Palm Sunday
April 6th, 2009 by Todd JohnsonI don’t make much of Palm Sunday every year, but when I do I am glad to have done it. In comparison to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, this is a day that doesn’t carry the same weight but it’s an excellent opportunity to see the heart of Jesus in all that is happening this final week of his earthly life.
We looked at Palm Sunday from three angles:
1. WORSHIP FILLED JESUS’ EARS
Luke 19:37-38 ESV 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!”
Notice that they were worshipping Jesus on account of “all the mighty works that they had seen”.
This was one of the purposes of Jesus’ “mighty works”:
John 14:11 ESV Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves
I am reminded of what Jesus said about us, the ones that believe and worship Jesus even though we haven’t “seen” the works that they saw:
John 20:29 ESV Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Worship filled Jesus’ ears that day because He is worthy of all praise and worship!
2. DETERMINATION WAS IN JESUS’ EYES
Luke 9:51 ESV When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Wuest > Now, it came to pass… that He himself set His face steadfastly to be proceeding to Jerusalem
Steadfastly = to turn resolutely in a certain direction
Today’s English Version > Luke 9:51 “As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.”
So determined to do His Father’s will He entered Jerusalem with His eyes wide open to what awaited Him there. What awaited Him was a mob, trials, beatings, scourging & a crucifixion where He would bear the full force of the wrath of God for sinners.
Kind of makes me rethink the will of God for my life and how determined I am to walk in it.
3. SORROW FILLED JESUS’ HEART
Luke 19:41 ESV And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it
Wept – “the heaving of the chest and the sob and the cry
of a soul in agony” (G.C. Morgan)
When Jesus looked at Jerusalem He have every reason to weep!!!
- Looking back – He saw how the nation had wasted its opportunities and been ignorant of their “time of visitation”
- Looking within – He saw spiritual ignorance and blindness in the hearts of the people
- Looking around – Jesus saw lifeless activity that accomplished very little spiritually
- Looking ahead – He wept as He saw the unimaginable judgment that was coming to the nation, the city, and the temple
That’s Palm Sunday. I’m looking forward to the rest of the story this weekend!
Your message here and Ed’s introduction to Malachi reiterate the reality of our faithlessness and God’s faithfulness.
Whether nation or individual, there is nothing we can do to save or sanctify. It is Christ, Christ, Christ. We just keep coming back to the well.
That was a great sermon, Todd. Again, Joe and I left the building on Sunday morning in awe of the extremely consistant level of excellence you’re able to maintain in preaching the gospel and we are ever so grateful that God has seen fit to put our family at Crossroads. We had an unsaved family member with us on Sunday -Joe brought him up afterwards and you prayed with him- and I doubt that there could have been a better message for him to have heard that day. Thank you so much for all you’re doing for the body of Christ.
My folks haven’t been able to make it for awhile as my mom recovers from a recent heart-attack. My dad is so much like the guy on Big Fat Greek Wedding, always analyzing words, their roots, their derivitives. We couldn’t wait to tell him about “Companion”. I’m sure you know “pan” is bread in Spanish, as well as the other languages you mentioned. Jesus, our Companion. To have bread with, to share food with. This still chokes me up. He loved it.
Michele – that was beautiful, wasn’t it! I love the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, too! Jesus, the Word, we’re rooted in Him and rooting for Him! Yay Jesus!
Todd-
The Palm Sunday study you taught the other day mirrors my life, but in reverse order. As I look over my notes and the outline above, I see my life-
3. The SORROW from my rejection of Jesus for the first 19 years of my life- my ignorant and blind heart that convinced me I was saved and fine and religiously active enough to avoid the unimaginable judgment I was heading straight for, and all the wasted opportunities I had as a youth to come to the True Messiah (including sitting as a 10th grader and listening to you teach on Palm Sunday up on Alta St 15 years ago). How much better HS would have been as a real Christian!
