So what is Palm Sunday all about? Riley brings us The Word around Palm Sunday. Riley focuses on three things - The Donkey, The Pharisees and People.
Connect in with the Service on Youtube to hear the whole sermon, worship, communion and the study questions attached. Plus the special surprise at the end as we celebrate Palm Sunday as a congregation.
Luke 19:28-40
28 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!”a]
“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 life and ministry of Jesus Christ might be summed up with one simple statement, "He set His face toward Calvary."
He was truly born to die. Not as we die, but to die a complete and vicarious death; physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and eternally, that humanity need not do so.
This was God’s plan of His eternal purpose for His eternal people. It was in fact not a place of hopelessness and rejection but a place of hope.
Christ lived the life we could not live, and took the punishment we could not take, to offer the hope we cannot resist.
Whatever you’re facing, he knows how you feel. When you turn to him for help, he runs to you to help. Why?
He’s been there. He’s not ashamed of you. Your actions don’t bewilder him. Your tilted halo doesn’t trouble him. So go to him!
Let’s read Luke’s account of the cross:
Luke 23:32-47 (NIV)
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”b] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.c]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”d] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
Pastor Bill, Pastor Sonya and Pastor Stephen unpacked what the 2022 THE YEAR OF BREAKTHROUGH means for our Church, Community and Individually for us from The Word and through prayerful consideration as we fix our eyes on God in our year ahead.
1 Kings 41-45 (NLT)
“Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”
42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”
45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.”
Pastor Sonya - Climb
Colossians 3:2 Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Pastor Stephen - Commitment
James 5:17-18 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Pastor Bill - Cloud
1 Kings 44 Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
To help us focus on 'Our Need For Breakthroughs' that we may be seeking, we have a “Breakthrough Card” for you to print out using the link attached or pick one up from the church office when it re-opens (date to be confirmed).
There is space for you to focus on what you are believing for Breakthrough - you may like to record more breakthrough prayer points in your journals. You can carry a copy with you for regular reflection and prayer.
There is also a link for Questions based on the sermon topic “OUR NEED FOR BREAKTHROUGH” - another way to delve deeper into our understanding of our Need for Breakthrough. You may like to work through these questions with someone, in a Lifegroup (once they are meeting again for 2022) or on your own.
If you enjoy Devotional Colouring In, or have children or grandchildren who like colouring in, attached is a link to a color-and-pray devotional sheet for our Year of Breakthrough 2022.
We encourage you to input the three "C"s - Climb, Committment and Cloud in your daily lives through prayer and action as we all glorify God and give thanks for the Breakthroughs - they may be on a small scale, or in parts, piece by piece to miracles, that our loving God through His grace and in His timing will show us.
Blessings, Marion Church of Christ