← ArchivePalm Sunday: How It All Began (Mark 1:1-6 & 11:1-8)DateApril 10, 2022Speaker—TextMark 1:1–6Passages in this sermonMark 14:42Mark 116:34John 110:01Mark 1:720:05John 3:3026:03Psalms 11827:33Mark 1030:27Mark 15:3735:47Audio recordingDownload the recordingTranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00*music* *music*0:20*music* *music* *music*0:44*music* Good morning, my name is Josh, one of the pastors here at Bethel. And I have the joy of bringing the word to you and with you today.1:12This is why we gather. We gather as we've already sung to make much of Jesus Christ. We say it this way. We gather because of the gospel. And the gospel simply is Jesus in our place. We're not here because we believe we are worthy. We are here because Jesus took our place. And when he took our place, he makes us right with God. That's why we gather in worship. I think of it this way.1:40How could we not gather to a God who did this for sinners such as I? So here you are. If you're a guest, we want to say thank you for being here. Just a couple of thoughts on our guest today. I challenge all of our covenant members to park at a distance. We had one covenant member that walked from their house so that our guests would have a place to park today. How awesome is that? When I tell it next year, I'm going to say that he walked in.2:09They walked in the snow uphill both ways for three miles. But today they just walked from the house. I also met a first time guest here today who is a hundred years old. How awesome is that? So we're just excited to have you guys. We usually clap. So there you go. Let me share what the Lord is doing in this local community in the last several weeks. Two weeks ago, we sent out a mission team to Dominican and they have returned sharing the gospel to the Dominican Republic.2:34Last week, we sent out a team to New Hampshire to help encourage a church plant who we have partnered for seven years now. And they have returned. In July, if you want to go to New Hampshire, we are sending out a team to New Hampshire. This week, Bethel, you blessed one of our local schools with new equipment for the football team. And they were completely thankful for your generosity.3:02Not only did you give, I was able to stand in front of 75, 80 young men and tell them you did nothing to earn this. And I said the same way we do nothing to earn salvation. It is a free gift of God's grace. Church, because you give, we share the gospel. Last week, we had our largest in-person gathering in five years, not counting special services. Last week, with our children's director, not even here on a mission trip.3:31We had the largest children's worship gathering that we have had in 15 years. I have no clue what it looks like today back there. I am just thankful I am with the adults. Because my two are back there with them. I share that to share this. If you have bought the narrative that God is not still working, that is a lie. Why? Because God is still active and He is working.3:59He is reaching birth children and He is reaching those who are 100 years old on the same location in the same day by the same Holy Spirit. I am a little partial to what God is doing in this place. But if I were not even here at Bethel, I would be somewhere because God is working around the world for His glory. So I just get to bring the word today. And we are going to look at the book of Mark.4:27Today is Palm Sunday. And we are going to talk about that. But we are going to look at today how it all began. And then next week for Easter, we are going to continue the message how it all finished. So Mark chapter 1, Mark does not give us a birth narrative. This is the beginning for Mark. This is how it all began. The second book in the New Testament. If you have your Bibles with you, I will be reading from the CSB today.4:53The Christian Standard Bible. Mark declares this. This is the word of the Lord. The beginning, how it all began. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet. The prophet. Here is what Isaiah said. See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness.5:22Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight His paths. Sorry, I read it like I remembered it. Make His paths straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him. And they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.5:50John wore the fashion of the day. Camel hair garment. Leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey. That is not the same as the tame honey. These are wild honey from the wilderness. He proclaimed, One who is more powerful than I is coming after me. And I am not worthy to stoop down and even untie the strap of his sandals.6:16He said, I baptize you with water. But one day this Messiah will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. That is how it all began. But that is not the only path that was prepared for Jesus Christ. Turn to now Mark chapter 11. There is another group of people that prepared the path for Jesus. This is what we typically call the Palm Sunday.6:43The triumphal entry. Now scholars would say that in Mark it is not a triumphal entry. It is a triumphal approach. Because Jesus does not actually go to Jerusalem in this passage. So this is the triumphal approach. Mark 11. When they approached Jerusalem at Bethphage in Bethany near the Mount of Olives. He sent two of his disciples and he told them this.7:11Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter you will find a colt tied there. No one has ever sat upon. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks you why are you doing this. Say the Lord needs it. And we will send it back here right away. So they went ahead and found a colt inside the street tied by the door. They untied it and some who were standing there said to them.7:40What are you doing? Why are you untying the colt? And they answered them just as Jesus had said. So the men let it go. They brought the donkey to Jesus and they threw their clothes on it. And he sat upon the colt. Many people spread their clothes on the floor and along the road. And others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Those who followed shouted. Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.8:08Blessed is the coming of David of our father David. Hosanna in the highest heaven. He went into Jerusalem and into the temple. And after looking around at everything. Since it was already late. He went out to Bethany with the twelve. In Mark this is how it all began. So as we open the word. As we've read it. Let's pray for God to use our hearts.8:37To work in our hearts one more time. Before we begin. Father. We thank you. As we have already sung. Lord. And we know that you inhabit the praises of your people. Lord. We thank you for the blood. Of Jesus. That washes us. We thank you that. When we were lost. Jesus ran to us. Lord. We thank you that. There is joy in the house.9:05Of the Lord. Because where two or more are gathered. You are with us also. And Lord. We thank you. For the testimony that we have already heard today. That you are not finished. Working in your people. So Lord. Would you work one more time. Father. We are not worried about tomorrow. And we are not looking at the past. We need your presence. And your power. In us. Through us. With us. In this moment.9:33So Lord. We stand upon the promises. That you are with us. That you will never leave. That you will never forsake. Lord. We have read your word. May it be living. And active. In our souls. Today. We ask. In Jesus name. Amen. And. Amen. Mark 11. And John 1. Describe.10:02Describe. Separate. Yet similar. Events. It is Yahweh. Preparing. The world. To receive. His son. Jesus Christ. As. Lord. So if you had your Bibles. We are going to flip between the two. So go back to Mark chapter 1. And what we see in Mark 1. We see John. The Baptist. Sent. By the father. Ahead of Jesus. To prepare. The way. Now. If we are honest. John the Baptist.10:31Is a unique messenger. Is he not? Scriptures. Describe. Describe him as a voice. And he is not. Speaking with. Smooth. Melodic tones. He is crying out. He is in the wilderness. And he is. He is wearing some type of stylish coat. Of camel's hair. And. A belt of leather. Around his waist. And scriptures describe John. As having the first paleo diet.11:00Locusts. And wild honey. Now. If. If John the Baptist job. Is to prepare the world. For the incarnation. That is to receive God. In flesh. So you heard what I said correctly. We believe as Christians. That Jesus. Came in the flesh. And he actually. Was. God. That is what we believe. You say. Well I don't. That is impossible. I would.11:29I would. I would urge you. It is impossible. It is a miracle. And it is by faith. That we believe this. That Jesus Christ. Is God. In flesh. In flesh. Now. You might find. John the Baptist diet. Gross. We are going to have. Food trucks later. For your choosing. To my knowledge. None of the trucks. Have locusts. And wild honey. You can ask.11:58But if you find. That diet. Gross. You might find. It interesting. That locusts. Were the. Only. Edible. Insect. In the mosaic. Law. John the Baptist. John the Baptist. Had a. Legal. Healthy. Clean. Righteous. Diet. As he prepared. The way. For the Lord. If you find. John's fashion. Outdated. You might.12:28You might. Find it interesting. To know. That Elijah. Dressed. In the same way. Elijah. Was a man. Whose voice. Cried out. To prepare. The people. And bring them back. And remind them. Of. The covenant. Of the Lord. In their life. In their life. And so. John. Is reminding. The people. Of ceremonial. Cleanness. And he's reminding them. Of the. Prophetic. Call. To covenant. Faithfulness. Well. If you're not. Hung up. On his fashion. You might. Find.12:57Find. John's. Neighborhood. Lacking. Amenities. Because. John. Didn't live. In a. Gated. Community. He lived. In the. God lived. And if you think. That's a difficult. Place. To live. Remember. That in the. Old Testament. The wilderness. Was the place. Where God. Met. His people. It was the wilderness. Where God. Led. His people. Clouds. And pillars. Of fire. Leading them. It was the wilderness. Where Moses.13:26Where Moses. Went to Pharaoh. And said. Let God's people. Go. So they can. Worship him. In the. Wilderness. Use. John. The Baptist. His voice. His clothes. His diet. And even. His geography. To prepare. The way. Of. The Lord. And with. One singular. Voice. John. Cried. Out. It's almost. As if.13:55As if. God. Was shouting. But John. Was the mouthpiece. This reminder. That. John. Is preparing. The people. To know. And hear. What Jesus. Wants. In their life. Now. I don't know. Where you stand. Spiritually. And I don't know. Who you are. But you might not. Have a friend. Like John. The Baptist. I would argue. That not many of us. Have that friends. But God. Is. Preparing.14:24Preparing. You. To receive. His son. Jesus Christ. As your savior. You might have. That friends. But God. Uses. In. Our. Lives. Circumstances. And. Joys. Triumphs. And. Many