The Miracles Of Palm Sunday 03/28/21

Well, good morning and welcome to New Grace Baptist Church, and we are so glad that you are here today and we are one week before Easter and so we're are starting a new series today and it is a series that I have entitled Christ death and resurrection and we're going to go on a journey and a study of the Easter story. If you remember at the end of last year, we did an in-depth study of the Nativity Story. Well starting today we going to do an in-depth study of the Easter story. And today we're going to start with Palm Sunday, which is today a matter of fact, and remember that was when Jesus was on a donkey and he entered into Jerusalem about a week before his death and crucifixion. And so Today we going to talk about excuse me. I'm going to talk about Palm Sunday and and some of the things that happened on that day in the title of this message. Today is the miracle of Palm Sunday and was talking about Christ triumphal entry and we going to look at Matthew chapter 21 verses 1 through 11 today. So the resurrection of Our Lord is the probably the single greatest event in history had the Lord just merely died. He would have been considered a great teacher and a moral leader, but he would not have proven himself to be God, but by coming out of the Grave he triumphed over death and hell and showed that his sacrifice on the cross was acceptable to God and of course that gives hope of eternal life to everyone who puts their trust in him now, just think about this his Enemies killed him and put him in a tomb. They seal the tomb with a huge Stone and even placed a guard around it so that no one could steal the body. And with that I'll have the enemies thought that they had kind of cosine Jesus to the Grave forever. But God's Mighty power of life was so much greater than all the strength of mankind in that power broke open that tomb moved the great Stone out of the way and it lifted Jesus up to life. So every other if you think about this every other religious leader lies buried in the earth Abraham's in the Muhammad, he's dead and buried Buddha Confucius all the others who have attempted to lead men and women into a relationship with God could not defeat death, but Jesus Christ, And what is one of the best documented facts in history Rose Victorious over the grave and I think in this troubled world that we live in today we can take hope in a risen Christ. So that's why we want to kind of Journey here and in an in-depth in the story of the Easter and we want to talk about Christ's death and Resurrection in his entry into Jerusalem and all the events that surrounded the greatest event to ever occur on Earth. So as we prepare for the Easter season and passion week this week, it's imperative. I think for us to take a look at the scriptural account of how everything went down and is so important this entry of Christ into Jerusalem one week before his death. It was so important that all four gospel writers wrote about it and it's in all four. Of the gospels and today what I want us to do is I want to look at Matthew 21:1 through 11 because there's where we read the most detailed account of what took place on Palm Sunday. So let's start in Matthew chapter 21, and we are going to look at verses 1 through 11. So this is what the Bible says now when they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethpage at the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two disciples not let me stop you right there. Just a moment and talk about a little geography on the one of the other gospel says that they had came from Jericho had come from Jericho and Jericho would have been about a 15 miles away. But as you would leave Jericho and come to Jerusalem, you would have have you would have climbed in elevation about 3,500 ft. So they were on this Dusty Rocky rugged Road and Bethpage was kind of on the Southeast side of the Mount of Olives which contain like three ridges east of Jerusalem. It was about a mile from Jerusalem and the northern peak of those ridges one was around 3,000 feet the other around 2,700 feet. So they had walked for about 15 miles in a very of rug in and and hard walk on a Dusty rugged road. So when they drew near to Drew's on the Bible says they came to Bethpage at the Mount of Olives and it says Ben Jesus sent two disciples. Saying to them go into the village office it you and I meet Lee you will find a donkey tied in a cult with her loose them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them all. This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying tell the daughter of Zion in that phrase Daughter of Zion simply means the people of Jerusalem. So tell the people of Jerusalem behold your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey a Colt the foal of a donkey. So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey in the cold laid their clothes on them and set him on there. So they Place Jesus on the cult. And it says in a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road others cut down branches from the trees the palm trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitude to went before and those who followed cried out saying Hosanna to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosanna in the highest and when he had come into Jerusalem all the city was move saying who is this? So the multitude said this is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. So here we see Jesus triumphal entry here. And what I want to do is I want to talk about three Miracles that happened on this Palm Sunday and the first miracle that we see was simply this and that is the miracle of the preparation and we see this in verses 1 through 3. You see the first three verses tale of the preparation for the Lord's ride into the city the owner of the donkey and Colt perhaps he may have been on his way to Jerusalem. Like a lot of other folks had tied up the animals in the Little Village near