When the Shouting Stopped

When the Shouting Stopped

Luke 19:29-40

The life of Jesus was marked by contrasts.

In the beginning of His ministry, He worked in obscurity. But, as the news of His power and His claims to be the Messiah spread, people began to flock around Him. They were drawn by the excitement of His miracles and the uniqueness of His preaching.

By the second year of His ministry, Jesus was inundated with crowds of people everywhere He traveled. These crowds were with Him until He began to preach the message of extreme commitment found in John 6.

By the time Jesus reached the end of His ministry, the crowds were made up of those who were committed to following Him. Of course, we need to understand the crowds weren’t always in favor of Him and what He was doing and saying.

Many times, the crowds were made up of those who were violently opposed to His teaching.

Even among His own disciples there was Judas. We need to remember that crowds are fickle! Never allow anyone to force you to be part of the crowd. You need to be man or woman enough to make your own decisions.

As Jesus reached the last week of His life on earth, the crowds were still there.

One thing that we see about these crowds that surrounded Jesus during His last week of earthly ministry is the fact that they were doing a lot of shouting.

Today, I want to look at three events in His life during His final week of ministry. At all three, the crowds were shouting. All of these events lead up to that day when the shouting stopped. That’s what I really want to look at this morning.

Let’s look at when the shouting stopped.

But first, we’ll pray and then read our main text.

Pray!

Luke 19:29–40 ESV

When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The first thing we see is the crowds shouting at His

Entrance

So, what was all the excitement about? Why were people so excited when Jesus entered Jerusalem this time?

First, it was because they were excited about the :

Man

They had seen all of the miracles and power He had demonstrated. Some of the people in this crowd were genuine in their love for Him, others were there because of what they’d seen Him do in the lives of others.

People are still interested in Jesus for what they’ve seen! They only want the miracles and the excitement.

And just because they love the miracles doesn’t mean they are saved!

They were excited about the man and they were exhilarated by the:

Messenger

Some were there shouting because of the radical teachings they’d heard Jesus speaking about. He was something new and different and they were drawn Him.

There’s still that crowd that flocks to the unusual. People hear someone who is a little different, and they act like they have heard an angel speaking to them. People are attracted to the unusual!

And just because they love the message does not mean they are saved.

They were excited about the man, exhilarated by the messenger and expected the:

Messiah

Today is Palm Sunday.

Today is the day we commemorate the Lord’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. For the disciples of Jesus, this was a day of great excitement and joy. However, for Him, it was a day of disappointment and heartbreak. You see, this was the day that Jesus made it clear to all who saw Him just Who He was.

All through His life and ministry, Jesus had proven Himself to be the Messiah. He’d fulfilled the prophecies, performed the miracles and told the Jews numerous times that He was the Savior that they’d been waiting for.

However, they’d consistently refused to believe His claims. This was the day when Jesus drew the line in the sand. When He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey from the Mount of Olives, there was no doubt about what He was doing. He was revealing Himself as the Messiah of Israel.

At this event, you’ll see that the multitudes are shouting and lifting their voices in praise of the Lord. They know what He’s doing and they’re certain He’s come to deliver Israel from the bondage of Rome. So, they cheer Him and shout praises to God because of Him.

Sadly, they missed the entire significance of this event.

Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

And, He also did this to force the hand of the Jewish leaders who planned to kill Him after Passover. But the reason Jesus came to Jerusalem was for the purpose of going to Calvary. These people missed it all! This man was headed to the cross! It’s why He’d come.

Just because someone thinks He’s the Messiah does not mean they’re saved!

There are many who enjoy the miracles, the message and the Messiah, but they miss the fact that salvation doesn’t come through anything else but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus didn’t come to heal you, feed you, bless you, teach you, or fulfill a bunch of dusty, old prophecies to the people of Israel. Jesus came for the sole purpose of going to the cross and dying for the sins of mankind. He came to be the Savior of the world!

Until you know Him in that relationship, you don’t know Him at all!

They shouted at His entrance to Jerusalem, but they didn’t understand that there was more to the story. Next, they shouted at His:

Examination

Let’s look at how apostle John records these events.

John 19:13–16 ESV

So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

The words “cried out” mean “to scream for or to demand something be done.” This crowd has been whipped into a frenzy that nothing but the blood of Jesus can satisfy.

Here, some of that same crowd that shouted that last Sunday are shouting for His death during His trial before Pilate. The crowd is fickle! When this Man they thought was the Messiah, didn’t act the way they thought He should, they wrote Him off as an imposter. That’s why we find some of the same people who were calling Him the King when He rode into Jerusalem, now crying out for His blood.

Why the sudden change?

First, they considered Him an:

Impostor

He didn’t overthrow Rome and that was the Jewish expectation concerning the Messiah.

They considered Him an imposter and an:

Instigator

He defied their Jewish rulers. He didn’t give into the authority of the priests and scribes. He possessed an authority that was far greater than any they hoped to have.

They consider Him an imposter, an instigator and an

Intruder

He’d been speaking out against their religion and even claimed to be God.

Whether you know it or not, Jesus is on trial in your heart today!

You’re either in His corner or you’re one of those who lifts their voice against Him.

You can’t have it both ways! You’re either for Him or you are against Him.

