The King of Peace
Notes
Transcript
UCall to worship
Welcome everyone!
LET US STAND AND WORSHIP!
“What a beautiful Name”
Words and Music by Hillsong
PRAYER OF PRAISE FOR WHO GOD IS
Lord,
“What a beautiful Name”
Words and Music by Hillsong
“What a beautiful Name”
Words and Music by Hillsong
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION TO OPEN OUR HEARTS
Lord,
INTRODUCTION
Today is a very special day because it is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter.
“So, what is Palm Sunday?”
Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, 1 week before His resurrection. Jesus walked everywhere during His ministry, except during this time when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday. The reason it is called “Palm Sunday” is because some in the crowd cut down Palm branches and waved them as He approached Jerusalem. Spiritually, it was the public declaration of Jesus as the Messianic King of the World.
Palm Sunday begins what is known as Holy Week, which is the final week of Jesus’ earthly life. Each day this coming week has significance in the Christian community and is call for us to do some reflection each day this week.
HOLY WEEK
Holy Monday: This is the day that Jesus cleansed the temple. He said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”. It was that verse that prompted our Tuesday prayer day.
Holy Tuesday: Jesus denounces the religious leaders on this day. It was the day of his seven woes against the Pharisees.
Spy Wednesday: Jesus was anointed by Mary with spikenard (n expensive perfume). It is called spy Wed because it is the day Judas met with religious leaders to plan His betrayal.
Maundy Thursday: This is the day that Jesus instituted Communion at the Passover Supper With His disciples in the Upper Room. It is called “Maundy Thursday” because the word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word that means “command”, and it was on that night that Jesus gave his disciples the new command “to love one another”.
Good Friday: This is the day Jesus was crucified on the cross. This day is “good” because His death was for our benefit. It was the shed blood of Christ that became the payment, the substitution, the atonement for our sins and the only way we can have peace with God.
Holy Saturday: This is the day Jesus laid in the tomb. It is a day of somber reflection for us to imagine what life would be like had salvation never come to earth.
Resurrection Sunday: Early in the morning the women went to anoint the body of Jesus and found the empty tomb. The resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Madeline and the other Mary instructed them to go and tell the other disciples. The world has never been the same.
Today we will focus on Palm Sunday. Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a King, but not a worldly king as the people wanted, but as the King of Peace. They rolled out the red carpet for him with their coats and with palm branches, but would later condemn him to be crucified. Why? Luke tells us, “they did not recognize the time of their visitation”.
EXPOSITION
After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord has need of it.” They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road.
I want to talk about the significance of the colt
1) The colt is a direct fulfillment of Messianic prophecy
Look at this verse that was written by Zechariah about 500 BC.
500 years before Jesus was ever born.
500 years….that is longer than we have been a nation.
Zechariah 9:9–10 (NASB95)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
This is a very specific Messianic prophecy. It is giving very specific details about how Jerusalem will know when the Messiah comes.
What are the details?
That when the Messiah comes, He will not be riding on a horse as any other king or person of significance would ride.
When Cyrus rode into Babylon to conquer it, He rode in on a horse.
A horse is a symbol of war and conquering
But the Messiah (according to Zechariah) will ride be riding on a donkey.
BUT NOT JUST ANY DONKEY, A COLT
This is a young male donkey less than 4 years old.
The prophecy also says that the Messiah would be coming to a specific place.
Where will He be coming to?
JERUSALEM!
So the Messiah will come to Jerusalem on a colt
And thirdly Zechariah tells them HE is coming humbly, endowed with salvation
Humble, not in a glamorous fashion
From Jesus’ birth until his death he modeled humility
Born in a manger by poor parents
walked everywhere He went
laid His life down at the cross bring the greatest victory the world has ever seen
So when Jesus tells the disciples to go and fetch the donkey, it was not because His feet were tired from walking around the past three years!
Jesus knew that He was the fulfilment of Zechariah 9!
And Jesus knew God had that colt sitting there in that village that had never been mounted, waiting on Him to arrive.
And Jesus knew that man who would surrender that colt over at the request of the disciples because He is the long awaited Messiah endowed with salvation.
Application:
Christianity is not a new religion.
Christianity is rooted in the OT.
Without the OT, we have no fulfilled prophecies about the coming of Jesus.
