By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, April 5, 2009 · Palm Sunday
Sermon Text: John 12:12-19
Sermon Theme
In frustration, the Pharisees complain to one another. They say, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him.” Their anger and annoyance expresses a great truth. Jesus is irresistible. The whole world does respond to him. On Palm Sunday, the Pharisees see the great crowd of Jews who have come to Jerusalem for the Passover. These well could have been a similar group to those described on Pentecost who represented Jews from all over the Roman Empire. The comment of the Pharisees is also unintentionally prophetic since a group of Greeks will soon follow looking for Jesus. The world can’t help responding to Jesus. He represents everything the world needs. However, the tragedy is that he is not always recognized. Yet Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday not only as the King of Israel but as the Lord of the whole world.
Sermon Outline
- Response. The great crowd comes to see Jesus because they have heard of him and especially of his raising of Lazarus. In reality, everyone throughout history has been looking for Jesus. Jesus represents light, love, joy and truth, the most important things in life. As the revelation of God in human form, he is what our souls desire. The tragedy is that people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
- Recognition. The human dilemma is not so much that people reject Jesus. The deeper problem is that they don’t recognize him as the answer to all of life’s desires. We even see this lack of recognition on the part of Jesus’ disciples on the first Palm Sunday. Jesus is rejected first out of ignorance. Many don’t know the Scriptures and therefore don’t know what to expect from Jesus. Secondly, there is a strong human tendency to create our own idea of who and what God is. This quite simply is an idol, making God or Jesus in our own image. Christ can be unrecognized even by his own disciples.
- Result. The great crowd greets Jesus with palms proclaiming him “King of Israel.” While what they say is true, the irony is that they don’t understand what is taking place. Jesus soon makes the prophetic statement that he, when he is lifted up, will draw all people to himself. This prophecy will be fulfilled in a second Palm Sunday which will take place in eternity, when a great multitude that no one can count with palm branches will worship God on his throne as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. The confusion of the first Palm Sunday cannot displace the clarity of the second. The promise to Abraham that his descendents will be as the stars in the sky will be fulfilled in the second Palm Sunday. This truth should both inspire and encourage us. Ultimately, all people are looking for Jesus Christ. It is our joy and privilege to point to him not only as King of Israel but as the coming King of Kings.
Questions for Us
- What do you think is the motivation for the "great crowd" on Palm Sunday? Is it curiosity, belief or simply a desire to see a new spectacle (Lazarus raised from the dead)? How is the crowd of Palm Sunday similar to or different from people today?
- If the "whole world" is going after Jesus, why is it that so few people actually seem to find him? When you first came to Jesus was he what you expected?
- How do we live in the hope and tension between the first Palm Sunday and the second (Rev. 7:9-10)? What practical lessons can we take from the promise of the second Palm Sunday?
