Sermon Tone Analysis
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*The Palm Sunday Test*
*/April 9, 2006/*
*Palm Sunday*
Welcome on this Palm Sunday!
As many of you know, Bruce grew up in a *Lutheran* church and then helped start a *Charismatic* church.
I grew up in a *Charismatic* church with a *Lutheran* *pastor*.
Our church had a very curious mixture of *tradition* and *novelty*.
To this day, one of my favorite childhood *memories* is *Palm* *Sunday*.
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ *triumphant* *entrance* into Jerusalem.
A huge *crowd* welcomed him as a *king*, and placed palm braches on the road before Him.
· It was the 1st century way of *rolling* out the *red* *carpet*.
Because there’s a shortage of palm branches the Northwest, our church used sword ferns.
Every one would take one and wave it around as we sang.
The kids got to march around.
And it gives me a warm, nostalgic feeling knowing that this morning over in Silverdale they are waving ferns and singing.
*The fickle crowds?*
The part of the Palm Sunday story that has always bothered me, was what that *same* *crowd* that laid down *palm* *branches* and shouted “Hosanna” *did* *five* *days* *later* on Good Friday:
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas [to be freed] and to have *Jesus* *executed*....”What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “*Crucify* him!” “Why?
What crime has he committed?”
asked Pilate.
But they *shouted* all the louder, “*Crucify* *him*!” /Matthew 27:20, 22-23 NIV/
What happened?
They gave Him a *king’s* *welcome* and now demanded *His* *blood*.
How do you go from “Hosanna” to “Crucify” in 5 days?
Some say they were *fickle*, caught up in the *emotion* of the moment.
I don’t buy it.
It’s too *cartoon*-ish, doesn’t fit human nature.
It’s also too easy to *dismiss*.
It’s easy for me to say, “If I had been there, *I* would have been *loyal* to Jesus.”
I’d really *like* to *believe* that, but I am not sure *I* would any *different*.
*Is he or isn’t he the messiah?*
You see, Jesus, or Yeshua, as He would have been called, wasn’t the *first* “*messiah*” they’d seen – you could list off a *dozen* others, all of whom had been *executed* by the *Roman* overlords.
Granted, this guy’s a little different.
For one, there have been *rumors* of *miracles*.
And He *teaches* with such *authority*, like nothing you’ve ever heard.
But he does something no one can ignore: In front of a *crowd* of people, He raises *Lazarus* from the dead!
Not since the days of the prophet *Elijah* had stuff like this happened, and now it’s happening in *your* *lifetime*!
And now you get your *hopes* *up*.
Maybe this is the guy, the *Messiah*, the *anointed* one who would set *Israel* *free*.
You go to check Jesus out.
And so:
...a *large* *crowd* of Jews found out that Jesus was [in Bethany] and came, not only because of him but also to *see* *Lazarus*, whom he had raised from the dead.
/John 12:9 NIV /
Everyone wonders: What is He going to do now?
What’s His next step?
The next day the *great* *crowd* that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to *Jerusalem*.
/John 12:12 NIV /
Thousands upon thousands are in Jerusalem for the *Passover*, and they’ve all heard what is happening.
A sense of *anticipation* sweeps over the crowd.
Is this it?
Has the *Messiah* come?
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, just like *prophet* Zechariah *foretold*:
*Rejoice* *greatly*, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your *king* comes to you, righteous and having *salvation*, gentle and riding on a *donkey*.... /Zechariah 9:9 NIV/
The crowd erupts.
This *is* it!
The King has come to *save* his people from the Romans!
After hundreds of *years* of *oppression*, God is finally making good on His *promises*.
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!” /John 12:13 NIV /
The city was on the *edge* of a *revolt*.
Here is the *true* *king*.
He will lead them in *victorious* *battle* against the *Romans*.
But what Jesus did *next* was no less *astounding*.
He went to the *temple* and cleaned it out as if it were *His* house!
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
“It is written,” he said to them, “‘*My* *house* will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’“
/Matthew 21:12-13 NIV /
The crowd knows His *next* stop; He’ll march on the *Antonia* *Fortress*, the Roman barracks.
It will be just like the *days* of *old*; God will *miraculously* *destroy* the Romans.
This is it!
But Jesus just goes back home.
And so you *wait*.
And *wait*.
You are *confused* (Did Jesus chicken out?), then *disappointed* (Nothing’s changing), and then you are *angry* (Feeling betrayed).
Then comes the *fear*.
You’re sure the Romans will *punish* Jerusalem for Sunday’s *demonstration*.
How *many* will *suffer* because of this *false* *messiah*?
What are we going to do?
How could we be *fooled*?
And so on *Friday* *morning*, when the priests tell you that Jesus is another *pretender* and that Lazarus’ resurrection was just a *staged* *trick*, it is a simple choice Jesus to be the *scapegoat*.
*He* can take the Roman’s *punishment*.
· And so you shout “*Crucify*!”
*The palm sunday test*
*Q:* Are you sure that you would have done any different?
*Q:* Have you ever felt like God has failed you?
You were in *desperate* needed God’s *help*, for yourself or someone you love.
You *pray* *fervently*, rolling out the *red* *carpet*, inviting Jesus to come and help.
· But instead of coming in and making everything right, He seems to just disappear.
*Palm* *Sunday* was a day of *hope* and *expectation*, and *Easter* brought God’s *salvation*.
Between them lies a test, *Palm* *Sunday’s* *test*.
It tested the *crowds*, it tested the *disciples*, it tests *us*:
· What do you do when God doesn’t come through the way you expect?
· What do you do when He leaves you *confused*, *discouraged*, or *angry*?
Here’s the thing: I don’t think God is *threatened*, or even *upset* by our *confusion*, *disappointment*, or *anger*.
The Bible is full of saints who got angry with God.
But what do you do *next*?
· Do you shout “Hosanna” by *trusting* Him even in the *trials*?
· Do you shout “Crucify” by *rejecting* His *plans*, *judging* His *timing*, and *questioning* His *character*?
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