Mills Memorial Baptist Church
Sunday Evening Worship - 8/9
  • Grace Greater than Our Sin
  • The Banner of the Cross
  • Luke 19:28–44
    The road into Jerusalem was alive with excitement.
    Jesus was coming closer to the city, and the disciples could sense that something important was happening.
    For years they had followed Him from village to village.
    They had heard Him teach with authority.
    They had watched blind eyes open, diseased bodies healed, demons cast out, hungry crowds fed, and broken lives changed.
    Now Jerusalem was just ahead.
    Luke tells us that as Jesus approached Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called Olivet, He sent two of His disciples into a nearby village.
    He told them exactly what they would find.
    They would see a colt tied there, one upon which no man had ever sat.
    They were to loose it and bring it to Him.
    If anyone asked why they were taking it, they were simply to answer, “Because the Lord hath need of him.”
    Everything happened exactly as Jesus said.
    The colt was there.
    The owners questioned them.
    The disciples gave the answer Jesus had given.
    Then they brought the colt to Christ, threw their garments upon it, and set Jesus upon it.
    This was no accidental moment.
    Jesus knew exactly what He was doing.
    Hundreds of years earlier Zechariah had written, “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee… lowly, and riding upon an ass.”
    Jesus was deliberately presenting Himself to Jerusalem as her King.
    And the people responded.
    Garments began to cover the road.
    Voices began to rise.
    The multitude of the disciples rejoiced and praised God with a loud voice.
    They cried, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”
    It must have been an incredible scene.
    But before we get swept up in the sound of the praise, Luke makes us look deeper.
    Because within a few verses the praise of the crowd is followed by the resistance of the Pharisees, the tears of Jesus, and a terrible warning over Jerusalem.
    The road was full of praise, but the city was not surrendered to its King.
    That gives us the question for tonight.
    Has my praise of Christ become surrender to Christ?
    There is nothing wrong with praising Jesus.
    He deserves every song, every testimony, every word of thanksgiving, and every expression of worship we can offer.
    But Christ deserves more than our praise.
    He deserves our surrender.
    Luke shows us four scenes surrounding the King that reveal why praise must become surrender.

    I. Praise Filled the Road

    35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

    A. The King Came Deliberately

    Jesus did not accidentally become the center of attention that day.
    He initiated the scene.
    He sent the disciples.
    He identified the colt.
    He knew the question they would be asked.
    He gave them the answer to give.
    He was fulfilling prophecy and presenting Himself as King.
    That matters because before we decide how we should respond to Jesus, we must settle who Jesus is.
    He is not merely a teacher whose advice we may consider.
    He is not simply a counselor we consult when life becomes difficult.
    He is not merely an example we admire from a distance.
    He is King.
    Our culture is very comfortable with a Jesus who helps us.
    It is much less comfortable with a Jesus who rules us.
    We like the Savior who forgives.
    We sometimes resist the Lord who commands.
    We like the Shepherd who comforts.
    We are not always as eager for the King who has the right to direct our lives.
    But the same Christ who saves us is the Christ who owns us.
    1 Corinthians 6:19–20 KJV
    19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
    Christianity is not simply adding Jesus to the life we already planned.
    It is yielding our lives to the One who purchased us.

    B. The Disciples Praised Joyfully

    Luke says that “the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice.”
    Their praise was not wrong.
    In fact, it was entirely appropriate.
    Notice why they praised Him.
    It was “for all the mighty works that they had seen.”
    They had reasons to praise.
    They had watched Jesus do what no ordinary man could do.
    They had seen the lame walk and the dead raised.
    They had watched Christ demonstrate again and again that He was exactly who He claimed to be.
    And we have reasons to praise Him too.
    We can praise Him because He saved us.
    We can praise Him because He forgave us.
    We can praise Him because He has answered prayer.
    We can praise Him because He’s carried us through days we did not think we could endure.
    We can praise Him for His Word.
    We can praise Him for His mercy.
    We can praise Him because His faithfulness has never depended upon ours.
    Psalm 150:6 KJV
    6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
    There ought to be praise in the life of a Christian.
    There ought to be times when we stop rehearsing everything that is wrong and remember everything God has done.

    C. The Crowd Spoke Rightly

    The multitude cried, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
    They were saying something true.
    Jesus was King.
    He had come in the name of the Lord.
    He was worthy of their praise.
    And that is what makes this passage so searching.
    You can say something true about Jesus and still fail to respond fully to Jesus.
    You can praise Him for what He has done while resisting what He is telling you to do.
    You can sing, “I surrender all,” and still have one area in your life where the answer is, “Anything but that, Lord.”
    Praise recognizes His goodness.
    Obedience recognizes His authority.
    Imagine a city welcoming a king with a parade.
    The streets are decorated.
    The band plays.
    The people cheer as he passes.
    Everyone shouts his name.
    But the next morning the king gives an order, and the people begin deciding which commands they will obey and which they will ignore.
    At that point, yesterday’s applause does not mean very much.
    A king is not truly honored merely because people cheer when he arrives.
    A king is honored when his authority is obeyed.
    The road into Jerusalem was full of praise, but not every heart along that road was surrendered to the King.