Without the NT, our faith has no basis other than the testimonies of the apostles. And that is significant alone, but Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies (thats being conservative). One scholar found over 500 fulfillments.
The OT is significant for our spiritual health and understanding. It is to be read, studied, and applied. It has great truths about God, how we need to live, and will tremendously grow your faith!
DO NOT NEGLECT IT!
2) The donkey as a symbol of peace
Horses are taller, faster, more powerful than donkeys. This is why they were often the choice in battles. You didn’t want to be caught on a donkey when your enemy had a horse.
In contrast to that donkeys are slow, shorter, and have a much gentler ride. So those who rode on donkeys did not expect to go to war.
By riding on a donkey, Jesus is saying to the world that He did not come to make war with the world, but to bring peace to It.
Not peace from all the things in the world, but peace between us and God. Forgiveness for our sins that make us hostile towards God.
Application
Too often the world’s idea of Jesus is judgement and destruction, and to take people’s lives from them
And they see Jesus as threat to their lives.
But Jesus Himself said this
“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
The reality is the world was already condemned before Jesus ever came.
Jesus came to save people, not judge them.
And Jesus has brought you here to save you, not judge you
3) The perfect control of Jesus over the entire situation
I just want you to think about all that is going on here
Jesus is riding into Jerusalem, the Holy City
Passover is just a few days away and there could be as many as 2.5 million people in the city during that time
The religious leaders are plotting his death, they want Him dead and they are just looking for an opportunity
The crowds are praising Him now, but in just a few days they will chant “crucify Him”
Yet Jesus has everything under complete control
The donkey is exactly where Jesus said it would be at that very moment
The man who owned the donkey did exactly what Jesus said he would do when the disciples asked for it
And the man surrendered the donkey when they told Him: “The Lord has need of it”
Do you know what “Lord” means?
Sovereign ruler
It means Jesus Christ is in complete control of every single detail, every area, every second of every day Jesus rules this world 🌎 and not a blade of grass moves without His permission
Jesus is KING OF THIS WORLD, HE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL
Application
Can you imagine being those disciples and hearing Jesus tell you that. They must have thought inside, “really…?” “This guy is just going to hand me over his colt that had never been ridden on if I say “the Lord has need of it?”
And can you imagine doing it and everything Jesus said to you came to pass. Exactly as Jesus said it would?
Can you imagine how much that would change your level obedience to Jesus?
That is exactly the kind of response God expects from us to His instruction
And when we believe the sovereignty of Jesus, the power of Jesus, the rule and authority of Jesus, it makes trusting Him much easier.
Jesus is in complete control, and we can trust what He says no matter how opposite is may seem by the world’s standards
There are only two responses to Jesus: praise or criticism
There are only two responses to Jesus: praise or criticism
As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
Explanation
If we could look at this in spiritual eyes, it’s going to help us understand this truth.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day, in fulfillment of OT prophecy, it was a divine coronation of the King. It was like the placing of the crown on the head of King Jesus by the people.
Look what they said, “blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest”
So there is this public proclamation of Jesus being the King of Israel
But not all praised Him as King
What did the Pharisees say? “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples”
In other words stop the praising, stop the celebrating, stop all the excitement, you are not worthy of it
Application
And the same is true for the world today
There are only two responses to Jesus: worship or criticism
Those who follow Him truly worship Him.
Worship is not just singing songs on Sunday, it is a 7 days a week laying ourselves down at the alter of His grace. It is the giving of our lives as a living sacrifice.
And it is doing it in the face of hostility. Those the Pharisees scorned, the disciples praised and shouted glory to the King of Peace.
Then there are the critics
These are those who are critical of Jesus. They always have questions of doubt, always a reason for their unbelief, and never giving Him the honor He deserves.
The question is: which are we? Worshipers or critics?
Jesus longs to because their rejection of Him will bring their ultimate destruction
Jesus longs to because their rejection of Him will bring their ultimate destruction
When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Explanation
Even though the disciples are shouting praises, the majority of the city keeps silent.
