Palm Sunday 2020-Look, the world has gone after him!

Intro: Crowds

Texts to engage

You are the light of the world, (cf. )

- the world did not recognize it even though he created the world

Temptation of Jesus

, God was reconciling the world to himself

- All the ends of the earth will turn to the Lord

- the disciples turned the ‘world’ upside down

REF: Lame man. So that you know the son of man has the power to forgive sins, get up and walk.

MSG

Intro: Crowds

Some people are afraid of crowds

Crowds can be great—concerts, amusement parks events, Feeding 4k/5k

Crowds can be scary—When there’s a fire in a movie theatre, when riots break out during an otherwise peaceful protest, when you’re out black Friday shopping, when you’re trying to buy toilet paper.

Intro: Palm Sunday is a story of crowds

(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:

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!”

What was happening?

Passover celebration

Huge crowds—Jews and Gentiles from all over the world—this is the crowd that was there with the palm branches when he entered the city.

A crowd followed from Bethany that witnessed Lazarus being risen from the dead.

Why did they have palm branches?

Common element in Jewish celebrations and feasts

Jewish tradition for exalting a king

On some level, the crowd identified Jesus with David

Who did they think Jesus was?

King (palms) cf. King of the Jews (When Pilate sentences Jesus, this is the accusation the Chief Priests make against him, ‘We have no king, but Caesar’)

Narrative—Who do they say that I am? Some say a prophet, some say John the Baptist. Peter, the Messiah (savior king)

Later in the story you find out that the Priests and scribes have their own crowd who opposes Jesus. It’s believed that somewhere between Palm Sunday and Good Friday when Jesus was crucified that the priesthood turned the crowds against Jesus. — sometimes a friendly crowd can turn ugly really quickly

The religious elites in the Jewish community seemed threatened by Jesus

Power and prestige was more important to them than serving God.

19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

They wanted to turn the crowds against Jesus, but they accomplished nothing (at least not yet)

The crowds (world) had gone after him

On world (kosmos), the pharisees were referring to the jews that were present from all over the Roman Empire (the world at the time, although not really) for passover. But, those Jews who believed in Jesus would soon take the message of the Messiah, Jesus, to the whole Roman world. We live in a similar world, where people from every nation, tribe, and tongue come through Los Angeles. We have an opportunity to share the Gospel unlike almost any other place in the world.

On world (kosmos)

The pharisees were referring to the jews that were present from all over the Roman Empire (the world at the time, although not really) for passover.

But, those Jews who believed in Jesus would soon take the message of the Messiah, Jesus, to the whole Roman world.

We live in a similar world, where people from every nation, tribe, and tongue come through Los Angeles.

We have an opportunity, because of where we live, to share the message of Jesus unlike almost any other place in the world.

Attracting crowds

Jesus described himself as the light — like insects, people flock to the light

(CSB)

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Read the Gospels—Jesus literally had to hide to get a moment alone. People followed him and found him everywhere he went.

Often huge crowds of 1000’s of people.

Jesus is no longer in the world, that’s why he said,

(CSB)

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

The contemporary evangelical church spends too much time talking about how Christians are persecuted and how the path that leads to God is narrow as if that’s a good reason for people not to be coming to Jesus.

The narrow path is a reality; it’s not an excuse.

Separating sheep from goats—what you did for the least of these you did unto me. (cf. , )

We are called to be light—to shine so bright that the city around us cannot help but see us no matter how hard they try.

Often huge crowds of 1000’s of people.

We cannot be content not to draw crowds.

Practical ways to draw crowds that the church has been using for literally 2000 years — 2nd Coming

Separating sheep from goats—what you did for the least of these you did unto me. (cf. , )

(CSB)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels, with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations, will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels, with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations, will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Food for the hungry

Clean water for the thirsty

Hospitality for the stranger

Clothing for the naked

Care for the sick

Help for prisoners (people being persecuted by their own government)

*** I can’t help, but notice these are all things Jesus did while on earth…

NOTE: “brothers and sisters of mine’ normally refers to your church family, but here in this context Jesus is talking about the whole of His people. This command is for you in your neighborhoods, in your workplaces, in your social circles—YOUR PEOPLE.

The pharisees were frustrated when they said, “Look, the world has gone after him!”

As Christians, we would love nothing more than to look around our city and exclaim, “Look, the wold has gone after him!”

That means we need to be comfortable with crowds (even though they can turn ugly)

And it means we need to be willing to get our hands dirty drawing crowds.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.