Who Is This King of Glory?

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I'd like to speak to you about who is this King of Glory. Who is this King of Glory on this
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Palm Sunday? So please turn with me and your Bibles to the book, the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John chapter 12.
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Today on this Palm Sunday, we now come to the triumphant entry of the
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Lord Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. I spoke about this last year,
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I believe, a couple years back from Matthew's Gospel, Matthew's account. But this is one of the few incidents in the life of our
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Lord Jesus that it is reported in all four Gospels. You see it recorded by all
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Gospel writers. Matthew, who is called Levi, presents
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Jesus as King. Mark presents Jesus as Servant. Luke presents
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Him as Son of Man and John presents Him as the Son of God. Isn't that wonderful?
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Keep in mind this, Matthew's audience is Jewish. Mark's audience is
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Roman. Luke's audience is Gentile. And John's audience is pretty much universal.
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Now what does that tell us? God desires to reach all peoples, all nations. All people everywhere in the entire globe to hear this glorious Gospel about Jesus Christ our
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Lord and Savior. And His soon coming King. He desires for all people to know about Him and who
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He really is. Hallelujah. So we're looking at this wonderful book, this wonderful account.
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And I love, I've never preached it from John's account. And it's a little bit more of a shorter version than the other account,
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Gospel writers. But it pretty much tells the same story. But through the lens of a different writer.
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So we're looking at verse 12 through 19. 12 through 19. Hear the word of the living
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God. Starting at verse 12. On the next day, a large crowd who had come to the feast.
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When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. Took the branches of the palm trees.
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Went out to meet Him and began to shout. Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the
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Lord. Even the King of Israel. Jesus finding a young donkey sat on it and as it is written.
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Fear not. Fear not. Fear not was actually added. Fear not. Daughter of Zion, behold your
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King is coming seated on a donkey's colt. These things His disciples did not understand at the first.
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But when Jesus was glorified. Then they remembered that these things were written of Him. And that they had done these things to Him.
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So the people, speaking of the crowd. Who were with Him. When He called
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Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead. Continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met
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Him. Because they heard that He had performed this sign. The attesting miracles. Verse 19
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So the Pharisees said to one another. You see that you are not doing any good.
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Look, the world has gone after Him. May God richly bless the reading of His word.
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To our ears. And to our hearts this morning. Let's bow in prayer. Our Father and our
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God. Our great desire is what John the Baptist said. Behold the
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Lamb of God. Who takes away the sin of the world. Lord that's our desire. We desire to see, behold the
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Lamb of God. Thank you Lord. We praise you this day. For your glorious word.
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Without it we would be lost. We would be in darkness. So Lord we thank you. That it has come to us.
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Much blood. And a whole sea of blood. Of martyrs. Lord we thank you for this.
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And we pray that Lord your blessed Holy Spirit. Would now give us the ears to hear.
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And eyes to see. And a heart to understand. What you are saying to the churches. Lord our desire is to see who
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Jesus really is. The Jesus of the Bible. No other Jesus.
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The one and true living God. The Christ. The Son of the living God. So Father may we not only see
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Jesus. But may we believe Him. May we obey Him. And worship Him.
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And glorify Him. And honor Him. Because when we glorify Him and honor Him. We honor you.
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We glorify you. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen and Amen.
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Just to give you a right setting. And a background of what is really going on. Let me read to you.
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Something from the book. Written by Max Lucado. The angels were silent.
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The angels were silent. I have read this before. But I was so encouraged. As I read this once again.
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Of what is happening. Here in this setting. As we go into passion week.
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To remember our Lord's passion. As He sets His face like a flint. To go to the cross. Let us keep this in mind.
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And Lucado's word is. Is so good. In this back setting.
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So this backdrop. Let me read it to you. It's early in the final week. The props and the players.
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For Friday's drama. Are in position. Six inch spikes are in the bend.
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A cross beam leans against the shed wall. Thorn limbs. Are wrapped around a trellis.
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Awaiting the weaving of the soldier's fingers. The participants are nearing the stage.
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Pallet is concerned. At the number of Passover pilgrims. Annas and Caiaphas.
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Are restless over a volatile. Nazarene. Judas views his master.
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With evasive eyes. A centurion. Is available. Awaiting the next crucifixion.
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Players and props. Only this is no play. It's a divine play. A play that began before Adam.
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Felt heaven's breath. And now all heaven. Awaits and watches. All eyes are on one figure.
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The Nazarene. Commonly clad. Uncommonly focused. Leaving Jericho.
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Walking toward Jerusalem. He doesn't chatter. He doesn't pause. He's on a journey.
