WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.960 I invite you to turn with me in your copy of 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:06.580 God's word. Today we are looking at that triumphal 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:13.300 entry from Luke chapter 19. Luke chapter 19 today. 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:30.289 Luke chapter 19, we will begin in verse 28. And 00:00:30.289 --> 00:00:39.829 then go through verse 44, Luke 19 verse 28. And 00:00:39.829 --> 00:00:43.530 when he had said these things, he went on ahead 00:00:43.530 --> 00:00:47.450 going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage 00:00:47.450 --> 00:00:51.310 and Bethany at the mount that is called Olivet, 00:00:51.369 --> 00:00:54.289 he sent two disciples saying, go into the village. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.359 in front of you, where on entering you will find 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.979 a colt tied on which no one has ever sat. Untie 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:04.420 it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why 00:01:04.420 --> 00:01:08.019 are you untying it? You shall say this, the Lord 00:01:08.019 --> 00:01:11.859 has need of it. So those who were sent went away 00:01:11.859 --> 00:01:14.900 and found it, just as he had told them. And as 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:17.540 they were untying the colt, its owners said to 00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:20.260 them, why are you untying the colt? And they 00:01:20.260 --> 00:01:23.140 said, the Lord has need of it. And they brought 00:01:23.290 --> 00:01:26.269 it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the 00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:29.870 colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, 00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:32.750 they spread their cloaks on the road, and as 00:01:32.750 --> 00:01:36.689 he was drawing near, already on the way down 00:01:36.689 --> 00:01:40.230 the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his 00:01:40.230 --> 00:01:43.530 disciples began to rejoice and praise God with 00:01:43.530 --> 00:01:46.359 a loud voice. for all the mighty works that they 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.579 had seen, saying, blessed is the king who comes 00:01:49.579 --> 00:01:52.400 in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:55.239 glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:57.500 in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your 00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:00.680 disciples. He answered, I tell you, if these 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.439 were silent, the very stones would cry out. And 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:08.400 when he drew near to the city, he wept over it, 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:12.819 saying, would that you, even you, had known this 00:02:12.819 --> 00:02:16.560 day the things that make for peace. But now they're 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.000 hidden from your eyes. For the days will come 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:22.139 upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:24.919 around you and surround you and hem you in on 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:29.259 every side and tear you down to the ground, you 00:02:29.259 --> 00:02:32.020 and your children within you. And they will know 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:36.479 because you did not know the time of your visitation. 00:02:39.830 --> 00:02:44.069 Well, sometimes, probably oftentimes, our expectations 00:02:44.069 --> 00:02:48.569 for life don't match up with reality. And this 00:02:48.569 --> 00:02:52.509 may be particularly observed when you go on vacation. 00:02:53.110 --> 00:02:54.729 I've been talking recently with some of you who 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:58.810 like to go on cruise ship vacations. And it seems 00:02:58.810 --> 00:03:01.550 to me that I've heard, maybe more than once, 00:03:01.770 --> 00:03:04.669 how the expectation of this kind of vacation, 00:03:04.710 --> 00:03:08.030 which I've never been on, cannot sometimes match 00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:11.699 up with reality. Maybe. You've heard a situation 00:03:11.699 --> 00:03:16.240 where somebody has expected to go on this luxurious 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:20.020 trip, eat all this wonderful food, go to the 00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:22.840 most exciting ports of call, and enjoy unique 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:27.680 once in a lifetime experiences, sit by the pool 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.680 that is not crowded, and just relax on this wonderful 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.379 adventure. But in reality, that trip, maybe you've 00:03:36.379 --> 00:03:39.159 heard of one of these trips, did not turn out 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:41.719 like you expected. The boarding time to get on 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:47.139 the ship was ridiculous. The boat rocked in the 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:50.379 storm. You were seasick for days. Maybe you or 00:03:50.379 --> 00:03:54.379 that person you know lost their passport. The 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:57.099 pool was like a bowl full of Cheerios, as it 00:03:57.099 --> 00:04:00.539 were. And all the hidden costs of this trip blew 00:04:00.539 --> 00:04:04.180 out your budget. Maybe you've had an experience 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:09.080 like that where your expectations did not. match 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:11.560 reality. Maybe your expectations were a little 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:16.100 bit too high for the reality of the situation. 