Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. This is a day the saints of the world are celebrating the beginning of Holy Week which starts with the humble entry to Jerusalem by Jesus. Because of the miracles He performed He was gaining larger crowds where ever He went.

Jesus is now going to Bethany on His way to Jerusalem for the Passover. This is where Lazarus lives with Martha and Mary. Not too long before this Lazarus was sick and died. He was in the tomb for four days when Jesus brings him back to life. I want to share this miracle with you before we go into His entering Jerusalem. Turn to John 11: 35.

[John 11:35-37, 41-44 NLT] 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" 37 But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" ... 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." 43 Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

Visits a Friend

This moment and many of the other miracles were driving the Jewish leaders crazy. They wanted even more to kill him. Jesus and the disciples know this and have even avoided many of the traps that were set for Jesus.

Jesus’s stop- over in Bethany is to spend time with his friend Lazarus. I think Jesus knowing all that was about to take place needed to be with his friend and enjoy the good fellowship. His humanity was showing.

[John 12:1-3 NLT] 1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus--the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

Soon the most amazing moment in human history other than creation is about to take place. Jesus was resting with his friend and Mary without knowing it was anointing the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. This was a quiet moment with close friends that Jesus loved.

The crowds in Jerusalem had already heard that He was close in Bethany and were starting to grow. Some were there to see the savior… the messiah… their hope to finally have a King who would remove them from the grip of Rome they wanted a revolution. Some were wanting to see this wise prophet but doubted Him being the messiah. Some were plotting to kill him. Some like the Roman soldiers saw Him nothing more than just an interruption to their day in managing the large crowds… to maintain order. Little did any of them realize that He was going to give them a choice to be set free once and for all from sin and death… the separation from God. He was going to give His life, His Blood for redemption… freedom and salvation.

This coming week there are many things that will transpire as Jesus is winding down His ministry walking with His disciples. Not many know the full week that is customary to celebrate as Holy Week. It is traditional and as such starts today with Palm Sunday.

· Sunday ‘Palm Sunday’ in which Jesus makes His in some regards the coronation entrance into the city.

· Mondayis when Jesus goes to the temple and clears the money changers

· TuesdayHe is on the Mount of Olives

· Wednesdayis a point of speculation as there is no record of what Jesus did. Some feel this was a day He rested with His disciples before the final Passover to come.

· ThursdayMaundy Thursday the final God ordained Passover.

· FridayGood Friday it is done on the cross.

· Saturdayin the tomb

· Sundayis Resurrection Sunday… The tomb is empty.

Let’s get to the processional when Jesus gets ready and then goes into Jerusalem. Turn with me to Mark 11.

[Mar 11:1-3 NLT] 1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 "Go into that village over there," he told them. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, 'What are you doing?' just say, 'The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'"

I want to take a moment here to elaborate on this portion of scripture. Jesus is at the house of Lazarus and when there he tells two of his disciples to go into the village and you will find a colt tied and take it and bring it to me. And that if asked say it is for the Lord and they will let you go.

It is easy to overlook that Jesus is showing the power he has. He already knew not only what they would find a donkey tied up that has never been ridden. The owners will ask you why you are untying it. Just say it is for me and they will give it to you no further questions asked.

Now the depth of this is that Jesus knew where to find the donkey… He also knew exactly every painful moment that was about to take place this coming week. Every moment was a vivid picture in his mind. This moment that was a small moment was also prophesied over 500 hundred years earlier in the book of Zechariah chapter 9.

[Zecariah 9:9 NLT] 9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--riding on a donkey's colt.

The Coronation

Jesus is about to ride into Jerusalem… the crowd was expecting and wanting a coronation… to crown Jesus King of Israel.

[Mark 11:4-11 NLT] 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!" 11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Jesus makes his way into Jerusalem. The crowds were very excited to see him coming to Jerusalem for the Passover feast that was about to take place this week. All the families were together and filling the streets yelling and cheering for Jesus as he comes into the city. What they wanted Jesus was not offering. What Jesus was offering they did not understand or accept.

They were jumping for joy at the messages that had made their way through gossip and the news traveling from town to town. Jesus was teaching of the Kingdom of God and that this kingdom would reign and save all those who believe. They wanted freedom from Rome…. But what they were about to get was the greatest gift that mankind would ever receive in the final redemption of their sins.

I was looking at coronations in respect to Jesus’s entry which was essentially his coronation into Jerusalem. At least until later in the week when the people would all turn against him and order to have their savior hung on a cross.

But in 1838 Queen Elizabeth was given her coronation as Queen of England. What I found amazing is the way she was welcomed by all her soon to be kingdom and not only that but how she was presented on the way to the palace. The Gold State Coach which was used to drive the soon to be queen to her coronation was drawn by 8 stallions, and is valued at over 1.57 million dollars. It is covered in gold and used only on very special occasions.

Amazing to think that the queen of England is given such an ornate entry to the palace she will rule over, and our God Jesus Christ the soon to be final Passover lamb of God is riding on a donkey in a state of humility as he makes his way to the temple.

The adoration they had for Jesus was amazing as we read in Mark 11:

9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!' 10 Blessed [is] the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

The Condemnation

The crowd soon turns this adoration into condemnation. The Pharisees were in the crowd with the people and they had to be just fuming at the accolades that Jesus was getting from the people. This scared them because they did not want Jesus to change the good thing they had going. They were in control and this control was being taken away by Jesus.

This is the deception of the devil that we all face. See they were looking to Jesus in rage and anger and hatred. These feelings are the killers of faith. This is how the devil works his schemes even in our time. If he can distract you or build doubt, envy, hatred, anger, or even as simple as losing your accountability. The devil will use this to distract and separate. The pharisees were being distracted from seeing the love Jesus was sharing because they could only see from the materialistic view that all they had was in jeopardy if Jesus became King.

[Luke 19:39-40 NLT] 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!" 40 He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!"

This scripture is also a prophesy from Jesus. His telling of the town when they will move from adoration to condemnation. This day when the shouts of joy subside all of Israel will turn to their fleshly distractions and start screaming. The word for cry out here is a future tense and the crying out when the temple would be destroyed 4 decades later when the Roman military would destroy the temple completely. Not a single stone was on top of each other as it sits in this moment in history.

[Luke 19:41-44 NLT] 41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 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. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation."

In the end Jesus follows this week as planned by His Father in Heaven. Starting with today Palm Sunday. We all have the opportunity to accept Jesus as our savior and to receive the redemption of sins. We need to see the world in the fashion of love as He loved everyone. We have a choice to either be distracted by the hatred and anger like the pharisees, or to calm our hearts and see the world as Jesus sees it.

This has been the plan all along. Love is the reason Jesus went to see his friend Lazarus and rose him from death… from the grave. It is love that gave him the strength to move forward towards Jerusalem even knowing every painful moment that was about to take place. The nails that were used on his hands and his feet to hold him to the cross were unnecessary…. Why because I know without a doubt that his love for us was so strong, and he knew that this new covenant which required a price to be paid for our sins needed to be paid with his blood. It was the only way. His understanding and love for all of us held him to that cross. But the beauty of all this even as painful as it is to imagine is that our God reigns and he lives because the tomb he is laid to rest in on Friday will be empty on next Sunday! Glory to God!

Let’s pray!