This past weekend Church Requel met at Ontario Christian Fellowship. Our attendance was down slightly, but I don't think it had anything to do with our location change. We even had a couple of new families join us. Both families told me they found us on the web. My good friend, Nancy Roop, waited at Mid-Ohio for 20 minutes to catch anyone who didn't get the word. A couple of people were able to join us because of her and the sign she left up on the door at Mid-Ohio. I'm still looking for someone to do this for us again this coming Easter weekend. Let me know if you could be the "map person" this week.
We were able to incorporate most of our Church Requel tools into the OCF equipment. We used their sound system and projector. We still used our computer, microphones, and musical instruments. Most everything went smoothly thanks to the dedicated crew that showed up at 2PM to set everything up. One small thing that didn't work so well was our mp3 recorder, so the audio on this week's sermon doesn't sound as good as it usually does.
This past Palm Sunday, we talked about the Resurrection Parade that still continues today. On Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem, the religious leaders got three things right about Jesus that we sometimes get wrong. Sadly they also got three things wrong about Jesus that we still sometimes get wrong today. I have included three resources that might be of help to you with this sermon:
- Download 100328Program
- Download 100328ProgramANSWERS
- Download 100328 ARISE p3 Resurrection Parade SLIDES NOTES
The Resurrection Parade from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Also you can listen to the audio version either on the Church Requel Audio Blog or take it with you by subscribing to the Church Requel Audio Podcast. Would you like to read my notes for this sermon? Just click on the "Continue reading" link below.
ARISE Part 3: The Resurrection Parade - 03.28.10
Intro: Today is Palm Sunday. Here at Church Requel we don’t take anything for granted. I don’t presume that everyone here even knows what Palm Sunday is. For three years Jesus ministered. He did most of his teaching and most of his healing in the northern territory of Galilee. But the center of the Jewish faith and the location of the Jewish Temple was in the city of Jerusalem. For years, people had left Jerusalem and traveled to where Jesus was teaching to hear him and see him. But now Jesus was coming into the city. For hundreds of years there had been a prophecy that a Messiah would come and would save the Jewish people. When people saw all the things that Jesus was doing, naturally they thought it was possible that Jesus could be that Messiah. And when he fulfilled another prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, people got really excited. They formed a parade. They shouted, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us,” something they would only say if they thought Jesus was the expected Messiah. They took palm branches and laid them down in front of Jesus. That’s why we call this Palm Sunday.
But we just as easily could have called it “The Resurrection Parade.” For within a week of being heralded as the Savior, this same Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. And within 3 days of his death, he rose again and was resurrected. That’s why the sequence of events is Palm Sunday - the day of the parade into Jerusalem, Good Friday - the day Jesus was crucified, and Easter Sunday - the day Jesus rose from the dead.
Here’s one more thing you should know. This Resurrection Parade is still going on! Jesus was the first to lead the Resurrection Parade, but not the last. Let me show you:
“The truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.” 1 Cor. 15:20 The Message
“Everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life.”
1 Cor. 15:23 NCV
“[Christ] is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Col 1:18 NIV
Jesus Christ was the first. But clearly he was not the only or the last. In fact we can look back now and see that this Resurrection Parade was what he had in mind all along. Long before Palm Sunday Jesus told his disciples this:
Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NRSV
So here’s the deal. Jesus leads the Resurrection Parade. But he desires that we follow him in the Resurrection Parade. And if we are going to follow, then we have to do what he did. This wasn’t understood.
“His disciples did not understand these things at first.” John 12:16
This morning as we celebrate the beginning of the Resurrection Parade, the Palm Sunday triumphal entry into Jerusalem, I’d like us to consider what the religious leaders of the day were saying about Jesus. While these were Jesus’ religious opponents, they got three things right as well as three things wrong about Jesus.
Three Things the Religious Leaders Got Right (but we sometimes get wrong):
#1 - __MANY PEOPLE_____ would follow Jesus.
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came...
The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” John 12: 9a, 18-19
The religious leaders were concerned about how many people were following Jesus. Christianity SHOULD BE attractional! It is perfectly designed for humanity. God designed us. God came to us as a man. God revealed himself and taught about his kingdom. Of course people would want to follow Jesus!
App - Many people STILL would follow Jesus! Jesus should still attract a crowd today! Our aim should never be to keep ourselves to a certain small size just because we like it that way. The church is never about us. It’s about revealing Jesus to the crowds!
#2 - Jesus has the power to GIVE LIFE TO THE DEAD.
