"From the Parade to being Betrayed"

From The Parade To Being Betrayed

Luke 19:28-44 (NKJV)

Jesus went from being praised on Sunday to being betrayed by Friday. I always find studying this last week of Jesus’ life fascinating. Here he is on Palm Sunday entering Jerusalem as a hero. The people are shouting and praising him. They are all talking about all the great miracles this Jesus has done. They are recapping the healings, the deliverances, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. They are pumped and excited just like the fans at a football game. Their team is winning and they like what they see. So they cheer. But the team or star player starts doing things they don’t like and the crowd turns on the team and the hero. The praises go from cheers to boo’s. We have digressed from shouts of praise to screams of condemnation. We call these types of fans fickle, not true supporters of the team.

You Ready Let’s Go!!

What would you do if you know that: “This Friday you’re going to die”?

Those very words might have crossed Jesus’ mind on this Sunday some 1,970 years ago. The day we now call Palm Sunday was the first day of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. This Friday Jesus is going to die. But today – today is a day of applause. We know that…

I. THE OVATION WAS DESERVED
When Jesus approached Jerusalem the scene was intense. He arrived at Passover time. A crowd of Jewish religious pilgrims had already flooded the city. And into this throng rides Jesus on the back of a donkey, and with him, his own parade. 

The text tells us around v. 37 that the crowd “began joyfully to praise God.” The lifted up shouts of Hosanna! Which means, “Save!” They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah wrote:

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This was to be the last spontaneous display of public approval of Jesus, and it was also to be the greatest. Why would these people applaud him at all? The text gives us some clues.

v. 37 say, they “praised God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.”

They had seen the crippled walk. They had witnessed the blind receiving sight. Even the dead were raised. Lazarus was proof! In a word, He brought hope.

I imagine a Roman soldier galloping up to check on the disturbance. He has attended processions in Rome where they do it right. The conquering general sits in a chariot of gold, white stallions pulling at the reigns. Behind him are officers in polished armor carrying the colorful banners of the defeated enemies. At the rear comes a ragtag procession of slaves and prisoners in chains – living proof of what happens when you get in Rome’s way.

In Jesus’ triumphal entry, the adoring crowd makes up the ragtag procession: the lame, the blind, the poor and children from Galilee and Bethany. When the soldier looks for the object of their attention – he sees a man riding on a donkey using a borrowed coat as a saddle. Not a very impressive sight, perhaps, to a Roman. But it was the best display these people could give. The reception of a meek and peaceful king.

The applause was certainly deserved. But we are also aware that

II. THE OVATION OF THIS DAY PRECEDED
BETRAYAL

There is something ambivalent about this day of excitement. If you know the rest of the story you’re probably aware that the week goes downhill from here all the way to Friday.

The story comes to its climax, not in Jesus entering Jerusalem, but in his weeping over it. While Jesus deserves a triumphal entry as king, Luke emphasizes that he is moving instead to the place of his rejection. Eventually the applause ends. Quickly the mood will change. And a great truth is dramatically reinforced. That truth being that voice of the people is a fickle voice.

Illus – W. Frank Harrington, a minister in Atlanta, tells the story of Marvin Griffin. Marvin ran for governor of Georgia in the early sixties against Carl Sanders. His strategy was to have great gatherings around barbequed dinners all over the state of Georgia. Sometimes over 10,000 people would show up at these dinners just to eat Marvin’s BBQ. But when the election was over, he had lost decisively. At a news conference that followed he simply said, “They ate Ol’ Marvin’s barbeque, but they didn’t vote for me.” Yes, politicians know very well that the voice of the people is a fickle voice. (heard same voice; cheering for you, then booing you)

No, the voice of people can’t always be trusted. At sporting events the same crowd who boos at a player madly after a series of mistakes will cheer for him wildly after a great play. Crowds have a short memory. They’re usually asking, “What have you done for me today?”

That happened to Jesus. The same voices that shouted, “Hosanna!” on Sunday were yelling, “Crucify him,” and “Give us Barrabas,” by Friday morning. It’s pretty sad.

