PALM SUNDAY!
John 12:12-19
INTRODUCTION: The writers of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all talk about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. John 12:12-19. The people of Israel, perhaps as many as 2 and ½ million, hailed their King on Sunday and nailed Him to a cross by Friday.
- THIS WAS A ROYAL ENTRY!
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was Jesus Christ’s royal entry; John 12:12-13. The Messiah of Israel was presenting Himself to Israel. Daniel 9:25-26: If you do the math from what Daniel said, they should have known that this is the date Daniel prophesied that the Messiah was going to come. That is what Jesus meant when He said they should have known: Luke 19:41-42.
2. THIS WAS HIS PUBLIC ENTRY!
Zechariah 9:9 This was not just Jesus royal entry but also His public entry. Jesus up to this time didn’t want people to tell others that He was the Messiah: Matthew 16:13-20. The reason Jesus did not want people to know prior to this time is that His time had not yet come but now His time was at hand. Psalm 18 prophesied this time: Psalm 18:25-27. Not only did Jesus present Himself to Israel, but He was praised by Israel: Luke 19:37-40. Now this praise was very superficial and very temporary. They felt that if this was the Messiah the Kingdom should be set up now! They did not have in their theological teaching that the Messiah was coming to die, even though their Scriptures said He would: Isaiah 53:7-11.
3. THIS WAS A STIRRING ENTRY!
Matthew said that Jerusalem was stirred: Matthew 21:10-11. No one had a neutral response to Jesus: they either loved Him or hated Him. John 12:17-18. The crowd coming down from Bethany and Bethpage were bearing the story of Lazarus raising from the dead by Jesus. They people coming out of Jerusalem were stirred with the story of the raising of a man dead for four days. John 12:9-10. We must work at staying stirred by our Lord Jesus: Revelation 3:14-16.
4. THIS WAS A MISUNDERSTOOD ENTRY!
This truly was a misunderstood entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem. All the praise, the hosannas, all the palm branches and the garments on the road and all the thousands of people shouting was a great misunderstanding. John 12:19. In the midst of this misunderstanding Jesus stops to weep over Jerusalem: Luke 19:41-44. It was just 37 years after the triumphal entry that Jerusalem was destroyed. It was a misunderstood entry, but here is the question: “What are the things that make for peace? Our Lord Jesus is called the Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:6-7. Jerusalem literally means “the city of peace. Do you know the things that make for peace? You can have peace with God and you can have the peace of God. Both are ours to enjoy in Jesus Christ. Acts 20:18-21: Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are the two things that make for peace. The peace with God is found in Romans 5:1-2. The peace of God comes when Jesus Christ is enthroned in our hearts. Philippians 4:6-9. Do you have peace with God? Do you have the peace of God in your heart?