When Jesus Shows Up

[-09INTRODUCTION

I remember coming out of high school, I worked at a nursing home right here in this area. I was one of the few males on staff, so they assigned me to take care of several of the men.

I made sure they were turned… I made sure they were bathed… I made sure they ate…

I knew what I had been taught.

But if I’m honest… after a while, I learned how to make the job easier.

Not wrong enough to get in trouble… But just enough to save time… Just enough to cut a few corners.

And everything seemed fine… until inspection day.

Because when inspection showed up—something shifted.

All the shortcuts… All the quiet compromises…

They went out the window.

Not because I didn’t know better… But because of who was showing up.

When the inspector showed up… everything had to line up.

And can I tell you tonight…

You can get comfortable when nobody is watching… You can settle into patterns when there’s no accountability…

But I came to tell somebody—

Everything changes… when presence shows up.

And it is in that tension… between what we’ve normalized… and who is now present…

that we arrive at Matthew 21.

📜 CONTEXT + SUPPORT

Jerusalem is full.

People have gathered for Passover—celebrating how God brought them out of Egypt.

They are celebrating what God did… but they are still dealing with where they are.

They have history with God… but they need a fresh move from God.

And into that tension—

Jesus shows up.

But He doesn’t come the way they expected.

Not on a war horse… but on a donkey.

Because a horse represents war… but a donkey represents peace.

Which means—

He came the way God intended, not the way they imagined.

And this shouldn’t have surprised them…

Because the prophet Isaiah declared:

“Prepare the way of the Lord… Make His paths straight… Every valley shall be lifted… Every mountain made low… Crooked places made straight…”

Which means—

Before God moves publicly… things start lining up privately.

Low places come up… High places come down… Crooked things get straight…

And I need somebody to hear me—

When Jesus shows up… everything has to line up.

🎯 THESIS

When Jesus shows up—

He disrupts what you got used to… and reveals what God is really doing.

⚖️ ANTITHESIS

You can be in the right place… and miss Him. You can be around praise… and not recognize Him. You can have religion… and still miss revelation.

Same Jesus…

Different responses.

🔑 POINT 1: WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… ACCESS IS GRANTED

Jesus says:

“Go into the village… you will find a donkey tied… loose it.”

There was something there… but it was tied up.

Available… but not accessible.

And all it took—

was a word from Jesus.

And I came to tell somebody—

There are things in your life right now…

You see it… You know it’s there… But you can’t reach it…

Because it’s tied.

But when Jesus shows up—

🎯 Access is granted!

Doors open you didn’t knock on! Things move you didn’t push!

What was tied up… has to be loosed.

🔑 POINT 2: WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… IDENTITY IS ANNOUNCED

The crowd cries:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

They weren’t just making noise—

They were making a declaration.

But others said:

“Who is this?”

Same Jesus… Different responses…

Because when Jesus shows up—

You can’t stay neutral.

🎯 He doesn’t just reveal who He is—He reveals who you are.

You’ve been confused… You’ve been questioning…

But one encounter with Jesus—

Will settle your identity.

🔑 POINT 3: WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… ATMOSPHERES SHIFT

The Bible says:

“The whole city was moved.”

That means something shifted in the air.

The environment couldn’t stay the same.

And I don’t know who I’m preaching to—

But you walked in one way…

🎯 When Jesus shows up— you don’t leave the same way.

Something is shifting right now…

🔥 EXTENDED HOOP + CLOSE

(Start controlled)

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Doors start opening! 📖 Revelation 3:8

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Joy has to come! 📖 Psalm 30:5

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Peace steps in! 📖 John 14:27

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Chains fall off! 📖 Acts 12:7

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Healing takes place! 📖 Isaiah 53:5

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Burdens get lifted! 📖 Matthew 11:28

(🔥 Build)

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Fear has to go! 📖 2 Timothy 1:7

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Strength rises up! 📖 Isaiah 40:31

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Crooked places get straight! 📖 Isaiah 40:4

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Captives go free! 📖 Luke 4:18

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Yokes are destroyed! 📖 Isaiah 10:27

(🔥 Push)

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Depression has to lift!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Confusion has to clear!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Your mind gets regulated!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Your heart gets healed!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Your situation has to turn!

(🔥 FINAL DRIVE)

I said— 🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP…

You can’t stay stuck! You can’t stay bound! You can’t stay where you are!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Access is granted! Identity is announced! Atmospheres have to shift!

🎤 WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP… Everything has to line up! Everything has to shift! Everything has to change!