Glory to His Name!!
The Life & Work of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Now is the time! It had been 3 long years of much teaching and ministry all throughout the Palestinian region for Jesus. Jesus did the vast majority of his ministry in the hood and ghetto villages of Galilee and surrounding areas, and now it’s really time to minister to the entire world! But before Jesus arrived at the full climax of his earthly ministry, he had to face a long week in Jerusalem. But these last 8 days were so powerful that they changed the whole world. These last 8 days were so significant to the Holy Spirit, that he led each gospel writer to take up 1/3 of their books with these 8 days. Theologians, scholars, and preachers across the globe refer to it as passion week. The content of Jesus’ life during this period are so immense that one Sunday or a few weekdays of sermons are not enough to capture it. Therefore, for the next couple of months we will study Jesus’ last week on earth with the intent of deepening our understanding, love, appreciation, co-suffering, faith, and praise of his life & ministry to the world. This is the crux of our faith! This is why we meet! This is why we strive to love and carry out all his virtues toward one another and every neighbor that crosses our path. This strengthens our fight against satan and all spiritual forces of darkness. This helps us endure pain and affliction which appear so often in our lives! The first day is known as his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a day of glory to GOD and his Son Jesus the Christ!
Just under a mile from the east gate of the city of Jerusalem, Jesus orders two of his disciples to grab a colt of a donkey from a nearby village that had been providentially placed just for him. When they bring it back to him they place their jackets on it so he can sit down. Now mind you, this same week was the feast of the passover, so there were Jews from all around who were going or had already arrived to Jerusalem for the feast. That definitely includes Galilee and the surrounding regions. And this feast lasted a week long. The colt starts moving straight for the east gate of Jerusalem. As he does, many of his disciples start taking their jackets off and stretching them out in his path. Matthew, Mark, and John say that there were many who saw him from afar and also brought palm branches to place in his path. The colt never ridden, palm branches, and jackets all signified a person of royalty. It’s similar to what occurred with Jehu in . All of these postures or actions meant that they received him as a king. Now all of this was providentially placed to fulfill , which indicates that the future king of Israel would arrive on a colt. He was not militant or the conquering type king they were all looking for, rather humble, and a man of much service. Yet they still received him as a king.
Application: How do we receive Jesus into our hearts today? When any dignitary walks into the room or the commander of an army, all of the soldiers or subjects put themselves in a posture of homage. Receive or reception meaning how is it that we welcome Jesus. Homage means the amount of respect, recognition, and admiration we show to a person of high rank! Meaning we have a grave understanding of how high up this person is and what their significance means to us. It is equivalent to the soldiers salute or the Asian culture of bowing. Or the culture of placing your hand over your heart for the view of the flag or the singing of the national anthem. When we think of or consider the words of Jesus, do we treat him like a King? We should bow in our hearts, recognizing his rank above all men and women. Jesus you are the utmost royalty, therefore I bow, salute, and sincerely display the utmost respect at the mention of your name and anything you say!!!
Now as Jesus rides on this colt, he begins moving down the slope of the Mount of Olives. One can see directly into the Jerusalem square from this mount and with the great crowd of Jews traveling from all over, they could look east and see this great entourage. So when many heard that it was Jesus, they ran over with their branches to wave and put down. But then their posture started to couple with their verbal expression. Luke says the rejoiced with a loud voice, while Matthew, Mark, and John indicate they started yelling and screaming! They were praising GOD! They connected all that they had seen with the mighty works of GOD. In addition, there were some who had been hearing that Jesus did the impossible by raising Lazarus from the dead after being dead 4 days. They were extremely excited to see the man who had done so many great things! And most of all he’s entering Jerusalem like the royalty scripture mentions.
Application: See praise is a response to a source of great power, understanding, witness, and personal experience. Jesus did nothing outside of excellence, not for himself, but for others! Many used to be blind, crippled, extremely sick, leprous, starving, possessed, and shackled by so many things. But Jesus healed them from all of it. When we consider the power of Jesus, how does it move us to respond? Praise, joy, honor, and glory are the appropriate responses! Jesus has brought peace from heaven to earth, and praise is the respect we should show him. When? Whenever his name is brought up! Whenever we think of his power, to save and heal and rectify our lives.
But of course, this being the climactic period of his life, there are some who have joined the crowd who don’t share the same appreciation and praise for Jesus. Even some of his disciples don’t quite get it, but they would later on. But the primary groups that disagree with this honor of the most high, are the chief priests, scribes, and pharisees. They were driven by jealousy () because the people’s recognition of Jesus could jeapordize their positions of power in Jerusalem. They also didn’t agree or believe that Jesus was the Messiah, although it was clear from everything he had done and said that he was from GOD! So at different points of this parade procession, they begin opposing everything. At one point they yell at Jesus “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!!” When they get into Jerusalem and in the temple area, Jesus starts adding to their fire by healing a bunch of blind and lame people. They witnessed these things, yet they still opposed! Then when the little kids start chanting, the chief priests and scribes got hot!!! They say “Don’t you hear these kids”, as if to say this is wrong!!! What was Jesus’ response? You have missed a scripture!! “Out of the mouths of children and infants you have prepared praise for yourself!!!” And if everyone chooses to stop, then the rocks will resume their praise.
Application: There will always be somebody in the midst that disagrees and don’t like excitement about GOD. Even I at times in my preaching and teaching have validated silent expressions, because I’m trying to keep some in their comfort zones. It is OK to be silent and meditate on GOD, but when we deeply consider who Jesus is, what he has done, all that he has spoken and promised, it should be enough to move us to praise his magnificent being!!! We get so caught up into ourselves, lives, circumstances, and disagreement about how others do it and we automatically conclude that everybody is doing it for show and entertainment. Well guess what, it is a show, and it is a show that GOD himself has orchestrated for himself!!! If we don’t like it or disagree, Jesus says you have missed scripture!!! You have ignored and misunderstood a vital piece of the plan and purpose of GOD! And if everybody just so chooses to stop for whatever reason, GOD is so important, he is so worthy, he is so beneficial, he is so providing, he is so wise, he is so caring, that the natural elements that he has created will replace the praise of the beings that he created in his image and for his praise. But for those who get it and have recognized that GOD has visited us, we will praise his name forever! Bartimaus is in the crowd, who used to be blind, keep on chanting. Mary and Martha are in the crowd, whose brother was given back, keep on chanting. Lazarus is in the crowd, who was raised back to life for a little while longer. Keep on chanting. Zaccheus is in the crowd, who had opportunity to host Jesus and be saved and turned from his evil ways, keep on chanting. This is King Jesus, the Messiah, the one who has come to rescue us, give us peace, and promise us eternal life. His glory is unstoppable! Some of the 5000, the widow, the woman hunched over, the woman with an issue of blood, and the list goes and goes. This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it! It is no longer a mystery, he is the Messiah! This was a day of glory and recognition of the King who reigns forever!!!
and be saved and turned from his evil ways, keep on chanting. This is King Jesus, the Messiah, the one who has come to rescue us, give us peace, and promise us eternal life. His glory is unstoppable! Some of the 5000, the widow, the woman hunched over, the woman with an issue of blood, and the list goes and goes. This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it! It is no longer a mystery, he is the Messiah! This was a day of glory and recognition of the King who reigns forever!!!
Is he your king? Have you received him deeply in your heart? Do you recognize his royalty? Do you recognize his power? Then our response to his name and his word should always be with joy and praise!!!