Palm Sunday Service

Palm Sunday Service

Introduction:

* As you have noticed today, things are arranged a little different in church this morning.

* I am not going to preach this morning, but we will be looking into the Bible and doing some reading together as we worship this morning.

* This morning is Palm Sunday, and we have put together a service to commemorate Palm Sunday.

* Palm Sunday is a Christian feast time that falls on the Sunday before Easter.

* The feast of Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four of the Gospels.

* In many Christian churches, Palm Sunday includes a procession of the assembled worshipers carrying palm branches, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem the week of his sacrificial death on the cross.

* Historically, The difficulty of finding palm branches in climates like ours, eventually led to the substitution of branches of native trees, including box, yew, willow, and olive trees.

* Palm Sunday services were sometimes named by the names of these other trees, such as Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

* The last week of the Life of Jesus began what we call the “triumphant entry” of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem to observe the feast of the Passover.

* When Jesus exited the city later in the passion week, it was under the weight of a cross, on which Jesus, in the eyes of man, was cruelly murdered, but in the providence of God, Jesus freely gave his face to the smitters, and freely gave his body a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

* As we turn the eyes of our imagination to the events of that day, lets us look upon the crowds as they are gathered before the city gate, crying out Hosanna to God! And praising Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.

* Before this day, Jesus had not allowed Himself to be called the Messiah by the people, but on this day Jesus proudly accepted this title for Himself as He entered the city, as the prophet Daniel predicted to the very day.

* In the accounts of the four gospels, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place about a week before his Resurrection.

* The Gospels tell us that Jesus rode into the city on the back of a young donkey.

* This is revealed to us in

Matthew 21:1–17 (KJV 1900)

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them,

Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

* The symbolism of Jesus riding on the foal of a donkey is captured in Zechariah 9:9 where the prophet said…

– See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey".

* The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern tradition that the donkey is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war.

* In the time of Jesus, a king would enter a city riding upon a horse when he was bent on war, and a king would ride upon a donkey when he wanted to point out he was coming in peace.

* Jesus' entry to Jerusalem would thus symbolize his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king

* In many lands in the ancient Near East, it was customary to cover in some way the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honor.

* The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in the Greek and Roman culture of the Roman Empire. Later, the palm branch later became a symbol of Christian martyrs and their spiritual victory or triumph over death.

* We see this in Revelation 7:9, the when white-clad multitude stand before the throne and Lamb holding palm branches.

* It was perceived by the people of Jerusalem that Jesus was declaring he was the, promised Messiah, the King of Israel that would sit upon the throne of David.

* This greatly angered the Jewish High Priest and the council of the Sanhedrin- the Sanhedrin was a council of seventy-one Jewish elders, who constituted the Supreme Court and legislative body in Judea during the time of Jesus.

* This is what would, later in the week, result in the condemning Jesus to death, and the crucifixion of Jesus, and then the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the first day of the next week- the week we observe as Easter Sunday.

* As Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the people began to sing part of Psalm 118: 25–26 – singing... Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord…

* In Luke 19:41 as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city of Jerusalem, and weeps over it, foretelling the suffering that awaits the city. Let me read to you His words…

Luke 19:36–48 (KJV 1900)

36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

* These are the events of the beginning of what we call “passion week,” the last week of Jesus life on this earth before his death.

Transition to the Last Supper:

* Now, I would like to also mention to you this morning that near the end of this week of Palm Sunday, Jesus gathered his disciples together in the upper room for what we call the “Last Supper,” which was really the observance of the feast of the Jewish Passover.

* Jesus was that night to become the fulfillment of the Jewish “Passover Lamb” that would be symbolically slain and eaten by those who would apply it’s blood to the top and sides of the doorposts of their house there in the land of Egypt.

* This splashing of the blood on the doorposts, pictured the shape of a cross- the cross on which Jesus would give his life so the wrath of God would be on Him in place instead of his followers.