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His final journey. Even the angels are silent. They know that this is no ordinary walk.
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They know this is no ordinary week. For hinged on this week is the door of eternity.
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Let's walk with them. Let's see how Jesus spent his final days. Let's see what mattered to God.
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When a man knows the end is near. Only the important surfaces. Impending death distills the vital.
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The trivial is bypassed. The unnecessary is overlooked. That which is vital remains.
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So if you would know Christ. Ponder his final days. He knew the end was near. He knew the finality of Friday.
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He read the chapter before it was even written. And heard the final chorus before it was even sung.
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As a result the critical was filtered from the casual. The distilled truths taught.
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Deliberate deeds done. Each step was calculated. Every act premeditated.
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Knowing that he had just one week left with his disciples. What did
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Jesus tell them? Knowing it would be his last time in the temple. How did he act?
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Conscience that the last stand was slipping through the hourglass. What really mattered?
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What really mattered? Enter the holy week and observe. Feel his passion weeping as Jerusalem ignores.
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Scorning as priests accuse. Pleading as disciples sleep. Feeling sad as Pilate turns.
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Sense his power. Blind eyes see and fruitless tree withering. Money changers hastening away.
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Religious leaders cowering. Hear his promise. Death has no power.
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Failure holds no prisoners. Fear has no control for God has come. God has come into your world to take you home.
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Let's follow Jesus Christ on his final journey for observing his we may learn how to make it ours.
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End quote. I thought that was so good. So rich in the backdrop of everything that's taken place in the text in which we read.
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Now we come to this triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the city of the great king.
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This particular event as we see takes place on the Sunday before his crucifixion.
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There are four significant points I would like for us to look at this morning as we journey together to look at the triumphal entry.
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As we behold who is this king of glory and as we view the triumphal entry.
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The first point is I like for us to see we see it in verse 12 and 13 we see the praise of Jesus.
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The praise of Jesus. Secondly we see in verse 14 through 16 we see the prophecy about Jesus.
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The prophecy about Jesus. Third we see in verse 17 through 19 the popularity of Jesus.
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The popularity of Jesus. And fourth and final in the conclusion and with some application along with that we will see who is this king?
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Who is this king? The text actually says from Matthew's account this is
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Jesus the prophet the Nazareth of Galilee but as we will see he is much more than a prophet.
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He is the Christ the anointed one. He is our Passover king. The king of glory.
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So we will look at Christ our Passover. Christ our Passover. So let's begin first the praise of Jesus.
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The praise of Jesus begins in verse 12 and 13. The text says on the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and began to shout
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Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord even the king of Israel.
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Israel's king. Notice as it says on the next day this is probably
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Sunday the Sunday of Passion Week. Jesus arrives in Bethany on Saturday.
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Verse 1 tells us of the same chapter that Jesus therefore six days before the
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Passover. So that's a week almost a week before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom
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Jesus raised from the dead. Now notice with me in verse 12 the large crowd who had come to the feast so the day after the crowds came to visit him and Lazarus and Bethany and these were friends of Jesus and Jesus you know the story.
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Lazarus died and several days they thought he was late. God is never late.
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He's always on time. Raised him from the dead. A great miracle. And as they came and the large crowd of the
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Jews then learned in verse 9 that he was there. They found this out.
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That he was in Bethany and then they came not for Jesus sake only yeah they came for Jesus sake but not only for his sake only but that they might see
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Lazarus see Lazarus whom he raised from the dead and that's what the text says and the scriptures there and the next verse in verse 10 notice this.
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Verse 10 actually tells us the motives of these chief priests. Their motives was this that they planned to put
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Lazarus to death. See he's basically living evidence of the miracle.
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So let's put him to death. Verse 11 tells us why. So verse 10 tells us the motive.
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Verse 11 tells us why they want to do this. Because on account of him many of the
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Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. Because of this great miracle.
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Because he raised him from the dead. They were following after Jesus. And his popularity began to grow and more of the masses came to him because of what he did.
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Now this was the motive. They wanted to kill Christ but they also wanted to kill
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Lazarus. And it was a selfish love. It was a love of their own position.
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It was a love for their own status and it was pride. Right? Pride is we have we've been seeing and going through first Peter is the root of all sin.
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And here you have they were elevated they were angry about Jesus getting this attention.
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So they desired to have what Jesus would receive in our passage today which is praise.
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These chief priests loved the praises of men. So when they saw him praising and following after Jesus and the masses growing they became angry and jealous.
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And they were enraged. These religious zealots, these religious leaders were jealous of the praises in which
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Jesus receives. And they were angry. So the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
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Also the Sanhedrin and other Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead. A lot of people wanted him dead.
