WEBVTT 00:00:00.780 --> 00:00:05.679 So we're here today on this Palm Sunday. We look 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:11.640 forward to God's Word and we want to take time 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:15.000 and study and look at the life of Christ during 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.679 this upcoming week. The Lord willing will see 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:22.359 you on Good Friday. Let us now ask the Lord to 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:26.879 bless the preaching of His Word. Almighty God, 00:00:27.100 --> 00:00:29.980 our Heavenly Father who has ordained all things 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:33.299 in heaven and earth for your holy purpose. We 00:00:33.299 --> 00:00:35.780 give thanks to you for your son Jesus whom it 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:38.640 pleased you that he should die for our sin that 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.340 we would be reconciled to you and have peace. 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:44.700 For you have demonstrated your mercies and faithfulness 00:00:44.700 --> 00:00:48.079 at all times and in all places. Bless us now 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:50.420 as we give ourselves to the study of your word 00:00:50.420 --> 00:00:53.899 and so make the words of my mouth and the meditations 00:00:53.899 --> 00:00:56.700 of all our hearts. pleasing in your sight through 00:00:56.700 --> 00:01:00.280 Jesus Christ our Lord the nearest kinsman redeemer 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:07.659 amen here we are once again reading rereading 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:12.019 and contemplating God's word from the gospel 00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:18.640 so for Matthew 21 beginning at verse 1 now when 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:21.959 they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethpage 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:25.329 at the Mount of Olives Then Jesus sent two disciples, 00:01:25.349 --> 00:01:28.030 saying to them, Go into the village opposite 00:01:28.030 --> 00:01:30.870 of you, and immediately you will find a donkey 00:01:30.870 --> 00:01:34.609 -tie and a colt with her. Loose them, and bring 00:01:34.609 --> 00:01:37.670 them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, 00:01:37.670 --> 00:01:40.329 you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and 00:01:40.329 --> 00:01:43.890 immediately he will send them. All this was done 00:01:43.890 --> 00:01:45.670 that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken 00:01:45.670 --> 00:01:48.609 by the prophets, saying, Tell the daughter in 00:01:48.609 --> 00:01:52.609 Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you. lowly 00:01:52.609 --> 00:01:56.290 and sitting on a donkey, a colt, a foal of a 00:01:56.290 --> 00:01:59.189 donkey. So the disciples went and did as Jesus 00:01:59.189 --> 00:02:00.989 commanded them, and they brought the donkey and 00:02:00.989 --> 00:02:04.129 the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set 00:02:04.129 --> 00:02:07.590 him on them. And a very great multitude spread 00:02:07.590 --> 00:02:09.509 their clothes on the road, and others cut down 00:02:09.509 --> 00:02:11.949 branches from the trees and spread them on the 00:02:11.949 --> 00:02:15.169 road. Then the multitudes who went before those 00:02:15.169 --> 00:02:18.969 who followed cried out, saying, Hosanna to the 00:02:18.969 --> 00:02:21.789 son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the 00:02:21.789 --> 00:02:26.030 name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. When 00:02:26.030 --> 00:02:28.490 he had come to Jerusalem, all the city was moved, 00:02:28.610 --> 00:02:32.590 saying, Who is this? So the multitude said, This 00:02:32.590 --> 00:02:36.409 is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. 00:02:37.449 --> 00:02:40.590 These are the words of Almighty God. Receive 00:02:40.590 --> 00:02:45.129 them from your hearts. Now there are three things 00:02:45.129 --> 00:02:48.689 that I would like you to meditate and think upon. 00:02:49.069 --> 00:02:53.349 And remember as we go through this passage. First 00:02:53.349 --> 00:02:59.069 of all, Jesus comes to provide peace. Jesus comes 00:02:59.069 --> 00:03:07.409 to provide peace. Second, God's mercy endures 00:03:07.409 --> 00:03:14.169 forever. God's mercy endures forever. And finally, 00:03:14.849 --> 00:03:18.710 and probably most importantly, Jesus is faithful. 00:03:19.390 --> 00:03:25.909 even unto death. Jesus is faithful even unto 00:03:25.909 --> 00:03:29.689 death. Children, look up here. Pay attention 00:03:29.689 --> 00:03:31.729 to me for just a moment. Now this is going to 00:03:31.729 --> 00:03:33.629 apply to everybody, but I want your attention. 