Sermon Transcript Tone Analysis

There's a high point in the Jesus story where Jesus stops delaying, the inevitable confrontation, that's going to happen between him and the Jewish leaders.

And at this moment in the story Jesus publicly presents himself for who he really is, which is the Son of God, the Messiah that the Old Testament of the Bible have talked about and we call this High Point moment Palm Sunday, which is today.

It comes one week before and even more important day, which we call Resurrection Sunday, or Easter Sunday, but that, but we're here at at this first one, this Palm Sunday day and Palm Sunday is combined sort of day.

Part.

Happy part solemn happy because Jesus is presenting himself or who you really is, and people are recognizing him and praising him for it and solemn because it's the Sunday before the Friday, when Jesus is hanging on a cross for us.

So there is a seed in the celebration day of what's going to happen.

And we're going to explore that story, that happy and solemn story.

It, it places faith, in Jesus and rejection of Jesus alongside each other.

So the first thing I'd like to do as I've got to just give you a quick run-through of the Palm Sunday story, what it is, and then we're going to dig into the Bible material and experience it.

I think this is the right way for us to experience the Palm Sunday story.

That is a happy and somber combination has been traveling with people from the North of Israel, to the South where Jerusalem is and they've come down the Jordan River Valley because it's the easiest way to travel and then they turn west from the Jordan River Valley, and they go across this.

25 miles of barren Wilderness toward Jerusalem, all along that Baron walk.

You keep seeing the horizon line and they would they all knew that when you got to that Horizon and you came over the horizon.

Isn't that the city of Jerusalem would open up in front of you?

So, as it's, this moment of waiting for that, and Jesus chooses that moment, when this crowd, they're traveling to Jerusalem.

For the Passover is going to come over the top of the hill to be the moment when he's going to publicly present himself for who he really is.

So the people cheer, they say things that are very clearly about him as Gods King and they come over the hill and Jesus is riding on this Cult of a donkey.

And he sees Jerusalem spreading out in front of him.

And he cries.

That's the Palm Sunday story.

So let's dig into it and learn from this happy summer combination time.

We're going to read a little bit and I'll just make some comment as we go along the way.

So, it starts with this, after Jesus had said that he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem.

And as he approached Bethpage and Bethany to little Villages at the top of the hill, at the hill called the Mount of Olives.

He sent two of his disciples saying to them.

So I want to show you a couple of pictures because my wife Sam and I went to had a chance to go to Israel in 2007.

So if the crowd that's traveling to Jerusalem and Jesus is in, In This Crowd or there with Jesus, I liken it to Spring break in Florida.

We lived 13 years in Jacksonville, Florida, and we made lots of trips to Michigan and back because my wife is from Grand Rapids.

And I remember one year when we will return you to our home in Florida, during spring break time.

And there was a traffic jam to get into the State of Florida from Atlanta, going south.

You could almost walk, cars.

And most of the license plates were Michigan, license plates, and I think they all knew each other.

So, this is a little bit like that.

Kind of a moment.

They're coming down the river valley and they make their turn west at this city.

Jericho Jericho is Lush like it is because there are Springs there.

Otherwise, this would be desert land.

There's the river.

Of course, it's bringing water.

But Jericho looks like it looks because of Springs that are there and they turned East and they had a 25 mile walk.

Jerusalem through this, this Barren Wilderness.

This picture was taken from a bus and even in a bus, it's a hot long ride.

You can imagine walking this 25 miles the last the last bit to get to the city and you keep seeing that Horizon and you know that when you get to the last Hill and you crushed the top of the hill, you're going to be able to see Jerusalem open up in front of you.

And here's what happened today, when you crushed that Hill.

Today on the other side of the mountain by olives, there are many cemeteries.

So there's a cemetery right at the front of the camera.

But there is the city of Jerusalem opening in front of you, even if they weren't with Jesus and even if this wasn't the day, when Jesus was presenting himself for who he really is, they would have been excited.

Anyhow, because you can just imagine if there's big difficult journey through that Wilderness.

And now you come over the hill and there's the destination that you're striving for Jerusalem, lays in front of you and you go down the hill of all of us.

There's a it's really more like a ravine or a crevice.

There's a valley in between called the Kidron Valley and then you come up the other side into the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus said, go to the Village ahead of you.

And as you enter it, you will find a Colt tied there which no one has ever ridden, untie it, and bring it here.

If anyone asks you, why you on tying.

It, say may, the Lord needs it.

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them and as it weren't trying to call its owners, ask them.

Why are you on tine?

The Colt?

The Lord needs it.

They said,

there's some question about Whether there's a miracle in volunteer, did Jesus know, because he's the son of God, that that called would be there.

And that, if they said those words, someone would just let them have the cold and go, or did Jesus prearranged this, because he knew he would be coming.

And the author of the book of Luke doesn't seem to really care very much, whether we know the answer to that question or not.

He has something and he's really Interested in us hearing and that's the word Lord.

The Lord needs it.

So this is the day, when Jesus is presenting himself.

This is the moment.

This is the context when Jesus stops trying to delay the confrontation.

And he's now going to present himself for who he is.

And Jesus is evoking the all of the Old Testament, Ariel material about God's Messiah.

So here's one piece from Zechariah 13:9 Rejoice.

Greatly daughter is going to die and Shout daughter Jerusalem.

See your king comes to you righteousness and Victorious.

Lowly and riding on a donkey on the cult on a Colt, the full of a donkey.

If the emperor of Rome were coming to town, he would be riding a warhorse.

But the Old Testament says, when God's King comes to town, he's going to be riding this humble animal.

The, the fall of a donkey is, is, is your screen kind of going off?

And I'm like, my screen is that I'm looking at here, good.

Good, then I'll try to just ignore all this weird stuff that's happening in front of me.

Okay?

They brought the cult to Jesus through their cloaks on the cold and put Jesus on it.

And as you went along, people spread their cloaks on the road, so they closed itself is a kingly Mount as the Old Testament has presented it.

And now these cloaks are a recognition of Jesus kingship.

Here's an Old Testament Story.

One of the prophets has just a noted.

Jihu as the next king of Israel.

Until first king s.

King says they quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bear steps.

Then they blew the trumpet.

And shouted, Jesus is King of the Disciples of Jesus, take their cloaks and they put at least one of them on the cult of the donkey.

So that Jesus can sit on a cloak and another place their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus.

So that this cold can ride, not just on the dirty street, but but on their cloaks, it's it's a kingly.

Kind of a move.

When he came near the place, where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began.

Joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the Miracles they had seen.

So when you look at a mountain top from the distance when it's on the horizon on, it looks like the top of the mountain is a nice Edge, but when you actually get to the top at least when you get to the top of the Mount of Olives, it's it's much more rounded.

So I'm picturing that these Villages Bethpage and Bethany were on the other side.

If you're in the village of Bethpage, you're you're near the crest but you probably can't see over the crest do this.

This parade starts before the Crest Inn in the village Works its way up to the crest.

Now comes over the crest and when it comes over the crest people, start to praise God in loud, voices for what they've seen and what have they seen?