Psalm 113 A Call to Worship God Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Go ahead, praise the Lord, all you loving servants of God! Keep it up! Praise him some more! For the glorious name of the Lord is blessed forever and ever. From sunrise brilliance to sunset beauty, lift up his praise from dawn to dusk! For he rules on high over the nations with a glory that outshines even the heavens.
No one can be compared to God, enthroned on high! He stoops down to look upon the sky and the earth. He promotes the poor, picking them up from the dirt, and rescues the needy from the garbage dump. He turns paupers into princes and seats them on their royal thrones of honor. God s grace provides for the barren ones a joyful home with children so that even childless couples find a family. He makes them happy parents surrounded by their pride and joy. That s the God we praise, so give it all to him!
What kind of King? Palm Sunday March 25, 2018
The arrival of a conquering king
Today is the beginning of what we call Holy Week Palm Sunday celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Easter Sunday celebrates his resurrection from the dead. In between is the drama of God s love poured out through the sacrifice of His only Son. Today we are going to look at some of the perceptions of those who were there as we reflect on our own views of Jesus
What kind of King? (video of triumphal entry)
The Problem of Perception: White/Gold? or Blue/Black?
We can learn some lessons from the (mis)perceptions of the people who were there on the first Palm Sunday Even those closest to him were mistaken because Jesus does not fit into our boxes! When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowd praised him as King and Savior. By the end of the week, many in the crowd were calling for him to be killed.
The feast of Passover was approaching. Jesus led the disciples on the long uphill route towards Jerusalem.
When they came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, Jesus spoke to two of His disciples instructing them, Go to the village ahead and just as you enter you will find a colt (the foal of a donkey) tied there that no one has ridden before.
If anyone asks you what you are doing tell them, The Lord needs it and will return it.
The two disciples set off immediately to do what the Lord asked.
They found the young donkey outside in the street just as the Lord had said and started to untie it.
As they did so the colt s owners protested, What are you doing, untying that colt? The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly, they replied. At hearing this, the owners let them borrow the donkey and they led it back to Jesus.
The disciples threw their coats on the young donkey then Jesus sat on it to ride.
Many people spread their cloaks on the ground for Jesus to ride over while others waved palm and olive branches.
Jesus rode towards Jerusalem fulfilling what the prophet Zechariah had written: Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
People ran ahead of Jesus shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David!
Others cried out, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
Many shouted, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd were angry and said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.
I tell you the truth, replied Jesus, if they keep quiet the very stones will cry out.
When they got to a place with a view of Jerusalem, Jesus looked over the city and began weeping.
O Jerusalem! If only you understood that today was supposed to bring you peace, but what is happening is hidden from you, Jesus cried. The days are coming when your enemies will build an embankment, surround and trap you. They will dash you to the ground and not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of God s visitation.
As Jesus rode into the city, people rushed to find out what the commotion was about. Who is this? they asked.
The crowds replied, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.
The words that the crowds shout along the way come from Psalm 118. Psalms 113-118 belong to what is called the Hallel Psalms, psalms sung at all the major festivals in Jerusalem. The words would have been well known even by the common person, much like Christmas Carols are known by nominal church attenders.
The cries included: Hosanna to the Son of David ; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD, and Hosanna in the highest. The word hosanna is a Greek writing of the Hebrew verb from the Psalm, Save! (Hebrew hosi ah-na a [pronounced ho-she-ah-nah]) The people are crying out to be saved from their situation.
Perceptions of the people who were there: Jesus supporters perception was that the time had come to be rid of the oppressive Roman rule and the corrupt Jewish king installed by the Romans. The Pharisees perception was that Jesus was a danger to their policy of accommodation with the Romans. The Romans were eager to keep the peace, however brutal they needed to be to do so.
When the people cried hosanna or save us, many meant Save us, Jesus, from Roman occupation, and let us have our own kingdom again! Save us from these high taxes that the Romans are imposing! Others said, Save us from this unjust economic system in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer! In other words, it was as if those in the crowd were saying, Save us from this particular problem, Jesus, and then we ll be O.K. They were thinking small.
Are we really so different today? Like this crowd, we often say Save us, Jesus But save us just a little. Save me, Jesus, from this problem I m having paying the bills this month. Save me, Jesus, from this problem I m having with my kids. Save me, Jesus, from this problem I m having at work! Save me, Jesus, from failing algebra! Save me, Jesus, from this illness that s threatening my life. Save me, Jesus, but just a little. Do me this one little favor, and I won t bother you again for a while, I promise.
We should cry out Hosanna! God Save Me! Jesus CAN save, he CAN heal, he CAN deliver but we have to CHANGE OUR PERCEPTIONS and accept him as our King and our God to access the fullness of abundant life.
Power of perception How do you perceive Jesus? Is he a good man from long ago? Is he King, Savior, Lord? How much of His kingdom do you allow yourself to access?
What will you lay down today in front of him, like the people laid their cloaks down in front of him on the first Palm Sunday? What will you do this Holy Week to recognize what Jesus did to forgive you and give you access to His kingdom? What kind of King will you let him be in your life?
Prayer