April 9, 2017
Morning Service

Spring is indeed a wonderful time of the year.  Nature that has slept all winter begins to wake up and brings color back into our world.  It is like it has been resurrected from the dead.  Isn’t it awesome how our Creator uses nature to point us to Him?

 Today we begin what is called the “Passion Week.”  It is the final week of Jesus’s life here on earth that leads us through a range of emotions with the joy of the triumphal entry, the righteous anger of cleansing the temple, the wonder of His teachings, the sadness of the last supper, the anguish of prayer in the garden, the hurt of betrayal, the confusion of a mock trial, and the agony of the crucifixion.  It culminates next Sunday as our Savior endures it all and emerges from that grave victorious having defeated sin and death forever.  This has been God’s plan from the very beginning.  Within this short week the world is changed forever.  The path leading to God will be opened to “Whosoever will.”

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

·         For Jesus to make this statement to His disciples it meant that He knew the purpose for which He came to this earth.  The offer that the world (us) would be “saved through Him” would come at an extremely high price; His death upon the cross.

·         As Jesus enters Jerusalem on this Palm Sunday, we know His burden had to be incredibly heavy to bear, yet His resolve to finish what He started was even stronger.  That resolve was fueled by His love for us.  Steve’s song tells the story of that love driven resolve very well.  Jesus prophetically told His disciples this:

 

John 15:13” No one has greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

·         Paul also summarized Jesus’ love for us as well:

Romans 5:7-8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  (8)  But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

·         That is why this week tells the “Greatest love story ever told.”  God Himself becoming a man and dwelling among His creation. He lived a perfect life that would then be offered as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind even before they know Him. My hope is that through this study, we can realize how much He truly loves us and in return offer our love to Him.

 

 

Luke 19:28-34 And saying these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  (29)  And it happened as He drew near Bethphage and Bethany, toward the mount called Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples,  (30)  saying, “Go into the village across from you, and having entered, you will find a colt tied up, on which no one of men has yet sat. Untie it and bring it.  (31)  And if anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” You will say this to him, “Because the Lord has need of it.”  (32)  And going, those who were sent found as He had said to them.  (33) And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,” Why are you untying the colt?”  (34)  And they said, “The Lord has need of him.”

·         A simple act of obedience even when we don’t understand.

 

Luke 19:35-38 And they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their garments on the colt. And they set Jesus on it.  (36)  And as He went, they spread their clothes in the way.  (37)  And when He had come near, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,  (38)  saying, “Blessed is the King coming in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!”

·         Finally the Son of God was receiving the open praise He so richly deserved.  This had to help encourage Him along the tough road that lies ahead.

 

Luke 19:39-40 And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  (40)  And He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should be silent, the stones would cry out.”

• This was His time that God had planned for His praises to ring loud and true.  Jesus certainly deserved every bit of it, but it also stirred those religious leaders who opposed Him to a deeper level of hate and contempt.  A level that would bring them to a point of seeking to murder Him, just as God had planned.
• Are there times in our lives that we should be singing the praises of our Savior and we are quiet?
• Have we allowed the world or our circumstances to steal our joy and passion for our Savior away from us?
• Don’t let the stones sing out your praise; give it willingly and passionately from deep in your heart!
• Even in all this time of rejoicing and praise, Jesus’ mind returns to the truth of moment at hand.  He is not thinking of what He now faces, but He looks at what the future holds for His chosen people, the Jews.

 

Luke 19:41-44 And as He drew near, He beheld the city and wept over it, (42) saying, “If you had known, even you, even at least in this day of yours, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  (43)  For the days will come on you that your enemies will rise up a rampart to you, and will surround you, and will keep you in on every side.  (44) And they will tear you down, and your children within you, and will not leave a stone on a stone because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

·         See the love Jesus has for His people; it brought Him to tears to think that He was their long awaited Messiah and yet their eyes could not see Him for who He really was.

·         How often have we cried out for those around us who also do not see Him for who He really is?  Don’t ever quit praying until they come to Christ or Christ comes for us.

 

Luke 19:45-48 And entering into the temple, He began to cast out those selling and buying in it, (46) saying to them, It is written, "My house is a house of prayer," but you have made it a den of thieves.  (47)  And He taught in the temple daily. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy Him.  (48)  And they could not find what they might do, for all the people were hanging on Him, listening.

·         Here we see the righteous anger of Jesus displayed.  God intended for the temple to be a place of holiness and worship; they had allowed it to become a “den of thieves.”   They were cheating those who traveled from all over to offer sacrifices by over charging them for their currency exchange.

·         There were also some who truly knew they were in the presence of divinity and hung in wonder on His every word.

 

Today we have experienced the joy of the triumphal entry, the righteous anger of the Lord defending Hid temple, and his true disciples in wonder over His teachings.

 

Tonight we will look at some more of His teaching from this last week.

 

Lord open our eyes and hearts that we may truly see You for who You really are.