of you. Had these. In. This week. You've. You've. Had. Joys. In your life. And triumphs. Where. Where you see. God.14:53God. Preparing you. To live. In covenant. Faithfulness. This week. You've. Had your life. Changed. By a diagnosis. Maybe. You've. Attended. A funeral. Where you've. Buried. A. Mom. Or. Dad. Or. A friend. And. This week. Has been. One of the lowest. Points. In your life. Maybe. You've been. Joining us. Along. In our. 21 days. Of prayer. And fasting. As.15:22As. In. In the middle. Of reading. The word. And praying. The word. And fasting. God. Has been doing. Things in your life. And. All of this. Is happening. To prepare. You. To know. His son. And to live. In covenant. Faithfulness. Yahweh. Is preparing. Your life. To know him. And to make him known. And it started here. But it is continuing. Today.15:51Today. In. Your. Life. How is God. Working. In you. Today. If you're not convinced. By John the Baptist. Let's turn back. To Mark 11. Because there's another group. That God uses. To prepare. The people. To know his son. Jesus. Again. We find. The heavenly father. Again. We find. The heavenly father. Preparing. The world. To know. And embrace. His. Son. This time. It's not a wilderness. Is it?16:20Is it? It's a road. And it's not a road. To the. The desert places. It's a road. To. Jerusalem. And what we find. In. Mark 11. Is. The disciples. At the Messiah's. Personal. Request. Receiving. A cult. For Jesus. Ride on. Do you remember. Any other scriptures. Where Jesus. Is riding. On. Anything. Now.16:48Now. Some of you. Are going to try. To pull the. The trump card. And say. Well. I remember. The Christmas carol. Where Jesus. Rode in the womb. On the donkey. To the stock. That doesn't count. We find. Nowhere else. In scripture. Where Jesus. Rides. And so. Something. Something. Is unique. And something. Is special. And powerful. In. This. Moment. But he's not. Riding. Anything. Is he. Jesus. Is riding.17:17Is riding. On a. A colt. A foal. If you will. And. There's something. Unique. About this. Animal. Has this animal. Ever been ridden. In the past. The answer. Is no. Has this answer. Has this animal. Ever been ridden. You see. In scripture. Animals. That had never. Been ridden. Were sacred. Animals. And we know. In scripture. That. Any animal. That was ever.17:46Ridden on. By a king. Could never. Have another. Passenger. Again. This animal. Is special. And unique. This church. This is the king's horse. Is. And I would. Venture to say. That this animal. Never had a king. Like this. Right. Upon his back. And so. In Mark. Eleven. We have Jesus. Approaching. The kingly. City.18:15City. As the rightful king. And. As Jesus. Is riding. Into the city. What. What are the people. Doing. And. In. Mark. Seven. Mark. Eleven. Verse. Seven. And. And following. Jesus. Is riding in. On this. Unridden. Horse. And. The people. Are taking their. Their shirts off. They're. Not their. Their. Undershirts. Are taking off. Their. Their cloaks. And they're. They're throwing. The cloaks. In two places. Some. Are putting. The cloaks.18:44The cloaks. On the. The king's horse. Because they know. Jesus is unique. He's not. He's not. Your normal. Prophets. There have been. Prophets. That have come. And gone. But there's no one. Like Jesus. So they're throwing. Their. Their. Cloaks. And I guess. The. The donkey. The horses. Can't carry. All the cloaks. And so people. Who were left out. They begin to throw their. Cloaks. On the ground. it's the ancient version of rolling out the red carpet19:13they are preparing the carpet for the king to walk on let me use John the Baptist language the people were preparing the way of the Lord making straight his paths but if we've already seen what they've done now we need to hear what they say John the Baptist is crying out19:41and the people are crying out so what does John say? they're preparing the way of the Lord but now they're proclaiming the message of the Lord so let's look again in Mark chapter 1 John the Baptist has a voice and with that voice he uses it and he proclaims a very distinct and unique message look at Mark chapter 1 verse 7 John the Baptist proclaims20:10one who is more powerful than I is coming after me I am not worthy to stoop down and even untie the strap of his sandals I baptize you with water but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit so John's voice he is crying out all Judean countryside and he's calling them to repentance it's a very specific sacred word in the Bible20:37it's a word that means to change the mind but not just change your mind it's the changing of your mind that leads to a change of action in today's society we like to apologize and we like to apologize this way we say okay I apologize to say you apologize is not an apology an apology is saying21:07I am sorry I wronged you forgive me have you ever said that to someone I said that to someone they just looked at me and I wanted to say okay the right response to a right repentant heart is to say you forgive me like don't leave me hanging but our world struggles with repentance true repentance21:36true repentance you see true repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of heart that leads to a change of hands because if you say that you're sorry and your life doesn't change your life speaks louder than your words and John is calling people to repentance William Gurnall described repentance in this way he said to forsake sin is to leave it without any thought22:04reserved of returning it to