The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

A six year old boy named Christian had cancer. He was in his final days of life, and spring had begun in northeast Oklahoma, and numerous butterflies were spreading out across the land after the winter season passed. But this gift seldom lasted more than a week before the yearly exodus of butterflies departed.

Though most of the butterflies had already flown away, one friend had managed to trap one for the dying boy. Christian peered at the butterfly and then handed the jar to his mother, Marsha. “Mommy, please set him free. He’s like me, in a place he doesn’t like to be.” Marsha opened the window, took the lid off the bottle, and let the butterfly soar away. A wistful smile crossed Christian’s face. “I’m going to be like that butterfly when I fly away to Jesus in heaven.”

Christian died a few days later. There are few events filled with more anguish than a child’s death. Marsha and Gary dreaded going back to their country house filled with memories of their little boy. So friends drove them. As the car turned in to the driveway, an amazing sight awaited. The lawn was covered with hundreds of yellow butterflies. They rose in the air in a joyous aerial ballet. Marsha ran into their swirling midst. For several joyous moments, butterflies danced about her.

Grief returned as quickly as it had left, and Marsha stood alone in the yard where Christian had once played. Then a solitary butterfly returned and landed gently on her nose. It sat for several seconds, its wings gently caressing her tear-stained cheeks before flying away.

Nature has no explanation for butterflies awaiting a grieving mother two weeks after the annual migration had left. Marsha was convinced the butterfly that came back to caress her face was the one released from the hospital room. To this day, all of us are sure that we witnessed a miracle. God had orchestrated this to remind Marsha and Gary of what Christian had said: “I’m going to be like that butterfly and fly away to Jesus.”

Sometimes, when something terrible happens, something we couldn’t imagine, it’s hard to accept. Until… something miraculous happens, that changes our hearts forever.

The disciples of Jesus, the women who followed him as well, were in deep mourning, and Jesus their teacher was gone.

They sat alone, waiting, confused, broken, in tears and grief. Friday Jesus had died, Saturday had come and gone, and now it was early Sunday morning.

Mary of Magdala, went out early in the morning while it was still dark, to the tomb where Jesus body lay. As she approached, she was surprised to see that the stone over the entrance had been rolled away. She immediately left, running to find Peter and John, telling them of this.

Peter and John ran to the tomb, John arrived first, and peered into the tomb. Peter arrived next, and went into the tomb, finding the strips of linen where Jesus body was wrapped, and linen sitting separately, that was wrapped around his head. John wrote that he saw this, and believed.

I want you to remember that statement, he believed, he came to believe in that moment, something. But it doesn’t say what. Then, John and Peter left the tomb and went back to the place they were staying.

This is the setting we find ourselves in today, as we look at our scripture, which is John 20:11-18.

We have the tomb, empty, stone rolled away, early morning, the disciples leave, but Mary remains.

Starting in verse 11, it says, “11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb”

Mary is overwhelmed, I can only imagine the thought in her heart is “What is happening?” She is grieved, and confused. But, she stops, and looks into the tomb.

The message today is really going to be all about what it means to come to believe in a difficult truth that our minds have trouble accepting.

We often find ourselves not getting it. Not understanding. And we need to do what Mary does here, she slows down, sets aside the grief and confusion, and pauses. And looks clearly into the tomb. She looks at the thing that is causing her confusion. And God immediately begins to interact with her.

Next, verse 12, “…and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.”

She saw something she couldn’t explain. She saw, but she didn’t yet understand.

For years I read the Bible and couldn’t understand what it was trying to say to me. But finally one day, with God’s help, and by looking intently into it, something changed.

Mary sees these two beings, in the Greek, Angelos, (ang - geh - loss ) meaning a messenger from God.

It’s fascinating that the two angels are seated at the head and foot of where Jesus’ body had been laying in the tomb.

It reminds one of the ark of the covenant, a gold box, whose design was given by God himself to Moses, it went everywhere with God’s people and symbolized his presence with them. But it was also the place where offerings were made, blood offerings before the Lord.

On the ark of the covenant box there were two gold angel on either side of it.

It almost gives the picture, of Jesus body laid between the two cherubim on the ark of the covenant, laid in the middle as an offering accepted by the Lord, an offering for sin.

The angelic beings, these messengers of God, spoke to Mary.

In verse 13: They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

It’s a question intended to bring hope, I believe. Why are you crying? Something is happening here, that is bigger than you understand.

