He Loves Me

Introduction

Welcome to Centerville Christian Church! Today is Palm Sunday, and marks the beginning of what we call Holy Week.

The entirety of the week beckons us to remember the final days of Jesus’ life and some of the most momentous occasions found in the Gospels. Events such as the Triumphal entry, The last supper, The garden scene, the trial, the denial, the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Due to the amount of content I wish to explore today, let’s go ahead and pray together before we jump into the text.

<Prayer>

Adaptation of John 14

Father in Heaven,

Let not our hearts face trouble for we place our faith in Christ Jesus, thus proclaiming our faith in you.

He has gone ahead of us and prepared a place for us, let us embrace that hope.

Jesus Christ, the way the truth and the life, lead us.

Let us know the Father as you know him.

Fill us with your love and compassion, let us love you and keep your word.

Holy Spirit, teach us all things and allow us to remember all that Christ teaches us.

Leave us in peace, and may your word bring us great joy and encouragement.

In Christ’s name I pray, amen.

What Flag would you bear if Jesus was coming into your town?

Transition

Last week Wes highlighted how Jesus knows us. As following of Christ we have the desire to know Him. Knowing Jesus, means knowing his work. There were no secrets in first century Palestine that Jesus of Nazareth was special. He turned water into wine, multiplied fish and bread, expelled evil spirits, he healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, and made the lame walk.

Jesus was special. He didn’t teach like other rabbis of his day:

HE TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY

Leading up to the triumphal entry, John records the event of raising Lazarus from the dead and then his subsequent anointing at Bethany. Fresh on the mind of the people as Jesus enters, they begin to allow their hopes to become fulfilled and that Jesus would be the messiah.

John 12:12–13 (NASB95)

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (6057 ὡσαννά)

Hosanna!, formally, Save us, please!; it was an exclamation of praise, implying rulership

As they shouted for Jesus to save them, they proclaimed him king of Israel. The question that rises in this interaction is:

What did the people desire to get saved from?

The people of Israel did not live in their own nation, instead; they under Roman Rule. This is far from the first nation that the Hebrew people were subject to:

they have already faced the rule of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia and Greece during their people’s history.

As Jesus rode in on the donkey, they waved palms. There is a deeper meaning to why they waved palms beyond the fact that they were readily available in the region.

We have flag makers and our fabric banners are readily available, while the people in 1st century Palestine didn’t have the luxury of ordering American made flags they could wave to show their patriotism.

Palm branches were a symbol of Israel that displayed their national pride. Archaeologists have discovered several Judean coins that bear Date Palms. The Jewish people actually took Greek coins and cast over the existing markings to create their own coins bearing their own symbols

This symbol can trace its beginnings back almost 200 years before the triumphal entry during the Maccabean revolt.

1 Maccabees 13:51 NRSV

On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel.

Jesus was a not the champion of their cause, He is the champion of the Father’s cause.

Go ahead, look in front of you and take one of the flags we’ve put in the seat.

Your flag is blank, it has nothing on it, but I want you to think for a moment the flags that stand for specific ideologies or causes that you have seen in your life. Think of how people have used Jesus as the champion for their specific cause, regardless of what his purpose was. Remember, on the triumphal entry, countless Jews welcomed Jesus, waving their flag of national identity, proclaiming Jesus as King of their cause.

Is it a nation?

Is it Freedom?

Is it pride?

Is it defiance?

The Jews picked palm branches because for them, Jesus was coming to be their savior from Rome. He was going to set up a Jewish kingdom where they no longer had to operate under Roman rule. They believed Jesus stood for their cause.

I think people, both now and in the past, have used Jesus as a champion of their cause.

What we can draw from what happened at the Triumphal entry to the passages found concerning his arrest and crucifixion is that:

Jesus is concerned about doing the work of the Father, not being the champion of an earthly cause.

Jesus Loves you despite your ideology.

How do you Know Jesus Loves you?

Take a look with me How Jesus spoke and responded following the triumphal entry leading up to his crucifixion.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 18)

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus Surrendered Earthly Power.

John 12:42 (NASB95)

42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;

Jesus Surrendered Approval

John 13:5 NASB95

Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Jesus Surrendered his Status

John 13:21 NASB95

When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”

John 13:25–27 NASB95

He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

Jesus Surrendered his Safety.

John 18:10–11 NASB95

Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

Jesus Surrendered His Freedom.

John 19:9–10 NASB95

and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

Jesus Surrendered Justice.

John 19:23–24 NASB95

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

Jesus Surrendered His Belongings.

John 19:30 NASB95

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Jesus Surrendered His Life.

John 13:15–16 NASB95

“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

We should wave a flag of Surrender.

Challenge:

Surrender your Mind by meditating on Scripture.

Surrender your Heart by daily Prayer.

Surrender your time by participating in Worship.

Surrender your life by accepting Christ as Lord.