Easter's Coming!
Today is once again Palm Sunday – the Sunday before Easter. It's the day that we traditionally celebrate Jesus' 'triumphal entry' into the city of Jerusalem as recorded in all four of the Gospel accounts. I have preached 20 years here about Palm Sunday. So there's a temptation to try to bring something new to the story - but a true story like this doesn't really need anything new. It just needs for the facts to be clearly stated once again.
However, for an interesting perspective on the event, I want to share this short video…
***Video "Palm Sunday – Skit Guys"
Today is a day that we remember the beginning of the week that started with Jesus showing up, entering the city to cheers and celebration and optimism, but the week ended very differently than people expected. So let's look a bit at why people were celebrating Jesus' arrival in the first place - and why we still celebrate today...
I. Jesus came to bring life!
And we can't just gloss over that fact. It's not like bringing chips or a veggie tray to a dinner party – Jesus brought life! No one else can do that. I used this next Bible passage just last week - Jesus plainly told His disciples, in John 14:6 (NIV)...
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The only way to the Father, the only way to Heaven is through Jesus – according to His own words. That's not me proclaiming that only people who believe just like me can get to Heaven – it's 'God in the flesh' telling us the truth. Jesus brought life!
It's not being 'narrow minded' to make this exclusive claim. Every other major religion had a leader who claimed to know a way to God. Jesus claims to be God, in the flesh! Every other founder of world religions claimed to be a prophet – Jesus claims to be God! Now, either Jesus is wrong, or a liar or He's crazy – which would make Him vastly inferior to all these other leaders – in which case, we're all wasting our time here. OR – Jesus actually is God and far superior to every other leader or belief system. And as such – He is the author of life!
So when I say that Jesus came to bring life – it's not just a metaphor or an exaggeration to make a point – Jesus literally brought life…
A. Actual life!
A great account that the video earlier mentioned occurred a bit before Jesus' entry into Jerusalem - the story of Lazarus. It's recorded in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John. I want to skip through this story a bit this morning, but I'd encourage you to write that down – John chapter 11. Maybe even take the time to really read through it again as you prepare for our Easter celebration next Sunday. There's a reason this event happened just before the triumphal entry...
Let's go ahead and look through this account, starting in John 11:1-4 (NIV)...
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (2) This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. (3) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (4) When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
Lazarus' illness was not just a coincidence. According to Jesus – this was actually very much a part of God's plan. Its purpose was to show people the power of Jesus in anticipation of His going to Jerusalem. Let's skip ahead to Jesus' conversation with Martha after her brother Lazarus had died from his illness.
John 11:23-27 (NIV)
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (24) Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; (26) and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (27) "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
And let's skip ahead to the part of the story where Jesus arrives at the tomb of Lazarus…
John 11:38-44 (NIV)
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. (39) "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." (40) Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (41) So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
(42) I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (43) When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (44) The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
Can you imagine? This wasn't some movie with special effects – this actually happened! In full view of a crowd - a dead man got up and walked out of his tomb! If something like that happened today - you know someone would have grabbed their cell phone and recorded it and the video would have gone viral! And of course, today, some would cry 'That's AI'! But back then - because of the eye witnesses - the true story was shared and the facts were not disputed!
That's why people were celebrating when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey! We know that dead people don't just get up and walk despite what we see in movies and TV shows. The rules of nature are - 'dead is dead' – but those rules don't apply to Jesus! Jesus brought actual life to an actual dead man. But it didn't just stop there – Jesus also brings…
B. Life now!
Jesus brought life to a dead man – but He also brings life, real life to His followers in every sense of the word. Jesus brings hope for today, here and now! Jesus brings the best life you can have eternally in Heaven, but also here in this life! Let's look at John 10:7-11 (NIV)...
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. (8) All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. (9) I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (11) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
Jesus brought life!
I've sat with many of you in a hospital, or at a funeral service, or in your home mourning the loss of a loved one. I've listened as you shared disappointments and frustrations about physical pain from disease and surgeries. I've watched grown men tear up because of their pain. I've seen some of you cry out and ask God 'why?' I have cried out and asked God 'why'?
If that was all my ministry entailed, I'd have to say I have the worst job ever. If all I could offer was, 'someday, someday we'll be in Heaven and this will all be behind us' – that's great, and in the end it is what really matters – but what about now? Despite how awful this life can truly be at times – we can have hope now! We have life in Jesus! We know that He can turn our pain and mourning into joy and celebration!
I've seen people who, based on circumstances, should be devastated and maybe even angry at God - but instead are praising God through their tears. We've seen people who have lost the love of their life the past week, but were then in Church service the next Sunday – despite their pain.
That's the life I want! How do they do it? Because Jesus came to bring us life! He brought us strength! He brought us hope!
