Cross Creek Community Church, Pastor Dave Martin March 28, 2010

“Recognize the Time”

Palm Sunday  Luke 19:37-44

Can you believe Easter is upon us already?  Be sure to join us next week on Resurrection Sunday, “ALIVE” 

We will be looking at the significance of the glorious resurrection of Jesus back from the dead!

• God says through His prophet Hosea, “my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Ho 4:6)
• “Recognize the Time”… this phrase was spoken by Jesus 2000 yrs ago yet applicable for us today
• Be wise for us to slow down, begin to understand what is happening around us and the world…

Triumphal Entry:

• Jewish nation waited for the coming of their Messiah – who was first predicted in Genesis 3:15 and found in many passages throughout the O.T. 
• Culminating 3 ½ years of public ministry with “Messianic Miracles” – The Old Testament speaks of “six miraculous signs” proving His Messiah-ship: (1) Blind will see –  Isa 29:18, 35:5 (2) Lame will walk – Isa 35:6, 61:1  (3) Lepers cleansed – Isa 61:1  (4) Deaf will hear – Isa 29:18, 35:5  (5) Dead will be raised – Isa 11:2… John 12:17-18 (6) Gospel preached – Isa 11:2, 42:1-5, 60:1-3, 61:1-2
• Huge Passover Crowds with heightened expectation of the “Famous One” – historical records places the number around 2 million Jewish people that year to celebrate the Passover…  Please try to get the picture in your heart of what was occurring…
• Jesus fulfills scripture PERFECTLY and  officially presents Himself as Israel’s Messiah

We’re no different than the people who experienced the Triumphal Entry… all shapes & sizes, walks of life…

I.  Contrasting People…

Those who expressed Joyful Praise…

Luke 19:36-38 ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ 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: ³⁸ "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

• Excitement building as Jesus left Bethphage ½ mi from Jerusalem on the backside of Mt of Olives…
• Shouting, communicating to one another, people running… what would happen w/ Jesus arrives?
• As Jesus crested the top of the Mt of Olives… catching a quick glimpse of Jerusalem… then flattens out on top with flat rock and obscured view, till finally wam… all Jerusalem pops into full view…
• Reading other Gospel accounts we get a fuller picture: crowds leading, crowds following and Jesus in the midst of them on a young colt (not a conquering king on a stallion)… people going wild…
• Many people were praising God for who Jesus was… the Messiah, Miracle worker, Teacher, God
• Honoring Him as King of Israel, palm branches, clothing placed on the road (like the red carpet)
• Some people were wildly cheering but expecting a “king” to deliver them from Rome’s oppression
• Matthew 21:10 adds, “…entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, who is this?”
• Where the crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee”
• Yes, there were those who expressed joyful praise… BUT there were others who…

Those who expressed Angry Hatred…

Luke 19:39-40 ³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" ⁴⁰ "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

• The “religious establishment” hated Jesus.  Jewish men who were Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes were Power hungry, viewing Christ as a threat to their cozy relationship they had with Rome…
• Everything was coming to a head… crowds growing and wildly heralding Jesus king of the Jews…
• The Pharisees were seething… Tell these people to shut up!  Jesus threatened them with Rock Music… If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!

Luke 19:47-48 ⁴⁷ Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. ⁴⁸ Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

• They had a lack of knowledge of the truth… they believed the lies of Satan & worlds secular system
• Pawns in the plot, they were actually fighting directly against God! 
• Like the Mafia… Jn 11:53 reports “they plotted to take his life” … they expressed angry hatred
• Sounds like our culture today… kick God out of public schools, ban the Bible & prayer… Change Christmas into a winter festival, prolife is replaced with its all about me pro-abortion… Recognize the Time… the White House cancelled National Day of prayer then a few weeks later hosted a Gay Pride event “many promises were made”… all we need to do is look around and you’ll see angry hatred toward God everywhere… “Recognize the Time”
• Interesting a few days later many in this cheering crowd would be crying out, “crucify Him” Why?  Because their hearts haven’t been changed… choosing sides with the Angry Haters…
• But there is another reaction we must see this morning and it is that of Jesus…

Jesus expressed deep sorrow, He Wept…

• As He came across the top of Mt of Olives… breaking into full view of Jerusalem & temple…
• Seeing the masses of people, hearing the cheers and the jeers… Jesus burst into tears

Used three times, “Klahyo/Eklausen” means a strong unrestrained sobbing… there is a Greek word “dakryo” which means to cry silently, shed tears… but “Klahyo” shows strong emotion, bewail… broken

1. 1.)    Seen when Peter denied his Lord three times… Luke 22:62 And he (Peter) went outside and wept bitterly.
2. 2.)    A scene with John in Throne Room of Heaven where a search was made throughout the universe for someone worthy to break open the seven sealed scroll book… no one was found worthy Revelation 5:4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. (Don’t cry John, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David has triumphed… Jesus is worthy and Jesus is able)
3. 3.)    The third location this word is used is here in Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

