When Sally and I moved to Pasadena to go to school, as we explored our new home, we were puzzled by a pink line down the center of the main street in the city. I thought I knew traffic laws pretty well but that pink line was baffling. A few months later we figured it out… (guesses?) [The guide line for the Rose Parade floats.]
The Rose Parade, just a couple blocks from our house. The first Rose Parade we made a minor mistake: we staked out a spot on the wrong side of the street! Turns out that many of the floats are built for the cameras, there is a definite back side.
Our last Rose Parade was the most memorable…we took a job with the school to help set up 500 VIP chairs and guard them all night…. There were probably 20 of us… a night I will never forget… the parade before the parade, the trucks up and down the street, the drunks stumbling through….
Today’s scripture -- a parade…. Much of these verses are about preparation for the parade… Jesus is entering Jerusalem….
The Rose Parade, just a couple blocks from our house. The first Rose Parade we made a minor mistake: we staked out a spot on the wrong side of the street! Turns out that many of the floats are built for the cameras, there is a definite back side.
Our last Rose Parade was the most memorable…we took a job with the school to help set up 500 VIP chairs and guard them all night…. There were probably 20 of us… a night I will never forget… the parade before the parade, the trucks up and down the street, the drunks stumbling through….
Today’s scripture -- a parade…. Much of these verses are about preparation for the parade… Jesus is entering Jerusalem….
Who needs this parade?
The people/crowds need this parade. The crowds need one more opportunity to celebrate Jesus Christ, his teaching, his miracles, his love, his wisdom… whatever it is that draws people to the Lord. Another opportunity to appreciate the Lord, one more reminder of his love, one more…
We need more parties, more excuses to celebrate our faith. Every year Sumas has a community day week-end which is an opportunity to spotlight the people of the community… festivities, a parade… It does something to us to highlight and celebrate that which impacts us, which we appreciate. How much more the Lord, to take time to say thank you, to clap for that which we appreciate…
Maybe we should change the name of family nights to Party Nights (not serious, I don’t care what we call them). We need to celebrate.
I officiate at a fair number of funerals, I love funerals because I love the idea of celebration of life, I love to see families and friends gather together. I hear the sentiment a lot, “why do we only get together for occasions like this…” I get it. but I still also say, funerals are going to happen so let’s celebrate the part that is good, let’s make the time. We are changed when we celebrate/appreciate. it helps put perspective on the world and reminds us of what’s important. Like being amazed at a Master Painting…
If we are changed when we celebrate our blessings, How much more Jesus Christ. The Parade as they enter Jerusalem is important for the people. Many pilgrims are entering Jerusalem… they are all greeted by the crowds welcoming them, but Jesus is like the Master’s of Ceremony spotlighted as the most important guest… One of the important reasons for why Jesus makes arrangements is because the crowds need to praise him and welcome him to Jerusalem to the great feast. Later the crowds turn away from the Lord, they abandon him when he goes to trial and then dies on the cross, because they did not fully understand the depth of why God sent his one and only son to the earth, yet the celebration at that moment is right, good, sincere and real. Later, after Jesus death and resurrection, and the people had time to absorb what happened, there is no doubt that the memory of the parade took on new meaning, for they did not realize the sort of king Jesus was… the kind of king that would die for them and forgive their sins.
The people needed the parade because they need the opportunity to praise Jesus Christ, to celebrate him, to be awed by him. As we celebrate we are changed, to get out of the routine of life and take time to honor that which is important. There is nothing/nobody more important to celebrate than Christ…
Who needs the parade? The Pharisees. I will focus on them next Sunday in the next few verses in Luke 19, but just a few words….the parade forces the Pharisees to be hardened in their resolve against the Lord… It is good for unbelievers to be confronted by Christ so they will forced to be decisive… everyone needs the opportunity to accept or reject the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that sounds crazy, but think about it: even if much of the world rejects faith in Christ, they still need to be confronted by Him….
You know who else needs the parade? Jesus. I embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. Jesus, in his humanity, needs to hear the crowds praise him, / they are responding. Jesus knows what is coming, he knows the crowds don’t have a clue as to how the Kingdom of God will unfold, he knows the people are fickle, he knows many people follow him for lesser reasons than the fullness of the message… in the days leading up to the cross he will cry out in anguish to God reaffirming his commitment to die on the cross yet showing great fear/ reluctance/ turmoil/ confliction… he is about to go through the greatest betrayal of all time when Judas, his disciple, conspires with the Romans to have him arrested for the crime of being popular… Yet for Jesus, when day turns to darkness, the reminder of the appreciation of the crowds, the reminder of whom Jesus is dying for, is good, right… maybe the crowds did not fully understand, but they understood something when they hailed him as king, a humble king riding on a donkey. I think Jesus needed that… a boost in his human nature to keep on keeping on towards the cross… later, when Jesus prays, “if it be possible take this cup from me” and he puts his life fully in His father’s hands, perhaps he can still hear ringing in his head the shouts of the crowds, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” and Jesus knew he must continue the mission of securing the salvation promise of God.
