🌿 Palm Sunday and the ❤️ Heart of the City 🏙️ | Luke 19:41–44 📖

[0:00] Welcome to Ontario Community Church, where we are encouraging, equipping, and engaging lives for Christ.! I'm Pastor Patrick Daly, and each week I share sermons that balance the grace and love of Jesus Christ with the truth of the Word of God.

[0:15] Together, we'll explore Scripture using observation, interpretation, and application. This helps us discover practical ways to live out our faith every single day.

[0:26] Let's dive in together into God's Word. Alright, well, good morning, everyone. We have just read the verse for Palm Sunday, the verses.

[0:40] You know, Palm Sunday is a day of joy and of worship. I always love Palm Sunday. You're waving the palms, and you are, it's as though you are a part of the crowd, saying, Hosanna to the King.

[0:56] And as Jesus entered Jerusalem, he is riding humbly on a donkey, surrounded by the crowd.

[1:07] They're going wild. The city is alive, as it were. And it's at this time where we celebrate. We think of how Christ is coming into the scene, and he is riding on this colt, and the people are cheering his name.

[1:24] And it's important for us to know that we should praise the Lord. For he is the Prince of Peace.

[1:36] He is the one who is coming onto the scene and entering into Jerusalem as he enters into our lives. But that's not the only part of the scene.

[1:48] You see, as the noise is fading, right, Jesus is riding on the colt, and he's going through the crowd, and the crowd is praising, and they're excited.

[2:00] As he's leaving that crowd, he's going towards the city of Jerusalem. And it says that Jesus wept.

[2:12] That's a very strange thing to happen. It's a moment of celebration, but also a moment of weeping. The same city that welcomed him, you had these people who were celebrating, but there was also people who did not know who Christ was.

[2:30] And Jesus, seeing it all, wept not in anger, but in heartbreak. And I'd like for us to turn our Bibles. We're going to turn to that same moment, that same scene, that same day.

[2:49] Verses 41 through 44. It's on page 1044 in your ESVP Bible.

[3:06] And it says, And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace.

[3:24] But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and tear you down to the ground, and you and your children within you.

[3:40] And they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation. It's that verse 41. As he's drawing near to the city, he is weeping.

[3:55] What an interesting contrast of what's happening here. Celebration and also weeping. It's because, well, we identify with the people who are celebrating.

[4:10] And we know that in these verses, it is where Christ is saying to the Pharisees, when they're saying, hey, keep your disciples quiet. Where Christ is reminding them, saying, well, the stones would cry out if they stopped.

[4:26] And it's this reminder that you cannot stop the praise of our Lord and our God. And in this, there's also those next verses where there are those who didn't recognize the peace that was coming from Christ.

[4:47] And it's a reminder for us, just like how when we think of the Christmas season, right, how Christ is the Prince of Peace.

[4:59] We must make way in our hearts to receive him and to recognize him. And when Christ is visiting, just like how we've talked about the invitation that is available for all, we must respond as though Christ is knocking or as though Christ is extending that invitation to you.

[5:24] And so this moment helps us understand the importance and the significance of Palm Sunday. Let us never stop praising in the living God.

[5:37] Amen. But let us also remember Christ wept for the city. Weeping for those who do not know him, who those whose hearts were hardened or those who are yet to believe.

[5:51] As we celebrate, we should have compassion on those who do not know the Lord. We should praise God every single day, thanking him that he is the Lord of Lords, that he is the King of Kings.

[6:07] But we should also have compassion for those who don't know the Lord. In the Greek, it says that Jesus wept, Klaou, a deep, audible lament.

[6:23] Do you realize there's only two times in Scripture where Jesus weeps? And this is the only time that Christ is weeping for the city.

[6:35] His lament is not over suffering necessarily, but over spiritual blindness. And as we celebrate this day, let us remember and consider those who are not joining in the praise.

[6:53] We should pray that their eyes should be open so that they can see, that they can hear and understand the goodness of God and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

[7:05] So we see in here, let's go into the interpretation piece. Right, as we've been reading, the fulfillment of prophecy, where Jesus is sending those two disciples, right, where Christ is coming on a cult, just like humble beginnings.

[7:29] Do you realize when God speaks to us, he speaks to us in a very, very often in a quiet manner, just as when Christ entered the world, being born in the manger, humble beginnings.

