as we’ve related the story of Palm Sunday that you felt some of the emotions that the disciples must have felt.

I want to stop at this point in the story, and challenge you to take some time this week and read about the final week ofJesus’ life.

Today we looked at the events of Palm Sunday. Then we looked at Monday the day Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleared the temple.

On Tuesday, the disciples discover the fig tree is indeed dead, and Jesus tells them they will do greater things that that.

Then He ends up having His authority questioned, but he answers their question with a question.

He then quickly tells the Parable of the Tenants (12:1-12), and on and on.

Mark crams a lot into the last week of Jesus’ life.

So here’s my point. We celebrate Christmas, and it’s a big deal. In many ways the celebration of Easter ought to put Christmas to shame.

Now let me clarify—From Easter we get our salvation. Without Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection we have nothing!