But Mary watched Jesus die on the cross. She lacks hope. She’s caught in the old thing, but god is doing a new thing.

Jesus told them numerous times he would die and be raised but they just couldn’t quite accept such a foreign reality.

It’s the same with us today, God often does something so unexpected we can’t fathom it. We just can’t see it. We can’t perceive it.

It’s like a scripture we read 1000 times but the 1001th time we finally see the core of it’s meaning.

And it’s not surprising we can’t fathom things like resurrection very well. We live in a scientific and technologically advanced era, and many of us particularly my generation, gen Z were raised in a modernist philosophy of life, that heavily promoted science and technology and pooh-poohed and patronized religion as a backwards myth of the past needing to be left behind by society.

Which leaves many in my generation with a giant barrier to coming to Christ, they’ve been propagandized against it. And it makes the journey much longer and more difficult. It’s such a foreign concept, organized religion, that it feels almost completely foreign. But it isn’t insurmountable either. We can come to believe.

The moment we simply allow ourselves to be open to a spiritual experience with God, the door cracks open, and that spiritual journey begins. And step by step, we learn about God, and grow in Him, and eventually it brings us to His son Jesus, and asking Him to be our Lord and savior.

Yet Mary still doesn’t understand. She says to them:

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She thinks the body of Jesus has been stolen. She can’t conceive the possibility that something other than that is happening, even after seeing two angels sitting in the tomb. But then, something happened…

Verse 14: “At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.”

Someone is standing behind Mary, and out of the corner of her eye she spots him, and turns to face him.

It was Jesus.

But she didn’t recognize him.

Next, verse 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Even looking directly at Jesus, hearing his voice speak to her, she is not able to conceive of the reality that Jesus is alive.

And this is brings us to the big question, what does it really take to come to believe? It takes encounter. Jesus said no one can come to me unless the Father draws them to me. Only by God’s grace can we perceive the new thing he is doing.

When we open ourselves to an encounter with God, we can’t go any further than that. We can keep knocking, keep seeking, but ultimately, it’s up to God to respond to our request to know Him. And let me tell you this; he does. Maybe not in the exact timing we desire, but my goodness, God shows up. He really is quite real.

Here we see Jesus take the action, to help open the eyes of His dear friend.

Verse 16: Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus calls her by name.

She realizes at last. She comes to believe. He wakes up his friend to the truth, with one word: Her name, Mary.

Her eyes are opened. She finally gets it. Jesus is alive. He is risen. Just as he said to them, it was true after all. He really did rise from the dead.

Can you imagine what she felt as she looked into his face?

Every hope she had lost came back to life again, every dream she longed for, that she thought had died with Jesus, was now alive once again.

All was well. Her sins were forgiven.

Heaven was open to her. All the broken dreams.. came to life again. It wasn’t over.

Jesus is alive.

She must’ve run to him and embraced him. Because in verse 17…

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

I think Jesus was helping Mary understand that he wasn’t going to be staying on the Earth in the same way she remembered. She’d spent the last few years with Jesus and the disciples almost daily. But, it would be different now. Because Jesus would be ascending soon to the place he came from: Heaven, the place where God the Father dwells.

But I love the message Jesus gives her, to share with the disciples in the second part of verse 17.

He continues saying, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

They are family now.

Never once until after the resurrection does Jesus refer to his disciples as his brothers. By Jesus death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, he has brought them and us, into the family of God.

He calls them brothers.

He says God is their Father now, and their God.

A new family had now been formed through Jesus’ victory.

Do you believe you are family with God? Not just a distant worshiper, but close and intimate with your Father, with Jesus who calls you brother, calls you sister! Do you believe it? Do you feel it? He is risen!

So off Mary goes, to deliver the message.

Verse 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Notice that when Mary first saw Jesus she called him teacher. But as she went away, the final truth came to her, all the pieces of the puzzle came together.

And as she burst through the doors to find the disciples, she said to them, “I’ve seen the Lord.” I’ve seen God. At last, the full picture comes together. Jesus is alive, and Jesus is Lord.

I remember in 2012 when I called upon the name of Jesus, at rock bottom after years of addiction and drinking, I didn’t fully understand yet, I just prayed a simple prayer, believing Jesus could help me.

But one day in a church service, New Day Christian Church in Weston, Wisconsin, it clicked into place, I realized Jesus had died for me, to wash away my sins, and I believe I was born again in that service. I remember as I left the pastor looked at me, and it was like he knew from the Lord, he said you look different today Justin, with a smile. And I was.

