Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 1 of 8 We have been teaching through the book of John for over a year now, learning, growing, discovering who Jesus was, is, and always will be. the Lord of all creation and God of the universe. And only God can save us from sin, That s what Jesus did, that s who he is. Its been a long wonderful journey through John,?Do you believe? Not too long ago we went through the last week of Jesus life, his entry to Jerusalem, the 24 hours period he spent with his disciples before His was tried, crucified, and resurrected. (The receipt and proof that the gift of life to men and woman was acceptable.) Topically as I look things over there seems to be a theme in our church here take a look with me Jesus was a man on a mission, following the will of the Father John 21 Ego Egoectamy was performed in Peters life, there are things that we allow in our lives that push God of out of the center. Put God first, not let excuses separate us from his will. For God uses precision to cut out of our lives anything unhelathy..if we are willing! Get eh ego out, don't be a but-head Method Madness, most don't like change, Gods word remains the same, but his methods are always subject to change at his leading, I for one was pressed all the more to not get locked down with tradition and methodology. I believe and see that God is continuing to lead this church, as he has been for over 20 yrs now, but what he does today may look very different from what how HE moved through the body 20 years ago, & thats ok, glad HE is a God of new mercies, God does the unexpected Culture of our church today. Silas spoke words of comfort to us, stability, encouraging us to step out in faith but that we are waiting on God to lead. Pruning, ushering in change and movement in the body that there will be more opportunity to bear fruit, show love, see ppl won to Christ! &it s ok for the body to move where God guides. This Resurrection week should be fresh on our minds and hearts. By no mistake that we went over this just weeks ago and will go over the entry, death, and resurrection of Christ again. I believe the Lord is drawing us deeper into the well that gives eternal life. - Scripture Summary Jesus gets ready to walk into Jerusalem, on a Sunday, the Sunday before he is resurrected, just days before He will be crucified. He travels from Jericho to Bethpage. Sends his disciples into Jerusalem to fetch a donkey that had never been ridden. The disciples obediently go and return with a donkey, and they throw there clothes on the donkey. The something amazing happens, a crowd of people gather around Jesus, they throw down their clothes on the ground along with palm leaves. (It is Palm Sunday after all.) They shout out Hosana, Save us now as Jesus and the little donkey walk across the clothes & palm leaves laid out on the ground. Prophesies are being fulfilled at every sentence here. When Jesus arrived on the scene everyone, 2 million ppl, in Jerusalem was buzzing saying who is this Man. They were about to find out, he wasn't what they expected, hoped for, but HE was everything they needed, an more than they could dream of!
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 2 of 8 Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, the second time we see him weep, and says oh how I wish you had known on this day the things that make for peace, but hey were blind to who that Peace was. Jesus enters the temple & is broken hearted & angry over what the temple has become. A place of money changing and ripping people off. He overturns the tables, cleaned house, and then.the blind and deaf came in to the house of God to be healed after Jesus restored order and made temple house of prayer. Scripture - To grasp how important this section of scripture, last week of Jesus life, let s take a look the 4 gospel accounts. Jesus had a three year ministry, thats 156 weeks, one week is.75% of this Mark dedicates 1/3 of his gospel to the last week Luke 1/5, Matthew 1/4, & John 1/2 JESUS picked up the pace all the way to the end This was a big deal. His childhood was lived in near obscurity. His public ministry lasted for only 3 years. And, up until this point in time Jesus lived his life and ministry very quietly. Remember when he healed ppl he would say be healed, go, but tell no one, my time has not come, keep this quiet. Well, here during what we call the Triumphal Entry, you will see Jesus for the first time accept praise and worship entirely in the public eye. For His time had come, & would ultimately end at the cross and come again in the resurrection. - Zacchaeus rewind account set the stage of the disciples expectations Luke 19.9 Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. They hear salvation has come, waiting a long time of this, so much oppression, so much depression, anxiety, stress and rejection. Other ppl ruling over the Jews No doubt when they heard salvation has come, you can understand, based on the scriptures, why they thought the kingdom of God might just appear right then and there. It was taught that the Messiah was to come and free the Jews from oppression Disciples were pumped, 3yrs of ridicule, laughter, the butt of all joke alas, the time had come Jesus as King, remember the time he fed the 5000, my time had not come, not gonna be king yet, for the rest of the nation, the 1000s of years of oppression, finally over! Brought up to show what the Jews expected from Jesus, their expectations were so much less than what Jesus was about to do for them So he tells them a parable,
