4-27-14 Breakfast on the beach!

Scripture:     John 21:1-25

John 21:1-14

Afterward (After what? After he appeared to Thomas and the Gospel ended – this is an epilogue that clearly defines how Jesus will continue to act in the world – through His church!) Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee – 13 mi long, 8 mi wide, 140 deep – Jordon river runs thru it).

Jesus’ appearance happened this way: 2 Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathanael and two other disciples (US) were together. (John - Thinker / Peter - Action) 3 Peter told them, "I'm going out to fish," and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  Jesus was gone, they were depressed already wondering what they would do next-no church. Peter decided to do something familiar and productive and came up with nothing…like adding insult to injury.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, (Jesus on the shore - something’s going to happen - JTB / Preach in boat / ‘follow me’ / walk on water) but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they answered. 6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." (Maybe this stranger saw fish jumping - we were concentrating on the other side of the boat.) When they cast their net on the right side, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then John said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Immediately, Peter wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.

9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals (ἀνθρακιὰν = a heap of burning coals) there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. (Put the fish in a catch basis) 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. (Jesus - whose resurrection appearance was similar yet different gave them no doubt it was him when he fed them fish and loaves of bread.  John 6:10-11 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about 5000 of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.) 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Another time there was this unusual term for fire of burning coals:

John 18:15-27

Simon Peter and another (JOHN? Look at Acts 3) disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard (sounds like John one upping Peter), but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." 18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire (ἀνθρακιὰν = a heap of burning coals) they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said." When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"  24 Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas (son in law) the high priest.  As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not." One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”  17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” 20 Peter turned and saw that John was following them and he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that John would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The catch of fish: 153 – enormous like feeding the 5000 and turning water into wine.  The fish represent those who are outside the fold of the great shepherd.  Of course they are, fish cannot live in a sheepfold. An unrepentant sinner is to heaven like a fish out of water – can’t live very long because a fish is not created to live in that environment.  Jesus is pointing out that there is a lot of work to do, The primary work is that of catching fish and bringing them into the catch basis where God alone can work a miracle and turn those fish into sheep who are changed in a way that they can now live in the sheepfold of the great shepherd.

 Then what do you do with the fish who have now become sheep?  “Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.” There is work to do in the church for the sheep of God – take care of each other.  Is it the most important thing to do?  No, hauling in the fish is first priority, then tending the sheep.  Wait – not true.  First priority is jumping into the water when you realize it is Jesus (call it baptism) Call it worshipping Jesus before all things.  Three things describe the church So, 1 Love God 2 Love one another 3 love all people. The church with heart Livin the love and live in the love. 

CONCLUSION

Hebrews 13:20-21  Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

4-20-14 I can’t see without my Easter Eyes!

Scripture:          John 20 (Especially vs. 29)

The END and then the BEGINNING: Why did John write his Gospel?  John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

          John 20:1-29

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

So she came running to Simon Peter and John, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and John started for the tomb. Both were running, but John outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally John, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (What did John believe? He believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.) (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)  Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb

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Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She said, "They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He said, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).  Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."  And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"  But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

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A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

 

Do you see through Easter Eyes?  John 20:29  Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

 

John 4:46-48

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

 

Isa 53:1-6

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

What did Peter and John see?  They saw Mary Magdalene and the other women giving eyewitness testimony that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.  They saw the tomb with the stone rolled away.  They saw the tomb empty of any body.  They saw the grave clothes from Jesus body lying where he had been laid.

CONCLUSION

Revelation 1:4-7    Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

          To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

          7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

4-18-14 Witnessed signs

Good Friday

Matt 27:50-56      And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"  55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

 

After Jesus dies the oppressive darkness over the earth is lifted. Everyone knew something significant had happened. The substitutionary death of Jesus brings light (salvation) to a world lost in sin and darkness, that is, to all those who accept Him by faith. There are other signs that occur also. At the moment of Jesus’ death, God provided three miraculous signs as recorded by Matthew. The three signs are found in verses 51-53. Verses 54-56 tell us some of the people who witnessed the event and how they were affected.

