WEBVTT

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This week is the start of Holy Week, and we're

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very excited to spend the next couple weeks looking

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at this very important moment of Jesus not only

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entering into Jerusalem, but then this week culminating

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in what we call Good Friday, and there's always

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a question on why is it good, and we'll be dealing

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with that on Friday night at our Good Friday

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service, and then to celebrate his resurrection

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Sunday morning. We're so excited about that.

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But today, we're going to be in Luke chapter

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19, verses 29 through 44, and I wanted to give

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a background to what we're looking at today.

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In December 4th, 1977, in a town called Banqui,

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in the capital of what was then called the Central

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African Empire, the world saw the coronation

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of His Imperial Majesty, Bokassa I. His coronation

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had a price tag of $131 million in today's numbers.

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And so this whole coronation started with this

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trumpet and drums, you know, a proclamation of

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his coming, just like the emperors of old traveling

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through the boulevards in Rome. And the whole

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parade was just... Just gaudy, right? It started

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with eight of his 29 official children parading

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down the royal carpet to their seats, followed

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by Jean Bocasa II, who was the heir to the throne,

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who was dressed in a $100 ,000 white admiral's

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uniform that was stitched with gold braids all

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through, and he went up the aisle to sit on his

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red pillow to the left of the throne. And then

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Bocasa's wife, Catherine, the favorite of his

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nine wives, came up the steps to her little throne

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next to the royal throne wearing a gown that

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cost $382 ,000. The emperor eventually arrived

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in his imperial coach. decked out with gold eagles,

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a coach that was drawn by six of the most expensive

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and prestigious horses in the world. As he stepped

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out of his coach, people saw him wearing this

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beautiful 32 -pound royal robe that was inlaid

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with golden embroidery and had $785 ,000 of pearls

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stitched into it. On his head, he wore a gold

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crown of laurel wreaths because he wanted to

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look like the Caesars of old and have the sign

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that the gods favored him in his rule. As this

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profession or procession all came to a conclusion,

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Bokassa climbed up and took a seat on his $13

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million throne, removed the $13 million gold

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royal, or the gold royal leaf from his head,

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and then put on his $13 million crown that was

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topped with an 80 -carat diamond upon his head.

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And after all of this, he stood and declared

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himself emperor of the Central African Empire.

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Now, mercifully, his reign wasn't as obnoxious

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as his coronation, or as long, I should say,

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because it was two years later, and when he was

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on a trip outside of the country, the French

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staged a coup and kicked him out of office. But

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unfortunately, it wasn't before this very arrogant,

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prideful man had caused much, much heartache

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in the people of his country, one example being

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which that he had 200 school -aged children executed

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because they complained that their uniforms were

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too expensive. Now, the reason I share this as

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background is this is an example of a human king

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who in an attempt to establish a forever throne,

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to proclaim his own glory and his own majesty,

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to force his will and his rule upon people, spending

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resources that could better be spent on other

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things, he failed spectacularly in establishing

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his forever reign. Today, we celebrate something

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different. You see, every human ruler and human

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king that has ever been, they all faced one truth

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that every single one of them experienced the

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same. Death came for them. And when death came

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for them, it took away their rule, it took away

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their empire, it took away everything that they

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had worked so hard to build up in proclaiming

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their own glory. But today we celebrate the fact

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that it isn't so with Jesus Christ, the King

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of kings and the Lord of lords. He is a king

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like any king who has ever been. He operated

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on a completely different set of principles and

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as the king of kings with a kingdom unlike any

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kingdom that has ever been seen, he rules and

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reigns today. His kingdom is a kingdom of humility,

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a kingdom of service, and it is a kingdom ruled

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by a king who has spiritual rule over our hearts

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and our lives, has spiritual rule over the hearts

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and lives of the people that follow him who have

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been transformed by his loving grace. Today we

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celebrate the day that Jesus Christ entered into

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Jerusalem, publicly proclaiming himself as king,

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the ruler long awaited by the people, the one

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that they had hoped would come and bring victory

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over oppression. But as we're going to see today,

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it was a type of victory that they didn't expect.

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It was a victory over the inside battle, which

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is the ultimate victory that all of us need.

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Amen? First, we're going to worship him today.

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Let's pray. Father God, we love you so much.

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We're so grateful that you sent your son to this

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earth, Lord, and that we get to remember this

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day, Lord, the day you entered into Jerusalem

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to celebrate the beginning of this final week

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of your life. Lord, a week that was the culmination

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of three years of ministry, but Lord, was gonna

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end with your death. Lord, as you would willingly

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and voluntarily go to the cross. to die the death

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that we should die, to pay the price for our

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sins, Lord, that we would be able to find freedom

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in you. God, you truly are the King of kings

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and the Lord of lords. And God, we know that

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when you come in your second coming, you truly

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are going to be king both over the spiritual

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and the physical realm in every possible way,

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Lord. But we know that during your first coming,

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you came to deal with the biggest problem of

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all, Lord, the heart of man. And God, some of

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us in the world today understand that and we

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rejoice, Lord, because you have saved us. Others,

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Lord, don't understand and they don't get it.

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And today, God, I pray, Lord, as we look at the

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story, we would be reminded of what you truly

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came to do. And those that maybe haven't received

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the fruits of that work, Lord, today would come

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to know you as their king. Lord, we love you

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so much and we thank you. It's in Jesus' name

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we pray. Amen. Let's worship. All right, we are

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in... Luke chapter 19, as I said earlier, we're

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going to be looking at the story of Jesus' triumphal

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entry into Jerusalem this morning, and that's

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what this day celebrates, this day we call Palm

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Sunday. is celebrating the very public declaration

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by Jesus Christ that he was indeed the coming

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king, the Messiah that Israel had been looking

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forward to for so many years. And this day that

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we're celebrating today launches what is called

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Passion Week. This is the day that launched this

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last week of earthly ministry in the life of

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Jesus Christ, ending, of course, in his death

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and his resurrection. And so we'll be looking

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at those things later this week. To give us kind

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of the chronological context here, Jesus is now

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at the end of a journey that started some nine

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months previous in his life. He began a zigzagged

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path down through Galilee, through Samaria, through

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Perea, finally coming down to Judea. And over

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the course of that journey, he had about 35 different

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ministry stops. And you could read all about

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that through the Gospels. But the timing of his

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journey... All those stops and everything he

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did was perfectly timed that he would arrive

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in Jerusalem on this day. This day beginning

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the week of Passover in the city of Jerusalem.

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Now, this of course is, hold on. I gotta get

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this throat lozenges out. I can't talk and chew

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on it at the same time. Okay. This is all coming

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at the end of three years of ministry for Jesus,

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where many had seen him minister, had seen his

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miracles, seen his healings, and there were many

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that were already clamoring to proclaim him as

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the long -awaited Messiah, the one they had been

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waiting for. In addition to that, the Jewish

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leaders had been increasingly antagonized by

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his elusiveness as they tried to trap him. and

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proved that he was false, that he was a false

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prophet, that he wasn't what people were beginning

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to say he was. And in addition to that, we have

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Rome. who had begun to take notice of what to

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them was a potential agitator, someone who might

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stir up the populace and cause an uprising against

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them. And so tensions were really high in the

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city of Jerusalem at this point. And with it

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being the beginning of the Passover week, it

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was just packed with people, like Jews from all

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over Israel were coming into this one city at

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this one time to celebrate this very important

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yearly festival called Passover. Now, news of

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Jesus had been spreading all over the place because

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just prior to his arrival in Jerusalem is the

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story of him raising Lazarus from the dead. And

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he did that very publicly and there was a ton

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of people that saw that. And so people were following

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him from there as he was traveling towards Jerusalem.

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People in Jerusalem had heard the news about

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this miracle. And so there was just people clamoring

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to see him as he was about to enter into Jerusalem.

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But what was also happening at this time is that

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the religious leaders, whose power was threatened

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by him, whose control over the people were threatened

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by him, were plotting how they might murder this

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man. And so the question on everybody's mind

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on this Palm Sunday is, what would Jesus do when

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he got here? Would he move against the religious

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leaders? Would he denounce the Pharisees and

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what they've been doing in misrepresenting God?

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Would he come against Rome and kick them out

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of the city and kick them out of Israel as people

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were hoping? And then if that happened, what

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then would the authorities do? This is what everybody

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was thinking. If he came in and kicked out Rome,

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would Rome then send their armies? to come retake

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over Israel. It was a very, very tense time for

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everybody, and so we pick up the story here in

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Luke chapter 19, verse 29. Please read with me.

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As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the

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place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two

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of the disciples and said, go into the village

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ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find

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a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat.

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Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks you, why

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are you untying it? Say this, the Lord needs

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it. So those who were left or who were sent left

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and found it just as he had told them. And as

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they were untying the colt, the owner said to

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them, why are you untying the colt? The Lord

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needs it, they said. Then they brought it to

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Jesus, and after throwing their clothes on the

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colt, they helped Jesus get on it. So this town

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of Bethpage is really a small little hamlet that

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was between Bethany and Jerusalem. You see, here's

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the city of Jerusalem, and if you were traveling

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east into the city, you would go through these

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towns, Bethany and Bethpage, on your way. And

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so there you would travel up the Mount of Olives,

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and then once you peaked at the top there, you

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would come down the other side of the Mount of

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Olives with a clear view of the entire city of

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Jerusalem. Now, what's interesting is this story

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of the triumphal entry always starts with him

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telling his disciples to go get this donkey that

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he may ride on it. Now, if we put ourselves in

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the shoes of the disciples. This might have been

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a strange question for him to ask because as

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far as we know, there's no record of Jesus ever

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riding on anything as he was walking through

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doing his ministry. He always walked with his

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disciples. He didn't ride a horse, didn't ride

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a cart. It was just him and his disciples walking,

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camping, and ministering. And so now after three

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years of ministry, his disciples hear him say,

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hey, go get me a donkey to ride on. Had to have

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been a strange question from them. The very precise

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instructions. You see, Jesus is coming into the

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place where he's going to publicly proclaim,

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I am the king that you all have been waiting

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for. I am the Messiah. I am the one in the line

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of the son of David. And one of the things he's

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been working to do through his whole ministry

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is get his disciples to truly understand what

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that means. And so this was just another moment

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of him giving very precise instructions, demonstrating

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his omniscience, right? Go into that town. There's

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going to be this donkey right there. The owners

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are going to say this. You're going to say this.

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Boom, we're going to get a donkey. And it happened

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exactly as he said. Now, we ask, why did the

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owners give the donkey, right? It tells us that

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they asked, but why did they give it up? And

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it doesn't give us that detail. Maybe they had

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heard of Jesus and his ministry. Maybe just with

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all the excitement and stuff going on. Maybe

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the news of Lazarus' ministry had already passed

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through. And, you know, After all, Jesus was

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becoming a famous rabbi with a very famous reputation

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here. But either way, they gave the donkey. Once

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the answer, the Lord needs it, was told to them,

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they let it go. So what we do see here, or see

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here for sure, is that Jesus has very intentionally

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premeditated every detail of this triumphal entry.

