INTRODUCTION
STATUES AND PARADES
Have you seen the images of the head of Saddam being dragged through the streets with Iraqui’s hitting it with their shoes
They would say the word Saddam and spit. Or run up to U.S. soldiers and shout ’George Bush good.’”
"Typically a shoe is regarded as unclean because we walk on the ground and pick up all this dirt and things. So for Muslims, it’s very rude to see the back of your shoe."
The custom has roots in both the Bible and the Koran, the Muslims’ holy book. When Moses was on Mount Horeb (Sinai), God said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground." (Exodus 3:5)
The Koran account in Surra 20 is almost a duplicate. "So when he came to (the fire), a voice was uttered: ’O Musa (Moses): Surely I am your Lord, therefore put off your shoes; surely you are in the sacred valley, Tuwa."
Muslims have taken that order to heart. While Christians don’t think twice about sitting in church with their shoes on, Muslims remove theirs upon entering a mosque.
"You don’t want to make it dirty because you put your forehead to the floor during prayer," a spokesman for the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis said, who added that a shoe represents the lowest of the low to the Muslim. "That’s why when you go to somebody’s home, you don’t wear shoes inside the house."
ILL: Shoes on the head of Saddam; shoes on the head of Jesus;
The higher they are, the harder they fall.
TRANSITION
Of all the undeserved parades of tyrants and murderous dictators, like the pomp of Hitler’s Third Reich, and of all the statues of a Lenin or a Saddam - it was just as before with Nebuchadnezzar -
This day we consider the so called Triumphal Entry of Jesus:
Jesus “triumphal entry” according to the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy was for the purpose of personally demonstrating the apostasy of Israel, culminating in the pronouncing of judgment on Israel in the “woes” and lament of Matt. 23. In Matt. chapter 21, His basis for judgment is depicted in the actions of temple cleansing (21:11-17), the cursing of the barren fig tree (21:18-22), and communicated in his word on John’s message and authority (21:23-32) and his parable of the vineyard owner (21:44-41). The chapter ends in Jesus’ application of the rejection of the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22-23) and his prophecy that the kingdom will be taken from Israel (21:42-46). While this chapter portrays unrepeatable events limited to the unique context of Israel and their apostasy in the face of their incarnate Messiah and King, the principles of God’s judgment on men, nations, and even churches are applicable. Rejecting God’s holiness in worship, His purpose in fruitfulness, His Word-bearing messengers, and ultimately His Son brings judgment, resulting in the removal of the kingdom.
NARRATIO
Psalm 118 is a hard to classify.
The Kinds of Psalms: PSALM. Praise, Supplication, Adoration, Lamentation, Messianic.
This is a temple processional Praise Psalm with a significant Messianic prediction.
GIVE THANKS FOR CHARACTER OF THE LORD
Psalm 118:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, "His mercy endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, "His mercy endures forever."
APP: Christians are to be thankful people. There very opposite of thankfulness is ingratitude expressed in grumbling. CHILDREN to you grumble when you do not get your way? If we introduce a song you don’t like are you going to grumble and murmur.
GIVE THANKS FOR THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD
5 I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.
APP: God will open the gates of Righteousness for us. All of those things that distress us will lead us, if we walk by faith to ultimate joy.
GIVE THANKS FOR THE CORNERSTONE OF THE LORD
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
NIV/NRS Psalm 118:27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns [CORNERS] of the altar.
27 God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Let us focus on verses 22-29: The Cornerstone
THE CORNERSTONE IN PROPHECY
THE CORNERSTONE IN HISTORY
THE CORNERSTONE IN PROPHECY
NKJ Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Jesus in fulfilling the prophecy of Zech 9:9 " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O 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. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ’from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’ And the refrain is taken from Psalm 118: 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be gad in it. 25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
THE CORNERSTONE IN HISTORY
1. The entry according to prophecy: 1-10
2. The cleansing of the temple: Israel rejected God’s holiness in worship 11-17
3. The lesson of the barren fig tree: Israel rejected God’s purpose in fruitfulness 18-22
4. John’s authority and message: Israel rejected God’s Word-bearing messengers 23-31
5. The parable of the vineyard owner: Israel rejected, ultimately, God’s Son 33-41
6. Stone the Builders Rejected: Israel will have the kingdom taken from them. 42-46
Cornerstones 20 feet by 7 feet.
Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: ’The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
44 "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.
46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
Acts 4: 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9 "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10 "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11 "This is the ’stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’
12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
1 Peter 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
Luke 19: 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."
45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,
John 12
15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt."
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.
18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
CROWD: Jesus in prophetic fulfillment recognize the Messianic nature of Jesus coming into the city. Hosanna is the Hebrew O Save. They recognize the Davidic covenant calling from Psalm 118, a Psalm that was a Messianic Psalm to the Jews.
Stone the Builders Rejected 42-46: Israel will have the kingdom taken from them.
Since the builders rejected the chief cornerstone, the kingdom will be taken from them and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. If you fall on this rock, you will be broken. But if it falls on you, you shall be as the dust. Peter says, 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
CONCLUSION
While this the events of the first Palm Sunday, the entry of Christ, are unrepeatable events limited to the unique context of Israel and their apostasy in the face of their incarnate Messiah and King, the principles of God’s judgment on men, nations, and even churches are applicable.
The Paradox of God in Jesus Christ is Evident throughout:
* He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.
* The loftiest and most exalted became the embodiment of humility and simplicity.
* The richest became the poorest that the poor might become rich.
* He emptied Himself that we might be filled.
* The Lion became the Lamb that sheep might become shepherds.
* His heart was broken that He might bind up the broken-hearted.
* He was bruised that we may be healed.
* He was condemned that we might be justified.
* He was judged that we would not be judged.
* He was rejected that we might be accepted.
Like those shoes on the head of Saddam; shoes were cast at the cross of Christ, insults, and abuse.
Rejecting God’s chief cornerstone brings judgment. How are you guilty of rejecting the CORNERSTONE, and rule and reign in your life?
Matthew 21: 44 "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
When a person does not delight the worship of the Savior and adore the completed work of Christ. When a person forsakes the Assembly, as those in Heb 10:
Heb 10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We do not stand as those crowds did before, saying: Hosanna only to cry Crucify Him a few days laters; But if your lives are not those who welcome Jesus, and who see the profound sorry of the Man of Sorrows, who paid for our sins, then we are no better.
