Title: Fear not dear Christian for your King has come for you!
Text: John 12:12-19
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”
A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "good morning young man, can you tell me where the Post Office is?"
The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight down this street a coupla blocks and turn to your right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new pastor in town. I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday...I'll show you how to get to Heaven."
The little boy replied with a chuckle. "You're kidding me, right?
......You don't even know the way to the Post Office!”
We’ll the good news that I bring to you this Palm Sunday is that we don’t have to find the way to heaven. Because, it is God himself who seeks and saves the lost, and it is he who finds us so that we can have great comfort and:
Fear not dear Christian for your King has come for you!
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
Christ had been followed by the crowds for some time now and the crowds were growing. Here we hear of a large crowd. Some of them came because Jesus had fed them with the loaves and fish; some had healings and some had been healed by having demons cast out. But also some, were believing followers who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead [and] continued to bear witness.
Those who had seen this sign, had witnessed Lazarus risen from the dead by Jesus, were now proclaiming the truth of Jesus, seeing him as the Messiah, the promised King of Israel.
John even tells us that:
18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
So the people are overjoyed. Jesus is the Messiah. He is the one spoken about in the Prophet Zechariah:
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jerusalem … your King is here!
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
There were others who were not overjoyed. Namely the Chief Priests and in the two verses that precede our reading for today we understand their plot.
10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
Many … were going away and believing in Jesus.
The signs that had been done; The feeding of the 5000, the casting out of demons, the walking on the water, the calming of the storms … raising Lazarus from the dead, had been done so that some might believe.
In John 10, Jesus said:
37 If I am not doing the works [performing the deeds] of My Father, then do not believe Me [do not adhere to Me and trust Me and rely on Me].
38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works and have faith in what I do, in order that you may know and understand [clearly] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [One with Him]. AMP
Ill.
Some years ago I was having a conversation with a co-worker who was a Christian. As we discussed our faith I asked him, “As one who was not born into a Christian family or raised in the faith, how did you come to faith and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?”
He said that when he was little he was raised in a pretty dysfunctional family and his dad had been an alcoholic and drug dealer. He was not a loving father, was a womanizer and just a bad person all around. He said that his mom – who was not much better - was brought to faith in the Lord first by the witness of some friends and it was his mom who witnessed to her husband. Over time his dad too came to faith too and the Lord even called him into ministry and he now is pastor of a church in Pontiac.
He then said, “Seeing that change in my dad was miracle enough for me to believe!”
The word of God that had been proclaimed in services his mom had taken him to, took seed in his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, and God used his word and the drawing of his father to faith to confirm his presence in the lives of his children.
Though unbelief may still be present in your families, remember that God’s word is active and alive and will not return void. God will continue to search to save the lost that by his working through the Spirit through the word, all who [are] appointed to eternal life [will believe]. Acts 13:48
Fear not dear Christian for your King has come for you!
14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. The joy of this Messiah, the King of Israel, come in the flesh, brought the crowds to their feet 13 [taking] branches of palm trees and [going] out to meet him, [they cried] out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
The joy of the King’s coming for a moment rejoiced the people and causing
19 … the Pharisees [to say] to one another, “Look, the world has gone after him.”
Fear not dear Christian for your King has come for you!
Ill.
I received this email from a dear friend that I worked with for 20 years and had the pleasure to witness to over that time. God at times gives us a glimpse of how he uses us to bring Christ to others.
“I hope all has been going well with you
Things have been going pretty well with us over here.
Lately I've been thanking the Lord for the good years I've had.
If anything were to happen to me today... I am only more than grateful for what I've been given... the wonderful gift of this life.. and the good years I've had. Not that they have all been comfy baby sweet years.. but not a one has been empty of life, discovery, pain, pleasure, joy, sorrow and so very much more.
I also am grateful for our friendship.
Admittedly, until I met you and we shared our good talks, it was easy for me to discount faith, the gift of salvation and forgiveness (not that it's so easy for me to forgive myself but it does make my life a wee bit more pleasant knowing that if my heart is sincere in my asking that I really am forgiven.)
It was your good testimony that brought me to a keener focus on what Christ has given us.
I know you don't like to accept credit for that... Ha! That's your problem.
My father used to tell me about when my grandfather died. (might have told you this before...) and Max goes before God and God says to Max "Max, you've been a good man, husband and father. What can I offer you here?" Max thinks for a moment and says "I'd like a bagel if that would be all right." God says back; "Max surely you want more that!" And Max looks shyly up towards God and asks "Can I have a little cream cheese with that?"
If I am offered such an opportunity I would ask that God bless your church, your health and to make your life a wee bit easier all around.
On this Psalm Sunday weekend we rejoice in the truth that we have a savior where we can truly place our trust. And that the very Son of God will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, being just and possessing the requirement of our freedom from sin, death and the devil by bearing and carrying our salvation with Him which the Lord had planned.
This humble servant who came down from heaven was not in the form of your everyday earthly King. This King and Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord, would rise through lowliness and suffering to the strength and glory which was hidden in Him in the state of His humiliation, and which now is leading, in one short week, to His trial and crucifixion at the cross.
This humble King, Jesus Christ, by his very death and resurrection will bring peace, He kills sin and makes us alive through Baptism, He wounds and heals and though we are dead he gives us life and the peace that passes all human understanding to the very ends on the Earth.
God has set you free from the power of sin, the flesh and the devil. As our triumphant King Jesus Christ rides today into Jerusalem. His path to the cross from His baptism, where He was marked as the chief of sinners for you, also points to His ride today as a triumphant ride that is unique and different from every other faith tradition because in a short while Jesus Christ will accomplish the true freedom at the cross for you and for all sinners of all time.
You are set free from your sin because Jesus came for sinners! He came to set you free. He came for you! He gave His life at the cross to pay the price God demands to satisfy His justice and by his stripes you are free. You are truly free, indeed!
Fear not dear Christian for your King has come for you!
You do not have to find your way to heaven. God in Christ has made the way for you and he will bring you to his side by his means. He will call you, he will draw you, and he has given you faith in his Son Jesus to believe and by his work he will sustain you until his return or until he calls you to your eternal rest in Jesus.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen
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