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You see, as I mentioned earlier, There was nine

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months of travel with 35 ministry stops. Have

00:13:50.190 --> 00:13:52.429
you ever tried to put together a trip of any

00:13:52.429 --> 00:13:55.570
kind with 35 stops and then try and figure everything

00:13:55.570 --> 00:13:58.190
out so you enter in this part at exactly on this

00:13:58.190 --> 00:14:01.950
day and this time? It's insane. We put together

00:14:01.950 --> 00:14:05.269
an Israel trip a few years ago. And to be, you

00:14:05.269 --> 00:14:08.870
know, my assistant did all the work of scheduling

00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:11.110
everything and all that. And God bless her. She

00:14:11.110 --> 00:14:13.450
was just such a blessing on that trip. And when

00:14:13.450 --> 00:14:15.570
she got back, she goes, I never want to put together

00:14:15.570 --> 00:14:19.929
an Israel trip again. Because it's just a difficult

00:14:19.929 --> 00:14:22.509
thing trying to coordinate times. And we know

00:14:22.509 --> 00:14:24.950
that over these nine months and these hundreds

00:14:24.950 --> 00:14:28.899
of miles of journey, Jesus put it together. To

00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:33.539
show up on exactly this day, at this hour, to

00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:36.940
find this donkey, not any donkey, this donkey,

00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:40.580
a young one that had been unridden, ready to

00:14:40.580 --> 00:14:43.399
be lent out by its owners on the words the Lord's

00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:48.980
needed. Now, why all this precise detail? I mean,

00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.299
Jesus could have shown up to Jerusalem on any

00:14:51.299 --> 00:14:53.899
day he wanted. He could have found any donkey,

00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:58.100
but why was it this precise? Well, that comes

00:14:58.100 --> 00:15:01.639
from something that Matthew tells us. In Matthew

00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.919
chapter 21, verse 4, speaking of this same story,

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.820
Matthew says, this took place so that what was

00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:10.320
spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled.

00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:14.279
You see, one of the greatest evidences we have

00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.940
of the truth of Scripture and the truth of Jesus

00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:20.840
Christ and the stories we have that it's not

00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:25.100
just made up is prophecy. That is incidentally

00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:27.960
the one thing no other religion, false religion

00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:32.779
in the world has. The Bible has documented prophecy,

00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.580
documented that it was written down before things

00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:37.840
happened and then things happened exactly as

00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.860
they were prophesied to happen. Only someone

00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:44.080
with omniscience can do that. And of course,

00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:46.659
some people go, oh, what about, you know, Nostradamus

00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:48.320
and those people that were around 20 years ago

00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:50.740
and all these, oh, they're predicting everything

00:15:50.740 --> 00:15:53.360
exactly. What they never tell you is how much

00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:55.899
they predicted and they were wrong. Right? We

00:15:55.899 --> 00:15:59.039
can all get lucky guessing things. Now, here,

00:15:59.220 --> 00:16:02.159
everything is very, very precise. You see, the

00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:04.820
point of this was Jesus making a proclamation

00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:08.340
that he hadn't made about himself before. A proclamation

00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:11.120
that he specifically prevented other people from

00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.779
saying about him. And what was this public statement?

00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:16.259
It was going to be a statement that the Jewish

00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:19.399
people would very clearly understand, especially

00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:22.960
the religious leaders. And it comes from Zechariah

00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.019
9, verse 9. This is what it says there, prophesying

00:16:26.019 --> 00:16:29.240
this moment. Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion.

00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:34.659
Shout in triumph, daughter Jerusalem. Look, your

00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:38.919
king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,

00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:43.779
humble and riding on a donkey. Not just any donkey,

00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:47.220
a colt, the foal of a donkey, meaning a young

00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:52.279
one. Now, this prophecy was long understood by

00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:54.379
those in Israel to speak of a future leader.

00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:58.220
that would be a leader of Israel in Israel that

00:16:58.220 --> 00:17:02.139
would come and set up the kingdom to bring peace.

00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.799
And so Jesus is declaring to the people through

00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:08.420
this whole episode with this particular donkey

00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:12.740
on this particular time that he is, he was, and

00:17:12.740 --> 00:17:15.940
is the long -awaited prophesied Davidic king

00:17:15.940 --> 00:17:18.859
fulfilling the Davidic covenant, the Messiah,

00:17:19.099 --> 00:17:22.049
the Savior, the Deliverer. This is what he's

00:17:22.049 --> 00:17:25.069
very publicly proclaiming here. Now, this donkey,

00:17:25.190 --> 00:17:27.410
there's a whole lot of elements to why a donkey

00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:30.049
as he came in there. One of them is simply ancient

00:17:30.049 --> 00:17:33.009
ways of doing things, an ancient Middle East

00:17:33.009 --> 00:17:36.809
culture. If you were in a city and a king from

00:17:36.809 --> 00:17:38.910
a neighboring nation rode into your city on a

00:17:38.910 --> 00:17:41.769
horse, that meant they were about to declare

00:17:41.769 --> 00:17:45.730
war on you. If a king from a neighboring nation

00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:48.369
or whatever came in riding on a donkey, that

00:17:48.369 --> 00:17:50.799
meant that they'd come in peace. And so the animal

00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:53.680
was seen as an animal of peace to declare peace.

00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.799
Jesus here, as he said, he's going, I am not

00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.319
just a king, I am this king of Zechariah chapter

00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:05.200
nine, verse nine. And so from this point forward,

00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:08.279
no longer does he tell his disciples, don't proclaim

00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:10.920
me as Messiah. No longer does he tell people

00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:13.019
that he ministers to or heals or does miracles

00:18:13.019 --> 00:18:15.680
with, don't tell people that I'm the Messiah.

00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:18.779
Don't say that. From here forward, it's public

00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:22.619
knowledge. Now, the choice of a donkey links

00:18:22.619 --> 00:18:25.980
Jesus to this prophecy in a few other ways. One,

00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.640
it identified him with the royal line of David.

00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:31.079
And the reason I say that is because during David's

00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:35.039
reign, the donkey was considered a royal animal.

00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:37.740
And it was something that kind of came to represent

00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:40.480
the royal line or David's royal line. And so

00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.700
him riding on a donkey connected him to those

00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:46.099
prophecies that entailed the Davidic covenant

00:18:46.099 --> 00:18:49.039
and the coming king. Now what's interesting is

00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:52.720
sometime after David's reign, the donkey then

00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.740
became an animal considered unsuitable for a

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:58.000
king to ride on, that it was below them or beneath

00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.440
them. But during David's reign and a little bit

00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:03.339
into Solomon's reign after, the donkey was a

00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:09.200
royal animal. The donkey was also his, the donkey

00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.039
connecting him to Zechariah 9 -9 was also a condemnation

00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.019
of what the religious leaders were about to do

00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:16.400
to him. You see, because in Zechariah 9 -9 it

00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.319
said, your king is coming to you. He is righteous

00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:23.119
and victorious. How do we know Jesus is this

00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:26.420
king? Because he's riding on the donkey. Now,

00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:28.779
in Zechariah, when it says righteous there, that

00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:33.299
word righteous means innocent. We know how the

00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:36.250
story goes. that they are going to try and bring

00:19:36.250 --> 00:19:39.349
Jesus up on charges. And based on those charges,

00:19:39.390 --> 00:19:41.769
to declare him guilty so that they can then have

00:19:41.769 --> 00:19:45.170
him executed. But the prophecy itself said ahead

00:19:45.170 --> 00:19:48.930
of time, he's innocent. He's done nothing wrong.

00:19:49.190 --> 00:19:51.650
And then that word victorious means one that

00:19:51.650 --> 00:19:55.569
comes to save others from danger. So it's telling

00:19:55.569 --> 00:19:58.250
us... The ministry of Jesus here in this prophecy,

00:19:58.430 --> 00:20:00.490
the Jews should have known this, that your king

00:20:00.490 --> 00:20:02.289
is coming, someone who's going to be innocent,

00:20:02.609 --> 00:20:04.589
someone who's going to save you from danger,

00:20:04.730 --> 00:20:08.670
and he's going to be riding on this donkey. It

00:20:08.670 --> 00:20:11.130
spoke of his real mission because he was coming

00:20:11.130 --> 00:20:12.849
to save from danger. We'll talk about how they

00:20:12.849 --> 00:20:15.549
misunderstood that in a moment. But it also spoke

00:20:15.549 --> 00:20:18.710
of his character because donkeys were considered

00:20:18.710 --> 00:20:22.890
humble animals, right? Jesus wasn't like that

00:20:22.890 --> 00:20:25.390
King Bocasa we talked about, right? He didn't

00:20:25.390 --> 00:20:29.769
have a $313 million carriage set up with gold

00:20:29.769 --> 00:20:32.190
eagles on it to proclaim his power and his authority.

00:20:32.369 --> 00:20:35.490
He just rode in on a simple donkey. Philippians

00:20:35.490 --> 00:20:37.990
2 .6 told us this about Jesus. He did not consider

00:20:37.990 --> 00:20:40.809
equality with God something to be exploited.

00:20:42.809 --> 00:20:47.910
Right? I think we, as humble as we might think

00:20:47.910 --> 00:20:52.259
we are, when we have power, When we know somebody,

00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:55.759
when we know we can ask a favor and exploit position

00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.799
or relationship, we're kind of tempted to do

00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:01.380
that. You know, instead of going through things

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.799
the hard way, let me call so -and -so. They'll

00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:05.539
get you through the door without having to go

00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:07.900
through the process, right? But Jesus didn't

00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:10.779
do that. He was God, but he didn't exploit his

00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:14.099
place. And this whole picture of this donkey

00:21:14.099 --> 00:21:17.579
and connecting him to this prophecy in Zechariah.

00:21:18.190 --> 00:21:20.569
It's portraying him to the people. His position

00:21:20.569 --> 00:21:24.190
as king and his character as a humble servant.

00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:27.569
Like that song we sang during worship, he is

00:21:27.569 --> 00:21:30.829
the humble king. He is the one that sets the

00:21:30.829 --> 00:21:33.609
example of humility for us to follow, and he's

00:21:33.609 --> 00:21:37.769
very, very unlike the kings of this world. People

00:21:37.769 --> 00:21:40.430
who want to try and solidify their glory and

00:21:40.430 --> 00:21:42.230
their power forever, and they want to keep people

00:21:42.230 --> 00:21:45.119
under a thumb of oppression. Now, when he sent

00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:49.440
his disciples out to get the donkey, very specifically,

00:21:49.460 --> 00:21:51.619
he says this interesting phrase. If anybody asks

00:21:51.619 --> 00:21:54.880
you why you're taking it, tell them the Lord

00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:59.180
needs it. Now, why is this an interesting phrase

00:21:59.180 --> 00:22:01.880
to me? Now, yes, we could say, well, he needed

00:22:01.880 --> 00:22:04.440
it to fulfill prophecy, right? And sure, that

00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:07.160
makes sense. But the reason it's an interesting

00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:11.319
phrase to me is we don't or we shouldn't think

00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:14.519
of God needing anything. Does God need anything?

