Palm Sunday a time of joy and of recognition of who Jesus really is. Looking up to Him is key in each ones life. Here is a sermon on Palm Sunday that I hope and pray will set your eyes on Him.
A MESSAGE FOR PALM SUNDAY- THE COMING KING
Luke 19:28-44 (NKJV)
28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 And it came to pass, when He came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples,
30 saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.
31 And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' "
32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.
33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"
34 And they said, "The Lord has need of him."
35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
38 saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."
40 But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,
44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
INTRODUCTION
The day all these things happened is Friday afternoon one week before Jesus would lay down His life for the sins of the world. We celebrate this day as Palm Sunday. The King:
Down a narrow road, the King of Glory came
Not in a chariot, nor to take His claim.
Here prophecy was fullfilled, as it must be.
He road upon a donkey’s colt, for all to see.
This entrance signified, the coming of the King.
Palm Branches layed, you could here the children sing.
He examined the temple, and healed the lame.
Hosana in the highest, David’s Son Came.
The Pharisees and Sadusees, with their hardened hearts.
Resisted Jesus even then, they would not take part.
Yet this is an exciting day, Christ person revieled.
One week to Golgatha, Where Satan’s doom is sealed.
We rejoice today, Messiah has come.
For there is no other, He is the only One. by Dan Gonzales Today are we thinking on Palm Sunday of the joyous occasion when all the Palm branches were placed before the Lord on the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. Others thoughts here may look down that road to Christ weeping over Jerusalem, to the cleaning of the Temple, to the last supper, to a traitor, an arrest in a garden, an illegal trial, a friends betrayal and then to Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate again, and then down the road to Calvary. But it doesn't end there for three days later we remember the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection., It's Palm Sunday, but what are we thinking about? On this day approximately 2000 years ago the disciples, nor the casual followers of Jesus had any idea of what awaited the Lord for they had not understood the prediction of our Lord given in Luke 18:31-34 saying "Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. And they will scourge Him and put Him to death. And the third day He will rise again. But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken." For that which was to be accomplished was beyond the disciples comprehension, or understanding however for the disciples, it would have been the natural thing to be going to Jerusalem, for the Passover was at hand. Remember what the Passover is? The Egyptians had put the children of Israel in slavery for many years. Now God through Moses told Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel go free. But Pharaoh did not like the idea of loosing his free labor. So God did great works against the Egyptians. To preswade him and to show him, the Isrealites and all the nations around that He is God above all gods. The plauges going against the vary gods they served in Egypt. The tenth and final work of God against the Egyptians, before Pharaoh would allow the children of Israel to leave, was the death angel who was sent by God to kill all the first born in Egypt. Animals and people. For the death angel to pass over one’s house the children of Israel were instructed to
Exodus 12:3..14 “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household [7] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. [8] That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. [11] This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD'S Passover. [12] "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. [13] The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. [14] "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance.” And the Israelites did remember. The Passover was there largest celebration of the year.”
Now Sunday was the first day of the festive week, the actual day when the Lamb without blemish would be picked out, to be the sacrificial lamb for the Passover, which pointed to the time when Jesus would come. This Passover 'the Lord Jesus Christ was the sacrificial lamb, picked out by God the Father for He was and is the One and only perfect Lamb of God. , , Come to take away the sins of the World. Bringing us to
FIRSTLY PREPARATIONS FOR CHRIST’S TRIUMPHANT ENTRY
This day was to be special, for our Lord had given the disciples some peculiar instructions saying in Luke 19:30-31 "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 are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " Here interestingly enough we do not see the disciples arguing with the Lord saying the donkey's not needed or perhaps saying there was no way that you could know that a donkey's colt would be in a village opposite them, much less if anyone had sat on it before, besides if it had not been trained how would the Lord ride it. And what about the owners?, But the disciples did not react in that way, but rather we see that the two disciples obediently went. You see they had been with Jesus for approximately three and a half years, and during this time they had learned when the Lord said something would be somewhere, it was, and that without fail. Are we obedient to our Lord even when we do not understand all the why's? Jesus even anticipated the owner's reaction and gave the disciples a response to give. The Lord has need of him. This was actually an old custom of a kingly levy, the king could ask to use anything one had and one would be obligated to comply. Obviously these owners of the donkey believed Jesus is the King the Messiah, or at least had great respect for Him. Also it shows us that our Lord always equips us with the tools needed to accomplish the task that He gives us. He does not send us out empty handed., , Rather our Lord actually prepares the way before us. Now the Lord made no mistake when He asked for a donkey's colt for His coming into Jerusalem was prophesied by Zechariah approximately 550 years before hand saying "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout Oh 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 a donkey." ( Zach 9:9) Yet when Matthew quotes this prophecy he omits the words rejoice greatly for how could he looking back rejoice appropriately when he knew the cross was coming. , , However there was great rejoicing that day. Now there was great symbolism, meaning in Christ's riding into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt, for when a king would ride into a city it could be as a conqueror, therefore he would be on a horse as Christ is seen riding a horse in Revelation, or the king could be on a young donkey a symbol of coming in peace, this is what our Lord did. He came as The Prince of Peace.,, Came to bring peace between God and man. 1 Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” bringing us SECONDLY TO CHRIST'S TRIUMPHANT ENTRY