    II. Resistance Filled Hearts

    Verse 39 says, “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.”
    While the disciples are rejoicing, the Pharisees are uncomfortable.
    They do not like what they are hearing.
    They do not want Jesus receiving this kind of praise.

    A. Religion Can Resist

    These men were not atheists.
    They were religious men.
    They knew the Scriptures.
    They knew the traditions.
    They knew the prophecies.
    They knew the language of faith.
    Yet when the King stood before them, they resisted Him.
    That should sober every one of us who has been around church for a long time.
    Proximity to truth does not guarantee surrender to truth.
    It is possible to hear hundreds of sermons and still resist the one thing God keeps putting His finger on.
    It is possible to know what the Bible says and become very skilled at explaining why we are the exception.
    It is possible to look religious on the outside while protecting an unsurrendered heart on the inside.
    The Pharisees were near Jesus geographically and far from Him spiritually.

    B. Titles Can Conceal

    Notice what the Pharisees call Him.
    They say, “Master, rebuke thy disciples.”
    There is irony in that sentence.
    They call Him Master while telling the Master what He ought to do.
    They use a respectful title, but they are resisting His authority.
    That same contradiction can happen in our lives.
    We call Him Lord, but then we negotiate with what He says.
    “I know the Bible says forgive, but you don’t know what they did to me.”
    “I know I should witness, but that’s just not my personality.”
    “I know God is dealing with me about this, but now is not a good time.”
    “I know this relationship isn’t right, but I don’t want to lose it.”
    “I know I should serve, but someone else can do it better.”
    Jesus asked in Luke 6:46
    Luke 6:46 KJV
    46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
    That’s the issue.
    The question isn’t whether the word “Lord” appears in our vocabulary.
    The question is whether His lordship appears in our choices.
    We can sing about His lordship on Sunday and resist His leadership on Monday.

    C. Christ Deserves Praise

    Jesus answered the Pharisees, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
    Jesus does not tell the disciples to quiet down.
    He does not say they have gone too far.
    He accepts the praise because the praise belongs to Him.
    The Pharisees wanted the praise silenced, but Jesus said creation itself would testify if these voices stopped.
    Christ’s worth does not depend upon whether we acknowledge it.
    He is King whether men bow or not.
    He is Lord whether men confess it or not.
    The question is not whether He deserves surrender.
    The question is whether we will give it.
    Maybe tonight there is some place of resistance in your heart.
    Maybe it is bitterness you do not want to release.
    Maybe it is a habit you do not want exposed.
    Maybe it is a person you know you should speak to.
    Maybe it is an area of service you have been avoiding.
    Maybe it is simply your own plans.
    You are willing to follow Christ as long as He leads where you already wanted to go.
    But surrender begins when my will and His will cross, and I choose His.
    The Pharisees saw a disturbance they wanted silenced.
    Jesus saw something far deeper.
    He saw a city that did not understand what was happening before its own eyes.

    III. Tears Filled His Eyes

    Verse 41 says, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”
    The scene changes suddenly.
    The crowd is still shouting.
    The garments are still lying across the road.
    The disciples are still rejoicing.
    Jerusalem rises before them.
    And Jesus weeps.

    A. Jesus Saw Beyond Celebration

    The disciples saw a great day.
    Jesus saw a coming tragedy.
    The crowd saw a city welcoming Him.
    Jesus saw a city that did not truly recognize Him.
    They saw what was happening that afternoon.
    Jesus saw what would happen in the years ahead.
    We see the moment.
    He sees the end.
    We see what feels good now.
    He sees where the path leads.
    We see the pleasure of a choice.
    He sees the consequences that may follow.
    That is why surrender requires trust.
    There will be times when Christ’s direction does not make sense to us.
    There will be times when obedience seems harder than resistance.
    But the King sees what we cannot see.
    He knows what lies around the bend.

    B. Jesus Desired Their Peace

    Jesus said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!”
    There is compassion in those words.
    Jesus is not standing over Jerusalem with satisfaction because judgment is coming.
    He is weeping.
    He wanted them to know peace.
    They longed for peace politically.
    They wanted freedom from Rome.
    They wanted national restoration.
    But the One who could give them the deepest peace stood before them, and they did not recognize Him.
    They wanted peace on their terms.
    Jesus offered peace through Himself.
    That is still the way people often approach God.
    We want God to change the circumstance that troubles us.
    God may first want to change the heart within us.
    We want peace because the problem disappears.
    Christ offers peace even before the problem disappears.
    Romans 5:1 KJV
    1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
    The greatest peace is not the absence of trouble.
    It is reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