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:39.210 What is your favorite story? I would guess that 00:03:39.210 --> 00:03:43.490 that would depend on your age, right? Children 00:03:43.490 --> 00:03:46.009 demonstrate early in their lives the very habits 00:03:46.009 --> 00:03:50.659 that we all form. If we took a poll among the 00:03:50.659 --> 00:03:55.719 households here, I would wager that those with 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:58.099 small children, I can say with strong confidence 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:01.500 that their parents not only know their children's 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:04.460 favorite stories, but they have read it numerous 00:04:04.460 --> 00:04:09.439 times just this last week. This is true even 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:12.560 for us. You know, some of those stories, parents, 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:18.899 you can recite what? Word for word. Even as adults, 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.459 we have an appreciation for great stories. How 00:04:22.459 --> 00:04:26.720 many times have you reread the great books? I 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.459 myself, I'm a fan of Narnia. Many of you know 00:04:29.459 --> 00:04:33.959 this. By the time I was about 28 years old, I 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.939 had read the Chronicles of Narnia about 14 times. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:39.980 And I cannot even imagine at this point what 00:04:39.980 --> 00:04:42.720 that number must look like. I love those stories. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:49.990 Great stories. need repetition. All of the Bible 00:04:49.990 --> 00:04:55.069 is worth rereading continuously. However, if 00:04:55.069 --> 00:04:58.970 we're honest, certain passages appeal to us more 00:04:58.970 --> 00:05:01.790 than others. Right? When you get into the book 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:04.889 of Numbers, and there's all those lists of what 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:08.170 all the tribes gave, or all those genealogies 00:05:08.170 --> 00:05:10.730 that you see throughout the scriptures, you're 00:05:10.730 --> 00:05:15.560 kind of like, I don't know about that. or even 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.699 some of the unfamiliar books. You're not sure 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:21.699 what's going on in those stories. But other stories 00:05:21.699 --> 00:05:25.420 like Ehud, right? Boys, I bet you know that story, 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:28.240 right? The judge Ehud who came with the story 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.459 and he stabbed that wicked fat king. You know 00:05:31.459 --> 00:05:35.420 what happened next, don't you? You also think 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:38.879 about stories like Sampson and David and Goliath. 00:05:39.139 --> 00:05:42.399 And those stories are repeated over and over 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:47.430 and over again. For the church, the very people 00:05:47.430 --> 00:05:50.689 of God, the life of Christ is worth repeating 00:05:50.689 --> 00:05:54.089 every single year. Hence we use this lectionary. 00:05:54.370 --> 00:05:57.769 And why? From Advent to Pentecost, I preach the 00:05:57.769 --> 00:06:02.009 gospel. I want us to repeat the life of Christ. 00:06:03.730 --> 00:06:08.810 Now the life of Jesus especially, the last week 00:06:08.810 --> 00:06:13.329 of his life, is full of the crucial and the great 00:06:13.329 --> 00:06:18.000 story. And we should repeat it again and again. 00:06:18.019 --> 00:06:19.899 I know what I'm about to preach today. You've 00:06:19.899 --> 00:06:22.180 heard about Palm Sunday your whole life if you've 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:25.120 gone to church. You walked on Palms. You waved 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:30.079 them around. Maybe you took some home at one 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:34.699 point or another. But as we hear these stories 00:06:34.699 --> 00:06:39.360 that we're so familiar with, let us rejoice in 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:45.009 the drama of God's love, His faithfulness. His 00:06:45.009 --> 00:06:54.290 pain, suffering, death, joy, peace, and promise 00:06:54.290 --> 00:06:58.149 of faithfulness. Remember what He said at the 00:06:58.149 --> 00:07:02.569 end of Matthew? Lo, I am with you always, even 00:07:02.569 --> 00:07:04.490 to the end of the age. That is the end of the 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:07.050 eschaton. That is the end of all time. Jesus 00:07:07.050 --> 00:07:10.269 promises to be with His people, to help them 00:07:10.269 --> 00:07:12.990 complete the mission He has given to them, to 00:07:12.990 --> 00:07:18.639 the very end. of all time. As you know, Jesus 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.399 has set His face towards Jerusalem. His disciples, 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:25.980 of course, had warned Jesus of the last time 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:29.379 He was in Jerusalem, that the rulers and priests 00:07:29.379 --> 00:07:32.240 had attempted to stone Him. They've attempted 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:37.079 to arrest Him. And as Jesus, as we learned last 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:40.959 week, came just under two miles away from Jerusalem 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:44.850 to Bethany to resurrect Lazarus, His disciples 00:07:44.850 --> 00:07:51.629 again warned him to stay away. The high priests 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:54.709 and the religious leaders are conspiring to kill 