[The following is a full manuscript of my abbreviated message delivered on Palm Sunday morning, the 25th of March, 2018. This Sunday also included a service of Confirmation for six youths and baptisms for five youth and one adult. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today we celebrate that Sunday morning long ago when Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem - on the back of a donkey, no less – to shouts of “Hosanna” as the people turned out in droves to cheer Him. He and His disciples came for the great feast of Passover, as did so many other Jews and visitors.
It was during this time of feasting that Jesus tried to explain more of God’s mysteries to His followers, telling them more of what to expect, sharing with a greater urgency because of what He knew was coming. In one such teaching moment, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 14, verses 1 through 11, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
It was during this time of feasting that Jesus tried to explain more of God’s mysteries to His followers, telling them more of what to expect, sharing with a greater urgency because of what He knew was coming. In one such teaching moment, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 14, verses 1 through 11, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."
--John 14:1-11 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, today we join in the bittersweet celebration of Your Son’s last entry into Jerusalem. But while we shout our loud Hosannas, we don’t want to forget how Jesus described Himself so that we can try to be more like Him. Thank You, Father, for speaking Your truth through Jesus. Please help us more fully understand Your truth and how it affects our lives. Speak to us now, Father, and show us Your will. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
To please his father a freshman went out for track. He had no athletic ability, though the father had been a good miler in his day. His first race was a two-man meet in which he ran against the top school miler. He was badly beaten. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home, "You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best miler in school. He came in next to last, while I came in second."
Well, he was telling the truth, after all. But I think he has a great future ahead of himself as a politician, or the press secretary for one.
And then there was the woman whose red station wagon was crushed by an elephant at a circus. The owners of the animal apologized, explaining that the normally gentle beast for some reason simply liked to sit on red cars. In spite of the damage, the station wagon was still drivable, but on the way to the garage she was stopped short by an accident involving two other cars just ahead of her. When the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, the attendants took one look at her car and ran over to assist her.
"Oh, I wasn't involved in this accident," she explained. "An elephant sat on my car." The ambulance attendants quickly bundled her off to the hospital for possible shock and head injuries, despite the lady's vehement protests.
Sometimes the world just can’t accept or even comprehend the truth. This woman told the truth, but the ambulance attendants wouldn’t accept it so they whisked her off for a mental examination. Jesus shared the truth with the world, but the world would not accept it so they hung Him on a cross to die.
Like I mentioned, Palm Sunday is when we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. This would be His last visit, but the people didn’t really know that. Some were finally beginning to think that maybe Jesus could be the promised Messiah, but they still didn’t quite get it. They still didn’t understand what He had been trying to tell them. They still expected a conquering hero to swoop in and save them from Roman rule.
A little earlier in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 12 and 13 and 37 through 49, we read of that entry, and of Jesus’ response…
Jesus quoted Isaiah there to explain to us why the people didn’t get it, why they couldn’t fully believe. It was because they were not able to! God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so they could not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts.
Now, that might sound kind of cruel, that God would not let these people see the truth. But we must remember that God chooses who He will save. And since God is indeed God, we must accept and understand that everything He does is good and righteous. Otherwise everything in our Bible is a lie and there is no truth.
But Jesus said “I am the truth”. And some did in fact believe, but they were afraid to confess their belief before their fellow man. They were afraid they might lose esteem in the eyes of others. They loved the praise of man more than the praise of God.
But Jesus didn’t condemn them. He said He came as a light into the world so that we might see our Father God who sent Him, so that we might see the truth. And notice that He adds that He doesn’t judge us for our disbelief. No, our own words and actions serve as our judge. His words, spoken so long ago, will judge us if we fail to heed them. For they were not spoken under His own authority, great as we see that to be now, but under the ultimate authority of God Almighty! That last should sound familiar, for we read it earlier in our message scripture, in verse 10 of John’s chapter 14 when Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”
He goes on to say that if we don’t want to believe His words, then we only need look at all the miraculous works He performed and that should make us believe in the truth that He really is the Son of God. And oh, by the way, the same Father that Jesus said dwelt in Him dwells in us, too! By our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Master, God sent His own Holy Spirit to live within us, to empower us, to encourage us, to strengthen us!
Family, this is the truth! Our Bible is the truth! Jesus is the truth, the only way to the Father, the life to sinners!
Now it’s up to us. Jesus has gone home to be with His Father in heaven, but He didn’t leave us without the truth. It’s in our Bible, the inerrant, inspired word of God. The absolute word of truth. Jesus left us with the command to share that truth. If that weren’t enough, He also showed us by His own example how we can share that truth.
Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life… I am the way, the truth, and the life”. We need to show others the way. We need to lead them to Jesus who can raise them from spiritual death into life in Him. Because there’s no other way to the Father except through Jesus, His Son. And that’s the truth.
In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You are good, You are righteous, and You are the absolute truth, for You are God. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to fully grasp this simple reality – You are God. You are the truth and Your word contained in our Holy Bible is the truth. Your Son Jesus is the truth. Thank You for not hiding Your truth, for sharing it with us through Jesus.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You came to bring light to the world that we might see, to bring life to those dead in sin, to show us the only way to the Father, to bring us His truth. Help us, please Lord, to share this truth with others, to be a witness to the truth that is You.
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.
To please his father a freshman went out for track. He had no athletic ability, though the father had been a good miler in his day. His first race was a two-man meet in which he ran against the top school miler. He was badly beaten. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home, "You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best miler in school. He came in next to last, while I came in second."
Well, he was telling the truth, after all. But I think he has a great future ahead of himself as a politician, or the press secretary for one.
And then there was the woman whose red station wagon was crushed by an elephant at a circus. The owners of the animal apologized, explaining that the normally gentle beast for some reason simply liked to sit on red cars. In spite of the damage, the station wagon was still drivable, but on the way to the garage she was stopped short by an accident involving two other cars just ahead of her. When the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, the attendants took one look at her car and ran over to assist her.
"Oh, I wasn't involved in this accident," she explained. "An elephant sat on my car." The ambulance attendants quickly bundled her off to the hospital for possible shock and head injuries, despite the lady's vehement protests.
Sometimes the world just can’t accept or even comprehend the truth. This woman told the truth, but the ambulance attendants wouldn’t accept it so they whisked her off for a mental examination. Jesus shared the truth with the world, but the world would not accept it so they hung Him on a cross to die.
Like I mentioned, Palm Sunday is when we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. This would be His last visit, but the people didn’t really know that. Some were finally beginning to think that maybe Jesus could be the promised Messiah, but they still didn’t quite get it. They still didn’t understand what He had been trying to tell them. They still expected a conquering hero to swoop in and save them from Roman rule.
A little earlier in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 12 and 13 and 37 through 49, we read of that entry, and of Jesus’ response…
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:--John 12:12-13, 37-49 (NKJV)
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:
“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
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. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”
Now, that might sound kind of cruel, that God would not let these people see the truth. But we must remember that God chooses who He will save. And since God is indeed God, we must accept and understand that everything He does is good and righteous. Otherwise everything in our Bible is a lie and there is no truth.
But Jesus said “I am the truth”. And some did in fact believe, but they were afraid to confess their belief before their fellow man. They were afraid they might lose esteem in the eyes of others. They loved the praise of man more than the praise of God.
But Jesus didn’t condemn them. He said He came as a light into the world so that we might see our Father God who sent Him, so that we might see the truth. And notice that He adds that He doesn’t judge us for our disbelief. No, our own words and actions serve as our judge. His words, spoken so long ago, will judge us if we fail to heed them. For they were not spoken under His own authority, great as we see that to be now, but under the ultimate authority of God Almighty! That last should sound familiar, for we read it earlier in our message scripture, in verse 10 of John’s chapter 14 when Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”
He goes on to say that if we don’t want to believe His words, then we only need look at all the miraculous works He performed and that should make us believe in the truth that He really is the Son of God. And oh, by the way, the same Father that Jesus said dwelt in Him dwells in us, too! By our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Master, God sent His own Holy Spirit to live within us, to empower us, to encourage us, to strengthen us!
Family, this is the truth! Our Bible is the truth! Jesus is the truth, the only way to the Father, the life to sinners!
Now it’s up to us. Jesus has gone home to be with His Father in heaven, but He didn’t leave us without the truth. It’s in our Bible, the inerrant, inspired word of God. The absolute word of truth. Jesus left us with the command to share that truth. If that weren’t enough, He also showed us by His own example how we can share that truth.
Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life… I am the way, the truth, and the life”. We need to show others the way. We need to lead them to Jesus who can raise them from spiritual death into life in Him. Because there’s no other way to the Father except through Jesus, His Son. And that’s the truth.
In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You are good, You are righteous, and You are the absolute truth, for You are God. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to fully grasp this simple reality – You are God. You are the truth and Your word contained in our Holy Bible is the truth. Your Son Jesus is the truth. Thank You for not hiding Your truth, for sharing it with us through Jesus.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You came to bring light to the world that we might see, to bring life to those dead in sin, to show us the only way to the Father, to bring us His truth. Help us, please Lord, to share this truth with others, to be a witness to the truth that is You.
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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