Bethpage and its Christ approached Jerusalem. He sent two disciples ahead for the donkey and the colt and Jesus kind of instructed them that if the animals on her, what's her Christian damn, well, why do you want my animals? Well, they should say well the Lord has need of them now. Maybe the man was a believer in Christ that Christ was the Messiah and as soon as he was told who needed the animals he turned them loose so that they can be part of this pageant if you will in Jerusalem, you see the animals owner recognized that the King has the right to make use of property no matter who it belongs to so when the disciples went into the village scenes worked out exactly as Jesus said they would you see he is the god of the universe. He is omnipotent and he's omniscient and God is always orchestrating the events and they will occur exactly as he says you see it is no less a miracle that those these two animals were found precisely the way Jesus said they would Dan the owner's response was exactly what Christ predicted. He said you going to find a donkey and a Colt. Well, that's exactly what they found and he said bring them to me if anyone says anything just tell them that the Lord needs them you see in the very preparation of his entrance. The Lord Sovereign purpose can be seen clearly how he is orchestrating the events and also know this that the disciples it says went and did as Jesus commanded them. You see when we are obedient to The Sovereign Lord, and we remember that he knows the beginning and the end. We need never to fear him no matter how strange the requirement seen that he asks us to do. You see the disciples obeyed the Lord and things turned out exactly as he had promised. So we see here to begin with the miracle of the preparation. The Lord said there's a colt and a donkey that I need and I know exactly where it is. And you guys you go and get it and tell the owner that the Lord has need of it and he will give it to you and that's exactly what happened. So we see hear the miracle of the preparation, but then secondly, we see another miracle and that is the miracle of the prophecy and I noticed this and we see this in Verses 4 through 7 and in Zechariah 9:9, that's the prophecy that we want to look at and here's what that prophecy says. It says Rejoice greatly o Daughter of Zion. Shout o daughter of Jerusalem behold. Your king is coming to you he is just and having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey a Colt the foal of an Aki now think about this this prophecy of Zachariah was given 500 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that cult followed by that donkey 500 years before Zachariah was able to predict exactly what was going to happen. Now. Do you think that if someone said would tell me what's going to happen in the year 2525? Unless the Lord allows this Earth to still be standing then what's going to happen five? What's the world going to be like 500 years from now. Could you answer that question? Could you tell anyone a single event that's going to happen 500 years from now. Well, of course we couldn't but here we see the prophet Zechariah who says behold your king is coming to you. He is just having salvation. He's lonely which means he's humble and he's riding on a donkey and that's exactly what happened given 500 years before before it was fulfilled in Jesus is life and it describes exactly what Jesus did and how the people of his day would receive him. Yeah. It's amazing how many Old Testament prophecies Matthew refers to in in more than a hundred references to the law and the prophet? Matthew reveals the miracle of God's prophetic word. You see in the triumphal entry celebrated on Palm Sunday each year. We see the Fulfillment of Zacharias prophecy here and matter fact. If you go through if the Book of Matthew you'll you'll see 10 different passages that says something that this was done that it might fulfill what the prophet said in 10 different passages in Matthew. He gives us this and says, okay now this happened because the profits would say or the prophet said that it would happen Matthew was trying to stress that Jesus is the one who was prophesied in the Old Testament that would come and save his people from their sin. You see the Old Testament prophets all of these prophets who spoke of Jesus I think what God is doing here is he's trying to show us that Jesus is the center point of all history and he will bring to completion God's Plan of Salvation and the Old Testament hope and that's what we see here in the prophet of Zakaria. You see these Old Testament words could refer only to Jesus cause he's the only one that had the credentials to prove that he was Israel's King and and think of this we don't often Associated the writing of a donkey with kingship, but this was actually the Royal animal of Jewish monarchs. And of course, the next time Israel will will see Jesus. Of course, he's not going to be riding a donkey. We know that but he's going to be seated in power and he's going to be in all his glory and he's going to be on a white horse is he comes out of heaven in Revelation 19 in the Bible says he's going to come and he has a name written on his thigh. I don't his Vester and not name is the Lord of Lord in the King of Kings. You see when Jesus came the first time he came riding in on a lowly donkey but friends when he comes the second time, he's coming with all power. He's not going to be on a daki. He's going to be on a war horse and he's coming and he's going to bring judgment to this earth and friends. That's what we know. That's what the prophets said would happen. You say we can write a complete history. I think of Jesus is life just from looking at Old Testament prophecies concerning his birth. His life is death his resurrection and his Ascension. They're all in the Old Testament. We can take those prophetic words if we can put them down in the correct order. We would essentially have the same history