Getting Ready for the Big Day!
How to prepare for Easter Sunday on Palm Sunday.
Luke 19: 28-44: After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “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. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 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:38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.”
Mathew 21:1-11: 21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Getting Ready for the Big Day!
We all prepare for things in our own ways. The greater the challenge the more preparation that is involved.
An airline pilot goes through all kinds of checks before the place takes off. The Highway Code in the UK tells us to check our cars fluids and tyre pressures before we set off on a journey. Marathon runners will prepare for a race by training for months before hand.
We all have different ways we prepare for different things.
Today is Palm Sunday. So how do we prepare for the big day of Easter?
Now, maybe you haven’t given that much thought. Maybe you have been prayerfully going through Lent exchanging a luxury for prayer an meditation.
Christmas is well prepared for. There a signs everywhere something is about to happen - trees, decorations, and the Coca Cola lorry is on TV.
But Easter. Eggs in the shops but not much else happens.
But to Christians, Easter is the most important weekend of the year. It should be.
It’s the day we celebrate the central event of history, the day Jesus rose from the dead in order to make eternal life possible for you, and me.
1. Do what Jesus says (Luke 19:29-40)
Jesus sent two of his disciples on a strange little mission. He said, “Go to this little village up the road
untie the colt you’ll find, and bring it to me.”
Now, the Bible doesn’t tell us which two went. Think it was Peter and Andrew? James and John? We don’t know.
The Bible also doesn’t tell us what they talked about on the way. But if it had been me, I’d probably been saying, “You really think we should just untie the colt and take it?”
“You think the Master knows the owner?”
“You think this is a test of some kind?”
“You really think they’ll just let us walk off with their colt?”
“What if somebody takes a swing at us? Jesus didn’t say what we should do if somebody takes a swing at us!”
You see, we tend to read the Bible, God’s Word,
like a play, as if all the characters knew the script. But they didn’t.
But there is a trust that have built up over the years they have been with Jesus. They've seen miracles, headings, Jesus walk on water, feeding of thousands, the dead raised. They've sat under His teaching, seen Him confound the religious and bring hope to the hopeless.
This command seems pretty safe in the end. It is similar to in Mark 12:12-15 where they're told to go and seek a room for the Passover - Jesus needs your room, Jesus needs your donkey!
They were challenged by others when they took the donkey.
Luke 19: 31-34: 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
Their simple obedience brought glory to God.
Luke 19: 37 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: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
The disciples had no idea what their obedience would bring, but it brought glory to God. It gave the opportunity for praise to erupt.
Of course, I’m pretty sure our obedience won’t involve a donkey. Only you and God know what it will involve.
Only you and God know what obedience He would require of you today, this week, this Easter.
Is he calling you to repentance and faith in him? To make that decision to follow Jesus? Is he telling you to forgive someone? To help someone? To give something up? To take something do something for the first time ?. To say yes to something? To say no to something?. . .
So, one way to prepare for this Easter is to do what Jesus says. The second is this:
2. Feel what Jesus feels (Luke 19:41-44)
Luke 19: 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.”
Something happened on the ride into Jerusalem that we don’t talk about too often.
There's every indication that the crowds didn't notice this prophecy init heir excitement of praise and worship. Matthew didn’t record it. Mark didn’t mention it. Luke is the only Gospel writer who records this event.
But don’t let it pass us by today.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41).
The Greek word that is translated “wept” in our Bibles
signifies more than tears; it suggests the kind of soul-wracking, gut-wrenching, teeth-gritting sobbing
that a person does at the tomb of a friend.
In fact, it is the word used of Mary’s sobs at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, of Mary Magdalene’s sobs at Jesus’ tomb, and of Peter’s “bitter” weeping
after he denied Jesus and heard the cock crow.
Do you see that picture better now? Jesus wept violently for the people of Jerusalem.
Not for himself ; not for the cross that awaited him.
But for the fate that would come upon that city.
Rather than the joyful shouts and praises that resounded all around, Jesus heard the screams, the cries, the shrieks and groans of the men, women, and children who would die in that city when, as he had prophesied, the Roman general Titus would invade in 70 AD and raze the city and destroy its glorious temple,and brutalise its rebellious people.
Everyone else was having a party, and Jesus was filled with compassion for the lost sheep of Israel
who didn’t even know their own sad condition.
We could do no better than to prepare for Resurrection Sunday by letting ourselves feel what Jesus feels, by letting our heart be broken for those who are hurting, those who are wandering, those who are searching, those who don’t even know they’re searching.
A flood of compassion can be ours if we allow ourselves to feel what Jesus feels.
So, one way to prepare for this Easter is to do what Jesus says. The second is to feel what Jesus feels. And my final suggestion to you today is to:
3. Tell who Jesus is (Matthew 21:10-11)
Matthew 21: 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
When Matthew reports that the city was stirred, he uses the word, seio, from which we get our word seismic.
It’s the same word he used later in his Gospel,
in Matthew 27:51b, where he said that at the moment Jesus died on the cross, The earth shook, the rocks split...
The city was stirred as an earthquake “stirs” the ground.
That’s what will happen if you and in this room full of people begin doing what Jesus says and feeling what Jesus feels: the whole city will be stirred!
That’s what they’re waiting for.
They’re waiting to see if there really is a God.
They’re waiting to see if he really does care.
They’re waiting to see if the people who fill the churches, and sing his praises, and cry out to him, and claim to know him, to see if those people are any different, if their God can really be trusted, if their faith can really do anything.
They’re watching you and me, and if they see us doing what Jesus says, and feeling what Jesus feels -for them - they’ll ask “What’s going on?” “What’s this about?” “Who is this?”
And we could do no better to prepare for Resurrection Sunday than to tell who Jesus is, to find ways to expose our friends, neighbours, family members, classmates, work colleagues, anyone for whom you can feel what Jesus feels to the news that we proclaim next Sunday when we tell each other,
in the age-old confession of the church:
“He is risen, he is risen indeed!"
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