Apr 9 2017 Palm Sunday - God's Love for You Puts Jesus on the Cross

Sue: The question comes up – what happens when what is right for you is not right for me? I do walking lunges at the Nat – and I have found that in order to not lose my balance, I need to focus on a point on the wall. So one day, I was walking at the Nat and a guy is walking toward me hanging on to the railing for dear life. I thought – Here is an opportunity for me to impart some of my wisdom! He responded to me, “I had brain surgery and it has affected my balance!” What is good and right and true for me would be dangerous in his life! Then Mike was talking about the church in Laodicea – get your focus back! And then Carl and Sally shared – and it was beautiful. But they didn’t look around and say – Who else is doing this! And they didn’t say – This is what you should be doing in your families – because that wouldn’t work in every family. Our lives will look different – so what do we do when what is good for us is not good for someone else? In John 21, Jesus addresses this. Peter asks – What about him? Jesus responds – what is that to you? You follow me!
He still says that to each of us today.
Mike Marette: I just heard that some churches in Egypt were bombed. Lord – we pray for those – there is so much going on in our world – and it is so hard to understand. We ask for those who are grieving that you would bear them up. We live in a violent world. You give us an example of gentle endurance and patient grace. You came in peace to heal and forgive and to suffer and sacrifice yourself rather than to destroy others. Help us to realize this is our calling as well – we are to give our lives for others.
Lord, we thank You for the opportunity to worship You this morning as we focus on this week – singing to You and to one another – knowing You gave Your life for us, that we might have a life with You. As we focus on what took place 2000 years ago, help us to zero in on what You would have for us – how to live Holy Week and Easter every day – that our lives might be transformed by a life of resurrection. Speak to our hearts that we might be humbled to hear You.
This is Palm Sunday – and I, as a Pastor – say – I have to do this again. This is my old Bible – I don’t use it much – and thinking about what Palm Sunday story I want to tell – I came upon John – and decided to focus here. The Triumphal Entry – this celebration – this Savior King coming into Jerusalem. In the Greco-Roman world – when a commander comes back from battle with a great military victory – the people would come out and usher the leader into the city, and that is what we think about. But – in context, Palm Sunday’s primary focus is to set up the cross. This is about the cross. It is the straw that breaks the camel’s back – leading to Jesus being crucified. This was purposely orchestrated by Jesus leading up to His death on the cross. He knew exactly what He was doing – we will see this in the story. He is not manipulating the situation – he is orchestrating it. He is in full control, like Jeff mentioned – but He is not manipulative.
Like in politics, the politician will lay out a rally specifically in such a way to manipulate the people.
When the people come out with palms, it is genuine – but misguided. Jesus will set them straight.
I am going to put this in context.
John 11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived… 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, look, the one you love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness will not lead to death, but to God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days.
What an interesting response! He loves these folks! Jesus had a unique relationship with this family – and these words – This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory so that the Son of God may be glorified through it – this is not a discouraging story – but it raises questions. It can also raise doubt and frustration to many.
We hear these stories – and think – WOW! Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! But then we look at our own experience and it doesn’t feel the same – we don’t get the same results - And when we run into a difficult situation – we hope and expect God to act in a certain way – and it doesn’t happen.
We think of sickness and trouble in this world – and there are several views. One is – we think all sickness is from the devil and that if we have enough faith, God will heal.
The other side – God never heals or intervenes in anything – and everything is left to chance.
Jesus tells them right here – Most sickness leads to death.
Jesus raised a handful of people from death. While He was doing His ministry – tens of thousands probably died in Israel – and just a couple people were raised.
Lazarus – if you think about it – Lazarus had to die twice! Mary and Martha probably outlived him and had to grieve twice!
We have seen people healed. But everyone Jesus heals will get sick again and die. It is the reality of the world we live in. This passage declares His love – but His actions do not match the pronouncement of His love – rather than going immediately, He stays.
We hear, from early in our Christian lives, that God loves us. But sometimes our circumstances and reality do not match that pronouncement – at least it doesn’t feel like it – we think, If God really loved us – this wouldn’t have happened.
You remember a year ago – the family – some of us knew them for 20 years – Jeff Mather – something snapped – and he blew up his house and family. Just last weekend – the Jeff Mather’s father was killed in a car accident. Imagine his widow, losing her son and his family one year and then losing her husband the next.
God still loves us in every circumstance. We are trained to have a Disney movie ending to every story. But in this life, we will suffer and die here – and that is the simple reality. Bad things happen – and we make platitudes about why it happened, and those who hear it are like, “You have got to be kidding me!”
Jesus had one answer: The cross. This sickness is that God would be glorified – and we think – the resurrection of Lazarus is the demonstration – but when you look at the entire Book of John – the glory of God always references the CROSS. And this is no exception.
7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples replied, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you going there again... 11 After he said this, he added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him." 12 Then the disciples replied, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

