Palm Sunday

Rev Gideon Lee

Today is Palm Sunday. It's the Sunday before Good Friday and before Resurrection Sunday. I will prefer this term to Easter. Some people also call it Passion Sunday. We commemorate events like Christmas and Palm Sunday, onhis triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We talk also about his suffering in this coming week. He went to the cross on Good Friday but on the third day he rose again, alive forevermore.

Death could not hold him. He's alive.

I want to talk to you about what caused the people to change their minds. Everybody loved Jesus at the triumphant entry. But that same group of people on Friday says crucify him. What changed their minds?

Matthew 21:1-11

The Triumphal Entry

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

I want you to imagine with me that you are there just outside of Jerusalem itself. Imagine the atmosphere there. This is an important event. You are obligated to come and attend this ceremony if you are a Jew. At that time there were about  21/2 million people gathered there. Like Penang right?

The people were still under the rule of the Roman empire. They were still under the oppression of the Roman rulers and they were heavily taxed. For them they were waiting for the Messiah to set them free.

They've heard about Jesus and the miracles he did. And now he is coming to Jerusalem. He came down the mount of Olives. You can see the whole city coming down from there.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Even a donkey can be of use to Jesus. You are smarter than a donkey right? And it fulfilled scripture. The King of kings and Lord of lords came on a donkey to fulfil scripture. And the palms is a symbol of Israel. They were all shouting Hosanna Hosanna. Blessed is he. It meant save me. Save me. Save me son of David. The people were looking to him as a saviour.

They saw him like a superstar. They said save me because they were still under the oppression of the Romans. These same people on Friday say crucify him. What changed their minds in such a short time?

From the scripture we can see many reasons but I want to look at 3.

1. Jesus' compassion for all

Matthew 21:12-15

Jesus at the Temple

21:12-16pp – Mk 11:15-18; Lk 19:45-47

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’’”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

After his entry into Jerusalem he went to the temple. The house of worship and he saw that people were buying and selling. Anything wrong with that? No. But they were cheating the people. He said my house will be called a house of prayer. But these people were doing business and there was no room for the gentiles to worship God.

Jesus came and overturned the tables. He got angry. We see him angry even though we often only see Jesus as a gentle person. The blind and the lame began to come to the place and Jesus healed them. His compassion is for all. The house of God is for all and this is not good for the Jews. They felt they had a privileged position. Jesus said salvation is for all and they are not happy.

The church must be made accessible for all. We welcome all. Jesus has been doing this even before now. He was with the prostitute and tax collector. But here it's a public statement. It's sad but sometimes the church may exclude certain people out.

I heard one pastor dressed up like a beggar and came into his church. They couldn't recognise him and he even smelled the part. Probably didn't bath for a week. And he wanted to see how the members would react to him. Jesus have always done this, his compassion is for all.

Some people were not excited about that. They were indignant. Jesus is saying my Kingdom is for everyone.

2. Jesus began to talk more and more about commitment.

Matthew 21:18-22

The Fig Tree Withers

21:18-22pp – Mk 11:12-14, 20-24

18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus was hungry. I wonder what he would eat if he was in Penang. He saw this fig tree and it was only full of leaves. He expected the fig tree to have fruits. That time it was fruit season but that fig tree had no fruits.

Imagine if you have a durian plantation and during May and June all you saw were leaves? You'd expect to see durians and not just leaves. Jesus saw it was just leaves. No use. He cursed the fig tree and it withered and died. Jesus was asking for commitment. It was planted for a reason, and that is to bear fruit. He was asking for more and more commitment.

Now that they have seen all that he has done, all the miracles that he did. And at the last week of his ministry, he is expecting commitment. He asked his disciples who do you say I am? He is asking, will you bear fruit? Who is he to you? A prophet? A good man? He is the Son of the living God. He is calling for commitment.

Judas was one that didn't know who Jesus was. He thought he came to establish his kingdom and rule.

Look at me and my wife. We dated for maybe 6 years, 10 years, 15 years and no commitment. She may say waste time only this fella. Until I say do you take me…there's no commitment. We like free and easy. We come to church also free and easy. No commitments. God is asking you this morning for commitment.

Jesus was talking more and more about commitment. The people wants the blessings but not the commitments. Which brings me to the last point. Jesus was talking more and more about the cross. The last words of a person is very important.  Right or not? If on my death bed I call all my children and wife, they'd expect me to say something very important. We call our family or all those that are close to us.

3. Jesus talks about the cross

Jesus at the last week knows he is going to the cross and he has no time to waste. He is asking them to give their life.

The cross is a symbol of suffering and shame. We all don't want that. It's burdensome. The cross was for the worst kind of criminals. He did not do anything that deserved the cross. They crucified him naked. He is telling them he has to go to the cross and he is telling them to die to themselves.

We don't want to be inconvenienced by the cross. The mere sight of the cross can send people into a frenzy. For the church the power is in the cross. We talk about things that suits us. The cross talks about dying to self. But in it is our victory. Because on the third day, he rose again. Amen church?

Today is Palm Sunday and it talks about his triumphant entry and his suffering but the most important thing is that he rose again.