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Palm Sunday is the beginning of the Holy Week, the most important week in the history of the human race! It begins with the entrance of a man named Jesus, God Himself, into Jerusalem. He came to earth in human form and He willingly went to the cross to die for your sins and mine!
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!’ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.’
(John 12:12-15 NKJV)
Palm Sunday: It’s a big deal!
  • Jesus is focused on Jerusalem.
  • Jesus makes His entrance into Jerusalem: The Most Holy of Cities.
  • Jerusalem was the home of the Temple: The heart of the Jewish faith.
  • It’s the Passover: the festival of festivals.
  • Jesus fully knew what waited for Him.
  • Jesus was willing to fulfill the prophecy and plan of God.
  •  Jesus knew this was the time.

If God says something is going to happen, something is going to happen!

Jesus knew that Jerusalem would be the place . . .

 . . . the climax and culmination of His ministry!

He had been telling them all along . . .

              . . . He was always moving toward . . .

                    . . . He was always pressing toward . . .

                           . . . everything He taught and did moved Him toward Jerusalem!

Luke 9:51 (NKJV) “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .”

Luke 13:22 (NLT) “Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.”

Jesus had been moving toward Jerusalem His whole life!

There was purpose in His every step!

His internal compass was always leading Him toward Jerusalem!

Luke 13:33 (NKJV) “Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”

His purpose: It was totally clear to Him // “As it is written . . .”

He was on a single mission . . .

. . . He was born to die . . .

. . . this is where His life mission would be fulfilled!
 “ . . . shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey . . .”
(Zech. 9:9-10)
Those around Him weren’t so clear on the purpose of the day: “This is it?”
  • The disciples: “How will this go down?” Although they were with Him constantly, they missed a lot!
  • Great multitudes were in attendance: They were looking for the Messiah. “Could this be the One who would free them from Rome’s heavy hand?”
  •  The crowd of people lining the streets: “Is He setting up a new kingdom?”
  •  His 1000’s of followers (those He had healed, raised from the dead, taught, fed): They were hopeful, stirred and calling out for help. “Could He be the One who frees us?” They were crying out, “Hosanna . . . save us we pray!”
  •  Pharisees (the religious leaders): Their authority was threatened. They said, “ . . . teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
  •  His reputation preceded Him: “Jesus is coming!”

They are all had ideas about what the day meant: But Jesus knew all along!

Jesus fully knew, although those around Him didn’t understand.

Palm Sunday for Jesus: Signified certain death!

  • It was not quick or heroic.
  • It was excruciating.
  • It was the most horrible death imaginable.
  • It was used to take away dignity and cause shame.
  • It was very public, viewed by every passer-by.
  • It was used to not only cause immense suffering, but humiliation . . . truly overkill!
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day he will rise again.’
(Luke 18:31-33 NKJV)
The Cross: Signifies who He is and what He did!!

  • He died for you.
  • He died for me.
  • He was crucified for your sins and mine.
  • The message of the cross must be preached!

The Cross: The centerpiece of the Gospel of Jesus ChristThe whole plan of God!

  • The cross is the symbol of what happened.
  • The cross is the emblem of our faith.
  • The cross is the hinge-pin of the Gospel.
  • The cross must be celebrated.
  • Without the cross, there is no payment for our sin.
  • The cross makes the transaction complete.

 “I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what He did – Jesus crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2 MSG)

He died for you!

He died for us!

He died in your place!

He took your place!

He was the substitutionary atonement for us!

He paid the penalty so we might be free!

He “set His face like flint” toward Jerusalem.

He absorbed the wrath of God.

He paid it ALL!!
 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
(1 Cor. 15:3-4 NKJV)
 
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isa. 53:5-6 NKJV)

 . . . who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
(Rom. 4:25 NKJV)
 
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV)
Jesus took it ALL on Himself . . . He carried away

our sin just because of His love!

We’ve all sinned . . . but He was the atonement.
 “ . . . and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
(1 John 2:2 NKJV)
Jesus came to pay for our sin!

Jesus was our advocate!

The case is dismissed . . . all penalties dropped . . . you are FREE to go!!

The take-away: Think about Him this week!

    Good Friday—this Friday: Jesus was crucified.
    Express your thanks for all He has done!
    Easter—Next Sunday: He is a risen Savior!!
    Welcome Him!
    Honor Him!

It’s the Holy Week . . . we now KNOW . . . He died and rose again!!
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
(Heb. 12:2 NLT)

Meadowbrook Church
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Tim Gilligan
Web site: Meadowbrook Church Ocala
 
Tim and Alicia Gilligan founded Meadowbrook Church of Ocala in 1989, with an urgent desire to minister to the people of Central Florida. Three decades later, they continue to practically and passionately share the truth of God's word.
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