Summary: People today still do not fully understand who Jesus is.

Save Now

Matt 21.9-10

March 20, 2005 (Palm Sunday)

Chester, Illinois FBC Chester Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A TRUE OR FALSE?

Palm Sunday celebrates the day Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Test your knowledge of that day’s events, recorded in all four Gospels, with these true or false statements.

1. According to the Gospels, the people waved palm branches when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

2. The date of Jesus’ triumphal entry-five days before Passover-was a special holiday in his time.

3. By their actions, the people were publicly proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.

4. The fact that Jesus rode a donkey portrayed him as a warrior king.

5. The shouts of "Hosanna!" meant "Praise the Lord!"

6. The route Jesus chose for his triumphal entry was down the side of Mount Zion.

7. When the people spread branches and garments in Jesus’ path it was to pay him honor.

8. The shouts of "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" were words of a Jewish hymn.

B Today, we’ll be looking at the message, "Save Now"

a 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" 10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" Matt 21:9-10 (NASB)

b The crowds at the first Palm Sunday did not fully grasp who was entering town on the donkey. (ETS)

(IL.) Every spring, hundreds of Hollywood "stars" gather for the Academy Awards. Very few "slip in the back door:" instead, they make an entrance. They walk down the long red carpet, smiling at the cameras and waving to the people in the stands (who, by the way, all had to apply and go through extensive background checks), showing off their clothing (and undoubtedly a bit more), chatting with the reporters. Some will go to great, great lengths just to be noticed.

Contrast that with Jesus: to the man healed of leprosy in Matt. 8, He said: "See that you don’t tell anyone." To the two blind men He healed in Matt. 9, He, "warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’" And in Mark 1, a demon possessed man in Capernaum yelled out "I know who you are – the Holy One of God!", to which Jesus replied "Be quiet!"

Jesus often chose not to be in the limelight. In fact, most of Jesus ministry happened outside of the capital city of Jerusalem, away from the big pomp and ceremony of the Temple, in small towns and villages along the way.

Until today. Until the event we know as "The Triumphal Entry," the day we remember each year as Palm Sunday. This day all of that changes. Now, we see Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem being proclaimed as Messiah and King.

C People today still do not full understand who Jesus is. (ESS)

a I hope you’ll warmly respond to Jesus when He enters where you live. (Objective)

b What will you tell Jesus today? (Probing Question)

T.S.: Let’s look at two phrases that we could possibly tell Jesus ashe comes our way today.

I The first phrase that we could tell Jesus today is . . . HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID.

A Throngs of people cried out "Hosanna" to Jesus. (cf. Ps 118.25-26)

25 O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. Psalms 118:25-26 (NASB)

a Hosanna meant save now.

*Jesus was seen by many to the promised Messiah in Zech. 9.9 by their reference to Jesus as Son of David.

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zech 9:9 (NASB)

The Messiah was supposed to accomplish at least these four things . . .

i Redeem God’s people, ii Judge those who oppose God’s people, iii Rule the nations with peace, iv Acts on God’s behalf.

b These people were in bondage, oppressed, bullied, and disenfranchised.

i Needed a hero. (Clayton Moore riding in on a white stallion; instead they God Jesus the Carpenter from Nazareth on a donkey.)

ii Many folks didn’t fully understand Jesus’ role as savior, but they were incredibly aware of their need to be saved. SAVE US NOW!!!

B You may not fully understand who Jesus is, but your being here gives evidence that you know need more than what you can do for yourself.

a We must come to Him with shouts of "Hosanna", SAVE US NOW!!

Save our marriages, homes, finances, relationships, addiction, . . .

b Before we can cry out "Hosanna", you must acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah.

*Jesus is the way to save your marriage, home, relationships . . .

C The Old Testament contains over 300 references to the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus. What chance did Jesus or any other man have of fulfilling these prophecies? The mathematical laws of probability can give us a clue.

In his book Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh McDowell mentions the work of the mathematician, Peter Stoner, on just eight of the 300 prophecies: "We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in ten (to the seventeenth power). That would be one in 100,000,000, 000,000,000.

