What Palm Sunday Tells Us About Jesus

The Gospel Story
What Palm Sunday Tells Us About Jesus 
John 12:12-36

Jesus didn’t meet everyone’s expectations, but He did fulfill the Father’s purpose for His life!

Jesus dramatic entrance to Jerusalem was packed with meaning:

Riding a donkey/colt fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9

• Spreading of the garments on the road (Matthew 21:8) – Compare with Jehu being anointed King:

“Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”” (2 Kings 9:13, ESV)

• Waving of palm branches a symbol of victory from the time between the Old and New Testament when the temple was restored and rededicated under the leadership of Maccabeus
• People shouted “Hosanna” which means “save now” – it was a cry of help from a distressed people to a King or God
• The people called out from a Messianic Psalm (Psalm 118)

“As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”” (Luke 19:37–38, ESV) 

Understanding The Heart Of A King

1. A Broken Heart (12-13)

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  (Luke 19:41–42, ESV)

Does my heart break over the things that Break The Heart Of God?

2. A Humble And Obedient Heart (14-19)

What gets my attention, the Shout of the crowd or the Voice of God?

When I am experiencing triumph do my actions say look at Me or look at God?

3. A Sacrificing Heart (20-26)

Jesus would fulfill His kingly role by dying and thereby reproducing His life in others.

Principle: Life comes only by Death and Denial of Self

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23–24, ESV)

Am I willing to do whatever Christ calls me to do?

4. A Troubled Heart (27-28)

Am I more interested in being Comfortable or in being Conformable?

Into every one of our lives will come times when we must choose between one of two prayers.  Either:

• Father, save me from this hour
• Father, glorify your name

“as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20–2, ESV)

5. An Attracting Heart (31-33)

The Cross is the divinely ordained dividing point in all of human history!

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:20–25, ESV)

Each of Us Must Decide How We Will Respond To This
Different Kind of King!

We Will Either:

• “Believe In Him” and Seek to Use Him
• Resent Him and Reject Him
• Trust Him and Follow Him

Making It Personal:

• How are you responding to King Jesus?
• Does my heart break over the things that break the heart of God?
• What gets my attention, the shout of the crowd or the voice of God?
• When I am experiencing triumph do my actions say look at me or look at God?
• Am I willing to do whatever Christ calls me to do?
• Am I more interested in being comfortable or in being conformable?
• Who can I share these truths with?

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