written by the gospel writers in the New Testament now, why is that? Well, it's because of what the Bible says about the Old Testament and this is what Jesus said and Matthew 5:18 a look at this. He says for shortly I say to you till Heaven and Earth pass away one jot or one Tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is for feel. He says not a single every single event that is prophesied will occur not a jot or tittle will pass from the law until all of it is Muirfield. So we see here not only the miracle of the preparation Jesus knew where that was a donkey and a cold and he knew where they was a man that had it and the man was going to agree to let them have it. He just knew that but we also see the miracle of the prophecy 500 years before this occurred Zachariah prophesized that your king is coming and he's going to be on a donkey and a Colt. Well number three and this will be our last point for today. And that is we see the miracle. The presentation and we see this in verses 8 through 11. So if Jesus came marching into the city the multitudes they rejoiced and the Bible says that they wave palm branches and they Place their garments in front of Christ parade kind as a symbol of humility and honor and they cried Hosanna. They said Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord now just kind of noticed the miraculous manner in which Christ chain the cold had never been written before yet. When Jesus said on him, it just accepted his weight and all I didn't try to Buck him off or anything you see when Although he had never been broken. It was completely obedient to him because the Lord has dominion over all the beasts of the field. Even the animals submit to Christ in his kingly row and then consider also the uniqueness of Christ planning and promoting a public demonstration. You see that was unlike Christ remember in the New Testament when he would heal people almost every time he would kill someone he would tell that person hit make a point and say not look when you leave don't you tell anyone what I've done he would say go and tell no man. You see Jesus stayed away from the Limelight unlike many popular believe leaders today. He was more comfortable along in the desert or in the mountains pray then in the midst of the crowd, but on this day all of a sudden he was laying into the City by great multitude and he complied with it. He wanted everyone to see This occurring now. Remember this is during the Passover season and most time of his least historians. Tell us that during the Passover season. That would probably be somewhere between one and two million people in and around Jerusalem. And so just think of all the people that was there and how they follow Jesus as he presented himself to his people as king you see this was the climax of Christ presentation as messiah in the people yelled Hosanna and that just means to save or rescue is actually used as a prayer, you know, please save us we pray is what it meant and then it became kind of a liturgical thing. We're Hosanna is just a shout of Praise And it implies a rulership. So it's Christ came in all the people was saying Save us we pray and they were shouting praise to him hosanna in the high. So the people were saying this is finally Israel's Mossad and he is coming to Jerusalem and he is going to break the Roman rule here and he's going to deliver his people so as the crowds ran before and they shouted praise to God recognizing that Jesus was the blessed one who it came in the name who had come in the name of the Lord, but think about this just a few days later the people who were crying hosanna would some of them would be the same ones who would be saying we will not have this man rule over us crucify him. You see as you look back at this event. We can't understand every Nuance of it probably but we know that Jesus was waiting to be received as Lord and King yet his own people. Leave him not and that's what the Gospel of John says. He came into his own butt is on received him not. Well, here's another element kind of a miraculous element of Christ presentation of himself as Messiah on that day. Never remember this was Passover and he entered the city along with all the other Lambs that were to be sacrificed. Remember God had instructed to Jews and I think it was an Exodus chapter 12 to sacrifice a lamb on Passover and the Very day Christ entered the city many of those sheep would have been driven into the city. So, you know, the roads must have just been jam with Jewish families bringing their lambs to sacrifice and then there was Jesus in the midst of them all and there he is walking with all the other Lambs. Why would that be because remember what John said Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world as he presented himself that day he knew that he would be rejected. But he also knew it was God's will for him to come and you see it had those Jews who brought those Lambs Place their faith in Jesus as Messiah they would never again. Have had to bring an animal sacrifice to the temple. You see Jesus is our Passover Lamb slain to pay the penalty for our sins. So if you would take a look at all the various gospel accounts of what happened. You would discover that in these triumphal entry. They was some strange responses to that moment not right for example, and you know and I are chapter Matthew 21 we discover in the Bible says in verse 10. It says that that the whole city was moved. And the people were saying well, who who is this? Well. This the interesting word there that the whole city was moved. That's the Greek word Scion will we get our English word seismic and so probably a better translation. There is is that all the people were shaking when Jesus came into Jerusalem kind of like when a earthquake occurs, you know, you hear people talk about a seismic shock, but when an earthquake occurs, there's all this shaking and agitation going on. So here Matthew record that