It wasn’t that long ago that
I really didn’t understand Palm Sunday and its significance. I knew that Palm Sunday signified that in one
week, 7 short days we would celebrate Resurrection Sunday – it was even marked
in red on the calendar.
I knew that Palm Sunday
was the triumphed day that our King arrived to the city of Jerusalem for
Passover. However in my limited knowledge
and understanding - all I saw was the fickle people praising Jesus on Palm
Sunday, honoring Him as a King and then those same people giving into peer
pressure, changing their tune and screaming for His death a few days later. The days leading up to Resurrection Sunday
have an understandably somber feel to them, particularly as we contemplate the
arrest, trial and crucifixion of our savior Jesus. It’s easy to forget that the week began with the
joyful event of the Triumphal Entry.
I had envisioned a farce
even a grim irony, however God showed me that today (Palm Sunday) is a day of
genuine joy, a day of how things should have been and since that blessed day…is. Hallelujah, Glory be to God!
Join me on this journey as
God showed me that Palm Sunday was an important part of kicking off the Holy
Week. Palm Sunday proclaims Jesus as the
Promised Messiah, proclaims Him as King – the King of Kings and the Lord of
Lords.
My message is entitled, “Who Is Your King?”
We know that the Bible
tells the story of Jesus’s life in just 4 short books that are known as the
Gospels. The last week before Jesus’
resurrection is known as the Passion Week.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke give 40% of their Gospels and John gives 50% to
this part of our Savior’s Story. It
started with the raising of Lazarus from the dead because this is what ignited
the wrath of the high priest.
We are going to back up a
few days to start our journey.
John
12: 1-8 The Anointing at Bethany
1 Then, six days before
the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead,[a] whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There
they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat
at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly
oil of spikenard (spīk-närd), anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot
(ih-skar-ee-ut t), Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why
was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he
was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has
kept[c] this for the day of My
burial.
8 For
the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
This
act of Mary’s I believe was not her acting on her own impulse. Just like in Matthew 16:15-17 when Jesus
asked the disciples “But who do you say that I am” and Peter responded with,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” I believe flesh and blood did not instruct
her but His Father Who is in heaven instructed her to anoint Jesus. I truly believe that she was simply obeying
the instructions of the Father in this scene.
Lazarus
sister Mary was a devoted disciple who ignored the taboos of her society in her
commitment to Jesus. She sat at his feet
as a disciple and let me tell you back in the first century…that was not the
place for a woman. If that wasn’t bad
enough, in the eyes of her culture, she acted in an even more scandalous manner
when she anointed Jesus’ feet (Matthew 26:12 and Mark 14:8 Jesus stated that
she anointed His Body) with extremely expensive oil and then wiped it with her
hair. This is an extremely intimate
act. However I believe that her love for
Him was so strong that God instructed her to anoint Jesus right there and
then!
God is a wonderful and
mysterious God. He is a very detailed
God that has plans for everything and everyone.
His plans for us didn’t start at our birth or even our conception. God has planned for everything. Our perfect God knows what He is dealing with
when He is dealing with us, we are imperfect humans that were given free will
that have a tendency to give into our flesh man. God knows what He is dealing with when it
comes to satan and his demons. God knows
everything and has planned for everything.
God’s plans for Christ
were no different. He had a plan in the
works since the beginning of time as it is thought of. Jesus was God in the Heavens before He ever
walked on earth as the Messiah.
As we study the Bible we discover
that the Old Testament is the New Testament Concealed and that the New
Testament is the Old Testament Revealed.
In the Old Testament we learn that even this event Palm Sunday was
prophesied hundreds of years before Christ.
