As usual, if you’d like to read the transcript of Pastor Lola’s message, click “continue reading…” below.
LUKE 19:28-40 JESUS RIDES INTO JERUSALEM AS KING
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
LUKE
19:28-40 WELCOMING JESUS,
THE KING WHO COMES TO SERVE
Here it is Palm Sunday, and the week leading up to Easter.
We will have very different celebrations of the Easter season this year. We will not be gathering in our churches. The important thing will be to grasp the significance of welcoming Jesus for who He is. This is what we see happening as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. If we choose to welcome Jesus in our hearts and in our homes, then each of us can be reminded again of why He came into our world. We will also be reminded that He wants to be right here with us in this present situation.
I had a conversation with someone this week who talked about a time when this current situation is over and an individual is having a job interview. The suggested question that would be important to ask an employer is, “How did you treat your employees during the COVID 19 pandemic”? This got me thinking… How essential to consider now how we will be able to respond when someone asks us down the road, “What did you do during the COVID19 crisis”? “How did it affect your faith in God? How did you treat and respond to other people”?
At the center of all this will be our choice to welcome Jesus and to allow Him to guide our every thought, word, and action.
Jesus is willing to be among us. Jesus is close to us in a time when we cannot be physically close to each other. Jesus is not needing to distance Himself from us. In a time when we need Him most, He is incredibly near! WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
One of the things I want us to notice here in the description of Jesus entering Jerusalem in Luke 19, gives me strong reassurance.
Jesus sends two of His disciples to the village ahead to get the young colt of a donkey for Him to ride on.
vs. 32 tells us, “Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He (Jesus) had told them.”
This gives me strong reassurance because it indicates that Jesus knows what is ahead and already has it figured out. We need to hear that in a week when we have been told that the threat of this pandemic and the strict measures to bring it under control are going to go on longer than we may have thought. Jesus will be with us through all of this. He wants to guide us and to help us. He wants to give us strength for what we must face and to use us to serve Him. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
When the owners of the colt ask the very legitimate question, “Why are you untying the colt”? (vs. 33) the reply that Jesus has told them to give is, “The Lord needs it.” (vs.34)
What does the Lord need from us in these days and are we willing to give it?
If we put this in our context, what if someone we didn’t know came into our yard and asked to borrow our car or truck. We would naturally want to know why and if the answer was, “The Lord needs it,” what would we say?
I am not suggesting that we randomly give our vehicles to strangers. I am urging that each of us be willing to give whatever we can for God’s purposes in serving others. We will need God’s clear direction in this. We will need to be listening carefully for Jesus to guide us. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
I keep hearing of creative ways to serve during this crisis:
-there has been a highlighting of the urgent need in our local food banks for non-perishable food or donations to purchase food
-Tillsonburg Hospital has been looking for volunteers to sew cotton laundry bags for health care workers’ scrub uniforms (other local hospitals may be looking for the same)
-seniors who are quarantined in retirement and nursing homes and unable to be with their families would really appreciate cards, letters, pictures from children, phone calls, and our prayers
-expressions of appreciation to all our frontline workers in health care and the food industry make a difference. They need to know that their sacrifices are recognized.
In these ways and more we can welcome Jesus who came to serve.
(vs. 37) “When He (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.”
This is crucial for us, that we do not forget all that Jesus has already done. When we are in a tight spot as we are now, we tend to focus our prayers on calling out to God for help. We long to see Him take action and bring a resolution. Remembering what Jesus has done before and all the reasons we have to praise and thank Him is part of welcoming Jesus into now.
If we only focus on how desperate things seem now, some would conclude that there is little reason for praise on this Palm Sunday. Think of all the reasons you have had to praise God before and to learn to trust Him.
The people then had heavy burdens that they carried and struggled under. They suffered because of the oppression of the Romans. Many were gripped by the effects of poverty. They had sickness and death in their families and amongst friends. Many faced each day with great uncertainty and seeming helplessness. They could not feel safe and secure.
Then as now, Jesus comes into the most seemingly hopeless and out of control places and times of our lives and once again provides what we need. He provides us with Himself and His deep love and compassion for us. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
The loud voices in the
crowd shout out these words, “Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Peace in heaven and glory
in the highest!” (vs. 38)
Do those words
sound familiar?
They take us back to the powerful expression of
praise from the angels who appeared to tell the shepherds that Jesus
had been born, “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Jesus, God’s Son came into our world to be with us in the struggles and heartaches of life. He came to bring peace that extends from heaven to earth. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
However, we are being affected by what we are now living, Jesus wants to be with us and to help us. He wants to provide us with a peace that only He can give, a peace that surpasses human understanding. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
Jesus Christ God’s Son came as a King who was willing to serve. He did not hold Himself above others. His ride into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey demonstrated that He was and is both a King and a servant. Jesus inspires all of us to welcome Him and to be willing to serve as He serves. WILL WE WELCOME JESUS?
When we turn to Jesus and welcome Him we can :
-trust that He knows what is ahead
-praise Him for what He has already done
-look to Him for peace in the present and future
-expect Him to guide us in how to serve Him now
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven (and on earth) and glory in the highest!!”