In the Bible Christian Ministry
Sunday 4-13-25 (Palm Sunday)

  • Introduction

    I. Introduction: Tradition and the Heart of Sacrifice
    Easter is coming up.
    The sacrifice of Christ
    For God so loved the world....
    You think about all He endured. All the pain, all the torment, all the ridicule...just for us
    When we think about the Life of Jesus and the significance of His sacrifice you can’t help but be Thankful, You can’t help but be grateful
    You can’t help but be overwhelmed by the sheer dedication of His LOVE
    And we celebrate Christ in our traditions particularly around Christmas and Easter.
    Traditions are good and Today I want to expand a little on the biggest tradition of the church today and those are the traditions around Easter.
    We are about to embark on Holy Week.
    Traditions are good but only when they align with God’s word
    Mark 7:8 NIV
    8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
    Key is never to let our traditions whether it be Easter, Christmas or anything in between overshadow the real reason for celebration.
    Many times we get caught up in the celebration and the tradition that we forget what it is really for
    There is value in tradition when done right:
    1 Corinthians 11:2 NIV
    2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.
    Shrove Tuesday
    During Shrovetide, Christians traditionally eat rich foods containing meat, eggs, dairy products, and alcohol, using up the ingredients as these things are not enjoyed during the 40-day fasting season of Lent. Shrove Sunday, Monday, etc.
    The final day of Shrovetide, which marks the end of the pre-Lenten season.
    Shrove Tuesday is observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession,
    the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms,
    finalizing one's Lenten sacrifice,
    as well as eating pancakes and other sweets.
    Not really but from a timeline perspective we’ll start there.
    Shrove Tuesday was brought to the US by the French in the 1700s and they call it Mardi Gras means FAT Tuesday in French
    Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a Christian Holiday has a history intertwined with Christianity, particularly the Roman Catholic tradition.
    The term Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season
    Parades, Floats, bands, beads, costumes, food and drink
    Started in Rome and was brought to the US by French Settles in 1700’s in Mobile, Alabama
    Last day of merriment before Ash Wednesday (get it all out of system day)
    II. Ash Wednesday
    Marks the beginning of Lent.
    Priest in Catholic church applies ashes on the forehead. Usually use the ashes from the last years Palm branches when they celebrate Palm Sunday.
    Symbolism: Reminder of mortality and repentance.
    Words spoken during the application of ashes: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" or "Repent and believe in the Gospel."
    You will see many people walking around with ashes on their forehead during this day
    This begins Lenten Season
    III. Lent
    This is a shortened old English word that means Spring Time or Lengthening of the Day
    40 weekdays (46 days total) of fasting and penitence.
    Timing: Starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (upcoming Saturday)
    Fasting and self-sacrifice.
    Abstinence from meat and fatty foods on Ash Wednesday and Fridays leading up to Good Friday.
    Giving up indulgences.
    Origins:
    Corresponds to the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness.
    And the 40 days Moses went up the Mountain to spend with God
    TIMING
    We always like to know why Easter doesn’t fall on like the 4th Sunday of the month or like Christmas a specific day in April.
    Easter and the days around the Holy Week are connected to the vernal equinox
    Vernal Equinox, also known as the spring equinox,
    marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere,
    Occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in approximately equal day and night hours across the planet. Or the exact same hours for day and night.
    Easter is always the Sunday after the first FULL moon after the equinox
    The full moon before Easter 2025 is the Pink Moon, which occurs on April 12, 2025
    But across the Atlantic Ocean for European longitudes ("The Old World"), the Paschal full moon takes place after midnight, early on Sunday morning (April 13)
    This method was established at the Council of Nicaea (Christian bishops convened by the Roman Emperor) in 325 AD to standardize the date of Easter and align it with the Jewish holiday of Passover, which also uses the lunar cycle 12th - 20th). 
    Early Christians observed Easter on different dates, with some aligning it with the Jewish Passover and others celebrating it on a Sunday. The Council of Nicaea established the current method to resolve these differences. 
    Well the Spring Equinox usually occurs between March 19 and 22. The early church chose a fixed date of March 21st.
    Now that Lent is over Holy Week begins as the last full week before Easter Sunday:
    IV. Holy Week
    Lent's home stretch and the last week of Lent.
    Timing: Starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.
    Key Days:
    Palm Sunday: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, distribution of palm branches.
    Palm Sunday happens after Jesus commanded Lazarus to Come out of the grave
    This was by far the biggest miracle because people KNEW he was dead
    Excited the people, the person with all this power was coming to rescue them from Roman political captivity and establish their kingdom back like it was under David
    But Jesus was focused on their spirit.
    Holy Monday: Jesus clears the temple, cursing the fig tree; anointing of Jesus
