When Love Comes to Town
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__________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town When love comes to town TURN: John 12 INTRO: John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible − It’s printed on the bottom of the In-N-Out soda cups − It’s printed on the bags from Forever 21 − During the ‘80’s you couldn’t watch a nationally televised football game proudly displaying a sign that said John 3:16 − This verse has been called the “gospel in a nutshell” − It tells us of God’s love for man and what He did about it − It tells us God’s motivation for sending Jesus – For God so loved the world that He gave − It tells us His intention for sending Jesus – that we would not perish but have eternal life − It tells us how we can receive His life – whosoever believes in Him The Bible tells us that God is love and that Jesus is God in the flesh − God cared so much about making His love for us known that He couldn’t entrust such a personal message with anyone else… − So Jesus came – God in the flesh – and personally delivered the message of God’s love − Today we see the story of When Love Comes To Town − And Love Changed Everything We pick up the story in John 12:12… and we will notice five groups of people that were present on this historic day − The Multitudes − The Disciples − The People Who Witnessed The Resurrection of Lazarus − The Pharisees − The Greeks − Each had their own response to God’s revelation of love John 12:12–21 (NKJV) The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: When Love Comes To Town – John 12:12-21 © 2011 Holland Davis __________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” THE FIRST GROUP: The Multitudes − I love John’s version of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus because he captures the excitement of the moment. − Jerusalem was packed with people from all over Judea who were there to celebrate Passover − They hear that Jesus is coming to town and the buzz begins − They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him crying out − Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel − Like a FLASH MOB Scholars tell us that palm branches were used to show respect to a war hero or a victorious King When Love Comes To Town – John 12:12-21 © 2011 Holland Davis __________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town − The Word “Hosanna” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word Hosi-a-na and it comes from Psalm 118:25 which was one of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118) − In the Hebrew Hosi-a-na is a cry for help translated “Help Now” − In the Greek it means “Save Now” − The Hallel Psalms were often recited in preparation for Passover − The people would stand around the altar of burnt offering and read the Hallel Psalms (Psalm 113-118) and as they read the Hallel Psalms they would waive Palm branches around the altar of burnt offering − While they did this, they would shout Hosanna as a shout of Jubilation – a cry for help, crying out to the Messiah – HELP US NOW Now I want you to catch what’s happening − The crowd meets Jesus on his way into the city waiving palm branches − The crowd is literally surrounding him… in front of him, beside him, behind him − The time is Passover − Jesus is entering Jerusalem knowing that He was to be the Lamb of God that would be offered on the altar of burnt offering for the sins of the world. − While the crowd is surrounding Him – the sacrificial Lamb of God − They waive their palm branches and cry out − Hosanna – Messiah Help Us, Save Us − Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel − What a scene, you would have thought that the crowd was all over Jesus… a revival was breaking out They were more interested in the idea of Jesus – not Jesus Himself − The Jews were expecting a conquering King who would overthrow the Roman Empire and liberate Israel from oppression − They thought Messiah had come to free God’s people − But the same voices that cried out HAIL HIM, HAIL HIM would one week later cry out NAIL HIM, NAIL HIM. − Why? Because He didn’t do what they expected Him to do − He didn’t come the way they expected Him to come − Love disappointed them Luke records this… Luke 19:41–44 (NKJV) When Love Comes To Town – John 12:12-21 © 2011 Holland Davis __________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” POINT: They liked the idea of Jesus, but they weren’t really interested in Jesus Himself − ABC News reported that 83% of the United States claims to be Christian − Of all Christians – 37% say that they’ve been born again − That means 63% of all the people who claim to be Christians have never had a face to face encounter with Jesus Christ − They like the idea of Jesus, but they don’t really want Jesus Himself THE SECOND GROUP: The Disciples − The disciples, you gotta love them, but they weren’t very bright − They lived with Jesus for three years − It says… He disciples did not understand what was going on at first − They didn’t get it until Jesus was glorified – meaning until after the resurrection − We are told that Jesus appeared to two of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus − Jesus is frustrated with them Luke 24:25–32 (NKJV) 25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. When Love Comes To Town – John 12:12-21 © 2011 Holland Davis __________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” − That is one Bible Study I wish could have been recorded POINT: The reason why Jesus was frustrated was because they spent a lot of time with Jesus, but they really didn’t know Jesus ILLUSTRATION: THE THIRD GROUP: The People Who Witnessed the Resurrection of Lazarus − These people loved the excitement of being around Jesus − Hey man, Jesus is appearing in Jerusalem next week… I wonder what He’s going to do there? − I heard He healed this guy who was crippled from birth − I heard He healed blind Bart − Did you hear about Lazarus… dude, back from the dead − He came out like a mummy − Hey honey, can you check out Facebook and see what Jesus’ touring schedule is – let’s follow him − John says, they only followed Jesus because He had done this sign… raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus said… Matthew 16:4 (NKJV) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” What was the sign of the prophet Jonah? − Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days − After three days the whale threw Him up on a beach − Some scholars believe Jonah was alive in the belly of the whale − I think they are dumb – you try surviving in the belly of a whale, underwater, no oxygen, stomach acids all around you, digested fish − Jonah was dead − When the whale threw Jonah up on the beach, God raised Jonah from the dead When Love Comes To Town – John 12:12-21 © 2011 Holland Davis __________________________________________________ When Love Comes To Town − Jesus was referring to resurrection – but not the resurrection of Lazarus, but His own resurrection POINT: They wanted what Jesus could do for them, but they really didn’t want Jesus Himself − When the show