The Symbols of Palm Sunday
First B Jackson
2023-04-03

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Good morning, church family. Will you please stand? I am so happy you are here this morning. Let's worship the Lord. Amen?

Amen. Happy Palm Sunday. Right? Yes. Yes.

A large crowd at Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, praise God. Blessing am the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hail to the king of Israel. That's our Jesus.

Amen? Amen. Let's worship him. If you're here this morning, that means God wants to say something to you. Would you please make it special today?

Say, Lord, speak something to me. I need to hear your voice this morning. And I promise you, he will do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen? Amen.

Pastor E, sing like a minute with me, please. Okay. Thank you.

Amen. Amen. Y'all can have a seat. And I have a few announcements. They told me there were new announcements and I probably ought to look over them.

Guess what I did? I did not look over. Monday night is the first beat. I know that's not happening during spring break, so that's not happening tomorrow night. Iwana is not happening tomorrow night.

But April 12, there will be a Jackson Hole Men's Alliance, April 1830. Is being postponed because of spring break. So normally, it would be this Wednesday morning, but it's next Wednesday morning instead. So 06:30 a. M.

Right here at First B. The Ladies Fellowship on Thursdays has also been postponed or put off until after spring break. Sunday school volunteer always needed. If you would, contact Liz Owings, she will get you signed up for that. There are there is a big rally that's into Idaho Falls.

It's a nationwide type tour. Will Graham, Billy Graham's grandson is going to be, doing an evangelistic, meeting in Idaho Falls, September 24. There's a kids' fest the day before that, but we are doing Christian life and witness courses here at this church right here, this this place, May fourth, eleventh, and eighteenth, seven to 9PM. So you can be here. If you work in the daytime, you can be here in the evening.

We are in the middle of a time of prayer. Thirty days of prayer. We're Muslim... For the Muslim world, praying for Jesus' name to go forth for who he is, not just Esa, but Esa Masih. Not just Jesus, but Jesus Messiah.

Okay? So we're praying that Jesus would be glorified among the nations. Easter Sunday. We are gonna do Easter Sunday next week, obviously, nine and eleven. We're not doing just one service.

They're not different times. It's nine and eleven. The nursery will be open but not staffed. So everybody that wants to be up here, we don't mind. If the kids are up here, please, that's to be good, it's going be fun.

Gather together, one place nine and eleven next week. There is a potluck dinner, ascending celebration. Oh my goodness. I wanted to hear that. April 22 at 05:30 in the Fellowship Hall.

We'll talk about more of this. They are going out from us, and they're going out and they have a lot of support, onetime type support. They're still in need of some monthly support. So pray about that and think about it. They're in need of monthly supporters.

That's the way that you stay on the field long term. And so anyway, this is for Florina and Violetta and the girls. And so it is bittersweet for us. I knew there was gonna be a collective groan there. But, it is great to be sending somebody out into what God has called them into.

So that's happening. Potluck dinner, sending celebration, April 22, 05:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Please plan on being here and invite people that you know are blessed by this family. Hey, come now is the time to worship. Anybody have anything that I've forgotten left out?

Thank you very much. I missed that one. So prayer night, April 16 from six to seven right here at First Bee. That's included in that thirty days of prayer, but we're gonna gather together and pray on that night, April 16. Thank you very much.

Would you stand up, and we're gonna sing, come now is the time to worship.

Psalm 100 verse four says, enter his gates with thanksgiving, go into his courts with praise, give give thanks to him and praise his name. Amen? Amen. Revelation twenty two seventeen. I love this one.

Let anyone who's thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. Amen? Amen. If you're thirsty this morning, shout out to Jesus.

Ask him. Lord, I need you in my heart. I need you in my life more. I don't want a small portion, Lord. I want a big portion.

I wanna be... I wanna walk with you hand in hand. Help me, Lord, and give me the strength to follow you in my everyday walk. Amen? Amen.

Now is the just as you are before your Amen. Father God, we praise you. We say thank you for giving us the privilege to be here this morning. Lord, would you touch our hearts in a way that we can say the Lord was present in his house? Lord, speak to us something through the sermon, through the songs.

We gather here for the purpose to feel your presence in this place. But, Lord, to leave this place change. I pray for the church that you would help us to be the light in this community, to be the light where we are at work in our family. Lord, give us the strength and the passion to follow you every single day. In your precious name I pray, amen.

Amen. Oh, I love this one. Pastor Ray, you you you keep us with your rhythm. Okay?

