Sermon Tone Analysis

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

Jesus Was Weeping

Summary: I wonder, is Jesus still weeping today?

When He turns & looks into our lives, I wonder, will He weep once again because of what He sees?

I wish simply to remind you this morning of a familiar story from the Bible.

It began early Sunday morning (Palm Sunday, we call it today) as Jesus was walking toward Jerusalem.

He stops for a moment & sends 2 of his disciples into a nearby village to carry out a special errand.

Here is how records that event:

‘Go to the village ahead of you, & as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.

Untie it & bring it here.

If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’

tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’"

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A. The 2 disciples must have wondered about what Jesus told them to do, because none of the Gospel accounts about the ministry of Christ ever mention Him riding any animal to get from one place to another.

He must have walked hundreds of miles up & down the land we now call the "Holy Land," but there is no mention of Him ever riding, except in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.

But now, He gives this unusual command to go into the village to get a colt that had never been ridden, & to bring it to Him.

It must have seemed strange, indeed.

He even tells them the exact words they are to use should anyone question them.

They are to say, "The Lord needs it."

Was this prearranged?

Did the owners know what Jesus was going to do?

We don’t know.

He even tells them the exact words they are to use should anyone question them.

They are to say, "The Lord needs it."

Was this prearranged?

Did the owners know what Jesus was going to do?

We don’t know.

B. It is obvious, though, that Jesus knew what He was going to face in the city of Jerusalem.

So His decision to go into Jerusalem must have been one of the most difficult Jesus ever made.

And on top of that, to ride into the city on a colt, rather than to walk into it as He had often done before, must have been an even more difficult decision, because riding a colt into the city was a public declaration that He was a King.

Five hundred years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had proclaimed that fact when he wrote,

ILL.

You see, in times of war conquerors would ride in chariots or upon prancing stallions.

But in times of peace, the king would ride a colt to symbolize that peace prevailed.

So, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem upon a colt is to declare that He is a King proclaiming peace.

Of course, this was the beginning of the great 8-day Passover Festival, when the Jews remembered God’s deliverance of their ancestors from Egyptian slavery.

Jews from all over the world were gathering in Jerusalem to celebrate, & the city was filled to overflowing.

So obviously, Jesus wasn’t the only one coming to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, had already entered Jerusalem to occupy the Antonia Fortress & the Praetorium with a full complement of elite & battle-hardened Roman soldiers ever ready & willing to suppress any attempted uprising against Roman rule that might occur.

Herod Antipas, Tetrarch (King/ruler) of Galilee & Perea, the one who had imprisoned & beheaded John the Baptist, had also arrived with great pomp & ceremony, undoubtedly occupying the palace of his late father, Herod the Great.

Such power & pageantry the people were seeing that week - & then here comes Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah: “See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

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For the crowds lining the road that day, Jesus riding a colt into the city was a public declaration that He was the promised King!

I. HOW WOULD THE PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT?

How would the people respond to that?

Would they recognize that His Kingdom was not of this world that it was a spiritual kingdom, & He was to be a spiritual King?

Small chance, because He had been teaching them that for over 3 years, & still they had not learned that lesson.

A. Perhaps some of them would greet Him with laughter.

Maybe they would be amused by what Jesus was doing.

After all, it was a rather ridiculous picture.

Here is a carpenter declaring Himself to be a King!

Perhaps some would think, "He is a lunatic, living in a world of fantasy imagining Himself to be a King!"

And they would laugh at him.

B. Others would greet Him with anger upset because they would interpret His riding into the city as arrogance & blasphemy against God.

C. Of course, many would hail Him with joy, welcoming Him as an earthly King, come to reestablish the throne of David, & overthrow the Roman Empire.

They were ready & eager to place a crown upon His head.

D. Among the crowds would be people He had healed.

Some had been among the thousands He had fed.

Many more had seen some of His miracles, & listened as "He spoke with authority."

They had listened, & their lives had been changed.

Jesus knew all of this.

He knew that just over the horizon was the cross, looming like a monster ready to consume Him.

But tells us that in spite of it all, Jesus still "...resolutely set out for Jerusalem."

II.

JESUS RIDES TOWARD THE GATE OF THE CITY

As Jesus rides down toward the gate of the city, the crowds are growing, & there is a festive air, for it is Passover & pilgrims are gathering from far & near for this greatest of all Jewish holidays.

A. Even before Jesus arrives, the news has spread that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.

You can imagine the excitement that prevails.

"Have you heard the news?

Lazarus died, & was buried in a tomb so long that his body was starting to decay.

But this teacher from Nazareth called out, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’

& Lazarus came forth.

I saw him!

They stripped away the grave clothing, & he actually walked & breathed & lived again!

Surely only the Messiah could do that!"

The news travels from one person to another, until finally when Jesus was ready to enter the city, great crowds had collected on both sides of the road.

They were there!

They had cut palm branches & were shouting, "Hosanna to the king!" Excitement prevailed throughout the whole city!

B. Then Jesus looked over His waiting audience.

He must have seen the mixture of expressions on their faces.

1.

There were those who loved Him: Perhaps Bartimaeus was there, a man who had received his sight, no longer in his beggar’s rags.

How about Zacchaeus?

He had paid back his debt to society, & had made his peace with God.

And the lepers?

Their skin had been cleansed & now they were rejoicing for the healing that the Lord had given them.

Maybe Jairus’ daughter was there back to life again after experiencing death.

Lazarus & Mary & Martha & Mary Magdalene they were all there!

Their lives reflected the love that was in their hearts for this man who had taught them, & molded them & changed them.

2. There were also sinister faces there.

Faces with squinty eyes, waiting for Him to say one wrong word to make one mistake.

ILL.

The Sadducees & Pharisees were there.

They were supposed to be keepers of the law, the spiritual leaders.

But Jesus had gained so much popularity that they felt threatened.

So, full of jealousy, they watched Him.

The Romans were there, fearing revolt & watching for any sign of rebellion against Rome.

They were ready & waiting to crush any uprising.

Jesus realized, as He listened to their "Hosannas," that soon the sinister voices would drown out the voices of love that those crying for Him to be King would soon be crying, "Crucify Him!" or simply standing aside, saying nothing at all.

C. Now Jesus is descending along the road from the Mt. of Olives, across the brook, toward the gate, the crowds thronging around Him.

I wonder how the apostles were reacting to all this?

I have always thought that Judas was probably ecstatic basking in the reflected glory because Judas may have wanted an earthly Kingdom more than any of the others.