00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:17.380
No, he's God Almighty. He created the entire

00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:21.019
universe. And his disciples who had been walking

00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:23.420
with him for three years, watching his miracles,

00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:32.599
excuse me, had come to see and believe that he

00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:38.000
is God in the flesh, right? And so this man,

00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:39.920
Jesus, is now telling them, hey, I want you to

00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:42.789
go into the town. I want you to find this donkey,

00:22:42.950 --> 00:22:45.289
and the owners are going to ask you, why are

00:22:45.289 --> 00:22:47.809
you taking my donkey? And I want you to tell

00:22:47.809 --> 00:22:50.569
them effectively, the omniscient, almighty, powerful

00:22:50.569 --> 00:22:52.529
God who created this universe and everything

00:22:52.529 --> 00:22:56.589
in it needs your donkey. It's kind of weird,

00:22:56.670 --> 00:22:59.289
right? It's like, what is he trying to get out

00:22:59.289 --> 00:23:01.730
of here? What is he trying to communicate? Especially

00:23:01.730 --> 00:23:04.309
when we have verses like this, Acts chapter 17,

00:23:04.410 --> 00:23:07.589
verse 24. It says, the God who made the world

00:23:07.589 --> 00:23:09.450
and everything in it, he is the Lord of heaven

00:23:09.450 --> 00:23:12.930
and earth. He does not live in shrines made by

00:23:12.930 --> 00:23:15.609
hands, neither is he served by human hands as

00:23:15.609 --> 00:23:18.710
though he needed anything, since he himself gives

00:23:18.710 --> 00:23:21.769
everyone life and breath and all things. Right?

00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:24.670
And we're like, of course. You know, we talk

00:23:24.670 --> 00:23:26.609
about this in our generosity. God doesn't need

00:23:26.609 --> 00:23:30.289
our money. Our giving, our generosity is for

00:23:30.289 --> 00:23:33.690
us, for our hearts, right? When we give of our

00:23:33.690 --> 00:23:36.329
time, it's like God doesn't need our time. He

00:23:36.329 --> 00:23:38.690
can snap his fingers. He didn't even have to

00:23:38.690 --> 00:23:40.569
do that. Just think a thought, and whatever he

00:23:40.569 --> 00:23:43.630
wants to happen will happen. So why is it that

00:23:43.630 --> 00:23:46.690
he says things like this? What it tells me is

00:23:46.690 --> 00:23:50.470
that our God in heaven, who came to this earth

00:23:50.470 --> 00:23:53.690
and lived his whole life as a man, who is now

00:23:53.690 --> 00:23:56.410
entering into this city on this particular day

00:23:56.410 --> 00:23:59.769
to proclaim himself as king, is communicating

00:23:59.769 --> 00:24:06.730
to his disciples, I want to partner with humanity.

00:24:08.430 --> 00:24:12.549
I want to partner with you. You are the people

00:24:12.549 --> 00:24:14.829
who believe in me, and I'm making an assumption

00:24:14.829 --> 00:24:17.670
there about this donkey owner, but I want you

00:24:17.670 --> 00:24:20.089
to participate in the work of me building my

00:24:20.089 --> 00:24:22.750
kingdom. I want you to participate in the work

00:24:22.750 --> 00:24:26.609
that I have to do in this world. You see, you

00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:28.349
look through the Gospels, and you see Jesus,

00:24:28.369 --> 00:24:31.009
who is God Almighty, say this many different

00:24:31.009 --> 00:24:34.579
times. He says to Peter, I need your boat. He

00:24:34.579 --> 00:24:38.400
says to, when the crowds were gathered there,

00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:41.400
and he goes, I need your five loaves and fish.

00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:47.059
He said to this guy, Joseph of Mathea, I need

00:24:47.059 --> 00:24:50.880
your tomb for the weekend. Right? He could have

00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:54.380
manifested a donkey, manifested a boat, manifested

00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:57.759
without five loaves and fish, manifested a tomb

00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:00.539
for him to die and resurrect in, but he didn't.

00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:05.119
He chose to partner with us. And he still chooses

00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:07.099
to partner with us to accomplish his work here

00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:11.119
on earth. That's why leading up to Easter and

00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:13.680
Christmas and really every Sunday, but these

00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:15.900
two holidays of the church, we say, hey, these

00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:19.400
are great opportunities for you to do your part

00:25:19.400 --> 00:25:21.960
in the partnership of building the kingdom, which

00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:23.880
is simply invite friends and family to come to

00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:26.119
church with you on Easter because they're going

00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:29.259
to hear the gospel. And you know, you believe

00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:31.119
the gospel changes lives because it's changed

00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:34.160
your life. Right? That's why we say partner.

00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:36.839
Can the Lord get them here on his own? Yes, he

00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:39.960
can. But he wants to partner with you. He wants

00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:42.380
to work with us. He wants us to be a part of

00:25:42.380 --> 00:25:46.740
that work with him. And so today, you know, what

00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:49.279
we learn from the story here, and it's in every

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:52.839
telling of the triumphal entry. And that tells

00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:55.609
me that it's an important thing that today. When

00:25:55.609 --> 00:25:58.150
God is looking to do his work in this world and

00:25:58.150 --> 00:26:00.289
he looks among us, his people, his disciples,

00:26:00.410 --> 00:26:04.710
he's like, look, I need that guitar. I need that

00:26:04.710 --> 00:26:11.509
car. I need that computer you got. I need the

00:26:11.509 --> 00:26:14.950
resources you have. I need your time. I need

00:26:14.950 --> 00:26:17.529
your money. And we go, God doesn't need anything

00:26:17.529 --> 00:26:21.410
from us. He doesn't, but he wants us to give

00:26:21.410 --> 00:26:24.529
it. He wants us to give it in acknowledgement

00:26:24.529 --> 00:26:27.069
of who he is in our acknowledgement of partnership

00:26:27.069 --> 00:26:30.089
and his work in this world. He wants our voice.

00:26:30.130 --> 00:26:32.089
He says, I want those hands. I need those feet.

00:26:33.130 --> 00:26:37.670
He's like, I need that skill that you have, that

00:26:37.670 --> 00:26:40.529
ability you have. And he doesn't say those things

00:26:40.529 --> 00:26:42.990
because he's incapable of accomplishing his will

00:26:42.990 --> 00:26:47.470
without it. He says it because he wants to accomplish

00:26:47.470 --> 00:26:52.890
his will with you and through you. And it's a

00:26:52.890 --> 00:26:56.569
beautiful thing. Now, when God says, hey, Nathan,

00:26:56.710 --> 00:26:59.630
I need your, you know, scratchy voice this Sunday

00:26:59.630 --> 00:27:02.670
morning. I'm like, God, there's other people

00:27:02.670 --> 00:27:05.190
with better voices today. And he's like, no,

00:27:05.250 --> 00:27:07.890
I need you to just obey me and do what I'm calling

00:27:07.890 --> 00:27:10.230
you to do. And I'm like, okay, Lord. You know,

00:27:10.250 --> 00:27:12.049
and he's gonna call different people to do different

00:27:12.049 --> 00:27:14.890
things. I need you to come to church and pray

00:27:14.890 --> 00:27:16.730
with that one person today. I'm like, God, come

00:27:16.730 --> 00:27:18.789
on, you could speak to them. No, but I need you.

00:27:19.410 --> 00:27:22.339
I want you to do it. I want you to come be a

00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:26.180
part of the work that I'm doing. And so they

00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:29.059
did it. They got the donkey. They threw the clothing

00:27:29.059 --> 00:27:31.559
on the donkey. They helped him up. And then they

00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:33.779
proceeded down towards Jerusalem. And this is

00:27:33.779 --> 00:27:36.500
the moment that we refer to as the triumphal

00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:40.660
entry. Verse 36. As he was going along, they

00:27:40.660 --> 00:27:43.279
were spreading their clothes on the road. Now

00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.480
he came near the path down the Mount of Olives,

00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:47.539
and the whole crowd of disciples began to praise

00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:50.519
God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles

00:27:50.519 --> 00:27:53.960
they had seen. Now there in Luke, it tells us

00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:57.779
that it was a whole crowd of disciples. If you

00:27:57.779 --> 00:28:00.200
go into the other gospels in John 12, Matthew

00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:03.880
21, and Mark 11, their stories, their narratives

00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:06.160
about this same moment, they'll use words like

00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:09.000
a large crowd was there, a very large crowd was

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:11.660
there, many people were there, right? And then

00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:13.619
here it says whole crowd of disciples. It tells

00:28:13.619 --> 00:28:16.839
us that it wasn't just the 12 disciples following

00:28:16.839 --> 00:28:21.460
him down this road into Jerusalem. It was all

00:28:21.460 --> 00:28:25.009
kinds of people. Now, a large contingent of this,

00:28:25.029 --> 00:28:26.750
it tells us in, I believe it's the Gospel of

00:28:26.750 --> 00:28:28.990
John, are people that saw him raise Lazarus from

00:28:28.990 --> 00:28:30.710
the dead, and they're just like, he's it, he's

00:28:30.710 --> 00:28:35.049
the guy. We're with Jesus now, right? So they're

00:28:35.049 --> 00:28:36.750
following him. They're putting their clothes

00:28:36.750 --> 00:28:38.490
on the road. And that was something that was

00:28:38.490 --> 00:28:41.190
just an acknowledgement of someone's kingly authority,

00:28:41.490 --> 00:28:43.670
right? It was a great sign of respect. It was

00:28:43.670 --> 00:28:46.210
a sign of people saying, everything we have is

00:28:46.210 --> 00:28:49.029
yours. We're acknowledging your authority, your

00:28:49.029 --> 00:28:51.589
power. And so by laying the clothes on the ground,

00:28:51.690 --> 00:28:53.730
that's what they were doing as Jesus was coming

00:28:53.730 --> 00:28:57.579
across on this donkey. Now, Luke doesn't include

00:28:57.579 --> 00:28:59.980
the detail of palm branches, but Matthew, Mark,

00:29:00.039 --> 00:29:02.099
and John do. And that's kind of where we get

00:29:02.099 --> 00:29:06.259
the idea of Palm Sunday from, right? That whole

00:29:06.259 --> 00:29:09.000
idea comes from is the people were waving these

00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:11.500
palm branches as Jesus was coming down the road.

00:29:12.529 --> 00:29:15.650
150 years prior to this story we're reading about,

00:29:15.789 --> 00:29:19.670
the Maccabees, which were a Jewish people, revolted

00:29:19.670 --> 00:29:22.670
against Syrian control over Israel at that time.

00:29:22.789 --> 00:29:25.150
And so when they revolted, big battle, they end

00:29:25.150 --> 00:29:28.750
up liberating Jerusalem. And when the warriors

00:29:28.750 --> 00:29:32.009
came back to Jerusalem, the people were all waving

00:29:32.009 --> 00:29:34.809
palm branches back and forth. And so the palm

00:29:34.809 --> 00:29:38.089
branch came to be known as a symbol of deliverance,

00:29:38.130 --> 00:29:40.609
right? and that's why the people are waving the

00:29:40.609 --> 00:29:42.809
palm branches now, because they're like, Jesus,

00:29:43.130 --> 00:29:46.630
he's the coming king. He's the one that's going

00:29:46.630 --> 00:29:48.930
to bring victory. He's the one that's going to

00:29:48.930 --> 00:29:53.109
deliver us. He is our deliverer. Now, they were

00:29:53.109 --> 00:29:55.630
all very excited for him to do that, right? The

00:29:55.630 --> 00:29:57.309
people had been under the oppression of Rome.

00:29:57.650 --> 00:30:01.609
There was, you know, misconduct among the Pharisees.