As Mary leaves, she understands. And she testifies. I saw the Lord Jesus, he’s alive. He is risen!

She was told to deliver a message. We also have a message to deliver: This community needs to know, Jesus is alive.

So in conclusion today, I want you to notice the progression that Mary and the disciples had to go through after they saw Jesus die.

They had to slowly come to believe and accept what was really true. We all go through this in life when facing a difficult reality. And sometimes just as much even if it’s something good. It seems too good to be true, right? But it’s really real.

At times I’ve wrestled with the resurrection of Jesus because it feels just too good to be true. I’ve lived a dark life, been through horrible things, abuse, and mistreatment, and abandonment, so my first thought is, this world isn’t like that, which is true, this world isn’t like that, but Jesus is not of this world. It’s not too good to be true. It’s too good not to be true. Because God is perfectly good. And the biggest fact for me is, I saw my life radically turned around, from such a low rock bottom, to where I’m at today. If Jesus wasn’t risen, he couldn’t have done that. That is the fact of resurrection at work still today. Jesus is risen, but Jesus also raises people today. He raised me. And he’s raised all of us up from our past dead lives, to where we are today.

So let’s put it all together now.

Mary struggling to perceive ultimate reality.

She sees the two angels, like the angels over the ark of the covenant where Jesus body lay, the offering made and accepted on our behalf.

Mary sees this, but the body gone.

Hope begins to replace despair. Why are you crying? They ask her.

She’s asked a second time by Jesus, Why are you crying? Hope begins to turn to joy.

Jesus speaks her name “Mary” and by this, reveals himself to Her in His resurrection form.

She comes to believe, it begins the wakening in her soul. Hope and joy begin to grow.

She is given a message to share: She is family with God now.

She carries the message to the disciples, telling them, I’ve seen God.

She has come to believe, and it has changed her life forever.

Now, what about us… Let Jesus waken you to the truth.

He’s alive, not just then, but now, in your life. You can walk with Him, talk with Him, he is your brother, he has made God to be your Father and Lord.

Walk with him every day. He is alive now, today, we can’t cling to him physically as Mary tried to do, but cling to him spiritually! For he is returning physically one day soon to rule over this Earth.

In the meantime he is able to be with all of us at the same time daily. He is no longer restricted by space or time, as he was during his short time on Earth. He can be everywhere now, and with each of us at the same time. He’s with us every moment.

He is alive.

And he tells us to go, like Mary, and tell our friends and family and our city, “ I have seen the Lord and he changed my life! He’s really alive. You can know Him as your brother too!”

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, you are risen today! We praise your Holy name. Thank you Jesus, you are alive in our lives every day, and you are coming again soon!

Remember the little boy at the beginning, his simple faith that Jesus would take him, like the butterfly, can you have that same faith, despite all the pain you’ve been through, Jesus is calling you to take his hand, and walk with Him. And he will part the waters for you.

The Death of Jesus Christ

“A little girl in a mission school sat on the front seat; and when the superintendent was telling about how they hanged Jesus on the cross, tears came to her eyes, and she had to get up and go out. In the afternoon, she came back, smiling; and the superintendent asked her, “Mary, where did you go this morning?” And she said, “O teacher! I could not stand it when you spoke to us about Jesus being nailed on the cross; for I felt just as if I helped to pound the nails in; and I went off a bit from the school, and got down on my knees, and told Jesus that my sins helped to hang him on the cross; and I asked him to please forgive me for helping to kill him; and I was so sorry! But now I feel so happy.”

And I hope today, as we examine the crucifixion of Jesus, we will respond as this child did so long ago, by seeing ourselves as part of these events, not simple bystanders, or distant studiers. These events we are a part of, even today. May we respond like a child, whose heart was touched so simply, to ask Jesus to forgive her. 

After the triumphal entry of Jesus, he came into Jerusalem, and came to the temple. The next day he made a whip out of cords, and drove the money changers and merchants out of the temple. For much of his time in the city, he taught in the temple, engaging in fierce debate with the religious leaders, at the same time, one of his followers, Judas Iscariot began conspiring with the religious leaders to betray Jesus to them. On Thursday, Jesus celebrated his last supper with the disciples, after which he was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus was then brought to trial before the high priest, then brought before Pontius Pilate, the roman governor. Pilate attempted to free Jesus, believing he was innocent, but the religious leaders, with the help of the crowds at the trial, were able to pressure Pilate to turn Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Jesus was scourged by roman soldiers, with a device called a flagrum, a whip with multiple ends, embedded with pieces of metal and bone, meant to rip into the prisoner’s back, to weaken them in preparation for their execution.

