Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Special Services / Easter Season 2000

Palm Sunday 2000

Intro: The little town of Spearfish, SD., nestled in the foot of the Black Hills holds a singular distinction. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Spearfish holds the record for the largest temperature drop ever recorded.

 If Jerusalem went in to the record books it would be for the largest drop in mood ever recorded.  Let me explain.

  Tension is high, victory is in the air.  The people recognize something was different about this man, Jesus. There had been others who came and who promised freedom..but they all failed. But this man seemed different. People listened to him and followed after him. Perhaps he won't fail us.

  Little by little they began to talk of the need for a messiah;

one who would fix everything for them
one who would overthrow the Roman government
one who would establish a strong government and bring   peace and prosperity to them.

  Now, perhaps, was the time for this Jesus to fix things in their lives and bring them the peace they deserved. So when they heard he was coming to Jerusalem, they ran out to meet him. There was singing, shouting and praising God from the rooftops and the roadside. Certainly he was making his move. Now was the time. Man, were they pumped!

    That was Sunday...By Monday things were starting to go downhill.

Jesus had yet to recruit an army.
He gave no speeches encouraging national pride.
He announced no program for economic reform.
He didn't even meet with the religious leaders to plan the attack.

  Everyone waited for the big day, and nothing happened..at least nothing like they expected.

  As the week progressed, the people began to get impatient and then angry. By  Friday instead of shouting 'Hosanna', they shouted 'Crucify Him!' Instead of 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel', they demanded, 'give us Barabas, we have no king but Caesar'.

  Why? Because Jesus disappointed them. He betrayed them, their desires, their dreams, and their demands. He was just like every other popular candidate who promised to make their life better and then failed to follow through. You see, the Jews didn't want a messiah who would give them what they needed...No, they wanted a candyman  who would give them what they wanted.

EXP: The Jews of that first Palm Sunday are not much different than we are today. We want peace, prosperity and a sense of well being. And many have placed their hopes in whoever comes down the street and says follow me and I will give you what you desire. Many have followed the self proclaimed messiah of drugs and alcohol, or sex and gambling. Many have followed the supposed success of others who claim peace through dianetics, yoga, zen and new age crystals. But each has brought disappointment, none have met the expectations placed on them nor promised by them.  And most people end up saying that their life is not what they expected.

  There is something missing or lacking that they can't seem to find...until the next sure thing comes along promising the world but ultimately leaving them discouraged and defeated.

  You see, that first Palm Sunday, was not really about Jesus, the promised messiah. It was about the people and their personal wants and desires.  It was not about God's will but their own will....that is why the mood changed so drastically. They were looking only at themselves and not at the Christ.

Trans: Lets briefly take a look at the texts this morning. To see why the life of the Jew was not what they expected.
 Turn to John 12:12-19

I. Our Expectations (Jn. 12:12-19)
  A wild enthusiasm broke out over Jesus' entrance to the city. Jerusalem was the city of the great kings and Jesus was heading there. They waved palm branches which was not unlike a ticker tape parade today where we welcome our heroes. They cried 'Hosanna; which means 'save us , we pray'. Save us from what? Sin and death...no. Save us from the tyranny of Rome.  They acknowledged his claim of kingship but they saw it as a military role and not a spiritual one. Even the religious leaders in Jerusalem recognized that Jesus was different when they remarked 'the world has gone after him.'

  But John gives us some insight in the lives of not only those in the crowd, but of those closest to Jesus, His disciples. He said,  'these things His disciples did not understand at first'.  Even the disciples misunderstood who Jesus was and what He was about to do.

Trans: Life was not what the Jews expected because of the false expectations they placed on Jesus to be their political savior. This caused a great dilemma for them. Lets look at Luke 19:41-44

II. Our Dilemma (Lk. 19:41-44)
  As Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the colt, he is smiling but quiet. He sees the excitement in the eyes of the people in the crowd. But in his own eyes, should one take the time to look, is found great sadness as though he knows something they don't. What is it that he knows? He knows the Sunday crowd will go home and the voices of praise will grow silent on Monday morning.

 He knows that the daily struggle to raise a family and    eek out a living will push the enthusiasm of the    moment into the recesses of their memory. He knows that passion will give way to passivity, Excitement will surrender to exhaustion, the hosanna's will fade to ho hum routine and the palm branches will wither and be thrown     away.

  I understand that there is a very dramatic view of Jerusalem from the top of the Mt. of Olives looking across the Kidron Valley.  Jesus stood there and saw this beautiful city, and  He wept. He uttered a loud lament like those mourning over the dead. Why?

    Because he understood the real tragedy was that as beautiful as the city was, it was heading for destruction. When Jesus looked at the city, He saw spiritual blindness due to their rebellion and rejection of God's word. He saw that they did not recognize the day of their visitation or their present opportunity to be saved .When Jesus looked, he saw their destruction. Which was the  result of their own decision for a life of sin and rebellion against God.

 And seeing all this, Jesus wept for them.

Trans: Praise God, He doesn't leave is in the grave dilemma of destruction. In John 12:44-50 we find that there is still hope in Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God.

III. Our Hope (Jn. 12:44-50)
  God makes His face known to the people in Jesus. When you look at Jesus, you are seeing God the Father, when you hear the words of Jesus you are hearing the commands of the Father. Jesus is the image of God in the flesh.  Our hope comes in that we can know God by believing in His Son, Jesus.  And when you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior, the one who came to set you free from the bondage of sin and death, you will experience, first hand, intimately and with certainty...the command of God, which is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

  The thrust of this text is not the judgment of those who reject Jesus but the salvation of those who believe...that is the hope of Jerusalem...that is our hope as well.

Conclusion
  Let me sum things up. The Jews at that first Palm Sunday wasted the opportunity for true peace in their lives by looking solely at themselves and by placing false expectations on Jesus. Expectations based on their own desires and will and not on the sovereign plan and will of God.

  The challenge to you this Palm Sunday is 'on what or to whom are you looking to bring peace in your life?' Are  you basing  your life of peace and security on the promised expectations of the fad of the moment?

 Let me assure you, no matter how beautiful or successful your 'program'   may seem right now, no matter how certain or how many celebrities testify   that this new wonder will change your life and give   your life new meaning, no matter how your life looks now...

 you will be disappointed, discouraged and defeated.

  People want a new beginning, a new start in life and new chance to make it, to be prosperous and happy..to feel safe and secure...The problem is when you look to anyone or anything else but Jesus, you will have many new beginnings. With each new beginning, each fresh start disappointing you, your life ending up not being what you expected.

  But, what if I could show you that when you ask Jesus into your life; When you repent and  tell Jesus you are sorry for you life of sin and rebellion; When you accept Jesus death on the cross as payment for your sin debt to God, When you experience a new birth, a new beginning in Jesus Christ

  You will never need start over again?
  You will never end up depressed because God has not kept His word to you?
  You will never be disappointed in the good work God will do in your life?

  Would you think more seriously about your relationship with Him? Would you question your current lifestyle and expectations and begin to see your life from the eyes of Jesus?If you would like to know more about how to have this new beginning that will never end,  this new life whose expectations are clearly marked in God's Word the Bible, if you want to know more about eternal life in Jesus Christ, come out next week and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the basis of that new beginning in your life.  I promise, God's Word will not disappoint or let you down.

  We are at the beginning of what is called Holy Week.

  Let's not rush ahead to Easter, instead let us consider who Jesus really is and then surrender all our false expectations of our lives and of Jesus at the cross of Calvary.

  Life...not what you expected?It can be all that God's Word promises. When you know Jesus as your Savior and He lives as your Lord.