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 3 of 8 - Luke 19.28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? you shall say this: The Lord has need of it. Jesus tells the disciples to go into the city hustling with ppl and grab me a donkey colt, one never ridden before, don't worry Ive got you covered. Anyone asks, tells them it s for the Lord. Some speculate simply that Jesus set this deal up earlier, knew some folks in town, but not the disciples. You might say that because we know Jesus through out the scriptures was always in communion with the Father. Perhaps in prayer and intimacy with His Father, the Lord told Jesus what who and where. But then it also speaks to the omniscience of Jesus. He really did, & just does know everything. Nathaniel in John 1.45 Philip We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth. 46 Nazareth! exclaimed Nathanael. Can anything good come from Nazareth? Not who Nathan expected Come and see for yourself, Philip replied.47 As they approached, Jesus said, Now here is a genuine son of Israel a man of complete integrity. 48 How do you know about me? Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you. 49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, Rabbi, you are the Son of God the King of Israel! But more than he ever expected I have a sneaking suspicion, that perhaps Nathaniel was confessing his heart before the Lord under the fig tree, revealing his sin, or his heart, but whatever he was doing it was just between him and God, & Jesus know all about the moment under the fig tree. Oh, when we know that God knows and sees all of us into our soul, how it changes the way we value him, perceive him, and look to him for all our needs commitment to Him is easy when we see His commitment to us, look no further than the cross! God is omniscient - Luke 19.32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord has need of it. 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. - Disciples, Check this out, unlike the time loaves of bread to feed the 1000 s, they don't question Him here, they're growing in faith, like you like me. They had learned, in this moment anyway, to trust what Jesus asked them to do even if it didn t make sense! - I also love the unsung hero here. The donkey owners who heard the master has need of it, and without explantation they simply gave to the Lord for HIs purpose. - Matthew 21 says here 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. - Palm Sunday. branches on roads
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 4 of 8-200 years prior, Antiochus Epiphanies, nasty Syrian ruler who oppressed the Israelis. Judas Maccabee, (hammer) roused a rebellion that eventually overthrew Antiochus and ran him out of town. - In celebration the Jews grabbed palm branches and waved them in celebration - As a result form that time forward the Jewish coins had a palm branch as a symbol of deliverance from oppression Removal of their garments, putting Jesus on donkey, laid path of clothes, purpose, symbol of submission to Jesus, they were saying You re the King. You have reign over us, we submit to you, give over all authority to you. But they were only submitting to a little king! For their expectations were much lower than what the God of all the universe was about to do.get to that.?have you submitted to the king? Surrender and submit Internally spiritual submit, letting Jesus be Lord of your life - Matthew 21.4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Prophesy pop up! Prophesy deepens our faith - Turn to Zecheraiah 9.9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,[e] yet he is humble, riding on a donkey riding on a donkey s colt. and your king will bring peace to the nations. HE didn't need a donkey to walk Jerusalem. He had been walking the entire country for 3 years at least. Seasoned hiker. Prophesy had said the Messiah would come back on a donkey, a baby donkey. Not like Jesus with Google Calendar time to get a Donkey I guess. Jesus was simply fulfilling the Father s will, and prophesy was getting filled as result Donkey seems like such a weird animal to ride in on to us. Did you know that a king who was coming in peace would actually ride into town on a donkey? If he came to make war though, he would thunder into town on a stallion with an army of horsemen and chariots behind him. Here he rides a donkey.. Revelation 19 says Jesus will come to the earth riding on a white horse with the armies of heaven following, you and me, when he will come to judge the earth. But first he would come in peace to pay off a debt we couldn't afford! The payment for all our sin - vs 32 So those who were sent went away and found - They get the donkey and bring it back to Jesus
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 5 of 8 those who were sent, went, an found. the disciples were obedient and found it just as Jesus said it would be how did they find the colt? because they went they made a choice to GO where Jesus led, follow obedience often leads to our joy, JOY is revealed at the discovery of who God is. NO greater place than the cross, go to the cross Disciples went and did and found Follow, Obey, and DISCOVER How do you tell a true believer disciple of Jesus? By how they live, not what they say. If a person lives by what GOD says, OBEDIENCE, and not by cultural standards, might be authentic Christians. Because a walk with God, life with God, always results in a transformed life. Some transform faster, slower, more subtle slow boil pressure cooker, microwave popcorn, but1 thing true in all accounts there will be a changed life and actions displayed in those that HE calls to follow Him Another Prophesy. - Jesus entered Jerusalem on the tenth day of Nisan - The day everyone in Israel selected a lamb for sacrifice at Passover - In our calendar: April 6, AD 32 Daniel 9, just under 500 years before this Triumphal Entry Daniel received a prophetic word from an angel, Gabriel, telling him something special and amazing, letting him know exactly when the Messiah would come on the scene publicly. Daniel ch 9, v20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel 22 O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. - Time is short to explain, but weeks here was understood, translates to a 7 year period, 1 week 7 yrs. the jewish years were lunar yrs, at 360 days per year. Daniel is told by an angel some 500 years BC that from the time the city of Jerusalem is commanded to be rebuilt, it was in ruins then, in 69 weeks, 69 groups of 7, or 483 years, X 360 days in a lunar year 173,880 days,.then the Messiah would come to bring peace the nations. - That s cool, but do we know exactly when the command went out? Glad you asked - Nehemiah 2 Daniel & the boys had been in Babylon, exile, 900 miles from Jerusalem, Tells us month of Nisan, Artaxerxes allows Nehemiah to go rebuild the city, and even makes an official command. Happened when? March 24th 445 bc, go restore the city - Wouldn't you know, from that command 69 seven yr periods, 483 years..guess what happened - April 6th 32 AD, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey that was never ridden. Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince Prophesy is amazing tool God uses to convince the intellect so that our hearts become more absorbent!
