Palm Sunday Messages

Skip Heitzig

A week before He was crucified, Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and presenting Himself as the true Deliverer. These messages, given a week before Easter Sunday, will help prepare your heart to celebrate Jesus' death and glorious resurrection.


 

Table of Contents

# SCRIPTURE: MESSAGE:
1 Luke 19:28-44 God...on a Donkey!?
2 Holy Week Narration
3 Luke 19:28-44 A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey
4 Luke 19:28-44 A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey
5 Luke 19:28-44 A Donkey's Day in the Sun
6 Revelation 13:8 Consider the Cross
7 Colossians 2:11-14 Nailed to the Cross
8 John 12:12-19 Life Lessons from a Donkey Ride

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: God...on a Donkey!?
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-44
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/3539

MESSAGE SUMMARY
God...on a Donkey!? - Luke 19:28-44 from our study Palm Sunday Messages with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Topic: Palm Sunday

Keywords: Easter Messages, Jesus Christ, Promises, Prophecy, Endtimes, Suffering

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: Holy Week Narration
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/3541

MESSAGE SUMMARY
Holy Week Narration from our series Palm Sunday Messages with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Topic: Palm Sunday

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-44
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/3540

MESSAGE SUMMARY
A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey - Luke 19:28-44 from our study Palm Sunday Messages with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Topic: Palm Sunday

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-44
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/3710

MESSAGE SUMMARY
A Day, A Deliverer, and the World's Happiest Donkey - Luke 19:28-44 from our study Palm Sunday Messages with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Topic: Palm Sunday

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: A Donkey's Day in the Sun
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-44
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/445

MESSAGE SUMMARY
Two thousand years ago, on the final Sunday of Jesus' earthly life, before His crucifixion, He did the most unusual thing: He asked for a donkey, never before ridden, to be brought to Him. That simple animal carried Jesus into the city of Jerusalem in parade-like fashion, presenting Jesus - Israel's Messiah and Deliverer. What was the significance of this act performed on this particular day?

OUTLINE
I. The Presentation (Vss 28-35)
  A. An Emotional Atmosphere
  B. An Elected Animal

II. The Congregation (Vss 36-40)
  A. Acclaimed by the Righteous
  B. Accused by the Religious

III. The Lamentation (Vss 41-44)
  A. Great Possibilities Rejected
  B. Great Punishment Incurred


PRACTICING THESE PRINCIPLES


1. Consider what "simple" things you could let the Lord use to further His work. Think of a few and present them to Him, not passively ("Let me know, Lord, whenever You want them") but actively ("I will use this for God’s glory starting today!").

2. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, He approaches our lives. What do you suppose His reaction is to what He sees? Rejoicing in our devotion? Weeping over unused potential?

3. How aware are you of God's "sense of timing"? See John 2:4 and Gal 4:3-5, especially the phrase, "the fullness of the time."

Topic: Palm Sunday

Keywords: Easter, entry, triumphal

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: Consider the Cross
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Revelation 13:8
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/682

MESSAGE SUMMARY

Christians for the last 2000 years have referred to the final week before Easter as Holy Week. Typically, it is the time where the focus shifts to consider the suffering and death of Jesus Christ for our sins. So today we will contemplate the greatest act of love ever demonstrated--the Cross of Christ. And one of the most striking things of all is that the Cross was always God's plan--from the beginning. Today we marvel at His suffering so that on Easter we may rejoice in His resurrection!

DETAILED NOTES
I. Jesus Predicted the Cross



II. Jesus' Forerunner Predicted the Cross



III. Visitors at His Birth Predicted the Cross



IV. The Prophets Predicted the Cross



V. The Godhead Predicted His Death


Things to Do Before Easter:


  1. In light of the plan of the cross throughout the ages, carefully read Ephesians 1:4. Use this as a springboard to thank God for His love for you--the love that long preceded your very existence.


  2. This week rethink the definition of "the gospel". Use 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 as your seedbed for meditation. Ask God to help you to not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of its power to save. (Romans 1:16)


  3. Invite someone to Easter service next Sunday!

Topic: Palm Sunday

Keywords: Easter, cross,

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: Nailed to the Cross
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:11-14
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/2623

MESSAGE SUMMARY
The crucifixion was a visual and aural experience; to realize that we are responsible for it helps us grasp the impact of Christ's sacrifice for us. As we look ahead to Good Friday, we learn about the significance of Jesus' crucifixion and are encouraged to leave all of our sins and burdens at the cross.