He was then made to carry his own cross to the execution area, called Golgotha, the place of the skull, there, Jesus was put upon the cross, and nails were driven through his feet and wrists. Then, the cross was lifted up, and the base of it dropped into a hole in the ground. And there Jesus, along with two others on his left and right, would face a slow and agonizing death.

Today, on what we call “good Friday” we remember the events around the death of Jesus. This is a solemn service, a service of mourning, reflective, and gratitude for all Jesus accomplished for us.

So Jesus had been nailed to the cross at approximately 9am that Friday morning. And from 9am to noon, he remained on the cross, in unbearable suffering. Then, from noon to 3pm, the sky went dark over the area.

And it would’ve been during this time of profound darkness, that the events of our scripture today took place.

We are studying today, John 19:28-37. And I want us to see these events from three angles: 

1. What actually happened on that day 

2. What it means for our salvation (how this event saved us)

3. How we can mirror Christ’s actions in our daily lives. 

Let’s begin.

Verse 28 says, “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

The sky has gone dark. Jesus is near death. The crowds around this event grow quiet. And they hear the voice of Jesus, whisper, "I am thirsty."

Through the unbearable pain, the torment of this suffering, still the passion of Jesus remains.

Theologians believe this statement of I am thirsty, points to Jesus love for us. He longed to bring us to safety, so completely, that the cup of suffering, that he asked to be taken away from him in the garden of gethsemane, he drank until it was dry, while nailed to the wooden cross.

Verse 29 says, “A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.”

He did it for His Father. He did it for love. He did it for us. And there was no other way. Our sins had separated us from God. Only Jesus could make the way for us. And sin can only be paid with blood. The blood of Jesus became our forgiveness.

Next, verse 30: When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

At that fateful moment, Jesus died. Yet he made a mysterious statement before he passed. He said, it is finished. I’m sure many who were there wondered what this meant.

The most important truth here, is that Jesus died for a purpose. It wasn’t the sad death of another good teacher who was slain by bad people. Jesus understood completely, he had accomplished something through his death. It is finished. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t a misfortune. It was the intent from the beginning, for him to do this; complete this work.

What a profound mystery. His task, completed. His task… was, in the end, to die.

I never could understand this growing up Catholic, the ash Wednesday, the stations of the cross, Easter, I never really understood what it had to do with me, and my life.

My sins can’t be that bad right? It’s all in the past right? No big deal. I stole a few times, I got drunk a few times, I mistreated my family. Used someone. Made someone feel less than. But, I’m basically a good person. But that isn’t true. We may have good intentions. But our actions miss the mark. We have to understand how awful sin is, before we can understand how important Jesus’ death was.

There are four kinds of people I’ve known, someone who thinks their sins are too bad for God to forgiven, someone who thinks their sins are so few they don’t need a savior, those who think they can outweigh the bad stuff with a bunch of good stuff, and those who just kind of ignore it and hope for the best.

I want to address each group.

First, no sin is too big to be forgiven by God, look at the thief on the cross, he did something so bad he was sentenced to die, yet Jesus said today you’ll be with me in paradise.

Second, even if you’ve lived a really good life, and you’ve only sinned here and there, you need a savior as much as the worst sinner, because God doesn’t grade on a scale, it’s either totally forgiven, or a sinner.

Third group, no amount of good deeds can outweigh the bad things we did, no amount of religious activity can either, only what we’re talking about today, Jesus death, can satisfy the cost for your sins.

Fourth group, massive group out there, just ignore it, hope for the best, I’m a pretty good person, God will let me into heaven. So many people think, well the past is in the past. But the amount of time that passed since your last sin doesn’t change anything, it’s still there, written in books in heaven, I know we want to ignore the problem, have fun in life, but this issue is too important to ignore. Face it head on and find the redemption available.

The fifth group, which I hope you’re part of today, is the group that has said yes, I’m a sinner, I can’t fix that myself, and I won’t ignore it, I need a savior, and I’ve embraced Jesus Christ, to be the lord and savior of my life, and he has forgiven my sins.