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But did not want him killed during the Passover time because they feared stirring up the multitudes whom he was popular with.
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So as Jesus entered the city in Jerusalem he did this on his own time.
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He actually forced the whole issue in order that it might happen exactly on Passover day.
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That was intended. That was in the mind of the Savior because he knew he was the Passover Lamb.
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He knew this was the very purpose he came into the world. So why so many people?
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Why the large crowd? Well, actually it tells us in the text. The reason is they had come to the feast.
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They had come to the feast. That word feast actually means speaks of the Passover. Some translations has the festival, the feast.
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But it speaks of the Passover. Now it's interesting to note here that many more details are given in the other gospel accounts.
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But I would like just for us to focus a little bit. But look at verse 13. Says that they took branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and began to shout.
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Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. Now let me comment just a little here.
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It's difficult to know exactly what this multitude, this large crowd, thought about Jesus.
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We're going to pinpoint it and I think we're going to get down to this. But let me throw a few questions out. Did they really understand that he was the son of the living
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God and the Messiah of Israel? I don't think so. Did they really or did they merely look upon him as just a king who would deliver them from the
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Roman oppression? I believe that's more in line of their idea of a king to come to deliver them from the
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Roman oppression because the Romans were bearing down hard on them. Were they just carried away with the excitement and the emotion of the hour?
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Well, I think that was part of it as well. But doubtless, some of the group here, I would like to say this, we don't want to say that all within this crowd and the people that comes to praise our
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Lord as he comes through Jerusalem were all non -believers. And there were some believers.
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I believe that there were some true believers because actually the text tells us in the ending of verse 11, notice many of the
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Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. Now we do know that many people believed him for the wrong reasons but we can assume that there were some people there that had a heart and a love for the
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Savior. But the majority of them were following him for the wrong reasons. For the miracles.
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For the bread. For what they can get out of him. For the benefits. And we're going to look at that.
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But the general impression is, sad to say, that most people had no real heart interest for our
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Lord. And that is the same today. It has not changed. Has it not?
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And how do we know, you know really, how do we know this? Because the same crowd here, and we're going to look at this, that was shouting out
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Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, were shouting out in the following week, crucify him, crucify away with him.
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What does James says? James says in chapter 3, he speaks about the tongue.
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We went through that whole chapter and it was so convicting, wasn't it? Because it convicts us and it allows us to search our own heart because what comes,
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Jesus said, what comes from the mouth comes from the heart. It's a heart problem. If a person's got a potty mouth, they've more likely got a potty heart.
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James 3, 8 through 10, but no one can tame the tongue. No one. It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
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With it we, notice he said we, he includes himself, bless our Lord and Father and with it we curse men.
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And we have been made in the likeness of God. And from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.
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That's convicting, isn't it? My brethren, he's speaking to God's people. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
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So this is actually what happens when Jesus comes through Jerusalem. They're praising Him. This is very convicting.
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But back to the text. Now, a large crowd is gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover. Jerusalem is in a state of excitement and emotion of stirring craze that's going on because of the preparations that's being made for the
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Passover. Now if you look at commentators and theologians on this and Josephus, the historians, it's basically estimated based on the number of sacrifices that was recorded that projected that there could have easily been over two million people in that area in the
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Passover in Jerusalem. Now think about that. Two million people. That's a lot of people in that period of time.
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So while there are not that many here in this text at the triumphal entry, there was still a large crowd.
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That's what the text tells us. There was a large crowd. So this crowd of people probably came over from the
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Mount of Olives down the road through the valley to enter into Jerusalem through the East Gate.
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And as they did, this crowd cuts down palm trees. Palm branches.
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They cut down the palm branches, putting down their coats in front of Jesus as a sign of honor.
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That's the reason why they did this. And at the same time, everyone is shouting out loud, Hosanna!
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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And this is wonderful.
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He does receive the praise. The palm branches. Let's speak about the palm branches. That was very plentiful in Jerusalem.
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Even today you go to Jerusalem. I've never been there, but you see pictures of it, and you've probably seen some movies on it, but in Jerusalem there's plentiful.
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Because there were date palms. There were date palms. And the waving of these palm branches had become a national symbol.
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This was a national symbol which signified their hope. Their fervent hope that a messianic liberator will come and liberate them.
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Now, this was the reason, the palm branches. This is for the reason. And the praise that was given.
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Hosanna! What a wonderful acclamation. Hosanna! A shout of praise.
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Hosanna! Actually, the Hebrew word literally means give salvation now.
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Give salvation now. This was a term of acclamation, of praise. And you can find this in Psalm 118, 25, and 26.