    Holy Tuesday: Jesus' teachings and debates, predictions of his death.
    Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday): Judas betrays Jesus.
    Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday): The Last Supper, institution of the Eucharist (Communion), washing of the feet.
    Good Friday: Crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus.
    Holy Saturday: Day of silence and reflection.
    Easter Sunday: Resurrection of Jesus.
    Observed by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, and some other churches.
    Not observed by some Protestant Christian sects.
    Well should we observe these holidays, is it bad when you don’t
    You’ll notice I didn’t use scripture when speaking about these days. Although they are founded on the observance of scripture, there is nothing in scripture that details we should follow these traditions. Doesn’t mean they are bad or shouldn’t be done. We just traditionally don’t.
    But we do observe the meaning and we understand and recognize with true understanding all the meaning and sacrifice that we are to understand during this time.
    If by any chance you need this to ensure and to assist you in recognizing Christ sacrifice then that is the purpose.
    But sometimes people use time like Lent not to get closer to God but to lose weight or get healthy or just stop doing something they shouldn’t be doing anyway.
    and that is where Tradition can overshadow purpose.
    II. The Sacrifice That Began Before Friday
    When we think of Christ we must remember that while we traditionally recognize His sacrifice during Holy Week
    Whether you choose to or not you must remember Christ Sacrifice didn’t start on Friday when he was crucified
    It didn’t begin on Sunday (Palm) before Easter when He came to town
    If didn’t even begin on Wednesday (Spy) when he was betrayed
    His sacrifice didn’t even begin on the day He was born to Mary and Joseph
    Revelation 13:8 NIV
    8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
    1 Peter 1:20 NIV
    20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
    III. The Sacrifice Since the Fall
    The sacrifice truly began when sin entered the world.
    God's plan of redemption was set in motion at the moment of humanity's fall
    Genesis 3:15 NIV
    15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
    Hostility, confusion, conflict. This is the first prophecy of the Messiah—here the problem that must be fixed is first stated!!!!
    Jesus was there from the beginning
    John 1:1 NIV
    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    Can’t you see God looking over at Jesus then and saying you the only one that’s going to be able to fix this....
    IV. Understanding the Depth of the Sacrifice
    It was not an impulsive act; it was meticulously planned.
    Human expressions of love ("I'll die for my loved one").
    We say I’ll die for my love one.
    And it’s one thing to say someone goes to hurt your love one and you jump in front of them and fight for them. (IMPULSE)
    But someone says Hey I’ll be back in 3 months, in 6 months, in a year. And you better have a decision on who it’s going to be and they go one living their life just enjoying and you the one doing all the thinking on their behalf.
    That’s what Christ did. He not only sacrificed he lived through the PROCESS of Sacrifice.
    He faced it head on on for Years; Centuries even
    And we Know it wasn’t easy. Look at the toll it took on Him in the Garden
    Matthew 26:39 NIV
    39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
    Look what did to Him
    He knew it was All coming…even the separation from His Father.
    And God the Father says he Gave His only!!!!
    John 3:16 NIV
    16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    Romans 5:8 NIV
    8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
    Sacrifice all around for YOU!!!!
    This was the PREMEDITATED SACRIFICE
    V. The Process of Sacrifice
    It wasn't just a moment; it was a life of sacrifice.
    He faced the knowledge of what was to come, including separation from the Father.
    The emotional and spiritual toll it took on Him.
    HE LIVED A LIFE OF SACRIFICE
    Hebrews 12:2 NIV
    2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
    We must understand this sacrifice wasn’t just something to do. This was planned.
    And it wasn’t a plan done by someone hoping it would work. It was THE PLAN.
    Think about this God loved you so much that not only did He sacrifice His son. He planned for it and never abandoned the plan.
    He could have let it go after the exodus of Egypt
    He could have said nope after consistent rebellion
    He could have stopped it when they planned to beat His son
    But the Plan moved forward from Day 1.
    The sacrifice was ultimately for YOU!!!
    you are just that important.
    And it is still there as a gift.
    Even though some of us take it for granted it still there
    Even though we ignore it Still there
    Even though we disrespect it
    Even though we forget about it
    Even though we turn our back to it.
    The Decisions we make don’t reflect His Sacrifice.....It is Still THERE!!!!
    2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV
    15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
    Now what will you do with this SACRIFICE?

      • Mark 7:8NIV2011

      • 1 Corinthians 11:2NIV2011

      • Revelation 13:8NIV2011

      • 1 Peter 1:20NIV2011

      • Genesis 3:15NIV2011

      • John 1:1NIV2011

      • Matthew 26:39NIV2011

      • John 3:16NIV2011

      • Romans 5:8NIV2011

      • Hebrews 12:2NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 5:15NIV2011

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