What "it is finished" means, is Jesus completed the necessary death, the sacrifice for our sins to be forgiven. If we will repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you believe what Jesus did is sufficient for the forgiveness of your sins? If the answer is yes, that’s a beautiful start. But, have you also repented of your sins, allowed Jesus to be the Lord of your life? Jesus said it is finished. But Jesus also wants us to finish our race, to keep the faith, to endure to the end, to abide in the victory he won for us. Jesus said if you want to be my disciple, you must take up your own cross and follow Him. Are you willing to do that?

We talk about death to self in the church, and Jesus accomplished that in full. Now because of Christ within us, we can carry our cross as well, and die to the things that once controlled us, our past sins, our desires, our wants, our plans, and let those things fade away, pass away, and bow to Him, and give our whole lives over to Jesus, to do with what he wants. That is real surrender. Jesus paid it all for us, are we willing to follow Him? If you want to be my disciple, Jesus said, lay down your old life, pick up the new life, of the cross, and follow, thankfully he also said, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Let see what happened next, verses 31-32: “Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.”

We see the religious leaders preparing for their religious activities, they didn’t want the bodies of the three men on the crosses left there, so the order was given for the soldiers to break the legs of the men on the crosses. Why was this done?

See, when someone was crucified, they would hang from the nails in their hands and feet, and they wouldn’t be able to breathe, so they would lift themselves with their legs, on the nails, which was extremely painful, to be able to draw breaths. The soldiers broke their legs, so they wouldn’t be able to keep lifting themselves for oxygen, and then they would die.

Next, verses 33-34: "33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water."

The soldiers found that Jesus was already dead, but one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side, to make sure he was really dead. And blood and water flowed out. What does this mean?

First, this proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was really dead. This could’ve been due to hypovolemic shock, which is severe fluid loss, or pleural or pericardial effusion, which is a build up of water around the lungs or heart, after severe trauma to the body.

This is also symbolic for the blood atonement of Jesus, as well as the living water we received through Jesus gift, in the Holy Spirit. By Jesus’ blood, we receive the Holy Spirit, who causes springs of living water to flow from within us.

It’s also a good reminder for us today, that Jesus gave his all, and we should also give our all in serving Him, blood, sweat, and tears.

There’s a beautiful song this reminds me of, called "Give me the Faith which can remove" written by Charles Wesley.

It says, “Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
with boundless charity divine,
so shall I all my strength exert,
and love them with a zeal like thine,
and lead them to thy open side,
the sheep for whom the Shepherd died.”

Let us lead others to the open side of Jesus, the blood that cleanses, the living water that bursts forth from within those who believe in Jesus, the whole world needs this message, Lord use us!

Next, verse 35: “The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.”

The man who saw it, never references himself once in his own gospel, he only called himself “the man whom Jesus loved.” His name of course was John. But he was so humble, he wanted all the attention on Jesus.

He testifies for us, that he saw these things happen. John was there, when all the other disciples had fled, and he saw the blood and water flow from Jesus’ side that dark day.

In 1st John, another piece of the bible that John wrote, he said, "the Spirit, the water, and the blood testify." The Holy Spirit helps us believe it. The blood shows us he died. The water is the new life we receive.

His purpose in writing all this was simple: So you today would believe it. And that you would then tell others, it’s really true! It really happened! And Jesus has changed my life.

Next, verse 36: These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken...”

Each year over the Passover celebration Israel would sacrifice a spotless lamb, in celebration of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The spotless lamb had to be perfect, no blemishes, no defects, and it had to have no broken bones.

Which is why when John the Baptist (different John) saw Jesus, he said, “There is the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

Jesus became our spotless, perfect sacrifice by being slaughtered on the cross for us.

How can we live this today? First of all, we want to believe it, and live from this victory. We can’t be a spotless sacrifice like Jesus, but we can be faithful examples to others, reflecting the light of the cross to the community around us, by making sure our conduct matches what we say we believe.

Verse 37 says, “… and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The crowd stood around the crosses, it was 3pm, yet it had gone completely dark in the area, there had been an earth quake, and strange things were happening.

And the people began to mourn. Those who had been mocking and jeering, suddenly began to feel mourning and sorrow.

This scripture is a reference to Zechariah 12:10, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

Did you catch that? They will look on me, God speaking, whom they pierced. Who was pierced on the cross for our sins? The Lord himself.