    C. Jesus Grieved Their Blindness

    Jesus continued, “But now they are hid from thine eyes.”
    They had been given truth.
    They had seen evidence.
    They had heard His words.
    Yet repeated resistance had produced spiritual blindness.
    That is a frightening possibility.
    Truth can become so familiar that it no longer moves us.
    A verse that once convicted us can become something we quote without obeying.
    A sermon can stir us, and then we walk out the door unchanged.
    An invitation can move us emotionally without producing any decision.
    Hebrews 3:15 KJV
    15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
    Every time God speaks, there is a response.
    Sometimes the response is yes.
    Sometimes it is no.
    Sometimes it is “later.”
    But “later” is often simply a softer way of saying no.
    What has God spoken to you about more than once that you are still postponing?
    What conviction have you learned to live with?
    What area once troubled your conscience but now barely bothers you?
    The tears of Jesus remind us that spiritual blindness is not a small thing.
    Jesus did not merely see their blindness.
    He saw where it would lead.

    IV. Opportunity Passed Them By

    Jesus describes what would happen to Jerusalem.
    Verse 43 says, “For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.”
    Then He says they would “lay thee even with the ground.”

    A. Judgment Was Coming

    Roughly forty years later, in A.D. 70, Roman forces under Titus surrounded Jerusalem.
    The city was besieged.
    The temple was destroyed.
    The devastation Jesus described came to pass.
    His warning was not empty rhetoric.
    God’s warnings never are.
    We live in a day when people are comfortable talking about the love of God but uncomfortable talking about the judgment of God.
    Yet Jesus spoke of both.
    The same Savior who wept over Jerusalem warned Jerusalem.
    Compassion does not require us to hide consequences.
    In fact, genuine compassion tells the truth because consequences are real.

    B. Opportunity Was Present

    The most heartbreaking words may be the final ones of the passage.
    Jesus said all this would come “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
    Their King had come.
    Prophecy was being fulfilled.
    Truth was standing in front of them.
    Opportunity was present.
    And they missed it.
    Spiritual opportunity carries spiritual responsibility.
    There are moments when God places truth directly in front of us.
    There are moments when a passage suddenly becomes personal.
    There are moments when the Holy Spirit puts His finger on something and we know exactly what needs to change.
    Those moments are gifts of grace.
    Do not despise the day when God makes something clear.

    C. Response Cannot Wait Forever

    2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV
    2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
    Isaiah 55:6 KJV
    6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near:
    We should be careful here.
    This does not mean that if you fail to respond emotionally at one invitation, God will never speak again.
    But Scripture repeatedly warns us against presuming upon tomorrow.
    There is danger in continual postponement.
    We assume we will always feel conviction as strongly as we do today.
    We assume the opportunity will still be there next week.
    We assume the person we need to speak to will still be available.
    We assume our heart will remain tender.
    We assume there will always be another Sunday.
    But opportunity is not ours to command.
    The wise response when God speaks is, “Yes, Lord.”
    Maybe tonight you are not saved.
    You have heard the gospel many times.
    You know that Christ died for your sins and rose again.
    Do not confuse knowing the message with receiving the Savior.
    The King who rode into Jerusalem came to go to a cross.
    He came to bear sin.
    He came to make peace between sinful man and a holy God.
    Receive Him.
    Maybe you are saved, but Christ has been dealing with you about an area of surrender.
    Do not hide behind your praise.
    Do not sing about giving Him everything while protecting one corner of your life from His authority.
    Do not admire the King while refusing the King.

    Conclusion

    The road into Jerusalem was filled with praise.
    The disciples rejoiced.
    The Pharisees resisted.
    Jesus wept.
    And Jerusalem missed the time of her visitation.
    So tonight we return to the question with which we began.
    Has my praise of Christ become surrender to Christ?
    Maybe you sing every hymn and mean the words.
    That is good.
    But is there somewhere tonight that the King is still waiting for your obedience?
    Is there an area where you call Him King but will not let Him reign?
    Perhaps it is your plans.
    Perhaps it is your attitude.
    Perhaps it is your bitterness.
    Perhaps it is a relationship.
    Perhaps it is your time.
    Perhaps it is a ministry.
    Perhaps it is a private habit no one else sees.
    The question is not merely, “Did I praise Him tonight?”
    The question is, “Will I obey Him when I leave?”
    Christ deserves more than our praise.
    He deserves our surrender.
    If He is King, let Him be King in our songs and in our choices.
    Let Him be King in our church and in our homes.
    Let Him be King in public and in private.
    Let Him be King when His will agrees with ours and when His will crosses ours.
    And when He puts His finger on something tonight, may our answer not be “later.”
    May our answer simply be, “Yes, Lord.”

      • 1 Corinthians 6:19–20KJV1900

      • Psalm 150:6KJV1900

      • Luke 6:46KJV1900

      • Romans 5:1KJV1900

      • Hebrews 3:15KJV1900

      • 2 Corinthians 6:2KJV1900

      • Isaiah 55:6KJV1900

Mills Memorial Baptist Church
millsmemorialbapt@gmail.com
989-843-6433
https://millsmemorial.faithlifesites.com
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