The Passion Begins

Introduction

This week begins Passion Week. I’m sure most everyone of us in here have heard of “The Passion of the Christ.”

This passage we’re reading today is the “kick-off” of the Passion.

The Dictionary defines passion as:

Strong and barely controllable emotion

an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

intense romantic love

However, when it comes to the “passion” of Christ, this is not necessarily what we’re speaking of.

The word “passion” derives itself from the latin word “passio,” which means “suffering” and “enduring”

Therefore, when we speak of the Passion of the Christ, we’re speaking of that time-frame in the life of Christ which highlights His moments of intense suffering.

In addition, we highlight those moments that lead up to His intense suffering; hence why, beginning today, we call this week “The Passion Week.”

It’s a time to reflect upon the suffering of Christ.

Why do we do this?

Because we’re sadists?

Absolutely not!

We do this in hopes that we recall the very reason why Jesus died; that is, to save us from the wrath of God.

We deserve wrath: which is death, judgement, and hell.

However, Jesus became sin for us; endured the wrath of God on the cross in our place.

And, as a result of His sinlessness, God was pleased to accept His life as a ransom for ours.

There’s an irony in the death of Christ; in other words, the event of Jesus’ death on the cross appears to have been a defeat however,

Paul unveils to us in Colossians 2:14–15

“by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside (the record of debt), nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

The irony is this: what was thought to be His demise, was actually His victory.

Christ’s death occurred because of sin however, it’s because of Christ’s death that our debt to God that is, our payment of sin toward God was canceled on the cross and all rulers and authorities were put to an open shame because of the cross.

You CAN’T BEAT GOD!!

Passion or Passion?

This week, not only do we remember the suffering of Christ, but we also remember the passion (strong emotion, and desire) Jesus possibly had in His endurance of the cross.

If I could remind you what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There was joy in the heart of God.

The joy in the heart of Christ, in my opinion, was for the glory of God.

If I would’ve came out and said “Jesus endured the cross for you”

That could’ve touched us in a very profound way.

However, the supreme purpose for all that Christ did was for the glory of God.

Secondarily, it is the glory of God to reconcile us back to Himself since we were from the very beginning as a result of the sin of Adam.

Therefore, a second reason why Jesus endured the cross was for our reconciliation to God the Father.

God determined in His heart to save all of humanity.

Question: what is our passion?

What do we have a great desire, strong emotion, something we’d be willing to suffer for even?

If Christ has died for us, enduring such hostility because of the Passion within Him; where’s our passions?

Principle: All of us are passionate about something; some of us have many passions.

What is your passion?

Is Christ Jesus your passion? Are we willing to suffer for Him?

When I say suffer, where did your mind go?

Persecution? Dying for Christ?

What about fasting?

What about secluding yourself for a time of the day and seeking the Lord through prayer and reading of the scriptures?

How about taking time to talk to someone at the store, at work, at school?

Where do our passions lie?

With that thought in mind, let’s dive into our text for today.

Setting The Stage

We have to see what’s going on here.

In this passage of scripture, Passover is only a few days.

Passover was instituted by God as a way for Israel to remember God liberating them from the bondage of Egypt as slaves.

Here, in this context, Jesus is coming into Jerusalem and everyone is celebrating His arrival and see Him, not as One who will liberate them from their sin, but as another Moses figurehead who will liberate them from Roman rule.

We must be careful to NOT presume what God is doing.

The Colt

Jesus tells His disciples to go and get a colt (donkey) that’s never been ridden upon before. The prophet Zechariah prophesied in Zechariah 9:9 “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.”

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

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.

In other words, Jesus riding into Jerusalem on an unridden donkey was fulfillment of prophetic scripture.

Jesus riding into