Palm Sunday's Tears

PALM SUNDAY’S TEARS

INTRODUCTION:

JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES ARE TRAVELING TO JERUSALEM, WHERE JESUS WILL, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, BE ARRESTED AND CRUCIFIED.

HE HAS JUST PERFORMED HIS FINAL RECORDED HEALING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEALING OF THE EAR OF THE SERVANT OF THE HIGH PRIEST.

AND THEY COME INTO JERUSALEM TO A RECEPTION FIT FOR A KING.

THE PALM BRANCHES – LAID BEFORE A CONQUERING KING UPON HIS RETURN FROM A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.

IT IS THE DAY COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS PALM SUNDAY

SO CALLED BECAUSE OF THE PALM BRANCHES USED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR JESUS’ ENTRY INTO THE CITY…

IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY,

WHICH WAS PROPHECIED OVER 450 YEARS EARLIER, IN .

– 25 KNOW THEREFORE AND UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE GOING OUT OF THE WORD TO RESTORE AND BUILD JERUSALEM TO THE COMING OF AN ANOINTED ONE, A PRINCE, THERE SHALL BE SEVEN WEEKS. THEN FOR SIXTY-TWO WEEKS IT SHALL BE BUILT AGAIN WITH SQUARES AND MOAT, BUT IN A TROUBLED TIME.

AND IT IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF EVENTS RECORDED BY ALL THE GOSPEL WRITERS

THE SETTING AND THE SCENE

ABOUT FIVE DAYS BEFORE PASSOVER,

ROUGHLY 300,000 PILGRIMS WOULD COME TO THE CITY TO CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER

JESUS AND DISCIPLES CAME FROM BETHANY

HE HAD INSTRUCTED HIS DISCIPLES TO GO INTO THE NEXT VILLAGE AND RETRIEVE THE DONKEY AND ITS COLT.

AND THIS IS WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES AS WE READ THE TEXT FOR THIS MORNING.

THIS MORNING, I WANT US TO LOOK AT SOME LESSON WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THE LORD FROM THE ACCOUNT OF HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY, SPECIFICALLY FROM HIS REACTION AS HE APPROACHED THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.

HE SEES BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL (V. 41)

VERSE 41A - “HE SAW THE CITY”SO MUCH IN THE WORLD IS SUPERFICIAL.

VERSE 41A - “HE SAW THE CITY”SO MUCH IN THE WORLD IS SUPERFICIAL.

i. COMING DOWN FROM BETHANY, THROUGH BETHPHAGE..

1. HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF JERUSALEM.

2. THE BREATHTAKING VIEW.

ii. AND THEN HE WAS GREETED BY HIS FOLLOWERS WITH SHOUTS OF HOSANNA AND PRAISES TO GOD.

1. BUT JESUS KNEW THAT THERE WERE MANY IN THE CITY THAT WEEK WHO WOULD BE IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF THE ONE WHO COULD PROVIDE SALVATION FOR THEM, BUT THEY WOULD EITHER IGNORE HIM, OR THEY WOULD BE SO CAUGHT UP IN THEIR OWN RELIGIOUSLY SUPERFICIAL LIVES THAT THEY WOULD MISS HIM.

2. HE SAW BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL IN THE CITY.

HE SEES BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL IN A CHURCH.

i. JESUS MADE THIS CLEAR IN HIS LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCH IN REVELATION.

1. – THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS - “I KNOW YOUR WORKS, YOUR LABOR, AND YOUR ENDURANCE.”

2. – THE CHURCH AT SMYRNA – “I KNOW YOUR TRIBULATION AND POVERTY.”

3. – THE CHURCH AT PERGAMUM – “I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE.”

4. – THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA – “I KNOW YOUR WORKS – YOUR LOVE, FAITHFULNESS, SERVICE, AND ENDURANCE.”

5. – THE CHURCH AT SARDIS – “I KNOW YOUR WORKS; YOU HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BEING ALIVE, BUT YOU ARE DEAD.”

6. –THE CHURCH AT PHILADELPHIA – “I KNOW YOUR WORKS. BECAUSE YOU HAVE LIMITED STRENGTH.”

7. – THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA – “I KNOW YOUR WORKS, THAT YOU ARE NEITHER HOT OR COLD.”

HE SEES BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL IN OUR LIVES.

i. HE SEES BEYOND THE DISGUISE THAT HIDES INWARD SIN.

ii. HE SEES BEYOND THE SMILE THAT HIDES INWARD TEARS.

iii. HE SEES BEYOND THE PAIN THAT NO ONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT.

