If Only You Knew

Luke 19:28-48 Basingstoke Palm Sunday 16th March 2008

If only you knew

We usually think of Palm Sunday as a really happy time

All the waving palm branches, shouts of Hosanna! Cheers, Celebration.

So it’s a surprise to read in v41-42 that Jesus was in tears!!

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-- but now it is hidden from your eyes.

This bit about Jesus weeping over the city is only mentioned by Luke’s Gospel

And I believe it’s very significant

As Jesus journeyed over the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem,

He’d have come to a turn in the road with a view of the walls of the city,

He’d also have seen the streets of people, busy markets, people hassled and harassed, disturbed people, people with burdens and fears, worries

He saw thousands of people with no peace of mind. So He weeps.

He could also see the glittering towers and the spacious courtyards of Solomon’s golden Temple with smoke rising from sacrifices, people following traditions and rules of religion.

He sees people striving and no matter how hard they try never being sure

if they’re good enough for God, never sure of God’s acceptance.

He sees People busy climbing ladders that don’t reach far enough or high enough!

People with no peace in their hearts. So He weeps.

I believe Jesus would weep over our town were He to walk over the hill from Farleigh and look over the 1000s of houses and offices of our town.

He’d see people frantically busy, lives under pressure of time at home, at work

People lacking inward peace – very materialistic, and totally alienated from God

People with no assurance about the future, no freedom from guilt.

He’d say to the people of Basingstoke

If only you knew this day what would bring you peace - but you don’t.

If only you knew me - The Messiah who gives peace but you don’t.

Instead Jesus was rejected, despised, scorned ignored, shut out

Today in our increasingly secular society there is no room for Him either!

Some of you here this morning lack peace because you’ve also shut Jesus out!

But on Palm Sunday Jesus time had come to put his cards on the table

Publicly to reveal that he was the Messiah - Chosen by God to bring peace

As always the choice is left open for you to decide - Do you accept or reject Him?

To those who accept Him peace is given

In OT days the word Messiah meant "Anointed one"

Kings were anointed - remember David anointed by Samuel

Priests and Prophets were also anointed - think of Aaron

Jesus comes as God’s Anointed One - King Prophet and Priest

On Palm Sunday He reveals himself in these 3 ways

1. IF ONLY YOU’D KNOWN JESUS AS KING!

Story is so familiar - He sent disciples for a colt with the pre agreed password "The Lord has need of it" and they were told to bring it and set him upon it.

This is sheer drama - Street theatre at its best as Jesus acts out His message

Publicly by doing this He’s saying so clearly "I am King!"

It took courage - we know there was a warrant out for Jesus arrest (Jhn 11)

The Crowds see disciples laying coats at Jesus feet as a carpet

Reminder to them of Coronation of King Jehu - OT King for whom coats were laid

This is a statement there is Royalty coming! A King is to be crowned!

The words the crowd of disciples us are all borrowed from Psalm 118 -

v38 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

Jesus is king! But what sort of a king is he??

Here he is in home made robes, Riding a Donkey, hardly a royal stallion!!

And what courtiers?! Fishermen! Tax collectors, hailed by a mob of peasants!

This must surely be some sort of a joke!!!

It would be like seeing the Queen visiting Basingstoke on a Bike instead of stepping from a Rolls Royce! Can you imagine it? How undignified? How inappropriate!!

But listen- this is no earthly king.

Earlier 19:11 people thought He was going to become King now! He’d told them a parable to show first He would go away and then return as King!

However we do see some clues as to the kind of King Jesus was..

i) Jesus is a King with Power

v37 disciples began joyfully to praise God in a loud voice for the miracles they’d seen"

I guess there were many in the crowd who had reason to thank God for Jesus power