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:20.120 The situation here with Jesus riding into Jerusalem 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:25.399 is quite the opposite. Reality is far better 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:30.139 and far greater than the people could have ever 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:35.930 expected or than the people desired. The reality 00:04:35.930 --> 00:04:38.490 of Easter week was no cruise to the tropics, 00:04:38.509 --> 00:04:45.430 putting it crudely and mildly, but instead of 00:04:45.430 --> 00:04:49.069 reality not measuring up to expectations, Jesus 00:04:49.069 --> 00:04:53.009 was far greater than the people could have expected 00:04:53.009 --> 00:05:02.149 or dreamed. He was and is far better than any 00:05:02.149 --> 00:05:06.620 of their small -minded worldly hopes. They wanted 00:05:06.620 --> 00:05:11.879 a conquering hero who would actualize their desires 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:18.860 and their dreams for an earthly kingdom. But 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:22.680 what they received was a humble savior who would 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.379 secure them for an eternal kingdom that could 00:05:26.379 --> 00:05:32.699 not be shaken. And it would do for them far more 00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:37.810 than they could ever ask or think. Are you in 00:05:37.810 --> 00:05:42.910 awe of this humble king who rides to Jerusalem, 00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:47.069 who comes to you today, humble, and as it were 00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:50.870 mounted on the colt of a donkey? He comes in 00:05:50.870 --> 00:05:54.769 lowliness and gentleness. Why? Because we are 00:05:54.769 --> 00:05:59.410 lowly and needy. While these people wanted Jesus 00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:03.329 to help them have a better life situation, what 00:06:03.329 --> 00:06:07.060 they needed and what we need is not Not really 00:06:07.060 --> 00:06:11.000 someone to change all of our outward circumstances. 00:06:13.139 --> 00:06:16.339 Because no matter what your life looks like on 00:06:16.339 --> 00:06:20.740 the outside, it doesn't really matter if on the 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:24.639 inside you're miserable. And by nature, the Scripture 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:28.220 shows us by nature we are actually miserable 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:34.339 without Christ. We need a King who meets us in 00:06:34.339 --> 00:06:37.040 our misery and changes our standing with God 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:40.620 and cleanses us from the inside out. So that's 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:44.800 why this humble King is the King we need to see 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:49.519 and the King we need to treasure today. That's 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:52.040 why Palm Sunday is so great because this humble 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:54.680 King truly helps miserable and hurting people 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:57.759 like you and like me. Well, how does he do that? 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.759 Well, as we've already said, by coming, firstly 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:07.259 by coming, and gentleness and lowliness. In other 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:10.259 words, he meets us right where we are in tenderness 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:15.339 and in compassion. We get a clue to Jesus' tender 00:07:15.339 --> 00:07:18.800 heartedness even from the very geography that's 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.500 described here when it says he's drawing near 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:25.269 to Bethphage and Bethany. Do you remember how 00:07:25.269 --> 00:07:29.129 special Bethany was to Jesus and what special 00:07:29.129 --> 00:07:31.370 people were there and special things happened 00:07:31.370 --> 00:07:36.569 there? It was at Bethany that Jesus had the deepest 00:07:36.569 --> 00:07:41.870 of friendships with ordinary people. You remember 00:07:41.870 --> 00:07:45.930 Mary and Martha and Lazarus there at Bethany? 