It Is Not What It Looks Like!
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And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Focus Verses:
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Introduction:
Today is Youth Sunday and today we have celebrated our youth of the church. Yet today is also Palm Sunday and the beginning of what we call “Passion Week”.
This is the week that we celebrate the events that transpired approximately 2021 years ago, when The Lord Jesus Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem, was betrayed, tried, crucified, and was resurrected all within the same week.
Usually Passover and Resurrection coincide, but unfortunately for many in the church (I taught on this Wednesday) the Roman Catholic Church changed the calendar and the Passover doesn’t always fall on the same week as what we celebrate the Resurrection Day. Resurrection Day is known as what other people call “Easter” a term we no longer use in this church because it is tied to the spring equinox and the celebration of a pagan goddess by the name Ishtar or Eostre.
Brothers and Sisters, unfortunately though we may celebrate Resurrection Day this week, it is unfortunate that the actual passover this year isn’t until April 22nd.
Nevertheless, we don’t celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus (formerly called Easter) once a year like the ungodly do. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus throughout the year!
But let us now turn our attention to the text:
I want to make it clear that I’m not here to exegete the text this morning because there is something else that God showed me through the text.
Consider the facts:
We know that according to the text that Jesus makes his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey and a colt.
The crowd is in an uproar because Jesus the Messiah or Jesus the son of David which is a messianic title. Is entering into Jerusalem.
Jesus had been preaching about the kingdom of God for 3 years, he had performed many signs and wonders.
One of his greatest miracles happened just days before he entered Jerusalem, he raised his friend Lazarus who had been dead 4 days back to life. It was a huge miracle because the Jews believed that after 3 days, the soul goes beyond the point of no return. The body was decaying and stinking but Jesus still brought Lazarus back to life.
The news spread abroad and his chief opponents (scribes, pharisees, and sadducees) was not happy about this miracle.
So here comes Jesus riding into Jerusalem and the crowd is ecstatic to the point that people who don’t know who Jesus is are starting to question who this man is. I believe that many who had been impacted by Jesus in some way or form was the ones who were making the most noise.
Because after all the scriptures do say “Let the redeem of the Lord say so”, they were praising the LORD and testifying of his goodness. Is there anyone in here that can praise the LORD? Is there anyone in here that has a reason to praise the LORD. Then you ought to give it to Him because He’s in the house!!!
Key Point 1:
Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly but as soon as he gets there, things start going down hill. He goes into the temple, he has to usher out the money changers, and those in the temple selling animal sacrifice for a profit, he turns over their tables and says my house shall be called the house of prayer. Then the blind and lame came to him and was healed in the temple.
Matthew’s gospel records that they wanted to arrest Jesus right then but were fearful of the crowds.
The children were giving Jesus praise and the leaders of the Sanherien did not like it. They viewed Jesus as a threat, they thought that Jesus was going to bring a end to their rule, they thought that they were going to miss out on the money and the popularity. They cringed at the fact that everyone called Jesus “the son of David” meaning that by right he could be the long await Messiah and King that they had been looking for.
So watch this:
Matt 21 they challenge Jesus’ authority, Jesus replies with parables that convict them of their mindset.
Matt 22 they try to trap Jesus asking him about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus replies, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God, what belongs to God.”
The religious leaders continue to press and challenge Jesus with various questions.
Matt 23-25 Jesus continues to teach the crowds through parables, he warns the religious leaders, he teaches on the final
Key Point 2:
Now in chapter 26 the plot to kill Jesus begins. When we search the scriptures not only in Matthew’s gospel, after Jesus’ triumphant entry we see anything but triumph, we see anything but victory.
Let’s stop there to bring this spiritual truth out: tell someone you might not see victory now…..but it’s coming!
Matter of fact, Jesus is betrayed and arrested. That’s not victory. He questioned, lied on,……that doesn’t look like victory. He is beaten, ridiculed, whipped, He is a bloody mess, a crown of thorns is placed on his head, he is rejected by the very ones who saw the miracles, perhaps some of them may have been healed by Jesus themselves, or was impacted in some way by his ministy…….that does not look like victory to me!
Then Jesus is given a death sentence, dragged to Golgotha, nailed in his hands, nailed to his feet to a cross and dies.
Outwardly there was nothing triumphant (seemingly) about Jesus going into Jerusalem because he went there knowing he was going to die. Imagine that.
But if you know the principles of warfare, just because you might seemingly lose a battle doesn’t mean that you’ve lost the war!