00:30:01.609 --> 00:30:03.410
I mean, it's just the people were like, ah, they

00:30:03.410 --> 00:30:06.380
were in bondage. Not only were they still in

00:30:06.380 --> 00:30:08.660
bondage to their sin, but they were in bondage

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:11.460
to the law. And it was just heavy, heavy oppression.

00:30:12.119 --> 00:30:15.460
So verse 37 again, this whole crowd began to

00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:18.279
praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all

00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:21.220
the miracles they had seen. Blessed is the king

00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:23.299
who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven

00:30:23.299 --> 00:30:26.440
and glory in the highest heaven, they say. Now

00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:28.839
remember the prophecy in Zechariah 9 .9, it started

00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:32.519
this way. Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion. Shout

00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:35.869
in triumph, daughter Jerusalem. And that's exactly

00:30:35.869 --> 00:30:38.450
what's being fulfilled here, as it tells us in

00:30:38.450 --> 00:30:41.250
Luke, that they praised God joyfully with a loud

00:30:41.250 --> 00:30:46.210
voice. Now, I do love how that says loud voice

00:30:46.210 --> 00:30:53.630
there. It doesn't say on key voice, right? Worship

00:30:53.630 --> 00:30:57.130
God, regardless of how you feel about your voice

00:30:57.130 --> 00:30:58.750
and stuff. When we have times of worship, sing

00:30:58.750 --> 00:31:01.950
out to him. He is worthy of that praise. And

00:31:01.950 --> 00:31:05.329
so what they're shouting and singing is, blessed

00:31:05.329 --> 00:31:07.269
is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

00:31:07.430 --> 00:31:10.569
This is a line that comes from what is called

00:31:10.569 --> 00:31:14.089
the Hallel Psalms. It's Psalms 113 through 118.

00:31:14.369 --> 00:31:18.289
And in these Psalms, this phrase comes up, blessed,

00:31:18.470 --> 00:31:20.529
blessed is the king who comes in the name of

00:31:20.529 --> 00:31:22.230
the Lord. And so what they're doing is they're

00:31:22.230 --> 00:31:24.529
quoting this. It was a very common phrase. It

00:31:24.529 --> 00:31:26.369
was chanted at the end of the Passover meal.

00:31:26.650 --> 00:31:29.990
It was... Chanted at the Feast of Tabernacles.

00:31:30.289 --> 00:31:32.589
And so here they're chanting it again, but they

00:31:32.589 --> 00:31:35.970
changed it just slightly in acknowledgement and

00:31:35.970 --> 00:31:38.809
enthusiasm of who they believe Jesus to be. You

00:31:38.809 --> 00:31:41.970
see, in Psalm 118, it says, blessed is he who

00:31:41.970 --> 00:31:44.670
comes in the name of the Lord. But here they

00:31:44.670 --> 00:31:48.549
changed it to, blessed is the king who comes

00:31:48.549 --> 00:31:51.869
in the name of the Lord. So they're saying right

00:31:51.869 --> 00:31:54.890
out now, public knowledge. And Jesus isn't telling

00:31:54.890 --> 00:31:58.390
them to be quiet. Why? Because this is the truest

00:31:58.390 --> 00:32:03.730
truth of all truths ever in truism. That make

00:32:03.730 --> 00:32:09.569
sense? I just made that up. It's true. It's the

00:32:09.569 --> 00:32:11.230
greatest truth that's ever been told, that he

00:32:11.230 --> 00:32:15.990
is the king. He is the deliverer. He is the innocent,

00:32:16.109 --> 00:32:19.869
victorious Messiah. And so they're proclaiming

00:32:19.869 --> 00:32:22.170
this all to the people, and now... When we go

00:32:22.170 --> 00:32:25.230
into the Gospel of Matthew and John, we see that

00:32:25.230 --> 00:32:27.109
there was also something else they said a part

00:32:27.109 --> 00:32:30.329
of this loud proclamation. They said, Hosanna

00:32:30.329 --> 00:32:34.589
to the Son of David. They said, Hosanna in the

00:32:34.589 --> 00:32:38.890
highest heaven. Now, that's how we know Hosanna

00:32:38.890 --> 00:32:42.029
is the right church. No, just kidding. Don't

00:32:42.029 --> 00:32:43.789
quote that. We'll cut that out of the video,

00:32:43.869 --> 00:32:48.269
right? Hosanna, what does this phrase mean? It's

00:32:48.269 --> 00:32:50.289
the namesake of our church. We are Hosanna Christian

00:32:50.289 --> 00:32:54.769
Fellowship. Why? Because it means save now. Other

00:32:54.769 --> 00:32:57.029
renditions will say save us now. So what these

00:32:57.029 --> 00:32:59.509
people were saying as they're waving these palm

00:32:59.509 --> 00:33:02.029
branches, laying down their clothes, proclaiming

00:33:02.029 --> 00:33:05.470
him as king, as they're saying, Hosanna. Save

00:33:05.470 --> 00:33:09.630
us, son of David. You are the Davidic king. Blessed

00:33:09.630 --> 00:33:12.309
is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

00:33:12.410 --> 00:33:14.390
You are the one we've been waiting for. You are

00:33:14.390 --> 00:33:16.549
the fulfillment of the prophecy. You are the

00:33:16.549 --> 00:33:22.450
one riding on the donkey. Come, deliver us. The

00:33:22.450 --> 00:33:24.990
people clearly saw Jesus as their king and deliverer.

00:33:25.890 --> 00:33:28.589
Problem was, is it wasn't in the way they thought.

00:33:29.670 --> 00:33:32.789
Let's move on. Verse 39, some of the Pharisees

00:33:32.789 --> 00:33:35.549
from the crowd told him, teacher, Rebuke your

00:33:35.549 --> 00:33:38.349
disciples. He answered, I tell you, if they were

00:33:38.349 --> 00:33:42.130
to keep silent, the stones would cry out. Right?

00:33:42.150 --> 00:33:44.269
Some Pharisees are out there saying, they're

00:33:44.269 --> 00:33:46.450
proclaiming you as king. They're linking you

00:33:46.450 --> 00:33:51.609
to Zechariah 9. That's blasphemy. Rebuke them.

00:33:51.849 --> 00:33:54.490
You know, the idea of rebuking is this strong

00:33:54.490 --> 00:33:58.609
disapproval by admonishing. Now, why are they

00:33:58.609 --> 00:34:01.180
telling him to do this? Because... Many things

00:34:01.180 --> 00:34:02.960
are like, oh, it's a violation of the law. But

00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:04.880
really, they were the ones who were the elite

00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:07.559
of the society. They were the ones who had the

00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:10.079
high positions and got the high seats and got

00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:13.420
the best place at the table. And now this man

00:34:13.420 --> 00:34:15.539
who they've been hearing about his miracles going,

00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:18.079
he's threatening us. Now he's coming into the

00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:21.280
very heart of their kingdom, if you will, coming

00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:23.780
into Jerusalem where the temple's at, and all

00:34:23.780 --> 00:34:27.840
the people are proclaiming him as the king, as

00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:30.590
the highest authority. And the Pharisees were

00:34:30.590 --> 00:34:33.050
completely threatened by that. They were completely

00:34:33.050 --> 00:34:35.630
threatened, and so they go, hey, teacher, right?

00:34:35.710 --> 00:34:37.449
You're nothing else but a teacher. You're just

00:34:37.449 --> 00:34:42.289
a rabbi. Rebuke them. And again, I love Jesus'

00:34:42.489 --> 00:34:45.849
response. They're proclaiming the truest truth

00:34:45.849 --> 00:34:49.489
that has ever been spoken. If I tell them to

00:34:49.489 --> 00:34:53.090
stop, creation itself will start crying out this

00:34:53.090 --> 00:34:56.579
truth. And I love that. You know, I think I've

00:34:56.579 --> 00:34:58.260
said this every year at Palm Sunday, but years

00:34:58.260 --> 00:35:02.059
ago, me and Pastor Ron, we thought, you know,

00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:03.960
we want to get some animatronic rocks on the

00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:07.460
stage, right, that open up, like little eyeballs

00:35:07.460 --> 00:35:10.039
on them. And so when there's a Sunday where everybody's

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:11.739
just kind of tired and we're doing worship and

00:35:11.739 --> 00:35:13.719
everybody's just kind of sitting there, and we

00:35:13.719 --> 00:35:15.260
just hit a button and the rocks start singing,

00:35:15.400 --> 00:35:18.300
right? I always thought that would be cool, but

00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:19.639
then some people went, that might be offensive.

00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:23.280
And I'm like, okay. So we didn't do it. But the

00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:27.190
rocks would cry out. Why? It tells us in Romans

00:35:27.190 --> 00:35:31.269
that the creation has been groaning. Romans 8,

00:35:31.329 --> 00:35:34.510
creation is groaning as it waits to be released,

00:35:34.610 --> 00:35:37.130
to be set free from the curse that sin has brought

00:35:37.130 --> 00:35:39.789
upon creation. You see, we go all the way back

00:35:39.789 --> 00:35:42.150
to Genesis. We studied this. God created the

00:35:42.150 --> 00:35:45.110
heavens and the earth as perfect. No decay, no

00:35:45.110 --> 00:35:48.510
entropy. Things did not die. And then we sinned,

00:35:48.510 --> 00:35:52.449
and death entered the world. And ever since then,

00:35:52.510 --> 00:35:55.960
God's creation He's going, please release us

00:35:55.960 --> 00:36:00.840
from this curse. And so, Jesus at this exact

00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:03.280
moment, this exact time, this exact day, month,

00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:09.219
year, it's all a divine appointment set before

00:36:09.219 --> 00:36:14.039
creation. And it was so important that what was

00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:16.420
divinely appointed to happen in this moment,

00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:20.420
this proclamation of who Jesus was, was not stopped,

00:36:20.519 --> 00:36:24.380
could not be stopped. But in all the joy and

00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:27.300
the celebration and the parade and the proclamation,

00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:31.820
as joyous as that was, it was all underscored

00:36:31.820 --> 00:36:34.960
by a wrong expectation of the people. Because

00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:39.059
Jesus, at the time of his entry, the Jewish people

00:36:39.059 --> 00:36:42.980
were greatly desiring deliverance from Rome.

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:47.139
Rome was the world power of the day. Rome didn't

00:36:47.139 --> 00:36:49.179
care a whole lot about their faith or religion,

00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:51.079
but Rome would come in and say, okay, fine, we'll

00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:53.159
let you still do your Jewish stuff, but you have

00:36:53.159 --> 00:36:54.960
to pay taxes to us and you have to do all this

00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:58.260
stuff. And it was very, very oppressive. And

00:36:58.260 --> 00:37:02.340
so they, knowing Zechariah 9 -9, had been expecting

00:37:02.340 --> 00:37:07.639
for generations the king to arrive who was going

00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:10.619
to be righteous and victorious. But for them,

00:37:10.659 --> 00:37:15.650
victorious meant over their earthly condition,

00:37:15.889 --> 00:37:21.190
over their physical outward oppressors. That's

00:37:21.190 --> 00:37:24.869
what they wanted victory over. This is not what

00:37:24.869 --> 00:37:28.389
Jesus came to be victorious over. Jesus came

00:37:28.389 --> 00:37:31.329
to be victorious over the spiritual inward oppressors,

00:37:31.449 --> 00:37:36.909
Satan, ourselves, our own flesh, our fallen nature.