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction
    1. Typically, our services are text-based and expository
    2. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a very visual experience
      1. It would be a shock to see
      2. It would be gruesome to hear
    3. We want to bring tension and emotion back into the cross to personalize it and help us relate to the fact that the Son of God died for us
    4. "Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us"—John Stott
    5. It's only when we're aware of our sin that we're grateful we have a Savior
    6. The cross is a universal symbol of the Christian faith
      1. We can blame the Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate, the Jewish leaders, the crowd, or Judas for the cross
      2. But we have to look in the mirror to get the full picture
      3. Who's responsible for this? I am—we are
      4. 1 Corinthians 15:3
    7. Not only are we responsible for the cross, but the cross was the plan of God from the very beginning; John 10:18
  2. Colossians 2:11-14 (New Living Translation)
    1. Paul talked about two rituals: Jewish (circumcision) and Christian (baptism)
      1. Both were visual reminders of a reality
      2. These ceremonies acted out what these groups believed in
      3. Circumcision symbolized the cutting away of the fleshly life and desires
      4. Baptism spoke of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
    2. When Jesus Christ came, He did what no religion or ritual could ever do: He got rid of the guilt that comes from our failure to keep God's law
    3. Paul had an ancient practice in mind
      1. When someone owed somebody a debt, there was a legal certificate or charge of debt, handwritten and signed
      2. This note stood in the way between the lender and the borrower
      3. Life wasn't quite right between the two until the debt was paid off
      4. Once the debt was paid, a public notice was made that it had been paid
    4. The point is that Jesus Christ came because we owed a huge debt, and He paid it
    5. Jesus Christ paid the bill—and even left a tip
      1. He died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead
      2. He conquered death and promises new life to anyone who believes that His work is enough
    6. The Law just pointed a finger at us
      1. We've broken all Ten Commandments—if not outwardly, then inwardly
      2. The Law says, "You owe God a debt that you can never pay"
    7. "It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things; but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion"—C.S. Lewis
    8. "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow"—"Jesus Paid It All," Elvina M. Hall
    9. "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day"—"At the Cross," Isaac Watts
    10. We want to provide a way for you to visually and audibly connect with this
    11. The Bible calls Jesus Christ our advocate, our defense attorney (see 1 John 2:1)
    12. Write down a sin you need to confess, and we'll nail it to the cross
  3. Closing
    1. Take a good look at the cross, but not in a way that would break your heart; realize that in Christ doing that for you, it's done, it's over, it's finished, it's paid in full—and it's cause for rejoicing!
    2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
    3. Because of the cross, we're right with God
    4. We don't have to live beaten down and ashamed; we can live with confidence because of what He did for us

Figures referenced: John Stott, C.S. Lewis, Elvina M. Hall, Isaac Watts

Cross references: John 10:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:11-14; 1 John 2:1

Topic: Cross

Keywords: cross, crucifixion, sin, savior, religion, ritual, debt, the Law, nail, finished

 


 

SERIES: Palm Sunday Messages
MESSAGE: Life Lessons from a Donkey Ride
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: John 12:12-19
URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4054

MESSAGE SUMMARY
Almost half of the gospel of John is dedicated to Jesus' final week on earth. With that much Scripture dedicated to the topic, we must pay attention. In this Palm Sunday message, we look at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and discover the difference between practicing a religion and having a relationship with Christ.

STUDY GUIDE
Connect Group Recap: March 20, 2016
Speaker: Skip Heitzig
Teaching: "Life Lessons from a Donkey Ride"
Text: John 12:12-19

Path

In this Palm Sunday teaching, Pastor Skip took us through Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. He reminded us that twenty-nine of the eighty-five chapters of the four Gospels are devoted to the last week of Jesus' life on earth. Because so much Scripture is dedicated to this area, we should pay attention. In this passage, we see that Jesus fulfilled biblical prophecy.

Points

Jesus Is More Appealing than Religion (vv. 12-13)
Scripture Is More Reliable than Opinion (vv. 14-16)
Following Is More Important than Inspection (vv. 16-19)
Practice

Connect Up: Pastor Skip reminded us that the same God who engineered the donkey ride and the date of visitation is the One that saved us. Discuss the moment Jesus visited/saved you? Had you heard the gospel before? What made you respond?

Connect In: As a follower of Christ, a disciple is one who responds, obeys, and learns from Jesus. What does it mean to be a follower of Christ in the church today? How can the body of Christ demonstrate to a watching world that we are true disciples (see John 13:35)? What can you do this week to obey Jesus' command in that verse?

Connect Out: Take a moment to discuss other prophetic scriptures that were fulfilled by Christ. How can fulfilled prophecy be used to demonstrate the reliability of Scripture to others outside the faith?

