Palm Sunday Sermon
Do You Know Jesus Cry On Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday A Day Of Celebration Cheering. So Why Did Jesus Cry On Palm Sunday?
God’s Tears Jesus Tears
John 12:12-13, Luke 19:41-44 (NIV)
Have you ever lost a loved one? Your family member, your friend? I have. I lost my dad when he died of pneumonia. Seeing him suffering in hospital in coma for more than a month needing oxygen tank to keep him alive breathing till he couldn’t make it any more is suffering for me and him. I was helpless I couldn’t do anything to save him. Drs have given up on him. I was told he had Good Syndrome. They tried all kinds of medication but they don’t work on him. I am Dad’s favorite daughter. We had a close relationship. It was hard for me to lose my dad. I cried when he died. I couldn’t sleep for a few days.
I have also lose friends in my life. A few years ago, I lost a dear friend of my. She started to distance from me. Treating me as enemy not as friend. Distancing from me. Don’t want to associate with me. We used to be good friends.
You might be wondering what has my sharing got to do with today’s sermon? I will explain shortly. Is related.
Let’s pray first.
Dearest Heavenly Father, enable me your child to be able to share with others the meaning and significance of your words in today’s sermon about your son Jesus Christ arrival to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. May people who hear this sermon be able to truly understand your word and believe in you.
In your son name Jesus Christ I pray Amen.
Let me read today’s sermon text on John 12:12-13, Luke 19:41-44. I will be reading from the NIV version.
John 12:12-13 (NIV)
12The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
Luke 19:41-44 (NIV)
41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
42and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.
43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
After reading today’s Bible passage. Do you realize Jesus cry on Palm Sunday? He cried as he was about to enter Jerusalem. This is found in Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. Many of us probably remember Palm Sunday is a happy occasion where the Jews warmly welcome Jesus with palm leaves on the ground for him to enter and waving to Jesus with the palm branches, leaves as he arrived in Jerusalem. Is Jesus happy to see the Jews welcoming him or is he sad, crying? Palm Sunday a day of celebration cheering. So why did Jesus cry on Palm Sunday?
1st Let’s look at why the Jews were celebrating Jesus arrival to Jerusalem. The Jews heard that Jesus had resurrected Lazarus earlier and is on his way to come to Jerusalem. They believe that Jesus is the anointed Messiah to deliver them from Roman’s rule, suffering, oppression. He will be their King. They were happy to see him in Jerusalem. They were looking for the day they will be delivered from Romans and be free.
However, Jesus was not happy with the Jews as he know their hearts and what is going to happen. He knew they wanted him to deliver them from the Romans and become their King. He knew their intention, their heart and what is going to happen in future.
Now let’s look at what happened a few days after Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. Jesus was captured.
When the Jews saw Jesus being captured, tortured by the Pharisees & Romans, their hearts changed. They started to persecute Jesus and demand Pilate Roman governor to crucify him. This can be found in John 19:13-16. Let me read the verse.
13When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
14It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
15But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
We can see that these very people that celebrate Jesus arrival in Jerusalem were now persecuting Jesus demanding him to be crucified.
Jesus saw this coming. Jesus knew this is going to happen. In John 1:11 says this very well. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. That’s why he wept. It may appear that the Jews were receiving Jesus at first when he came to Jerusalem but later they did not accept him. They denied him. They persecute him.
Earlier I mentioned about my friend who used to be friendly to me but later denied me. This is the same kind of feeling Jesus had. The feeling of denial, betrayal, persecution. Jesus wept over the people who denied him. I wept too.
The tears, sorrow Jesus cried were different emotions from the tears Jesus wept when Lazarus died. In the original Greek text for Luke 19:41 ἔκλαυσεν (éklafsen ) is actually cried, when Jesus cried his crying is more intense he cried bitterly than his weeping over Lazarus which in Lazarus case was a short while as he knew Lazarus is going to be alive again.
So why did Jesus cried so bitterly? In Luke 19:42-44, Jesus prophesy their downfall as they did not truly believe he is the Messiah. He knew that these Jews were suffer downfall. In Verse 43 & 44, He said the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.
