PALM SUNDAY
Welcoming Jesus Into
Our Lives
~Mark 11:1-11~
William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
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1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any man says unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11:1-11 (Matt. 21:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19)
Introduction
The triumphal entry is that of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears
in all four Gospel accounts. (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40;
John 12:12-19)
Something exciting was taking place. There were two processions that entered Jerusalem on a spring day. It was the beginning of the week of Passover, the most sacred week of the Jewish year. In the centuries since, Christians have celebrated this day as Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, with its climax of Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.
One was a peasant procession, the other an imperial procession. From the east, Jesus rode a donkey down the Mount of Olives, cheered by his followers. Jesus was from the peasant village of Nazareth, his message was about the kingdom of God, love, forgiveness and sacrifice.
On the opposite side of the city, from the west, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea and Samaria entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers. This procession proclaimed the power of the Roman Empire.
Jesus approaches the city from the east at the end of the journey from Galilee and tells his disciples to go to the next village and get him a colt they will find there, one that has never been ridden. They do so and Jesus rides the colt down the Mount of Olives to the city surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic followers and sympathizers who spread their cloaks, strewed leafy branches on the road and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Symbolism from the prophet Zechariah in the Jewish Bible is portrayed. According to Zachariah, a king would be coming to Jerusalem,“humble and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9:9). The rest of the passage details what kind of king He will be: He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations (9:10).
Jesus’ procession countered what was happening on the other side of the city. Pilate’s procession embodied the power, glory and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative vision, the kingdom of God. This contrast – between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Caesar – is central to what it means to welcome Jesus into our lives. To embrace the kingdom of God is to embrace Jesus, the Christ, and to embrace the kingdom of Caesar is to embrace a kingdom of political oppression, economic exploitation and demeaning domination.
Consider what it means to embrace Jesus and the kingdom of God
as opposed to embracing the imperial government of Rome and Caesar.
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Many people gathered on the streets to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Some gathered out of curiosity to see what was happening. Some probably got caught up in the moment and were carried by the momentum of the crowd. There are those who were there who were convicted about Jesus’ identity as the one who comes in the name of the Lord. There were women in the crowd. We are reminded in the gospel of Luke that the twelve were accompanied by Mary Magdalene, Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna and many others who provided for them out of their resources. (Luke 8:1-3)
People were gathering because it was time to observe a sacred tradition of their faith, the Passover. Passover was a time to remember the deliverance from bondage and captivity and its continual implications for the present and the future. In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus' life. It is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection. It was the beginning of the week of Passover, the most sacred week of the Jewish year. In the centuries since, Christians have celebrated this day as Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week,
with its climax of Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.
Palm Sunday is an opportunity for believers to reaffirm their allegiance, reassess their loyalty and renew their commitment to Jesus as the One who comes in the name of the Lord to save us from the destruction we cause ourselves.
As the scene unfolds we can catch a glimpse of what it means to welcome Jesus into our lives.
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus into your life.
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First, we welcome Jesus into our lives because we are willing to subject ourselves to his authority. (reassert your allegiance)
Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
Mark 11:2-3
It was to His own disciples that He looked for the supply of what was required on this occasion. He appealed to the recognition of His authority. Disciples have all they need, it just needs to be freely rendered. Nothing but what is freely given is acceptable to Him or desired by Him.
The disciples were willing to follow Jesus’ instruction. The owner of the colt was willing to make available to Jesus what was requested. Submit to the authority of Jesus. Subject what you have to the use of Jesus (your mind, strength, and time). What kind of priority does the Lord get with you?
Lord, I’m available to you.
You gave me my hands to reach out to man,
to show him your love and your perfect plan.
You gave me my ears,
I can hear your voice so clear.
I can hear the cries of sinners but can I wipe away the tears?
You gave me my voice to speak your perfect word,
to sing all your praises to those who never heard.
But with my eyes I can see a need for more availability.
I’ve seen the hearts that have been broken, so many people to be free.
Lord, I’m available to you.
My will I give to you. I’ll do what you say do, use me Lord,
to show someone the way and enable me to say …
my storage is empty and I am available to you.
Now, I’m giving back to you all the tools you gave to me,
my hands, my ears, my voice, my eyes so you can use them as your please.
I have emptied out my cup so that you can fill it up.
Now I’m free, I just want to be more available to you.
Lord I’m available to you. My will I give to you.
I’ll do what you say do. Use me Lord to show someone the way
and enable me to say … my storage is empty and I’m available to you.
