Lent: Palm Sunday

March 13
Palm Sunday
Mark 11: 1-11

Intro
Lent
What is Lent? 40 days to prepare

This year’s Lenten series-last week of Jesus’ life. You have an extra hand out. Add one question-why do you think Jesus goes into the temple courts the night before?

So what is the first day of the last week?

Mark 11: 1-11
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

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

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

As we get started I need to give some background to what is going on during this story.
Who is in charge? Roman empire-how it’s governed-Emperor-emperor appointed governors

What’s going on in Jerusalem this last week? Passover celebration-some estimates say 200,000
What is Passover? What does it celebrate?
Israelites celebrate the fact that their God is the God who hears the cry of those who are oppressed. At a specific point in their history the God of the oppressed had heard their cry and rescued them from a foreign oppressor. So you have 200,000 Israelites singing and praising God, celebrating with wine God overcoming a foreign oppressor-all week long.

If you are Pilate how excited are you about this celebrating?
If you’re job is to keep the peace, how excited are you about this gathering?
What if they start talking about me? What if enough of them get together and have enough wine and sing enough songs and they start thinking…
You do not want them to-think about their history too long,
Job security is keeping these people well behaved.
How do you send a message-don’t think about it…do not mess with me?
Once a year-Pilate leaves Caesarea and marches to Jerusalem from the West. “Pilate enters from the West” And do it in such a way that says Rome is in control.
Eagle, What is an eagle? Matthew 8: 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Fox was a rabbinic reference to describe corrupt Jewish kings who lived in palaces and fed off the poor-
My movement is different, my movement is not about power.

After eagle, Giant Standards, parade of all the things the Roman Empire has done-resistance is futile
What happens to those who resist?
Soldiers, horseman and at the end or beginning would be Pilate on a horse-don’t mess with me.
Praetorium-fortress to remind them-don’t get out of hand-we’re right here

Pilate enters from the west.

Where is Jesus coming from? Bethany or from the East. Jesus enters from the East
How does Jesus enter? With an army? With a show of power?
Lowly and riding on a donkey

Do you understand what is happening? Jesus is having a political rally. Think about it. Do you really think at the end of the week Jesus is crucified for teaching-do the right thing, confess your sins, let God forgive you, trust God so you can go to heaven?

Why would the religious leaders come to the decision to kill him? Save people from their sins? If his message was just try to live a good life, better to give than receive, love your enemy? Love your God and love your neighbor? Blessed are the peacemakers, why does the ruling establishment decide that this man must die? And why didn’t they kill him? Why do they turn him over to someone else to do it? And why does the Roman Empire kill him? There’s something more going on this last week. And I hope to show you as we continue through this series.

Do you see what Jesus is doing?
There’s 2 ways to enter a city from the west or from the east. There are 2 ways to live-2 ways to run your life-2 ways to raise your kids-2 ways to handle conflict, 2 ways to deal with pain, 2 ways to run your house
2 ways to deal with the poor- DFW-shipped their homeless out of town for the SuperBowl
Yukon-dropped them off
2 ways,…from the west and from the east…horses or donkeys?
2 ways-Jesus is asking-my way or the way you’ve seen-the way of violence and power-or humility and sacrifice
Jesus goes to the cross for a better way.

There are 2 kingdoms which one do you serve?