I. THE SIGNS OF THE CROSS, 51-53.

Verse 51 begins with “at that moment” indicating at the Messiah's death, God provided miraculous signs. At that moment the first sign that occurs is The Torn Curtain. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

In the temple, behind the veil was the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary, the place where the ark of the covenant rested. Covering the Ark was the mercy seat, and filling the Holy of Holies was the Shekinah glory of God—the tangible presence of the Lord.

This place was so sacred that only once a year (on the Day of Atonement) only one man (the high priest) was allowed to enter. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the Good Friday of the Old Covenant, the high priest would take the blood of the bulls, goats, and lambs that had been sacrificed on the altar in the courtyard and would walk into the Holy Place, the area of the temple where all priests were allowed. He, and he alone then entered beyond the veil separating the Holy place from the Most Holy Place and offered the blood of the substitutionary sacrifice on the Mercy Seat. This sacrificial blood was to atone for the sins of all Israel. For without the shedding of blood there is no redemption or atonement or forgiveness of sin (Heb. 9:22).

This veil that separated man from the Presence of God in the Holy of Holies was massive. It was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and four inches thick.

So the room outside the Holy of Holies was called the Holy Place. Between the two rooms hung this thick curtain, separating all of humanity from the presence of holy God-except the high priest one day, each and every year and never without blood.
At the moment of Jesus’ death, this curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. That massive veil was ripped as if it were a piece of paper. Matthew recorded the direction, from top to bottom, to show that it was torn at God's initiative. The tearing of the temple veil to the Holy of Holies is a sign that the way is now opened for any and everyone to enter into the presence of God, through the substitutionary sacrifice of the Messiah.

During the centuries of Israel's existence, it was unheard of for common people to consider approaching God. The penalty for such arrogance was death. However, provision had been made for God to accept sinful humans as forgiven, having been made righteous through the sacrifice of his Son. Therefore, to you who have been cleansed by the blood Hebrews says, come boldly into the presence of God.

Through the death of Jesus, symbolized by the tearing of the curtain, the way into the Holy of Holies, that is, heaven, is open to all those who come to Him. Every person who simply believes Jesus Christ died for his or her sin can come boldly into the presence of God. That’s revolutionary!

God the Father stated this to the countless priest and worshipers who were celebrating Passover in the Temple when He dramatically tore the veil for them to witness His invitation to come to Him. The Son opened the way for them, and for you. The old Covenant is torn apart and a New Covenant has been inaugurated in Jesus’ blood.

Concerning the proper place of worship Jesus said, “The Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). He has torn the veil from top to bottom. And we can enter into His presence—anyone, any place, any time. The veil was torn. The way is open. God’s invitation to you is - Come in!

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The second sign accompanying Jesus’ death was an earthquake and the splitting of rocks. God was making another statement about His Son to the world and His chosen people in the earthquake that devastated Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Perhaps it reflected the "earth-shaking" revelation that had just taken place with the tearing of the curtain. When God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, the earth shook (Exodus 19:18) because the Law was meant to shake people up. “You think you’re righteous?” the law asked. “You think you’re okay? Measure yourself according to My Law and see how you match up.” Paul wrote in Galatians that the law was given as a schoolmaster to make us see that we’re sinners in need of a Savior (Gal. 3:24). Here, the earth is shaking again—this time not to shake man up, but to shake him loose. To get him to wake up from his sin.

Because of the earthquake the tombs were opened. The death of the Savior had an impact on those who were dead, and still does on those who are dead in their sins.

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52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

The third sign served as a testimony to many people in Jerusalem concerning what had just happened. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. These were holy people, those set apart who served a special purpose. The earthquake happened at the time of Jesus' death. But the dead saints were not seen until after the Lord’s resurrection.

These saints appeared to many as confirming witnesses to the reality of Jesus' resurrection. It is assumed that after their appearing they were taken to heaven. Their appearance in bodily form testified to Christ resurrection and to God’s promise to raise all those who put their trust in.