00:07:54.709 --> 00:07:57.990 Jesus, and as we learned last week, Lazarus as 00:07:57.990 --> 00:08:01.230 well. They will enlist the political leaders 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:04.490 later in the week and they will, in league together, 00:08:05.149 --> 00:08:09.410 kill Jesus. But on this day, found in our text, 00:08:09.870 --> 00:08:12.189 we find that these false priests and religious 00:08:12.189 --> 00:08:15.860 leaders are not leading, but as we so often see, 00:08:16.819 --> 00:08:20.959 they are standing on the sidelines. They are 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.819 seen in the Gospels as bystanders to what Jesus 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:30.240 is doing. And they're always walking around in 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:33.320 fear of the multitudes. They're saying, what 00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:35.340 do the masses think? They're holding up their 00:08:35.340 --> 00:08:38.940 fingers. What do the crowds think? I'm very worried 00:08:38.940 --> 00:08:47.029 about that. It's always on their minds so that 00:08:47.029 --> 00:08:50.750 they can maintain their power, their influence, 00:08:51.210 --> 00:08:54.789 and yes, certainly their sinful lifestyle. They 00:08:54.789 --> 00:08:58.789 rarely present formal or legal resistance to 00:08:58.789 --> 00:09:02.669 Jesus. They're primarily reactionaries in public 00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:11.659 and vicious plotters in secret. These men These 00:09:11.659 --> 00:09:14.820 plotters, these men conspiring against Jesus, 00:09:15.059 --> 00:09:18.639 they are gathered in Jerusalem and are on the 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:23.279 hill of the Lord. That's Mount Zion. It's where 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.419 the temple is. And Psalm 24 provides us the question, 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:32.019 who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:34.139 really that capitalized Lord, that's Yahweh. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.259 That's the covenant name of God. Who can ascend 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:42.789 to the hill of the covenant God? or who may stand 00:09:42.789 --> 00:09:46.370 in his holy place? And the scripture answers 00:09:46.370 --> 00:09:50.590 this question. He who has clean hands and a pure 00:09:50.590 --> 00:09:55.190 heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, 00:09:55.850 --> 00:10:00.250 nor sworn deceitfully. Those who have ascended 00:10:00.250 --> 00:10:02.929 the Yahweh's hill, as Jesus has often pointed 00:10:02.929 --> 00:10:08.070 out, do not have clean hands or pure heart. And 00:10:08.070 --> 00:10:12.379 yes, they have lifted their souls to idols. And 00:10:12.379 --> 00:10:17.299 yes, they have sworn deceitfully. Their hands 00:10:17.299 --> 00:10:21.360 may be ceremonially clean, but they conspire 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:25.240 to control the world by trying to engineer outcomes 00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:33.759 by their idols of money and power. Their hearts 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:38.039 are not pure, but are filled as Jesus says, In 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:41.899 Matthew 23, woe to you scribes and Pharisees, 00:10:42.059 --> 00:10:45.460 hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs 00:10:45.460 --> 00:10:48.659 which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but 00:10:48.659 --> 00:10:53.740 inside are full of dead man's bones and all uncleanliness. 00:10:54.940 --> 00:10:59.639 As Christians, we must guard our hearts and our 00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:04.320 motives in an attempt not to control outcomes 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:09.409 of circumstances by money, power or influence. 00:11:11.289 --> 00:11:15.090 Jesus, He prepares to enter to the city of Jerusalem 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:20.009 on this Passover feast week. He comes as the 00:11:20.009 --> 00:11:22.809 answer to the question, who may ascend to the 00:11:22.809 --> 00:11:29.289 hill of Yahweh? Answering once again the question 00:11:29.289 --> 00:11:34.309 in Psalm 24. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord 00:11:34.309 --> 00:11:38.320 of Hosts. For He is the King of Glory. Selah. 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:41.480 Every time you see that word, selah, it's like 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:44.379 a rest. It's a peace. It's a part to say, OK, 00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:48.440 pause. Meditate on that. I know you should meditate 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:52.000 on it all. Can you see that? Rest in what God 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:57.220 is saying. Jesus sends His disciples to go and 00:11:57.220 --> 00:12:01.580 fetch a donkey and to fold. And Jesus tells the 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:04.299 disciples to respond to anyone who asks. Why 00:12:04.299 --> 00:12:07.039 they are taking the donkey, they are simply to 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.919 say the Lord has needed them. God's prophesied 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:16.100 plan is