00:07:45.970 --> 00:07:49.149 Mary and Martha who provided that missionary 00:07:49.149 --> 00:07:54.910 home for Jesus. for his rest and refuge. Remember 00:07:54.910 --> 00:07:59.329 how Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus before 00:07:59.329 --> 00:08:05.889 he raised Lazarus from the dead? How he comforted 00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:09.170 Mary and Martha in their sorrow? This is where 00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:11.709 Jesus was anointed for burial. And again, it 00:08:11.709 --> 00:08:14.250 was a place of refreshment and rest for Jesus 00:08:14.250 --> 00:08:18.370 that very week before his crucifixion. And so, 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.300 So what we see in Jesus' relationship to the 00:08:22.300 --> 00:08:24.620 people of Bethany in that place is that though 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:27.759 Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:32.440 and needed rest and encouragement and comfort 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:38.139 himself. Why? Because Jesus was fully human and 00:08:38.139 --> 00:08:41.220 took to himself our frailty. Though he was without 00:08:41.220 --> 00:08:44.019 sin, he entered into our frailty and so he too... 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:47.659 Needed rest and encouragement. He's both king 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:51.879 and sovereign Lord and right down on our level 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:55.340 too. That's why he's able to help us as we'll 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:59.220 see. And notice how Jesus comes into Jerusalem. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.200 You know the story by heart. He doesn't come 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:08.580 on a big charging Arabian war horse. No, he comes 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:12.279 on the colt, the foal of a donkey. And if you 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:18.210 read Matthew 21, You also see that Jesus, while 00:09:18.210 --> 00:09:21.929 he rides on this colt, the mother donkey is likely 00:09:21.929 --> 00:09:29.049 right there alongside with the foal of the donkey 00:09:29.049 --> 00:09:33.149 as he goes into Jerusalem. As he sends the disciples 00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:36.509 out, they retrieve this colt from its owners, 00:09:36.909 --> 00:09:40.480 fulfilling that great prophecy. of this day from 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:44.120 Zechariah 9 ,9. Rejoice, O greatly, O daughter 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.379 of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:50.059 Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous 00:09:50.059 --> 00:09:53.860 and having salvation as he humbled and mounted 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:57.860 on a donkey, on a colt, on the foal of a donkey. 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:03.470 He rides in on a humble beast of burden. Yesterday 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:06.690 some of the men went hiking up Table Rock and 00:10:06.690 --> 00:10:09.129 one of you who will remain nameless mentioned 00:10:09.129 --> 00:10:11.549 that they would possibly like a llama to take 00:10:11.549 --> 00:10:15.889 them back down. Jesus rides on an even more humble 00:10:15.889 --> 00:10:20.169 animal than that. How humble, how lowly, how 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:23.929 meek is this king who is in charge of the cult, 00:10:24.309 --> 00:10:27.190 in charge of this moment, yet decides to find 00:10:27.190 --> 00:10:34.149 the least glorious ride into the city. Also, 00:10:34.169 --> 00:10:38.590 think about this. He brings the colt and with 00:10:38.590 --> 00:10:44.370 the colt, the colt's mother, the donkey, likely 00:10:44.370 --> 00:10:48.990 in order to help that small animal feel comfortable 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:52.169 with the presence of its mother. I mean, you 00:10:52.169 --> 00:10:54.029 remember what's going on. There's a lot of shouting, 00:10:54.210 --> 00:10:56.309 a lot of yelling, a lot of waving of palm branches. 00:10:56.889 --> 00:10:59.740 You know, this could. could possibly spook a 00:10:59.740 --> 00:11:02.820 small animal yet Jesus bringing that comforting 00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:05.379 presence of the animal's mother along shows us 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:09.519 that Jesus is tender -hearted even to even to 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:15.379 the lowliest of creatures isn't he he is as the 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:18.879 Bible describes as he describes himself gentle 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.860 and lowly He's the sovereign king, but he's the 00:11:22.860 --> 00:11:27.120 humble savior. He who was rich beyond all splendor 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:31.539 because he loved you so much, he became poor. 00:11:32.539 --> 00:11:35.399 So that through his poverty we might become rich. 00:11:37.019 --> 00:11:40.879 He's gentle and lowly. He says to us, come to 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.960 me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:48.519 I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:52.309 learn from me. I am gentle and lowly of heart, 00:11:52.330 --> 00:11:55.110 and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke 00:11:55.110 --> 00:11:59.470 is easy, my burden is light. Oh, don't you love 00:11:59.470 --> 00:12:02.610 how Isaiah describes this tenderness of the Lord 00:12:02.610 --> 00:12:05.870 Jesus to those who are needy, those who are like 00:12:05.870 --> 00:12:09.690 you and me? Says of the suffering servant, the 00:12:09.690 --> 00:12:14.610 Lord Jesus in Isaiah 42 -3, that a bruised reed 00:12:14.610 --> 00:12:19.409 he will not break, a faintly burning wick, He 00:12:19.409 --> 00:12:24.110 will not quench. Whether you have been marred 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:30.289 by sin or suffering, He is gentle and lowly and 00:12:30.289 --> 00:12:34.470 will deal gently with you and me. He will not 00:12:34.470 --> 00:12:38.610 remove, no, He will not remove all your troubles 00:12:38.610 --> 00:12:41.409 from you, and He will not remove you from all 00:12:41.409 --> 00:12:45.730 your troubles, but He will tenderly strengthen 00:12:45.730 --> 00:12:50.649 all those who are troubled. by sin and suffering 00:12:50.649 --> 00:12:54.830 in the midst of it. He is so near to us. Hebrews 00:12:54.830 --> 00:12:58.889 chapter two, 17 and 18, one of my favorite passages 00:12:58.889 --> 00:13:01.970 says, therefore he had to be made like his brothers 00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:05.690 in every respect so that he might become a merciful 00:13:05.690 --> 00:13:09.049 and faithful high priest in the service of God 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:14.110 to make propitiation for the sins of his people 00:13:14.110 --> 00:13:18.669 for he himself suffered when tempted so he is 00:13:18.669 --> 00:13:22.669 able to help those who are being tempted. Dear 00:13:22.669 --> 00:13:28.110 ones, he knows suffering better than you because 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:31.649 he suffered the agony of the cross and his father 00:13:31.649 --> 00:13:34.450 turned his face away. He knows temptation better 00:13:34.450 --> 00:13:37.730 than you because he never gave in to temptation 00:13:37.730 --> 00:13:43.250 but bore it all the way down. He knows what you're 00:13:43.250 --> 00:13:49.549 going through and he's lowly and gentle. He's 00:13:49.549 --> 00:13:54.470 come in humility to a people who are miserable, 00:13:55.769 --> 00:14:00.789 a people who are humiliated. Isn't it nice to 00:14:00.789 --> 00:14:02.909 know though, isn't it nice to know that through 00:14:02.909 --> 00:14:06.289 all the peaks and valleys of life, isn't it nice 00:14:06.289 --> 00:14:08.470 to know when you have somebody who's been there 00:14:08.470 --> 00:14:12.389 too, who's experienced what you've been through. 00:14:12.970 --> 00:14:18.200 C .S. Lewis says it this way, friendship, Friendship 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:20.919 is born at the moment when one person says to 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:24.940 another, wait, you too? I thought I was the only 00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:29.200 one. Wait, you too? I thought I was the only 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:34.139 one. What a friend we have in Jesus. He says 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:38.659 to you, yes, me too. You're not the only one 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:42.039 who has been there. You're not the only one who 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:45.720 has been to that dark place. I've been there 00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:47.899 too. You're not the only one who's been down 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:51.399 this road. I have been there as well. I can relate 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:59.879 to your darkness and I am the answer. So as we 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:07.179 celebrate on Palm Sunday, Jesus comes because 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:10.159 as he is born on this beast of burden, he's coming 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:15.269 to help us bear our burdens. If you find yourself 00:15:15.269 --> 00:15:22.049 downtrodden or suffering in some way, maybe circumstances 00:15:22.049 --> 00:15:25.169 have left you in some sort of gloom or despair 00:15:25.169 --> 00:15:30.350 or inwardness that just doesn't seem to go away. 00:15:33.070 --> 00:15:36.990 Just as Jesus rode in triumph to Jerusalem, He 00:15:36.990 --> 00:15:40.730 comes to meet you where you are now. He comes 00:15:40.730 --> 00:15:44.340 to be the satisfaction for your soul in whatever 00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:47.840 situation. Maybe it's not suffering today, but 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:51.279 maybe it's some temptation. Maybe you're laden 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:55.559 with the guilt or shame or temptation of sin 00:15:55.559 --> 00:16:00.620 or to sin. In some way, see Jesus riding to you 00:16:00.620 --> 00:16:04.600 today, not to condemn you, but in love and in 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.659 compassion to set you free from the encumbrance 00:16:07.659 --> 00:16:10.159 of every sin and every weight that is hindering 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:18.039 