Oh oh, boy.

I love the bass. I love the bass of this song. Amen. Amen. I told you that the intro is gonna be different and the ending.

It's important that we are here to gather the Lord. Amen? To praise the Lord. When we practice this morning, I always tell them we practice, but when we worship, you never know how it's gonna turn. It's important to lead...

To be led by the Holy Spirit. Amen? Amen. I don't wanna sing it like... Be like a mechanic.

Everything has to be perfect. We worship the Lord. Amen. Has to be a little gypsy gypsy flavor. Right?

Freely.

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

Y'all can have a seat. But would you pray with me? God, we come together this morning and praise your name as we have been doing. Lord, I pray also that we would come together collectively to be more than each of us can be by ourselves, Lord. You have called us out of and into out of every tribe, tongue, and nation and into the family of God, the kingdom of marvelous light.

God, would you help us reflect your marvelous light on the world around us? Would you, Lord, have your will in us this day? And going forward from here, We pray for your will done in your way. Would you, Lord, receive these offerings and do with them as you please? In Jesus' name, I pray, Lord, that the gospel would advance, through your humble and obedient servants.

In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

I'm Let us bless the Lord

Amen. Would y'all stand? Can we say the Lord's prayer together this morning? Before the kids get out here. Are the kids getting out of here?

Is that a spring break thing too? They're not. They're going down. Okay, good. It is time for children's church but our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Alright, kids.

It's time. Alright. This is a Palm Sunday edition of a Harmony of the Gospels. Typically, when we get to Palm Sunday, I I tend to. This this is one of those things.

So I like to stay in the flow, right? We're skipping ahead to get to Palm Sunday. We're still in Jesus' latter ministry days. And he's working towards this, but we're going to do it because it's Palm Sunday. But this synoptics, Matthew, Mark and Luke, seen at the same time, that's what the word Synoptic means, it is a way of seeing.

And we usually cover this from John 12. So this is what it looks like if you're looking at all of the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew is a little longer as it pertains to this. Mark is a little shorter. Luke is right in there.

They have a few differences we'll cover. John is the shortest of all of them as far as the triumphal entry is concerned, but it's the one we almost always go to. It's the one that I almost always go to. For one thing, it's the only one that mentions that the branches were palm branches. And so since it's Palm Sunday, you got to mention that, right?

But we're going to cover Matthew, Mark, and Luke today and chase down a couple of references. I want you to pay attention to three symbols, though. There are three symbols in here that, it's one of them is a symbol that was chosen for this date. And then there's another one that Jesus chose for this date. And then the next day, there was one other symbol.

So just be listening out for that. I'll I'll probably point it out. When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage at the Mount Of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples. Didn't say which ones, saying to them, go into the village that's opposite you, and immediately you'll find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them, bring them to me.

And if anyone says anything to you, I think this is funny. If anybody says anything, just say, the Lord needs them, and and he will send them on immediately. It's gonna be fine with the guy. Apparently, Jesus has prearranged this situation, but go get a donkey and a colt for me. Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled.

Say to the daughter of Zion, behold your king, capital k, I love that, is coming to you. He's humble, and he's mounted on a donkey. Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. So this is one of the symbols. This is the symbol that Jesus chose for himself.

It's in line with prophecy. It's from Zechariah. Let's go to Mark. Mark says, and as they approached Jerusalem at Bethphage and Bethany, those two are right near each other. Bethany may have been that one that that Matthew mentions as the village opposite Bethphage.

They approached Jerusalem at Bethphage and Bethany, two miles from the temple. Near the Mount Of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the village opposite you. And immediately, as you enter into it, you'll find a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat. New detail. That's interesting.

So the foal of a donkey, small donkey. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say, the Lord has need of it. And immediately, he'll send it back here.

They went away. They found the colt tied at the door just like Jesus said, outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of the bystanders were saying to them, what are you doing untying that colt? And they told them just as Jesus had said, and they gave them permission. Oh, the Lord has need of it.

Okay. They brought the colt to Jesus, put their cloaks on it. That's a new detail. And he sat on it, this foal of a donkey. What does Luke say?

Luke says, when he approached Bethphage and Bethany near the mountain that's called Olivet or the Mount Of Olives, he sent two of the disciples saying, go into the village ahead of you. And there, as you enter, you'll find a colt tied on which no one has yet ever sat. It's a new one. Untied and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it?