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Let me read it to you. Psalm 118, 25, and 26 says this.
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O Lord, do save. We beseech you, O Lord. We beseech you. Do send prosperity.
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He's not talking about physical prosperity here. That's which our charismatic friends would love to take that and just go down with it.
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It's not talking about material things. It's talking about spiritual prosperity. Verse 26.
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Then it says, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the
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Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. Now, I ask this question. Did the people here in our text truly understand all that they were saying?
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Did they understand it? And I've pretty much hinted around to that. Tragically and sadly, no they didn't.
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No, they did not. They were given lip service. This is sad.
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And again, this has not changed even the churches today. There's a lot of lip service.
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J .C. Rowell says, coming to church, he said, if we only bring our bodies and our lips, he said, and we leave our hearts home, we shouldn't come.
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We bring our hearts. We bring our hearts because our Lord desires our hearts. The adoration from our being, our soul, our hearts.
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But Jesus knew it. And He still accepted their praises. Of course, our
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Lord knew this. Now, go with me very quickly to the
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Gospel of Luke. Luke's account really gives some great insight into this. And you know where I'm going.
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Go to Luke chapter 19. Wonderful account here that Luke gives.
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And this is what it says. Starting with verse 37. As soon as He was approaching near the descent of the mountain of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise
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God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen.
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And they were shouting, blessed is He, the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
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Verse 39. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.
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Jesus responds in verse 40. But Jesus answered, I tell you,
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I love this. I tell you that if these become silent, the stones will cry out.
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Oh, isn't that wonderful? God made the stones. Even the stones will cry out and praise Him. Verse 41.
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And when He approached Jerusalem, I want you to see this now. He saw the city and wept.
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Now here we have our Lord's true heart as He was coming into Jerusalem.
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He saw the city, Jerusalem, and wept over it saying, if you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace, but now they have been hidden from your eyes, for the days will come upon you.
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Notice the judgment that's pronounced there. Jesus gives the judgment. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you.
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That basically, literally means like a dirt, a mound, or a siege purposes. That's what
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He's talking about. And surround you and hymn you in on every side. This took place in 70
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AD. In verse 44, they will level you to the ground. And your children within you, the women that switch out, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because, and here's the reason, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.
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The time of your visitation. You didn't realize, you didn't recognize it. They did not really see
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Him, who He really was and is. Only two other times in the gospel records that it gives the occasion that Jesus grieves and weeps over Jerusalem.
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And it's found in Luke 13, 34, and Matthew 23, 37. But here the timing of our
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Lord's lament may seem somewhat inappropriate with the triumphal entry, but it doesn't.
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Why? Because it literally reveals that Jesus knew exactly their intentions.
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On His part, Scripture says in John 2, 24 and 25, it says,
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He knew all men and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man.
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Why? For He Himself knew what was in man. Man could not be trusted, man is depraved, and even in their lip service, giving praise to Him He knew.
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This proves to be true, doesn't it? Because of their superficiality, the hardness of their hearts, and yet they were given lip service.
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Only lip service. Their heart was far from them. And as we know, what happened?
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This same crowd in a week's time would be crying out, crucify
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Him, crucify Him, away with Him. And Jesus says, if only that they would recognize the time of their visitation.
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I pray God, when God visits us, and when God comes in power, and among us, in the
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Holy Spirit, that we recognize the time of our visitation. May God help us and grace us with that.
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This is the reason that God sent judgment, beloved. This is why judgment came, for they did not recognize it was a failure on their part.
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They hardened their hearts to recognize who embraced, who their Messiah really was when
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He came to visit. So most of that large crowd that was there was only given lip service because their hearts were far from them.
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Now let's look at the second point. The second point is the prophecy about Jesus. The prophecy about Jesus. Verse 14 through 16.
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14 says, Jesus finding a young donkey sat on it as it is written. And by the way, the other accounts,
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Matthew, Mark, Luke, the Synoptic Gospels, gives much more details about the donkey as we know that He is
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Lord over all, right? Everything is orchestrated by the sovereign God and even the getting of the donkey.
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So we know that, but I don't want to go into those details. The other Synoptic Gospel gives it, but it says
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Jesus finding a young donkey sat on it and it says, as it is written. Verse 15
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Fear not. Now the fear not was added by John here. Daughter of Zion, he basically quotes
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Zechariah 9 .9 Daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming, seated on a donkey's coat.
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Verse 16 These things His disciples did not understand at first, but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered that these things were written of Him and that they had done these things to Him.
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Now notice with me the phrase three times. I like this. These things. These things. These things.
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Three times. All that that took place. All that was happening here.