It’s good for us to be thanked, for people to express genuine appreciation. I sure hope we serve for more reasons than to be recognized, but I know it does not hurt. (read a thank you for missions…. ) I discovered one person that took advantage of me a few weeks ago, didn’t tell the truth. That’s going to happen. I think one of the main reasons I can make it through hard situations is by remembering the hundreds of wonderfully gracious people that are very kind to me and genuine… I don’t expect to be recognized but when it happens it’s a wonderful affirmation that helps…
All of you need that too… young people need to hear they are loved too, children… the people in the community…. One word of advice for some of you that are overly humble… Let people compliment you. Some folks have a personality that when they receive a compliment they respond by deflecting it, “it was nothing”…. If somebody wants to compliment you learn the word “Thank you.” They need to be appreciative and you need to be appreciated so don’t take the gift away from them or you by dodging it!
The Parade was for Jesus. The Parade was for him so that as he marched on through the rest of the week towards the cross, he now had embedded in his heart and mind that the people praised him and he was committed to serving them….
Who needs the parade/celebrate? The crowds, the Pharisees, Jesus… there is one more unnamed group in this story that I want to spotlight ….
Jesus orchestrates the parade into Jerusalem. He sends some of the disciples to go get a colt for him to ride. The colt is a surprise because the thinking of the disciples and many of Jesus followers would be for Jesus to ride a powerful horse… but they are obedient and get the humble colt even if they don’t get it… when I was boy I would listen to this story and think it is all miraculous insight of Jesus to know exactly where the colt is parked, but in reality, there is a much simpler explanation and in all likelihood Jesus was very familiar with the streets of the village so he knew exactly what animal he wanted to ride… It would be like me saying, “Hey Jim Jeffries, will you please go get the key’s to Stan Schroeders white car for me to ride in the Sumas parade, I want a non-descript ordinary plain car…”
Listen to how this unfolds… READ Luke 19:30-35. The owners of the colt do not appear to object in any way. The truth is that many people were so poor they could not even afford a donkey. The fact that the scripture says “owners” likely means this donkey belonged to several families because no single family could afford it. There is no record of these owners objecting. Maybe the colt/donkey wasn’t a war horse, but it’s a huge asset. They don’t know if they’ll ever get the donkey returned. They don’t ask how long Jesus needs it. The crowds are huge headed to Jerusalem as tens of thousands are passing through the village… The owners undoubtedly have heard of Jesus and they just give, they just serve.
Who needs the parade? The people who are ready and willing to give/serve sacrificially. The owners of the colt are the behind the scenes heroes that bless Jesus by their giving with no questions. They give up something precious just because Jesus asked. Would I do that? When we celebrate Jesus as a way of life and honor him, he will ask us to get involved, to give, to participate in whatever way he asks…
The crowds need the parade because it is good to honor Jesus Christ even when they don’t fully understand the depth of his mission to go to the cross. The Pharisees need the parade because it is good to be forced to make a decision on what you think of Jesus. Jesus needed the parade because no matter what happens he knew there was some level of appreciation and celebration. And finally, committed servants of the Lord Jesus Christ need the parade so they can be ready to give when asked. Amen.
The people/crowds need this parade. The crowds need one more opportunity to celebrate Jesus Christ, his teaching, his miracles, his love, his wisdom… whatever it is that draws people to the Lord. Another opportunity to appreciate the Lord, one more reminder of his love, one more…
We need more parties, more excuses to celebrate our faith. Every year Sumas has a community day week-end which is an opportunity to spotlight the people of the community… festivities, a parade… It does something to us to highlight and celebrate that which impacts us, which we appreciate. How much more the Lord, to take time to say thank you, to clap for that which we appreciate…
Maybe we should change the name of family nights to Party Nights (not serious, I don’t care what we call them). We need to celebrate.
I officiate at a fair number of funerals, I love funerals because I love the idea of celebration of life, I love to see families and friends gather together. I hear the sentiment a lot, “why do we only get together for occasions like this…” I get it. but I still also say, funerals are going to happen so let’s celebrate the part that is good, let’s make the time. We are changed when we celebrate/appreciate. it helps put perspective on the world and reminds us of what’s important. Like being amazed at a Master Painting…
If we are changed when we celebrate our blessings, How much more Jesus Christ. The Parade as they enter Jerusalem is important for the people. Many pilgrims are entering Jerusalem… they are all greeted by the crowds welcoming them, but Jesus is like the Master’s of Ceremony spotlighted as the most important guest… One of the important reasons for why Jesus makes arrangements is because the crowds need to praise him and welcome him to Jerusalem to the great feast. Later the crowds turn away from the Lord, they abandon him when he goes to trial and then dies on the cross, because they did not fully understand the depth of why God sent his one and only son to the earth, yet the celebration at that moment is right, good, sincere and real. Later, after Jesus death and resurrection, and the people had time to absorb what happened, there is no doubt that the memory of the parade took on new meaning, for they did not realize the sort of king Jesus was… the kind of king that would die for them and forgive their sins.