As the roman soldier said, who saw all these things happen: "Surely this was the Son of God."

The one who said of himself, “I am.” The one who said, "I and the Father are one." The Lord died for us on the cross.

In Zech 13:1 it says, “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.”

A fountain of life was opened that day, that the Lord of glory died for us. The mourning and grief of the death of Jesus, leads us… to reflect. To consider. To make a change.

So in conclusion today, What shall we do? Perhaps you feel cut to the heart today. What actions can we take in response to this horrific yet glorious moment?

We join the crowd that day two thousand years ago, and look in our hearts on the one they pierced. Jesus our beloved one. Understand that every sin you committed, makes you part of this moment in history.

But as you look, believe, as John did, that what Jesus did was effective for your sins to be forgiven. You don’t need to understand exactly why that is, but believe it is true. Believe what Jesus himself said, "It’s finished." Your sins are forgiven by believing on His name.

For those of us who are already believers today, what can we do? We can embrace Jesus in a deeper way. We can allow these events to touch our hearts. We can die to self in a deeper way. We can mourn our sins, repent of our sins, and lower ourselves, to be made into servants for Him in a new way.

As we conclude today, we know from history that Joseph and Nicodemus, two Pharisees who supported Jesus, requested his body. They anointed his body with spices, in accordance with Jewish customs, and placed him in a new tomb, near a garden, and there, Jesus’ body lay, the Son of God slain. And the world waited…

The Triumphal Entry Revival

On February 8th of 2023 a revival broke out at Asbury University and lasted for 16 days. It started with a simple chapel service where a message was given that led students to seek God. This revival led to thousands and thousands of people descending on the small town to experience the revival. The news of it spread across the globe. Evangelical leaders attempted to come and take the stage, but the students refused, they didn’t want any figure head or big name leader, just the Holy Spirit in control.

It was unexpected, and overpowering, and wonderful, and it reminds me of a bit of the event we’ll be discussing today. A genuine move of God among an unsuspecting populace. And it reminds me of the event we're going to discuss today. 

People from all over the Roman empire were gathering at Jerusalem in preparation for the Passover festival, the most important festival of the year. It’s estimated that possibly over one million people were gathered in Jerusalem at this moment.

At the same time, the news about the raising of Lazarus from the dead, was sweeping through the city like wildfire.

Jesus was at last headed to Jerusalem, the nation’s capital, to complete the mission he had begun the day he was born.

Huge crowds were assembling near the entrance to the city, and the crowds began to gather palm branches, to celebrate the coming of their great king to the city.

Last week, we focused in on the amazing event in which Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave. We saw it from a perspective of personal resurrection in our lives, seeking God, and His help, to see our energy, our faith, and our excitement revived personally.

Now, as we examine the triumphal entry of Jesus, we’re going to consider what it looks like for God to revive us together, as a family of believers.

We’ll be in John 12:12-19.

John 12:12 says this: “The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.”

As we discussed, a great gathering was taking place in Jerusalem at this moment, the Passover festival. The celebration reenacted certain portions of their exodus from Egypt, like the offering of a Passover lamb, the eating of bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. Jews had gathered from across the nation and throughout the Roman empire to the city.

So the news was spreading fast, as the people gathered for the festival, about Jesus. I’m sure news was swirling around everywhere, of how he’d fed the five thousand, healed lepers and the blind, how he’d taught crowds of thousands, and how most recently, he’d raised a man from the dead.

Next, verse 13: “They took palm branches and went out to meet him…”

Can you imagine the crowds of thousands, waving palm branches as Jesus and his disciples approached the city?

And together the people shouted out to Jesus: “Hosanna!”

What does that word mean? It comes from the Hebrew word Hoshi’a na (ho-san-nah') and it means… “"save, I pray," "save now," or "please deliver us". But it also simply means, we worship you.

Many in the crowd I’m sure must’ve thought Jesus was there to overthrow the Romans, and re-establish the nation, but that was not Jesus’ purpose in coming.

I’m sure many in the crowd as they chanted “Hosanna!” Save us! Were in their hearts thinking, "save us from the Romans." But Jesus had come to save them from their own sins. He came to save them from themselves.

It’s often the last thing we want to look at that God comes to deal with. They thought their problem was the Romans. They thought their problem was oppression and high taxes.

Today we often think our problem is the economy, or the sinfulness of the world, or the things people do to us, or how our family is acting or our household problems, or politicians, or health problems, but, Jesus pushes past all that, and says look into your own heart, and find the problem there, that I wish to solve.