[7:45] And in this scene, very similarly, Christ is entering in a humble manner. You see, just as we think of the Christmas story and we think of this Palm Sunday and even Easter, sometimes we have an expectation that isn't reality.

[8:08] Meaning a lot of people were expecting a revolutionary for Christ to come into as a warlord and to overthrow the government, which is kind of a crazy thought.

[8:21] But he didn't come in that way. He came in humble, in a humble manner. And so what is happening here and how does this help us with our understanding of Palm Sunday?

[8:37] It's a time of celebration, as I've mentioned, when Jesus is not weeping over the crowd behind him that's celebrating. No, he is weeping for those, the city ahead, Jerusalem, who those who are blind or those who are in darkness.

[8:55] Perhaps you identify with the crowd that is celebrating. Or perhaps you identify as someone who is in the city. If you are in darkness, I encourage for you to come to the light and join us in the celebration of Jesus Christ.

[9:15] And sometimes we do get blinded. Sometimes it can be by sin or by worldly pursuits or even the hardness of hearts. Do you realize how much God will transform your life much like your heart?

[9:29] I know for me personally, I know that I'm a work in progress. And I know that God is going to continue to work in my life much as he will work in your life, transforming you and molding you into the man or in the woman or the individual, whoever that God wants you to be.

[9:49] It's a molding process that happens. The people in the city, they have the temple, the sacrifices and the scriptures. But yet they're missing the prince of peace.

[10:04] We know in Isaiah when it says, when it mentions the prince of peace or in John 1 verse 11. Where it says Christ, he came to his own and his own people did not receive him.

[10:18] Or in Matthew 23, 37, where it says, oh, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children? You see, as he's weeping and entering into the city, he is recognizing the spiritual blindness of the people within.

[10:37] What a kind of a sad thing to think about, but it's also encouraging because we get to celebrate.

[10:48] And it's a call for us to share in the gospel message. As we are entering into Holy Week and the time of Easter.

[10:59] Let us be reminded, this is why we celebrate. We celebrate in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. And we share in the gospel message to those yet to believe, those who do not believe.

[11:14] And we continue to celebrate because we're not going to stop praising, are we? We're going to continue praying. We're going to continue praising the living God. And we're going to continue being thankful and grateful for the life that God has given to us.

[11:29] That doesn't mean that life is going to be perfect for sure. It's not going to be perfect. We still got our own struggles. We got the everyday. But it's knowing that in the midst of every storm or every valley in life, God is with us.

[11:48] And I don't know about you. But this world certainly needs the hope that comes from Jesus Christ. Have you seen the news?

[11:58] Have you been on social media? If you haven't, good for you. Let's remember that. The second thing then. Some were blind to the Prince of Peace.

[12:12] When it says in that verse, but now they are hidden from your eyes. It is a prayer of mine and it should be a prayer of ours that we do not become blind to God or the things of God.

[12:27] Rather, it should be our prayer that eyes will be opened. Now, I don't mean literally you're closing your eyes and you're just being silly. I'm talking about spiritual eyes that you may see.

[12:40] Right? It's just like how scripture says, let he who has ears, let him what? Hear. To understand. It's not that peace wasn't there.

[12:55] It's that it wasn't recognized. And some hearts were hardened. Just as I mentioned that there were a lot of people that expected Christ to overthrow Rome, to overthrow the government.

[13:08] Their hearts were in the wrong place. Some of their hearts were hardened. They were seeking power, but not peace. They were seeking other things.

[13:21] And their view was clouded by other things. For many of us, we've had those moments where our judgment has been clouded before.

[13:35] But I pray that that's not so today. They were looking for the king to fix. This is very important.

[13:47] The expectation was they wanted Jesus to fix the external problems, but not the matters of the heart. Does that make sense, church?

[13:58] How many of us we want, we think of God as, you know, a genie in the bottle. Snap your fingers and it's done. But the thing is, God will transform us.

[14:13] It's just like that song, right? From the inside out. Just like when it says in scripture, create in me a new heart, oh God.

[14:24] And renew a right or a steadfast spirit within me. Talking about internal transformation. There's many times where we think, oh, if I just had this new toy.

[14:37] If I just had this new thing. That's the external. But when it comes to matters of Christ being the prince of peace, or when we think of the salvation that comes from him.

[14:50] The clarity of life that comes from him. The simplicity of the gospel. It's an internal matter. And I'm telling you, I want peace in my life.

