Palm Sunday

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning April 9th, 2017.

Matthew 21:8-11 NIV
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,“Hosanna to the Son of David!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The Scene:
A command to appear before the Lord.

Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread (PASSOVER - PESACH), the Festival of Weeks (PENTECOST - SHAVOUT) and the Festival of Tabernacles (or BOOTHS - SUKKOT)...
Deuteronomy 16:16

Why palm branches?

 The Route:
Jesus chooses to enter Jerusalem

Zechariah 9:9-10 NIV
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you,righteous and victorious,lowly and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraimand the warhorses from Jerusalem,and the battle bow will be broken.He will proclaim peace to the nations.His rule will extend from sea to seaand from the River to the ends of the earth.

2 Samuel 7:12-13 NIV
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Matthew 20:25-28 NIV
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Day:
Why this day?
Lamb Selection Day

Exodus 12:3-5 NIV
Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

The Lamb is tested for blemish
TEST 1 - The Chief Priest and Elders question Jesus about His AUTHORITY (Matthew 21:23-46)
TEST 2 - The Pharisees and Herodians question His POLITICS (Matthew 22:15-22)
TEST 3 - The Sadducees question His THEOLOGY of resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33)
TEST 4 - The Pharisees question His THEOLOGY, this time asking which is the greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:34-40)

Jesus had succeeded BEYOND anyone’s imagination.
HE HAD reclaimed the Kingdom — His Father’s Kingdom
HE HAD CONQUERED - sin, and death — death - the greatest oppressor (not Rome)
HE WAS VICTORIOUS - GUARANTEEING that we who ask Him for forgiveness of sin, we who have trusted in Him for our salvation will also be resurrected, have life and have it eternally with our Heavenly Father.

John 3:16-17 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.