WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.320 But this morning, again, we're talking about Palm Sunday. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:07.919 What that's leading up to is Easter Sunday. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.960 And so this coming Sunday is Easter. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:14.800 And we are really excited about Easter here at Missio. 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:22.960 We are excited because it marks the resurrection of Jesus that gives us eternal life with all who believe in him. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:38.320 His resurrection, Paul says, the Apostle Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament, says of the resurrection that if Jesus did not raise from the dead, then we are to be pitied above all other people. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:46.159 Because everything that we're doing in this Christian life hinges on the fact that the grave is empty. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:54.159 If Jesus didn't raise from the dead, then we are ridiculously wasting our time. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:56.880 But I believe the grave's empty. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:58.719 I believe that he did raise from the dead. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.200 We're going to talk about that on Easter Sunday. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:08.959 But one thing that's really cool also about our culture is that culturally here where we are, people still value Easter. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:16.480 They still value or sense some type of uh unction or responsibility to go to church on Easter. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:22.319 And so we're hoping to leverage that for people to come and hear about the gospel of Jesus. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:31.519 And so what you're seeing is last week we did the same thing, but for some of you weren't here last week, or any of you are first-time guests, on your seat there's a little invite card. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:48.560 And what we've been saying is that that invite card should already have a name and face to it of somebody you've been praying for, somebody you've been talking to about Jesus, somebody who you've wanted to talk to about Jesus, but just haven't had the right timing or even courage to do that. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:56.959 We want to be able to provide you with a very simple way to break the ice and invite them out to Easter this Sunday. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:02.879 Not only uh have we provided those, but on our Facebook group, we've also made an event. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:15.759 And so you know how some of us are like uh uh some of us are so introverted that it we wouldn't invite anybody to anything unless there was a way that I didn't have to talk to anybody to do it. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.199 Well, I've done that for you. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:18.400 Facebook event. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:22.960 You can just blind them, blindside them, and invite them into that, and then they'll be like, What's this? 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.560 And you can, you know, say, Hey, I thought you'd enjoy coming to my church. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:30.800 Uh but nonetheless, invite them through the Facebook event, invite them through these cards. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:37.759 We'd love to fill this place up with people as we celebrate uh Jesus and his resurrection. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:43.520 So, what I want to do this morning, just like we did last week, is I want to pray for this coming Sunday. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:53.360 I want to pray for those people who these cards represent as needing to hear the gospel, as needing to have Jesus come and transform their life. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:55.680 And so that's what we're going to do this morning. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.280 If you would bow your heads with me as we go before the Lord. 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:52.719 To tell them that there is hope and life everlasting in your Son. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:04:02.639 And so, Lord, I pray for these cards as we go out to use them, as we go out to just invite our neighbors, invite our coworkers, our family members. 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:21.680 I pray that you would fill this place up with people who need Jesus, hear the gospel, and that we would be a place of generous hospitality, of faithful gospel proclamation, so they can receive and respond in faith to the gospel of your son. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.319 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:25.199 Amen. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:30.639 You're gonna have to forgive me. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.800 Corey, if I do this, mute my mic. 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:42.319 It'll be the international sign for I'm getting ready to lose it. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.279 All right. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.879 So this morning we're in John chapter 12, and we're gonna be looking at verses 12 through 19. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:57.600 So, like I said, they're gonna be on the screen, but let's go ahead and read them together before we dive in. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:59.920 It says this, verse 12. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:06.879 The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:16.560 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel. 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:21.360 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as is written. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:26.720 Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:36.879 The disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:45.439 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:50.000 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they had heard he had done this sign. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:54.720 So the Pharisees said to one another, You see that you are gaining nothing. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:57.839 Look, the world has gone after him. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:05:59.600 This is the word of the Lord. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.120 May God bless the reading and proclamation of his promises. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.360 So today marks the beginning of Holy Week. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.279 We've said it a few times, but this is historical tradition in the church. 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:25.600 Now, Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem as he's coming to celebrate the Passover meal. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:33.920 This Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and the triumphant entry and extends to next Sunday with the resurrection of Jesus. 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.199 So some question might be well, what happens between this Sunday and next Sunday? 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:51.199 To try to gather ourselves in the story of what's happening, uh, we see this that on Monday, tomorrow, Jesus would cleanse the temple of the merchants and money changers. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:59.279 This story in the Bible is very famous for Jesus' aggression for zeal and passion for the purity of his temple. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:08.240 So he fashions a cord, a whip out of cords, and he drives out the money changers and the merchants from within the temple. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:14.879 On Tuesday, Jesus takes his disciples to the Mount of Olives to charge them about what is to come. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:19.680 So he gives this prophecy and he tells them, and this is what is going to happen to me. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.120 This is what is going to come. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:24.399 Even in the future age, this is what will be. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:35.920 On Wednesday, the Bible is actually silent about Jesus' activity, but many believe that Jesus and disciples rested and prepared for the Passover that was to come. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:39.759 On Thursday, Jesus and his disciples share the Last Supper. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:43.839 They go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:49.199 And Jesus is taken into custody after he's betrayed by a kiss. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:57.439 On Friday, Jesus is tried, condemned to die, crucified, dies, and is buried. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:02.959 On Saturday, Jesus' body lays weight in a borrowed tomb. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.800 And then on Sunday, Jesus raised from the dead. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:12.000 And so that's what we're gearing up for and looking at as we approach this week. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:15.279 But today we're talking about Palm Sunday. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:21.759 And so we kind of have to build some context of what's happening here because we're kind of diving into the middle of a story. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.680 So what is going on here with Jesus' triumphant entry? 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:31.360 Well, like I said, he's coming into Jerusalem to be able to celebrate the Passover meal. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:41.039 The Passover meal was a very large pilgrimage for many Jews to come into the city to celebrate and remember this Passover Supper. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:45.840 For those of you who don't know what the Passover is, it's found in the book of Exodus. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.679 It's the second book of the Bible. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:56.480 And what we see is that Israel had been under oppressive slavery by the hand of the Egyptians for over 400 years. 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.759 And so God says that he is going to deliver them. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:02.720 And he proclaims this deliverance through this man named Moses. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:04.559 Maybe you've heard about him. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:16.879 God uses Moses to be a mouthpiece and to perform different signs and wonders to demonstrate the God of Israel of whom they served, his power and his might. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:40.879 And so after God had given many plagues to try and persuade Pharaoh to allow Israel to be released, his final plague, his final intervention into their slavery was that he was going to bring about the angel of death to pass through Egypt and kill the firstborn son of every household. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:53.840 So God said to his people, the Israelites, He said, To protect you from this, I want you to take a lamb and slaughter it, and take the blood of this lamb and put it on the doorposts of your home. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:00.320 And he gave him very specific instructions about what to eat, what to wear, and how to prepare themselves. 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:12.639 But what there was a primary thing of that when the angel of death came, if he saw the blood on the doorpost, he would pass over your house, and he would not take the life of your firstborn son. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:22.399 And so they commemorate and remember this merciful act of God to spare the life of their children through this Passover meal. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:34.879 Now, this Passover meal was a foreshadowing to what would come, which would be Jesus, the true Lamb of God, whose blood on us allows God's judgment to pass over us. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.120 And we're going to get to that on Good Friday, but today we're talking about Palm Sunday. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.120 So Jesus is going to prepare for the Passover meal, which is tradition. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:44.639 Where is he coming from? 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:47.039 He's coming from a city called Bethany. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:56.720 And where he was was he was having dinner with a man named Lazarus, one of his dearest friends, who, by the way, was just dead, and then he brought him back to life. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:06.399 So Jesus is sitting with this man of whom he resurrected from the grave, and he's having dinner with him and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:10.240 And the chief priests, they hear about this sign. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.320 They hear about Jesus' mighty miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.679 And there's a great following that's beginning to take place. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:29.600 People are turning from their Judaism or from their Jewish customs, and they're turning to follow Jesus because of this miraculous sign that he has performed by raising Lazarus from the dead. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:31.519 And the chief priests are not happy about this. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.120 So they want to squash it. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:34.720 They want to put this to an end. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:47.360 They've already plenty of times have plotted to kill and take the life of Jesus, but this is their final straw so much that they even plan to kill Lazarus to stop the movement. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:12:01.360 And so they gather together to plot a way to be able to kill both Lazarus and Jesus to try and mend the loss that they have experienced through people leaving to follow Jesus. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:13.440 So Jesus, the next morning after that dinner, gets up and he heads into Beth into Jerusalem from Bethany to be able to start to celebrate the Passover meal. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:25.519 Verse 12 says that the next day, so that's what we're talking about, after the dinner that he had with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:33.679 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:36.799 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:43.360 Just it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's call. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:48.000 So Jesus is making his way into Jerusalem for the Passover Mirror. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:54.720 And there are already thousands of people coming into the city of Jerusalem from all over. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:00.960 And what they're doing is they're trying to prepare to celebrate the Passover as well. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:07.200 And when they had heard that Jesus was coming, they set out to greet him and praise him. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:33.919 So news of his sign, news of his miracle in Lazarus' life has spread quickly and broadly, so much so that these pilgrims who are Jewish people preparing to celebrate the Passover have heard about this, and as they hear that he's coming into the city, they go out to praise him, to cry out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:39.279 Now they took palm branches from around them and began to praise him. 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.600 You see, these palm branches weren't just used out of convenience. 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:48.320 They held a symbolism of victory over one's enemies. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:14:01.120 The people were hailing Jesus as an overcomer, as a conquering king, because what had happened up to this point was that the Jews were waiting for someone to come and rescue them. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:10.000 They had heard these prophecies from prophets of old that there would be a Messiah who would come to rescue his people. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:17.759 And where the Jews are in this moment, in this time of this story, is that they're under Roman rule. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:23.200 They're under the oppressive Roman rule that is expanding throughout the known world. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:25.360 And they hate it. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:42.960 They hate the fact that pagan Romans rule over them, that they've occupied their land, that they have charged them taxes, that they have limited the way that they can worship, that they have brought their polytheism or their multi-god worship into their holy land. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.840 And they want to be released. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.279 They want to be freed. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.320 They want a conquering king who would overcome. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:15:01.919 And so when these people had heard that there was a man in Bethany who had raised another from the dead, they had their hope set on this must be the Messiah. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:06.000 This must be the conquering king that we've been waiting for. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:14.639 And so shouting, Hosanna! Even the king of Israel. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:19.840 Now, who were they desiring Jesus to be? 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:28.639 When they make this proclamation, even the king of Israel, who did they want Jesus to be? 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:32.399 They wanted him to be a mighty warrior. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:35.039 They wanted him to be a conquering king. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:42.559 They wanted him to be a man who would stand up against powers and authorities and put them in their rightful place. 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:52.639 They wanted him to be a king who would lead Israel into freedom and into the prominence and into the prosperity that God had promised for them. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:58.080 They wanted him to wield a sword of conquering power. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:04.399 So when they come out to meet him, who'd they want him to be? 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:06.480 The king of Israel. 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:09.840 Who did they mistake him for? 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.080 Who did they desire him to be? 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.159 Who had they mistaken him for? 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:24.080 Did they see Jesus for who he truly was, or did they see Jesus for what he had done? 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:40.320 You see, Jesus is getting this praise, he's getting this adoration, he's getting all of this attention because of a miracle that he had performed, and under their assumption, they go out to meet their new king. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:52.799 And Jesus, in this beautiful, paradoxical image, finds a young donkey and he rides it into the city. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:56.799 Why is this paradoxical? 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.240 Well, a king would not come on a donkey. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:05.839 A king would not find some young donkey to humbly ride in. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.920 And is the people should have caught this. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.480 They were so enamored by what he could be. 