Sometimes there have been strategic losses in battles in order to win the overall war.
It seemed as if Jesus lost, his disciples scattered like sheep, they stood at the foot of the cross and cried, people walked by and shook their heads, the Roman soldiers laughed at him while he was on the cross dying and gambled for his garments. That does not look like triumph, it does not look like victory.
But they forgot what Jesus told them…..if they had paid attention to what Jesus said they would have remember these words:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
MINISTER TO THE YOUTH
MINISTER TO THE YOUTH
It is Youth Sunday, and I want to encourage the youth. When you live for Jesus it is not easy.
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
When you live for Jesus, NOW…..if you are not living for Jesus, if you are living to blend in with your friends and your peers then you’re not going to experience this. BUT when you really give your life to Jesus and surrender to Him and he saves you.
People are going to talk about you. Why? Because they talked about Jesus.
People are going to plot against you. Why? Because they plotted against Jesus.
People are not going to like you. Why? Because they didn’t like Jesus.
You might feel like a reject, you might feel like a loser, you might feel like an outcast, but don’t ever forget who you are…..YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!
MINISTER TO THE ADULTS
Come on here adults, we experience the same thing in adulthood too. We are outcasts on our on jobs, we are outcasts in our own families, we are outcasts amongst our former friends.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory that he will reveal to us later.
And although we may suffer in this life. We are guaranteed victory not only in this life but in the life to come.
This is why Paul says:
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
In order to triumph there has to be some adversity there and when you live for Jesus and when you witness for Jesus, you will be faced with adversity. Adversity from every which direction, Satan and his demons are going to attack you.
But that is okay REALIZE THIS MORNING, REALIZE TODAY WHERE YOUR VICTORY COMES FROM. YOUR VICTORY DOESN’T COME FROM YOU, IT DOESN’T COME FROM YOUR STRENGTH, IT DOESN’T COME FROM YOUR INTELLECT. YOUR VICTORY COMES FROM GOD…..AND IT IS GOD THAT GIVES US THE VICTORY AND WE SAY THANKS BE UNTO GOD WHICH ALWAYS…..NOT SOMETIMES BUT ALWAYS CAUSETH US TO TRIUMPH!
Just tell three people, it might look like I’m losing but I’m really winning. Tell someone else, it might feel like I’m losing…..but I’m really winning! WHY? BECAUSE THE SCRIPTURE SAYS GOD ALWAYS CAUSETH US TO TRIUMPH.
So it doesn’t matter what I’m in right now.
Doesn’t matter what’s happening right now.
Doesn’t matter how I feel right now.
I HAVE FAITH AND I BELIEVE THE WORD OF THE LORD AND NO MATTER WHAT COMES MY WAY I AM VICTORIOUS!!!
Closing:
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
And because the Lord triumphed over every principality, because he triumph over every power. John also says in the word of God:
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every thing Jesus went through, it didn’t look like victory but it was victory that was happening to him. When they nailed him to the cross he took your “it” he took your charges, he took your sins, and he nailed it to the cross. Nailed lying to the cross, he nailed stealing to the cross, he nailed fornication to the cross, he nailed hatred to the cross, he nailed alcoholism to the cross, he nailed evil speaking to the cross, he nailed drug addiction to the cross, he nailed depression to the cross, he nailed suicide to the cross, he nailed every sin, every weakness, every evil act, every evil thought, HE NAILED IT TO THE CROSS IN ORDER TO GIVE YOU VICTORY, IN ORDER FOR YOUR SINS TO BE FORGIVEN YOU.
And when they nailed Him to the cross the Bible says he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, and if you have faith and trust in what Jesus did for you….the demons of Hell have been disarmed and you need to shout the victory!!!!
Tell your neighbor “IT IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE…….I MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE I HAVE THE VICTORY…..BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS DID FOR ME…….I CLAIM VICTORY…….RIGHT NOW!!!!” IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN PRAISE THE LORD FOR THE VICTORY IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN SHOUT THE VICTORY!!!! SAINTS OF GOD BELIEVE THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU THE VICTORY!!! I DON’T CARE WHAT COMES YOUR WAY, I DON’T CARE HOW AFFLICTED YOU ARE….HANG ON TO YOUR FAITH AND DECLARE IT…..LET THAT OLE SNAGGLE TOOTH DEVIL KNOW “IT GOT THE VICTORY THROUGH MY LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!”