Celebrate!

I really enjoy a great celebration, don't you? What are some things that people like to celebrate? A birthday party... a holiday... or a sporting event? How do they celebrate? Well, one way people celebrate is by making a lot of noise. People celebrate is by shouting and cheering.

This morning, let's have a celebration. Let's celebrate that we are here today to worship and praise Jesus. Let's all give three cheers for Jesus! Are you ready? Here we go! "Hip, Hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!"

Matthew

Matthew 21:1–11 NASB95

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Celebrate?!

Wow! That was great and I think this is good day for us to celebrate Jesus, because today is a very special day. Today is Palm Sunday. It is a day when we remember how people celebrated when Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a Sunday some two thousand years ago. You've probably heard the story, but let me tell it again.

Jesus was walking with his disciples toward Jerusalem. As they came near to the city, Jesus told two of his disciples to go on ahead into the town. He told them that they would see a young donkey tied there that had never been ridden. "Untie the donkey and bring it to me. If anyone asks you what you are doing, just tell them, 'The Lord needs it. He will send it back to you soon.'"

The disciples did what Jesus told them to do and it happened just as he had told them. They found the young donkey and they took the rope off of it and started to lead it away. Some men were standing nearby, and they said to the disciples, "Where are you taking that young donkey?" They told them what Jesus had said and the men let them take the donkey.

1 Kings 1:32–37 NASB95

Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ “Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say. “As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

1 Kings 1:

The disciples brought the young donkey to Jesus and they put their coats on it to make a soft place for Jesus to sit. As they made their way into the city of Jerusalem, people went ahead of Jesus shouting, "Hosanna! (which means “save us now”) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Others followed behind and they were also shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest!" All the while, people lined the streets cheering and waving palm branches.

It was a wonderful celebration, but it was a bit noisy! Do you think Jesus liked all that noise? I do! The Bible says "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Just as those people celebrated two thousand years ago, we have come here today to celebrate Jesus. What better day to do that than on Palm Sunday?

Celebrate?!

Father, we celebrate today just as those people celebrated in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. This is the day that You have made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.