[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Palm Sunday morning, the 9th of April. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
One of the dictionary definitions of irony is an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. It’s when something is almost completely opposite of what it appears to be.
Consider the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the last time. Crowds gathered and cheered Him on. They shouted “Hosanna” and threw palm branches and flowers at His feet. And all the while, Jesus knew full well that in just a few days they would be shouting for His blood. I believe we can say that the ultimate outcome was quite contrary to what might have been expected at the moment Jesus entered the city. Of course, there’s more to it than that.
Listen and follow along to the Gospel account of the Apostle John, from chapter 12, verses 12 through 16, 35 through the first part of 36, and 44 through 46, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Consider the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the last time. Crowds gathered and cheered Him on. They shouted “Hosanna” and threw palm branches and flowers at His feet. And all the while, Jesus knew full well that in just a few days they would be shouting for His blood. I believe we can say that the ultimate outcome was quite contrary to what might have been expected at the moment Jesus entered the city. Of course, there’s more to it than that.
Listen and follow along to the Gospel account of the Apostle John, from chapter 12, verses 12 through 16, 35 through the first part of 36, and 44 through 46, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."
--John 12:12-16, 35-36a, 44-46 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, we near that time when we celebrate the resurrection of Your Son, a happy and joyous day! But that path leads us even closer to the cruel cross on which our Savior was put to death. The whole world was cast into a greater darkness that day. But then the light of our Lord shown for all who believe as Jesus rose from the grave! Let Your Holy Spirit speak directly into our hearts the message You would have us hear this morning. Help us keep our walk out of the darkness and in the light. In the beloved name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
It was Palm Sunday, but because of a sore throat, five-year-old Sammy stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Sammy asked what the palms were for. "People waved them and held them over Jesus' head as He walked by," his father answered.
"Wouldn't you just know it?", little Sammy complained. "The one Sunday I don't go, and He shows up."
Since it is Palm Sunday, I had thought about printing Bible verses of the Resurrection on some of the palm fronds. But then I realized that Deuteronomy 18:10 warns me not to let God's people practice fortune-telling, so reading palms would be against scripture.
I can understand little Sammy’s disappointment. He’d been going to church all his life and the one day he has to stay home sick, Jesus decides to show up. It’s a good thing for Sammy, and for us, that Jesus plans to come again someday.
I can’t help but wonder, though, if when He does come back, where will we be? Will we be among those shouting Hosannas and waving palm branches and praising His holy name? Or we will be in the group still plotting against Him?
The Apostle John tells us in verse 16 of our reading that even Jesus’ closest followers did not understand all the things that He tried to show them and tell them, not until He was finally glorified and had returned to His Father in heaven. They probably didn’t even get the significance of Jesus entering the largest city in the nation riding on the back of a donkey. But Jesus knew that by doing so, He would be fulfilling the words of God as spoken by the prophet Zechariah, as recorded in chapter 9 verse 9 of his book…
It was Palm Sunday, but because of a sore throat, five-year-old Sammy stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Sammy asked what the palms were for. "People waved them and held them over Jesus' head as He walked by," his father answered.
"Wouldn't you just know it?", little Sammy complained. "The one Sunday I don't go, and He shows up."
Since it is Palm Sunday, I had thought about printing Bible verses of the Resurrection on some of the palm fronds. But then I realized that Deuteronomy 18:10 warns me not to let God's people practice fortune-telling, so reading palms would be against scripture.
I can understand little Sammy’s disappointment. He’d been going to church all his life and the one day he has to stay home sick, Jesus decides to show up. It’s a good thing for Sammy, and for us, that Jesus plans to come again someday.
I can’t help but wonder, though, if when He does come back, where will we be? Will we be among those shouting Hosannas and waving palm branches and praising His holy name? Or we will be in the group still plotting against Him?
The Apostle John tells us in verse 16 of our reading that even Jesus’ closest followers did not understand all the things that He tried to show them and tell them, not until He was finally glorified and had returned to His Father in heaven. They probably didn’t even get the significance of Jesus entering the largest city in the nation riding on the back of a donkey. But Jesus knew that by doing so, He would be fulfilling the words of God as spoken by the prophet Zechariah, as recorded in chapter 9 verse 9 of his book…
9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey."
--Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)
We have the huge advantage of seeing how the life of Jesus fully played out, and further, we know how the rest of the story goes. But do even we truly understand? Has the lightbulb clicked on over our heads yet? Are we walking in the light, or still surrounded by darkness?
In verses 35 and 36, Jesus is foretelling His death and return to heaven, but His disciples didn’t really understand. He’s trying to tell them that they needed to live their lives in the manner He is showing them, while He is still there to show them, because soon He will no longer be around to serve as an example.
As always, He’s painting a word picture to help them see and comprehend. When we try walking around in the darkness, we can easily get lost, or at the very least bump our shins on the furniture. If we turn on the lights, we can see and won’t get lost so easily. The other night, coming back from Emanuel Church, I missed a turn because it was dark. Fortunately we didn’t get lost, but that is how easy it is to become disoriented in the dark, and that is why we must go forth in the light.
Because by virtue of His words being recorded by John and preserved for us in our Bible, Jesus is trying to tell us the same thing, too! We need to walk in the light while we still have the light, staying ahead of the darkness, so that we may become sons of light!
Ok, so maybe that last is a little confusing, staying ahead of the darkness and becoming sons of light and all that. Maybe this whole business of walking in the light leaves us just a bit in the dark, the dark of confusion.
Our message text comes from the 12th chapter of John’s Gospel, but let’s go back and look at how the Apostle opens his account of the life of Jesus. Listen to the very first five verses of John’s account…
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
--John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
Then we get to the good part. In Jesus is life, and His life is the light of men! Jesus is the light of man that shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend that light.
Now the New King James Version uses the word “comprehend” there, that the darkness did not comprehend the light. But if we look back to the original texts, another meaning for the word used there can be “overcome”. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome Him.
Now that we know what Jesus means regarding the light, what about the darkness? To put it simply, the darkness is what surrounds this world. In the very beginning the earth was without form and in total darkness until God called forth the Light.
Ever since the fall of man, the earth has again been shrouded in darkness. The Apostle Paul tells us who controls the darkness, in chapter 6 verse 12 of his letter to the Ephesians, when he says…
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
--Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
And that brings us back to another part of the irony I mentioned at the start. When all the world was shrouded in darkness, God called forth the Light. First in Genesis, but then again when He sent Jesus into this world to save us from ourselves. We were lost in the darkness, and then God sent His Light to show us the way.
When Jesus was executed and laid in the tomb, the world was cast into darkness. To His disciples, life could not have looked any darker. They were afraid of what the future held for them. But then God’s Light again shone forth and Jesus rose from the dead and walked right out of that tomb!
The darkness could not overcome the Light! Satan cannot overcome our Lord Jesus! And as long as we are in Jesus and He is in us, then Satan cannot overcome us either!
In the last three verses of our message text this morning, Jesus tells us that all we have to do is believe in Him and He will light our way. He will be the life within us, the light around us. By believing in Him we believe in the God who sent Him, who once again calls forth His light to guide our steps.
Jesus is still with us! He is alive and in heaven and still lighting our way! Believe in Him, and we will no longer have to walk in darkness. Believe, and be saved. All in the holy name of our Lord and Master Jesus. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, when nothing existed but the darkness, You called for Light. Jesus brought light into the world, and into our lives. Because of Him, we no longer have to stumble around in the darkness. Because of Him, we no longer have to fear blindly falling into one of Satan’s trap. Because of Him, the devil and the darkness cannot overcome us. Thank You Father, for loving us this much, that You would send Your only begotten Son into this world of darkness to bring us light, to show us the way to salvation and life eternal with You in heaven!
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You from our hearts, acknowledging our belief in Your Son Jesus and our acceptance of Him as our Master, rededicating ourselves to His service, promising to repent of our disobedience and sin, seeking Your forgiveness, listening for Your voice…
Lord Jesus, You walked among us as one of us for such a short time, yet Your presence on earth changed the world forever. You shone a light in the darkness that still shines brightly today. Because of You, we need not fear the darkness, because we know it cannot overcome You, and as long as we are in You and You in us, then the darkness cannot overcome us either. Help us, Lord, to stay in Your light, to walk in the path You laid for us, to live in the manner You showed us. You are still with us, Lord Jesus. You still light our way. Help us, please, to remain in Your light, that we may never again abide in darkness.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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