In Zechariah (zek-uh-rahy-uh)
9:9 – Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your
king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble,
and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The prophet Zechariah told
us about the Triumphal Entry of Jesus 500 years before that first Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11 / Luke 19:29-44
/ John 12:12-19 and we will read from…
Mark
11:1-11
1 Now when they drew near
Jerusalem, to Bethphage (Beth ff ahh juh) and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,
He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village
opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on
which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. (In Matthew 21:2 Jesus told them to bring the
donkey and her colt – what thoughtfulness of our Lord, Jesus having the mother
come along. No separation anxiety for
the colt. Our God doesn’t over look any
detail.) 3 And if anyone says to
you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and
immediately he will send it here.”
4 So they went their way,
and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But
some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the
colt?”
6 And they spoke to them
just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they
brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.
(No
accident that Jesus used a donkey to ride in on…a donkey or a mule was often
preferred mount of royalty. King David
commanded his servants to have Solomon ride the King’s mule as a sign that
David had chosen Solomon to be his successor – 1st Kings 1:33,
38. So when Jesus chose to enter
Jerusalem mounted upon a donkey, He purposely presented Himself as a King just
as it was foretold in the Zechariah 9:9)
To continue on in Mark
11
8 And many spread their
clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and
spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before
and those who followed cried out, saying:
(Picture it, what a glorious sight of our Lord, coming through the city
and being praised as King. The Messiah being
given the praise that He is so worthy of.
Jesus from Nazareth, who has been performing miracles after miracles
with the latest being the raising of the dead.
God has sent His son to resurrect us from our life of sin &
death. To loosed us from our grave
clothes and give us new life…..Thank You Lord!!)
11 And Jesus went into
Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as
the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
The number 12
- Relates to divine
government.
- The 12 tribes of Israel
- The 12 apostles (Matthew 10:2-4)
Now the names of the
twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee (Zeb-i-dee), and John his brother; 3 Philip
and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of
Alphaeus (Al fe us), and Lebbaeus (Leb-be-us) , whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon
the Cananite (key-nuh-nahyt), and Judas Iscariot
(ih-skar-ee-ut t), who also betrayed Him.
12 that was also the age
of Jesus when His family traveled the 80 miles from Nazareth to Jerusalem for
the Passover when on their way back home - Joseph and Mary couldn’t find Him amongst
family and friends in their caravan. It is on the third day (Signifies
completion or perfection and unity) that Joseph and Mary discover Him at
the temple, listening to and asking questions of the teachers. Jesus' discussion with the officials leaves
those who listen amazed at His understanding and His answers. At the
tender age of twelve, Jesus already
shows signs of possessing great wisdom. Jesus
Explains His Call – I am about my Father’s business. Jesus is breaking new ground with His
parents here, and they need to understand who He is. At 12
Jesus is reflecting on the will of God and has come into agreement with His
Father and the divine plan for mankind.
Wow,
God is Amazing! Here we are full circle
back to Jerusalem for the Passover with our King of Kings and Lord of Lords at
the place of the beginning for Him, when He informed His earthly parents He was
about His Father’s business and now (Palm Sunday) He is back to conclude His
Father’s plan for His earthy life.
Think
about this. The Passover holds a great
deal of importance to the Jews as it is giving thanks to God for delivering
them from slavery from the Egyptians.
And here is our Perfect, Pure, Unspotted, Without Blemish, Lamb….our Messiah
Jesus coming to deliver us from the slavery of sin.
In
Moses’ Passover in Egypt, death was merely avoided. In the Passover Jesus celebrated, death
wasn’t avoided; it was confronted and conquered for all mankind. Glory be
to God.
Wow…I just can’t help but love our
Lord. The more I study about Him, the
more I learn and the more I learn the more I love Him.
Jesus
began His final week of ministry by entering Jerusalem amidst a jubilant
celebration. Multitudes greet Him,
shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven”
Hosanna
(as defined by Dictionary.com) is an:
1.
Interjection
- an exclamation, originally an appeal to God for deliverance, used in praise
of God or Christ
2.
noun
- a cry of hosanna
3.
noun
– a shout of praise or adoration an acclamation
4.
verb
(used with object) to praise, applaud
They
were exclaiming and shouting their praise for Jesus Our King Has Come in the
name of the Lord… Glory be to God!
