The Unstoppable King: How do you welcome Him?

THE UNSTOPPABLE KING: HOW DO YOU WELCOME HIM? John 12:12-22 – MHAFB, 5 April 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: Days of Anguish, Days of Hope / Topics: Palm Sunday, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a Donkey Before Worship: Pray with leaders! Openings Verse: Psalm 118:(19)25–29 (Psalm 24, 95; Isaiah 40:9–11) Songs: Count Your Blessings; In Moments Like These; You Are My Hiding Place ----------------------------------------------------------------------------SLIDE-Transition to Sermon Introduction Attention: 1. How many of you like to welcome people into your homes? a. For us, this time of isolation is especially hard! 2. But I want you to consider— a. When you have welcomed people into your homes— b. How do you get ready for them? 3. I suppose it depends on who it is that we are welcoming, right? a. Visiting grandparents b. A spouse return from business trip or visit to family c. A child coming back from college or home for the holidays d. A distinguished guest e. Or simply friends coming over to have dinner, talk, or play some games. 4. Why we do this—why do we bother getting ready for these guests? a. Make good 1st impression… b. Really respect & want to do things that please & honor him/her… c. Hide the mess that is normally our house… d. Or a multitude of other reasons… 5. On Palm Sunday we consider how we prepare for a very special guest… a. Jesus, Himself. Big Picture: 1. Since January we have been working through the book of Judges— a. Seeing how even in days of anguish—our God gives us hope. i. Something very important to remember in such times as this! b. Now, a consistent theme we’ve talked about that this book highlights is that... i. Israel was supposed to look to God as their king 1. But they rejected Him. ii. Not only did they reject Him, but they also appointed above themselves 1. A worthless king like Abimelech 2. And worthless gods like El, Ba’als, & Ashtoreths. iii. Throughout Old Testament history the people of God struggled with such infidelity. 2. But God did not abandoned them into their sins… a. Instead, the New Testament reveals that the people of God we personally visited by their ultimate King, through the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ! b. A visitation that was powerfully manifested on Palm Sunday 3. No power of hell nor scheme of man was able to stop this King from visiting, saving, & ruling His people 4. And so today we are introduced to Jesus as… a. Title-1: The Unstoppable King! b. And He is a King that bears such importance that we must each consider… i. Title-2: How do I welcome Him? ii. While the story of Palm Sunday is found in all four Gospels, today we will look at what John 12 shares about this momentous day 5. Thesis: As we do, I invite you to consider what it means that… a. Jesus is the unstoppable King who saves & leads God’s people! Passage: 1. Context: a. The Gospel of John points out that shortly before Palm Sunday Jesus resurrected Lazarus (John 11); after this great miracle… John 11:47–48 CSB 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs? 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” b. After consulting together, "from that day on they plotted to kill Him” (Jn 11:53) i. There was great opposition to this King… 1. Many who tried to keep Him from visiting, saving, & ruling His people! ii. So, Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, 1. But stayed in the countryside near the wilderness c. However, the great Passover feast was coming up— i. A feast that obliged every God-fearing Jewish man to gather in Jerusalem. d. Knowing that Jesus’ public appearance was very likely, i. The Chief Priests & Pharisees gave “orders that if anyone know where He was, he should report it so that they could arrest Him!” (Jn 11:57) ii. The tension is rising & a big confrontation was inevitable! e. At the beginning of John 12, six days before the Passover feast, i. People discover that Jesus returned to Bethany to join Lazarus & his family for a meal 1. This is the meal where Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume ii. A crowd of Jews who heard about His miraculous raising of Lazarus begins to gather there. 1. And this is when we come to today’s verses… 2. Verses-6 Slides: Please stand with me as we read… John 12:12–22 CSB 12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. 17 Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. 18 This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!” 20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 3. Please be seated and join me in prayer… a. Father, thank You that you did not abandon us to our sinful rebellion i. Thank You that you chose to visit Your people & to offer us Your peace. ii. Thank You for the cross & how You 1. Atoned for our sins, 2. Gave us Your righteousness, 3. And made us Your very children iii. We love You & thank You for this all. b. In Jesus Name we pray— i. Amen! Transition: 1. Now, let us turn our focus to some of the… Main Point 1: Feats of King Jesus Explain: 1. The Gospels as a whole relate many of the works that Jesus does on behalf of His people a. And in this morning’s passage, John highlights several key ones, the first of which is that Jesus… 2. MP1: Jesus Rules: He is, as the people declared in v13, “the King of Israel!” a. This point is re-emphasized by John in v15 when he quotes Zechariah 9:9, which declares, i. “Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous & victorious, humble and riding on a donkey...” b. MP1: Jesus comes as a humble servant-leader of His people i. But don’t let His humility fool you into thinking He is weak… 1. He is also a victorious King! c. He is the Good Shepherd Who both lays down His life for His sheep & leads His sheep (John 10:15, 27) i. And in laying down His life for His sheep, we also see the incredible feat of Jesus— 3. MP1: Jesus Saves: a. The people’s declaration of “Hosanna!” in v13 was both a term of praise as well as a request for salvation b. Their total declaration actually came from Psalm 118:25–26, which shares, Psalm 118:25–26 CSB 25 LORD, save us! LORD, please grant us success! 