In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that we take ten (seventeenth power) silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that This is the right one.

What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.

Jesus is the Messiah, Savior, Lord.

T.S.: Although many saw Jesus as savior, there were others who didn’t see Him even though he was just yards in front of their face.

II The first phrase that we could tell Jesus today is . . .WHO IS THIS?

A There were somewhere between 150,000 and 2 million in Jerusalem who came face-to-fac with Jesus on the first Palm Sunday.

a Jesus passed by two groups of people.

i The Hosanna people: Oddly, within four days many of these folks would cry out "crucify Him!"

ii The Who Is This people: These people saw Jesus but never know who he was.

b Jesus was right in front of their faces, offering what they were asking for, and they just let Jesus pass them by.

B Sadly, Jesus is still being allowed to just pass through peoples lives.

a Some will have a brief encounter/ emotional experience but within days there right back doing the same old stuff. (

b Some will hear about him, see those who love him, but never get to Jesus personally. ( They’ve just let Jesus pass through their lives.)

*Jesus is offering what people are asking for and they are either accepting it, rejecting it, or allowing Him to just pass through.

C This second phrase had people asking who Jesus was because they saw the crowd going ape over Christ.

a (IL.) Once at a meeting, some young people were discussing the text, "ye are the salt of the earth." They were suggesting uses of salt, and the meaning. Salt gives flavor to food. It preserves food to keep it from decaying. Then one girl said, salt makes you thirsty. They all got quiet and thought have I ever made anyone thirsty for Jesus?

b Howard Hendricks said, "In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering."

Conclusion:

The crowds at the first Palm Sunday did not fully grasp who was entering town on the donkey. (ETS) People today still do not full understand who Jesus is. (ESS)

A We’ve looked at two phrases that we could possibly tell Jesus as he comes our way today.

a HOSANNA

b WHO IS THIS

B I hope you’ll warmly respond to Jesus when He enters where you live. (Obj.)

a Cry out, SAVE NOW or let him pass through.

b Acknowledge Jesus for who he is or let him pass through.

C What will you tell Jesus today? (Probing Question)

Answers to opening quiz. Do not put answers for the quiz on the back. Put each question on the overhead!!

1. False (Matt. 21:6, Mark 11:8, Luke 19:36, John 12:13). None of the four Gospels say the people "waved" branches but that they spread garments and branches in Jesus’ path. Only John mentions palm branches, a tree not native to Jerusalem.

2. True. It wasn’t called Palm Sunday in Jesus’ day, but each Israelite family chose the lamb they would sacrifice for Passover on the tenth day of the month. As the people shouted "Hosanna," they didn’t realize they were choosing the Lamb of God as their sacrifice.

3. True. When Solomon was anointed king, he rode into the city on a mule, to the shouts and praises of the people (1 Kings 1:43-45). Zechariah prophesied the Messiah would arrive the same way "gentle and riding on a donkey" (Zech. 9:9).

4. False. Conquering kings would ride war horses; the donkey symbolized peace and humility (Zech. 9:9, 10). Jesus’ entry was a stark contrast to the war-like Romans, whose military presence was very visible.

5. False. The Hebrew word Halleluia means "praise the Lord;" Hosanna means "save us!" or "save!" The Palm Sunday crowd falsely assumed that Jesus would bring political liberation.

6. False. Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives offering him an excellent view of Jerusalem, which is built on Mount Zion. According to Zechariah 14:4, Jesus will again stand on the Mount of Olives at his second coming.

7. True. The people were boldly declaring that Jesus was their king, an accusation eventually written in condemnation above his cross. It was common in Bible times to spread garments in the path of princes and kings, especially at their coronation (see 2 Kings 9:13).

8. True. The phrases "Hosanna" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" both come from Psalm 118: 25-26, one of the "Hallel" or praise psalms (113-118) used every Passover. These Jewish hymns would be as familiar to the Jewish people as Christmas carols are to Christians.