being fulfilled from Zechariah 9. And 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:18.679 it is being fulfilled and being intentionally 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:23.179 done by Jesus. Jesus has been intentional his 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:29.840 whole ministry. He's been intentional. Healing 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:31.740 people and the things that he said and things 00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:34.759 he's done and he is intentionally the Bible says 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:37.879 that his Like it like a flint. He made his hard 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.019 head his head hard and he turned his face to 00:12:41.019 --> 00:12:49.700 Jerusalem And he is on his way Zachariah 9 we 00:12:49.700 --> 00:12:52.059 read it earlier rejoice greatly old daughter 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:56.179 of Ziah Shout Oh daughter of Jerusalem Behold 00:12:56.179 --> 00:13:00.690 your King is coming to you He is just and having 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:05.809 salvation. Loving and riding on a donkey. A colt, 00:13:06.090 --> 00:13:09.889 the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot 00:13:09.889 --> 00:13:12.610 from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. This 00:13:12.610 --> 00:13:17.169 is real important. God tells the Israelites, 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:19.750 when you have a king, the things he should multiply 00:13:19.750 --> 00:13:23.970 are horses, gold, and women. And what they should 00:13:23.970 --> 00:13:28.450 do is write out the law. copy their own law, 00:13:28.769 --> 00:13:32.450 again and again. What this is saying here is, 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:35.190 don't trust in the horse. Don't trust in the 00:13:35.190 --> 00:13:41.950 mighty armies. No, he's coming on a colt, a donkey. 00:13:43.090 --> 00:13:46.490 The battle bow shall be cut off, Zechariah goes 00:13:46.490 --> 00:13:50.649 on to say, he shall speak peace to the nations. 00:13:51.190 --> 00:13:55.610 His dominion shall be from sea to sea and from 00:13:55.610 --> 00:13:59.269 the river. to the ends of the earth. That's a 00:13:59.269 --> 00:14:04.330 quote from Psalm 72. We sang that today. Jesus 00:14:04.330 --> 00:14:08.149 comes as the King of Peace. He is the King of 00:14:08.149 --> 00:14:12.570 Peace. Donkeys were ridden by kings who came 00:14:12.570 --> 00:14:15.769 to grant merciful peace to the cities and land 00:14:15.769 --> 00:14:19.370 that belonged to them. The whole of creation 00:14:19.370 --> 00:14:23.789 has always been Jesus. It's always been His. 00:14:25.309 --> 00:14:29.389 having come to defeat Satan and deliver the poor, 00:14:29.549 --> 00:14:32.070 the humble, and the helpless. He ascends to the 00:14:32.070 --> 00:14:35.870 hill of the Lord as King whose dominion is from 00:14:35.870 --> 00:14:40.090 sea to sea. The prophet Zechariah here in this 00:14:40.090 --> 00:14:44.029 description is quoting Psalm 72 verse 8 which 00:14:44.029 --> 00:14:47.610 declares Christ's dominion over all the nations 00:14:47.610 --> 00:14:52.009 and people from sea to sea. And in Psalm 78 we 00:14:52.009 --> 00:14:55.120 see a description. that from the river to the 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.779 ends of the earth. It's the picture of the river 00:14:57.779 --> 00:15:00.480 of life proceeding from the throne and the temple 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:03.559 to the ends of the earth. Think about all of 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:05.919 creation and all of history here. In the beginning, 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:08.980 there was a garden, the place where we met God. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:13.100 And a river flowed out to the four corners of 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:17.419 the earth. Then in Exodus, with the tabernacle, 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:22.210 we have this picture, God's throne room. There's 00:15:22.210 --> 00:15:24.750 different segments of the room out to the yard 00:15:24.750 --> 00:15:30.769 where there was a basin of water. And then we 00:15:30.769 --> 00:15:35.389 see in First Kings that picture magnified in 00:15:35.389 --> 00:15:38.169 the great glories of Solomon's Temple. And that 00:15:38.169 --> 00:15:43.049 water, that basin of water, it's now the Bronze 00:15:43.049 --> 00:15:47.669 Sea. It's like 5 ,000 gallons of water. You see 00:15:47.669 --> 00:15:50.870 this river's getting bigger. It's covering more. 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:53.399 and proceeding from that were smaller basins 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:55.600 of water all the way to the doors of the temple. 