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These things. All that was going on. Here at the triumphal entry. They did not recognize, the disciples did not recognize actually the importance and the depth of the meaning of Christ, who
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He was and what was happening in that event until after He was glorified. The assignment.
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The event. The emotions. That's how people are. They're fickle. They get caught up in all these things and they did not understand the meaning of this event and they did not recognize who it truly was that was sitting on a lowly, humble donkey.
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This was the Son of the Living God. Again, how do we know this? How do we know this?
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Matthew 21 10. Who is this? Who is this? And when
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He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved saying, who is this?
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Verse 11. The multitude said, this is Jesus. The prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
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Let me note this. This is interesting. Interesting to note this. That the whole entire city was stirred emotionally by the procession that accompanied
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Jesus into Jerusalem. And what an opportunity it was for them to evangelize and tell people who
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Jesus really is. And they were asking that question.
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Who is this? And most of the crowd that were praising Jesus and shouting
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Hosanna Hosanna either were from Galilee where Jesus had done the majority of His miracles.
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They raised Lazarus from the dead. These people had seen so much evidence of the miracles and the power that Jesus demonstrated.
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They even heard Him teach and preach. No mere man could speak like He spoke.
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And did what He did. Because He spoke with great authority and He even calmed the storms in the sea.
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Cast out demons. Cleansed the leper. Raised the dead.
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They went from shouting before Him Hosanna son of David the Messiah, the
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Promised One. This prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
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You got a lot of people that believe that about Jesus. He's very popular. He's a prophet.
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He's a great prophet. But oh, they miss who
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He really is. Oh, He's much more, isn't He? He's much more. He's the son of David.
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And saying that, He's the Messiah. He's the Son of the Living God in which Peter said.
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Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He's the Anointed One. He is the King from Heaven.
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He is the King of Glory. He is the Christ. This is Emmanuel. This is God in the flesh.
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The King of Israel. King of Glory. Now this prophecy was written. It was fulfilled right here at the triumphal entry and Jesus knew that.
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The prophecy comes, like I said, Zechariah 9 .9. Let me read Zechariah 9 .9 and you can see how close it is.
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Like I said, fear not added. But Zechariah 9 .9 says rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion shout in triumph.
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O daughter of Jerusalem behold your King is coming to you. He is just and endowed with salvation.
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Humble and mounted on a donkey. Even on a coat.
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The foil of a donkey. This is God in the flesh. And humility.
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Great humility. The significance here is actually really if we understood and this is what it's talking about.
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The disciples that were there could not really grasp. They didn't understand who it really was.
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We're talking about the one that made the donkey. The one that made the branches. The one that made the worlds.
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The significance of this. No one understood the depth of it. Not until Jesus was crucified, resurrected, buried, and ascended up to heaven and glorified.
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And then the Father gave the promise and Jesus spoke about the promise of the
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Father that he would send the Holy Spirit that was sent down from the Father, the Spirit of truth that will show you all things and teach you all truths.
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You know without the Holy Spirit we wouldn't know who Jesus really is today. That's what the churches are lacking today.
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They go through the form and the ritual as a form of godliness and they go through the externals and they even hear good sermons.
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But where's the power of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of truth and by the way God, the Holy Spirit breathes through this book right here.
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We're not going to know who Jesus is unless we know this word. And that's what's happening today.
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We've departed from the word of God. We do not know who Jesus really is and there's no Holy Spirit.
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I hate to say this but it's the truth. When I pass a lot of these churches and I'm not trying to be critical but you can bear my burden and God sees the same thing.
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Ichabod's written on these churches. The glory of God's departed. Or they never had the glory of God in the first place.
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They're just playing church. Oh that we would have the Holy Spirit once again come in our midst with power and glory and the
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Holy Spirit's not going to come until this word's preached in power. Until Christ is glorified.
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Christ is preached. Christ crucified. Christ the king of glory. The hope of glory.
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Oh keep in mind that Jesus didn't come and I like this. He didn't come literally to be crowned with the praises of men like the
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Pharisees wanted. Jesus didn't care for flattery my friend. Even though he loves the praises of the people but he came to be crowned with the crown of thorns.
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That's why he came. Oh he's crowned. We crown him with many crowns now because he's resurrected and he's exalted but at that time he had one thing in mind beloved and that was to go to that cross and he knew a crown of thorns was coming on him.
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And maybe what we're seeing here in this text that all the people wanted their own personal deliverance more than the deliverer himself, the deliverer.
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Self -centered. Loving themselves. They could not see because self and the hardness of their heart is so sad but they were.
