Palm Sunday

Speaker: Paul Brown

Notes

It's a week before Easter and we're remembering Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It's in all four gospels (Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12).

Jesus and his disciples have been heading for Jerusalem for a while, most recently from Jericho. The Jericho road climbs up through Bethany to the crest of the Mount of Olives and across the valley into Jerusalem. The roads are busy as it's Passover in a week.

Jesus sends for a donkey (Luke 19:28-35). There just happens to be one exactly where he said and the owner is wierd enough to let the disciples take it. Either (a) it was a supernatural freak occurrence of some kind, or (b) Jesus had friends in the village and one of them had said, "anytime you need anything it's yours," and meant it. I wonder if I could be like that with my belongings... (thanks to Ralph Wilson for this thought.)

Jesus rides the donkey into Jerusalem and the people cover the roadway with coats and branches, and fill the air with praises to God.

The pharisees understood that Jesus was setting himself up as a king, but they didn't understand who Jesus was. Matthew makes connection with Zech 9 and Psalm 118.

Application

How is your attitude to your possessions? We've probably all said to Jesus, "all I have is yours," but how well do we recognise when Jesus wants to borrow our donkey / car / house / phone / ...? What might it look like? What if it's really going to put you out? Are some things easier to lend / give away than others?

Even if he doesn't ask, are you prepared to give everything to worship Jesus? Even thrugh your coat in the mud for him?

Check out what Jesus was saying about himself and what the people were saying about him: Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 118:19-29. Compare a king on a donkey with a king on a horse...

Many of the same people shouting "Hosanna!" were only days later shouting "Crucify!" How could that have been? And how can we stop ourselves being so shallow?

Posted: 5 Apr 2009