you. He has the power to set you free. And he's 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:26.740 done so, Christian. This is the kind of king 00:16:26.740 --> 00:16:29.840 you want to pour your heart out to. This is the 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.639 kind of king, is it not, that you want to embrace 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:36.399 in faith and repentance as the savior from your 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:40.370 sin. We should long with the people to cry out, 00:16:40.710 --> 00:16:43.909 yes, Lord, Hosanna, save me now, when we see 00:16:43.909 --> 00:16:46.750 who this King really is and what he has really 00:16:46.750 --> 00:16:49.490 done to comfort the hurting, to strengthen the 00:16:49.490 --> 00:16:51.970 struggling sinner. And that's what these last 00:16:51.970 --> 00:16:55.750 verses speak of as we look from verse 36 to verse 00:16:55.750 --> 00:17:00.779 34. Why is it? that he can help. How is it that 00:17:00.779 --> 00:17:04.220 he can help the lowly, the hurting, the miserable? 00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:09.680 But by doing what he speaks of here, he makes 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:14.240 lasting peace and victory as he goes to accomplish 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:18.660 love's redeeming work at the cross. As he comes 00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:22.599 back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, he 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:27.900 is... once again, bringing the glory of the Lord 00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:31.059 back to the temple. In Ezekiel we're reminded 00:17:31.059 --> 00:17:32.859 that the glory of the Lord had left the temple. 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:35.759 Now he is coming in glory back to the temple 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.779 to cleanse the temple. And yet the people are 00:17:39.779 --> 00:17:44.119 praising him and they know the prophecy of the 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.019 coming son of David and so they're hailing him 00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:50.599 as the promised Messiah. The Pharisees know the 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:54.309 implications of this. That if Jesus comes and 00:17:54.309 --> 00:17:57.069 overturns the power structure that the Romans 00:17:57.069 --> 00:18:00.509 have set up, what's gonna happen? It's gonna 00:18:00.509 --> 00:18:03.269 be very bad for them. It's gonna be very bad 00:18:03.269 --> 00:18:05.569 for the religious establishment. And the Romans 00:18:05.569 --> 00:18:07.690 are going to impose martial law and there's gonna 00:18:07.690 --> 00:18:09.450 be a lot of people killed. And so the Pharisees 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:12.450 are saying to Jesus, here, keep your people quiet. 00:18:12.609 --> 00:18:16.069 Tell your disciples to quiet down. And Jesus 00:18:16.069 --> 00:18:19.990 refuses. For the very stones would cry out, he 00:18:19.990 --> 00:18:26.029 says. if the people cease to praise Jesus. The 00:18:26.029 --> 00:18:31.069 people rightly praise him. But, but, if you skip 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:34.349 ahead just a couple of verses, you see in verse 00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:39.309 41, Jesus isn't really smiling, is he? No, what's 00:18:39.309 --> 00:18:44.170 happening? What's Jesus' face? Oh, he has big 00:18:44.170 --> 00:18:48.519 tears rolling down his cheeks. This isn't some 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.880 sentimental tear. No, he is sobbing. He is weeping. 00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:55.740 He wept over the city. Do you know what it's 00:18:55.740 --> 00:19:01.200 like to weep? Jesus is weeping. The juxtaposition 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:06.119 of the praises and the weeping could not be more 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:10.059 extreme here. Jesus weeps because they don't 00:19:10.059 --> 00:19:11.480 understand, they don't understand that Jesus 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:15.880 did not come to abolish. and cast out the Romans. 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:22.000 No, he wasn't coming to restore David's earthly 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:26.700 kingdom as they cast their cloaks on the ground, 00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:32.660 worshiping him rightly as the king. He did not 00:19:32.660 --> 00:19:37.660 come to end their earthly humiliation and deprivation 00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:40.059 that they'd suffered at the hands of so many 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:43.859 empires over the centuries. No. Oh, he had not 00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:46.460 come to set up an earthly kingdom then. And how 00:19:46.460 --> 00:19:50.279 tragically small -minded they were. How tragically 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:53.660 small -minded they were thinking that Jesus had 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:57.259 simply come to actualize their desires. And how 00:19:57.259 --> 00:20:00.319 tragic, even more so, that the tongues that cried 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.859 out, praise him. Blessed be the one who comes 00:20:03.859 --> 00:20:07.039 in the name of the Lord on Palm Sunday. Very 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:09.859 soon, within the week, would be crying out, crucify 00:20:09.859 --> 00:20:15.380 him. Why? Why does Jesus weep? Because as he 00:20:15.380 --> 00:20:19.220 says in verse 42, they did not know, even as 00:20:19.220 --> 00:20:22.319 they cry out peace, they did not know the things 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:26.660 that made for peace. Oh, the sorrow and the irony. 