00:37:37.030 --> 00:37:41.150
That is what Jesus came to deal with. But they

00:37:41.150 --> 00:37:43.409
were like, no, no, no. Don't tell me to change

00:37:43.409 --> 00:37:47.449
my life. Just fix everything outside of me. Deliver

00:37:47.449 --> 00:37:50.150
me from my boss who's a punk. Deliver me from

00:37:50.150 --> 00:37:52.610
this situation. There's even people within the

00:37:52.610 --> 00:37:55.349
church. God, deliver me from my spouse. What?

00:37:57.809 --> 00:37:59.949
Deliver me from my kids. They're filled with

00:37:59.949 --> 00:38:04.050
the devil. Deliver me from these friends. Just

00:38:04.050 --> 00:38:06.349
change everything outside of me. If I could only

00:38:06.349 --> 00:38:08.130
win the lottery, life would be so much better.

00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:11.719
And Jesus is like, you know what the problem

00:38:11.719 --> 00:38:14.880
is with all of that? You are still you in every

00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:19.099
situation. Regardless if I change the boss, the

00:38:19.099 --> 00:38:22.199
job, the business, the family, you are still

00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:25.900
you. And that is the problem that Jesus came

00:38:25.900 --> 00:38:30.199
to fix. But that wasn't the problem or the issue

00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:35.170
that the people wanted Jesus to fix. And so they're

00:38:35.170 --> 00:38:38.250
praising him. You're the king. You're the deliverer.

00:38:38.289 --> 00:38:44.050
You're the victorious one. Over Rome. Not my

00:38:44.050 --> 00:38:48.110
heart. Over religious oppression, but not my

00:38:48.110 --> 00:38:53.070
heart. And sadly, many from the same exact crowd

00:38:53.070 --> 00:38:54.989
that are now proclaiming him, you're the king,

00:38:55.130 --> 00:38:57.630
you're the deliverer, waving palm branches, in

00:38:57.630 --> 00:38:59.369
merely a week's time are going to be in the middle

00:38:59.369 --> 00:39:02.179
of a different crowd. Instead of saying, Hosanna,

00:39:02.260 --> 00:39:04.639
save now, blessed is the king who comes in the

00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:06.260
name of the Lord, they're gonna be in a different

00:39:06.260 --> 00:39:10.960
crowd saying, crucify him, crucify him. And that's

00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:14.039
what we'll be looking at on Friday. But you see,

00:39:14.039 --> 00:39:15.820
there's many in this world today that love to

00:39:15.820 --> 00:39:19.579
praise God in anticipation of him giving them

00:39:19.579 --> 00:39:23.219
what they want. They love to praise God for that,

00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.840
but they'll turn a corner when he gives them

00:39:26.840 --> 00:39:31.239
what they need instead of what they want. Right?

00:39:31.300 --> 00:39:33.960
So often we'll have times where, and this has

00:39:33.960 --> 00:39:35.519
come up through our genesis of study over and

00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:38.340
over, that we'll struggle with, you know, oh,

00:39:38.340 --> 00:39:40.400
I'm sinning and I've done bad and God must be

00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.039
mad at me. And we're like, no, God loves you.

00:39:42.039 --> 00:39:44.440
You're his kid. Consequences are going to happen.

00:39:44.460 --> 00:39:48.300
Yeah, but he loves you. Oh, no. But we think

00:39:48.300 --> 00:39:50.179
we have this transactional relationship. So,

00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:54.659
you know, if I do 10 good things to offset my

00:39:54.659 --> 00:39:57.179
10 bad things, well, then me and God are back

00:39:57.179 --> 00:40:00.110
to... Back to level. And then so if I do five

00:40:00.110 --> 00:40:02.409
more good things past that, boom, I'm in the

00:40:02.409 --> 00:40:06.309
positive realm of spiritual blessing. And that's

00:40:06.309 --> 00:40:09.989
not how it works. God's like, I love you, you're

00:40:09.989 --> 00:40:12.570
my kid no matter what. You put faith in me, I've

00:40:12.570 --> 00:40:16.289
attributed righteousness to you. Now, I'm living

00:40:16.289 --> 00:40:18.309
within you, let's work together to live a righteous

00:40:18.309 --> 00:40:22.769
life. But we think these transactions take place

00:40:22.769 --> 00:40:24.750
and so what happens is we find ourselves in situations

00:40:24.750 --> 00:40:28.000
where we're like, okay, God, I'm having a good

00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:31.599
run here, right? I'm resisting sin. I'm reading

00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:34.119
my Bible every day. I'm doing this. And Lord,

00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:36.440
I know because I'm doing this, that thing I've

00:40:36.440 --> 00:40:41.599
been praying for is gonna happen. And God's like,

00:40:41.719 --> 00:40:46.179
what do you mean? Aren't you doing it just for

00:40:46.179 --> 00:40:50.400
me? Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. But really, that

00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:54.789
thing, that thing I want. And God is constantly

00:40:54.789 --> 00:40:58.170
trying to teach us that we are to obey him, to

00:40:58.170 --> 00:41:00.110
love him, to worship him, to serve him simply

00:41:00.110 --> 00:41:04.630
because he is who he is. He is our God. He is

00:41:04.630 --> 00:41:09.329
our savior. He saved our souls. And so we don't

00:41:09.329 --> 00:41:11.110
want to just worship him when there's something

00:41:11.110 --> 00:41:15.289
on the other side. Now, is it wrong to have hopes

00:41:15.289 --> 00:41:19.329
and dreams? No, not at all. But God does say,

00:41:19.369 --> 00:41:22.340
let me know about those things. But be true in

00:41:22.340 --> 00:41:26.059
your worship of me, right? But the people here,

00:41:26.219 --> 00:41:29.219
we want you to kick Rome's butt, so we're worshiping

00:41:29.219 --> 00:41:31.900
you right now. Woo -hoo, Jesus is my Lord and

00:41:31.900 --> 00:41:33.619
my Savior. I'm going to serve you. You have my

00:41:33.619 --> 00:41:37.619
everything. Here's my cloak on the road. Yet

00:41:37.619 --> 00:41:39.420
so many of us, when we don't get the thing we

00:41:39.420 --> 00:41:44.199
want, we go, give me my cloak back. I ain't worshiping

00:41:44.199 --> 00:41:51.230
you this week. What? Right? So, worship. Proclamation

00:41:51.230 --> 00:41:53.389
of him, it's not something we do to butter God

00:41:53.389 --> 00:41:56.829
up, to get our way, right? It's not something

00:41:56.829 --> 00:42:00.590
we do to impress him in the sense of influencing

00:42:00.590 --> 00:42:02.989
him to get what we want, not at all. It's simply

00:42:02.989 --> 00:42:06.789
to honor him for who he is. He deserves it. That's

00:42:06.789 --> 00:42:12.809
it. Doing right because it's right is right.

00:42:14.449 --> 00:42:16.550
Doing right because we hope to get something

00:42:16.550 --> 00:42:19.050
because we did the right as a reward, wrong motivation.

00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:23.599
Worship is simply to honor him, to say thanks

00:42:23.599 --> 00:42:25.719
for what he's given us. And, you know, true worship

00:42:25.719 --> 00:42:27.599
here, the focus is not what I want on the other

00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:29.760
side. The focus is on God purely and solely and

00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:33.000
only, who he is. It's not on me. It's not on

00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:35.280
what I want. It's not on my tradition. It's not

00:42:35.280 --> 00:42:37.380
on how I think it should be or my method, right?

00:42:37.440 --> 00:42:39.000
This is what the Pharisees are all upset about.

00:42:39.079 --> 00:42:40.599
No, no, no, you're doing this all wrong. Tell

00:42:40.599 --> 00:42:43.860
them to shut up. He's like, I can't do that.

00:42:44.780 --> 00:42:47.739
Because what they're doing is right. And right

00:42:47.739 --> 00:42:51.860
is always right to do. We know that not everybody

00:42:51.860 --> 00:42:53.820
in this crowd was worshiping the king simply

00:42:53.820 --> 00:42:55.800
because he was the king, and that is the sad

00:42:55.800 --> 00:42:59.280
part of this story. Many of that crowd either

00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:01.739
ignored their true need, which was a spiritual

00:43:01.739 --> 00:43:05.699
change, or simply didn't know they needed that

00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:09.500
change. But either way, Jesus was showing up

00:43:09.500 --> 00:43:12.320
to do that. That was the victory he was bringing

00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:15.199
on Palm Sunday. And when the people didn't get

00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:21.320
it, it broke his heart. Look at verse 41. As

00:43:21.320 --> 00:43:24.880
he approached the city, he wept for it, saying,

00:43:24.980 --> 00:43:27.260
if you knew this day what would bring peace,

00:43:27.380 --> 00:43:32.099
but it is now hidden from your eyes. With Jerusalem

00:43:32.099 --> 00:43:34.820
in front of him, right, coming down the slope

00:43:34.820 --> 00:43:37.059
of the Mount of Olives, those whole crowd of

00:43:37.059 --> 00:43:39.599
disciples praising and proclaiming him as the

00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:42.059
king and Hosanna and throwing their cloaks down

00:43:42.059 --> 00:43:45.619
and waving the palm branches, all of this, he

00:43:45.619 --> 00:43:49.900
begins to cry. Now, yeah, there's some of us

00:43:49.900 --> 00:43:51.519
in this room that'd be like, well, when Jesus

00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:54.840
hears me sing, he would cry too. But that's not

00:43:54.840 --> 00:43:57.639
what's going on here. This is the second time

00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.000
we've seen Jesus weep in the Bible. First time

00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:03.059
was when his friend Lazarus died. When he was

00:44:03.059 --> 00:44:04.960
there at the tomb and he cried because he loved

00:44:04.960 --> 00:44:08.000
Lazarus. He was his friend. But the word there

00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:10.139
in the Greek that it used for Jesus weeping is

00:44:10.139 --> 00:44:12.690
kind of like... quiet tears, as we would call

00:44:12.690 --> 00:44:14.530
it. Like he's kind of just, you know, sobbing

00:44:14.530 --> 00:44:17.949
within himself in grief. The word used here in

00:44:17.949 --> 00:44:19.809
the Greek is a very different Greek word. It

00:44:19.809 --> 00:44:25.809
means to cry freely and profusely, to wail. The

00:44:25.809 --> 00:44:28.230
modern terminology we use for this type of thing

00:44:28.230 --> 00:44:32.599
is ugly crying, right? Like the tears, the snot,

00:44:32.599 --> 00:44:34.340
the whole, you're just convulsing because you're

00:44:34.340 --> 00:44:37.840
so overwhelmed with grief. And it's a very public

00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:40.039
thing. People could see and go, wow, they're

00:44:40.039 --> 00:44:45.579
upset. They're truly upset. And so I imagine

00:44:45.579 --> 00:44:48.320
what the crowd is thinking. Yay, Hosanna, blessed

00:44:48.320 --> 00:44:54.099
is he. Why is he crying? Is he overcome? Are

00:44:54.099 --> 00:44:57.139
those happy tears? No, they weren't happy tears.