There
is an interesting contrast between the multitude of the heavenly host at Jesus’
birth singing “Peace on Earth” and this multitude of human beings singing,
“Hosanna in the highest…peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” (Blessings
Pouring Down and Praising Going Up)
We sing
a song in Worship…Hosanna, Blessed be the Rock, Blessed be the Rock of my
Salvation. We are singing, shouting
Praises to our King Jesus who came to save us.
He is the rock of our salvation.
I can’t
imagine my life without my Jesus. Before
my salvation I was a miserable person with misguided thinking deep in a dark
life. THANK YOU JESUS FOR MY SALVATION!! AMEN!!
The
week preceding the Jewish Passover was a time with Jews from all over the civilized
world would make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the 7 day event. I read somewhere that it was estimated above
2 million people would make this trip every year. (Jackson & Josephine counties together
only has 290,ooo people)
So
picture it, these 2 million (plus) people
have been hearing about the miracles being performed by Jesus the latest being
the resurrection of the very
dead and buried Lazarus. Here He came
riding on a donkey into the city – they greeted Him with a royal, TRIUMPHED
celebration as He entered the city. The
waiving of palm branches was a common way of celebrating the victory of a great
king or deliverer – in our day we wave
flags of our country and roll out the red carpet for our president or other
dignitaries when they come into the city.
They were clearly preparing the way for the king.
The
Messiah had been prophesied. Belief in
the eventual coming of the mashiach (Mah SHEE akh) is basic and fundamental
part of traditional Judaism – during the age of the prophets. The term “mashiach” literally means “the
anointed one”.
Christ’s
triumphal entry into Jerusalem reveals Jesus to be the Messiah, the King of
Israel. God promised Israel that He
would establish one of David’s sons upon the throne forever. Jesus is a fulfillment of that promise. Palm Sunday, therefore is a day when we
acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Messiah.
However
what we humans think God is saving us from and what He IS saving us from is not
in the same realm. At the first Palm
Sunday they were thinking of the physical realm and God was speaking of His
Realm, the Spiritual Realm. Jesus said,
“My kingdom is not of this realm” John 18:36.
But the people missed this. Their
understanding was clouded by worldly ideas of the Messiah and His reign. Their idea was primarily political,
economical and physical. You know…the
right here and now of what we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands –
and only for God’s chosen people.
However
our God is not a little God, He is a Big God that just loves to blows our
minds. Our brains weight about 3.3
pounds and we only use a small portion.
We can’t wrap our little brains around our Big God. Isaiah 40:12 tells us that God held the
oceans in the palm of His hands. A lot
of folks try to put God in a little box to explain Him. God needs no explaining, He CREATED us, God
explains us to us.
God
sent our savior, the Christ Jesus to save us from ourselves and our deeply
sinful lives. Think about it, these folks
that traveled for the Passover celebration, these 2 million people, were good
Jewish people that honored God.
The
Pharisees also thought they were good Jewish men right with God when they were
misguided by their own thinking.
The name Pharisee in
its Hebrew form Plarisaios means separatists, or the separated ones.
They were also known as Chasidim (HAAS Si Dum), which means loyal to
God, or loved of God - extremely ironic in view of the fact that by this
time, they made themselves the most bitter, and deadly, opponents of Jesus
Christ and His message.
The Pharisees started out
to obey God, but eventually they became so devoted and extremist in very
limited parts of The Law (plus all that they themselves added to it), that
they became blind to The Messiah when He was in their very midst. They saw His
miracles, they heard His Words, but instead of receiving it with joy, they did
all that they could to stop Him - eventually to the point of having Him crucified
because He truthfully claimed to be the Son of God. This Jesus was being sacrilegious toward God
in their minds. They had polluted the
word of God so much for their own agendas and self righteousness, that when Jesus
stood in front of them, they couldn’t recognize the fact He was their long
awaited Messiah.