We all subject ourselves to authority. We subject ourselves to the authority of the laws of nature. You don’t break the laws of nature; you violate them and they break you. You subject yourself to the authority of the laws of the land in which you live or you suffer the consequences of your choices. You subject yourself to the authority of your fraternal and familial associations, affiliations, friendships, organizations, relationships, and you name it.
The one to whom you subject yourself is the one to whom you give your allegiance. Subject yourself to the authority of the Lord with the realization that the Lord always responds in the most loving and perfect way to those who subject themselves
to His authority.
Consider what it means to subject yourself to the authority of Jesus
by reasserting your allegiance to Him.
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Secondly, we welcome Jesus into our lives because of the way
He comes to us. (reaffirm your loyalty)
7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way. Mark 11:7-8
You see, He came in gentleness, not that He might be feared on account of
His power but that He might be appreciated, embraced and received because
of His love.
The Lord does not coerce, force or make. Jesus simply invites, offers, presents and requests. The Lord was unwilling to use what is not given willingly.
Jesus was not the kind of Messiah the people of Jerusalem expected, and yet they were right to greet Him as a king. Because even though His kingship will not be one of might, it will be one of mercy. He won’t release the people from Roman occupation or take revenge upon their enemies, but He will offer them redemption!
The crowds on Palm Sunday may not have had it quite right, but they were on target in this respect: a new power had come into the world. Only it was the power of redemption, rather than revenge! The power of love rather than hate. The power of unity rather than division.
Welcome into this place.
Welcome into this broken vessel.
You desire to abide in the praises of your people,
So we lift our hands and we lift our hearts
As we offer up this praise unto your name.
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus because
of the way He comes into our lives when we reaffirm our loyalty to Him.
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Thirdly, we welcome Jesus into our lives because He comes in the name of the Lord. (renew your commitment).
All sorts of persons come to us in their name: the name of the company they represent, the name of the product they are selling, the name of the cause they are championing, the name of the affiliation they have. Almost always something is required of you. However, Jesus comes in the name of the Lord to redeem you from the destruction you bring on yourself and others.
Hosanna! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna
in the highest. Mark 11:9-10
Hosanna means “oh save.” An expression of the cry of the captives for mercy becomes an acclamation expressive of joy and deliverance.
“Hosanna!” Notice the exclamation point.
Jesus had often been greeted with a question mark. The world has had its
millions of question marks about Jesus. But here at the gates of Jerusalem was an exclamation point!
Consider what it means to welcome Jesus into your life
because He comes in the name of the Lord
and you renew your commitment to the Lord.
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One of the greatest journeys any one of us can make is the journey from a question mark to an exclamation point.
From a question mark about Jesus to an exclamation point about Him…
…from a question mark about life to an exclamation point about life.
And that journey can never be made by thought alone; it must be made by action!
When we follow Jesus, our punctuation marks change. It is no longer,
“Who is this?” with a question mark. It is, “Hosanna!” with an exclamation point! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!
It is no longer a question mark about life in Christ, for “he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Consider what it means to move from a question mark about your faith in Jesus to an exclamation point of your assurance about Jesus.
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Conclusion
So what are we to make of this parade? What are we to make of Palm Sunday? Well, we are on sure ground when we take the historical basis of the story—the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem—as the Church has taken it, to be a meaningful symbol of Jesus as King. There is a wealth of evidence far and wide, gathered through history and experience as to Jesus’ right to kingship in the lives of individuals and society.
We can see this validated by the way Jesus has met the deep needs of the human soul. He meets them in that place where we say, “ah but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for?” (Robert Browning)
Jesus meets us in our inability to find fulfillment in material things: We do not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4). Jesus meets us in our dissatisfaction with ourselves and our inescapable sense of missing the mark - not only of the life we were meant for, but also of the possibility for forgiveness and new life all together.
We are born in sin and shapen in iniquity. Psalm 51:5
Every year new mountains of evidence pile up that Jesus was everlastingly right in His reading of life. As the only begotten of the Father, He is the consummate expression of the love of God and the consummate expression of what God intended for those made in God’s image and fashioned in God’s likeness.
Join, sing, his name divine.
Let every voice resound with united acclamation.
Hosanna! Praise be the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Welcome Jesus into your life as one whose authority can be trusted.
Welcome Jesus into your life because He comes in gentleness, not that He might
be feared on account of His power but that He might be appreciated, embraced
and received because of His love.
Welcome Jesus into your life as one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Consider what it means to reassert your allegiance to the Lord,
reaffirm your loyalty to Lord, and renew your commitment to the Lord.
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2412 Griffith Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90011
Phone: (213) 748-0318
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