Palm Sunday '25

Takeaways:

Character of the King

Mission of the King

Accountability and Responsibility of the King’s subjects

Human choice

The art of persuasion

Context in Luke:

Heals the blind man outside of Jericho

The Character of the King: His mercy.

Goes and invites himself to Zaccheaus’ house

Mission of the King: Luke 19:10 “10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

Parable of the Ten Minas.

Accountability & Responsibility of the King’s subjects:

Luke 19:28–44 NIV

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Exposition:

The mood is one of Jesus knowing the future. Knowing exactly what was before Him. Living to please the Father, and save others regardless of the cost.

This triumphant entry is Jesus subverting the worldly understanding of kingship to suggest a reign of a different order.

He is defining his kingship - one of humility and service.

The King owns everything. It all belongs to Him.

This is not a democracy. The King doesn’t ask, he requires.

Jesus is praised not for who he said he was but what he did.

Like her Messiah, the church needs to be a community, not just of testimony and words, but of presence and service among those whom it seeks to reach.

2 Responses

Praise, acknowledgement of the King.

Rejection as King

Palm Sunday is a reminder:

Of the Mercy and Mission of our King to save the lost.

And therefore, as his disciples, our responsibility to seek and win the lost.

John 20:21 “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.””

I am either going to be loud about him or silent about him. If I am silent, even the stones will cry out. It’s an injustice to remain quiet.

Paul sums this up:

To win the lost. This is not reserved for “others” this is the heart of Christianity.

What I have I want to give.

2 Corinthians 5: 9-11 “So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.”

We live to please him period. As Jesus knowing what was to come… He lived to please the Father.

Regardless of the cost, let go of holding on to your reputation, let go of trying to befriend the world… it has all been crucified, you’re a new creation.

We will be held accountable.

“Not only are servants to be faithful, they will be held accountable upon the kings return.”

The previous parable.

Responsibility

William Wilberforce, “Great indeed are our opportunities’ great also is our responsibility.”

Good servants will feel the weight of their responsibility to their assignment and work without delay.

Responsibility means: it does not ask or care if you feel like it.

Persuasion

Persuade not proclaim.

Wrong thinking of evangelism.

Not manipulation but the art of persuasion.

The empowerment for others to think for themselves and come to a conclusion… a choice. It’s literally what parables do.

Acts 18:4 “4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

Acts 28:23 “23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.”

“Paul pleases God by his efforts to persuade men.”

We please God by working hard to persuade others to the truth of Jesus.

The Stages of Persuasion:

Work before the Work

Most people at any moment in life have not even reached the first stage. They are living unexamined lives and are satisfied with what they believe, and therefore indifferent or hostile to the gospel.

They believe what they believe, and that is the end of it.

Most likely, they have never thought deeply about what they beliee, so consciously or not and with solid reasons or not, they believe in its adequacy and truth. They have not yet set out ont he quest for meaning of life and are not seeking.

In this difficult case, relationally, we must raise difficult questions and press arguments to their logical conclusion that challenges the adequacy and truth of what they believe.

Questions

Insufficient worldview, start asking questions.

This is an opportunity to find out where they are. What is important to them, letting them tell us their stories as we listen with love, compassion and care. What their burning question is, what direction they are looking for the answer, and then consider how we can best help to move forward.

These questions are not about what a person believes but rather about disbelief. Not believing in what they believed before.

Options

There is no shortage of “belief systems” out there but really there are only three families of faith that all stem from:

Eastern religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, New Age

Secularist religions: atheism, agnosticism, naturalism, and materialism.

Monotheism: Judaism, Islam, Christianity.

This is the time for comparison / contrast.

Contrast is the mother of clarity.

Two issues that highlight the contrast between opposing beliefs are: the issue of human dignity and worth and the issue of pain and suffering… Run them through the different lenses and see the results.

God was big on comparisons...

Isaiah 46:5 “5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?”

Isaiah 45:5 “5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,”

What’s at stake here is the adequacy and meaning of life. Does it fit the key of their heart?

Evidence

Remember, our faith is not built or established on:

“It works for me”

“The family that prays together stays together”

“I want my kids to have strong morals”

This might be sincere but it is weak, shallow, and vulnerable to the deceptive world.

Our faith is built on TRUTH. The Christian faith, unlike any other, takes the issue of truth more seriously and with greater consequence for our whole view of life.

Now is where we can work to provide solid evidence for the seeker to weigh the option they are pursuing.

This is where we offer needed explanations and caring encouragement. The Christian faith stands and falls unashamedly by its claims of truth.

Choice

The seeker is found and accepts Christ

This faith is personal and experiential, not just knowing about God but knowing him intimately.

The seeker turns on his heel to reject Christ.

We must remember though, all this seeking is only half of the story, the full story shows the work of the Holy Spirit in seeking the seeker. That they don’t end up finding God but that God found them.

Lewis said it best, its like the mouse seeking the cat.

This is important because this is not just wishful thinking, I wish God were true. But because he seeks and saves us, he wants us, desires us, “He is the hunter, we are the deer,” Being found is much deeper than finding.

It’s the story of love, we are sought and loved by God.

The importance of this part of the process for us.

For example: in the Hindu worldview, the worth and dignity of the individual is simply not there. The faith excludes it.

For the atheist: they can celebrate the world of here and now and all that is within the realm of science, but they are tone deaf to transcendence and everything that lies beyond the world of science.

For the (as Lewis calls the window-less world) of the Naturalist, secularist and modern people in general (where much of our work is fought) they are stuck in a cave, with no sunshine and can’t hear what Einstein called the “music of the spheres.” It’s a depressing existence as even Charles Darwin said he was less and less able to appreciate the music of Handel’s Messiah.

Chesterton comically summed them up quite well, “Most present day Anglo-American philosophers have the same conception of reality as that held by a slightly drowsy, middle-aged business man right after lunch.”

The answers they receive in this moment create what they will see and what they won’t see.

In the study of the human brain, for example, take a mountain.

To a pagan greek - it’s the dwelling place of the gods

To an ocean navigator - its a landmark

To a miner - it’s wealth.

To a painter - it’s a future piece of of art.

To an adventurer - it’s something to be conquered.