Palm Sunday

What do you say when people ask how your week has been? Do you say “busy?” Today is Palm Sunday. It’s the beginning of what is referred to as holy week. Maybe the busiest seven days Jesus ever had on earth. It’s the week that He entered Jerusalem and the people greeted Him with palm branches on a Sunday, He instituted communion during the passover feast on Thursday, He was killed on a roman cross on Friday and then was resurrected three days later on the next Sunday, the day we celebrate as Easter. But those are just the highlights, there was so much more going on that week. There are several other famous Bible stories that take place during that week. This is the most important week in the ministry of Jesus. I believe that’s what the disciples thought anyway. There is so much going on during this time that about 50% of John’s Gospel is given to this week. Matthew used more than 33% of his Gospel to cover it, Mark almost 40% and Luke over 25%. All this time spent just to tell us about only seven days of Jesus’ ministry. There was a lot going on that week, and I’m not going to be able to dig into every event that took place, so today we will focus on the events of the first couple of days of that week...which includes Palm Sunday. We will look in the 12th chapter of book of John for most of the context. Here in the first two days of the story, we will find out several things, including why the Pharisees want to murder Lazarus after Jesus raised him from the dead, the difference between Mary and her sister Martha, how Judas revealed who he really was, why the

crowd gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem and how dangerous the Pharisees thought the ministry of Jesus was becoming. Let’s begin. The Dinner Party John 12:1-2 “12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there.” It’s Saturday evening, and in only eight days, Jesus will have risen from the dead and changed the course of history. But tonight he’s going to a dinner party in Bethany at the home of a man named Simon. Now, with everything Jesus knew about what was coming this week, it’s hard to imagine Him making time for a social event. But this wasn’t just another church potluck. This dinner was being held in His honor. The reason was because Simon wanted to show Jesus gratitude for the miracle He had performed on his behalf. You see, this guy Simon had been known as Simon the Leper. Certainly, he would have been one of the lepers cleansed by Jesus, or else he would not have been holding a dinner party at his home. Lepers were forced to live outside of the city away from the healthy people for fear of infecting others. Simon’s house was in Bethany, which is also where Lazarus lived along with his sisters Mary and Martha. Actually, the story as written in the Gospel according to Luke in chapter 10 says the dinner party took place at the home of Martha, which would mean that John and Luke don’t agree with

each other. How could the dinner take place at Simon the Leper’s house and the house of Martha? It doesn’t make sense...unless of course, it was the same house, because Simon was Martha’s father or they were married. There are those who believe there is evidence to support either scenario. But regardless of whether Simon the Leper and Martha were married or father and daughter, it makes perfect sense that they would invite the other family members including Lazarus and Mary to this party at the family home. It hadn’t been very long since Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. It seems that Jesus had a special relationship with this family. This was the same dinner party where Martha complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her serve the other guests. Mary and Martha were very different people. If you have siblings or kids of your own, you know how different people raised in the same house under the same rules can still be very different. Let’s read the account from the book of Luke. Mary and Martha Luke 10:38-42 “38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Martha was all about serving others and taking care of the event, but Mary was focused on Jesus. There are two ministry gifts illustrated in these two sisters. Martha was all about making sure

all the tasks got done, but Mary stopped working and started worshiping when Jesus got there. Both are important areas of ministry, but Jesus says that worship is the priority when the King arrives. I have a hard time not being like Martha. I like to have things buttoned up, but sometimes I’ve got to just realize that the time for preparation is over and let it go, so I can shift my focus to worshiping the King. Martha was anxious because everything wasn’t just right, but Mary could let it go because her priority was on the right thing. Martha wanted to work, but Mary wanted to worship. John 12:2-3 “Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” Mary’s act of worship was to anoint Jesus with expensive oil. Notice how John specifically talks about how the fragrance filled the entire house. Memories can be more powerful when tied to a smell. Is there a smell from your childhood the takes you right back any time you smell it? John 12:4-8 “4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money-bag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