You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent left and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying, the colt its owner said to them, why are you untying that colt? And the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus.

They're saying the same thing. Right? They threw their cloaks onto the colt and put Jesus on it. Okay. Zechariah nine nine.

Oh, hundreds of years before. Rejoice greatly, oh daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you. Righteous, righteous, and having salvation is he.

Humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Now, why would he need two donkeys? He's untying the colt. The colt may have wandered off. I think that having mama there is kind of a nice thing for a donkey that's never been ridden before.

I've seen a man break a mule. I don't know how that goes with donkeys. But I wouldn't want to be the first one to ride on one. Putting the cloaks on it, calming this donkey, mama being right by its side, and Jesus sits on the donkey. And the disciples went, and they did just as Jesus had instructed them.

They brought the donkey and the colt. They laid their cloaks on them, he sat on the cloaks. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Wow, triumphal entry. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks out on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

Now like I said, John mentions that they took branches of palm trees and they went out to meet him and they were crying out, well, let's get back to this. The palm trees. I've used these slides before, probably almost every Palm Sunday since I've been here. For us, the symbol is different these days. They're usually our kids waving palm branches.

It's so cute. And when we sing Hosanna, sometimes they'll proceed in and step up on the and they just wave and they're having a ball. And for us, it's cute and it's a symbol that Easter's coming. Palm Sunday is here. This is just one week away.

It's resurrection Sunday next week. It's great and glorious, and and we're building up to it. And that's fine that we do that. I don't think that that's a problem. But for them, the Maccabean revolt had happened just one hundred and thirty five BC.

This is not too terribly long ahead of time. And they printed coins, and on the coins were palm branches. It is a nationalistic symbol. It is. It's on that.

First Maccabees, if your Bible has an apocrypha in it. This one says, then they... The oppressors cried out to Simon to make peace with them. Simon, Simon of the Hasmonean dynasty of Maccabees. Simon to make peace with them, and he did so.

That's not Simon Peter is what I'm saying. This is Maccabees. Then the oppressors cried out to Simon to make peace with them, and he did so, but he expelled them from there, and he cleansed the citadel from its pollutions. And on the twenty third day, in the second month, in the 700... Seventy first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches.

It was a symbol, and with harps, and symbols, and stringed instruments, and hymns, and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed, cast out from Israel. And Simon decreed that every year they should celebrate this day with rejoicing. He strengthened the fortifications of the Temple Hill along the citadel, and he and his men lived there victoriously, it sounds like. Right? So there's a palm branch on the coin.

That's a coin of Herod Antipas. Now this, since it's Herod and Herod's sort of the puppet king, he is Jewish, kinda. He is in charge and he's printing these coins and he's saying, I know, I know, I know, I know, we got Roman oppressors over us. It's subtle, right? They may not know, but I know.

I get it. Palm branches right there. Palm branches, they're out of that. Another set of them. There's another one on a different coin.

There are also others with liars, like not liars like pathological liars, but liars like the the instrument that's kind of like a harp, liars and harps and cymbals. Now the crowd going ahead of him and those who followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna is a triumphant thing and we sing it this time of year.

We might see it occasionally somewhere else, but usually it's Palm Sunday where we bring out the Hosannas, right? Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

This is the Hebrew and the Greek, and the translation in English is what I want you to pay attention to. Oh, Lord, I beseech you, save us now. We have been under these oppressors for too long. How long will our enemy triumph over us, oh, Lord? I beseech you, save us now.

Do not delay. That's what hosanna means, salvation. And then added to that is now. Sin prosperity now. For too long, they have been over us and we want them gone.

They look back on the Maccabean revolt with great fondness, and they want for that to happen again. Please, oh Lord, NASB, do save us. Please, oh Lord, do send prosperity. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

ESV brings it up front. Save us, we pray, oh Lord. It is crying out for salvation, but you hear all the time in church that the Messiah that they were expecting was the Messiah of Israel. Save us. Save us.

But the Messiah that Jesus was was to... The savior of the world. It goes beyond just save us. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, Mark says, and others spread leafy branches, which they had cut from the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were shouting, Hosanna.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest. David's supposed to have a throne that will never end, and we're suffering under this clown. And Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple area, and after looking around at everything, he left for Bethany with the 12 since it was already late.

Okay, Mark. It's kind of short. What does Luke say? Luke says, now as he was going, they were spreading their cloaks out on the road. And as soon as he was approaching near the descent of the Mount Of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen.

