Some Things Never Change
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Welcome. Thank you all for being here this morning both in person and online.
If you are joining us for the first time we have been following Jesus though the book of Mark. We have followed him for 3 years. Jesus has been traveling around teaching and performing miracles. He has finished his ministry in Perea and he crossed the Jordan river and is traveling East to Jerusalem. Last week we looked at his stop in Jericho. He has left Jericho and traveled to the town of Bethany.
Map
If Bethany sounds familiar that is because this is the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Bethany is about 2 miles before Jerusalem on the East side of the Mt of Olives.
We are going to start in John’s gospel He gives us more detail into what Jesus is doing in Bethany.
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him.
It is six days before passover. So there would be crowds already in Jerusalem and heading to Jerusalem. It is believed that there could have been around 2 million Jews in in the city during a passover week. Jesus is hanging out and having dinner. This is the evening where Mary anoints Jesus with her perfume and drys his feet with her hair. He arrived with a large crowd and while he is in Bethany, more come. Why have so many come? Well, he is despised by the Jewish leaders who are centered only 2 days away. He has become an attraction, a novelty, a leader, a place to put their hope and to some the Messiah. The long awaited savior.
down a few more verses in John 9-11 we read:
9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, 11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.
Jesus is not sneaking into town. Everyone knows he is there even the Jewish leaders who now are not just planning to kill Jesus but now they are plotting to kill Lazarus.
This is the scene as we enter our text today.
Let these be in the back of your mind as we go through the passage today.
Open your bibles to Mark Chapter 11:1. This is called the triumphant entry. Many of you have heard a message on this passage every year on palm Sunday but it is my prayer that you will walk away challenged and encouraged today. The scriptures read:
1 When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’ ”
4 So they went and found a colt outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, 5 and some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go.
7 They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!
11 He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus is Still Jesus
Jesus is Still Jesus
We start with this odd scene with Jesus sending out 2 of his disciples to get a colt or a donkey. It is believed that the colt was in Bethphage.
Jesus sends his men to enter the town, find a colt tie up in the street, and bring it. Then if anyone asks just say the Lord needs it.
This would be like me telling Arnold to drive into town, when you are there you will find a yard sale with a camper. Hook up and leave and if anyone asks tell the “Chris Pawlowski needs it” You can leave his address if you need too.
When they get there everything happens as Jesus said it would. The colt is there, they are asked and they give it to them.
The owner must have been a believer or a follower to know who was Lord. There are two explanations for this going so smoothly one is that Jesus knows the heart and plan for every living thing and this is a demonstration of him being all knowing or he had arranged this ahead of time. There are people who defend one over the other and I am not going argue one point over the other but it is a fact that Jesus is all knowing and even if he set it up ahead of time it doesn't change the fact that he knew this was going to happen this way.
They brought him the colt and then they through clothes on it and he got on.
This would have softened the ride for Jesus. Jesus would ride this colt into Jerusalem. There have been many sermons on the symbolism that is shown. That kings sometime rode donkeys, the colt had never been ridden before. King’s animals could not be rode by any other person. That he was entering as a king even though this was a farce compared to other kings of the time. Jesus does not really take up the demeanor of a King either. God’s plan is so deep in his design that I bet you could spend a lifetime just on these verses and would not come to the end of connection that this event has with others in the bible. But if we turn to Matthew he makes it pretty clear what the main purpose was.
4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
5 Tell Daughter Zion,
“See, your King is coming to you,
gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt,
the foal of a donkey.”
This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled. 500 year earlier the prophet Zechariah would write:
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
he is righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Based on what is recorded this is the one and only time that Jesus rode a donkey. This is what makes this so amazing. God’s plan has been in motion from the whole time. Our Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, our creator has been the same before we were even created.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
Then we have the prophecies that were recorded and have come to pass like this one. Like Isaiah 53 that we read at the beginning of the service. That he did die for our sins and that we are saved though his death and we are justified by him. Amen. Jesus was there before creation, during the old testament times and the new and because of this we can have hope in the the promises yet to come.
6 For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.
The plan has been set. Jesus does not change. Does this comfort you? Does this give you confidence? Does this scare you? If all of this is true then I have to address somethings in my life. Isn’t amazing that Jesus is Still Jesus.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
As we look at the passage we see, Jesus has mounted the colt and is moving toward the city. the crowd which would have been huge, were laying their coat coats and branches in front of him. This was a symbol of alliance to a king. We see it in the book of 2 King’s with king Jehu.
8 Many people spread their clothes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted:
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!
People are Still People
People are Still People
The people in the crowd were swept up in what was going on. They were shouting Hosanna. Which means SAVE US, SAVE US now. They were quoting psalm 118
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, please grant us success!