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 6 of 8-37 As he was drawing near already on the way down the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. 40 He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. Going down Mt Olives, Valley Kidron, towards Jerusalem they recall a song fresh in their head a Psalm 118 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! - Messianic proclamations, hosanna son of david blessed is he.. city was moved, who is this? Its the Messiah, the savior! - Hosannah.save now they cry not to save from our sin but save from oppression of enemies. they thought. Jesus would march into the Antonio fortress and rule, kick out romans, take over, but when he didn't do what they wanted.kill him. blood upon us and our kids They had great expectations of what they wanted, demanded what they wanted him not to do but Jesus was the Man on a mission. He had other plans, better plans - 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,42 saying, Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes Luke 19 Jesus wept over the city before he goes - Jesus has this tremendous following toward Jerusalem, they are cheering him on, fired up. But Jesus knows the fall out to come. In just a few days they would see that Jesus wasn't doing what they expected him to do, and rebel against him. He weeps for the ppl not himself. - 42 I wish that had known on this day the things that make for peace! - The things that make for peace. When I was a teenager - NO matter how vastly different the customs cultures clothes or cuisine there was one inherent desire that even s a none believer I could recognize in ppl. A desire for PEACE - I wish you had known, I want you to know, Please, listen and know before its too late as the tears stream down His face. The things that make for peace, its not found in your customs, its not found in your traditions, not in your bank account. Success & career they don't bring you peace. Family, it s all about the kids doesn't bring you peace. If it were so the world surely would have peace, how many families are broken hearted in this country alone, no Jesus would say, family doesn't bring you peace. - Jesus, you see the Man riding in on the donkey, the King coming to save you from all the things that want to bring you down, hold you back, and restrain you form a life of JOY?
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 7 of 8 - In Him, in Jesus, its in ME, alone that peace is found! He knows how many then, how many now would turn away looking for peace in all the wrong places, & not just the unbeliever, but also those HE saves, but loose sight of what is right, HIM. - And so Jesus weeps going down into the Temple this Sunday, the day the lambs are inspected Luke 19.45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers. - john 2 Jesus cleanses the temple same way, drove out $ changers and over turned tables, same thing is going on. 3 years later they moved back in the greed and corruption, they removed the Lord from the throne of their hearts - What made him so upset? Ppl would bring up lambs to temple, blemished, need an approved lamb, different currency needed, have exchange $, exchange rate is high Getting ripped off in church, not right Supposed to be a place of prayer, tables turned to restorer prefer to temple church Isaiah 56.7 Jeremiah 7 written my house whose of prayer, you made it den of thieves, you've changed the purpose of it, supposed to be a place of healing and encouragement after the place is cleared and cleansed by Jesus Matthew21.14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.then the blind and lame came ministry was supposed to be happening not taking advantage of ppl - when restored the blind and lame THEN were able to come in and see miraculous healing, seeing hearing 1 Corinthians 3 you are the temple of God - somehow we are the temple and the church of CH - As lord looks at us, these temples, maybe there are tables here need to be overturned? - getting rid of these things, they will keep us form his purpose, - Lord desires to dwell - Compartmentalize where Jesus can go.go here there, make loaves and fish and prosperity, but not in that closet Lord. Don't go there. Computer is in thre. sites you might not like - Unwilling to give up - Need for renovations so order can be restored, PRUNING, renovation, restoration, his purpose,?have you allow the lord to make triumphal entry into your heart??submitted to him?? Have you set up a tables that should not be? Those will keep you form being used for his purpose?
Grate Expectations Palm Sunday Page 8 of 8 Better to respond to him as king of peace on a donkey rather than as judge on a horse Summary Follow Jesus into the depths of our own hearts, outstretched arms, allowing him to clean house. Only then will our blindness cease to darken our lives. Only then will our hardened hearts become soft and supple pliable and shapeable. Our ecxpectations for Jesus set the bar so LOW, what we want or expect is so much less than what he wants to give to us. A better word is often really to what will give us joy, satisfaction, and peace. They expected so little of the Messiah. But still had expectations of the Lord to come. Cheering him in, waving the palm flags, expecting their present needs to be met in a particular way. But, still they had expectations that were not met. Caused a great raucous in the their hearts