Judas ended up selling out for 30 pieces of silver and a kiss (watch who you are kissing). And when Jesus was arrested Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew’s Gospel closes the scene with these chilling words, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56) Where was all the applause then?

You know what’s even sadder? A little earlier in the evening in a moment of applause Peter told Jesus, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” (Matthew 26:33) But Peter took off too. Then he denied knowing Jesus 3 times before the sun came up.

When Jesus was on the way to Calvary on Friday, severely lacerated and beaten, struggling under the weight of his own cross, he needed someone to carry the cross for him. Surely one of the disciples would leap from the

crowd and volunteer. Surely one of them would surface now and show his face. But no, a stranger named Simon, who just happened to be passing through the city, had to be forced at spear point to carry his cross.

Palm Sunday leaves me with a question about myself. Would I have fared any better than those disciples? Do I fare any better today?

Question for each of us to ponder…

III. ARE YOU A CARNIVAL CHRISTIAN?

What’s a “Carnival Christian?” A Carnival Christian is someone who enjoys the fun. Someone who gets caught up in the excitement of cheering for Jesus, but sometimes has a hard time taking a personal stand for him when the crowd isn’t around. Commitments for them are difficult to keep. And because of that, apart from the crowd, the Christian lifestyle isn’t always evident in them. Maybe you’ve been to a big Christian gathering where there was excitement in numbers. Like church conferences. Great times of worship, great times of learning, a big crowd. Easy to be a Christian there. Easy to applaud Jesus in a setting like that. It’s easy to applaud Jesus when you’re in a crowd that’s already giving him applause. Then you go home.

Then what?

THESIS: The point is we can’t gauge our commitment to Jesus solely by the applause we give Him. Without close contact with the source of the excitement, your fervor will not remain.

If your life is consistently marked by the absence of a personal quiet time; there is no way that you will ever be anything but a Carnival Christian. If you don’t personally read the Bible and spend time in prayer regularly on your own, you have no chance at ever becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ. It’s about a love relationship with him. Something we talk about a lot around here. Do you want to kick the Carnival habit and take the next step toward becoming a committed Christian?

Let me share with you a poem I came across recently. I’ve tried but I haven’t been able to find the name of the poet who wrote it. If you recognize it, and know who the author is, let me know. It is called “At The Crossroad” and it goes like this:

“I encountered a man on the Road of life,

so sure of himself – so convinced he was right.

He had (his) religion, but he didn’t know God,

And though he had eyes, I thought that rather odd:

He only could see what he wanted to see.

So, blind to the truth that could set his soul free;

the man charged ahead – unaware he was lost,

until he encountered a Man on a cross

at a fork in the road

where the path became two

and the man who’d always been sure of himself had to choose.

Between broad and narrow, between left and right,

Between things he could see, and things still out of sight.

And I’m sure that the man would have gone the wrong way,

Had he not encountered the Savior that day.

But love rescued him! Truth set him free!

Grace opened his eyes – he could finally see…

That the Man on the cross made the difference.

Now listen, as this once-proud skeptic proclaims:

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

There are so many who are blind to the truth of Christ today. So many whose ears do not want to hear. So many who want to go their own way. They want what they want, but not the way God wants it. They want pleasure without pain, they want blessing without trial, they want hope without sacrifice, and they want life without death. They want all the benefits of the kingdom – peace, joy, love, security, hope and so on … without any of the responsibility or humbling of self. What they really want is the kingdom without the cross.

And when Jesus looked upon Jerusalem that day, He saw a people who wanted those very same things. He knew that many of those who cheered for Him in those moments would cry out for His death in the days to come. He knew they would reject Him, and turn away – and yet still, even knowing what was to come – He went – and He died for them. And He died for us who’ve craved the same things. Knowing the pain and suffering and darkness that was to come, He entered into Jerusalem anyways. That’s the depth of His love for you and me and that’s the Savior who calls out to you. Will you receive Him today?