13 (Now Jesus had been talking about his death, but they thought he had been talking about real sleep.) 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, 15 and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go too, so that we may die with him."
See what is happening here? Even Thomas – the doubter – knew that if they went there they would kill Him. It is directly tied to Jesus dying on the cross.
Lazarus is like our representative. God’s love for us put Jesus on the cross. God’s love for Lazarus puts Jesus on the cross.
Lazarus’ life is given back to him – but Jesus’ is taken away.
In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund makes a deal with the White Witch and is sentenced to die – and Aslan (Jesus) comes in and takes his place. That is the demonstration of God’s love for us. He suffers on the cross for us. It does not always work out in this earth – happily ever after – but it does for all eternity.
38 Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, "Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days." 40 Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?"
41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 42 I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and let him go."
45 Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together …49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish. 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
This seals the deal on Jesus
John 12: 3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 5 "Why wasn't this oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?"
6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.) 7 So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!"
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!"
It is just before Passover – and after what happened with Lazarus, the word spread throughout the city – and during that week – people were coming from all over Israel – and people would camp out on the hillsides just outside the city – and as He comes over the Mount of Olives – they rush out to Him. Get that picture – thousands and thousands – like Woodstock without hippies – and much more wholesome – and they are waving these (date) palms – a symbol of Jewish Nationalism – like Flag-waving today. You are cheering on your candidate – and everyone has flags – their flag – their side – they will be victorious – shouting Hosanna! The Savior has come – and they call Him a king – but there is only one king – and that is Caesar – and those same folks will proclaim they have no king but Caesar – crucify Him - just a few days later.
This is a political event – and the Pharisees – in Luke, tell Jesus to quiet the people.
But what happens next is important and dramatic – and misunderstood –
People are like – You’re the KING! And Jesus paints a different picture of what true victory means. True victory comes through the suffering of a servant. To come in humility – not like a conquering commander – but One who comes as a sufferer – lowly.
We see this gentle nonconformity to evil.
Colossians – 1:we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
When we think about being controlled by the power of God – we think of people who are enduringly patient – extraordinarily patient. Do we recognize that there is tremendous power in being patient? There is great inner strength – Christlikeness.

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, people of Zion; look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt!“…. 17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it.
John 12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!"
20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
The representation of the world outside of Israel has come after Him –
24 I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain.
He gives a simple parable – one everyone can understand – we have all planted a seed into the ground – and for it to become what it must eventually become it must lose what it currently is. Jesus Himself is the seed that must die in order to bear much fruit – in order to become what He must become.
25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
What Jesus does – He turns to His disciples – This seed has to be put into the ground – and by the way – if you want to follow me, you have the same thing – your seed needs to be put in the ground. There is always stuff that we need to let go of – stuff that needs to die in order for us to become what God wants us to become.
Take an inventory of what needs to die in your life. It may be an ambition, an attitude, a sin, or something about how we think. Go in deep – get introspective – especially for those of you who are rarely introspective. We all have stuff – stuff that needs to die – and decide before God – what needs to go – right now. Best way to grow as a Christian is to simply do the next good thing. Look for that next good thing – do it all at once – don’t get all guilty about it – maybe it is an attitude about another person – your spouse, work, church, self – bury it.