[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Palm Sunday morning, the 14th of April, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today is Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus knew full well where this path would lead, but His disciples had not yet caught on to the truth, even though He tried so many times to explain it to them. They went ahead of Him, shouting and singing as they walked along. They wanted everyone in Jerusalem to know that Jesus was coming. They didn’t want anyone to miss His visit.
Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Luke described this triumphant entry, as recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 19 verses 28 through 44, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…
Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Luke described this triumphant entry, as recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 19 verses 28 through 44, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…
28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of His disciples. 29 As He came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, He sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” He told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”
34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for Him to ride on.
36 As He rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of Him. 37 When He reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.
38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
41 But as He came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
--Luke 19:28-44 (NLT)
Let us pray… Father God, Your plan for the salvation of mankind required that Your own Son give of Himself to save us, to offer Himself up as the ultimate blood sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. He went willingly, meekly, humbly to the cross, just as a lamb to the slaughter. In this, You and Jesus showed Your great love for us. Thank You, Father, for such love and mercy, a love we do not deserve, a love we can never repay. Speak to us this morning, Father. Speak to our hearts and write upon them the message we need to understand and remember. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
There is an old mariner's chart, drawn in 1525, on display in the British Museum in London. This particular chart outlines the North American coastline and adjacent waters. The cartographer made some intriguing notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored. Over those regions he wrote: "Here be giants", "Here be fiery scorpions", and "Here be dragons". Eventually, the map came into the possession of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the early 1800s. Scratching out the fearful inscriptions, he wrote these words across the map: "HERE IS GOD".
That early cartographer was simply following human nature when labeling those unexplored regions. We tend to fear the unknown - we want to stay away from it, steer clear of it.
Perhaps that's why so many people try to avoid Jesus, because they don't know Him. But we do know - we know Him, and we know God's plan for our salvation. For us, there is nothing to fear. For us, the only thing to avoid is Satan.
The disciples certainly wanted the people of Jerusalem to know Jesus, or at least to know that He had come to them. In our scripture reading, Luke tells us they were so overwhelmed by the moment that they began to shout and sing as they walked along. Like good cheerleaders, they were supporting Jesus and encouraging all the people of the city to come out and support Him, too.
And the crowds responded, with the throng of His followers growing almost with each step. They joined in on the shouts and singing, waving flowers and palm branches jubilantly in the air. As Jesus neared, they laid those flowers and palm branches and even their own garments on the roadway so that the little burro Jesus rode would not kick up the dust and get Jesus dirty.
This vast multitude was making such a fuss now, that the Pharisees couldn’t stand it any longer. “Tell Your followers to stop this racket!”, they demanded of Jesus. “Tell them to stop calling You a king! The Romans might hear them!” I’m implying that last bit, because this was always a concern for the people, that their occupiers not be given any extra reason to come down hard on them.
Jesus’ reply was beautiful, wasn’t it? Even if the crowd is silenced, the very stones along the roadside would burst out into cheers! The Lord is to be praised, even if the rocks have to take up the song.
I think we’re all pretty familiar with this little story up to this point. But now comes a brief passage we may have missed.
As Jerusalem came into view, Jesus began to weep. He wasn’t crying because He knew that this is where He would suffer and die from this mortal life. No, He was filled with sorrow to the point of tears because this city was holy to God. This was the city of God’s chosen people, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the city that refused to know Jesus as their Messiah, sent from God to free them from the tyranny of sin and death.
Jesus wept because they did not understand the way to peace, they did not believe before it was too late. They did not recognize it when God came to visit.
The Apostle John also spoke of the people’s failure to understand that God came to visit. Listen to what John wrote of Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel account, chapter 1 verses 10 through 13…
Jesus was in the world, but the world did not know Him. He came to His own, to God’s chosen people, but they would not receive Him. The world missed God’s visit. Well, Family, Jesus is still in the world and the world still refuses to know Him, to receive Him, to accept Him as God! The world still misses out! Ah, but those of us who do receive Him, who believe in His name, who are reborn of God and His Holy Spirit, we are accepted by God as His children.
John carries this concept a little further in his 1st letter to the early church, chapter 3 verses 1 through 3, adding that it is a result of God’s great love. John writes…
What a blessing it is to be considered a child of God! But again, the world misses out. Just as the world doesn’t know Jesus, it doesn’t know us! The world can’t understand us! It can’t comprehend how we could be willing to ignore all the pleasures it offers. Or how we can believe in what we can’t see or feel. It doesn’t grasp how we could give so little consideration to all the things that it thinks so valuable. Just to follow this man called Jesus.
The world doesn’t know that God came to visit. But we do. We know that God came to us as a little baby, and He gave Himself up for us as the sinless, spotless Lamb. And we know that His name is Jesus.
Jesus wept because God’s people did not recognize it when He came to visit. We need to make sure we don’t miss it, that we realize He still visits us today. And we need to help the world know Him and understand.