it again genuine repentance church is to say to Jesus Jesus Jesus I will leave my sin behind forever because you are worth it it's to say Jesus I will leave it all behind there is no temptation God that is worth knowing you for all of eternity and to this message22:32the people are in droves going to Jesus do you ever find yourself going back to your sin you don't have to raise your hand to that because there are times in my life where I fall on my face before God and say God I will never do it again God I need you and not this and then I get up23:02and I find myself wanting this and not Jesus I say God where did it go wrong and the reminder that Jesus gives us it is not your power that you defeat sin it is to know Jesus and him alone so if you find yourself running back to sin over and over again ask yourself have you truly have you truly repented of your sin because I believe there are some of us in this room are listening that we23:32that we go back to our sin because we've never truly repented and ask Jesus to forgive us sometimes our repentance sounds like this God I'm sorry I'll try harder and we need to say God I've sinned but your son makes me right God change my life repentance is the tear of love dropping down the eye of faith when it fixes its eye upon Jesus24:01upon Jesus Christ church we need this in our life people hear this message of true repentance and they are weeping and they're they're broken in their sin and they're coming out to John and now they're saying well what do we do now and John says I am not worthy to even untie the sandal of the one who's coming after me notice that John did not say a person24:30a person coming after me there's no definite article in the Greek John didn't say there is a person coming after me John says I he says the one who is coming is more powerful than me the one there is only the one his name is Jesus Christ John is not saying go find another prophet get off my back he's saying I am preparing you for Jesus the Messiah this is the one we've been waiting for maybe that's25:00maybe that's you today maybe you're longing for something more and you've never been satisfied with life let me encourage you with what John says Jesus is the one you've been longing for you will never be satisfied you will never find your identity you will never find forgiveness until you give your life to the one you've been longing for the one who's been prepared from the foundations of the world for your redemption his name is Jesus25:29Jesus John says I can't even tie his sandal I'm not worthy in the ancient world Jewish servants were not even allowed to tie or untie the sandals of their leader or their master only Gentiles were allowed to do that John was saying even the lowest person in the household he said I'm lower than that because Jesus is so much greater John says I am25:59am not worthy I believe John is saying as he says in John 3 30 he's saying Jesus must increase and I must decrease John is saying I want to fade off into the background I do not compare to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ listen to the message proclaimed by John there's another voice I want you to hear let's go back to Mark 11 they've already thrown26:29thrown their cloaks they've already thrown their some were waving palm branches some lined the highway with the palm branches but they didn't stop there they began to speak and they say this in Mark 11 verse 9 those who followed so I guess Jesus is riding first at this point those who were following behind shouted they shouted I'm not26:59I'm not going to shout I don't want to scare any of you but they proclaimed this message Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and this is the king because he is riding on the king's horse blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David Hosanna which means let us praise the Lord in the highest heaven the Lord is our salvation27:28salvation this is partly found in psalm 118 it's a it's a it's a festive psalm it's a psalm that they would have used at the major festivals the feast of booths or weeks it was also proclaimed to the people during during Passover people would have known this halal psalm very well this was a this was a joyous occasion these weren't badness people they weren't27:58weren't they weren't frozen and chosen and sulky they were excited about salvation who knew so they're proclaiming we want the world to know hosanna blessed is he i wonder church are you are you a hosanna person do you go around the world saying i have a message i need you to know and i can't keep it quiet i have to shout it jesus saves blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord i28:27i don't know about you but i want to be a hosanna person i want to be the person that said god you told me that either the rocks are going to shout or me i'm not going to let a rock take your glory away from me but hosanna blessed is he is i find it fascinating that they shouted in mark there are only ten references to shouting at all and everyone shouts once but two people the28:55the demon shout i think that they really shriek because they know that they are doomed because jesus has defeated the curse of sin and has put them in prison i don't want to be a demon there's the father who cries out lord i believe but help my unbelief only two times in mark29:25mark do people shout twice only two times you might remember the blind beggar i mentioned this a couple weeks ago maybe it was last week i don't know covid has my