"Since it was Passover, there were probably about 2 million people in and around Jerusalem, it would be wall to wall people. Interestingly this was the only time in Jesus ministry that He actually planned and promoted a public demonstration. Up to this time, the Lord had cautioned people not to tell who He was, and had deliberately avoided public scenes, for the people did not understand a suffering Messiah. So why did the Lord Jesus plan this demonstration? Firstly as we have seen, He was obeying the Word of God, fulfilling the prophecy recorded in Zech. 9:9. , Even though the authorities were hostile, angery and had already given an instruction that anyone who knew where Jesus was should inform them so that He could be arrested (Jn 11:57). But far from hiding in fear, Jesus came to Jerusalem publicly and triumphantly. For Christ went forward from Bethany, His disciples actually placing Jesus upon the donkey perhaps they recognized that this was His Kingly entrance. A second purpose for Jesus public entrance was for a proclamation to all that He is - the long awaited for Messiah. Because of this, as for a Kingly entrance, the disciples put their garments on the colt for the Lord to sit upon and the people round about also laid their garments before the colt. This was done only for Kings, then the people cut down palm branches as recorded for us in John's Gospel and as (read vs 37-38 says...) The first part of vs 38 is a quote from Psalms 118:26, but the Pharisees immediately realized that the people were calling Jesus the Messiah the Anointed One of God so some of them yelled out at the Lord from the crowd demanded Him to rebuke His disciples., But Jesus answers saying (vs 40b " I tell you that if these should keep silent the stones would immediately cry out" The Third reason for Jesus' public entrance to Jerusalem was to cause the people to make a choice. Who did they believe He was? Was He really the long awaited for Messiah? People of our day also must make a choice, what do we do with Jesus? Whose Son is He?,,, Is He the Almighty Son of God are Creator or not? Who do you believe Jesus Christ is?,, When the Lord Jesus had reached the temple the children were crying out saying "Hosanna to the Son of David" Hosanna means hear us we pray. So hear us we pray to the Son of David a direct term for the Messiah, the anointed one of God. Because of this the Pharisees were further enraged and said to Him "Do you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them, yes, have you never read, out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise" , ,Matt 21:16. The Pharisees would have been about to explode! Now as wonderful as the triumphant entry was, and as wonderful as the response of the people appears laying down things before the Lord their coats and branches, five short days later would show forth that most of the people's hearts were more in tune with emotions than with convictions, for they were accepting Christ as Messiah on their own terms not on His. They desired an earthly conquering king, to kick out the Romans and set up an earthly kingdom. The people were not looking for a suffering Messiah, they were not looking for the Prince of Peace. People today often desire the same thing, to accept the Lord Jesus Christ on their own terms, be it as a babe in a manger, or as only a God of love and mercy, who they believe wwould not send anyone to Hell, but they do not realise that He is also a just God. Or they desire to accept the Lord as a fire insurance policy. Few desire to be true disciples of Christ. To strive to become more like the Master, humbly submitting to Him in full obedience serving Him as His servants to the glory of God the Father. Dailly building a close steadfast relationship with Him. Working in His Church and counting the cost, How about us, where do we stand? Have we accepted the Lord on His terms? Well the people of Jesus day missed what they should have been watching for bringing us
TO THIRDLY THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES UNRECOGNIZED
Galatians 4:4,5 tells us "But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons" Yet Christ's purpose for being on the earth was misunderstood and unaccepted. "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not, He came unto His own and His own received Him not" John 1:10,11. The so called spiritual leaders of the day almost without exception rejected their Messiah. , , But they should have known that the Christ was to be revealed openly at this time in history , , for it had been foretold, an approximate date had been given by the prophet Daniel that Christ would come 483 years after the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem. (This happened in 444 BC in the month of Nissan now these Jewish years only contain 360 days so when they are converted to solar years we find that the time would be 476 years. The Jews did understand that their years were short so they added an extra month usually every third year, now the 476 year period was the time between 444 BC and 33 A.D. the month of Nissan. Nissan the tenth, being the day Christ rode into Jerusalem as the Messiah this being the first day of the feast. This may seem to be a difficult way of looking at things but) The Lord Jesus Christ scolded the Pharisees the teachers of the day, the one’s who should have known, for not knowing, for not recognizing the signs of the times, for not only had a date been given but He had performed miracle upon miracle healing the sick, curing the blind and making whole the deformed. He even raised the dead and the Pharisees knew it. How could they reject Him? They should have known and accepted the Lord as there Savior and Messiah and King, if only because of the great miracles He had done. How blind they were, and how hard their hearts must have been. Jesus also cast out demons, and His power was demonstrated over nature by calming the sea and by walking on it. , , But the nation as a whole would not believe, would not accept Him as Savior and Lord, so Christ's person was hidden from their eyes. Jesus realizing fully the seriousness