when Jesus came into the city that the people were shaking as the Royal massage enters the city and you have to remember that Jerusalem at this time was filled with a lot of excited to people maybe one to two million and then the word of a possible Messianic figure probably just The people that day especially all the visitors and they would been mystified with who is this that the people's talking about? Who is this man? And so the people or just shaken that day what I sent Matthews with in the end Luke chapter 19, there's something else the Pharisees also had a response now watch it this Luke chapter 19 verses 37 to 39. And this is how they saw the event then as he was now Drawing Near The Descent of the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of disciples begin to rejoice and praise God for the loud voice for all the Body 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. So this is when they were saying Hosanna and all of that but watching verse 39 and some of the Pharisees called to him from the crowd teacher rebuke your disciple. So the Pharisees were saying listen to what your disciples are saying, they're saying that you're the savior of the world and you're the coming one and you're coming to save your people rebuke them that's blasphemy. You see they didn't understand what was going on as well. And that's in Luke chapter 19. And even the disciples Jesus is on disciples in John chapter 12 verses 14 to 16. Look at what it says about their response to this to his presentation. It says then Jesus when he had found a young donkey set on it as it is written. So we already read about that fear not Daughter of Zion or people of Jerusalem behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey's Colt. So here's. That's the prophecy of Zacharias. Now. Look what it says in verse 16 about the disciples and says his disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Jesus was glorified then they remember that these things were written about him and that they had done these things to him. So even his disciples did not understand it says they didn't understand until after Jesus was glorified. When was he glorified? What was it was after his crucifixion after his burial it was when the resurrection occurred and then when he met with them after the resurrection it was then that they said old now, we remember what these things were written about what Zachariah said in some of the other prophets and that all these things would happen. You see as this was happening real-time. They didn't have a clue. What was going on. The Pharisees didn't have a clue that what we're going on and all the people in the crowd yelling hosanna in the highest. They didn't know what was going on because a week later most of them was crying for him to be crucified. So just think hear the people all the people around did not know and understand the meaning of the moment. Jesus had told them exactly what was going to happen, but they still missed it. It wasn't until much later that his disciples could look pack and understand what occurred on that day. And sometimes I think of us and perhaps to Minnie Mouse we missed the significant spiritual moments in our lives because we've been kind of desensitized by the cares of this world. It is only later sometime we moved look back. So now I see what the Lord was doing. Now. I see what was happening if we could only sensitize our hearts to the Lord is working right now and I one would think that with all these people in attendance surely one person in the crowd didn't miss such a moment as this now John's gospel does note that those who had Witnesses had wit. Is Lazarus Resurrection? Some of them was also at the triumphal entry and it says that they bore witness to what was taking place. In other words, they had already seen the power of Christ at work. And then when I saw him entering Jerusalem on that Colton and with that donkey, they understood what was going on. But only a few understood it most of the multitude who shouted without knowing what they were even saying and so friends as a lord presents himself to us. We need to examine our hearts and make sure we're not falling prey to insensitive. We need to be like those who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus and truly believe in Bear record of Jesus is, you see Jesus is the Christ. He is the promised Messiah sent to take away the sin of the world. He is our King. Well when I was thinking about this study as we started off, Today, I want to give you what I call Theology and application. I wants to look at this story and I got two points. I want to give you here. I think is you read these 11 vs. It really gives us some information not only on Jesus but also on us as people. I think this is the proper introduction to Passion week because it centers not only on Jesus is Messianic office that he is the humble Maasai. But it also focuses in on the reactions of all who encountered him. You see what we need to understand in the first one is this that Jesus that he was the humble Messiah noticed that Jesus is not coming as conquering King, but he was a humble Messiah bringing peace through suffering. You see the reason the people rejected him a week later is because they wanted a leader a military leader who would come and do away with Roman rule. They didn't understand that Jesus was coming not as a conquering King but as a humble Messiah, Who would do away with seeing through suffering and his death? You see the crowds a claim him King and they put their garments and all the palm branches before him and they turn this into like a royal procession. But Jesus is preparations here show that he intends. This is kind of like the Fulfillment of Prophecy that fulfills what Zachariah says as he rides a donkey the symbol of peace rather than a war horse. So, you know, he wasn't carrying a sword at all. He was more of a symbol of peace and this emphasizes hear Jesus is meekness