PALM SUNDAY - THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF CHRIST
PALM SUNDAY – THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF CHRIST
Sunday, March 25, 2013, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
John 12:1: “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He raised from the dead…(Vs. 12) On the next day many people had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna; Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord.”
Luke 21: 29-38: “When Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, Saying, “Go you into the village opposite you; in which you shall find a colt tied, whereon man has never sat; loose him, and bring him here. If any man asks you, why do you loose him? Thus shall you say to him, because the Lord has need of him… (Vs. 35) “They brought him to Jesus; and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. They spread their clothes before him. When he came near to 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 they had seen; saying, ‘Blessed by the King that comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.’”
Palm Sunday is a Christian Holy Day celebrating the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the week before his death and resurrection. All four gospels record this event.
To the Jewish people, the practice of laying down palm branches with praise, harps, cymbals, stringed instruments, hymns and songs symbolized a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel. According to Eastern tradition, when a king rode a donkey he was announcing he was coming in peace whereas riding a horse symbolized war.
Palm branches in Eastern culture are a symbol of triumph, victory and eternal life.
Therefore, the perception of the Sanhedrin was that the people and Jesus were declaring that he was the King of Israel in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.”
The Palm Branch was in the design of the temple given to Moses by God and was seen in the vision of the heavenly temple shown to Ezekiel. The Apostle John saw palm leaves in his vision around the throne of God.
Rev. 7:9-12: “I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about he throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen; Blessing, and glory and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor and power, and might be to our God for ever and ever. Amen.”
It was according to the God’s fullness of time that Jesus was crucified at the Passover Feast and that he would ride in as a triumphant king over all the enemies of God. Jesus is our victory, peace and triumph. A peace-maker will consistently model God’s chosen plan of reconciliation and forgiveness.
Moses was chosen by God to inaugurate the Passover. Jesus, the Word made flesh is the prevailing Passover Lamb! The mature Church is passing over into the powers of the age to come.
Hebrews 11:28: “Through faith Moses kept the Passover; and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
“Moses kept God’s word concerning the Passover by faith. He is forever acknowledged in the Hebrew Hall of Faith for this obedience which made no sense and seemed complete folly. Who had heard of such a thing? Yet Moses and his people strictly observed a plan that made no sense to the natural mind.
Accordingly, Moses’ obedience brought unprecedented blessing from the Lord. That night His church began a journey that was marked by the miraculous for another 40 years! Every wonder of God’s grace and favor upon Moses and his people happened for one simple reason---they had all eaten the Lamb!
Because of the prevailing Lamb from within, none were sick or feeble. Because of the Lamb from within, their bread and water did not diminish, and their shoes did not wear out. Every miracle that Israel experienced in their journey toward Canaan manifested from within them because of their corporate obedience---every miracle flowed forth from the indwelling Lamb!
The blood of the first Passover brought the Hebrews out of the bondage of Pharaoh with great favor and blessing! Stephen’s sermon to the elders, narrating Israel’s history, calls this season of fulfillment “the time of the promise” (Acts 7:17).
God arranged an unprecedented breakthrough of health and wealth upon His people. A nation was born overnight as the sons and daughters of Israel reaped over four hundred years of back wages. Jehovah had promised Abraham that the nation born out of his loins would come forth from their affliction with “great substance” (Gen. 15:14).
The word used here for “substance” means “property, riches, good, or possessions.” Dr. Luke who wrote the book of Acts, confirms that God “exalted” Israel with a “high arm” (signaling His power), raising them up to a place of opulence, dignity and honor (Acts 12:17).
The Passover Feast was observed seven recorded times in the Bible; although it was an annual Feast observed by the Israelites:
1. Ex. 12:18: - under Moses in Egypt.
2. Num. 9:5: - under Moses in the Sinai.
3. Josh. 5:10 - under Joshua in Gilgal.
4. 11 Chr. 30: 12-15 - under Hezekiah in Jerusalem
5. 11 Chr. 35:1 - under Josiah in Jerusalem
6. Ezra 6:19 - under Jeshua in Jerusalem
7. Matt. 26:17 - under Jesus in Jerusalem
Matt. 26:17-18: “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, “Go into the city to such a man, and say to him, ‘the Master says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”
Just as there was an appointed time for the Exodus of the Israelites, there was an appointed time for the crucifixion of the Lamb of God.
Gal. 4:4: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
As with Moses, Jesus’ submission to divine order, authority, and His faithfulness to His Father’s plan brought Him to the mountains of transfiguration, crucifixion, and ascension to become the embodiment of the law.
Before time had begun or anything had been created, there was a meeting in the invisible realm. The Father was there. The Son was there. The Holy Ghost was there, taking the “minutes” of the meeting, which would later become “the volume of the book” (Ps. 40:7; Heb. 10:7).
The Father said to the Son, “You are My Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession…You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 2: 7-8; 110:4).
The Son replied, “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do your will O God.” (Heb. 10:7).
In the Old Testament, God took the “spirit” of Moses and put it on the 70 elders; in the New Testament, the Father sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, whereby we worship, “Abba Father”.
Both Testaments repeatedly affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the prevailing Lamb.
Is. 53:7: “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He did not open His mouth.”
John 1:29: “The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”
Acts 8:32: “The place of the scripture which He read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before His shearer; He did not open His mouth.”
1 Cor. 5:7: “…For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
1 Pet. 1:19: “But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
The Greek word for “lamb” in these new Testament passages is “amnos”. This points Him out as the expected One, the personal fulfillment and embodiment of all that had been indicated in the Old testament. He alone is the One by whose sacrifice our deliverance from divine judgment is obtained.
The slain Lamb is unveiled as the centerpiece of the book of Revelation. Throughout the Apocalypse, the word Lamb is mentioned exactly 27 times (the number of book in our New Testament)!
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God was lifted up on Calvary to take away our sin! The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus Christ as the slain lamb. John the revelator saw the lamb to be the Lion and the Lion to be the lamb!
Rev. 5:12: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain…”
Rev. 13:8: “…the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Rev. 17:14: “These shall make war with the lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen and faithful.”
Jesus Christ was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is Jehovah’s elect, the chosen One, taken from the bosom of the Father and given to the world.
Men should not tread underfoot the Son of God, nor count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy things (Heb. 10:29).
Moses’ church came out with unprecedented health and wealth. Jesus’ rending of the veil loosed “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. Moses and his people got a taste of heaven with the daily manna that fell. The King of Glory loosed all of Heaven upon us through the Person of the Holy Spirit, His Spirit.
He who is the Tree of Life was stretched out on the tree of death. On Mount Calvary, suspended between heaven and earth, the Pattern Son, humankind’s only Savior, completely fulfilled the anointed words of the prophet Isaiah, “On this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all people, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from the earth; for the Lord has spoke” (Is. 25: 7-8), NAS).
Today is Palm Sunday, as Christians we celebrate the triumphant victory of our King that in the fullness of time He came in the volume of the book which was written of Him. Tomorrow is the first day of the Jewish Passover Feast. For the Christian, Jesus Christ is the Feast of Passover.
Jesus Christ is the Feast of Passover.
The Holy Spirit is the Feast of Pentecost.
The Glory of God is the Feast of Tabernacles.
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V unless otherwise indicated.
I entered into the labors of Kelley Varner, Moses, the Master and the Man-child. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those whom I entered into their labors.