What does this mean? The explanation can be found in Luke 21:5-6. Let me read the verse. 5Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,
6“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
This verses are showing us that Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem & the Temple. He knew the Jews temple will be gone. Jesuralem will be destroyed. The stones are referring to the Jews. How do I know the stones are referring to the Jews Israelites? Let’s look at John The Baptist Baptism when he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the river he was baptizing, he said to them in Matthew 3:9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. So from this verse, we know that the stones are referring to the Israelites Jews.
That’s why He cried over the Jews. They couldn’t see that they had God in presence with them that can deliver them from their suffering. They did not trust in Jesus completely. They were blind. They didn’t receive the peace from God due to their unbelief.
In Luke 21:7-24 Jesus talked further what is going to happen when his disciples asked when the temple, stones will be destroyed. He talked about false prophets, teachers coming in His name, wars, disasters. Let me read the verses on Luke 21:7-24 on the destruction of Jerusalem, Temple details.
7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
9When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13This will result in your being witnesses to them.
14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17All men will hate you because of me.
18But not a hair of your head will perish.
19By standing firm you will gain life.
20“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.
21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
23How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
From these verses, we see that Jerusalem is going to suffer from wrath from God, punishment from God. For true followers of Christ, Jesus told them not to worry in this suffering. Stay firm in believing in Him and they will gain life. For the unbelief, they will be destroyed.
With this knowledge that Jesus knew ahead what is going to happen to the Jews, Jerusalem, temple, Jesus cried over them. He cried because the Jews did not believe in Him. He couldn’t save them unless they truly believe in Him. He couldn’t do anything to save them unless they have their true heart turn towards Him the one True God that can deliver them. That’s why Jesus cried over the lost.
Remember earlier I mentioned I cried over my dad with his death. I cried because I could not do anything to save his life. I am helpless. To be frank, that time my family were not Christian. Only my 1st younger brother is Christian. My Christian brother brought Christian friends to my dad to pray for him, initially after his surgery from thymoma cancer, he was well. Surgery was successful. He wanted to go to church and asked me to bring him to church. I refused. He went on his own. I did not know whether he accepted Christ when he went to church. I told him later to stop believing in God, we are Buddhist. We should not believe in Christianity. He listened to me and went back to temple and worship Buddhism and Taoist gods. During my dad’s review after his surgery, his Dr advised him to have radiotherapy just in case, cancer cells still have. I agreed to his suggestions as my parents rely on me to make the decision. His regularly radiotherapy visits to hospital killed my dad as it killed my dad good cells and he got infection, pneumonia. I was still resistant to Christianity, telling my brother’s Christian friends to stop their visit to my dad. I realize I was wrong with my actions after I become Christian. Probably Jesus cried over me and my dad for our unbelief. My dad was at 1st joyful with Jesus and later left Jesus. He suffered God’s wrath. I too suffered under God’s wrath with the lost of my dad.
A few years ago, I repented my sins after I become Christian.
For the losing of my good friend I mentioned earlier, it was actually a happy occasion that turns to unhappiness. There was happiness, smiles, joy that occasion but that occasion leads to sorrow and pain. From acknowledging me as friend, to not acknowledging me as friend. I believe this is how it was felt when Jesus faced the denial from the Jews. Happy occasion on Palm Sunday turns out to be unhappy.
After hearing this sermon, will you repent of your sins, your unbelief of God Jesus Christ? If you are not Christian or left Christianity, will you believe in Jesus Christ today?
If you like to believe in Jesus Christ, please pray this pray.
Dearest Jesus Christ,
Forgive me for my blindness, not seeing you, not knowing you are the 1 true God. The Son of God that God The Father has sent you to come to earth to die at the Cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I repent of my sins, my ignorance, my arrogance. Will you please come to my life today and be my God for my rest of my life? I will follow you the rest of my life. I believe that you died at the Cross for my sins and you resurrected on the 3rd day. With your resurrection, I have eternal life. There is no more death. You have defeated death.
In your name I pray. Amen.