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And again how do we know this? Well I ask that question because the text there's a scripture that gives it to us look at John 19 14 -15 just a few pages over.
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Now it was the day of the preparation of the Passover and it was about the 6th hour he,
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Pilate said to the Jews and here's the same people that was shouting
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Hosanna in the highest and Pilate says and here Jesus is out there and it's like Jesus stands trial before Pilate we know that's going to all change, right?
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Because he's the judge of judges and all is going to stand trial before him but here Jesus humbles himself.
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He humbles himself he could have called thousands and thousands of angels to come deliver him but here
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Pilate said to the Jews, behold your king they cried out away with him, away with him crucify him
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Pilate said to them, shall I crucify your king? And the chief priest answered, listen to the answer we have no king but Caesar they didn't want
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Jesus away with him and beloved you know as well as I do
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John 1, 10 and 11 he was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him he came into his own his own people, his own things his own possessions, his own domain but yet they rejected him they did not receive him
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Isaiah 53, 3 he was despised he was forsaken of men, he was a man of sorrows, he's acquainted with grief and like one from whom men hide their face he was despised and we did not esteem him the creator of the ends of the earth that gave these people life and breath and they said away with him doesn't that break your heart?
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Beloved it is easy for us to look at this text and I'm telling you this is soul searching to me and we would say maybe well that's not me
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I wouldn't do that but how many times have we despised him how many times have we forgotten our lord how many times have we forgotten
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Jesus and all that he's done for us we're looking at a nation today that has forgotten
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God may we never forget him may we remember him especially when things are not going the way we think they're going oh that's when it's a real test right?
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when it's a good day it's easy to call him king but what if things go dark what if things are allowed and severe testings and sufferings like Job Job he lost everything we looked at that last
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Lord and he lost everything and then after God allowed him and permitted Satan to take everything from him he fell to the ground and worshipped
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God losing all of his belongings, his possessions what he possessed including ten of his children that were put to death in a tornado and he cries out naked
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I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return there the Lord gave and the
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Lord has taken away and then he says this and this is true worship here blessed be the name of the
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Lord though he slay me yet will I trust him because he knew
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God he knew God though he slay me yet will I trust him so what is the true condition of our praise to him today what has been compromised for what we get out of him or just the benefits the benefits and the blessings
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God forbid do we truly genuinely love Christ for who he really is well keep in mind beloved
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Jesus wept this is why he wept because they did not truly know him and they did not recognize the time of their visitation so while the crowds and the disciples were praising him
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Jesus was weeping he comes humble in great humility upon a donkey the king of Israel the king of glory and yet they did not know who he truly was they missed the importance and the purpose of the visitation which tells us the condition and the reason for such shallow praise within our text so why did
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Jesus come what was his purpose you know this as well as I do he'd come to die he'd come to die he had a passion to die he had a passion to go to that cross he was willingly joyfully as a man of sorrows he knew the joy that was set before him but he knew what was before him but he knew he had to go to the cross mild lowly eventually to a cruel crucifixion to bear to bear our sin the lamb of God to behold the lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world so that we would believe in who he really is the son of the living
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God that by believing they would have life in his name but they could not see oh beloved they could not see they could not understand who he truly was well third point the popularity of Jesus I'll get through this third point as quick as I possibly can here the people the crowd who here were with him when he called
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Lazarus from the dead continued to testify about him in verse 18 for this reason also the people went and met him because they heard that he performed this sign speaking of the miracle that he raised from the dead verse 19 and this is what they said this is an over exaggeration in which they speak but yet he was very popular at that point so the
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Pharisees said to one another you see that you are not doing any good look the world has gone after him and by the way that is an over exaggeration a remark out of jealousy that the people were following Jesus see they were so self centered they were so honed in and having sit on the seat of Moses they wanted the attention to themselves and they saw
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Jesus people following and believing after Jesus and following after him they hated that that shows you how self centered they were far from far cry from John the
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Baptist when John the Baptist says I must decrease and he must increase you see that these people were so mad they said well we got to get rid of the one he raised from the dead and get rid of him too that was their plan they plotted that and actually that one miracle was the turning point of everything see it was the plot that was that one miracle right there that plotted these scribes these
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Pharisees, the Sanhedrin the religious people that said we got to get rid of him so their plan in a passion way they were planning all these things and then eventually they hit up Judas now
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Pharisees saw this we see the popularity of Jesus Jesus had the crowds he had the praises of men rightfully so, but in the right context all the wrong reasons but what they were missing was what