2. The DETERMINATION of Jesus to save me- rejection after complacent rejection, and He didn’t quit! To the outermost (or in my case, Montana and back), He was determined to save me. How His grace sustained me and protected me even in my rebellion!
1. Now (and forevermore), WORSHIP- I think it’s amazing that the bookends of His earthly life involved worship. When He was revealed in human form He was worshiped (by angels and shepherds and the Magi); and here, as He triumphantly entered Israel’s capital as their long-awaited Messiah (“the time of their visitation”) He was worshiped. I think it’s even more amazing that we can worship Him, that I can worship Him. Of course those other people did, they’re in the Bible, but me? Because of points 3 and 2 (personally), how can I neglect to lay my cloak and palm branches and job and finances and life down before Him?
Thanks for the study, and for taking it beyond the traditional (and still amazing) math Bible study surrounding Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy. Thanks for highlighting the fourth greatest day in history.
Hey T Chavez. I enjoyed your entry. You ran all the way to Montana to escape Jesus? Can you share what happened to bring you back? I’d really like to hear. I got pulled out of Hawaii and planted in Orange County. (Yeah, it was Calvary Costa Mesa)
Mrs. Magnolia-
I think I’ve already taken up too much space here on Todd’s Blog for this week. My story is boring, but difficult to cover with any decent degree of brevity. I would love to hear of your “Orange Co. via Hawaii” story though. Probably another potluck at Michele’s is in order.
You bet, T Chavez! Happy Easter!
Thanks, Crabby. Happy Easter to you and Mr. Magnolia as well.
Are you guys gonna make it up the hill for the Good Friday service? If so, we’ll go with you guys across the parking lot to The Commons for some Good Friday mid-day coffee.
I’d like nothing better than to join the Good Friday service and visit afterwards, but it looks like I’m stuck in my office tomorrow! Now that makes for a CRABBY Magnolia!
Sorry about that, Crabby. Hopefully they’ll have the service here on the web-site so you and everyone else with work demands tomorrow can hear it. Actually, I’m sure most of the folks who get to break free from the 9 to 5 to attend will want to re-listen to tomorrow’s message a few times. For obvious reasons, the Good Friday Bible study always stands out, and I’m greatly looking forward to this year’s installment. I know you guys are already doing this, Crabby, but we need to all be praying for what the LORD wants to do in the hearts and lives of the people in this area this weekend.
Have a Good Friday, and a great Easter.
You, too, T Chavez!
Todd, this is late getting in, but I have to say I have sat through over 25 Palm Sunday services, and yet, never have I been so moved by one of them as last Sunday. Everything in a new light. While Jesus entered Jerusalem (and I’ve had the blessing of walking that route.) praises filled his ears while sorrow filled his heart you told us. How much I needed to be reminded that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, no mystery for him, He knew exactly what awaited him there, and He gladly did it for His Father and for us. He only did His Father’s will. Work that into my heart Father. God bless you Todd, and thank you for bringing a precious story we’ve all heard so many times, yet making it seem so fresh and new. The older I get in the Lord, the more fresh His word seems. It’s all Him!
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn.
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
He has risen…
I was soooo bless by the teaching on Good Friday. Everything was WONDERFUL!!! Worship, (many were crying) teaching, communion, etc. Todd, I don’t know if you were aware of it, but when you said, “Jesus died” you paused. You could of heard a pin drop, even with all the children. (there were many) Then you said, “take some aftenoon and think about God having his last breath on this earth.” I can’t get the thought out of my mind. To think, GOD…on this earth and leaving us. Much to ponder.
my love and always my prayers
May the Lord bless you ALL and your loved ones on this glorious day.
Blessings…
Between Friday and today God just draws me closer…and your sermons Todd just remind us every day of how much more of Jesus we need in our lives, and how many out there need to be reached!! Thank you for your faithfulness to so many lives and God so talks through you right into my heart!!!
God Bless you!! Thank you, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but in heaven!!