[15:03] There's a lot of people that would love to have peace. And they search in the wrong places. They search for the wrong things for that peace. Just as in Isaiah.

[15:15] Seeing they do not see. Are we talking about this kind of sight? Are we talking spiritual sight? Or in Romans 11, verse 7 through 8.

[15:28] Eyes that would not see. And the third thing is that the time of visitation came, but they missed it. It's a reminder for us as Christians.

[15:41] We celebrate the day. Not only as we continue every year to celebrate Palm Sunday. We celebrate the fact that we know who Jesus Christ is. We responded to the invitation.

[15:55] In this case, when it's talking about not knowing the time of the visitation. It's much like how I speak of the time in which now is the day of salvation.

[16:07] It's kind of like how Christ is coming for a visit. Now's your time to respond to him and talk to him while he's here. Right? It's like if you had a famous person come to a party.

[16:20] A birthday party. Now's the time to meet the celebrity. Now's the time to meet the friend. When they're gone, they're gone. It's the same idea that Christ is here visiting and responding to that.

[16:33] It's just another way of understanding the time that was allotted for God's people to respond. And we can think of that even today.

[16:45] Now there's a certain amount of time that we are given and we should respond to Jesus. And so the visitation means divine nearness.

[16:59] And I want to be in the presence of God. And I hope for you as well. You want to be in God's presence. When we think of that word visitation, it's talking about God being near.

[17:14] And literally Christ being there, right? So Christ is near kind of thing. And God was showing up in mercy before judgment. It's much like how we think of today that we are given a certain amount of time to respond to the invitation to believe in the Lord and to be saved.

[17:33] But we're not given forever. That's just the reality of it. And that's why it's so important for us to respond now. In Luke chapter 1 verse 78 and 79.

[17:47] The sunrise shall visit us from on high to guide our feet into the way of peace. How many of you have heard that language before? The way of peace. You don't have to raise your hand.

[17:59] You can nod or blink. Right? You've probably heard that language before. The way of peace. Well, true peace comes from Christ.

[18:09] That's why I share that. To guide our feet into the way of peace coming from Christ. And it's also a reminder for us that in just as it says in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 15.

[18:23] That today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. In other words, don't reject the Lord. If you're hearing God's call for your life.

[18:35] To respond to salvation. Or maybe to respond to a certain situation. God's calling you to speak to somebody. Or God's calling you to visit someone. Or to minister to someone.

[18:48] Whatever it is. Respond. And like then and now. We have this day. To sing Hosanna and to celebrate Christ.

[19:01] We should care for others to respond in the same way. This leads us then to the application. Well, how do we live this out? You mean to tell me, Pastor, that you should live out Palm Sunday?

[19:15] In our everyday life? And the answer is yes. Don't just celebrate who Jesus is just once. Proclaim the good news of the gospel always.

[19:28] In what you say. The words that you speak to others. In your presence. How you interact with people. That even manifests in the work that you do.

[19:41] In the school studies that you have. I've mentioned before. And I'll mention it again. The importance of the ministry of presence. Being there with people.

[19:56] Who you are as a person. Have you ever been in the presence of someone. And you knew they were a Christian. That's the inner transformation I'm talking about.

[20:09] Where you know God's working in them. And you just love their pleasant people to be with. Whoever it is. And so in that. Palm Sunday invites us to praise God.

[20:25] It also calls us though to live it out in our words and in our deeds. So that others will join in the praise. Does that make sense church?

[20:37] We are called to live out the gospel. Right? As I've used the language before of being an ambassador for Christ. The words that we speak and the actions that we do.

[20:52] In Matthew chapter 15 verse 8. This is a convicting one. The people honor me with their lips. But their heart is far from me.

[21:05] Let your words and your actions be in sync with the celebration. The love that you have for Christ. Live it out. The second thing then.

[21:17] Is to pray for the places where Christ still weeps. Just as we praise the living God and we thank him.

[21:29] The fact that Jesus was weeping over the city. Those that were in darkness. Those that might have had hardened hearts. We need to learn from that.

[21:40] Only two times Christ cried. Why? And how is that important for us? Jesus wept for Jerusalem.

[21:52] Not to condemn it. But to redeem it. And in the same way. I'm sure that Christ still weeps for cities.

[22:05] Those that are divided. Full of hatred. Violence. Or those. Bitterness. Those that are fractured by sin.