or humility and Matthew tries to make this point over and over that this lowly Maasai. He has come to serve by dying as a ransom and he has brought salvation to mankind so Jesus, Comes, the Paradigm four disciples who are the characterized by humility and peace in their hearts. And this is how Jesus came not as a ruling Warrior, but as a humble Messiah riding in on a Colt with a daki you see all those all those are signs of Peace, not military Victory. So it tells us about Jesus and tells us that he was a humble massage and he still humble today friends. He's not going to force you to come to him you'll come and he'll convict your heart but we have to make the decision. He has a humble and meet Messiah, but it also tells us something else. And it tells us about the confused masses again. We've already talked about this the Pharisees didn't know who he was his disciples didn't understand the moment the people who were yelling him Hosanna and you're the king and you're going to save your people turned against them the very 3 or 4 days later. No one understood the moment. They can only think of the coming Messiah as a conquering King and they had no category for the true reason of his coming as a suffering servant whose death would bring Salvation and as a result, they ended up rejecting him and placing themselves outside the Kingdom so friends I want to ask you today. One of the greatest questions that you could ever ask yourself is found in this chapter and it says when he come riding in that the people were shaking and all the people said, who is this have you ever ask yourself that question who is Jesus and friends? Let me say this if Jesus to you is anything less than the savior of the world who came and died on calvary's Cross for your sins. He took your punishment upon himself and he took your sins and he gave you his righteous if he's anything less than the omnipotent omniscient Son of God who died for the sins of the world and then resurrected three days after he was buried if he's anything less than that. Let me say that your Jesus is too small. You see friends when he came in and the people said, who is this remember what it says the multitude? Fox was it said this is the prophet Jesus was that true? Yes, he was he was a prophet. He was also a priest. He was also a he was also their Messiah. He was also God In the Flesh. He was also the savior of mankind. He was the Eternal omnipotent omniscient omnipresent righteous. Holy Sovereign God and they missed it and friends, you know the same. The more things change the more they stay the same. What's think about two thousand years later today. Jesus is still the humble Messiah and the masses are still confused. You ask people today about Jesus and many people say what he was a good man. He was a great moral teacher. He perform he could perform Miracles. He was a he was a great teacher. He he is a good example for you to follow friend if that's how you see Jesus and all those things are true. But if that's all you see Jesus then your Jesus is too small friends your Jesus the Jesus that we claim to accept. He is our savior. He saved us from our sins. He is eternal he is he was God In the Flesh on this Earth. He is the only savior that mankind will ever know you see the masses. Are steel confused in what we need to understand today is that we serve a humble Maasai and we need to ask this question if we haven't already who is this and we need to answer it in the right way. Jesus Christ is the only savior this world will ever know but let's pray father we do. Thank you and praise you and love you today for your word. And or we think he is we start this series that today we was able to see the Miracles that occurred on Palm Sunday Lord the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem. We see the miracle of the preparation he knew exactly where a donkey and a Colt would be he knew that the man who own these would willingly give these over. Ignore the miracle of the prophecy the prophet Zechariah 500 years before this event prophesied exactly what would happen and it did Lord that gives us confidence that we can trust your word the Bible and then the Miracles of the presentation even though most people did not understand it. Everything happened exactly the way that it should have in friends. I pray that we would all come to our senses and that we would be able to ask. Who is this man? Who is Jesus in friends? If we do I pray that the holy spirit with shakers just like those were agitated and shaking that day and that we would be able to answer that question that Jesus is far bigger than just a moral teacher. He's far more than just a prophet. He is far more than just a priest. He's far more than just a moral example. Jesus Christ died for our sins and because of the Resurrection we have life and life eternal because our sins have been forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross. He is our Lord. He is our savior. He is our friend and he's the only savior that man will ever know forcing Christ name. I do pray. Amen. Alright. Well, thank you so much for being here today as we discovered the Miracles on Palm Sunday and next week. We will next week will be Easter, of course, and we will we will talk about the resurrection Nest next week, and then the week after that we'll come back to a. Of time before the resurrection and we'll go through the Easter Story step-by-step. Well, I hope everyone have a happy. Easter and this weekend. I hope you're safe this week. And also I wanted to announce for those at new Grace Baptist Church that we will start meeting at church again on April 11th. So next week will be Easter. We won't meet then but starting the next Sunday. We will start meeting back at church on April 11th. I'll be sending out an email with all the details on that this week. So I hope you have a great weekend. Thank you for being here today, and we will see you Wednesday night on our Zoom meeting.