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:18.319 They were so fantasized by what they thought he might do that they didn't even notice that he didn't come in this army of people. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:20.640 He didn't come with a battalion behind him. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:27.200 He didn't come carried in on some uh a grand demonstration of royalty. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.680 He didn't come on a horse or a stallion. 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:31.759 No, he finds a young donkey. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:45.920 And in parallel to the humble way of which Jesus came into this earth through a virgin woman in a stable full of animals, he finds a young donkey and humbly rides into the city on its back. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:55.119 Verse 16 says that his disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:18:01.440 So even his disciples are looking on and just wondering, what in the world is happening right now? 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.720 They didn't get it, they couldn't see it. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:14.960 It wasn't until after he had already resurrected from the grave were they able to remember and reflect on the things that he had taught them and told them that they were able to have understanding. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:22.960 Verse 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:28.000 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they had heard he had done this sign. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.480 So the Pharisees said to one to another, You see that you are gaining nothing. 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.440 Look, the world has gone after him. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:37.599 The world has gone after him. 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:49.519 So what we see is the same crowd who was at Lazarus' resurrection, who was there at the meal, has now come in behind Jesus, and they're telling people about this sign. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:53.440 They're telling them, This is the man who raised Lazarus from the dead. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:19:06.559 He is the one who performed this great miracle, this great sign, and they're stirring people's affections, they're stirring people's hopes that Christ might be the king of Israel, of whom was promised to them. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.359 And so many come out, and it gives you the reason. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:16.559 Verse 18 the reason the crowd went to meet him was because they had heard that he had done this sign. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:26.240 They came rushing out to praise him, rushing out to hail him as king, even of Israel. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:35.519 Their passion to praise him was not rooted in who he was, it was rooted in what he had done. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:49.279 You see, the testimony of this miracle caused them to fabricate and fantasize who Jesus might be and herald him as the king that they had been waiting for. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:56.720 You see, they looked upon what he had done, and they could only imagine that maybe this is him. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:01.200 Maybe this is the one who will get us out from under Roman rule. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:05.039 Maybe this is him who will give us back what God had promised us. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:08.720 Maybe this is him who will establish Israel forever. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:17.440 But they didn't understand the king or the kingdom that this Jesus was bringing. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:22.319 You see, the main idea of this text this morning is this. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:30.880 Often the Jesus who is and the Jesus we desire are two different people. 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:40.000 Often the Jesus who is and the Jesus that we desire are two different people. 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:45.839 You see, we desire a Jesus who will bring us peace. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:51.359 Now we determine what that peace would look like. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:56.559 For the Jews, that peace would be out from under Roman rule. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:59.680 That peace would be for them to have their land again. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:07.279 That peace would be for the word of God to reign as authoritative and holy amongst his people. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:10.160 That's the peace that they were looking for. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.079 Absence of war. 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:21.440 And many of us come to Jesus, this king, looking for peace, but we determine what that peace should look like. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:29.759 For some of us, maybe that's peace of mind that suffers from anxiety or depression or other mental illness. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:36.799 For some of us, maybe that's peace in our home where we've fought with the people that we love time and time again. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:45.599 For some of us, maybe that's peace of mind in our jobs and our wealth and our money that we can have some sense of peace. 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:55.440 And so we look for a king who answers our finances, or we look for a king who takes away our suffering, or we look for a king who mends broken relationships. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.839 Because we determine the peace of our life. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.160 This king should bring. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.680 We desire a Jesus who will bring freedom. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:15.039 We desire a Jesus who will bring freedom, but again, we dictate what that freedom looks like. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:29.920 For some of us, that freedom might be from addictions, might be from substance abuse, it might be from pornography, it might be freedom from anything that you can imagine or you feel caught within. 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:41.440 Maybe it's freedom and out from underneath the weight of what you're trying to pursue and chase down, but never can tangibly get your hands around. 