chronology messed up could have been last year but there was a blind beggar on the highway and he hears because he can't see he hears that jesus was approaching and mark29:55mark says that he couldn't contain himself so he shouts at jesus and he shouts jesus son of david have mercy upon me this was the shout of a man who needed mercy and he shouts twice this cry was a guttural declaration and how does jesus respond when we cry out for mercy we30:24we see the response in mark 10 jesus said to the man who cries and shouts twice he says your faith has saved you and he heals him and he redeems him church this is how the father responds to every authentic cry of mercy in the history of the world if you are need and mercy30:54mercy of today I would encourage you to shout out and ask God God I need you have mercy upon me and this is what I learned about Yahweh he is never mercy poor there's never a time where we are in need where God says you know what you picked a bad day I'm out God always says to us I'm glad you asked because I will be merciful to those who need31:23need it this man cried out because he needed mercy there was a second group though that they shouted twice and this group is after the triumphal entry we don't know who they are by name the mark simply describes them as the crowd and we find them shouting after a man named31:53named Pilate has introduced this man named Jesus to them there were two Jesuses that day history tells us there was a Jesus of Nazareth and there was Jesus also called Barabbas and so Pilate brings Jesus of Nazareth before the people and Mark describes it that they shouted they shouted this way crucify him crucify32:22crucify him and Pilate was taken aback by the shouts because he had already flogged Jesus and he found no fault with Jesus and I can imagine Pilate was thinking of course they will be satisfied so he brings Jesus a second time and a second time they shout crucify him crucify him you see if the32:52if the blind man cries out for mercy and receives it the crowd cries out for no mercy no mercy and they receive the same I don't know why Mark only gives us those two groups who shout twice but I ask you today which group are you in are you here crying out33:22out for mercy or are you here saying God I could care less I am good on my own I don't need mercy and what we find in the Bible is that you will always find what you are looking for if you are here for mercy today God will give it and if you hear and you lack mercy and you desire no mercy you will not receive but church every person is crying out they're shouting for something what33:52what are you shouting for today so how did it all begin it began in mark with a voice crying out in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord can I just share a personal opinion with you God is still preparing lives today to know his son God34:21God the father is still in the preparation business and he's preparing a place for you to know him and to shine his glory and what we see in both passages is that when you receive him you proclaim him we didn't just look at what John did we heard him shout we didn't just look at what the multitude did we heard what they shouted in34:51in church I believe if you're a Christian you have a message worth shouting you have a message worth proclaiming because I'm foolish enough to believe that Jesus is worth it and if he can save me he can save you and let let me save you he can save me and how many others is God calling to know him and experience his love let me share one last word with35:21with you what if I told you that the crowds did not have the last word in scripture in Mark there's a later cry that sticks in the echo of our hearing this cry is not described as a shout but a cry and it's found in Mark chapter 15 verse 37 Mark35:49Mark describes it this way Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom when the centurion was standing opposite him he saw the way Jesus breathed his last he said truly this man was the son of God the crowds didn't36:18didn't get the last word Jesus was crucified but he didn't let them have the final say Jesus has the final say and when he cried out in a loud voice and he gave up his spirit the voice that proclaimed it is finished is also the voice that says Lord give them salvation if they receive it let them find mercy because Father you hear cries of mercy have36:47have you come to Jesus today and found him generous and full of mercy if you've never given your life to Christ you don't know what you're missing but it's not your fault because you simply don't know what you're missing I will say this the best decision I've ever made in my life was the day where I cried out where I shouted like the blind man God have mercy upon me and37:16and I found what what Mark says is true God doesn't run out of mercy would you shout that today if you've never given your life to Christ would you say God I want to repent turn from my sins and turn to you God I know I'm broken I know you can fix me I know you can make me right and today I believe and Yahweh says37:46says to you through the blood of his son I thought you would never ask I will make you right because Jesus took your place church I just simply believe a prepared heart leads to the proclamation that Jesus is worth it and I'm thankful for a God who prepares us and doesn't let the crowd have the final say this is the38:15the greatness of the gospel Jesus in our place father we thank you Thank you.More sermons on Mark →