00:15:57.659 --> 00:16:00.200 And then of course we see in Ezekiel, that same 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:03.279 image, where Ezekiel's seeing the temple. He 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:05.279 measures it out. And by the way, if you notice 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.600 this east thing, you've got a garden and you've 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.399 got a tabernacle, right? Then you have this great 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:13.659 temple of Solomon. And then you have this vision 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:18.870 of what God is doing in Ezekiel. And that river 00:16:18.870 --> 00:16:20.809 flows, and we know that story, right? It starts, 00:16:20.889 --> 00:16:22.929 the water gets up to his ankles, then it's up 00:16:22.929 --> 00:16:25.129 to his knees, and then it's up to his head. Then 00:16:25.129 --> 00:16:28.429 it's so big and broad, he cannot cross it. The 00:16:28.429 --> 00:16:30.649 prophet can't cross it. And that water, that 00:16:30.649 --> 00:16:32.870 river of life that is flowing from God is flowing 00:16:32.870 --> 00:16:38.409 to the whole world, bringing life, giving life 00:16:38.409 --> 00:16:42.629 where there is death. And yes, even in Revelation, 00:16:42.769 --> 00:16:46.110 we see the very same description. description 00:16:46.110 --> 00:16:49.389 of what God is doing with His Church, fulfilled 00:16:49.389 --> 00:16:52.830 in the Church, flowing out to the conversion 00:16:52.830 --> 00:16:56.669 of the nations in the power of the Spirit by 00:16:56.669 --> 00:17:02.009 the atoning work of Jesus Christ. In all of this, 00:17:02.610 --> 00:17:07.869 Jesus brings peace by obedience. Philippians 00:17:07.869 --> 00:17:11.559 chapter 2 tells us that Jesus being found in 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:13.940 the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:18.420 became obedient to the point of death, even the 00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:22.839 death of the cross. Jesus knows the outcome of 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:29.019 this week, and yet he obeys his father, that 00:17:29.019 --> 00:17:32.940 his father may be glorified and praise God Almighty, 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.000 that we might be delivered from sin and death. 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:41.180 Jesus is set upon a donkey by the disciples and 00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:44.400 he rides into Jerusalem Passing the temple in 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.880 the crowd. It's Passover week and the scriptures 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:50.119 tells that there's a multitude of God -fearers 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:53.680 in Jews and they're from all over They are from 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:58.819 all over the Empire As we talked about before 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:02.500 during these feast weeks over a hundred thousand 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:09.339 people in this city and These multitudes who 00:18:09.339 --> 00:18:11.519 went before Jesus the ones that were ahead of 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:15.160 him and those who followed cried out saying Hosanna 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:18.200 to the son of David blessed is he who comes in 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:22.200 the name of the Lord Hosanna and the highest 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:26.519 All those ahead and all those behind were crying 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:31.839 out from Psalm 118 Hosanna to the son of David 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:34.319 blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:39.680 Hosanna and the highest Now Psalm 118 begins 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:44.059 with this. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He 00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:49.619 is good, for His mercy endures forever. And in 00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:54.220 Psalm 118 we see that refrain, for His mercy 00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:58.480 endures forever five times. And we see it building 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.180 up. There's a progression of this eternal mercy. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.839 It starts in the form of Israel, the people of 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:09.940 God. His mercy endures forever. And then Aaron 00:19:09.940 --> 00:19:13.279 and the priests and his mercy endures forever. 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:16.440 And then it says all those who fear God, the 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:18.599 God -fearers, those are the Gentile believers. 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:25.720 His mercy endures forever. The multitudes were 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:28.460 in Jerusalem to remember and commemorate God's 00:19:28.460 --> 00:19:30.960 deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, the land 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.880 of slavery and death. These believers remembered. 