Yes, it is absolutely a promise of hope at the end of our life – but it's also a promise of hope right now! It's not a promise of everything being all nice and perfect for a Christian – but the promise of Jesus being right here with us through everything. Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus and He still weeps when we hurt – but Jesus gave us the promise of an abundant, full life in Him – now and after this life!
Jesus came to bring life to those who believe in Him. But I'd be remiss if I didn't also focus on something else we see in this story leading up to Easter…
II. Jesus came to bring division
People often times like to simply look at the nice aspects of Jesus, His love, His compassion, the peace He brings. But you can't just throw out the other things that might make us uncomfortable. When you do that you're creating an idol – an inaccurate picture of Jesus. Jesus brought life, but Jesus also brought division... The whole story of separating the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25 – it's about dividing people based on what they did or didn't do for Jesus.
The reality is – Jesus is perhaps the most divisive person in history from that vantage point. Again, Jesus' own words from Luke 12:49-51 (NIV)...
I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (50) But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! (51) Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
Jesus didn't come to compromise or simply 'make nice' with everyone no matter what they did or believed. Jesus knew that His claim of being THE way to Heaven, His demonstration of power over death – those things would be divisive. And let's be completely honest here – belief in Jesus is still divisive. There are many who reject Jesus' claim as The way to the Father and think that anyone who believes that is an absolute fool.
For instance - a minister of a supposedly Baptist Church of over 10,000 people actually preached the following a while back - "There was a time where you could see people in the pulpit say, 'If you don't believe in Jesus, you're going to Hell. That's insanity in many ways because that is not what Jesus even believed. The key is, do you believe in God? And whatever your path is to God, I celebrate that – personally."
Now I understand his desire to not exclude anyone - but the very first verse we looked at this morning - Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me". It's not Jesus' desire to exclude anyone - but to literally include everyone! Jesus died for everyone - every race, every religious background, both good people and even bad people! Jesus' call to accept Him is the most inclusive call there is! But to say that there are multiple paths to God - that is a dangerous lie. That is not the truth that Jesus taught. According to Jesus - if you reject Him you will be separated from God for eternity.
Jesus brings hope and life, but He also brings division, and Jesus…
A. Inspires anger
And I chose that phrase very intentionally. And the follow up to the story of Lazarus demonstrates exactly what I mean. Let's look at John 12:9-11 (NIV)...
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. (10) So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, (11) for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
It just blows me away that instead of being amazed at Jesus' power over death, people got angry and wanted to kill Him - and even kill Lazarus again. But there are those today who seem to hold that same anger.
People can have an ethereal, subjective idea of God that they shape themselves and who doesn't really require anything of them. But just the name 'Jesus' brings on strong emotions in people. The concept of 'God', in a universal sense is somewhat acceptable. - But when you start talking about Jesus - that's divisive. Try being a public official and ask people to "Pray in Jesus' name" - and just watch the media go nuts!
Jesus came as God in the flesh – a living, breathing person who couldn't just be rationalized away or relegated to only existing in some far away Heaven. Just as the people in Biblical times found, Jesus still…
B. Demands a choice
When Jesus entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds after he had raised Lazarus from the dead – every person there had a choice to make. Accept Him for who He said He was, The Christ, The Son of God, The only way to the Father – or reject His authority. There could be no 'in between' for those who had just witnessed what they had. That choice caused division. That choice caused celebration in some and anger in others.
And it still does. Jesus' words from Matthew 10:32-34 (NIV)...
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (33) But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. (34) "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Jesus spoke God's truth. Jesus came to provide The way for all of mankind back to their Creator. It was up to everyone who witnessed His miracles to accept Him or reject Him. And that's the same choice every one of us still has today on a daily basis.
So What?
And since you're here this morning – I'm going to assume that most of you have made that choice. And once you make that choice - you can then prepare for the celebration! And as you start preparing for your Easter celebrations with your family – don't forget the Resurrection. I want you to focus on the resurrection of Jesus! Next Sunday is Easter - 'Resurrection Sunday'.
- I'd like to ask my helpers to pass out the slips of paper.
This paper says, in large letters "JESUS IS ALIVE!" I'd like you to tape it to your mirror at home, put it on the dashboard of your car, wherever it will remind you this Easter week what all the excitement is really all about. And, yes – I'm serious. Put it where you'll see it every day leading up to next Sunday. Don't leave it in the seats – please, take it home with you.
Last week I asked you, when someone asks, "How you doing?" to respond with, "God has been really good to me!" I don't know if you gave it a shot - I actually tried it with the Physical Therapist who said I reminded her of her Grandpa... The conversation didn't go anywhere spiritual, but I gave it a shot. And again, if you actually do what I'm asking with this paper - share that with me and tell me what kind of difference it made in your attitude towards this Easter celebration.
Every Sunday I ask you to bring a friend. Next Sunday would be a great time to do that. Jesus is alive and He is coming back. There are a lot of people who still need to know that. Perhaps you know someone who needs to hear that truth – invite them to breakfast, 9am, and stay for the celebration!