Palm Sunday Rejection

We are continuing our look at what happened on Palm Sunday. Yesterday we saw that Israel wanted and expected a political savior but did not recognize the Savior from sin. It is so sad that Israel failed to recognize who Jesus was. The scripture says they did not recognize the "time" of their visitation.. That means that there was a time period for them to recognize.

You see there are two words for time in the Greek. "Chronos" is chronological time, but "kairos" is the opportune time--the appropriate time--the due time of God. And this was the kairos moment; it was the moment of the release of His Son to the earth. Yet Israel failed to recognize it! What were the signs of the times?


A. Israel rejected precedent!

Luke 19:28-36 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. NIV

Jesus came into Jerusalem riding a donkey. This was the same way that Solomon had been proclaimed King. Now here was an audacious move. The religious authorities already wanted to arrest Jesus but rather than hide, he makes this dramatic appearance to Jerusalem.

Notice two things: Jesus disciples put him on the donkey. They chose to make Jesus Lord and they chose to worship him as Lord. How many people claim to be Christians but refuse to serve him as Lord of their lives. They hailed him as king.

B. Israel rejected prophecy

Matt 21:4-5
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
NIV

This is a reference to the book of Zechariah which predicted this act of the Messiah. Again Israel should have seen it but would not. Jesus was constantly fulfilling prophecies, yet Israel refused to acknowledge it. Just like today, Jesus fulfillled over 300 specific prophecies, demonstrably written hundreds of years before hs birth, yet people still think of him as a "nice guy", maybe a little "deluded". But many don't worship him as the Son of God. They don't bow the knee to His Lordship. They are willfully deceived.


C. Israel rejected the signs and wonders
Luke 19:37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

The disciples recognized the miracles that Jesus did and that they were a sign of his being the Messiah over Israel. Israel in general refused to acknowledge the authenticating miracles of Jesus. So many miracles have ben performed in the name of Jesus, even up until this day and yet Israel and many today refuse ot acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is King, but like the subjects in the parable we looke at yesterday, many don't want him to be King over them.

D . Israel rejected to Praise Him
Luke 19:39-40 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" 40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Here the disciples were so excited about what they were seeing. They began to shout praise to Jesus. But the Pharisees, and the wouldn't sees and the couldn't sees refused to worship . In fact, they tried to shut up the disciples. But Jesus refused to silence their praise but accepted it. Even we as Christians can become religious and leave our religion as a formal thing but something that doesn't come close to our hearts. We don't want to make a big fuss about Jesus. That's just not civilized. but your response to people exuberantly loving Jesus reveals your heart.

All these things: the prophecy ,the miracles, the precedent, the praise, all indicated that Jesus was much more than a prophet. Yet Israel missed these factors and then missed their time. This was the Kairos moment.

Similarly right now we are in a Kairos moment. We are in a time when there is still time to accept Jesus as Messiah. But will we miss the signs.?

Israel missed their time. We can miss ours.
All the mistakes that Israel made can be made today. People can deny that Jesus was the fulfillment of scriptures, deny that he fulfilled over 300 prophecies. Deny that he is not just another prophet but worthy to be worshiped as Lord. Even professing Christians can refuse to serve him as lord although they recognize his identity.

Have you not only recognized who Jesus is . But have you willfully put him on the proverbial donkey and hailed him as king of your life? Has the reality of His Lordship affected your heart for Him as well?