Sunday, April 6, 2025
What Do You Believe About Easter?
I. Jesus’ Arrival: Method and Mission
Luke 19:28-38 – “After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!””
Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”
What the Crowd Failed to See:
- Lack of Recognition
- Blindness to Opportunity
- The Cost of Unbelief
II. Jesus Weeps: A Lament Over Jerusalem
Luke 19:39-44 “But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
Jeremiah 8:11 – “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
Hosea 11:8 – “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?”
Matthew 23:37 – “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
The Heart of Jesus Revealed:
- Pain of Unbelief
- Prophetic Warning:
- Call to Repentance
III. Temple Corruption: A Reflection of the Heart
Luke 19:45-48 “Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.”Isaiah 56:7 – “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Jeremiah 7:11 – “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you?”
Malachi 3:1-3 – “The Lord you are seeking will come to his temple… But who can endure the day of his coming?”
The Heart Issue Exposed:
- Den of Thieves
- Religious Hypocrisy.
- Divided Response
Key Takeaways:
- Recognition Matters
- Consequences Are Real
- Heart Transformation Is Essential
Final Challenge:
- Examine your heart: Are there areas where you might be resisting God’s visitation?
- Surrender your expectations: Ask God to help you see Him as He is, not as you want Him to be.
- Renew your worship: Clear away the “marketplace” distractions and return to genuine devotion.
- Embrace Jesus fully: Not just as a historical figure or religious symbol, but as Lord and Savior.