00:19:35.069 --> 00:19:38.210 The faithfulness of God in times past in order 00:19:38.210 --> 00:19:41.910 to look to the future salvation and deliverance 00:19:41.910 --> 00:19:45.869 The greek word we see translated translated to 00:19:45.869 --> 00:19:50.549 hear as hosanna Is from the hebrew roots save 00:19:50.549 --> 00:19:56.410 now we pray Dearly beloved. I want you to hear 00:19:56.410 --> 00:20:00.769 this right save now we pray Hear hear what it 00:20:00.769 --> 00:20:05.859 says in verse 24 of psalm 118 this is the day 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:10.019 that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be 00:20:10.019 --> 00:20:11.900 glad in it. Everybody knows that phrase if you've 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:16.059 been in church. Here now, verse 25. Save now, 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:21.799 I pray. O Lord, O Lord, I pray, send prosperity. 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:25.420 Again, this Lord is the covenant God's name. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:29.960 So we can read it this way. Save now. Pray, O 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:36.150 Yahweh. O Yahweh, I pray, send. Prosperity. What 00:20:36.150 --> 00:20:41.109 is this prosperity? The mercy of God to deliver 00:20:41.109 --> 00:20:46.990 us from sin and death. Again, Psalm 118, the 00:20:46.990 --> 00:20:49.869 voice of rejoicing and salvation. It is in the 00:20:49.869 --> 00:20:52.710 tense of the righteous. The right hand of the 00:20:52.710 --> 00:20:55.329 Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord 00:20:55.329 --> 00:20:59.970 is exalted. The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 00:21:00.730 --> 00:21:06.529 I shall not die. but live and declare the works 00:21:06.529 --> 00:21:12.509 of the Lord. Jesus as described in Hebrew 1 is 00:21:12.509 --> 00:21:15.670 the brightness of God's glory and the express 00:21:15.670 --> 00:21:19.930 image of His person and upholding all things 00:21:19.930 --> 00:21:23.069 by the word of His power when He had by Himself 00:21:23.069 --> 00:21:28.849 purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of 00:21:28.849 --> 00:21:33.970 majesty on high. Jesus' works of mercy provided 00:21:33.970 --> 00:21:38.589 for us on the cross are forever. As the crowd 00:21:38.589 --> 00:21:42.009 shouts Hosanna, they are calling on Yahweh God 00:21:42.009 --> 00:21:48.910 to deliver them, to save them now, we pray. Saints 00:21:48.910 --> 00:21:53.990 of God, our God saves. He's been about the salvation 00:21:53.990 --> 00:21:57.430 of His people from the fall of Adam. God's mercy 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:03.829 endures forever. He is faithful. Jesus came to 00:22:03.829 --> 00:22:08.450 bring us peace, to reconcile us to God, the Father. 00:22:10.029 --> 00:22:16.069 And we know our sins are so great. Psalm 130 00:22:16.069 --> 00:22:20.210 tells us, if you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 00:22:20.309 --> 00:22:24.150 what are iniquities? It's perversity, depravity, 00:22:24.809 --> 00:22:28.809 and guilt of sin. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 00:22:28.990 --> 00:22:33.970 oh Lord, who could stand? but there is forgiveness 00:22:33.970 --> 00:22:40.210 with you that you may be feared. I wait for the 00:22:40.210 --> 00:22:45.509 Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I do hope." 00:22:45.509 --> 00:22:49.589 When we see that Jesus had come into Jerusalem, 00:22:50.369 --> 00:22:54.089 all the city was moved saying, who is this? It's 00:22:54.089 --> 00:23:00.490 like an echo of Psalm 24. Who is this? So the 00:23:00.490 --> 00:23:04.880 multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet from 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:09.640 Nazareth of Galilee. Jesus knows where this week 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:15.779 is heading. His unlawful arrests, beatings, sufferings, 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:20.420 and death, all for the glory of the Father, for 00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:27.759 the salvation for us. Jesus willingly and obediently 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:33.359 was faithful to God. And as you know, the story 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:37.859 doesn't end there. This week, as you read and 00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:43.000 reread the story of Jesus, our deliverer, let 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:48.539 us cry. Hosanna. Blessed is Jesus who comes in 00:23:48.539 --> 00:23:53.440 the name of the Lord. He is the faithful, eternally 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:59.000 merciful, the Prince of Peace. God save us now, 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:04.670 we pray. for the sake of Jesus. Rosanna from 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:09.930 the highest. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we 00:24:09.930 --> 00:24:13.210 know that we are undone before you, that if you 00:24:13.210 --> 00:24:15.890 counted our sins against us, none of us could 00:24:15.890 --> 00:24:19.630 stand before you. We declare, save us now, we 00:24:19.630 --> 00:24:23.269 pray, because of the work of your Son, Jesus. 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:27.589 May our hearts be filled with gratitude, thanksgiving, 00:24:27.970 --> 00:24:31.670 fear, and awe. as we read, study, and meditate 00:24:31.670 --> 00:24:35.589 on the peace we have with you in Christ Jesus. 00:24:36.069 --> 00:24:39.089 For your mercies endure forever. We ask this 00:24:39.089 --> 00:24:41.789 now for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord who 00:24:41.789 --> 00:24:44.509 reigns with you in the Holy Spirit forever and 00:24:44.509 --> 00:24:45.750 ever. Amen.