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:48.960 You want a king who will free you, but you dictate what that freedom looks like. 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:54.480 We desire a Jesus who will bring joy. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.759 But again, we dictate what that joy should look like. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:04.880 We mistake happiness for joy. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:11.119 We believe that joy should be found absent of suffering. 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:21.599 We believe that for Jesus, this king, to bring joy to his people would mean that I am happy, healthy, and whole all the time. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:32.319 You see, the Jesus who is and the Jesus that we desire are often two very different people. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:35.200 And here's why. 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:38.079 Ultimately, when you boil this down, here's why. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:39.680 This is our story. 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:46.480 We want a king who overcomes our circumstances instead of our sin. 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:54.960 We want a king who overcomes our circumstances instead of our sin, just like the Jewish people. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:00.480 They wanted liberation from underneath the Roman authority and power. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.599 They wanted to have their land back, their wealth back. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.359 They wanted to have their religion back. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:07.359 They wanted these things so badly. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:10.480 And they thought that that's what this Messiah was going to come do. 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:13.920 All they wanted was delivered out of their circumstances. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.319 They didn't want delivered out of their own sin. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:20.720 You see, Jesus didn't come to conquer Roman rule. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:23.039 Jesus came to conquer you. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:43.440 Because ultimate joy, ultimate freedom, ultimate peace is that when the enemy of self has been conquered and reconciled to God the Father through Jesus, then we can have the fullness of what the Christ Messiah has promised to his people. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:49.440 You see, so many times we want Jesus just to get us out of our circumstances. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:52.400 Jesus, get me out of this jam I've got myself in. 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.799 Jesus, get me out of this suffering, get me out of this trial, get me out of this. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:01.759 And Jesus is saying, all you do is want what I can give you. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:03.440 You don't want me. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:16.480 And Jesus, the King, on this beautiful display of self-sacrificing crucifixion, offers his very flesh and his very blood to his people. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:35.759 Constantly we find ourselves in this Christian life begging Jesus to deliver us from our circumstances, and we rarely ever discover or are able to see that it's in the midst of that circumstance that he's displaying and demonstrating his glory to us. 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:42.240 You see, all things are for good for those who love him. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:26:02.400 Sickness, trial, suffering, pain, loss, all of it for those who love him, he is working for good because what Christ is demonstrating to us is that we don't need delivered from the circumstance, we need delivered from self. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:08.240 And he's showing us his glory and majesty and beauty in the midst of it all. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:11.519 I love C.S. 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:12.079 Lewis. 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:18.720 He's an author, theologian, best known for his works, The Chronicles of Narnia. 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:30.240 And I'm going to paraphrase this quote, but he makes this statement about our absence or inability to be able to be satisfied with the beauty of Christ. 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:33.519 In fact, he says that we're satisfied with great lesser things. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:45.039 He says that we would be satisfied being children playing in the mud, making mud pies, when what awaits us is the shores of the beach and the beauty of God's creation. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:49.839 You see, we are constantly so satisfied with lesser things. 00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:53.279 Jesus, we want Jesus to get us out of this circumstance. 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:56.240 We wanted him to get us out of this situation. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:06.960 And what we're not realizing is that on the other side of what he wants to get us out of and into is the fullness of himself. 00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:17.440 And so the beauty of the gospel for us is this simple and sweet. 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:20.960 Jesus is king. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.119 Jesus is king. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:28.720 You see, they had it right, but they didn't know what they were saying. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:32.160 They had it right, but they didn't know who they were really talking to. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:41.279 Jesus is king, but like we have said, he is not the king that you and I expected. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:50.079 Instead of his body being adorned in a royal robe, his body was robed in torn flesh and blood. 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:55.680 Instead of a majestic jeweled crown, his head was crowned with thorns. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:01.359 Instead of seated on a throne of glory, he was hung on a cross of shame. 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:06.720 Instead of the crushing of his foes, he was crushed by his father. 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:12.799 And instead of conquering his enemies with the sword, he conquers you with the cross. 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.200 That is Jesus the King. 