We humans tend to have to
learn things the hard way, however let’s learn something from the
Pharisees. They were supposed to be
separated FOR God and along the way they got separated FROM God. This is why it is extremely crucial in our
relationship WITH God to stay in constant contact with Him. Especially those in ministry work, we can’t
sacrifice our TIME with Him to do things FOR Him.
By the
way, telling your grocery clerk that Jesus loves her is ministry work,
if you aren’t tapped into God you can’t hear Him tell you what to say to that grumpy
cashier, because He knows that she just lost her only child in a car accident
and is contemplating ending it all. We never
know when God needs us to plant a seed that will save another if we aren’t
tuned into Him. We are the church, the body of Christ and we are to go out of the
church building to tell folks that don’t know that they can come into the
building to receive the Good News. Our
King came TO us – we need to go TO others that need Him. Remember you might be the only Jesus someone
ever sees…
We need more of Him and
less of us - As believers we have the Holy Spirit in us, our internal GPS if
you will. We need to constantly stay
tapped into God, listening to Him to keep us on His planned route for our
lives. If we don’t have our turn by turn
directions from God we can easily miss that left turn at Albuquerque and end up
in the Himalayas with an abominable snow man calling us George squeezing the
life out of us.
John 12:42-43 “Never the less even among the rulers many
believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest
they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more
than the praise of God.”
Guess they didn’t learn
anything from Saul being a people pleaser instead of being a pleaser of God. (again,
people not learning from the mistakes of others)
Zechariah said….Behold,
your king is coming TO you…
That first Palm Sunday - 5 days before His crucifixion
Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem as the King of all Kings
Jesus entered Jerusalem as God’s Messiah
Jesus entered Jerusalem as the Devine Son of God
Jesus entered Jerusalem as the Ruling Monarch
We see our King coming to us.
King Jesus comes to you; have you received Him?
In Hebrew King is Melek (MEH-lehkh) – The One who can -or- The One
that is able
Since that first Palm Sunday – King Jesus is able to come to reign
and rule over the lives of those that invite Him to come into their lives as
King. Who is your King?
·
King Jesus is able to come in and defeat sin & temptation in
the lives of those that love Him.
·
King Jesus is able to deliver us from oppression and death.
·
King Jesus is able to come to the despondent and to the
discouraged and give them joy.
·
King Jesus is able to come to the fearful and give them
faith.
·
King Jesus wants us in His Royal family, not standing outside the
gates but in the Royal household with Him!
·
Who is your King?
4 Points about King Jesus
King Jesus was Predicted
King
Jesus was Presented
King
Jesus was Proclaimed
King Jesus was Preeminent
#1 Predicted – (King
Jesus was Predicted) In the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi King Jesus is
predicted with ACCURACY! The coming of
King Jesus was predicted.
Only King Jesus Whose
- Genesis 49:10 Only King Jesus Whose scepter never will depart from His Hands
- Psalm 45:6-7 Only King Jesus Who is Eternal
- 2 Samuel 7:12-13 Only King Jesus Whose Kingdom is Forever
- Psalm 2:2 Only King Jesus Who was anointed King by God the Father Himself
- Psalm 72:11 Only King Jesus Who all kings shall bow – all knees shall bow – AMEN!
- Isaiah 32:1 Only King Jesus reigns in righteousness – His Kingdom knows no boundaries
- Jeremiah 23:5 Only King Jesus is all wise
- Ezekiel 37:26-27 Only King Jesus rules over all kings
- Daniel 2:44 Only King Jesus at Whose feet empires will crumble
- Micah 1:3-4 Only King Jesus reigns with supernatural strength and majesties
- Zechariah 14:9 Only King Jesus who reigns over ALL the earth
Is He your king? Is He your
king?
#2
Presented – (King Jesus is Presented)
In the New Testament it is filled with His Presence. His historic portrait is enthralled in the
gospels.