These chosen saints who were resurrected after Jesus arose on Easter Sunday began to walk around the Holy City. Can you imagine what it would have been like to see people who were dead for years walking around the city?! New TV show resurrection.

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II. THE WITNESSES AT THE CROSS

The next verses present two responses to the death of Christ. The first is by the Centurion and his soldiers who stood at the foot of the cross. The second is by women standing some distance away.

Let’s look at the reaction of the Centurion in verse 54. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

A centurion (from the Latin word for 100) was a military officer in charge of 100 men and was therefore of significant rank. This particular officer had been given the responsibility of supervising the three crucifixions. It is likely that he and the other soldiers “who were with him keeping guard over Jesus” had been in the Praetorium when Jesus was first brought there by the Jewish leaders. They may have been the Roman soldiers who accompanied the chief priests to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. They may have heard the charges brought against Him as well as Pilate's declaration of Jesus' innocence of any crime against Rome. They could have heard the screams of "Crucify, crucify," and his claim to be the Son of God seemed just as ludicrous and harmless as His claim to be a king.

>>>But as the fourth hour of His crucifixion began, several things happened to change the soldiers' attitude, and when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they became frightened.

They would have been suddenly being plunged into darkness three hours before Jesus’ death. They would not have been aware of the tearing of the Temple veil and probably not the opening of the graves. But they were shaken by the earthquake with its violent splitting of rocks. The Greek word for frightened here is phobeo = very frightened; the term from which we get phobia and refers to sheer terror, the absolute panic that causes rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating, and extreme anxiety. [It is the verb form of the word used by Matthew to describe the disciples' response to seeing Jesus walk on the water, thinking He was a ghost (14:26). The context and circumstances of the passage clearly indicate, that the centurion and his men were frightened of much more than the darkness and earthquake. They sensed that those awesome natural phenomena had a supernatural origin, and their primary fear was not of those events themselves but of the divine power behind them. Their emotional fright soon turned to spiritual, reverential awe, as testified by the fact that they did not run for their lives or try to find a place of safety but rather declared, "Truly this was the Son of God!” The Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus were transformed into believers of a sort when they witnessed the manner of Jesus’ death and its results.  They had heard Jesus’ words from the Cross. They watched Him slowly die and experienced the phenomena that accompanied Jesus’ death and came to the conclusion that Jesus was supernatural, that He was who He had claim to be, the Son of God.

In verses 55 and 56 we see the Women who Ministered to Jesus. “And many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, among whom was Mary Magdalene, along with Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

The reaction of the second group was tender not fearful. These women were given the honor of being mentioned among those who stood by Jesus through His crucifixion. From John's account we know that some of the women, as well as John, had earlier been at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-27). But they couldn’t bear to observe the suffering of their Lord so closely, those women were now looking on from a distance. They were not afraid of the soldiers or the Jewish leaders and had no concern for their own safety or welfare. They were not ashamed of being identified with Jesus. They withdrew because they were devastated at the suffering and death of the One they had loved so much. Their grief was deep and their hopes seemed shattered, but their courage was undaunted.
Except for John, the rest of the disciples had fled in fear.

Among the women were Mary Magdalene, [from whom Jesus cast seven demons] along with Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. The ministry of Godly women has always been of great significance in the church. Often men are conspicuously absent from the scene, just as the twelve, except for John were this day during their Lord’s great need. Is the depth of your devotion such that you are willing to be identified with a crucified Messiah?

CONCLUSION

Everyone in that region knew something immensely significant, something earth-shaking had taken place. Through these miracles the Father was bearing witness that the cross of His Son is the only hope for sinful man, the only way to receive eternal life. As the centurion declared, "Truly this was the Son of God!”

Hebrews 4:16 says Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in the time of need.

