“Palm Sunday”. Thinking about Worship, “social distancing” & examining ourselves and our Gospel message

Psalm 139:23, 24

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

2 Corinthians 13:5

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? 

Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by a crowd full of people singing and rejoicing over miracles. When Nicodemus came to Jesus and said that they (the Jewish leaders) knew that He must be from God because of the signs/miracles, Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) 

The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah, and the entire Old Testament is full of messianic prophesies - on the road to Emmeaus, after His resurrection, Jesus went through the entire scripture to teach that it was all about Himself. The messianic prophesies foretold more than just “a Messiah”, but gave details of His life, that only Jesus could have fulfilled, things like being from Bethlehem and Nazareth and called out of Egypt (where they fled as refugees to escape Herod’s slaughter of all the under-two year old boys), prophesies that foretold His betrayal, and the details of His death for the sin of others, and that there would be a second coming (which we are waiting for now).

The Jewish people, especially the leaders, should have known “the time” that the Messiah would come, because it was prophesied ahead of time - even the Magi, whose ancestors had been with the prophet Daniel in Babylon, were waiting for the signs and counting down the years to when the King of the Jews would be born (and they came to worship him).

Jesus accused Israel of not knowing “the time” of His visitation - and because of their unbelief, their eyes were blinded and while they welcomed Him with singing and rejoiced about miracles, and were excited to have Jesus solve all of their earthly political problems, they misunderstood what He came to do - His Kingdom isn’t of this world and He didn't come to take away all of their problems with Rome. Israel would reject Jesus as their Messiah, and would have Him put to death.

He came in as a triumphant King, but he also came to die - to willingly give His life as a ransom for many. To take the wrath of God on Himself. 

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of their unbelief. 

Will we sing about and be consumed by the gifts of God and the miracles of Jesus and what we want Him to do for us in our lifetime on earth?

Or will we come before Him as sinners in need of a Saviour - in repentance of our sins. Have we been born again? Are we new creations? Do we worship Him, with singing, in gratitude for who He is and all He has done - what He did on the cross and for the gift of every spiritual blessing (Ephesians). Will we worship Him with our lives; as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him? Are we prepared for His return? Are we being sanctified by His Word? Do we hate what is evil and cling to what is good? Are we making disciples? Do we know the Gospel message?

Luke 19:35-44: (bold and underline added by me)

“They brought it [the donkey] to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it  and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Even though they didn’t recognize the time of God’s coming, still a remnant was saved and salvation was brought to the gentiles (including ME!) - and through the fulfillment of the Great Commission the Gospel message - a “greater” message than what Jesus preached before the resurrection, will reach a “greater” number of people and “greater” geographic extent (than Jesus did)... and (while only God knows the exact day and time, and only God can define the terms for what He means by making disciples of “all peoples”), there are still 6,701 unreached peoples - who are waiting to hear the Gospel message - let us make disciples and let us reach the unreached! 

And, just as the first Church (Acts 2), let us devote ourselves to the teaching [of scripture] and to fellowship (even online), and like the Bereans, let us search the scriptures to test everything we hear, because Jesus also warned us about false teachers who would come with signs and wonders to lead people away from the true Gospel. 

We need to examine ourselves and also examine the messages we hear (including this one), and share the true Gospel with every tribe and tongue...

Hosanna in the Highest! Praise Him for who He is and all He has done! He alone is worthy of our praise! And He is coming back soon!

Revelation 22:17-21

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. 

Come, Lord Jesus! 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

______________________________________________________________

To hear the Gospel, explained by Paul Washer in a 12 min video: https://youtu.be/TXOWyjB7d24

“10 tests to see if you are saved” (for us all to examine ourselves, and to know what to work on or what to do if we don’t “pass the test”, based on the book of 1 John, on Wretched Radio with Todd Friel): https://youtu.be/BLIWG6JO6NM

For a sermon on the Great Commission by David Platt: https://youtu.be/ChhKRiCBHSs

And for more about Daniel’s prophesy and the years that the Jews knew to count between the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah: https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v05-n01/the-messianic-time-table-according-to-daniel-the-prophet/

(Click here to read my blog about how to spot false teaching)