That is the that is the path, whenever we see people rejoicing, in Psalms or whenever we see God's people rejoicing, often they go back and say, you're the one who parted the Red Sea. You're the one who got us across that river. You're the one who gave a child when there was no way. You're the one who fulfilled your promises, and they start singing about all the goodness of God. Blessed is the king, capital k, the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Peace in heaven, but do you think they wanted peace on earth? After they whipped everybody, they did. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And yet, some of the Pharisees, the Pharisees, every time I see Pharisees, I see the guy twirling his little mustache like he's tied the lady up and put her on railroad tracks.

He's always a bad guy. Right? It's always a bad guy. I wish that it were not so, but they were the religious people of the time. And he has the harshest words for them.

And yet some of the pharisees in the crowd, they're hearing all of this. Oh my goodness. Lifting Jesus up and putting him up on a pedestal, laying their cloaks down so this donkey can walk over them. Yet some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples. This is getting out of hand.

You're gonna receive this kind of glory? You're not even a Pharisee. You're not even one of us. You're not even an expert in the law. Teacher, rebuke your disciples.

And Jesus replied, I tell you, if these stop speaking, the very stones will cry out. He deserves the praise that they're giving him. He does. Now why they're giving the praise? It seems to me and it seems in the text, it seems to be pointed out that there are different crowds of people here.

There's unbelieving and there's believing, and then there are absolute skeptics listed as a different crowd, pharisees and scribes. Some of the pharisees, teacher, rebuke your disciples. You know better than this. I tell you, if these stop speaking, the very stones will cry out. And when he approached Jerusalem, he saw the city, and he wept over it.

We we see Jesus weeping. Actually, I'm trying not to go to John because it's it's the place that I feel like makes it the most clear, but I've done it over and over and over again. John 12, John 11 is where he raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany, which is where this procession is proceeding from. Know? So two miles away from the temple, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and then it gets real.

You know? It's evident that they have got to do something. And as he's approaching the city and he looks down on it, he cries. He just cried at Lazarus' graveside, but that was grief for a fallen family member. Even knowing knowing he could resurrect him and did, you know.

This is a grief that's about a a kinda... It's a different thing. He says, if you had known on this day, if you had really understood, if your heart had been opened, if you had approached the situation with humility and a little objectivity, not so much self involvement, self centeredness. If you had known on this day, even you, the conditions that make for peace. They're they're praying for peace in the heavens.

If you had known on this day, even you, the conditions for peace, but now these things have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, Jerusalem, when your enemies will put up a a barricade, some translations say a ramp, some say a bank, a barricade against you. It's a siege. This is laying out a siege. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will put up a barricade against you.

They will surround you, and they'll hem you up on every side. They'll surround the whole city, and they will level you to the ground, and they will throw down your children with you, and they will not leave in you Jerusalem, one stone upon another. This is forecasting the temple's destruction in seventy AD. Boy, that is something to cry over. He's very, very upset about this, wept bitterly because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

There is a time... There's an opportune time, the the kairos moments in in the Bible where there's an opportune time where God is reaching out, and he is injecting himself into the situation in human history. And everywhere Jesus went, that's the way it was because he is God in the flesh, and everywhere he went, it was that way. But there is a time that God is urging, and God is directing and he is giving his word. And like we saw a couple weeks ago, blessed are those who hear the word of the Lord and keep it, guard it, obey it, hold on to it, hold fast to it.

But what they did was reject it. They didn't recognize the time of their visitation, probably because of some preconceived ideas. They already knew the answers, and so they weren't looking. Matthew, back to Matthew. When he had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, I would say so.

Saying, who is this? The ones who didn't know. And there's a whole crowd of people throwing down cloaks, waving palm branches, following along with singing songs. And then everybody else is like, wait a second, who is this? What's going on here?

And the crowds were saying, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. This is Jesus. Now that's ten and eleven. Twelve and thirteen are about cleansing the temple. But in Matthew, in Matthew, this is the next thing.

Jesus entered the temple and drove out those who were selling and buying. I don't want to go into great detail on this because I'm getting there in the sermon series. But if you think about what they were doing, it's written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you're making a den of robbers. They had commercialized religiousness. And they were keeping people...

It was in the court of the Gentiles. They were keeping people from getting close to God. They were pushing people away or putting up a barrier, even if it was a small financial barrier. They're putting up anything that we put in the way, a stumbling block for anybody who has attempted to approach God real is problem. Jesus drove them out.

