Palm Sunday

John 12:13 NKJV

13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name!

Intro

PALM SUNDAY

1. Today is what we call Palm Sunday…

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter or resurrection Sunday.

This holiday honors the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his crucifixion.

The people cried out, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Hosanna means: "save I pray thee; keep; preserve"

It was a common in the ancient Middle East to cover, the path of someone they thought worthy of the highest honor with branches and leaves.

Now all the Gospels report that the people gave Jesus this honor.

In Mark, Matthew, and Luke it describes people laying down their garments, coats etc.. and cut branches on the street.

Now John is the only Gospel to specifically mention palm branches.

The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory.

Revelation 7:9 NCV

9 After the vision of these things I looked, and there was a great number of people, so many that no one could count them. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Because of this scripture , the detail of the palm branches and the scene of the crowd greeting Jesus as he entered Jerusalem by waving palm branches, and carpeting his path with the palm branches, the day has been named Palm Sunday

TODAY I WANT TO TAKE YOU, PAST THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY…

I want to look at this day not from the crowd looking at Jesus - but to what the bible records Jesus sees

Luke 19:41 NLT

41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.

As Jesus came closer - he saw the city - The King James says he beheld the city

Jesus looked at Beautiful Jerusalem, the breathtaking view

Jesus looked at the pomp and pageantry of the festival

Jesus looked at the occasion

Jesus looked at the splendor and awe of the people

But Jesus saw beyond the outward appearance of things.

Jesus Saw BEYOND THE façade of that city

Jesus saw beyond the FACADE of the people.

Jesus saw Beyond the pomp and pageantry

Jesus saw beyond the festival and celebration!

Jesus saw beyond the outward appearance

What Jesus sees makes Him weep

Because Jesus sees the spiritual condition of the city

Jesus sees the spiritual condition of the people

He wept

He wept because the people did not understand the significance of what was going on that day…

He wept, because they did not understand who He was

He wept because they did not understand why he came to this earth

He wept because people rejected him

He wept, because he knew these same people would crucify him

And I believe, that sometimes Jesus looks at our lives, and weeps

I believe that sometimes Jesus is grieves today…because of our spiritual condition!

I believe that Jesus grieves when we reject Him!

I believe that Jesus grieves when we don’t give him our all!

I believe Jesus grieves when we would be selfish, instead of selfless.

I believe Jesus grieves when we would rather live for the world, than live for His Kingdom.

I wonder if Jesus is grieved at what He sees in your life today?

Because Jesus sees beyond the outward appearance of things.

Man looks outwardly, But God looks inside.

Jesus sees beyond the outward facade in our lives

Jesus sees The facade that hides inward sin

Jesus sees the smile that hides inward tears.

Jesus sees The face that hides inward pain

Luke 19:41 AMP

41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it,

Jesus Cares About Our Pain

The two concerns of Jesus was the sin of the people and people rejecting him

Did you know, that sin brings pain?

From the first sin in the Garden of Eden every act of disobedience brings pain All sin has a negative consequences: guilt, shame, depression, anxiety

Sin makes us distant and it will take you farther away from Jesus than you want to go

Ezekiel 18:20 NKJV

20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

If we think we are getting away with sin???

We’re Not! Jesus Knows…

Tell your neighbor

We cannot sin and win

Repentance is TURNING AWAY FROM SIN, and turning to God.

The only way to defeat sin, Is to Master in Repentance

Jesus will soon pay the price for my sin and yours at the cross, but on Palm Sunday - he weeps

I read this Quote from

CS Lewis said: In His Book The Problem With Pain

Pain is not good in itself. What is good in any painful experience is, for the sufferer, is his submission to the will of God, and, for the spectators, to have the compassion aroused and the acts of mercy to which it leads.

Here’s What I Want You To Do - Look at the person closest to you right now and tell them

Jesus sees beyond your outward appearance, and

Jesus CARES ABOUT YOUR PAIN,

and Jesus KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

Luke 19:42 NLT

42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.

Jesus was Exclaiming, How he wished that Jerusalem Would had known, would have understood the way to peace , the way to freedom from all distress experienced as a result of sin

If they had known the peace that brings true security,

If they had known the peace that brings true prosperity,

If they had known the peace that brings true happiness is in Jesus Christ

Oh, What Jerusalem might have been:

The city of blessing ,But, Instead it has a city of war and grief

I want to remind you today…

Jesus knows your full potential

Jesus doesn’t look at what you are, , but He looks at what you can become

The saddest words ever spoken or even written are these:

It might have been

I could have been

I could have Done

Jesus knows what you can achieve. Don't underestimate Him

I wonder today, Have you blown it? Sinned, made a mistake? Fallen Short?

Jesus was weeping because of lost potential caught up in sin

I found this interesting story I’d like to share with you.

In a Rose Bowl Game many years ago between Georgia Tech and the University of California.

In that game a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California.

But, Somehow, he became confused and started running 65 yards in the wrong direction.

One of his teammates, Benny Lom, outdistanced him and downed him just before he scored for the opposing team.

When California attempted to punt, Georgia Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety which was the ultimate margin of victory.

That strange play came in the first half of the game, and everyone who was watching the game was asking the same question:

"What will Coach do with Roy Riegels in the second half?"

The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room.

They sat down on the benches and on the floor, all but Riegels.

He put his blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, put his face in his hands, and cried like a baby.

If you have played football, you know that a coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during half time.

That day Coach was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels.

Then the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time.

Coach looked at the team and said simply,

"Men the same team that played the first half will start the second."

The players got up and started out, all but Riegels

He didn’t budge. The coach looked back and called to him again; still he didn't move.

Coach went over to where Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn't you hear me?

The same team that played the first half will start the second."

Then Roy Riegels looked up and his cheeks were wet with a strong man's tears.

"Coach," he said, "I can't do it to save my life. I've ruined you, I've ruined the University of California, I've ruined myself.

I couldn't face that crowd in the stadium to save my life."

Then Coach reached out and put his hand on Rigel's shoulder and said to him:

"Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over."

And Roy Riegels went back, and those Tech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

Some of us need to get up and play like you never have before…

God has a great future ahead for us

It’s time to play the second half of the game…

Amen?

A Great Future beats a Great Past - anytime!!!

Tell the person closes to you

Jesus sees beyond your outward appearance,

Jesus CARES ABOUT your PAIN,

Jesus KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

and lastly JESUS DESIRES TO GIVE you PEACE

Luke 19:41–42 AMP

41 And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it, 42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace—your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness—depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

If you want peace - don’t reject Jesus!

Jesus Came to his disciples and said this

John 14:27 NKJV

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus wants us to have Peace in our lives… Only the type of peace He can give.

Peace does not consists in the absence of troubles… but in the presence of God.

The Peace that Jesus gives us is not the absence of trouble, but the confidence that He is there with you always.

Today – As we celebrate Palm Sunday know that

Jesus did weep

But it was because he sees beyond the outward appearance,

HE CARES ABOUT OUR PAIN,

HE KNOWS YOUR FULL POTENTIAL and

He LONGS TO GIVE US PEACE

God Bless You and keep you!