The crowd also chanted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

By the miracle that Jesus did, the people finally understood who he was.

Yet soon after coming into the city, Jesus would mourn over the city, in Matthew 23:37-39, “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. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

So the people at the time of his triumphal entry cried out "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord", but this was not generally representative of the majority of the city, but it came from a holy remnant that had embraced Jesus as the messiah. But, in general, the governmental and religious leaders had rejected Jesus, and in fact would crucify him, so the city would, as Jesus prophesied, be left desolate. 

The city was destroyed, and the Jews scattered in 70 AD, after an unsuccessful revolt against the Roman empire. So Jesus here points to a time far in the future, at his second coming, when again the people would cry out, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And at his second coming, Jerusalem will not be destroyed, but will become the hub of the Earth, during the millennial reign.

Until that time, we wait for Jesus patiently. We long for his second coming to this Earth. And in the meantime, we long for God to do a new thing among the body of Christ, the church. We long for revival. We long for God to revive our church, right here, and do a new thing among us.

The crowds also cried out to Jesus, “Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus is the Hosanna, the one who saves us. Jesus is the Son of God, the representative of the Father on Earth. And Jesus is also the King of the human race.

He is the king of Israel, but not just that, he’s the King of the United States. He’s the king of Brazil. He’s the king of Kenya. He’s the king of Italy. He’s the king of Pakistan. He’s the king of India. He’s the king of China. He’s the king of Japan. He’s the king of the whole Earth, every tribe, every nation, he is the king.

But scope it down for a minute. He is the king of Our world. But he’s also the king of this congregation. 

And what does a king, a leader desire among the people who follow Him? He wants them to be united in Spirit, in lockstep with one another.

God desires unity among us. He desires us to stand as one. To pray, and to seek Him together, as one church, as the bride, waiting for the groom’s arrival. The crowds united here, as one and cried out to Jesus, proclaiming who he was. And there’s power in that equation.

We can accomplish great things if we’ll stand together, even in our little congregation. Are our best days behind us? No, our best days are in front of us, if we’ll unite together in the Spirit.

So the crowds made three declarations:

1. Hosanna, Jesus is our savior for our sins

2. He comes in the name of the Lord, he’s the Son of God

3. And He is the King, Jesus is the rightful ruler of the Earth.

Those three things unite us as Christians. We believe those things, and they link us together in shared belief. And in shared beliefs, comes a power and purpose and energy that sparks amazing shifts and changes in the world around us.

As we look to Jesus as savior, Lord, and King, all three, we experience unity as the body.

Verses 14-15: 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

This moment fulfilled yet another prophecy about the coming messiah, from Zechariah 9:9, that the messiah would ride into the Jerusalem on a donkey.

Many felt that Jesus would fight the Romans, and indeed if Jesus were coming as a warrior, he would like other warriors of the time, be riding a horse. The Roman army often utilized horses, and conquering Roman generals and Caesars would ride horses. But Jesus in sharp contrast, rode a donkey, symbolizing to everyone at the time, that he was a humble king, a servant king, a king whose purpose was to save through suffering and death.

Similarly, God desires from us, as a faith community, to not only be united, but also, to be radically humble. Jesus set the example for us in this. And the quickest way for a faith community to splinter and divide is when pride gets in the way, when we want our way, and we press for our agenda, but, when we’re humble, we’ll all be in alignment not with our own agenda, but with the agenda of the Holy Spirit within us.

Pride sidelines us in the spiritual battleground of this city. We get stuck on internal strife and problems. But humility will keep us united, so we can be focused on the city out there, and how to reach them for Jesus.

But I like how it says in verse 15: "Do not be afraid." The picture in my mind of Jesus riding on a donkey into the city of God, to save us from ourselves, is powerful. Jesus comes for us, to help us. He calls out to those who long for his coming and says “Do not be afraid! I’m here to help you."

The prime ministers and presidents of this world, they wouldn’t often come to save us, but our king, Jesus is riding toward his death, he is riding toward the cross he knows is coming, yet he rides in anyway, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus loves you. He’s riding toward you. To help you.

So we must also not be afraid, as a community. So much is happening in our world, strange illnesses, economic turmoil, wars and rumors of wars, our own city is rapidly changing, and we often look at the commands of God in scripture and we get a little afraid, overwhelmed, but Jesus quickly reminds us, do not be afraid, I’m here to rescue you. He is with us and he won’t leave us.