- Mathew refers to Jesus as King 14 times
- Mark refers to Jesus as King 6 times
- Luke refers to Jesus as King 5 times
- John refers to Jesus as King 14 times
His Kingship Is
- Spiritual in Nature
- Universal in scope
- Emanates from God Himself
- Victorious over all opposition
On this Palm Sunday, unlike
kings of this world, King Jesus entered the city not to conquer it but to
conquer all of our hearts. Earthly kings
and rulers are lorded over their subjects.
King Jesus didn’t come to reign over us by force, but compels us by His love.
The Pharisees took Jesus’s love for weakness because of how He was
presented
- Not as a man of sword, but a man of sorrow
- Not as a man of hatred, but a God of love
- God of splendor
- Healed the sick without a charge
- He bound the broken hearts by the power of His mercy
- Stilled the storm by the word of His mouth
- That He raised the dead by the authority of His Divine Office
- He is merely inviting people to come to Him
Have you invited Him to be your King?
King Jesus Predicted
King Jesus Presented
#3
Proclaimed (King Jesus is Proclaimed)
King Jesus first speech…it is the shortest speech there is.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to
say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.”
Only the King can declare the Kingdom of Heaven is here. Mark 1:15 - The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent,
and believe in the gospel.
That’s it! That is all He
said. He was saying that the rule of God
on the hearts of men and women is here and therefore turn to Him while you
can. The divine royal King is here to
proclaim His Kingdom - His rule over the lives of His people. Not to rule over one group of people, but of
all nations.
Our Divine King’s weapon is not of mass destruction, but mass
reconstruction of lives. That first Palm
Sunday the masses cried out HOSANNA.
They were saying what Zechariah prophesied, they were proclaiming that
which was predicted by our prophets, The King who will redeem us is here.
Restoration of lost royals back to God’s royal family, their royal
status, royal inheritance and earthly assignment…Revelations 1:5-6 (Sound
familiar church?)
The King that came for us to reign and rule forever with Him is here….The
Kingdom of God is here. Is He your king?
#4 Preeminent
(King Jesus is Preeminent)
Pre-eminent – adjective – eminent above or before others; superior;
surpassing…yep that is our King Jesus!!!
Book of Revelation tells us all about His Preeminence – His
monarchy.
Revelation 1
6Grace to you and peace from Him who is
and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His
throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the
firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed[a] us from our sins in His
own blood, 6 and has made us kings[b] and priests to His God
and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with
clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End,”[c] says the Lord,[d] “who is and who was and who is to come,
the Almighty.”
Glory
be to God!
King Jesus has no rival.
Crowned by God the Father to reign over all forever.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Only righteous King that gives His righteousness to His subjects.
He is perfect, superior, incomparable
From everlasting to everlasting
That is why we celebrate Palm Sunday…but you see He didn’t come
into Jerusalem in a vacuum, but He was born with that plan.
Is He your King?
He came & fulfilled the prophecy. The Pharisees wanted Him to stop the crowd
from praising Him. Jesus simple response
was, if they were quiet the rocks would cry out.
Silencing in today’s society comes in many forms…
- Banning His name from public life.
- Expunging the word of God from university campuses
- Denigrating (demeaning) His uniqueness in public schools curriculum. (teaching our children Darwinism over Creationism)
- The list goes on and on…
If we were quiet, the Rocky Mountains would cry out praises for
our King Jesus.
If we were quiet, Mount Everest would cry out praises for our King
Jesus.
If we were quiet, the Mountains and Rocks everywhere would cry out
praises for our King Jesus as HE IS WORTHY it can’t be kept quiet.
Jesus doesn’t need us – WE NEED HIM.
On this Palm Sunday have you enthroned Him?
·
Have you made Him King over your life?
·
Have you made Him King over your time?
·
Have you made Him King over all the talents He has given you?
·
Have you made Him King over all the treasures He has placed in
your hands?
·
Have you made Him King over your agenda?
·
Have you made Him King over your family…your home…your
marriage…your business
Is He the supreme King in your life or an occasional King when you
need Him?
Is He Your King?