“...not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.” John 12:9b
A BIG reason why the crowds followed Jesus then (and will still follow him today) is because Jesus has the power to give life to the dead! Word had spread quickly. Lazarus had laid in the grave for four days! His sister, Martha, told Jesus that by the time he came to the cave where Lazarus’ corpse was laid, that there would be a horrible stink from the rotting flesh! Yet Jesus had the power to reanimate Lazarus’ dead body.
Jesus is still the only way to eternal life. It’s been 2,000 years and we’re still talking about Lazarus - his very name is associated with rising from the dead. The only one more famous is Jesus himself, who was raised from the dead and still lives today! Before Jesus raised Lazarus he made this claim:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live,
even though they die.” John 11:25 GNT
This truth is just as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago. Which leads us to the 3rd thing the religious leaders got right...
#3 - Because of this, EVERYTHING WOULD CHANGE.
“...because on account of him many of the Jews were going away
and believing in Jesus.” John 12:11
Judaism would never be the same again. Religion would never be the same. Rather than following rules to get to know God, God broke the rules of life and death, of heaven and earth, of deity and humanity so that we might know Him. Now instead of a religion we would talk in terms of a relationship! Now instead of us searching for God, God would be with us and inside of us, guiding us, leading us, counseling us in the person of Christ’s Spirit.
APP: This is still true today. When we are confronted with the truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection... everything SHOULD change. How remarkable that what was clear 2000 years ago to Jesus’ religious enemies is sometimes not obvious to us. Today people want to have Jesus and have their normal life as if nothing would change. When you come into relationship with Christ, EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE!
- friends
- habits
- likes, dislikes
- your very perception of yourself
- your worldview
If you look at your life and honestly must admit that since becoming a Christ-follower that nothing much is different in your life, then you should also be asking yourself if you’re really even in The Resurrection Parade!
Three Things the Religious Leaders Got Wrong (and we still get wrong sometimes):
#1 - Worship of anything OTHER THAN JESUS.
The whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Luke 19:37b-40
We have to go to Luke’s account to see this, but the religious leaders of Jesus’ day couldn’t fathom worshipping Jesus as the promised Messiah. It’s interesting that everywhere else when a man or even an angel... anyone other than God is worshipped, that the immediate reaction is to deflect such praise and worship to God alone.
But Jesus does not do this. For him, praise and worship are the normal order of things. We read in Revelation that Jesus sits in the throne of heaven and around him are 4 living creatures, and 24 elders, and around them thousands and thousands of angels and they worship him forever, all day and all night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.”
Rev. 4:8,11 ESV
APP for us: How quickly we can forget this and turn our attention, our worship, to almost anything and everything else! If you are part of the Resurrection Parade, the worship of Jesus is not a part-time pastime. It defines you. Everything you are, everything you do, is done to bring glory to Christ. Worship, of course, is not just about singing or coming to church. It’s a matter of your heart always being turned to God and to His kingdom. It’s about your will always being equal to His will. The person who is on the Resurrection Parade has a destination - to please God in everything he does.
#2 - They (or we) are IN CHARGE OF THE KINGDOM.
“So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well.” John 12:10
The religious leaders thought that they were in charge. It was about their kingdom, not God’s. So they thought they could manipulate things by killing off not only Jesus, but also Lazarus.
You may not be willing to kill anyone, but you easily can manipulate things around to being about you and what you want. Often we interpret life and circumstances to lead us to do what we want to do rather than admitting that Christ is in charge. If you are in the Resurrection Parade, it is because you are a Christ-follower! And that means you follow. Even if you’re a leader, you’re a follower 1st.
#3 - Talk of Resurrection COULD BE STOPPED.
“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.” John 12:17
It’s now been 2,000 years and people are still bearing witness of the resurrection. You cannot stop the talk of it. It is everywhere. But you do have a choice of whether your tongue and your life will bear witness. If you are part of the Resurrection Parade, you want to bring as many people along with you as is possible. The people who saw Lazarus be raised from the dead could not help themselves. They had to talk about it. The people who saw Jesus after he was crucified could not help themselves. They had to talk about it.
How about you? Can you help yourself? Can you NOT stop talking about Jesus’ resurrection?
Conclusion: This week, especially, is Easter week. This is the week when people expect to hear about Easter. And if you’re a Christ-follower, Easter means you talk about the fact that your redeemer lives!
Invite Christy and Band to come up. I’ve asked Christy to sing you one of my favorite songs. Maybe it’s yours too. If not, I hope that after tonight it will be. We may not be able to sing as beautifully as Christy, but if you’re in the Resurrection Parade, the song in your heart should reflect these words. Do they?
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer lives!