00:44:57.739 --> 00:44:59.800
It was because he knew that their expectation

00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:05.260
of what he was coming to do was very different

00:45:05.260 --> 00:45:08.820
than what he was actually coming to do. What

00:45:08.820 --> 00:45:11.019
they wanted was very different than what they

00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:14.760
needed. And so he knew that they would reject

00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:18.239
the real victory that he was bringing. You see,

00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:20.860
when God changes your heart, you can live under

00:45:20.860 --> 00:45:24.400
oppression with peace. When God changes your

00:45:24.400 --> 00:45:26.480
heart, you can deal with that difficult boss

00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:29.940
in peace. God gives you a supernatural ability.

00:45:31.549 --> 00:45:34.789
When God changes your heart, when God comes in,

00:45:34.869 --> 00:45:37.170
the things that irritate you in your relationships,

00:45:37.570 --> 00:45:40.349
well, they don't irritate you that much anymore.

00:45:41.809 --> 00:45:44.349
Because the love of God is flowing through your

00:45:44.349 --> 00:45:45.590
heart, and when it flows through your heart,

00:45:45.610 --> 00:45:49.250
it affects everything outside of you. But if

00:45:49.250 --> 00:45:50.969
everything outside of you changed, that does

00:45:50.969 --> 00:45:52.610
nothing to change your heart. That's why the

00:45:52.610 --> 00:45:55.869
law didn't work for Israel. Well, if I go do

00:45:55.869 --> 00:45:58.289
this sacrifice, I go do this outward thing, I'm

00:45:58.289 --> 00:46:02.579
good. But their heart never changed. And Jesus

00:46:02.579 --> 00:46:05.699
is coming to change the heart. That is the victory,

00:46:05.800 --> 00:46:07.920
and the people didn't get it. They were focused

00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:09.920
on the temporal. They were focused on the material

00:46:09.920 --> 00:46:14.079
as if that is all that life is about. You know,

00:46:14.079 --> 00:46:17.519
and we think that so much. If we could just change

00:46:17.519 --> 00:46:20.179
the outside enough, my life would be different.

00:46:22.659 --> 00:46:24.940
It's our hearts that are desperately wicked.

00:46:25.739 --> 00:46:27.860
We may think our boss is desperately wicked,

00:46:27.880 --> 00:46:30.000
and that might be true. But the problem is our

00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:33.059
hearts are desperately wicked. We are selfish.

00:46:33.179 --> 00:46:37.719
We are self -centered. We are of number one first.

00:46:39.019 --> 00:46:41.539
That's what it comes down to. And the only one

00:46:41.539 --> 00:46:47.099
who could change here is Jesus Christ. It's not

00:46:47.099 --> 00:46:49.219
new governments or new laws or different rules

00:46:49.219 --> 00:46:52.360
or cultural acceptance or any of that. None of

00:46:52.360 --> 00:46:56.639
that addresses the heart issue. And that's why

00:46:56.639 --> 00:46:59.219
the Bible tells us that when we come to Jesus

00:46:59.219 --> 00:47:01.920
and we say, okay, Jesus, do your work in my life,

00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:04.280
he pulls out this heart of stone and gives us

00:47:04.280 --> 00:47:07.659
a heart of flesh. He tells us that our spirit

00:47:07.659 --> 00:47:13.179
that is dead is born again, made alive, now connected

00:47:13.179 --> 00:47:15.199
to God and going, God, I can hear you, I can

00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:18.840
see you, I can feel you. And God's like, yeah,

00:47:18.960 --> 00:47:26.679
because you're alive to me now. The people here,

00:47:26.780 --> 00:47:30.219
they didn't understand that true peace comes

00:47:30.219 --> 00:47:32.219
only through this saving relationship with Jesus

00:47:32.219 --> 00:47:35.619
Christ. And so as Jesus is looking down the slope

00:47:35.619 --> 00:47:38.119
of the Mount of Olives, looking inwards to the

00:47:38.119 --> 00:47:40.820
hearts of the people, weeping over their wrong

00:47:40.820 --> 00:47:44.159
expectations, seeing their future rejection of

00:47:44.159 --> 00:47:46.739
him and what he came to do, still clinging to

00:47:46.739 --> 00:47:49.019
their outward religion, still proclaiming their

00:47:49.019 --> 00:47:51.780
faith in their temple and all of their rights

00:47:51.780 --> 00:47:56.820
in their Judaism, He looks ahead 40 years and

00:47:56.820 --> 00:48:00.539
he sees the result of the rejection of him. Read

00:48:00.539 --> 00:48:03.440
with me in verse 43. For the days will come on

00:48:03.440 --> 00:48:04.900
you when your enemies will build a barricade

00:48:04.900 --> 00:48:07.739
around you, surround you and hem you in on every

00:48:07.739 --> 00:48:09.760
side. They will crush you and your children among

00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:13.360
you to the ground and they will not leave one

00:48:13.360 --> 00:48:15.940
stone on another in your midst because you did

00:48:15.940 --> 00:48:18.739
not recognize the time when God visited you.

00:48:20.139 --> 00:48:23.579
And this happened, we know this. August 9th,

00:48:23.579 --> 00:48:27.949
70 AD, There was a time where the Jewish people

00:48:27.949 --> 00:48:30.070
were starting to rise up against Rome, right?

00:48:30.170 --> 00:48:32.110
Jesus didn't do it, so we're going to do it ourselves.

00:48:32.389 --> 00:48:34.929
And Rome's like, our army's bigger than yours.

00:48:35.030 --> 00:48:37.670
And so Titus, the Roman general, surrounded Jerusalem

00:48:37.670 --> 00:48:40.090
with his army. And one of the first things they

00:48:40.090 --> 00:48:43.789
did is build a wall around that city, barricading

00:48:43.789 --> 00:48:48.090
it as Jesus just prophesied. Now, they showed

00:48:48.090 --> 00:48:50.030
up and did this during Passover time, so the

00:48:50.030 --> 00:48:52.909
city was packed with people. And what's interesting

00:48:52.909 --> 00:48:55.050
is historically it tells us that the Romans were

00:48:55.050 --> 00:48:57.429
letting people go into the city, but wouldn't

00:48:57.429 --> 00:48:59.829
let any come out. Right? You can imagine that.

00:48:59.869 --> 00:49:02.050
You're Jewish, you're going to Jerusalem for

00:49:02.050 --> 00:49:05.409
the Passover. Oh, hey, the Romans are here. They're

00:49:05.409 --> 00:49:08.610
like, hey, I don't go on in. And then they won't

00:49:08.610 --> 00:49:11.090
let you leave. And as the population of the city

00:49:11.090 --> 00:49:13.630
swelled, the food stores ran out, the water stores

00:49:13.630 --> 00:49:18.010
ran out, people began to starve. And the Romans

00:49:18.010 --> 00:49:22.489
just held the wall. People were dying in such

00:49:22.489 --> 00:49:24.570
mass numbers that they couldn't even burn the

00:49:24.570 --> 00:49:25.929
bodies, so they were just throwing them over

00:49:25.929 --> 00:49:29.289
the walls of Jerusalem. The siege lasted from

00:49:29.289 --> 00:49:31.230
this time all the way through the end of summer.

00:49:31.630 --> 00:49:33.409
And then at the end of summer, Titus finally

00:49:33.409 --> 00:49:36.110
gave the order. He said, level the city. Kill

00:49:36.110 --> 00:49:39.909
everybody. But Titus said, leave the temple intact.

00:49:41.309 --> 00:49:43.670
Interesting. So during the attack, the people

00:49:43.670 --> 00:49:47.210
of Jerusalem were crushed, as Jesus just prophesied.

00:49:47.550 --> 00:49:51.969
The people and the children. were crushed as

00:49:51.969 --> 00:49:54.349
the soldiers just went through and slaughtered.

00:49:54.369 --> 00:49:56.530
And because the town was so full of people, people

00:49:56.530 --> 00:49:58.909
would fall down and just get trampled as people

00:49:58.909 --> 00:50:02.190
were trying to get away from the attack. And

00:50:02.190 --> 00:50:04.710
as the histories tell us, that as the soldiers

00:50:04.710 --> 00:50:07.150
were just leveling the city and burning everything,

00:50:07.289 --> 00:50:10.070
there was one drunken soldier who believed he

00:50:10.070 --> 00:50:14.690
had a divine message that was given to him. And

00:50:14.690 --> 00:50:16.889
so the message said, throw this torch into the

00:50:16.889 --> 00:50:21.460
temple. And he did. And that torch went into

00:50:21.460 --> 00:50:25.260
the temple, and the veil caught fire, and everything

00:50:25.260 --> 00:50:28.579
in that temple started to burn. And as that temple

00:50:28.579 --> 00:50:32.139
was burning, Titus himself tried to get soldiers

00:50:32.139 --> 00:50:35.500
to put it out. But during this time, the soldiers

00:50:35.500 --> 00:50:38.400
are now in such a blood frenzy and looting and

00:50:38.400 --> 00:50:40.280
pillaging and killing that he couldn't control

00:50:40.280 --> 00:50:42.880
his own soldiers. And the flames that were now

00:50:42.880 --> 00:50:45.360
burning in the temple got so hot that all the

00:50:45.360 --> 00:50:48.739
gold in the temple, the golden menorah and the

00:50:48.739 --> 00:50:50.840
golden implements and all of this stuff, this

00:50:50.840 --> 00:50:55.659
elaborate place of God's holiness, the gold melted

00:50:55.659 --> 00:50:57.980
and got into the cracks between the stones that

00:50:57.980 --> 00:51:01.260
made up the temple. And the soldiers, consumed

00:51:01.260 --> 00:51:04.139
with such bloodlust and goldlust now, actually

00:51:04.139 --> 00:51:06.940
tore the temple down stone by stone to get at

00:51:06.940 --> 00:51:09.000
the gold that had melted in between the cracks,

00:51:09.340 --> 00:51:12.420
fulfilling Jesus' prophecy that there would be

00:51:12.420 --> 00:51:18.420
not one stone left upon another. Jesus sees all

00:51:18.420 --> 00:51:20.679
of this as he's coming down the Mount of Olives.

00:51:22.059 --> 00:51:24.039
He sees their present, he sees their future,

00:51:24.119 --> 00:51:27.280
and he weeps. And it's the same today, this morning,

00:51:27.300 --> 00:51:29.780
here in this church. And in every church around

00:51:29.780 --> 00:51:32.079
the world that is celebrating this day, Jesus

00:51:32.079 --> 00:51:36.179
sees into each one of our lives. He sees your

00:51:36.179 --> 00:51:39.820
present. He sees your future. He knows the decisions

00:51:39.820 --> 00:51:42.300
you're making, and he sees the result of those

00:51:42.300 --> 00:51:47.780
decisions. He sees every choice. Now, for some

00:51:47.780 --> 00:51:52.920
of us, he's rejoicing. Good job. Good choices.

00:51:53.679 --> 00:51:57.320
Right on. I see the molding that you're letting

00:51:57.320 --> 00:51:58.940
me do in your life and the fruits and I could

00:51:58.940 --> 00:52:01.960
see into the future. Oh, praise God, that's exactly

00:52:01.960 --> 00:52:05.019
what I wanted. For others, he's looking into

00:52:05.019 --> 00:52:08.920
our life and he's weeping because maybe he sees

00:52:08.920 --> 00:52:10.940
you today on the road waving that palm branch.