* I believe this is what Jesus was speaking of when He preached to the people in Jerusalem in John chapter 10 saying “I am the door.”

John 10:7–9 (KJV 1900)

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 10:15–18 (KJV 1900)

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

* and so Jesus became the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb that when it’s blood was applied, saved those who were behind the door marked with the blood of the sacrificial Lamb.

* And so, in like manner, we will celebrate here this morning, a representation of that same feast Jesus and His disciples partook of, the night that Jesus was arrested in the garden.

* Now, I want you to pick up on the importance of this supper, so I will read to you what happened that night…

John 13:1–17 (KJV 1900)

Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

* Now, to make things as short as possible, I want to point out the main thought of the meaning of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet at this supper.

* The observing of a supper together symbolizes our fellowship as believers with Jesus.

* As the Apostle Paul teaches, the observance of the Lord’s Supper, like the original supper that night, is all about our fellowship with the savior.

* The observance of the Lord’s Supper, which we are doing here this morning, is all about confessing sin in order to continue in fellowship with Jesus.

* The focus of this time of confession is closely related to how we treat each other as fellow Christians.

* The apostle Paul wrote of the Lord’s Supper later, after the practice of this had become an ordinance of the church, along with baptism, spoke to the importance of the Lord ’s Supper being a time of soul-searching reflection and confession of sin.

1 Corinthians 11:20–34 (KJV 1900)

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?

What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

* Now, what we are about to do this morning is not commanded in the Bible, but in the spirit of the teaching of the Apostle Paul, we are going to do something that I think will be an act of worship, and an act that will cause us to remember what Jesus did for us this week long ago.

* And I believe this act of worship will help examine our own hearts as the apostle Paul said, to prepare us to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

* We need to each deal with the sins that have accumulated in our hearts like the dust that had accumulated upon the feet of the disciples in that upper room, the night the Lord instituted the first Lord’s Supper.

* This is done that we might have clean hearts, free of sins that might hinder our fellowship with our Lord this morning.

* In Colossians chapter 2, speaking of our being baptized into Christ, the Bible says that “the ordinances that were against us,” meaning the condemnation of the law for our sins, was blotted out, by nailing them to the cross of Jesus.

Colossians 2:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,

which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

* Jesus taught his disciples that night of the first Lord’s Supper, that we don’t need to be cleaned all over again; Jesus did that when we were saved. We call that Justification.

* but that our feet need to be cleaned by the savior, as they accumulate in our hearts after that we are saved- We call that sanctification.

* In order to maintain fellowship with us, our savior desires to wash our feet that have gotten dirty since we had been originally washed clean of sin.

* According to the apostle Paul, the Lord’s Supper is intended to include a time of reflection in the heart, and examination of our own sin, and repentance before we partake of this solemn supper.- Just like first supper when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.

* This morning as a reminder, and as an act of worship, we have made available paper and pencils, to privately write down the sins that come to mind that may hinder our fellowship with our savior.

* In the spirit of Colossians 2:14 which says… 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; -

* We hope that you will examine your heart and write down the sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, that may be hindering your fellowship with the Lord.

* After a brief time of self-examination, we will go together and symbolically nail, or place our sins before the cross, and return to this the Lord’s table, and fellowship together at the Lord’s table.

Intermission to go outside.

Placing the notes on or at the foot of the cross, then burning them in the sight of all.

The observation of the Lord’s Supper together:

As the congregation re-assembles together at the tables the pastor reads…

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

Brother Carroll serves the bread:

Pastor reads:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Congregation breaks the bread

Brother Carroll distributes the cup

Pastor reads:

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Congregation takes the cup

Reminder of one more great Lord’s Supper to come:

Matthew 26:26–30 (KJV 1900)

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Revelation 19:5–16 (KJV 1900)

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me,

Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,

and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Singing:

“There is a fountain filled with blood”

“Worthy is the Lamb”