of their rejection responds by weeping over Jerusalem. For the Lord so desired that they would repent turn believe on Him and be saved. Can you picture the scene in your minds? People all around Him were rejoicing, believing their earthly Jewish king had come, so they yelled Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. As they were saying these things they laid their coats and palm branches down before Him, not realizing that the suffering Messiah must come first. Not understanding that the sacrifices given in the Law were for the purpose of pointing forward to the perfect Lamb of God who would come to sacrifice Himself, to take away the sins of the world. , , The masses did not comprehend this but our Lord did, so He wept. The masses should have been weeping in repentance and in acceptance in thanksgiving to God, but the people did not for they were looking for only a political king, so again Jesus wept, wept over the hardness of their hearts. , , Jesus also knowing of Jerusalem's soon coming destruction prophesies of it saying (read vs 43,44) This happened 37 years later in 70 AD , history records it as one of the most devastating beseigments ever known. , , Starvation and then a massacre. The people did not recognize the time of their visitation for the vast majority of Jesus' day were not watching for His coming, they were not ready their minds were closed. , , But how do we compare? Are we looking
FOURTHLY TO THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES TODAY? , ,
One may ask what are the signs of the times today? Our Lord said there would be wars and rumors of wars do we have them, indeed we do. He spoke of an increase in earthquakes, has there been an increase in earthquakes even in the last 20 years? Can we see that major earthquakes are in the increase? Yes we can. When our Lord came to earth as Messiah there was one major language, and as time goes by one major language world-wide is once again emerging that being English. Also we have seen that Israel has become a nation as Scripture foretold it would. The resurgence of the old Roman Empire is obvious, in the European Common Market. So when will the Rapture take place? I do not know, but I do see the signs of the times all about us, I do know that Christ coming today is closer than it was yesterday. Some do not believe that Christ will ever return saying it has been almost 2000 years since He rode into Jerusalem He never will show up He is slack concerning His promises. 2 Peter 3:8,9 disagrees saying "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God is patient and loving, , it is for mankind's benefit that our God has given us so much time. , Time to evangelize, that is to time to- tell others about Him, to let the whole world know who Jesus is. And what He has done for us to spread the Gospel the Good News far and wide. But what are we doing with the time the Lord has given us? What is our response to the recognition of the times we live in, well FIFTHLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RECOGNITION
To recognize the times we live in is good, but it is not enough for there should be a response, a visible action in the believer's life resulting from the things we see around us Heb 10:25 says "forsake not the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. , Are we encouraging one another? And do we assemble together in a steadfast manner?, In Sunday School, in Church in Bible studies and in fellowship specials. These things are very important. Working in the unity of the Spirit, each doing his or her part, in the body, in the Church? This is necessary if we are to grow as the Lord would have this His Church grow. So do we exhort and encourage one another in the Lord as we should not just in word but also in deed, and in prayer I pray so. But this is not the only response we are to have recognizing the signs of the times for we are not to be blind or in darkness. 1 Thess 5 tells us (vs 1-6) Tells us to watch to be ready, are you ready if Christ were to come for His church today are you certain that you are ready? Can you say I am persuaded that He is able to keep me? Are you God’s child? If you were to die tonight do you know where you would go? You can know if you will-
1. BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR GOD. JOHN 1:1-3, 20:31, ISH. 9:6.
2. BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. JOHN 14:6, ACTS 4:12, MATT. 6:24.
3. BELIEVE THAT JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO PAY FOR YOUR SINS BY DYING ON THE CROSS.
4. BELIEVE THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
5. ADMIT ONE IS A SINNER, (has a need-can not save themselves) . Rom. 3:23, 6:23.
6. REPENT FROM OUR SINS, (ask God to forgive all our sins, and then turn from living for ourselves- sinning as we desired, to living for God in righteousness, doing His will for our lives.)
7. BELIEVING ON, AND RECEIVE INTO OUR LIVES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JOHN 1:12, 3:15-18,36.
Christians are you ready and watching for the Lord, joyfully telling others about Him and anticipating meeting Him in the air? Are we working together in unity and love? Or are there things in our lives that need cleaning up, when Christ comes will we be ashamed of how He finds us, or will we joyfully greet Him?
IN CONCLUSION
Believers are we ready? How are we to be ready? Not by being so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. But by having a close steadfast relationship with our Lord. In Bible Reading and Prayer and having fellowship with other believers, exhorting and encouraging one another, praying for one another often. Living faithful lives to our Lord day by day as His humble submissive obedient servant. If we are then we will reach out to the unsaved world. Are we watching, waiting and doing, having that rock solid hope which is only in Christ our Savior and Lord. (Heb 6:18c-20) The leaders of Jesus day rejected their Messiah, they rejected the King of Kings, they were caught sleeping not watching they had a religion about God's rules but they had no relationship with God. Where do we stand? Are we awake watching and walking with the Lord telling others about Him? The time we have left to share the Gospel may be very short so let us pray for holy boldness to share as we ought so that many will come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Building friendships, showing the love of the Lord, having compassion on the hurting, for this is often when people are open to the things of the Lord. So let us each do our part, let us not be ignorant of signs of our times. But rather let them motivate us to fulfill the will of our Savior and God the Lord Jesus Christ.
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