00:52:11.239 --> 00:52:13.679
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna to the son of

00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:16.460
David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of

00:52:16.460 --> 00:52:18.239
the Lord. No, no, no. Blessed is the king who

00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:22.510
comes in the name of the Lord. But then as Jesus

00:52:22.510 --> 00:52:25.789
looks into your heart, he sees that tomorrow

00:52:25.789 --> 00:52:28.070
you're going to put that palm branch down. You're

00:52:28.070 --> 00:52:30.929
going to pick up your cloak off the road. And

00:52:30.929 --> 00:52:32.510
you're going to continue to live in disobedience

00:52:32.510 --> 00:52:36.789
to him. But you're going to keep coming to church

00:52:36.789 --> 00:52:38.809
and keep doing things and just keep thinking,

00:52:38.869 --> 00:52:40.309
you know, I'm not, there's nothing wrong with

00:52:40.309 --> 00:52:42.030
me. If Jesus changed everything outside of me,

00:52:42.050 --> 00:52:46.369
it would be good. And Jesus is weeping for your

00:52:46.369 --> 00:52:50.889
life, weeping for your soul. The answer, the

00:52:50.889 --> 00:52:56.489
solution, the hope is to give your life to Jesus,

00:52:56.550 --> 00:52:59.130
to let him change the inside. You see, that's

00:52:59.130 --> 00:53:01.090
where he works, from the inside out, not the

00:53:01.090 --> 00:53:04.989
outside in. He's not going to go make everything

00:53:04.989 --> 00:53:09.429
pretty on the outside and wear an audacious crown

00:53:09.429 --> 00:53:11.849
and robe and all this stuff and stand up there

00:53:11.849 --> 00:53:16.010
and say, I am emperor, look at me. The Bible

00:53:16.010 --> 00:53:20.619
says he had no place to lay his head. You think

00:53:20.619 --> 00:53:22.599
Jesus could have just went, poof, five star in

00:53:22.599 --> 00:53:25.880
with a really good continental breakfast? Of

00:53:25.880 --> 00:53:29.340
course he could have done that. But he humbled

00:53:29.340 --> 00:53:32.280
himself to come live as one of us, to come experience

00:53:32.280 --> 00:53:35.920
everything we experienced. So that when he said,

00:53:35.960 --> 00:53:38.719
trust in me, I will change your heart, there

00:53:38.719 --> 00:53:44.019
would be no question that he is the answer. He's

00:53:44.019 --> 00:53:47.199
not proud. He's a king unlike any king that has

00:53:47.199 --> 00:53:52.230
ever existed on this earth. He's humble. He cares

00:53:52.230 --> 00:53:56.989
about you, the real you, because he knows if

00:53:56.989 --> 00:54:00.010
he could change that, everything outside of you

00:54:00.010 --> 00:54:03.590
will change as well. Now, there are some here

00:54:03.590 --> 00:54:05.449
that have walked with Jesus for some time, right?

00:54:05.590 --> 00:54:07.750
We've been transformed by his love. We've experienced

00:54:07.750 --> 00:54:10.670
his salvation. We're born again. We get it. We're

00:54:10.670 --> 00:54:13.530
redeemed by his sacrifice. We've learned to hear

00:54:13.530 --> 00:54:16.489
his voice. We've learned to follow his leading

00:54:16.489 --> 00:54:18.730
as the Holy Spirit talks to us. And even when

00:54:18.730 --> 00:54:20.389
he says, go get that donkey, we're like, that

00:54:20.389 --> 00:54:22.449
makes no sense, Jesus, but I'm going to do it

00:54:22.449 --> 00:54:28.769
anyways. And he just wants to keep partnering

00:54:28.769 --> 00:54:34.409
with you. And so keep partnering with him. When

00:54:34.409 --> 00:54:36.889
he says, go, go. When he says, do, do. When he

00:54:36.889 --> 00:54:40.690
says, stop, stop. Let him flow through your life.

00:54:40.750 --> 00:54:43.869
Learn to make him the soul. priority of your

00:54:43.869 --> 00:54:46.849
life. And then he'll speak through your changing

00:54:46.849 --> 00:54:48.829
heart to go, hey, I need to do this to care about

00:54:48.829 --> 00:54:51.849
these people and do this. And he can do that.

00:54:52.309 --> 00:54:54.769
And we celebrate that work in our lives. We praise

00:54:54.769 --> 00:54:56.630
his holy name in worship. And so I challenge

00:54:56.630 --> 00:54:58.750
all of you this morning that when we close in

00:54:58.750 --> 00:55:02.190
worship today, I challenge all of you to worship

00:55:02.190 --> 00:55:08.190
him. Don't keep silent. Shake the walls of this

00:55:08.190 --> 00:55:11.969
building with your praise to God. Off key or

00:55:11.969 --> 00:55:16.869
not, because God deserves it. God is worth it.

00:55:17.710 --> 00:55:19.469
And we'll have words on the screen, so don't

00:55:19.469 --> 00:55:20.829
worry about not knowing the words. The Bible

00:55:20.829 --> 00:55:23.250
says make a joyful noise, okay? We're gonna do

00:55:23.250 --> 00:55:25.070
that. But some of you are here this morning,

00:55:25.130 --> 00:55:29.349
maybe you're like the Pharisees. You're this

00:55:29.349 --> 00:55:34.429
person that, when other believers are full of

00:55:34.429 --> 00:55:38.090
joy and excited, it just highlights the joyless

00:55:38.090 --> 00:55:41.539
faith that you walk in, right? They seem so free.

00:55:41.619 --> 00:55:45.139
They seem so just alive. And you're like, well,

00:55:45.199 --> 00:55:47.139
I'm always grumpy and I'm always critical of

00:55:47.139 --> 00:55:50.219
people. And let this Palm Sunday be a reminder

00:55:50.219 --> 00:55:54.800
of why Jesus came for you, what he did for you,

00:55:54.880 --> 00:55:57.400
what he wants to do for you. He wants you to

00:55:57.400 --> 00:56:00.440
drop the cold trappings of legalistic religion.

00:56:02.340 --> 00:56:04.659
He wants you simply to learn how to enter into

00:56:04.659 --> 00:56:07.619
the joy of your salvation, the joy that you have

00:56:07.619 --> 00:56:09.039
in Christ. And then there's some of you this

00:56:09.039 --> 00:56:11.710
morning, This may be your first time at church,

00:56:11.909 --> 00:56:14.349
whether here or online. You may have been attending

00:56:14.349 --> 00:56:17.650
for a while, but you're still in the place of

00:56:17.650 --> 00:56:20.570
seeing God as a cosmic vending machine. Oh yeah,

00:56:20.610 --> 00:56:22.969
I'm gonna read, I'm gonna worship, but I'm only

00:56:22.969 --> 00:56:24.449
gonna do it because there's something I want

00:56:24.449 --> 00:56:28.090
on the other side. This isn't about my heart.

00:56:28.130 --> 00:56:30.210
I'm a good person. I don't need salvation, but

00:56:30.210 --> 00:56:33.389
God, there's this thing that I want you to do,

00:56:33.429 --> 00:56:36.010
and so, oh yeah, I'll come. I'll proclaim you.

00:56:36.969 --> 00:56:41.789
I don't mean it, but I'll say it out loud. Maybe

00:56:41.789 --> 00:56:45.170
it's just to soften your guilt a little bit at

00:56:45.170 --> 00:56:48.070
the life you lead. Well, I gotta come to church

00:56:48.070 --> 00:56:50.050
and say this because, again, if I do 10 good

00:56:50.050 --> 00:56:52.110
things, it'll offset the 10 bad things, and I'll

00:56:52.110 --> 00:56:55.210
be good. But tomorrow, you're just gonna go back

00:56:55.210 --> 00:56:57.969
to your normal way of living. You need to recognize

00:56:57.969 --> 00:57:00.769
that God, Jesus Christ, is visiting you today.

00:57:01.730 --> 00:57:04.269
Here in this room, here watching this stream,

00:57:04.449 --> 00:57:08.739
Jesus is visiting you. This is what we celebrate

00:57:08.739 --> 00:57:10.639
on Palm Sunday. And he's saying, look, your real

00:57:10.639 --> 00:57:12.579
needs go far deeper than the external stuff.

00:57:13.480 --> 00:57:16.099
The external circumstances around you, just a

00:57:16.099 --> 00:57:18.860
tiny part of the issue. The issue is your heart.

00:57:18.920 --> 00:57:21.659
You have no peace in life because you have no

00:57:21.659 --> 00:57:24.400
peace with me. That is what Jesus is saying to

00:57:24.400 --> 00:57:27.260
you today. You need to lay down your life before

00:57:27.260 --> 00:57:29.940
him today. Just like these disciples laid down

00:57:29.940 --> 00:57:33.500
their clothing saying, all I have is yours. That's

00:57:33.500 --> 00:57:35.159
a picture of what you need to do spiritually.

00:57:35.889 --> 00:57:40.469
mentally, emotionally, because he is God. You

00:57:40.469 --> 00:57:42.349
yield your life to him and acknowledge him that

00:57:42.349 --> 00:57:44.309
he is your king, he is your savior, he is your

00:57:44.309 --> 00:57:49.389
deliverer from the inward problems, from the

00:57:49.389 --> 00:57:51.750
sin that has so gripped your life and characterized

00:57:51.750 --> 00:57:58.130
your life. He wants to save you personally. That's

00:57:58.130 --> 00:58:01.909
why he came to Jerusalem. That's why in a week's

00:58:01.909 --> 00:58:05.369
time he gave his life on the cross. That's why

00:58:05.369 --> 00:58:07.210
just a few days after that, he rose from the

00:58:07.210 --> 00:58:09.329
dead and he is alive forevermore today, speaking

00:58:09.329 --> 00:58:18.349
to your heart. Let's pray. God, we're so grateful

00:58:18.349 --> 00:58:24.090
for who you are. We're so grateful for your word

00:58:24.090 --> 00:58:27.250
and the depth that it has, Lord, to understand

00:58:27.250 --> 00:58:33.300
your heart, your ways. Lord, we know that you

00:58:33.300 --> 00:58:35.800
came to change our hearts, and yet, Lord, we

00:58:35.800 --> 00:58:39.599
can get so caught up in just expecting you to

00:58:39.599 --> 00:58:44.300
change our outward circumstance. And yeah, Lord,

00:58:44.360 --> 00:58:46.119
some of our outward circumstances are tough.

00:58:46.159 --> 00:58:52.539
They're difficult. But God, it's a peace with

00:58:52.539 --> 00:58:55.699
you that comes from being submitted to you that

00:58:55.699 --> 00:58:57.679
allows us to have peace around us in whatever

00:58:57.679 --> 00:59:02.539
the circumstance is. That is what we need, Lord.

00:59:04.420 --> 00:59:08.920
We praise your holy name, God. We do proclaim

00:59:08.920 --> 00:59:15.320
that you, the king, blessed are you. That God,

00:59:15.340 --> 00:59:18.639
we would cling to Hosanna because you save now.

00:59:21.639 --> 00:59:24.260
But God, we would do that in just purity and

00:59:24.260 --> 00:59:28.199
the simpleness of just doing it because you are

00:59:28.199 --> 00:59:32.340
you. God, we are so unworthy of what you've given

00:59:32.340 --> 00:59:35.719
us. And what you've given us is so amazing. It

00:59:35.719 --> 00:59:39.500
puts everything this world could offer to shame.

