What Kind of Jesus Are You Looking For

John 12:9-12 (April 13, 2013)

Do you like time-travel movies – sometimes they don’t even have to make sense. What are some?• Back to the Future• Somewhere in Time Today I want you to go back in time with me – I promise we’ll be back so you can eat.I want us to go back to the years that Jesus walked the earth. Since our calendar is measured by his appearance, it’s not that hard. B.C. stands for Before Christ and A.D. stands for Anno Domini (The Year of our Lord). But what was going on in those days?The area is Palestine, and Palestine during the time of Jesus was a pressure cooker. Herod the Great was the King of Judea and he served as a puppet for Caesar Augustus because all of Israel was under the dominion of the Roman Empire. From 700 years before Christ, Israel had been split up – part of the country being conquered by Assyria, then the rest being conquered by Babylon then the last prophet spoke 400 years before Christ.Refer to time of Christ’s birth The Nativity StoryThat was 33 years earlier than the scripture we are reading today and the pressure in the pressure cooker had gotten worse.Herod Antipas was the Jewish Ruler (the only person that Jesus didn’t speak to when he was addressed) – Pilate was the Roman Governor – They were also ruled by corrupt Priest and Puritanical and oppressive religious leaders – the Pharisees.John 12:12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. The next day It’s Sunday – 6 days before Jesus is crucifiedwhen the large crowd that had come to the festival – Passover- Jews came from the ends of the earth to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. This week, when Jews in foreign lands observe the Passover, they say: "This year here; next year in Jerusalem."The Bible says: they took palm branches and went out to meet HimThe “palm branches” two centuries earlier had become a national symbol which indicated the fervent hope that a messianic liberator was arriving on the scene.Time Machine – back 170 years BC. Antiochus Epiphanes – Greek King who had attacked and destroyed Jerusalem, put many of its inhabitants to death most cruelly. He had soldiers enter the Jewish Temple and slaughter a pig (which was considered "unclean" by the Jews) on the Altar of the Lord. They set the pig ablaze and then took the meat and tried to make some Jewish men eat it. The men refused and he cut their tongues out, scalped them, cut off their hands and feet, and burnt them on the Altar of the Lord. After this, the Jews began the war of independence under their Maccabean leaders, defeating the armies that Antiochus sent against them. When, under the might of the Maccabees, Jerusalem was freed from the pollutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, the people entered in with palms branches and psalms of praise.The Jewish accounts are in the Books of the Maccabees, and the successful revolt is commemorated by the holiday of Hanukkah.They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord - the King of Israel!” - John 12:13“Hosanna,” the Hebrew expression which literally means “Save Now,” They wanted Jesus to save them.Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LordWhen someone dies and you get up at the funeral and share how wonderful they are – what do you call that? – a Eulogy – that’s the same word John uses here for BlessedBlessed means to speak well of, praise = eulogy. The people are quoting from Psalms 118:25-26. LORD, save us! LORD, please grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. They are calling for him to be their earthly king – but look at the next verse Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, There is significance here – if he was coming in as a military or political leader – he would come in on a horse. In fact, when they traveled from town to town, people only rode donkeys if they were traveling in peace.just as it is written: (when you see that – the writer is going to quote from the Old Testament – Jesus is fulfilling another Prophecy) “Fear no more, Daughter Zion; look! your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt” quoting from Zechariah 9:9 People were looking for a messiah – searching for a savior – and they expected Jesus to come in to Jerusalem and clean house – they thought they had the solution - He had fed the people – he had healed the sick – he had raised the dead He came to dwell in the hearts of men and women – to recreate them in God’s image - Jesus came and change peoples heartsWe’ve been in Jesus’ time and I want us to come back to 2013If Jesus showed up to walk the earth I think we might expect the same type of things - Jesus can go in and end the conflict in the Ukaraine, he could end poverty and homelessness. Stress – financial stress, marital stress, work stress, emotional stress, family conflict, fearWhat he did back then – was go to the cross, sacrifice his life for your life and for my life so that he could change your life and my Our Core Purpose as a Church Family - spiritual transformationSpiritual Transformation of individuals, families, community, and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ. Invitation –Let him change you, then he will change your situation, then he will change your family, then he will change this church, then he will change this community, then he will change this world.Through his death on the cross – he makes a way for you to have a relationship with GodThrough his resurrection – he gives you the hope of resurrection from the dead and eternal life Through his Holy Spirit – he wants

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