A Noisy Palm Sunday

Praises

35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

In Jesus’ day. Israel had been under Roman captivity for some time. The people ached for a leader—the long-awaited Messiah—who would come and free them from oppression and put them as a nation back in world leadership.

Jesus came, but not on a battle-hardened steed; rather, on the back of a colt, a baby donkey. The message should have been clear: God’s reign would not come by force. The kingdom of God would come one heart at a time, until Jesus returns again. Jesus also fulfilled the prophecy of , which says, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Jesus had given his disciples detailed instructions on how and where to find the colt, and it all unfolded just as he had said. Perhaps later, as events of that first Holy Week seemed to spiral out of control, the disciples might think back to these simple directions and contemplate how God really does have everything in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it.

As Jesus rode into the capital city, people began throwing their clothing on the dirt road ahead of him. They honored him as a king. When he got to the outskirts of Jerusalem, the fervor rose as the crowd praised God for all the miracles they had seen. I wonder about that verse: Do we take note of the miracles occurring daily around us, as God stirs in our heart to help someone near us, as God brings a healing, as God brings a salvation of someone’s soul?

On that first Palm Sunday, the news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was creating quite a stir, along with all the other miracles Jesus had been doing. The people were overwhelmed with excitement as they finally had their Messiah at hand. They quoted from , “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

What captivates me the most about today’s passage is the statement Jesus made when the Pharisees asked him to hush his fan club. In verse 40 he replied, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” In other words, there is something so exciting, so supernatural going on here, that all of creation must acknowledge it. Jesus comes along and says, “If the people don’t cry out, the stones will have to proclaim my glory!” I get the idea that nothing could hold back praise for God that day, even if the people’s shouts of joy would in a few days turn to demands for crucifixion. Regardless of the people’s shallow hearts, God was on the move. Jesus said, “It’s compulsory worship. Somebody or something is going to worship God today, because great things are happening!” This also should be a noisy Palm Sunday!

God's Word teaches us clearly we are to praise the Lord. God wants to hear our praise. But what is praise? Do we really understand what is involved in praising the Lord? How does praise effect God? What effect does praise have on us?

I. What Is Praise?

A. Webster's dictionary tells us that to Praise is 1. to express approval and commendation of; applaud, eulogize. 2. To express adoration of; glorify.

B. Wikipedia says, "Praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately."

C. The English word "praise" is derived from the Old French word preisier meaning ‘ to prize, praise, attaching value to.

D. Synonyms for praise are to commend, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, compliment, rave about, to laud, to brag on.

E. "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

F. Praise is a frequent theme in the Psalms. Actually the Hebrew title of Psalms is "Praises." Praise pervades the whole of Word of God from where we have indirect praise all the way to the book of Revelation. Praising God is calling attention to his glory.

G. Also Praise not worship. It is a part of our worship of the Lord Almighty God. To worship God is to give God the respect and honor due to Him.

Scripture demands it.

A. ( By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.)

B. Because of Christ (by Him..)

C. Continually

D. Sacrificially

Praise gives God the glory and honor due unto Him.

1. "Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!"

2. "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."

C. Praise brings pleasure to the Lord.

1. "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing"

2. "Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting."

III. What does Praise do for you?

B. and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High."

C. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance”.

D. Praising the Lord is very good and very important for us to do.

E. (ESV) "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

E. To the name of Christ

II. God accommodates it (vs.39-40)

A. There is always, it seems, someone who wants to stifle the praise of God. (v.39)

A. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,

B. and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High."

C. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance”.

D. Praising the Lord is very good and very important for us to do.

E. (ESV) "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

B. Because this is the greatest thing to happen in all of creation (v.40)

C. Justice demands that it be done

D. Failure to do it would leave an empty hole to be filled

III. The Prophets foretold it

A. Shout Aloud!

B. ( 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,.)

IV. God’s people owe it

A.. (Psa_107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;)

B. “If the Lord has redeemed you, if the Lord has saved you, the least you can do is say so!” ~ Dr. S.M. Lockridge

C. “Our sophistication is zapping the life out of our religion!”

D. (1Co_6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God….)

Conclusion: Illustration “Why we are needful to God”