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:27.359 For all of us sitting here this morning, for all of us who are image bearers of God Himself, Jesus is King. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:36.799 And many of us look at the foolishness of the cross and we reject a king who could ever look like that. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:44.480 But that king is the very king we don't realize we so desperately need. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:48.319 Think about the foolishness of the cross. 00:28:48.559 --> 00:29:06.079 Think about looking at this, and this is what's this is what we're gonna see played out throughout this week is that these people who would herald him as king of Israel, at best, when he was being hung and crucified on a cross were nowhere to be found. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:09.039 That's not the king we expected. 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:11.759 That's not the king that that we thought was coming. 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:13.599 That's not that's not him. 00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.960 It couldn't be. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:25.920 And they look at the foolishness of the cross and they reject a king who could ever look like that. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:26.960 But we do that. 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:29.680 Me and you, we do that constantly. 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:52.400 I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of people who have left the faith, who have cast away their relationship with Jesus because they went through some hard trial, they endured some suffering, something tragic happened in their life, and they threw away their faith. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:56.400 Because how could a good God ever do that? 00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:00.079 How could a loving God ever do that? 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:06.240 How could a king seem to have so little power? 00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:29.839 But see, God, Jesus, who is king, as he carries us through those times of suffering, as he carries us through those trials, he's desire and purpose is to give us and reveal to us more of him. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:38.480 Because ultimately, no matter what circumstance we're going through, we need Jesus infinitely more. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:51.039 Anything we could ever lose, anything that could ever be taken from us, everything that could ever be ripped out of our hands, Jesus is desires to put himself in that place. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:57.440 There is no loss that can compare to the gain of having Christ. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:17.119 But people will make their, they will cast away their faith in the midst of these things because at the end of the day, they were looking for a king who would give conquer their circumstance rather than a king who would conquer their sin. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.000 So what do we do about this as a church? 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:29.519 We cry Hosanna to the king. 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:32.400 Cry Hosanna to the king. 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:39.279 As Pastor Jordan already said, Hosanna is the shout or proclamation of praise and adoration. 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:48.799 And so this week, as we're going through Holy Week, many of us are already believers and we've put our faith in Christ. 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:50.640 We've put our faith in this king. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:32:07.680 And what I want you to do as you're going throughout this week is reflect on are you serving a king who've you've fabricated and fantasized, or are you serving Jesus for who he's revealed himself to be? 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:12.480 Is the praises that you're giving him because life is going good? 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:18.480 Are you giving him praises for what he's done in your life, or are you giving him praise for who he is? 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:35.279 You see, we should reflect this week, leading up to Good Friday, leading up to Easter, to challenge and meditate on the purity of our Hosanna, the integrity of our Hosanna. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:53.599 And for some of us who haven't trusted Jesus, who haven't been given faith to believe in this king, my prayer and charge is that you would discover your Hosanna. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:33:31.279 Not to some fake king, but to Jesus, the true King, the everlasting King, whom the Bible says at the day of his return will not be cloaked in torn flesh and blood any longer, will not be crowned by thorns any longer, will not be held shameful to a cross any longer, but when he returns, it will not be on the back of a cult, it will be on the back of a stallion. 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:36.160 And he will come from heaven with a shout and a sword. 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:43.200 See, this is the beauty of the gospel, this is the beauty of the breath in your lungs right now is that you have an opportunity. 00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:53.680 You have an opportunity to respond to the Jesus who conquered his enemies with the cross before you have to face a Jesus who will conquer his enemies with the sword. 00:33:54.640 --> 00:34:07.200 Because the Bible declares that when he comes back and he cracks the skies open with a shout of victory, a sword will come out of his mouth and the blood of his enemies will hit the bridle of his horse. 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:16.880 Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess Jesus is king. 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:30.960 Do it now in joy, in humility, receiving the fullness of what Christ has to offer, his very flesh and blood, before you're forced to do it then. 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:36.480 Under his wrath and anger and judgment. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:41.920 Cry Hosanna to the King. 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:52.559 I want to lead us in a time of response this morning as we prepare to sing through the gospel and respond to this word that we have read. 00:34:52.639 --> 00:35:00.000 And so this morning I want to challenge you to reflect, to sit silently and still before the Lord. 00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:10.480 Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you this morning on how we can move closer toward the cross, toward Jesus the King.