So let’s all be good cheerleaders for Jesus! Let’s not leave it up to the rocks and stones to shout and sing praises to the King. Praise the Lord with everything you say and in everything you do! Let’s try our best to make sure no one misses God’s visit. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You came to us in the flesh, as Your own Son, bearing the name Jesus. And even though Jesus tried so hard to tell people the truth, the world refused to listen. The world rejected You. Your own people missed it when You visited. Thank You, Father, for favoring us with Your love and mercy. Thank You for giving us the faith to believe. Thank You for opening our eyes and our hearts so we did not miss it when You came to us. Please forgive us when we hold back and fail to announce Your presence to the world. Forgive us when we don’t sing Your praises when in the company of those who don’t believe. Please help us be strong and fearless in our service to You. Help us help the world not miss You again.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You wept over the holy city because its people – God’s people – did not recognize that God was with them. You felt such great sorrow, because they missed out on the opportunity to spend eternity in paradise. Lord, we who believe in You and follow You did not miss it when You came to visit us. You came to each of us, and we recognized You as Lord. Help us stay strong and true to You until Your glorious return. And help us spread the truth and educate others, announcing Your return visit, so that they not miss out again. Help us to ever be true and faithful to You and our Father God.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
There is an old mariner's chart, drawn in 1525, on display in the British Museum in London. This particular chart outlines the North American coastline and adjacent waters. The cartographer made some intriguing notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored. Over those regions he wrote: "Here be giants", "Here be fiery scorpions", and "Here be dragons". Eventually, the map came into the possession of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the early 1800s. Scratching out the fearful inscriptions, he wrote these words across the map: "HERE IS GOD".
That early cartographer was simply following human nature when labeling those unexplored regions. We tend to fear the unknown - we want to stay away from it, steer clear of it.
Perhaps that's why so many people try to avoid Jesus, because they don't know Him. But we do know - we know Him, and we know God's plan for our salvation. For us, there is nothing to fear. For us, the only thing to avoid is Satan.
The disciples certainly wanted the people of Jerusalem to know Jesus, or at least to know that He had come to them. In our scripture reading, Luke tells us they were so overwhelmed by the moment that they began to shout and sing as they walked along. Like good cheerleaders, they were supporting Jesus and encouraging all the people of the city to come out and support Him, too.
And the crowds responded, with the throng of His followers growing almost with each step. They joined in on the shouts and singing, waving flowers and palm branches jubilantly in the air. As Jesus neared, they laid those flowers and palm branches and even their own garments on the roadway so that the little burro Jesus rode would not kick up the dust and get Jesus dirty.
This vast multitude was making such a fuss now, that the Pharisees couldn’t stand it any longer. “Tell Your followers to stop this racket!”, they demanded of Jesus. “Tell them to stop calling You a king! The Romans might hear them!” I’m implying that last bit, because this was always a concern for the people, that their occupiers not be given any extra reason to come down hard on them.
Jesus’ reply was beautiful, wasn’t it? Even if the crowd is silenced, the very stones along the roadside would burst out into cheers! The Lord is to be praised, even if the rocks have to take up the song.
I think we’re all pretty familiar with this little story up to this point. But now comes a brief passage we may have missed.
As Jerusalem came into view, Jesus began to weep. He wasn’t crying because He knew that this is where He would suffer and die from this mortal life. No, He was filled with sorrow to the point of tears because this city was holy to God. This was the city of God’s chosen people, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the city that refused to know Jesus as their Messiah, sent from God to free them from the tyranny of sin and death.
Jesus wept because they did not understand the way to peace, they did not believe before it was too late. They did not recognize it when God came to visit.
The Apostle John also spoke of the people’s failure to understand that God came to visit. Listen to what John wrote of Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel account, chapter 1 verses 10 through 13…
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
--John 1:10-13 (NKJV)
John carries this concept a little further in his 1st letter to the early church, chapter 3 verses 1 through 3, adding that it is a result of God’s great love. John writes…
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
--1 John 3:1-3 (NKJV)
The world doesn’t know that God came to visit. But we do. We know that God came to us as a little baby, and He gave Himself up for us as the sinless, spotless Lamb. And we know that His name is Jesus.
Jesus wept because God’s people did not recognize it when He came to visit. We need to make sure we don’t miss it, that we realize He still visits us today. And we need to help the world know Him and understand.
So let’s all be good cheerleaders for Jesus! Let’s not leave it up to the rocks and stones to shout and sing praises to the King. Praise the Lord with everything you say and in everything you do! Let’s try our best to make sure no one misses God’s visit. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You came to us in the flesh, as Your own Son, bearing the name Jesus. And even though Jesus tried so hard to tell people the truth, the world refused to listen. The world rejected You. Your own people missed it when You visited. Thank You, Father, for favoring us with Your love and mercy. Thank You for giving us the faith to believe. Thank You for opening our eyes and our hearts so we did not miss it when You came to us. Please forgive us when we hold back and fail to announce Your presence to the world. Forgive us when we don’t sing Your praises when in the company of those who don’t believe. Please help us be strong and fearless in our service to You. Help us help the world not miss You again.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You wept over the holy city because its people – God’s people – did not recognize that God was with them. You felt such great sorrow, because they missed out on the opportunity to spend eternity in paradise. Lord, we who believe in You and follow You did not miss it when You came to visit us. You came to each of us, and we recognized You as Lord. Help us stay strong and true to You until Your glorious return. And help us spread the truth and educate others, announcing Your return visit, so that they not miss out again. Help us to ever be true and faithful to You and our Father God.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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