26 He who comes in the name of the LORD is blessed. From the house of the LORD we bless you. c. Although they did not know it at the time— i. Far greater than any political or military salvation from the Roman Empire— ii. MP1: Jesus was going to accomplish an eternal & spiritual salvation for all His people! iii. A salvation which He offers to you even now! d. As He later declared in John 12, i. His death would produce much fruit (John 12:24)! ii. Through belief in Him, we will become “children of light” & no longer remain in darkness (John 12:36, 46; Psalm 118:27a)! e. John’s quotation from Zechariah 9 highlights the salvation of Jesus, that it will come “in that day” & it will be a clear victory! (Zech 9:9, 16) i. And through saving us, we also see that… 4. MP1: Jesus Gives Life: a. John 11 highlighted this through how Jesus “called Lazarus out of the tomb & raised him from the dead.” i. And as we already heard, this miracle is actually what drew many to Jesus and caused many to testify about Him on that day (John 12:17) b. It’s quite incredible to think that His resurrection of Lazarus was actually only a small example of... i. MP1: A greater resurrection He offers to us! ii. The eternal life He was to give to all who believed in Him! iii. The glorified body He was redeeming on our behalf! c. For indeed, as Jesus declared in John 11:25-26, “…I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die…” d. MP1: And this life is not a ‘ho-hum,’ ‘meh’ kind of life… It is an abundant present life! i. Again, the Zechariah 9 prophesy highlights this, sharing that God will make his people “as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land. For what comeliness & beauty will be theirs!” (Zech 9:16-17) ii. For indeed, while the thief comes only to steal, kill, & destroy, Jesus came that we may have life & have it abundantly — both in this life & the life to come! (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; John 10:19) e. And finally, we also see that… 5. MP1: Jesus Draws Us to Himself: (see Revelation 5:9–10 for the great multitude whom He draws!) a. Up until this point, the Gospel of John shows Jesus to be a seemingly elusive Christ i. He slipped away when people wanted to make Him king or when His enemies were about to kill Him ii. This decision allowed Jesus to delay His crucifixion until the appointed time (c.f. Matthew 26:18, John 2:4, 7:6-8, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23-27, 13:1, 17:1)— iii. Today, on Palm Sunday, Jesus broke this pattern by making a very public claim to His kingship— 1. A claim that perfectly lined up with His teachings throughout the Gospels & the coming teachings of His Apostles 2. A claim that was resonated in the loud adoration and praise from this Palm Sunday crowd 3. And a claim that invites us to follow Him a. A claim that draws us to Him—for those who have such eyes to see! b. Through this, He invites us i. To respond to Him ii. To consider the question I started with, “How do I welcome Him?” b. Just a bit later in John 12:32, He points out that it is not ultimately His Palm Sunday entrance that rallies His people to whom as a king may do for war-i. Ultimately He says that it is through His crucifixion that He “will draw all people to myself.” ii. A role that He shares with the Father (John 6:44-45) and Spirit (John 14:26, 16:7–14) c. MP1: This is why we seek Him! i. And in our verses this morning (John 12:19-22) we see that some Greeks, the world beyond the Jewish ethnic group, were already seeking Him! ii. God does not leave us to our own devises to find Him. 1. He revealed Himself throughout history, a. Ensuring that holy men wrote down His Word for us b. And that this Word was preserved and delivered to us (Psalm 19; Jeremiah 36:28; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) iii. And He works within our hearts & lives now, even today 1. That we might know & love Him 2. That He might be our King iv. So, have you welcomed Him as such? Illustrate: 1. In our world, many fancy the idea that God is actually an elusive God a. That He hides here & there and that it is up to us to find Him! 2. It’s an interesting contrast to what we see demonstrated in the Scriptures. a. Here we are introduced not to people seeking God… b. But rather to a God seeking people! 