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction
    1. Comparisons
      1. Show how one thing is better than another
      2. Show how far you have come
    2. Almost half of the book of John is dedicated to the final week of Jesus' life on earth
      1. Two-fifths of the gospel of Matthew is devoted to this week
      2. Three-fifths of the gospel of Mark is devoted to this week
      3. One-third of the gospel of Luke is devoted to this week
    3. The gospel writers placed a significant amount of importance on Passion Week
      1. The Gospels have eighty-nine chapters total
        1. Four of those chapters are about the first thirty years of Jesus' life
        2. Eighty-five chapters consist of the last three and a half years of His life
        3. Twenty-nine chapters are dedicated to the final week
      2. When God repeats Himself, you know it is important
    4. All four Gospels recount Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (see Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)
    5. This was the luckiest donkey in the world to have the Son of God ride on his back
    6. Donkeys
      1. Live between thirty and forty years of age, some as long as sixty years
      2. Favorite pastime is rolling in the dirt
      3. Have long ears that help keep them cool and allow them to hear over great distances
      4. More people are killed annually by donkeys than in plane crashes
    7. Palm Sunday
      1. Celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
      2. In the Jewish calendar, it is the tenth day of the month of Nisan
        1. The day that Jewish families would select the lamb that would be sacrificed on the fourteenth day of Nisan—Passover
        2. On this day, the Lamb of God rode into Jerusalem
        3. He presented Himself to the nation
        4. April 6, AD 32
  2. Jesus Is More Appealing than Religion (vv. 12-13)
    1. The crowd was a group of religious people in Jerusalem for the religious feast
      1. Three feasts every Jewish person was required to be in Jerusalem for
        1. Passover
        2. Pentecost
        3. Tabernacles
      2. Passover was a celebration remembering how God delivered them from Egypt (see Exodus 11-12)
    2. It was a repetitive process
      1. They traveled the same routes to get there
      2. They went through the same rituals
      3. They prayed the same prescribed prayers
    3. The people were clamoring for something more than their religion was offering
      1. They gravitated to Jesus
      2. Hósanna = save, we pray
      3. Jesus was a breath of fresh air in a stale, stagnant, religious experience (see Mark 12:37)
    4. There was a clash between the old religious system and the new principles Jesus was teaching
      1. Matthew 15:1-9
      2. Tax collectors, prostitutes, and murderers found it easy to hang out with Jesus
      3. His most scathing words were to religious leaders (see Matthew 23)
    5. The difference between Jesus and religion
      1. Religion emphasizes the outward; Jesus emphasizes the inward (see Matthew 9:4; 12:34)
      2. Religion is about what you can't do; Jesus is about what you can do
      3. Religion puts up barriers; Jesus pulls down barriers
        1. In the temple, there were walls to keep people out
        2. Religion is very good at keeping people out
        3. Matthew 11:28
      4. Religion says, "Work your way to God"; Jesus says, "I am the way"
        1. Most religions are about what you have to do to work your way to God
        2. Human achievement
        3. The gospel is the approach of divine accomplishment
    6. Jesus was the Pharisees' biggest nightmare
      1. People were more attracted to Jesus than their religious system
      2. Jesus drove people toward a personal relationship with God
  3. Scripture Is More Reliable than Opinion (vv. 14-16)
    1. Everyone has an opinion about Jesus (see Mark 8:27-28; John 9:16; 10:20)
    2. John quoted the Old Testament to explain who Jesus was
      1. Psalm 118:26
      2. Zechariah 9:9
    3. God's revelation is more reliable than people's estimation
    4. Why did Jesus ride on a donkey?
      1. Matthew 21:1-7; Mark 11:1-7; Luke 19:29-35
      2. They donkey showed Jesus' identity
        1. Kings rode donkeys in times of peace
        2. When a king came to wage war, he would ride a horse
    5. Luke 19:41-44
      1. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem
      2. Jesus was referring to Daniel's prediction, which gave an exact timetable for the coming of the Messiah (see Daniel 9:26-27)
        1. The Messiah would appear to the Jews 483 years after the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
        2. Sir Robert Anderson of Scotland Yard wrote a book on this prophecy called The Coming Prince
          1. He discovered the day the Jews were given the commandment to rebuild was March 14, 445 BC
          2. Using the old Babylonian calendar, he discovered that 483 years was equal to 173,880 days
          3. He began at March 14, 445 BC and counted 173,880 days, leading him to the date April 6, AD 32
          4. This was the date Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and presented Himself as their King
    6. The disciples did not understand the significance of this until after Jesus rose from the grave
      1. They discovered how reliable the Scriptures are
      2. When your life is governed by God's Word, you will have confidence and security
  4. Following Is More Important than Inspection (vv. 16-19)
    1. John mentions four groups of people who were there that day
      1. The disciples
        1. Real followers of Jesus
        2. Learners
      2. Eyewitnesses who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead (see v. 17)
      3. Those who heard from the eyewitnesses that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead
      4. The religious leaders
    2. All four groups inspected the same event
      1. The disciples were the only ones who were really following Jesus
      2. Even though they did not understand the significance at the time, they would eventually
    3. Observation is good
      1. But it must lead to conclusions
      2. Some people study extensively, but stop short at actually following the One they are studying
      3. There comes a point at which what you study must be translated into what you do
  5. Closing
    1. How will you respond in your day of visitation?
    2. The donkey was the most compliant one in this entire story
    3. The God who engineered these events with such exactness can handle and change you
    4. This God is worth following

Figures referenced: Sir Robert Anderson

Hebrew words: hósanna

Cross references: Exodus 11-12; Psalm 118:26; Daniel 9:26-27; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 9:4; 11:28; 12:34; 15:1-9; 21:1-11; 23; Mark 8:27-28; 11:1-11; 12:37; Luke 19:28-44; John 9:16; 10:20; 12:12-19


Topic: Palm Sunday

Keywords: Gospels, Passion Week, triumphal entry, donkey, Palm Sunday, Passover, religion, Pentecost, Tabernacles, Egypt, rituals, prayer, religious leaders, tax collectors, prostitutes, murderers, barriers, achievement, divine, relationship, opinion, Babylonian calendar, king, confidence, observation, conclusions, study


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