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Mary what Mary and Bethany had done at the feast that was given to him look at John chapter 12 back up a little bit and we see in the whole context here, look at verse 3 here is a woman that understood who
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Jesus was and she understood why he came and that it was costly that he was worth more than anything in the world folks in verse 3
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Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume I pray
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I can get through this because it's really a touching text, costly perfume of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus folks this is worship she anointed his feet and wiped his feet with her hair, she didn't say a word the house was filled with fragrance of perfume but Judas Iscariot one of the disciples who was intending to betray him to hand him over to the
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Sanhedrin said in verse 5, why was this perfume not sold for 300 dinero and given to the poor people he is a hypocrite folks, he didn't care about the poor the text gives us the commentary now in verse 6, he said this not because he was concerned about the poor but because he was a thief scripture tells he was of his heart and as he had the money box he used the pilfer what was put into it and therefore
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Jesus rebuked him let her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial for you always have the poor with you but you do not always have me she understood the time of the visitation beloved
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Mary knew the worth of Jesus she knew his great value that he was a pearl, a great price this gives us inside of her love and her devotion for Jesus that this is the true
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Messiah and she offered true worship demonstrated that she recognized who
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Jesus really was and his worth if that doesn't touch you, nothing
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I'm telling you who he really was and she showed it by breaking an expensive alabaster box, she didn't have much and worshipped him and cried and wept at his feet and wiped the tears from her hair,
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I'm telling you, we're going to do this for all eternity but she knew the cost, she knew how costly he was and she lavished it on Jesus, she lavished it on him as a token of his death and burial the
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Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, that leads me to my last point and conclusion
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Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb he is our Passover Lamb and this is what
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Mary understood beloved King Jesus stands stark contrast with all the earthly kings for he alone is the
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King eternal, immortal, invisible God only was and there's no one like him
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King Jesus will reign forever and ever, he rode into Jerusalem meek and mild for the praises of men, not to conquer the city like an earthly king but he came to conquer our hearts
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John 18 36 through 38, let me read it Jesus answered and he said this to Pilate my kingdom is not of this world notice how many times he says my kingdom he's the king he says my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the
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Jews, but as it is as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm 37 therefore
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Pilate said to him, and notice this blind bat says this, so you are a king oh
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Jesus answered you say correctly that I am a king for this
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I have been born and for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears my voice
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John 10 right there my sheep hear my voice that everyone that is of the truth hears my voice and Pilate says you know right here he's a goat what is truth what is truth isn't that what people are saying today what is truth,
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I got my own truth but beloved, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father but by me he said the difference between king
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Jesus and every other earthly king can be found right here Christ Jesus is perfectly righteous without sin the lamb of God spotless lamb, the righteous one, his kingdom is not of this world he came into this world the world in which he created to offer himself up in which he didn't have to do it but he did it so that you and I could be saved oh hallelujah he is forever victorious beloved, yet he comes the first time riding on a donkey, meek and mild lowly as a lamb a lamb to give his life and shed his blood but the next time he comes he's coming with a great white stallion as king of kings and lord of lords to conquer the first time he came, he came as a man to slay sin got this from A .W.
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Pink the second time he comes he comes to slay men in sin Jesus comes to give grace the first time but the second time he comes he's going to be dishing out wrath the wrath of God is coming we are to flee from the wrath of God to go to the cross the first time he came as a lamb the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world the second time he comes he comes as a lion a lion of Judah to smite down nations with the fierceness of God almighty the first time he came he came to humble himself to the point of death, even the death of a cross the second time he comes he comes as the king of all kings and lord of all lords to conquer and beloved his weapon is not mass destruction as the first time he came but the mass restoration of lives, but the second time he comes there will be mass destruction for he will come to smite down nations he entered the city of Jerusalem as a man of sorrows, not as a man of the sword but when he comes again, he comes back and he will smite down nations with the sword of his mouth it says in Revelation 19 now grace and grace alone can be found in Jesus Christ but later on as you well know his patience will come to an end and grace will flee and only wrath will come, that's why we plead with people now to come to Christ because the command to all men is to repent and believe the gospel as Christ comes as the judge he will come as the judge, he's savior now but one day he's coming as the judge one day he comes back as the judge of all the earth to take vengeance on all the wicked, earthly kings may lord their authority over their subjects but king
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Jesus compels us by his great love and invites us to come to him come to the marriage feast, come unto me all you labor heavy laden,
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I'll give you rest Christ our Passover, Paul said Christ our Passover where's this come from?
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Exodus go with me to Exodus 12 I'm going to wrap this up Exodus 12 look at verse 5 your lamb is
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Jesus your lamb? is Jesus your shepherd? your personal shepherd?