If you’re one of those who hasn’t submitted by trusting Jesus for your salvation, you’re part of that crowd that cries out against Him. Jesus is on trial in your heart this morning! Which side of are you on? What’s your decision about Jesus?

The crowds shouted at His entrance, His examination and His:

Execution

Let’s look at Mark’s account.

Mark 15:25–37 ESV

And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.

While He hung on the cross, the crowds around Him cried out to Him. They mocked Him. They ridiculed Him. They falsely accused Him. They even walked by and wagged their heads at Him. It’s a sign of contempt and hatred! It’s what children do in school when they stick their tongues out at each other.

Even those men who were crucified beside Him reviled Him.

By this time, their tolerance of this strange man with the strange message had turned to pure hatred. They wanted Jesus dead and they wanted His teachings to die with Him.

Why were they all so angry?

They misunderstood His mission

Again, they were looking for someone to overthrow Rome. They were looking for a revolutionary. What they missed is that Jesus didn’t come for revolt, but for redemption!

They were so busy looking for a Messiah Who would usher in the Kingdom, that they totally missed Isaiah 53 where we’re clearly taught that the Messiah must die for the people.

People still miss it today!

Jesus didn’t come to be an example. He didn’t come as a teacher who shared the truth. He didn’t come as a social reformer to lift the standard of life for people.

Jesus came to this world as the way, the truth and the life. He came for one purpose and one purpose only. He came to die. Jesus summed it up this way:

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Has He done that in your life?

They misunderstood His mission.

They misapplied Scripture’s message

When Jesus came to this world, He came to a people and a nation that was very religious. He came to a people who knew the Word of God, and were looking for the coming of the Messiah. But, in all of their study of the Scripture, they totally missed Jesus. They were looking for this reformer, this great military leader who would overthrow their enemies and lead the Jewish people to world dominance.

They were looking for a King!

When Jesus came as the Son of Man, as a Servant of the people, as One destined to die on a cross, they stumbled and totally missed what the Word of God had taught them.

From the time God killed the first animal in Eden to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, through the years and millions of animals that were sacrificed at the Tabernacle and Temple, God was teaching His people that an innocent sacrifice had to die to take away the sins of those who are guilty.

They missed the servant because they were looking for a soldier.

Yes, the Messiah would do all the things they expected, just not when they expected. When they saw Jesus on the cross, they were finished with Him. The cross became their stumbling block.

It still is to people!

Where do you stand in regard to the cross?

· Jesus the teacher can’t save you!

· Jesus the miracle worker can’t save you!

· Jesus the good example can’t save you.

But, Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, who shed His blood on the cross can save you!

· It took the death of Christ to open the way to God.

· It took the shedding of His blood wash away our sin.

Have you received Jesus and His death on the cross as the atonement for your sins? Are you saved today?

They misunderstood His mission.

They misapplied Scripture’s message.

They missed God’s methods

They expected a King and got a Savior!

Jesus came to set them free, but not like they thought He would.

During those pain filled hours on the cross, Jesus accomplished more than any conqueror in history.

He defeated the most persistent, and terrible of our enemies: Death, Sin, Satan, and Hell.

If those people had only understood the message of God, they wouldn’t have been reviling, they would have been rejoicing! They would have been shouting the victory knowing that their sins were forever being settled on that cross! But they didn’t get it then, and many in our day don’t get it either.

Don’t let anyone deceive you this morning!

Salvation isn’t for the good, the diligent, the holy, the hard worker, or those who have turned over a new leaf.

· Salvation belongs to those who come face to face with their own sinfulness.

· To those who are willing to admit that they’re sinners. ‘

· To those who look to Christ and come before Him confessing their sins and calling on Him for salvation.

Have you done that? Have you admitted you’re a sinner? Have you believed that Jesus died for your sins? Have you confessed your faith in Him as Lord and Savior?

Finally, that terrible day ended.

The lifeless body of Jesus hung on cross. The blood that had poured out of His body was pooling at His feet. The awful death He endured on that cross was mercifully over. The two men who were crucified with Him were also dead. There is silence as the crowd slowly leaves the scene and heads back to their homes.

They aren’t shouting now. The shouting stopped because the object of their anger was dead!

If those people had known what I know this morning, they wouldn’t have been silent, but they would’ve been shouting the victory! If they could have just seen the fact that in three days, the one they had watched die would rise from the dead and conquer death, hell and the grave, they would’ve bowed before Him in humble submission and left that hillside shouting the victory.

Now, before I close, let me tell you that, yes, the shouting stopped the day Jesus died.

His enemies stopped because the object of their hatred was finally gone.

Even His followers lost their shout because the object of their affection was dead.

But let me remind you that there came a day, just three days later, when the shouting started up again!

I’m not here today to preach a dead Savior!

I’m here to tell you about a Savior Who died on the cross and Who rose again from the dead. I’m telling you about One Who is alive forever to provide you with salvation is you’ll just come to Him.

Are you saved today? Are you sure you’re trusting Jesus? Are you walking in fellowship with Him today? Are there needs in your life that only He can meet? If there are, if there are burdens, if there are sins, if there is anything at all that needs to be taken care of, bring it to Jesus right now.