Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Authority of Jesus*

*April 5, 1998       Palm Sunday*

 

*Scripture:  Luke 19:28-48 (chonological)*

 

*Lu 19:27  But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-- bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"*

*Lu 19:28 ¶ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.*

*Mr 11:1 ¶ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,*

*Mt 21:2  saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her (which no one has ever ridden - Lk 19:30).

Untie them and bring them to me.*

*Mt 21:3  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."*

*Mt 21:4  This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:*

*Mt 21:5  "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"*

*Lu 19:32  Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.*

*Lu 19:33  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"*

*Lu 19:34  They replied, "The Lord needs it."*

*Lu 19:35  They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.*

*Joh 12:12 ¶ The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.*

*Joh 12:13  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"*

*Joh 12:16  At first his disciples did not understand all this.

Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.*

*Joh 12:17  Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.*

*Joh 12:18  Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.*

*Joh 12:19  So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere.

Look how the whole world has gone after him!"*

*Mt 21:8  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.*

*Mt 21:9  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! (Mr 11:10)" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"*

*Lu 19:37  When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:*

*Lu 19:38  "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"*

*Lu 19:39  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"*

*Lu 19:40  "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."*

*Lu 19:41 ¶ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it*

*Lu 19:42  and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-- but now it is hidden from your eyes.*

*Lu 19:43  The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.*

*Lu 19:44  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.

They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."*

*Mt 21:10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"*

*Mt 21:11  The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."*

*Mr 11:11  Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple.

He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.*

*Mr 11:15  On reaching Jerusalem (the next day), Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,*

*Mr 11:16  and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.*

*Mr 11:17  And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?

But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"*

*Mr 11:18  The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.*

*Mt 21:14  The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.*

*Mt 21:15  But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.*

*Mt 21:16  "Do you hear what these children are saying?"

they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?"*

*Mt 21:17  And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.*

*Lu 19:47  Every day he was teaching at the temple.

But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.*

*Lu 19:48  Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.*

*Lu 20:1 ¶ One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.*

*Lu 20:2  "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said.

"Who gave you this authority?"*

A.

The Triumphal Procession: the Authority of Jesus to Rule  (28-40)

 

          1.

There was the constraint to go to Jerusalem: To suffer and die                            (28)

 

/After his convicting statement in the previous verse, Jesus sets his heart upon Jerusalem, going on ahead he knew his cause and purpose.

He would be a king like none the world had ever known.

He would earn the right with his own blood, not the blood of others.

Such a king deserves the allegiance of those whose blood would be spared, but not all would be as generous toward him as he was toward them.

The road led up but the blood would flow down.

/

         

          2.

There was the deliberate claim to be King  (29-35)

                   a.

He planned a dramatic demonstration in detail

                   b.

He used the title “the Lord” in laying claim to men’s                                  property

                   c.       His instructions were carefully followed

                   d.

He accepted the recognition of the disciples

 

/His claim to the throne was not in any sense of fleshly power or presumption but with spiritual savvy and sophistication.

Once again, Jesus was going to blow people’s minds with a miracle.

This time it would be with a miracle of the mundane.

Nobody, absolutely nobody who would be a king, would ride into camp on a donkey.

It was ridiculously stupid in man’s eyes but not in God’s eyes.

God doesn’t need to prove to men who he is.

His presence speaks for itself, to those who would see for themselves, without the blindness of following others.

This would be a test for what men sought in a leader.

It would be an example for any who would seek to be leaders./

/ /

/Pres.

Clinton’s staff spent a lot of time, energy and money making him look good.

He needed it.

But Jesus didn’t need a public relations staff - he was good.

Isn’t it a breath of fresh air to know a leader whose actions speak louder than words in a positive sense, who isn’t afraid to be real, whose position and authority flow directly from God?  Just as Jesus put a new spin on love and generosity, so now also on leadership./

/ /

/Notice that his instructions were that the Lord needs it.

He has a claim to everything that we might call ours.

Would we be so generous when prompted by the Holy Spirit?

This not only fulfilled prophecy and revealed Christ’s intentions of leadership, it was a miracle that this unbroken colt could readily be ridden.

And it was a necessity of holiness that it was never put to other use except for the King.

Perhaps we should be so readily broken as this donkey that the King could ride our backs to glory.

And what if Christ were to send us on an errand?

Would we obey him to the letter?

His purpose may depend upon us.

Would we give our cloaks for him to sit on?

What if he asked for our tunics too?

Certainly he accepts the offerings of a humble and obedient heart./

3.

There were the people proclaiming Him to be King  (36-38)