II.  Why did Jesus Weep Bitterly?

• Their Unbelief would bring them Distress

Luke 19:42a and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace…”

• Jesus saw their unbelief, lack of faith… He knew in a few short days He would be crucified
• What a day it was… Jesus proved who He said He was – God in the flesh, long awaited Messiah…
• IF they only knew this truth in their hearts… They would be blessed with peace… now distress
• Jesus wept over the city because it’s people did not understand the significance of what was happening that day… officially presenting Himself as their Messiah, the King of Israel… Sobbing…
• Prophetically speaking of Titus in AD70, their unbelief will produce great distress… same today…
• A person’s life without Christ (unbelief)… will be empty, stressed out and unfulfilled… distressed

• Their Rejection would bring them Blindness

“…but now it is hidden from your eyes”

• My people, Israel could have had peace (Millennial Kingdom with me as your King)
• BUT, you rejected me… So you will live in blindness to the truth – that continues to this very day
• Unbelief, rejection of God/Truth produces blindness… The Lord tells us in Romans 11:8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."… Romans 11:11 “…Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.”
• Rejecting Christ brings a spiritual blindness even today… Salvation is NOT something to fool with…

• Their Decisions would bring them Destruction

Luke 19:43-44a ⁴³ 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. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another…”

• Their own willful decision of unbelief and rejection will bring them destruction
• In 70AD Titus built a 5 mile wall around Jerusalem a total blockade to starve them out… after a 143 day siege destroyed the city with it’s temple… killing 1.3 million Jews and taking others captive…
• This marked the beginning of the Jewish dispersion… BUT in 1948 they returned again to homeland
• Their unbelief brought distress, their rejection brought blindness, their decisions brought destruction

Jesus wept bitterly… (Luke 19:44b)

“… because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.”

• They failed to be “intune” spiritually… they were too busy for God… religious but LOST
• Jesus, God in the flesh was right there with them, miracles, yet they did NOT recognize the time
• SOOOO close to stepping into VICTORY… They failed to recognize the TRUTH… believing a LIE 

NLT says it this way… “…because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.” NLT

• The tears of Jesus are the tears of God… they did not accept their opportunity for salvation
• God’s heart is broken today… for the lost in their unbelief… for His prodigal, wayward children
• Do we recognize the time?  Have you said YES to Christ OR will it be a MISSED opportunity?

III.  What about us Today…

Do we recognize the times we are living in?  Do I really believe Jesus is coming again?

Luke 21:34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation (partying), drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.  Matthew 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

• We are seeing “signs” of the Lord’s return everywhere… Read Mt 24, Revelation and many other passages we’re given descriptions of what the world will be like when Christ returns…
• Earthquakes and other natural disasters, pandemic diseases, apostasy/falling away from the truth of God’s Word, False religions and false prophets, immoral lifestyles, violence and lawlessness, good called evil and evil called good, global governance under a leader called the antichrist who collapses the money system and forces everyone to receive a microchip implanted under your skin in order to work or purchase items, a time when love grows cold, where lies and deception is  heralded as truth, craving for drugs, cheapening of life, escalating demonic activity, disintegration of the family, on and on… my friends, “Recognize the Time”  … STEP UP, SELL OUT, SOAR HIGH!
• Our unbelief brings distress, our rejection brings blindness, our decisions ultimately brings destruction…  God speaks of everlasting destruction for those who fail to believe in their hearts…
• The Lord is weeping for you… Are you expressing joyful praise or angry hatred… He’s weeping for U

Unbelief, rejection, blindness, everlasting destruction:

2 Thessalonians 1:7b-9 ⁷ “… This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power”

Belief, acceptance, seeing Truth, everlasting LIFE:

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Recognize the Time!

We must Recognize the Opportunity for Salvation!

2 Corinthians 6:2 God says, “At the right time I heard your prayers. On the day of salvation I helped you.“ I tell you that the “right time“ is now, and the “day of salvation“ is now. NCV

• Last week 10 individuals made a decision in their lives to place their hope in the Lord…
• This morning I want you to “Recognize the Time”… not only the  world situation before Christ returns BUT also “Recognize the Time” to turn from your sins and Trust Jesus is NOW, TODAY!
• You may not have tomorrow… slipping into eternity at any moment – opportunity is now, the right time is now… Recognize the Time!
• Are you saved?  Have you trusted Christ as your personal Savior?  Are you ready to meet God?
• Looking at the faces in that crowd of people, do you see yourself joyfully praising or bitterness? 

• God is here this morning… loving and weeping for you to come to Him… To recognize the time…
• What side of the spiritual fence are you?  Turn from sin, believe on Jesus!

Let’s bow our hearts before our Lord in prayer…