[22:17] We should have a heart for our own city. And as we. Grow. In this faith. As we know who Christ is. And we grow in him.

[22:28] Let us be salt and light. Into our own community. And so. Pray.

[22:40] For those places. I'm sure that each and every one of you. Can think of one area. In your own community. That you can pray for. There. So use.

[22:52] The celebration. Use it as a way. Of living it out. And then third. Recognize the time of Christ's visitation. And invitation.

[23:04] Just as Christ was riding. On the colt of the donkey. And the people were celebrating. And he's heading towards the city. Christ was physically near. And in the same way.

[23:15] For us. Christ Jesus. Jesus. Still draws near to us. Even today. In spirit. Right. The guiding of the Holy Spirit. Through the word of God.

[23:28] And in the hearts. Of those that love him. So there's many ways. That we can see. How God. Works. In our lives.

[23:39] And in the lives of others. It's the question then. Will you recognize Christ? Will you respond to him? It's just like how in Luke.

[23:54] Chapter 12. Verse 56. When Christ says. You do not know. How to interpret. The present time. Or in Revelation.

[24:05] 320. That's always one that you. You hear about. Where Christ is knocking at the door. Where it says. Behold. I stand at the door. And knock. Well in that verse. It's. I guess it humors me a little bit.

[24:16] When it talks about. Knocking at the door. And we have these really sweet pictures. But it's talking about judgment. That's going to happen. That's going to follow. But it's the same premise though.

[24:28] Right. Jesus knocking at the door. Are you going to open it? Or when we're talking about. The invitation. God giving you an invitation. Will you respond? In this case. Christ being present.

[24:40] Being near. Visiting. Let us respond to him. And so. Did Jesus weep. Because he didn't have power.

[24:51] Or did he weep. Because he had compassion. On those. Desiring for people. To respond. Because God gives us. The ability.

[25:02] To respond. He gives us the opportunity. For us to say. Yes to him. And here's the thing. This is where it gets crazy. There's the sovereignty of God.

[25:14] And the human responsibility. So you have divine providence. And yet you also have. Human responsibility. The ability to respond to Christ.

[25:25] And somehow. That all works. I know it's. Beyond a lot of our heads here. But somehow that all works. And so. Jesus came.

[25:36] Not by force. Not by force. Not by overthrowing the government. But the way of peace. Will we recognize Christ.

[25:47] And will we. Respond. To that visitation. Or to that invitation. For his life. As we close here. I want us to think of how.

[25:59] Important Palm Sunday. Is for us. As the church. This is. The most important. Or one of the most important times. In the Christian calendar.

[26:11] When we are entering Holy Week. And we're thinking. About these last moments. Of Christ's. Life. And how important it is. Let us continue.

[26:22] To praise. The living God. And let us. Grow in him. And live our lives. Continuing to say. Hosanna. Hosanna. Blessed is he.

[26:33] Who comes. In the name of the Lord. Let us live our lives. Where people. Think for a moment. There's something different. About you. I want to know.

[26:46] In what you say. And in what you do. May your life. Be a beacon of hope. For others to see. Let's pray together. And father. As we are closing.

[26:57] This time. For this Palm Sunday. May we be. Reminded. May we be. Encouraged. Of this. Important Sunday.

[27:08] This celebration. This fulfillment. Of prophecy. And even when we. Knowing that.

[27:19] You will be praised. Even if. The heart of man. Goes cold. And says. You shouldn't. Praise God. Knowing that the stones. Would cry out. Is remarkable.

[27:29] And in this father. May we recognize. That in this time. Of celebration. In this time. Of saying. Hosanna. May we recognize.

[27:42] In that. There was also. The weeping. And in the same way. That Christ cared. For the city. The heart.

[27:52] Of the city. As it were. May we. Celebrate. This day. But also. Have compassion. For our own. Community. And for our own.

[28:04] Our own town. Our own city. As it were. We love you. We praise you. And we sing. Hosanna. To the king.

[28:14] In the name. Of Jesus. We pray. And we all say together. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening. For this week's message.

[28:25] From Ontario Community Church. I pray. That you are encouraged. And strengthened. In your walk with Christ. For more sermons. And resources. Visit. OntarioCommunityChurch.org May God bless you.

[28:38] As you live out. His grace. And truth. Every single day. Amen. Amen.