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your lamb? is Jesus mine? as Fanny Crosby said your lamb shall be unblemished a male a year old you may take it from the sheep or from the goats notice verse 6 you shall keep it until the 14th day of the same month and this whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight significantly, let me say something here
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Israel the Jewish leaders killed Jesus the Passover lamb did you know it was right at twilight?
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right at twilight, twilight's literally between the two evenings that is the time between the sunset on the onset of darkness or from the decline of the sun until the sunset in the evening at the sunset and according to Josephus the historian it was customary in his day to kill a lamb at about 3pm exactly the point in time
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Jesus died at twilight isn't that amazing? God does everything perfectly verse 7 moreover they shall take some of the blood here's the key right here and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it verse 11 now you shall eat it in this manner this sounds familiar doesn't it?
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in the language with your loins girded remember Peter talking about that? gird up your loins the loins girded your sandals on your feet be ready to go your staff in your hand and you shall eat it in haste it is the
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Lord's Passover this is not man's Passover this is the Lord's Passover verse 12
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God says I will go through the land of Egypt on that night night time's coming that's why
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Jesus says we must work while it's day for the night comes that's what he's talking about talking about the day of wrath and I will strike down God says
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I'm going to strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment
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I am the Lord beloved here it is the blood shall be for you on the houses where you live and when
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I see the blood I will pass over you and no plague will befall you to destroy you when
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I strike the land of Egypt when I see the blood you know beloved when we come to the point of drawing our last breath and we enter into the eternity this is all that's going to matter right here if God sees the blood that blood must be applied by faith
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I love the old hymn and I'm going to close with this and a few comments on the
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King of Glory Christ our Redeemer died on the cross died for the sinner paid all his due sprinkle your soul with the blood of the lamb and I will pass,
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I will pass over you chiefest of sinners Jesus will save all he has promised that will he do wash in the fountain open for sin and I will pass,
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I will pass over you judgment is coming all will be there each one receiving justly his due hide in the saving sin cleansing blood and I will pass,
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I will pass over you oh great compassion oh boundless love oh loving kindness, faithful and true find peace and shelter under the blood and I will pass,
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I will pass over you I can hear that all day long I will pass when I see the blood, when
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I see the blood I will pass, I will pass over you there's one thing we better make sure of we better make sure we have the blood of Jesus applied to our hearts 1
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Peter 1 18 21 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, precious blood as of a lamb unblemished, spotless, the blood of Christ for he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you for your sake who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, there's the resurrection and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God, aren't you glad your faith and hope are in God, not in this world, not in man the arm of flesh is going to fail us we don't put our faith in presidents, we don't put our faith in men, we don't put our faith in pastors, we put our faith in Jesus King Jesus that's why
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Psalm 24 brother Keith already touched on it 7 -10 lift up your heads who's this king, listen to this
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O gates be lifted up O everlasting doors the king of glory may come in who is this king of glory the lord strong and mighty the lord mighty in battle, lift up your heads
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O gates lift them up, O everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in who is this king of glory the lord of hosts, that means the lord of the armies he is the king of glory has something to meditate on and here we see the city gates of Jerusalem stretched them wide open to make way for the awesome entrance of the great king of glory to come in and he came to those gates of Jerusalem but yet they did not recognize him by doing so participate in worshipping him in praise and glory and give an adoration and we say hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord save now save now
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Jesus actually means Jehovah saves he will reign as the king of glory forever and ever the one who sacrificed himself who redeemed us secures us strengthens us and will carry us all the way to the end by his grace and the one that destroyed the works of the devil he is here now and he's always ready to save so in celebration of Christ's kingship of this
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Palm Sunday the great question is is Jesus Christ your personal king if not lift up your heads oh you gates be lifted up oh everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in praise
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God let's pray our father and our god lord we thank you for the lord
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Jesus Christ thank you for this time and your holy word we thank you for the time that you have given us lord to worship you may our worship lord be acceptable to you in spirit and truth and in the beauty of your holiness righteous are you oh lord king eternal there's none like you thank you for the
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Christ the anointed one who gave his life that we may live help us
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I pray lord by your blessed holy spirit that we may live after we're justified may live a life of obedience and submission to your lordship because you are king and lord we thank you for this we thank you for those who come into the kingdom they believe in your name you give them the right and the power to become children of god they were not born out of blood nor the will of man the will or the will of the flesh but of you oh god so when you see the blood you will pass over us only that precious blood that precious blood will save us that precious blood will protect us like it protected
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Noah and his family the ark Jesus Christ and him crucified it protects us from the eternal wrath that is to come father we thank you for that great shelter that's only in Jesus Christ and we say with the hymn writer in my hand no price