04-06-08 #Disciple Bible Study titled: "The Road to Triumph"

[Disciple]

“ON THE ROAD WITH JESUS”
“The Road To Triumph”
Matthew 21: 6-11
Intro.
The Scripture accounts what is commonly referred to as the “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem.
This event begins the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. What a great beginning this event is, but this event of triumph leads to the death of Jesus.
Jesus has been teaching his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die and on the 3rd day be raised to life. And now their travel has brought them from a successful ministry in Galilee to face the rejection and hatred of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.
On this day Jesus rides into the city on a donkey that had never been ridden. This is a fulfillment of the Messianic expectation from Zech 9:9. This manner of entering Jerusalem is making a strong statement about Jesus’ true identity. We can see both humility (riding on a donkey) and royalty (only Jesus is riding while others are walking.) The crowds welcome him and recognize him as the Messiah.
But we know that this celebratory event sets in motion the effort by the leaders to bring Jesus to death. The same crowd who welcomes him as Savior today by Friday were calling out ‘Crucify him’
We are following Jesus in this life’s journey and we want to have triumph and victory. No one really wants to be on the losing team. We desperately long for victory in our spiritual lives and so we have come to the place of following Jesus on this road hoping that it leads us to victory and triumph.
Let’s consider some lessons from this scene of the triumphal entry.
I. We Have An Audience Of One
Don’t you enjoy going to a great parade? Parades are always exciting and fun.
In Jerusalem that day, the crowds lined the roads. Everywhere Jesus went he drew large crowds.
This day was different. This day the crowds were singing and shouting. This crowd was using a passage from the Old Testament book of Psalms
Ps. 118:25-26
They shouted ‘Hosanna’, which means ‘help’ or ‘save’. Hosanna became a term of praise, but it also has the element of urgency for help and divine assistance. This day they proclaim his as the Messiah and King, but come Friday those shouts and cheers would turn from ‘Hosanna’ to ‘Crucify him’
How fickle is the tide of public opinion. Some people like you, others can’t tolerate you. One day you’re loved. The next day you’re hated.
Here is an important principle. ‘You cannot live for the opinions of other people’. The audience that we have to please is the Lord Jesus Christ. We live our lives for him. If your life is pleasing to the Lord what difference does it make what other people say and think about you.
Look at Jesus’ life. Some people loved him, some people hated him. But that did not change who he was or what he had come to do. We can learn from the attitude that Jesus had about who he was and why had had come to the earth.
John 6:38-39
Jesus said he had come to do the will of the Father. It was for the Father that Jesus lived. It was the determination of Jesus to do the will of the Father. And nothing kept him from doing what he had come to do. Jesus lived his life for an audience of one.
In our lives, in our ministries of service for Christ, for whom are we living? Who is it that you are trying to please? If you are living for an audience of one, then you will be able to handle criticism from others without it destroying you. You will be able to handle the fickle tides of opinion of public favor.
What other people think of you and your ministry and service for Christ is not what matters. It is what God thinks of you that counts.
II. In Life We Encounter Ups And Downs
All of us have had our share of ‘mountain-top’ experiences and we have had our share of being in the ‘valley’. That’s the way this life is. It is filled with ups and downs.
Have you noticed that it doesn’t take nearly as long to fall from the top as it does to get to the top?
I suppose that the ‘mountain-top’ and ‘down in the valley’ experiences are inevitable in this life. Even Jesus experienced those kinds of moments. His baptism was a mountain top experience, but then he was taken into the wilderness to be tempted. That was a valley.
Surely this triumphal entry into Jerusalem was a mountain-top experience in Jesus’ life. But we know how quickly all that changed. He ate a final meal with his disciples. He was betrayed by a friend. He was arrested as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was tormented, beaten, and crucified.
We often take caution and care following a great, mountain-top experience in our lives because we look for the valley that is going to follow. But we can change our perspective when we are in Christ. Instead of saying ‘there is a valley waiting on the other side’, we can say, ‘there is a mountain top waiting after the valley’. After Jesus’ death and burial, he rose from the dead. And someday, we will join Jesus in his resurrection. Talk about a mountain-top experience.
I don’t know specifically what kind of valleys you’re going through in life, but I do know that you have or you are or you will go through the valley sometime. Is it sickness? Is it the death of your spouse? Is it a marriage break-up? It is your children? Is it a financial crisis? The list can go on and on.
But let’s remember the words of King David.
Ps. 23:4
Be sure that when you are walking through the valley, the Lord is your shepherd and he is walking with you and will comfort and strengthen you and shower you with his love and care and will life you up again to the mountain-top.
III. Everyone Makes A Decision About Christ
You can notice that on this day of triumph for Jesus, there were different kinds of people in the crowd.
We can see the critics. There were the religious leaders of the day. They hated Jesus and they wanted him dead. They refused to accept him as God’s only Messiah. And today we still have the critics who hate Jesus and want him gone. Think of the way anything Christian is being suppressed today in our society.
We can see the curious. These are people who have a slight interest in Jesus.
Matthew 21:10
They were curious about who Jesus was, but not really interested in following him. These are the people who when called to follow Jesus were always making excuses. These people are still present today also. Are you making excuses as to why you can’t follow Jesus, why you can’t serve him? If you are curious about Jesus I want you to keep attending the Bible Studies, but I want you also to move beyond just being curious.
We can see the totally committed ones. This would be the ones who had totally sold out for Jesus Christ and believed him to be the Son of God and so made their life’s decision to follow him based on what they believed. This group of followers did more than just follow. They took up the cross and denied themselves. They were willing to give up their own lives. They were willing to sacrifice who they were and what they had to do his will.
Every person present that day in Jerusalem had to make a decision about Jesus Christ. And that has not changed. It is still true today. Everyone of us here today need to make a decision about Jesus Christ. Will you decide today that you are going to be totally committed and sold out for Jesus Christ?
Where are you spiritually speaking? Maybe there are some of the critics here today. Maybe there are some of the curious. Hopefully there are some of the totally committed.
Everyone of us need to make a decision about Jesus Christ. What we are going to do about him in our lives. Is he your Savior? Have you committed your life to him? Is he your Lord and Master? Maybe you’re already a Christian but Jesus is not really the Lord of your life.
The Scripture promise us that some day that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:10-11
Will you accept Jesus today? Will you acknowledge that he is the Christ the Lord? Will you make him your Savior?
This is the only way you can have triumph and victory in your life.