But we'll get to that later on all three at the same time. This continues on. It says, those who were blind and those who limped came to Jesus in the temple area, he healed them. Isn't that great? These are miracles that were messiah miracles that they should have been expecting.

But when the chief priest and the scribes saw, and it says the wonderful things, the wonderful things that he had done, They're wonderful things. How can you see that and be upset by it? People are being healed. People who are limping along are able to walk, leap for joy, blind or seeing. When the chief priest and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he had done and the children who were shouting in the temple area, Hosanna to the son of David, they became indignant.

That's not the response. That's not the response, is it? Well, you've got a choice. You can accept what's going on, praise God for it, or you can see what's going on and go, I don't like that. That's not the way it ought to be.

And apparently, that's what they did. They became indignant and they said to him, do you hear what these children are saying? You're gonna accept that? And Jesus said to him, yes. Have you never read from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?

You have prepared praise for yourself. Now that is one of those places where Jesus is saying, I'm the guy. I'm the one. I'm the messiah. I am divine.

This is from Psalm eight one and two. Oh Lord, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have displayed your splendor above the heavens. From the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have established strength because of your enemies to do away with enemy and the revengeful. I I see indignant as being revengeful myself.

Oh my goodness. The great reversal. These super religious have just set themselves up against the plan of God, and they would carry it through, and it's still the plan of God. It says in Matthew, and he left them and he went out of the city to Bethany, spent the night there, going back to hang out with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Mark eleven eleven says this, and Jesus entered Jerusalem, he came into the temple area.

And after looking around at everything, checking it out, he left for Bethany with the 12 since it was already late. This is where I'm... These are the last two, verses from the gospels I'm gonna go to, last two passages. Matthew 21. This is on the next morning.

So it says that. Now in the early morning on on the next day. So this is Monday of Holy Week. Now early in the morning, when he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a lone fig tree...

Let's go back and review the symbols. The symbol that Jesus chose for himself was a foal of a donkey. He gave instructions for carrying that out. There's no doubt about it, and the people recognized Zechariah. They recognized what's going on.

That was a symbol he chose for himself. Behold, your king seated on the foal of a donkey. Humble. Then the the symbol they chose was the palm branches, just like Simon of the Maccabees, let's do this. Come on in.

You wonder how people can be so fickle to be screaming, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, and then say, crucify him, crucify him, just a little later in the week because he didn't do what they wanted him to do. This is another symbol right here. And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, he came to it and he found nothing on it except leaves alone. And he said to it, no longer shall there ever be any fruit from you. And at once, the fig tree withered.

Weird. Okay. What does Mark say? Mark says, on the next day when they had left Bethany, he became hungry. And seeing from a distance a fig tree and leaf, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it.

That wasn't the season for figs. Okay? This time of year is not the season for figs. It would have been a surprise if he had found anything on it. But he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it.

When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples were listening. So this is another symbol for unbelieving Israel. Okay?

There are a lot of different prophetic passages in the prophets. I'll list a few of them. Jeremiah eight thirteen says, I will certainly snatch them away, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf itself will wither. That's the probably most directly related, it seems, to a lot of people.

And what I have given them will pass away. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. There was fruit there at times in the past. Oh, and we call back to it, oh, the father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of...

That's my God right there. But they came to Baal Peor and devoted themselves to shame, and they became as detestable as that which they loved. They assimilated to the culture that was around them, and they became as detestable as that which they loved. Joel one seven, it has made my vine a waste, and it has made my fig tree into a stump. It has stripped them there.

It's hurled them away. Their branches have become white, not green. Micah. I'm gonna close off, I think, with Micah. Woe to me, for I'm like harvest of summer fruit, like gleanings of grapes.

There's not a cluster of grapes left to eat nor an early fig, which I crave. The godly per... Person has perished from the land. There's no upright person among mankind. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed.

Each of them hunts the other with a net. It's a dog eat dog world. Everybody's out to get everybody else. As for evil, both hands do it well. Right and left, Okay?

As for evil, both hands do it well. One leader asked for a bribe and also the judge, and the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul, and so they plot it together. It's the way of the world. The best of them is like a thorn bush. The most upright is like a thorn hedge.

The day when you post your watchman, your punishment is coming. Then their confusion will occur. Do not trust in the neighbor. Do not have confidence in a close friend. Guard your lips from her who lies in your arms.

For son disavows father, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A person's enemies are the people of his own household. This is a terrible picture, isn't it? Happy Palm Sunday. This is the turn.

