Palm Sunday “Entering the Passion Road”
John 12:12-19
INTRODUCTION
This typically has been called Passion Week
Why? Because it evokes so many passionate emotions (Expound – joy, happiness, sorrow, anger, hatred)
If you have seen Gibson’s movie…gruesome last 12 hours of Jesus’ life
It has evoked many emotions and questions
2 that I want to look at today that I think has been asked is
Who Killed Jesus?
Why Did He Have to Die?
Look at our passage John 12:12-19
The scene is one of triumph…Jesus rides into Jerusalem hearing the cheers of the crowd
Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
The word Hosanna literally means “save us”…from what?
The people were looking for an earthly King or Savior that would set-up his earthly kingdom
To save the Jewish people from the Roman Rule
But Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom
The same crowd that shouted Hosanna, would one week later shout, “crucify Him” because they realized He was not going to set-up as an earthly King
The triumphant entry into Jerusalem led Jesus down the Passion Road…the road to the cross.
TRANS: So then, it brings us back to the first question…
1. Who Killed Jesus
Some would say it was the Pharisees
Matt 12:14, “But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
The established religious leaders did not like what Jesus was preaching…they enjoyed their completed power
Jesus had embarrassed them many times in public…stoning of woman caught in adultery
Then in Matt 15 he rebukes them for not honoring their mother and father…not helping them financially as needed
Some say it was Pilate
He was the governor that had the ability to free Jesus
Pilate even said that he didn’t see any crime that Jesus had committed
But the crowd began to shout even louder crucify Him
Pilate had the power to free one man…they chose Barabbas
Pilate washed his hands saying that he was innocent of this man’s blood
But he still let Jesus go the cross and die
Some say it was Pilate that killed Jesus
Some say it was the Jews that killed Jesus
After Jesus did not come to save them from the Roman rule, He was no good to them
They all shouted “Crucify Him” and even pronounced a curse be upon them and their families to come
The leaders that stirred up all the strife against Jesus were Jews as well
Some say it was the Jews that killed Jesus
Some say it was the Roman soldiers
They were the ones that continuously beat Jesus
They took delight in his beating…they carried out the sentence of death
They committed the act of nailing Him to the cross…piercing His side
Some say the Roman soldiers killed Jesus
All of these sound like good conclusions…none are correct
A. We Killed Jesus (Sinful nature, lifestyle)
B. God Killed Jesus (Rom 5:8; John 3:16;
C. Jesus Killed Himself – gave his life freely
John 10:11…”the good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:18 “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again…”
TRANS: So then, the next question to be asked is…
2. Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Started at the beginning in Genesis with Adam’s Sin
God’s perfect plan was shattered…never intended it
Because of Adam’s sin…we now are sinners
Rom 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of God”
Luke 16 tells us that there is a great gulf that separates man and God
It was the SIN that created that Gulf…and it separates us from God
When God created us…He wanted us to be with Him forever
But Adam’s sin changed that
In the OT, once a year priest…(STORY OF SCAPEGOAT)
But now that was not enough – God wanted our sins cleansed once for all
Heb 9:22, “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.”
In order to redeem mankind…blood of goats and bulls no longer sufficient
Turn to Heb 9:11-14 (Expound)
God had to provide the sacrifice that would pay for all sin once for all eternity
Jesus was that sacrifice…He became the Scapegoat
In the garden scene (passion movie) Jesus was agonizing, sweating profusely, not because of the cross
But I believe because He knew what He was about to bare
The sin of the world…knew no sin…now the full weight
Also, separation from the first time from His Father
He agonized so much that He sweat drops of blood
But He willingly laid down His life. Why?
Because He loved you and me more than His own life
John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend”
Story of 4 chaplains on USS Dorchester
- Torpedo hit ship by Nazi sub
- Men panicked…they joined hands sang
- Many men forgot lifevests
- Chaplains gave theirs to men
- As ship sank, 4 chaplains continued to sing
They loved the life of the other men more than their own
Jesus took our place…it should have been us that were beaten, tortured, and crucified
Isa 53:4-5 “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by His wounds we are healed.”
CONCLUSION
Where are you today with Christ?
Have you been identified with Him in His death?
This is the Easter Season…and though He died…He did not stay dead
Truly it was you and me that Killed Jesus
And He had to die because the punishment of sin had to be paid for…He paid it in full!
My question is “Have you received the payment…have you embraced what He did for you?
Invitation/Pray
