Sermon Central
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Heers And Jeers Series
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Apr 6, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: Palm Sunday message to understand how people had the wrong impression of why Jesus came to them.
Crowd cheers; Jesus weeps
Introduction-
As we continue in our mini-series “journey to the cross”, I would like for us to prepare ourselves for Easter celebration.
Sometimes scriptural passages lose their appeal because we are so familiar with them.
I would hate to see that happen as we look at this text.
Jesus entry into Jerusalem is recorded in all four gospels.
Each one compliments each other and each one shares a detail to put this event in order for us the reader to see the last days of Jesus Christ before the ultimate plan of God is complete.
I want to look at this passage and see the attitude change of the people.
People welcoming Jesus into their town and into their life… and days later, yelling crucify Him, and choosing a criminal be released instead of Him.
What changed? Did anything change?
Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem.
Passes through the Mt. of Olives, which days later, he will be crying out to God the Father, to take his burden from Him.
To fulfill prophecy, He sends 2 of his disciples (which we do not know which ones) to get a donkey and an un-ridden colt.
Jesus rides into Jerusalem to the praising and blessings of people who wanted Him to be King!
Oh, the Pharisees didn’t like him, and they knew Scriptures, they knew the prophecy was being fulfilled and told Jesus to shut His disciples up.
He rebukes them back and says that if they kept quiet, that even the rocks would cry out and praise God- Because of what was about to happen!
What was happening! Why the attitude change days later
Listen,
A lot of people know about the cross, and they heard of Jesus Christ, but few have experienced what the cross of Jesus Christ mean to them. (repeat)
To them, the last week of Jesus is a story to them, and Easter is about food, candy, and a family gathering.
To a believer who has a relationship with Jesus Christ, Palm Sunday begins a journey of our savior for the redemption of each person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Why did the attitude of the people of Israel changed in one week is the same reason today that people follow Jesus for awhile and then stop following Him.
He tells people what they do not want to hear.
Jesus through righteous love demands people to change.
They wanted Jesus to do what they wanted Him to do.
They wanted a king to change their situation and not mess with their hearts.
They wanted military muscle- and Jesus came to save them.
They wanted a king-----------------------------------------------------------------Jesus wanted to be savior.
They wanted to change Rome-----------------------------------------He wanted to change their hearts.
They wanted power given back to them----------------------------------------------Jesus wanted peace.
They saw Romans as the problem-------------------------------------Jesus said they were the problem.
Coming to Christ is a radical change- from what you were to what Christ wants to do in you.
It is a continuous process of following
It is walking in the same direction.
It is a path of commitment, obedience.
What went wrong?
For them- They looked for what Jesus could do for them instead of seeing what He was about
to do.
For us- It’s creating a Jesus to our liking instead of seeing what He has done (past tense) and
What that means to us.
Jesus knows everything about us
We cannot fake it.
We cannot be something that we are not.
They saw Jesus do miracles and they wanted their own miracle without a relationship.
They wanted to be saved from troubles, but not saved from their sins.
Somehow they thought Jesus could lead them out of trouble and continue to bail them out.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd waved their palm branches, threw their cloaks on the ground (hence Palm Sunday). They shouted “Blessed be the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Whoa Jesus
Cheers, blessings, all praises, hi fiving each other, giving honor to God.
It’s all good when everything is going well and you have no problems.
It’s all good when God is answering your prayers the way you want Him too.
I’ll serve you God as long as you come running guns a blazing when I need you.
But when He didn’t do that- things changed!
Jesus rode in on a donkey! Come on! How are you going to defeat the Romans riding on a donkey.
Illustration-
I picture the scene like rush hour traffic. Everyone rubber necking to see Jesus and the farther back you are, the more you are wondering what the delay is. Oh, its Jesus, He is going to save us from the Romans. He is our redeemer! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Then they get a glimpse of Him riding in on a donkey.