26 He who comes in the name
of the Lord is blessed.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
In Luke it says the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God Joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen. They have bought in, they believe he is the awaited savior. so why at the end of the week will the same crowd yell Crucify him? Why will they turn their back on him? Why will they ignore all that they have seen and heard? Many of them have seen the miracles of Jesus with their own eyes. Some of them have been healed or had love ones healed. What is going on in these people.
For one John tells us that even though they were watching prophecies be fulfilled before their eyes they did not recognize it.
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
It isn’t until after Jesus is raised from the dead will they make these connections. The events taking place this week would be chaotic and there were people spreading rumors and inciting people and literally turning them into a mob. But the the core issue here is not who Jesus is, it is who they made Jesus to be. Jesus was going to be a conquer, a political leader, and general. The Jesus they were praising was not the Jesus the was riding the colt in front of them.
And when the Truth of Jesus conflicted with their false ideas they turned on the truth. This comes from one place sinful nature.
19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
All people of all time will be sinners while they live on this earth because of Adam’s transgression. Any who go to the True Jesus and repent of their sin and commit to following Jesus will be made righteous. But those that are righteous are not exempt from falling into the same trap that the people who were yelling Hosanna fell into.
1 There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.
Scripture reminds us over and over again to be wary. To be on our guard against false teaching but we must also challenge ourselves that we are not creating our own Jesus. One that aligns with our own ideas and sin. One that looks righteous but denies the power of God. A Jesus that let us commit to him at the level that is comfortable to us. That stops challenging our sinful ways just shy of being uncomfortable or justifiable.
Look around. How many Jesus’ are out there today? Remember there is only one WORD of God. Only one true King. The king who sits at the right hand of the father waiting for the appointed time to come back and fulfill the plan God has made.
I have been thinking about our mission a lot as I look at youth and children each week. I have been challenged weekly by them and by my example to them. I have been thinking about the world they live in and how to guide and lead them and this week I came to this verse in 2 Timothy:
1 But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.
What an accurate description of our world. Doesn’t this represent so much of what we are seeing around us today. Don’t we see this on facebook, on tv, in politics and even in churches. Paul writes this to Timothy 2000 years ago, it still applies today, and Paul say it will be this way until the last days. People are still People. If we just stopped here what hope is there?
The passage ends with
11 He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Seems kind of anti-climatic but Jesus went to the temple to survey the house of God. He would return to condemn and challenge what he saw.
If Jesus were to walk in here today and survey us, would he come back tomorrow with righteous anger? Would he weep that we are astray or would he rejoice in the glory he is given through us?
The People Who Follow Jesus Can Be Different
The People Who Follow Jesus Can Be Different
If Jesus is Jesus and People are People then what hope is there.
Later on this week Jesus would be betrayed by the people. He would be put to death on the cross. Then is 3 days he will rise again. That is the difference.
People who are saved by Jesus can be different.
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Just because a person becomes a christian does not mean they no longer have to deal with their sinful nature. Galatians tells us that our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit that is recieved at salvation are at war with each other. It is though the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we are able to be different. But the difference only goes as far as our focus on the unchanging Jesus. We must commit fully to his teaching. To repent of sin. and we must join his mission.
Our Commission has not changed Jesus said he came to seek and save the lost. That is still why he came and he commanded us, you and me, to go and make disciples. This has not changed. But for some reason we feel the world has changed to make this harder.
We need to share the love of Jesus to the people in our community. We need to do it today. We are so distracted by Covid, politics, masks, presidents, protests, riots, shootings and so much more that we think the world is coming to an end.
We are so privileged here. How do the restrictions of covid compare to the Roman oppression or the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar or Pharaoh in Egypt. How dark does our world have to get before we cry out to God and say here i am use me?
Is God in control? Is he surprised by Covid? Has God changed? Has Jesus changed? We are in a time where our community needs to compassion of Jesus, the Hope of Jesus, the Salvation of Jesus. Will we step out in faith and trust that the Holy Spirit is at work. Will we fall down in prayer specifically for those who have lost their jobs, or lost loved ones, who are isolated and are struggling with depression or anxiety.
This should be the time we are helping the world around us. Even separated we can still help the community see and receive the Love of Jesus.
Some things never change Jesus is Jesus and People are people. Fortunately for us Jesus died so we could be more than just People. We can be People made Righteous by the sacrificial passover Lamb. We are people made right by Jesus. Because of that we are set free from being trapped by our sin and we can shine the righteous light of Jesus to the world. Amen?
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
How will you respond today. Please reach out to to take the next steps of your life. Call us, grab us, fill out a connection card.
Maybe your next step it to be saved. You realize you need Jesus and you want to talk to someone on how to become a Christian.
Maybe you are a Christian but have never been baptized and you want to take that step of obedience.
Maybe you are silently struggling and you need help. Please reach out.
Maybe this is a wake up call and you want to put your hands to work. let us know.
What ever it is lets do it together.
Let me Pray.