00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:32.380 So what are those things that they didn't understand? 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:36.259 What are those things that make for peace? What 00:20:36.259 --> 00:20:40.720 is... What is the way in which Jesus brings lasting 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.000 comfort and hope and help to the lowly? It's 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.200 by doing what he did to make for peace. By firstly, 00:20:50.339 --> 00:20:53.319 providing atonement through his blood. He was 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:57.140 coming to conquer, but he was coming to conquer 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:04.759 through death. God was holy they and we are sinful 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.380 and and and and that's why they came to the temple 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:10.940 to offer sacrifices for their sins But as we 00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:12.960 studied in the book of Hebrews those sacrifices 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:16.160 never ended They begged and they caused the people 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.839 to long for one final atoning sacrifice and Jesus 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:23.599 himself is riding as it were to the altar of 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:27.700 sacrifice to be the final offering the eternal 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:30.859 spotless lamb of God to be the final covering 00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:36.500 for all sins of his people." Oh, they should 00:21:36.500 --> 00:21:39.859 have known this, shouldn't they? They had heard 00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:44.539 John the Baptist when he proclaimed as Jesus 00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:48.599 approached the water, behold, the Lamb of God 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:52.819 who takes away the sin of the world, yet they 00:21:52.819 --> 00:21:54.980 weren't looking for that kind of Messiah, were 00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:57.000 they? They were looking for a political hero, 00:21:57.059 --> 00:22:01.599 not for one who would atone for their sins. They 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.000 needed to know the atonement. They needed to 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.980 know about Jesus' resurrection, the promise that 00:22:07.980 --> 00:22:10.880 He would rise from the dead providing certainty 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:14.500 of victory over death, vindicating and validating 00:22:14.500 --> 00:22:17.799 that His sacrifice to God was truly acceptable. 00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:22.640 They didn't realize that even though they were 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.619 God's chosen people in a sense, they still needed 00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:27.880 repentance and faith. They needed to remember 00:22:28.220 --> 00:22:32.119 that they needed atonement for sins. The resurrection 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:35.119 and repentance and faith, these things are the 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:40.799 things that make for peace. Jesus had proclaimed 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.599 repentance of sins. He'd called the people to 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:47.319 turn from their sins and to put their faith and 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:51.660 believe in him. Whoever believes in me, Jesus 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:54.279 said to them, would not perish but have eternal 00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:58.450 life. In this moment, they're missing all this. 00:22:59.210 --> 00:23:01.690 They're missing the fact that they needed to 00:23:01.690 --> 00:23:05.529 be right with God. They needed to be right with 00:23:05.529 --> 00:23:09.029 God by receiving Jesus by faith and therefore 00:23:09.029 --> 00:23:14.009 being justified and having a right relationship 00:23:14.009 --> 00:23:16.430 with God by receiving that righteousness that 00:23:16.430 --> 00:23:20.430 comes through faith. It wasn't through the sacrifices 00:23:20.430 --> 00:23:24.240 of the Old Testament. It's not through any of 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:26.680 their works, it's not through any of our works 