3. We are the ones who hid in the Garden of Eden a. We are still the ones today who hide 4. And in our hiding, we make gods of our own design a. And then look for them, wondering why we cannot find them. 5. Have you been seeking a god of your own design? a. Have you become frustrated that you have never yet found it? Expand: 1. Today I invite you to see the God who reveals Himself a. I invite you to see the unstoppable King Jesus! Transition: 1. And with this, let’s reflect not only on the amazing feats of Jesus, but also on how… Main Point 2: King Jesus is Unstoppable Explain: 1. MP2: Jesus’ great works (which we join the Apostle John in celebrating this morning) are unstoppable! a. His salvation cannot be stopped b. His rule will never be thwarted c. When He gives life, no one can take it d. Those He draws to Himself, will forever remain! (John 6:37–40, 10:28–29, 17:2-3, 17:11–12; 1 John 2:25; 5:11) e. Consider how we celebrate this so frequently in the songs of worship that we sing… i. “Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You You silenced the boast, of sin and grave The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again” - Hillsong Worship’s What A Beautiful Name ii. “No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand” - Stuart Townsend’s In Christ Alone 2. MP2: His victory was settled since Eden! a. When the first sins occured, God assured us that a seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent b. MP2: It was confirmed throughout the ages by our faithful God c. God’s people were reminded of it through such prophecies as… i. Psalm 118, declared by the people on that road to Jerusalem (John 12:13) ii. Or Zechariah 9:9, which John highlighted in John 12:15, a prophesy that later goes on to say (Zechariah 9:16-17) Zechariah 9:16–17 CSB 16 The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people; for they are like jewels in a crown, sparkling over his land. 17 How lovely and beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women. Biblical Examples: 1. Though many throughout history have tried—Jesus’ victory could not be stopped by… a. Conspiring Religious & Political Leaders: The chief priests & Pharisees of His earthly days failed in their attempt to keep people from believing in and going after Him (John 11:47-54, 12:19) b. Entire Raging Nations: A truth reflected on in Psalm 2:1-4, which shares… Psalm 2:1–4 CSB 1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and his Anointed One: 3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.” 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. c. Satan & Demons: Though the great fiery red dragon warred w/one third of the heavenly hosts against Him, Satan was… i. Cast down from heaven with all his demons (Revelation 12:1-9) & ii. Committed to the eternal fire prepared for them (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10) 2. For, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ" has come with an eternal security (Revelation 12:10)! Expand: 1. This is the King who entered Jerusalem on that day—the unstoppable king! Transition: 1. Now, let’s wrap this up… Conclusion: Conclusion Reiterate: Jesus is the unstoppable King who saves & leads God’s people! 1. Consider again His great works! a. He accomplished an eternal salvation for His people b. He provides a perfect leadership to guide us throughout our lives c. He offers eternal & abundant life d. He draws people to Himself from every tribe, language, people, & nation (Revelation 5:9–10) 2. And nothing can stop Him in accomplishing these things! a. His victory was secured sense Eden b. And has been confirmed throughout the ages Apply: Con: So, how should we respond? It’s always interesting to look at how people responded to Jesus on that 1st Palm Sunday… 1. Pilgrim Crowd: Joy-filled, anticipatory praise! 2. Jerusalem Crowd: Curiosity 3. Disciples: Honor & obey 4. Religious Leaders: But what about you & me, how should we respond? First… 1. Con: Better know & honor Jesus as your King a. If He truly is this unstoppable King—Don’t you want to know Him better? i. Take time to be in His Word, especially the Gospels 1. Pray & ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to Jesus 2. Remember, Jesus promised to draw us to Him—seek Him for that very thing! ii. And if this means first coming to Him in repentance & faith— 1. Do so today! (Psalm 95) Hebrews 3:7–8 CSB 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, b. And with this, also seek to better honor Him! i. Praise Him in words & songs! ii. I love how Paul puts it in Colossians 3:16–17 CSB 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 2. Con: Prepare your heart for King Jesus. a. Consider your life as the house to which Jesus is coming to visit. i. How would you rightly prepare it? b. Toward this end, I encourage you to meditate over Hebrews 12:1–2 this week Hebrews 12:1–2 CSB 1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. i. Con: Turn away from your sins, ii. Con: Lay aside every hindrance! iii. What would it mean for you to better “run the race with endurance” this week? iv. What will it take... 1. to rightly fix your eyes on Jesus? 2. To, like Mary in Luke 10:38–42, sit at His feet & listen? v. Con: Both fix your eyes & center your life upon Him! c. And finally, I encourage you to… 3. Con: Bring others to King Jesus (see Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:44–49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:4–8) a. Follow the example of Philip and Andrew i. They were present & sensitive enough to hear that others were seeking Jesus 1. How often do we miss this? 2. We have a great & mighty King! a. He is actively working to draw people to Himself 3. Are you willing to join Him on this journey? ii. Con: Each of us must also be present & sensitive to bring others to Jesus 1. Slow down in life 2. Pay attention to the words, attitudes, & needs of others 3. Be courageous enough to follow through, a. Even if, like Philip, that means you bring another Christian on board to help you! Appeal: 1. Brothers & Sisters, we have a great and mighty King Jesus. a. Do you see Him this way? b. Have you come to know Him in this way? c. Do you so share Him with others? 2. May God so bless each of us toward these ends in this Holy Week & beyond. Conclude: 1. Please join me in prayer…