It's it's saying it's a bad place. The world is a very, very difficult place. But as for me, as for me, I will be on watch for the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. I'm not taking things into my own hands.

That's what the world does. I'm not going to be like them. As for me, I'll be on watch for the Lord. I'll wait for the God of my salvation. As he directs me, I will move.

My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine. Though I fall, I will rise. Who's that sound like? Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine.

Though I fall, I will rise. Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. So consider these three symbols. The palm branch is what the people chose for their reasons. It's a symbol of military victory and nationalistic pride.

So if I say consider these, I mean consider them today. Consider what symbols we hold up as Christians, not just as Americans, but as Christians. What symbols are we holding up? Are we choosing the same symbol that Jesus would... And and please remove the elephant and the donkey from this.

That just happens to be a coincidence. The donkey is what Jesus chose for his symbol. It is a symbol of humble service and lowliness. It's a symbol that he comes in peace, not marching as to war. If he had showed up on a white Arabian steed armed to the teeth, yeah, that would have been a different story altogether.

The fig tree is an Old Testament symbol for Israel. The ritualism of national worship was hiding the absence of genuine piety among the people. It appears that Jesus' cursing of the fig tree was emblematic of God's judgment. This is from Thomas and Gundry's Harmony of the Gospels, this one right here. It appears that Jesus' cursing of the fig tree was emblematic of God's judgment that was going to fall on Jerusalem in seventy AD.

Figs are good when there's fruit, but when there's no fruit, there was a time when that withered. The very presence of God, when you tear down that temple where they believed, that was his dwelling place, would always, always, always be there. He cannot be contained in that box. Those who worship him must do it in spirit and in truth. I think that's the last slide forever.

Would you all pray with me? God, I pray that we'd be open to your spirits moving. I pray that we'd be open to to your spirits urging. I pray, Lord, that we'd be, because we speak with one voice with you, Lord, that we'd be the voice of reason in an unreasonable time. I pray, Lord, that as we contemplate this, what we call holy week, that there's a lot of darkness between here and resurrection Sunday, that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Lord, are in between us and resurrection Sunday.

May we recognize, Lord, that that there's nothing that takes you by surprise, that there's nothing in our lives that takes you by surprise. And, Lord, I pray that you would that you would help us to make the turn instead of just looking around, folding our arms indignant and saying,. God almighty, would you help us to to turn and say, but I trust in the Lord. He will hear me. God almighty, would you direct our hearts, our minds, our souls, and all of our strength to, doing your will, to walking out the steps that you have for us.

In Jesus' name, amen. Would you stand with us?

Give thanks to the Lord, our God and king. Amen. We worship him on his terms. Amen.

Could I get Nick and Lauren Fry to come forward too after this song? Nick, staring, and Lauren Fry. Monique, would you come forward too? And elders, if y'all would come forward too, we're gonna pray. We're sending out Monique this week, and I just picked two, not totally at random.

But if you would, we're just going to pray and send you out. Okay. Do you want to say anything before?

Yes. I am just so I'm so grateful for this body of believers. Yeah. I'm just so so grateful this last year and a half. I've been in Jackson for six years, but in the last year and a half, the Lord and just...

The Holy Spirit led me to fellowship here on Sundays, not just on Monday nights, which I have been the whole time I've been here. And it's been such a gift. So thank you.

Praise God. Thank you. Anybody else wanna say anything? Just pray, if you would. We're gonna lay hands on you.

Don't let it surprise you. God almighty, I thank you for Monique. I thank you for the soft heart that you've given her. I pray, Lord, that you'd give her eyes to see, those around her who are hurting. She has been, instrumental in, your healing ministry to people.

Lord, I pray that you would do with her as you will and that you'd guard her against the evil one or anyone who would oppose it, Lord. We know that it's not always an easy journey, but as she goes forward, Lord, stepping out into faith, we pray that you'd put solid ground, underneath her for every step, that her foot would not slip, and that her mind would not stray, that she would look to you, Jesus, the author, the perfecter of our faith. Lord God almighty, I pray that you would go ahead of her, that you would encircle her, and that she'd be behind her a 100%, and she would know that she's loved and sent out from a body that cares. In Jesus name, amen.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Alright.

And for the close of the day, I'm gonna go back to Micah seven. As for me, I look to the Lord. I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me. He's the one who can do it.

My God will certainly hear me. Lord, amen.