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Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div., M.S.A., Editor

Palm Sunday/Sunday of The Passion
Series C

Option 1: Rev. Kelly Bedard

"Saved By The Knell!"
(Luke 19:28-40)

(Note: outline inspired by Tiger Jesus in Homiletics Online, 4/8/2001)

A. A Tiger King

    1. A miracle-working hotshot resurrecting a sport

    2. Long drives and sand trap saves

B. A Godly Lamb

    1. A long walk into the "trap" of salvation (cross)

    2. A sin-forgiving Savior sporting a miraculous resurrection work

Notes

1. But while our Wall Street portfolio may be full, our spiritual pockets
could well be empty. We may be without even one person we can say truly
loves us. We may be utterly, hopelessly bored. We may sense there is no
moral-positioning system at work in our lives that keeps us on the path of
righteousness. We may be hanging tooth and nail to our sanity while our
world crashes upon us, and we try to keep busy rotating our Firestones,
unaware of the doom down the road. (Homiletics Online, 4/8/2001)

2. The ass was the mount of a man of peace, a merchant or a priest. A king
might ride an ass on occasion, but he would be more likely to appear on a
mighty war-horse. Zechariah's prophecy saw Messiah as the Prince of Peace.
(Morris)

3. They honored him with their garments (Luke 19:35-36); this meant
something in that culture, where most people had only one set of clothes--to
lay aside part of their clothing to let a man riding a donkey to go over
them was really laying something down. (Guzik)



Option 2: Rev. Wayne Dobratz

Phil. 2:5-11
THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature
of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a
cross!

It's one of the categories found on a report card. Students are rated not
only on their performance, but also on their ATTITUDE. Palm Sunday is very
much about attitude-Jesus' attitude. It's about how Jesus thought of himself
and of the work the Heavenly Father gave Him to do.

Jesus' ride into Jerusalem reminds us of:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE
1) It brought Jesus to Jerusalem
2) It laid him on the cross
3) It is still changing lives today

I. It brought Jesus to Jerusalem.

A. Right before he wrote today's text, Paul said: "Each of you should look
not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

B. When children have guests, they sometimes fight over toys. When the
visiting child plays with a favorite toy, a child will say: "That's mine!
You can't have it."

C. Jesus could have clung to His privileges and rights as God's Son, but He
"emptied himself...., he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant."

D. The sinful attitude of mankind made it necessary for Jesus to assume this
attitude of self-emptying.

Illustration:
The Late Astronaut James Irwin commented: "As I was returning
to earth, I realized that I was a servant-not a celebrity. So I am here, as
God's servant on planet Earth to share what I have experienced that others
might know the glory of God."

E. This humble servant love is a lesson He had to teach the disciples
often-cf. John 13.

II. Jesus' attitude laid Him on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.
Text: v. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death--even death on a cross!

A. Jesus deliberately rode into Jerusalem knowing that his acclaim would
lead to the cross-Lk. 19:39 passim.

B. Jesus knew that the Religious Leaders were envious of His popularity with
the people-cf. John 11:48ff

C. Jesus knew that He had to die in Jerusalem-Cf. Lk. 13:33

D. Jesus' attitude of humble love brings those who trust in Him to God-1
Pet. 3:18 & Rom. 5:2

III. Jesus attitude of humble servant love still changes lives today.

A. That was the purpose of the foot-washing object lesson in John 13-cf.
John 13:7

B. It is the same message God gave Daniel shortly before his death-Daniel
12:3

C. To imitate Jesus' attitude will be the test of faith on the Last Day.
Cf. Matt. 25:40

Illustration:
There was a deacon in a church in Boston many years ago who said to himself:
"I can't lead a Bible class. There are some things I've not been given the talent to do, but I can do this: I can put two extra dinner plates on my table every Sunday and invite two young men who are away from home to have a meal with me."
He did that for more than 30 years. He became acquainted with many young men who attended his church and some of them followed his humble Christian
example. When he died, he was to be buried in Andover, 30 miles away.
Because he was a well-known businessman, a special train was chartered to
convey the funeral party. Any of his friends who had become Christians
through his influence would be welcomed in a special car set aside for them.
150 of them came and packed that car from end to end."

Matthew Henry writes: Here is a gospel pattern proposed to our imitation,
and that is the example of our Lord Jesus Christ: Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus, v. 5. Observe, Christians must be of Christ'
s mind. We must bear a resemblance to his life, if we would have the benefit
of his death. If we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his, Rom.
8:9. Now what was the mind of Christ? He was eminently humble, and this is
what we are peculiarly to learn of him. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly
in heart, Mt. 11:29. If we were lowly-minded, we should be like-minded; and,
if we were like Christ, we should be lowly-minded. We must walk in the same
spirit and in the same steps with the Lord Jesus, who humbled himself to
sufferings and death for us; not only to satisfy God's justice, and pay the
price of our redemption, but to set us an example, and that we might follow
his steps.

Observe, Christians must be of Christ's mind. We must bear a resemblance
to his life, if we would have the benefit of his death. If we have not the
Spirit of Christ, we are none of his, Rom. 8:9. Now what was the mind of
Christ? He was eminently humble, and this is what we are peculiarly to learn
of him. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Mt. 11:29. 

If we were lowly-minded, we should be like-minded; and, if we were like Christ, we should be lowly-minded. We must walk in the same spirit and in the same steps with the Lord Jesus, who humbled himself to sufferings and death for us; not only to satisfy God's justice, and pay the price of our redemption, but to set us an example, and that we might follow his steps.

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