JESUS SEES BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL.

i. YOU MIGHT ASK, “DOES HE REALLY CARE ABOUT ME?”

ii. VERSE 41 REMINDS US THAT HE DOES.

HE CARES ABOUT YOUR PAIN (V. 41)

VERSE 41B - “… HE WEPT OVER IT”

i. WHAT HE SEES MAKES HIM WEEP.

ii. YOU MIGHT ASK, “WASN’T JESUS’ PRIMARY CONCERN OVER THEIR SIN?”

1. YES … BUT HE KNOWS THAT PAIN IS CAUSED BY SIN.

2. FROM THE FIRST SIN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

3. EVERY ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS PAIN.

4. ALL SIN HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

a. YOU CANNOT SIN AND WIN.

b. THE PLACES YOU GO, THE THINGS YOU DO…

c. THE WORDS YOU SAY, THE HURT YOU INFLICT…

d. ALL THESE BRING PAIN

5. AND JESUS CARES ABOUT YOUR PAIN.

HE ALSO KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL (V. 42)

“WOULD THAT YOU, EVEN YOU, HAD KNOWN…”

i. THAT PHRASE “WOULD THAT YOU, EVEN YOU” IS A PHRASE THAT MEANS, “I WISH YOU KNEW,” OR “IF YOU KNEW.”

ii. HE KNEW THE POTENTIAL THE CITY OF JERUSALEM HAD:

1. THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE CITY OF BLESSING

2. BUT ALREADY, THE AUTHORITIES IN JERUSALEM HAS SET IN MOTION A COURSE OF ACTION THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE DESCTRUCTION OF THE CITY.

iii. IF THEY HAD ONLY LISTENED TO AND HEEDED THE WORDS OF JESUS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, BUT THEY DID NOT.

JESUS KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL.

i. HE KNOWS WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE.

1. IF ONLY YOU WOULD LISTEN TO AND HEED THE WORDS OF JESUS.

2. IF ONLY YOU WOULD, RIGHT NOW, TODAY, BEGIN TO WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM…

3. HOW DIFFERENT YOUR LIFE COULD BE…

SO JESUS KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL…

AND HE LONGS TO GIVE YOU PEACE (V. 42)

VERSE 42B - “HAD KNOWN ON THIS DAY THE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE FOR PEACE”

i. PEACE! WHAT A GREAT WORD THAT IS!

ii. IT’S WHAT WE ALL LONG FOR…

iii. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TRYING TO ATTAIN PEACE, BUT IT IS THE DESIRE OF EVERY PERSON.

1. JERUSALEM MEANS CITY OF PEACE.

2. BUT WAR WAS WAITING IN THE WINGS (VV. 43, 44) …

iv. JESUS SPOKE A PROPHETIC WORD ABOUT JERUSALEM IN VERSES 43 AND 44.

v. – 43 FOR THE DAYS WILL COME ON YOU WHEN YOUR ENEMIES WILL BUILD AN EMBANKMENT AGAINST YOU, SURROUND YOU, AND HEM YOU IN ON EVERY SIDE. 44 THEY WILL CRUSH YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN WITHIN YOU TO THE GROUND, AND THEY WILL NOT LEAVE ONE STONE ON ANOTHER IN YOU, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION.”

vi. THIS PROHECY WAS FULFILLED IN 70 A.D. WHEN THE EMPEROR TITUS AND THE ROMAN ARMY DESTROYED JERUSALEM.

BUT LOOK AT THE LAST PART OF VERSE 44.

i. WHY WAS THE CITY DESTROYED?

ii. FOR THE SAME REASON THAT MANY LIVES ARE DESTROYED TODAY.

iii. VERSE 44C – BECAUSE YOU DID NOT KNOW THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION.

EVEN IN THE MIDST OF ALL THE HOSANNA’S, THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM WERE OVERLOOKING THE MESSIAH.

JESUS, GOD’S ANOINTED, WAS IN THEIR PRESENCE, AND THEY MISSED IT.

DON’T MISS JESUS TODAY…

CONCLUSION

JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE IN PLACE OF YOURS AND MINE, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT WE COULD NOT DO ENOUGH GOOD DEEDS TO GAIN GOD’S FAVOR…WE COULD NOT PERFORM OUR WAY INTO HEAVEN.

SADLY, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE TODAY WHO HAVE BEEN DECEIVED INTO BELIEVING THAT SALVATION IS JESUS PLUS SOMETHING…JESUS PLUS WORKS…JESUS PLUS BAPTISM…JESUS PLUS POSITION…

BUT THE TRUTH IS FOUND IN – 11 THIS JESUS IS THE STONE THAT WAS REJECTED BY YOU, THE BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE. 12 AND THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.”