00:59:41.239 --> 00:59:44.019
But Lord, as we're praying today, there may be

00:59:44.019 --> 00:59:45.539
some people in this room, God, and you've been

00:59:45.539 --> 00:59:48.840
speaking to this whole message. You've been knocking

00:59:48.840 --> 00:59:51.139
on their heart. You've been pointing out the

00:59:51.139 --> 00:59:55.199
things that you're like, hey, that's you. God,

00:59:55.219 --> 00:59:58.820
and they know right now that you are. Speak into

00:59:58.820 --> 01:00:00.119
their heart, and then they need to give their

01:00:00.119 --> 01:00:04.139
life to you. And so, God, I pray for them. I

01:00:04.139 --> 01:00:05.920
pray, Lord, that your Holy Spirit would break

01:00:05.920 --> 01:00:07.780
down the lies of the devil and the resistance

01:00:07.780 --> 01:00:10.980
of the flesh. That, God, that they would proclaim

01:00:10.980 --> 01:00:12.940
you as their king, give their life to you as

01:00:12.940 --> 01:00:15.639
their savior, their deliverer, God, and they

01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:18.420
would be set free from the oppression of Satan

01:00:18.420 --> 01:00:21.980
and set free from the oppression of sin. And

01:00:21.980 --> 01:00:24.440
while we're praying right now, just all heads

01:00:24.440 --> 01:00:26.139
bowed and eyes closed, if you're in this room

01:00:26.139 --> 01:00:29.119
this morning, And God has spoken to your heart,

01:00:29.179 --> 01:00:30.500
and you know that you need to give your life

01:00:30.500 --> 01:00:33.320
to him. You need to be saved. You need to stop

01:00:33.320 --> 01:00:35.599
living the lie. You need to stop pretending.

01:00:37.480 --> 01:00:39.820
And God is telling you right now, looking straight

01:00:39.820 --> 01:00:41.659
at you right now, looking into your soul, saying,

01:00:41.780 --> 01:00:47.059
I love you. I'm not mad at you. I want to change

01:00:47.059 --> 01:00:50.780
your heart. Let me do it. If there's anybody

01:00:50.780 --> 01:00:52.659
in this room that you want to make that decision

01:00:52.659 --> 01:00:55.260
to receive him this Palm Sunday morning, I just

01:00:55.260 --> 01:00:56.719
want you to raise your hand where you're seated.

01:00:57.619 --> 01:01:00.519
Just say, yes, I need him. God bless you. God

01:01:00.519 --> 01:01:03.860
bless both of you. You too on the side there.

01:01:03.900 --> 01:01:06.139
God bless you. Anybody else? God is knocking

01:01:06.139 --> 01:01:07.960
on your heart today. I see you on the side. God

01:01:07.960 --> 01:01:13.059
bless you as well. The Lord came to set you free.

01:01:14.840 --> 01:01:18.380
Yes, he is king. He's also your friend. He loves

01:01:18.380 --> 01:01:20.280
you so much. Anybody else in this room? I see

01:01:20.280 --> 01:01:23.260
you in the back. I see you too. Anybody else?

01:01:23.280 --> 01:01:25.480
God is speaking to you today. I see you on the

01:01:25.480 --> 01:01:31.239
side. you in the back as well. This moment is

01:01:31.239 --> 01:01:35.480
the moment of Jesus' visitation to you. If you're

01:01:35.480 --> 01:01:37.619
watching online and God has spoken to your heart,

01:01:37.679 --> 01:01:40.480
obviously I can't see you, but if you want to

01:01:40.480 --> 01:01:42.619
receive the Lord, please let us know in the chat.

01:01:42.679 --> 01:01:45.139
Just type into the chat, I want to receive Jesus.

01:01:45.940 --> 01:01:47.619
Because in a moment, I'm going to pray with all

01:01:47.619 --> 01:01:50.880
of you. And you are going to receive a salvation

01:01:50.880 --> 01:01:54.079
that is unlike anything else you've ever experienced.

01:01:54.980 --> 01:01:57.019
you're going to receive a freedom, a new heart.

01:01:58.179 --> 01:02:00.280
You are going to be filled with the Holy Spirit

01:02:00.280 --> 01:02:03.340
of promise to be different and to live different.

01:02:04.539 --> 01:02:06.619
In this last moment here, is there anybody else

01:02:06.619 --> 01:02:08.840
that you know you need to make this decision,

01:02:08.940 --> 01:02:11.639
this commitment to Jesus Christ? Just raise your

01:02:11.639 --> 01:02:13.639
hand high where I can see it, and I'll be praying

01:02:13.639 --> 01:02:18.260
with you. All right, let's pray. Father God,

01:02:18.400 --> 01:02:25.190
Lord, we're so blessed at who you are. God, we're

01:02:25.190 --> 01:02:27.510
so humbled, Lord, that you see our sin. You see

01:02:27.510 --> 01:02:30.489
our brokenness. You see our wickedness, God.

01:02:30.690 --> 01:02:32.550
And yet, Lord, you still look at us with tears

01:02:32.550 --> 01:02:34.630
in your eyes, Lord, saying, I love you so much.

01:02:34.630 --> 01:02:39.969
Just come to me, and I will fix you. Lord, we

01:02:39.969 --> 01:02:43.710
know that that means you'll fix our hearts. It

01:02:43.710 --> 01:02:45.489
doesn't mean you're going to fix everything in

01:02:45.489 --> 01:02:47.170
our circumstances around us, but you're going

01:02:47.170 --> 01:02:50.070
to fix our heart, which ultimately fixes everything,

01:02:50.250 --> 01:02:53.289
God. And so Lord, for those in this room this

01:02:53.289 --> 01:02:56.989
morning and those watching online, God, they've

01:02:56.989 --> 01:02:58.909
made a profession right here. They've raised

01:02:58.909 --> 01:03:02.010
their hand to say, I need Jesus today. They've

01:03:02.010 --> 01:03:03.989
recognized, God, that today is the day that you

01:03:03.989 --> 01:03:06.769
are visiting them and they are here to receive

01:03:06.769 --> 01:03:12.829
you as their Lord and Savior to change the brokenness

01:03:12.829 --> 01:03:16.750
inside, to receive forgiveness for all of their

01:03:16.750 --> 01:03:20.250
sin. And Lord, we rejoice. Your word tells us

01:03:20.250 --> 01:03:22.050
that the entire host of heaven celebrate when

01:03:22.050 --> 01:03:25.210
one person gets saved, God. And so this Palm

01:03:25.210 --> 01:03:27.389
Sunday is a radical party going on up there.

01:03:27.889 --> 01:03:30.809
Not a sinful party, but one that is just proclaiming

01:03:30.809 --> 01:03:33.030
the glory of God. And so for those that raised

01:03:33.030 --> 01:03:35.409
their hand in this room today, I want to pray

01:03:35.409 --> 01:03:39.030
with you. And I just want you to kind of repeat

01:03:39.030 --> 01:03:41.750
these words after me. There's no particular magic

01:03:41.750 --> 01:03:44.210
in all the exact words or say it. This is about

01:03:44.210 --> 01:03:46.960
meaning these words from your heart. But know

01:03:46.960 --> 01:03:49.480
this, that God hears you. God is listening right

01:03:49.480 --> 01:03:51.719
now. And so just pray with me. Say, Father God,

01:03:51.880 --> 01:03:57.039
I know I've sinned against you. I know you're

01:03:57.039 --> 01:04:05.019
here today to visit me. God, I ask that you would

01:04:05.019 --> 01:04:10.599
come into my life. God, I ask that you would

01:04:10.599 --> 01:04:16.090
save my soul. God, I ask. That you would make

01:04:16.090 --> 01:04:22.409
me be born again. Give me a new heart. A heart

01:04:22.409 --> 01:04:27.210
that can serve you and to love you, to know you.

01:04:29.210 --> 01:04:34.469
God, I believe the truth of your word. Let me

01:04:34.469 --> 01:04:39.269
be a person, God, who walks with you and worships

01:04:39.269 --> 01:04:44.030
you and serves you simply because you are you.

01:04:45.679 --> 01:04:49.099
And God, use me to share this truth with others.

01:04:51.019 --> 01:04:58.139
Help me to be a better person. Help me to resist

01:04:58.139 --> 01:05:03.159
temptation and sin. Lord, I know only you can

01:05:03.159 --> 01:05:06.639
do the work. And so I yield myself, I submit

01:05:06.639 --> 01:05:10.340
myself to you. Thank you for loving me so much.

01:05:11.659 --> 01:05:14.360
Thank you for taking the time to visit me today.

01:05:16.780 --> 01:05:21.940
It is in your name, Jesus Christ, God in the

01:05:21.940 --> 01:05:27.619
flesh, I pray these things today. Amen. Well,

01:05:27.659 --> 01:05:30.440
God bless you guys. You know, if you raise your

01:05:30.440 --> 01:05:33.440
hand today to receive the Lord, like I said,

01:05:33.440 --> 01:05:36.800
the entire hosts of heaven are celebrating. The

01:05:36.800 --> 01:05:40.139
devil is ticked off because he lost a few other

01:05:40.139 --> 01:05:43.300
ones. Your life is forever different from this

01:05:43.300 --> 01:05:49.280
day forward. Now we want to help you on this

01:05:49.280 --> 01:05:52.320
relationship. We have some packets up front.

01:05:52.340 --> 01:05:54.199
We call them our new believers packets. They're

01:05:54.199 --> 01:05:56.039
also out in the back as you're leaving today.

01:05:56.099 --> 01:05:57.960
Please make sure you pick up one of them, okay?

01:05:58.739 --> 01:06:01.260
It's just an encouragement and resources to help

01:06:01.260 --> 01:06:04.360
you now on this relationship, to learn how to

01:06:04.360 --> 01:06:06.579
talk to God, to learn how to let God talk to

01:06:06.579 --> 01:06:08.579
you through his word, to worship him and to proclaim

01:06:08.579 --> 01:06:14.239
him because he has saved your soul. Glory, hallelujah

01:06:14.239 --> 01:06:18.079
on that, amen. Guys, we have an opportunity this

01:06:18.079 --> 01:06:21.820
week to take this hope that is within us, to

01:06:21.820 --> 01:06:24.980
share it with others. Because this Friday, we

01:06:24.980 --> 01:06:27.559
celebrate Good Friday. We celebrate the death

01:06:27.559 --> 01:06:30.659
of Jesus Christ, the thing that happened that

01:06:30.659 --> 01:06:33.860
paid the price for our sin. But beyond that,

01:06:34.019 --> 01:06:37.300
Sunday morning, we're going to celebrate the

01:06:37.300 --> 01:06:40.820
resurrection of our Lord and Savior. That changed

01:06:40.820 --> 01:06:48.460
everything. So take this week to worship God,

01:06:48.619 --> 01:06:52.139
to know him more, and to tell others. Invite

01:06:52.139 --> 01:06:54.900
others to church next week. Because I believe

01:06:54.900 --> 01:06:58.840
God is going to do a mighty harvest. God is working

01:06:58.840 --> 01:07:01.199
in our world today. God is changing people's

01:07:01.199 --> 01:07:03.920
hearts. And we just get to be a part of it. Let's

01:07:03.920 --> 01:07:06.500
stay in partnership with him. Amen? God bless

01:07:06.500 --> 01:07:06.800
you guys.