00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:29.420 that we're made right with God, that we receive 00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:34.079 peace with God, but by faith alone. We're justified, 00:23:34.140 --> 00:23:36.319 we're made right with God by faith alone, in 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.839 Christ alone. And it's been that way from the 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:43.599 beginning, folks. Even in Genesis, even in Genesis, 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:47.500 Abraham believed God, Genesis 15 -6, and it was 00:23:47.500 --> 00:23:52.119 counted to him as righteousness. They needed 00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:55.099 to remember that Christ's blood atoned for their 00:23:55.099 --> 00:23:59.900 sins, that he came to die and to rise for them. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.220 And then by turning from their sins and trusting 00:24:03.220 --> 00:24:05.859 him by faith, they were made right with God and 00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:08.859 had peace with God. Those were the things that 00:24:08.859 --> 00:24:15.420 made for peace. Do you and I know the things 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:19.019 that make for peace? Maybe we know them in our 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:21.589 minds. Maybe we've heard them from the pulpit 00:24:21.589 --> 00:24:23.349 week in and week out, but do we savor them in 00:24:23.349 --> 00:24:28.430 our hearts? Do we savor and rest upon and rejoice 00:24:28.430 --> 00:24:32.390 in Christ who was given for us on a daily basis? 00:24:33.089 --> 00:24:36.109 Because it's as we rest in the reality that we 00:24:36.109 --> 00:24:38.490 have ultimate peace with God through Jesus' blood 00:24:38.490 --> 00:24:43.670 that we have a stability in our souls that speaks 00:24:43.670 --> 00:24:48.930 to every sorrow, speaks to every hurt. It's as 00:24:48.930 --> 00:24:51.430 we rejoice that we have final and lasting and 00:24:51.430 --> 00:24:56.829 ultimate peace with God that we enjoy a tranquility 00:24:56.829 --> 00:25:06.029 that commands every other anxiety to cease. It's 00:25:06.029 --> 00:25:09.410 as we behold Jesus that our fears turn to confident, 00:25:09.589 --> 00:25:15.259 loud hosannas. And as we hear Jesus sobbing in 00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:19.339 verses 41 through 42, it redirects our hearts 00:25:19.339 --> 00:25:22.619 to the true reason to have joy in Jesus, not 00:25:22.619 --> 00:25:25.539 because he gives us all the goodies that we want 00:25:25.539 --> 00:25:30.019 here and now, but because Jesus fixes everything 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:37.339 forever. His blood makes us right with God now 00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:43.039 and eternally. That means that No matter what 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:46.440 kind of a mess you're in today, you're okay. 00:25:47.579 --> 00:25:51.680 You're right on schedule. And one day everything 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:55.740 is going to be okay because of Jesus as he rides 00:25:55.740 --> 00:25:59.579 into Jerusalem to take upon himself the humiliation 00:25:59.579 --> 00:26:03.400 of our sin and to die and rise on the third day. 00:26:04.430 --> 00:26:07.430 He does so so that we would know eternal joy 00:26:07.430 --> 00:26:10.769 with the Father forever in a new heavens and 00:26:10.769 --> 00:26:17.890 a new earth. Isn't that so much better than what 00:26:17.890 --> 00:26:21.309 the people were expecting? Isn't that so much 00:26:21.309 --> 00:26:25.970 better than having every earthly desire fulfilled? 00:26:27.910 --> 00:26:31.539 Everything on our bucket list checked off. Everything 00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:33.720 that we wrongly presume that God should give 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:39.339 us, an eternal home with our Father. That is 00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:43.359 what Jesus is coming to accomplish as he comes 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:47.079 to reconcile us to God through his shed blood. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:51.200 And so what a tragedy if on this Palm Sunday 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:55.160 we would leave standing in the same place spiritually 00:26:55.160 --> 00:27:00.599 where the people of Jerusalem were then. What 00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:03.200 a tragedy if we stood in their place and remained 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:08.359 in their place, simply seeking God to fulfill 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:13.000 all of our small -minded earthly desires. Now, 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:16.559 caveat, does... Does Jesus teach us to pray for 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:19.740 our daily bread? Yes, he teaches us to pray for 00:27:19.740 --> 00:27:23.500 our needs and praise God. He gives us a competent 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:25.640 portion of all the things in this life that we 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:28.940 need and also a measure of earthly happiness 00:27:28.940 --> 00:27:33.700 and joy. But that is not the primary reason why 00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:39.500 Jesus rides in to Jerusalem for them or for us. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:48.079 If Jesus were to bring you every external comfort 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:51.259 that you could wish for, yet your life was eaten 00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:54.559 up by the cancer of sin, it would not matter 00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:59.480 what comforts you had in this life, because externally 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:02.619 and internally, you would still be perishing. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:07.859 What does it profit a man if he gains the whole 00:28:07.859 --> 00:28:15.430 world and yet forfeits his soul? Let us see that 00:28:15.430 --> 00:28:19.950 the people praise him rightly, but let us praise 00:28:19.950 --> 00:28:24.289 him rightly from the heart for who he is and 00:28:24.289 --> 00:28:28.930 what he has truly come to do to save us, to transform 00:28:28.930 --> 00:28:32.750 us from the inside out, to give us eternal peace 00:28:32.750 --> 00:28:38.150 with God in his presence forever. Let us see 00:28:38.150 --> 00:28:43.089 our true need of him. Maybe today you've not 00:28:43.089 --> 00:28:46.349 embraced this Savior King for the true salvation 00:28:46.349 --> 00:28:50.130 from sin that he offers. Luke, the writer of 00:28:50.130 --> 00:28:53.990 the gospel, describes the time of Israel's visitation 00:28:53.990 --> 00:28:56.529 and that terrible things would happen to them 00:28:56.529 --> 00:29:01.509 in verse 43 and 44 because they did not understand 00:29:01.509 --> 00:29:07.109 the day of visitation. Do you today? Maybe someone 00:29:07.109 --> 00:29:08.809 in this room, maybe someone within the sound 00:29:08.809 --> 00:29:12.630 of my voice understand that maybe today you realize 00:29:12.630 --> 00:29:15.809 that you haven't received Christ for who he is, 00:29:15.970 --> 00:29:19.430 your savior from sin. If so, today is the day 00:29:19.430 --> 00:29:23.730 of your visitation. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ 00:29:23.730 --> 00:29:29.559 and be saved. One more application here as Jesus 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:32.140 rides into Jerusalem. What is he doing? He's 00:29:32.140 --> 00:29:34.240 come to purify the temple We didn't read those 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:38.140 verses, but but hear this Jesus comes to cleanse 00:29:38.140 --> 00:29:40.920 the temple. He comes to bring holiness He died 00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:43.680 for a people of his own possession to make them 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:47.059 a holy people to himself. That is God's end goal 00:29:47.059 --> 00:29:51.700 for you is Your holiness as a byproduct of that 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:54.160 you will be happy all of your days, but are you 00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:58.750 longing for the same? and for which Jesus died. 00:29:59.710 --> 00:30:03.170 A holy people for himself. Are you longing for 00:30:03.170 --> 00:30:06.990 holiness? And by the spirit's power that is at 00:30:06.990 --> 00:30:11.029 work within you, are you pursuing holiness? By 00:30:11.029 --> 00:30:12.990 being in the word, by coming on the Lord's day, 00:30:13.049 --> 00:30:16.210 by surrounding yourself with godly people who 00:30:16.210 --> 00:30:20.970 love Jesus, who embrace the gospel. Jesus came 00:30:20.970 --> 00:30:23.450 for a holy people to make a holy people to himself, 00:30:23.529 --> 00:30:28.880 and so we should pursue. holiness as well. He's 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:31.720 shown us the things that make for peace. He's 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:34.920 shown us that he comes to help those by making 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:37.640 peace for those who are lowly and miserable. 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:42.119 And so dear ones, if you have rejoiced in the 00:30:42.119 --> 00:30:45.960 Lord Jesus for who he truly is on that Palm Sunday, 00:30:46.759 --> 00:30:50.059 you will be ready for the Palm Sunday to come. 00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:52.019 And yes, there is a Palm Sunday to come. You 00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:54.470 can read about it in Revelation. And in that 00:30:54.470 --> 00:30:57.950 day, Jesus will come again, not lowly so much 00:30:57.950 --> 00:31:01.609 on a donkey, but on a white horse, conquering 00:31:01.609 --> 00:31:05.269 all of his and our enemies. And on that day, 00:31:05.430 --> 00:31:10.089 Christian, if you know him, you will rejoice 00:31:10.089 --> 00:31:13.690 when the Lord our judge shall come, because he 00:31:13.690 --> 00:31:18.369 will take you out of this life of sorrows and 00:31:18.369 --> 00:31:22.400 this veil of tears to be satisfied. in your eternal 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:27.339 home with your Father forever. Now that is a 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:32.220 reason to shout Hosanna. That is a reason to 00:31:32.220 --> 00:31:38.500 praise Jesus. Even so, we pray, come Lord Jesus.