Judas was a thief and was motivated by money. But he hid it by judging the motives of others and shifting the focus onto them instead of himself. Several years ago I had someone question me about how money that had been given to a church was being spent...just like Judas did. And my suspicion is that just like Judas they were not giving to the church, they were also thief’s. Now I don’t believe they were literally taking money out of the offering plate as it was passed... but they were robbing God in the way it is described in Malachi, by not giving anything to support His work and justifying it by saying that the church didn’t use it for the right things. They enjoyed what the church provided for them, but if you looked at it like a restaurant, the were pulling the old dine and dash routine. Your tithes and offerings are not given to a church, they are given through a church...to God in obedience to His word. And you will give an account to God for your obedience or lack thereof. You also need to understand that what the leadership of the church does with that money, is something they will answer to God for. Everyone is held accountable to what God’s word says, and it says “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Be careful that you are not judging church leadership by a different standard than you judge yourself. The Plot to Kill Lazarus 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The crowd came because they wanted to see Lazarus, the dead guy who was brought back to life. Lazarus was a credible witness because he had relevant evidence that showed the power of Jesus. Because of this, he was targeted by the Pharisees to be silenced. As Christians we have all been called to the witness stand. Jesus is on trial every time we are around unbelievers who know we claim to follow Him. They are looking for evidence that what we say is actually true. Are we prepared to testify in this trial and if so, are we credible witnesses? As people who are citizens of Heaven living under Kingdom rule, we have been called to step up to the witness stand and let our lives shine as a testimony to his power. During a trial, if a prosecutor knows someone’s testimony is true, he will try and destroy their credibility before they testify by bringing up something from their past. That’s what the enemy does to you. He wants to bring up your past, but God says your past has been forgiven and also forgotten. The Triumphal Entry John 12:12-14 “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, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, (a reference to Zechariah 9:9) 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” After seeing Lazarus alive and well the crowd who had come to Jerusalem for Passover decided to welcome Jesus into

Jerusalem and proclaim Him as King of Israel. The crowd was all excited about crowning Jesus as the King of Israel, but as Jesus entered town He did something they didn’t expect. He didn’t turn toward the Roman government complex to begin the take over of Jerusalem...He went to the temple to see what was going on. The next day He came back and ran off the money changers... again. Yes, this was the second time He did this. The first time Jesus cleared the temple of moneychangers was just after His first miracle at the beginning of His public ministry. It’s interesting that the second time was just before His crucifixion. So Jesus began and ended His ministry by cleaning up the church. Could it be that He is doing that again now. As yet another side note, this was also the same morning that He cursed a fig tree for not having any fruit. John 12:16-18 “16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.” The motive of the crowd was to chase the miracles and follow the next king of Israel. They wanted to be on the winning side of the battle they thought was coming. Their testimony of Jesus raising Lazarus was powerful enough to convince others that Jesus was going to be a powerful king for them. The crowd that followed Jesus was continuing to grow and it was becoming more and more of a problem for the Pharisees.

John 12:19 “So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Despite all their efforts to stop the ministry of Jesus, the Pharisees were continuing to lose ground in their home territory of Jerusalem. This was the last straw. They just couldn’t take it anymore. But the problem is that Jesus didn’t come to start another religion like they thought, He came to restore the kingdom that was lost when Adam sinned. But the Pharisees didn’t want that. They were very happy with the traditional religious system they had set up to keep people under their control. This Jesus guy was talking about a new way to follow God instead of just keeping the laws that the Pharisees had written. Jesus talked about loving your neighbor and not having lust in your heart. Jesus was always talking about the motivation of your heart not the act you committed. This is when the Pharisees decided to finalize their deal with Judas. They wanted to know where and when they could find Jesus away from the crowds, and Judas knew that info. All it would take is the one thing Judas couldn’t resist...money. Judas had the best teacher, the best small group and a front row seat to powerful miracles, but that didn’t stop him from following his heart. Matthew 6:19-21 “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”