Jerome was an early church father, Bible scholar and translator. His Latin version of the Bible -- known as the Vulgate -- became the standard version of the Scriptures for the next thousand years. Jerome had a dream one night in which Jesus visited him. In the dream, Jerome collected all his money and offered it to Jesus as a gift. Jesus said, "I don't want your money." So Jerome rounded up all his possessions and tried to give them to Jesus. Jesus responded, "I don't want your possessions." Jerome then turned to Christ and asked, "What can I give you? What do you want?" Jesus simply replied, "Give me your sins. That's what I came for; I came to take away your sins."

COMMUNION

4-13-14 When things don't go as planned

John 12:9-13

MY STORY: when things don’t go as planned. THE Masters tournament.

1)    Lottery for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia.

2)    Tiger Woods back surgery

3)    Toe smashed

4)    THE DAY - store, food, golf ball, siren, announcement x’s 2. Sit in car - go to lunch host - get items mailed - go to a movie.

Things did not go as planned.

PALM SUNDAY STORY:

John 12:9-13

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. 12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel.”

THIGS DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED FOR THE CHIEF PRIESTS:

They planned to kill Jesus & Lazarus. WHY? People were following Jesus and putting their faith in him, not them, because he had raised Lazarus form the dead.  They were unable to kill them - too public.

The large crowd now grew to a great crowd the next day.  When people heard that Jesus was coming, they got palm branches and went out to meet him shouting: "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

The waving of palm branches was a common way of celebrating the victory of a great king or deliverer. This is also why Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is commonly referred to as His “triumphal entry.” The synoptic Gospels also tell us that the people also laid some their garments in the way before him, which in our day would be the equivalent of “rolling out the red carpet”. They were clearly preparing the way for the king.  Along with these symbolic gestures of royal celebration, they “began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD, even the King of Israel.” The majority of that chant of praise is from Psalm 118:25-26—a Psalm commonly sung during the Passover. The final words, “even the King of Israel,” are added. Up to this time, the Jews had interpreted that Psalm  messianically.  That  is  precisely  the  way the  crowds  seem  to  take  it.   Without question the great multitudes that thronged Jesus of Nazareth were hailing Him as the promised messianic king. For them that meant the messiah was riding into Jerusalem at passover to overthrow their Roman oppressors.

          Things did not go as planned. A king came riding upon a horse when he was bent on war and rode upon a donkey when he wanted to point out he was coming in peace. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem would thus symbolize his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.  Jesus had planned this event - He knew the timing was right - passover - multitudes would be in Jerusalem - anticipation of the coming of the messiah was heighted during this celebration - he wanted people to make no mistake about who he was - though, who he was - was not who they had in mind - it was not going to work out the way they had planned.

          Therefore things were not working out as planned for anyone:

1)    The chief priests couldn’t get rid of Jesus

2)    The people couldn’t get their military messiah

3)    The disciples, well, they just couldn’t get it: John 12:16 At first his disciples did

not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

      When things don’t go as planned, we need to take a deep breath and see what God might have been doing.  A disappointment of a trip not taken might mean you were prevented fm an auto accident.  A job not received might protect you from astounding stress. A relationship with the girl who is “the one” that ends may have saved severe heartbreak later on.  In fact: I may now be guaranteed to go a second year to the Masters golf tournament - Tiger Woods who I would like to see play will likely be there - and Kim and I know a little more of what to do to make it worthwhile.

          How do you respond when things don’t go as planned? I know people who can’t handle it, others who simply begin finding a solution to whatever problems have come about.

CONCLUSION

As you come to church on Palm Sunday are things going as planned?  What is your plan? Are you just going through the motions of churchianity?  I will tell you what the plan is…and it will happen as expected: Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, (Super Palm Sunday) from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise

and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

           You have 8-15 people in your extended household who all have things that don’t go as planned.  Pray for them to know the truth of Super Palm Sunday.  If it is possible for them to come, invite them to church for next Sunday for Super Resurrection Day!

 

LISTEN: When things don’t go as planned:

Prov 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Ps 33:11  The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Jer 29:11-12  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

When things don’t go as planned:

It’s all God’s children singing glory, glory He Reigns!!!