Next, verse 16 “At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.”

What’s fascinating is at the moment, the twelve disciples, as they walked behind Jesus on the donkey, didn’t fully understand what was happening. They must’ve thought well this is pretty cool, the crowds are cheering, but they didn’t understand that this event proved Jesus was the messiah.

They were caught up in the moment, caught up in the excitement as the crowds chanted hosanna. And it’s often the same for us as a faith community. We don’t fully understand in the moment what God is doing among us. But, when we look back, we’re able to see how he placed the puzzle pieces together one by one.

Remember that as we grow and develop as a faith community here. You may not fully understand what God is doing in the moment, but, you may understand more in the future.

It says in the scriptures, once Jesus was glorified, meaning once he died, rose, and ascended, sending the Holy Spirit to fill all believers, then they understood. Often, we do something by the leading of the Holy Spirit, not fully understanding it until later. Jesus helps us understand. But understanding is not a pre-requisite for obedience, I’ve learned time and time again in my walk with God, Jesus is not obligated to explain it to me, he wants me to trust Him.

So we too as a faith community are called to trust Jesus, even when we don’t understand what is happening. Can you truly trust Him through the ups and downs we experience here?

Next, verse 17: “Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.”

Notice it was the people who were literally at the event and saw it happen, who spread the news everywhere. When we see something that amazes us first hand, we can’t help but tell others. That is our testimony.

I had a gentlemen come on my personal YouTube channel to comment on one of my testimonies saying that I needed to provide verifiable evidence for my testimony, otherwise it was worthless as a form of evidence. Which is of course simply not true. In a court of law, eye witness testimony is considered a valuable form of evidence.

It’s the same with our testimonies of what Jesus did in our lives. Those testimonies are powerful. We saw ourselves go from one way to an entirely different way within. 

Now, if someone is seeking scientific or historical evidence, there is plenty of that too, but a testimony is also valuable evidence, that God is really real and active in the world today.

So, as a faith community, this is hugely important, we must be actively sharing our testimonies of what Jesus did for us. If we do, this church will grow, if we don’t, it will dwindle. Spread the word.

Next, verse 18 “Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.”

The people gathering in Jerusalem heard the testimonies about the raising of Lazarus, and they were so persuaded, they went out to meet Jesus.

Similarly, when we as a faith community share our testimonies, share the gospel, people in our community are drawn in, and they want to learn more about this Jesus is who changed our lives.

And as a result, the body of Christ grows. And more people begin their journeys toward heaven. Hallelujah, Hosanna to the Son of David!

Lastly, verse 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

The religious leaders kept trying to question Jesus, accuse Jesus, provoke him, anything to get the people to stop following him. And they had failed.

Similarly, the enemy fights our little church. He tries to disrupt us, bring division, cause problems, but in the end he will fail if we stand together. The enemy has been trying very hard, there has been so much spiritual warfare around our church in the last year. But the enemy is failing.

And I believe many in our city are going to turn to Jesus in the coming years. Not because of us, but because of Jesus among us.

In conclusion today, you might say that the triumphal entry was a bit like a revival that took place in Jerusalem long ago, as Jesus entered the city, and the people cried out, "Hosanna!"

If Jesus came here, to our little church in Traverse City, and poured out revival fire upon us, what would we do?

I hope we would cry out, "Hosanna! Praise to the King of Kings!"

Would we allow the revival to flow freely? Or would we shut it down? Remember the Asbury revival, how God’s presence filled the sanctuary. And people stayed there worshiping around the clock. I had a friend who went to school there, and she heard that something was happening in the chapel on campus, which shocked her because chapel had always been considered "boring" by most students. So her and her friends went and walked into the sanctuary. The presence of God was so strong she fell to her knees and began to weep. But after 16 days, they shut down the 24/7 service, and it just.. stopped.

If we as a faith body do truly long for revival, long for awakening, long for resurrection as a group, not just as individuals, we have to make a simple choice today.

We can grow together in unity, or we can fade away separately. We’ve got to allow the Holy Spirit to bind us together, in the unity of Jesus Christ, the kind of unity that came when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. And the crowds cried out, "Hosanna, to the Son of David, Hosanna to the King of Israel. Hosanna, to the Lord who saves us!"

Come Lord Jesus, and revive us again!