The people needed the parade because they need the opportunity to praise Jesus Christ, to celebrate him, to be awed by him. As we celebrate we are changed, to get out of the routine of life and take time to honor that which is important. There is nothing/nobody more important to celebrate than Christ…
Who needs the parade? The Pharisees. I will focus on them next Sunday in the next few verses in Luke 19, but just a few words….the parade forces the Pharisees to be hardened in their resolve against the Lord… It is good for unbelievers to be confronted by Christ so they will forced to be decisive… everyone needs the opportunity to accept or reject the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that sounds crazy, but think about it: even if much of the world rejects faith in Christ, they still need to be confronted by Him….
You know who else needs the parade? Jesus. I embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. Jesus, in his humanity, needs to hear the crowds praise him, / they are responding. Jesus knows what is coming, he knows the crowds don’t have a clue as to how the Kingdom of God will unfold, he knows the people are fickle, he knows many people follow him for lesser reasons than the fullness of the message… in the days leading up to the cross he will cry out in anguish to God reaffirming his commitment to die on the cross yet showing great fear/ reluctance/ turmoil/ confliction… he is about to go through the greatest betrayal of all time when Judas, his disciple, conspires with the Romans to have him arrested for the crime of being popular… Yet for Jesus, when day turns to darkness, the reminder of the appreciation of the crowds, the reminder of whom Jesus is dying for, is good, right… maybe the crowds did not fully understand, but they understood something when they hailed him as king, a humble king riding on a donkey. I think Jesus needed that… a boost in his human nature to keep on keeping on towards the cross… later, when Jesus prays, “if it be possible take this cup from me” and he puts his life fully in His father’s hands, perhaps he can still hear ringing in his head the shouts of the crowds, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” and Jesus knew he must continue the mission of securing the salvation promise of God.
It’s good for us to be thanked, for people to express genuine appreciation. I sure hope we serve for more reasons than to be recognized, but I know it does not hurt. (read a thank you for missions…. ) I discovered one person that took advantage of me a few weeks ago, didn’t tell the truth. That’s going to happen. I think one of the main reasons I can make it through hard situations is by remembering the hundreds of wonderfully gracious people that are very kind to me and genuine… I don’t expect to be recognized but when it happens it’s a wonderful affirmation that helps…
All of you need that too… young people need to hear they are loved too, children… the people in the community…. One word of advice for some of you that are overly humble… Let people compliment you. Some folks have a personality that when they receive a compliment they respond by deflecting it, “it was nothing”…. If somebody wants to compliment you learn the word “Thank you.” They need to be appreciative and you need to be appreciated so don’t take the gift away from them or you by dodging it!
The Parade was for Jesus. The Parade was for him so that as he marched on through the rest of the week towards the cross, he now had embedded in his heart and mind that the people praised him and he was committed to serving them….
Who needs the parade/celebrate? The crowds, the Pharisees, Jesus… there is one more unnamed group in this story that I want to spotlight ….
Jesus orchestrates the parade into Jerusalem. He sends some of the disciples to go get a colt for him to ride. The colt is a surprise because the thinking of the disciples and many of Jesus followers would be for Jesus to ride a powerful horse… but they are obedient and get the humble colt even if they don’t get it… when I was boy I would listen to this story and think it is all miraculous insight of Jesus to know exactly where the colt is parked, but in reality, there is a much simpler explanation and in all likelihood Jesus was very familiar with the streets of the village so he knew exactly what animal he wanted to ride… It would be like me saying, “Hey Jim Jeffries, will you please go get the key’s to Stan Schroeders white car for me to ride in the Sumas parade, I want a non-descript ordinary plain car…”
Listen to how this unfolds… READ Luke 19:30-35. The owners of the colt do not appear to object in any way. The truth is that many people were so poor they could not even afford a donkey. The fact that the scripture says “owners” likely means this donkey belonged to several families because no single family could afford it. There is no record of these owners objecting. Maybe the colt/donkey wasn’t a war horse, but it’s a huge asset. They don’t know if they’ll ever get the donkey returned. They don’t ask how long Jesus needs it. The crowds are huge headed to Jerusalem as tens of thousands are passing through the village… The owners undoubtedly have heard of Jesus and they just give, they just serve.
Who needs the parade? The people who are ready and willing to give/serve sacrificially. The owners of the colt are the behind the scenes heroes that bless Jesus by their giving with no questions. They give up something precious just because Jesus asked. Would I do that? When we celebrate Jesus as a way of life and honor him, he will ask us to get involved, to give, to participate in whatever way he asks…
The crowds need the parade because it is good to honor Jesus Christ even when they don’t fully understand the depth of his mission to go to the cross. The Pharisees need the parade because it is good to be forced to make a decision on what you think of Jesus. Jesus needed the parade because no matter what happens he knew there was some level of appreciation and celebration. And finally, committed servants of the Lord Jesus Christ need the parade so they can be ready to give when asked. Amen.
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