WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.300 Welcome. Thanks for the reading of this triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What a great event that 00:00:09.300 --> 00:00:15.339 must have been. I don't know whether you've ever been to a royal event, maybe where the queen or 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:21.179 one of the royal family is attending to open a hospital or a school. If you have, you will know 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:27.820 that there is always the smell of fresh paint in the air and polish, lots and lots of polish. 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:36.500 I've been privileged to be to a few of these, but I got paid to go there. But there's something 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:44.519 about the crowd that gathers. There is something where people have queued for hours, maybe even 00:00:44.519 --> 00:00:52.439 slept out overnight, just to get a view or a fleeting glimpse of the royals passed by. And in the hours 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:58.500 and minutes that precede the royal arrival, there is an energy that builds in the crowd and anticipation, 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:07.599 expectation. And then, and then the entourage arrive. All the blue lights, the motorcycles, 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:15.120 maybe a few black, shiny Range Rovers. And then, then the noise really rises. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:22.200 People wave their flags or anything else they've got handy to hand, the noise, the clapping, 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:29.660 the cheering that grows into a crescendo where people sing and shout as royalty arrives. 00:01:31.020 --> 00:01:37.300 It's what you'd expect at a royal event, like the one that just David just shared with us, 00:01:37.299 --> 00:01:44.000 but maybe without the blue flashing lights and the shiny Range Rovers. But there's a difference here. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:51.700 You see, the crowd haven't been waiting for just a few hours or overnight. The crowd, 00:01:51.939 --> 00:01:59.799 they have been waiting for years. They have been waiting for their Messiah and their King to come. 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:07.679 Their expectation is through the roof. Can you imagine what the atmosphere was like on this first Palm Sunday, 00:02:08.079 --> 00:02:14.659 ripping down whatever they could, the palm leaves from the trees to wave and lay before Jesus. People 00:02:14.659 --> 00:02:25.300 were clamouring to get a glimpse of this man who had come to save them. The issue is that each of them 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:33.460 down through the years have a different expectation of what this King, the Messiah, would do for them. 00:02:34.100 --> 00:02:40.180 You see, some of the people thought the Messiah, Jesus, would come like a warrior to gather an army 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:48.240 to save them from the oppression of the Romans, from the occupation. Some wanted him to be a political 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:57.080 figure, a sort of celebrity rabbi to stir up the people and throw the Romans out. You know, that really 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:03.020 threatened the status quo amongst the existing leaders. I mean, they just wanted him dead and buried, 00:03:03.180 --> 00:03:11.620 literally, and out of the way. But there's a clue in the story that they didn't get because they didn't 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:20.319 know Jesus. And Russ has already given us a clue to that. It's the donkey. You see, warriors and kings 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:28.040 arrive on a horse. They arrive with an army, an entourage. They arrive ready for battle. We all know 00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:38.159 that celebrities come with glam and glitz. But this King, this King comes in humility and peace, 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:45.780 riding on a donkey, accompanied by a ragtag group of dust-covered disciples. 00:03:47.060 --> 00:03:56.599 You see, we have all got a decision to make this week. You know, the people, they wanted to enthrone 00:03:56.599 --> 00:04:07.539 a king, quite rightly, but it was on their own terms. And sadly, by the end of the week, they realised 00:04:07.539 --> 00:04:18.519 that he didn't meet what their personal expectations were. And he wasn't the king that they dreamed 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:27.920 up that they wanted him to be, rather than the saviour that had come to save them. They didn't get it. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:36.460 Before they even got there, into Jerusalem, Jesus asked his disciples, before they arrived, a really, 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:42.340 really important question. And he said, who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they replied, 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:49.040 some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, some say Jeremiah, or maybe one of the prophets. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:58.000 You see, some people have already sort of made up their mind and write Jesus off before they even really 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:07.560 get to know him. So Jesus challenges them and says, but what about you? Who do you say that I am? 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:15.379 Simon Peter, the hothead, I really like Simon Peter. He's the one that gets a really bad press this week. 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:20.519 But if you read the story of this Holy Week, he's the only one that stays close to Jesus. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:25.240 He's the only one, maybe, that had in his own mind that there was going to be a rescue plan. 00:05:26.159 --> 00:05:30.659 But when he was asked, before they even entered Jerusalem, he said, you are the Messiah. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:35.199 You are the Son of the living God. 00:05:37.860 --> 00:05:40.579 Effectively, Jesus is asking them, do you really know me? 00:05:40.579 --> 00:05:44.379 And I think he asks us that today. 00:05:44.919 --> 00:05:49.639 In those dark days 2,000 years ago and today, Jesus gives us hope. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:52.039 He says, I am the light of the world. 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:57.819 Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:02.799 You see, on this day in Jerusalem, lots of people have made their own minds up 00:06:02.799 --> 00:06:08.579 what they wanted Jesus to be without really ever getting to know him. 00:06:08.579 --> 00:06:16.300 Maybe you have already made your mind up and you know Jesus. 00:06:16.579 --> 00:06:21.740 You know the power, peace, strength and presence through the power of his Holy Spirit 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.439 that he brings into our everyday lives. 00:06:25.659 --> 00:06:28.459 But maybe you haven't made your mind up yet. 00:06:29.159 --> 00:06:31.299 And maybe a good friend has sent you this clip. 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:36.740 And in the midst of this crisis, maybe you have been searching for hope. 00:06:36.740 --> 00:06:44.460 So today, for us all, and maybe particularly for you, he asks that afresh. 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:47.360 Who do you say that I am? 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.160 And maybe your response is, as it was mine many years ago, 00:06:52.379 --> 00:06:55.860 come and show me who you are so that I can know you better. 00:06:55.860 --> 00:07:05.620 There's no better way this week to get to know Jesus than to read the Bible and the story of Holy Week, 00:07:05.960 --> 00:07:09.300 to get to know the character and person of Jesus. 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:13.620 And if you are in the depths of challenges many of us are, 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:22.379 I pray this following clip will encourage you and empower you to pray and ask that question. 00:07:22.379 --> 00:07:29.000 Come now and show me who you really are in the midst of where I am at this moment. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:34.199 So that when you ask me the question, who do you say that I am? 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:43.879 I can truly answer you and say that you are Jesus, the Son of God, my Saviour. 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:46.519 It makes all the difference. 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:48.019 let's pray, Lord, let's let James experts go. 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:50.899 So let's make,cole of God and be happy. 00:07:50.919 --> 00:07:51.899 the Son of God says you. 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:52.759 Lord bless the Holy Week, 00:07:52.799 --> 00:07:54.299 Larими days tomorrow. 00:07:57.039 --> 00:07:57.339 Amen. 00:07:59.219 --> 00:07:59.699 We'll also have this who are people he and they live indivisible 00:07:59.819 --> 00:08:02.599 and look, 00:08:02.859 --> 00:08:03.419 Heyment people, 00:08:03.419 --> 00:08:04.939 I may ask you and see Peter, 00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:07.979 let's say Peter rolls in the mouth and receive this 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:08.919 because they receive this, 00:08:09.379 --> 00:08:11.139 you know about theft of sins.