He is not met by city officials to welcome Him
There are no High Priests present
There are no Religious leaders at all in the crowd except the Pharisees and they only bring criticism
It is a picture of rejection of the King of Israel
And Jesus weeps
He does not weep because His feelings are hurt
He weeps because the city as a whole has rejected Him as Lord and King
And to to reject Jesus is also to rejected God
It is like a parent who watches their child make a life altering decision for the bad
Knowing that it will ultimately destroy their lives, yet there is nothing you can do because they must make the decision for themselves
Jesus says, “if you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace”
It is not that they did not want peace
It’s not that they were not looking for a Savior
It’s not that the kind of Savior they wanted was different from the kind of Savior Jesus is.
They wanted saving from the things of this world
Roman rule over Israel
They wanted worldly peace that is circumstantial
They wanted to live in David’s Kingdom and have abundance of blessing and prosperity
But what really enslaved them was their spiritual deadness
What really made their lives miserable was not the Romans, but their separation from God
What they failed to realize is what they needed most was Jesus to lead their lives.
‘What they needed most was forgiveness, and to be in God’s Kingdom, and then everything else would work itself out
“because you did not recognize the time of your visitation”
Can we just imagine being there that day.
You are living in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, on that great day in history
Prophecy is being fulfilled before your very eyes
And God Himself, God in the flesh comes riding into Jerusalem on a colt, exactly as Zech 9
And your see this man, nothing special to look, who is being praised as the Messiah
And you hear His words, spoken with such wisdom and authority
And you see the disciples reaction and worship of Him as if He were god Himself
And you see the Pharisees reject Him and criticism Him
And you not even fully understand that Jesus has placed you there at that moment, because that was your time of visitation
Application
I believe there are many today who have similar encounters with Jesus
Not physical encounters, but spiritual encounters
He draws them to a church service somewhere by giving them a desire to go so that they may hear His Word and understand His truth
Or He sends a missionary to them with the “good news” of peace
And however it comes, it really is Jesus working things together as their visitation
And in that moment, God opens their heart and they know what He is wanting them to do.
It could be many different things that we have in our lives, but ultimately it is about completely surrendering our lives to Him.
Letting go of all control in our lives, humbling ourselves and placing it in His hands
That is the time of our visitation. Jesus is calling. Jesus is pleading like a parent watching a child knowing that to reject Him is to loose everything
And most often people are seeking Jesus for the wrong things.
Some kind of relief from the toils of this world
Some kind of help from our struggles, or the darkness in our lives, or an addiction, or just the absence of peace
But Jesus has not brought you here for that, but to forgive your sins
AND IF WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT FORGIVENESS IS OUR GREATEST NEED THEN WE WILL LOOSE EVERYTHING IN THE END NO MATTER WHAT WE GAIN ON EARTH
Jesus said, “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you”
Jesus is speaking here about 70 AD when the Romans came in and sacked the city
The beautiful temple that they were so proud of was destroyed
The city destroyed, burned with fire, countless people dead as a result
And now on the Temple Mount sits a Muslim Mosque, a reminder of that rejection of Jesus
But spiritually, to reject him, is to welcome destruction
Not in a physical sense, but spiritually
To welcome the judgement of God for our sin.
Though we may not see it in this life, we will certainly know it, see it, experience it in the afterlife
CONCLUSION
Over 300 OT prophecies point to and are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
He came to this world specifically to save us from our sin. He promises nothing more, but nothing greater could ever be given to us. It is the greatest gift that brings the peace that we all truly long for
But we must not miss he time of our visitation. Maybe yours is today. Would you recognize Him, in all His glory and truth, and submit your life to Him completely.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
~PRAYER~
RESPONSE
PUBLIC INVITATION
“What a beautiful Name”
Words and Music by Hillsong
OFFERING
We will now worship the Lord through our tithes and offering.
BENEDICTION
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’”
COMMUNION
I want us to Remember
Jesus said, “do this in remembrance of Me”.
I want us to think about this coming week. Even about today 2,000 years ago. Jesus knowing all things, in complete control, and what He would experience this week. And each day and its significance, especially that final night with His disciples. Knowing the cross was less than 24 hours away. Knowing the agony and suffering He would experience. Knowing the rejection from His disciples when He is arrested. Knowing that He would bear the sins of the entire world on that cross. That is what we are remembering today.
Since we are in Luke today, I want to read this account from Luke’s gospel.
Luke 22:14–19 “When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Invite those to take a piece of bread
Pray
Eat the bread
Luke 22:20 “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”
Invite those to come receive a cup
Pray
Drink the cup
CLOSING PRAYER
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