Our reading comes from John12:12~19
• ヨハネによる福音書 / 12:12-19
12：その翌日、祭りに来ていた大勢の群衆は、イエスがエルサレムに来られると聞き、
13：なつめやしの枝を持って迎えに出た。そして、叫び続けた。「ホサナ。主の名によって来られる方に、祝福があるように、／イスラエルの王に。」
14：イエスはろばの子を見つけて、お乗りになった。次のように書いてあるとおりである。
15：「シオンの娘よ、恐れるな。見よ、お前の王がおいでになる、／ろばの子に乗って。」
16：弟子たちは最初これらのことが分からなかったが、イエスが栄光を受けられたとき、それがイエスについて書かれたものであり、人々がそのとおりにイエスにしたということを思い出した。
17：イエスがラザロを墓から呼び出して、死者の中からよみがえらせたとき一緒にいた群衆は、その証しをしていた。18：群衆がイエスを出迎えたのも、イエスがこのようなしるしをなさったと聞いていたからである。19：そこで、ファリサイ派の人々は互いに言った。「見よ、何をしても無駄だ。世をあげてあの男について行ったではないか。」
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!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your King is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
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.
17 Now the crowd that was with Him when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised Him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that He had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet Him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
Our story today maybe known to many of us. We might have heard it when we were younger or at a church meeting, but still, there might be some who do not know what John was talking about. All four Gospel writers wrote of this event during the last week before Jesus went to the Cross to die.
Who were these people:イエスを迎えたこの人々は誰だったのでしょうか？ these crowds that came to see Jesus enter the city? Did they not have better things to do? We can see the crowds were excited. Some were calling out some pretty important statements about Jesus’ arrival. I am sure the religious leaders were not happy about the up-coming confrontation with this country preacher…or with The Promised One. There was the excitement anyway of people gathering in the capital city for this celebration of Passover. Jesus Himself had been walking for a number of days—fixing His eyes on Jerusalem and knowing what would be waiting for Him there. The Cross, the separation, death.
These people were made up of all sorts of people. People like the Rich Young Ruler who came to Him once and asked how to make it into heaven—the real way. He came seeking and had a heart that was perfect for being a choice follower of Christ. He was young, rich, influential, a leader, he was open to instruction and he was knowledgeable of the things of God. The perfect follower—but Jesus saw in his heart something that was lacking: a real hunger for the things of God. His heart-center was on his wealth. He did not want to give that up- so he left Jesus unhappy and downcast. Jesus saw his heart and felt compassion on him but did not call him back—because He knew his heart. This kind of a person was in the crowd—just like, maybe, some of you here today.
Some others were like Zacchaeus who was small in stature but big on greed. He was a tax collector and became a very wealthy crook stealing from his fellow Jews as a pawn of Rome. He was contacted by Jesus and opened his home for Him and in doing so, realized his own sin and corruption. He had a big change of heart. He really walked in a changed way after because he saw the Heart of God and that made him different.
There were people like the lady who had been bleeding for many years. She saw Jesus that one day and said in her heart: “If I could just touch the hem of His robe, I’d be healed of this bleeding I have had for 12 years.” She touched Him and she was healed. She was ever so thankful.
Maybe there were people like the ten lepers, who once they were healed, only one returned to thank Jesus. Only one had a heart to give thanks.
Or, there may have been one like Lazarus who had been dead but by the word of Jesus, became alive again. He had been dead for a number of days. His body had started to rot but by the command from the mouth of Jesus, new life surged in his dead body and he was restored to life once again. People like him were in the crowd.
Likely Bartimaeus was there as well. Since He was healed, he walked with Jesus. He knew who He was!
Or some of the 1,000s who eat the free lunch of fish and rolls on the hill side, or the man who once had been under the control by many demons and now set free, or a child of a temple leader who had died and now was alive.
So many different kinds of people and there were people like Judas who would betray his Master for 30 pieces of silver-(the price of a slave and taken from the money box that paid for the lamb that would be slain.) Or the servant who could not forgive the small debt owed him while his own massive debt was cancelled. Or people like the Pharisee who did not wash Jesus’ feet and found it an insult that Jesus would welcome a woman of the street who washed His feet with her tears of thankfulness.
Perhaps the elder son who would not welcome his lost brother back into the family was in the crowd. Or like people who would put their trust in society or in riches or in popular falsehoods, or in people who made it a living to oppose the things of God. Religious people, slaves, Roman soldiers, merchants, fishermen… So many kinds of people and so many that look just like you and me. People with the same tendencies as you and I. Living a life of displeasure. Or like people like us who are fooling with the things of God-by not taking His Word serious. People who know all the right answers but have not opened their hearts to Jesus.
These were the kind of people that cried out “Blessed is the king who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel!” All the right words but do they—do we have the right heart?
He wasn’t just coming into a city-He was coming into hearts of men and women of all ages. Are our hearts open to the things of God? If we were to die today, would we find it hard getting into heaven? Is there enough evidence to support our claims that we know Him? Have we indeed been changed from the inside out and have opened our hearts to Him who is the eternal Savior?
Who were these people? Are they the same that will, in only a few days, turn against Him and cry for His death? I think not. These were people who had been following Him.
I believe that many of them were looking for anyone to give them what they wanted…all wanted Rome out of there! They were looking for The One to lead the People Israel into a New Age. The restoration of the Nation of David. But, let’s be real: they were looking for a free lunch!
I would think that some of them would be like some of us today. Excited about a festival. Excited to maybe see this Jesus do some pretty incredible things. Maybe some would take a laid-back ‘wait-and-see’ attitude.
So here these people are, going on with life as usual, not really understanding what will take place in one short week from that time. Then, Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Has He come into your life yet? When did that happen? How many here put their trust in Jesus when you were in pre-school or younger? Elementary school? Jr High? High School? During college years? After college? When you retired? Not yet had that experience? You really should. Him coming into your life is why you are here on Earth today. To open your heart to Jesus is what you were made for! To give glory and thanks to God is our whole duty in life. What was it like—Him coming into your life?
Had there been joy? Has the joy diminished? Do you love Him more today than you did last year…last month…yesterday? Has His love for you changed at all? Did you—like these people in our passage today lift up your arms and welcomed Him into your life? Or not! Maybe it was a silent entry. It really does not matter except that He DID come into your life—your city-life, as it were, and there was a change. Right? Maybe, maybe not…maybe not any more. And maybe, right now, we have become to blah about the Christian life. You may need to let Him back into your life once again. A renewal on Palm Sunday. しゅろの主日には新たにされる必要があります。Welcoming Him in as they did back there! They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, “Hosanna!”
Hosanna means “Saved” Saved at last! My sins are gone as far as the east is from the west! Hallelujah! He did it! Thank You, Jesus!
This speaks of a change in the human condition. 人の状態-迷いー希望もなく。Man was separated from his Creator because of the sins in each one’s life. The Bible tells us that all have fallen short of the Glory of God. He came to forgive us. 主は赦しを私たちに与えるために来られた。 What about the people who don’t believe the Gospel story? Here is an illustration of one such man…This is a story about the power of Christ’s resurrection.
A minister was traveling in Italy, and while there saw the grave of a man who had died centuries before who was an unbeliever and completely against Christianity. The man had willed that a huge stone slab be placed over his grave so he would not have to be raised from the dead in case there is a resurrection from the dead. He had insignias put all over the slab saying, "I do not want to be raised from the dead. I don't believe in it." Evidently, when he was buried, an acorn must have fallen into the grave. So a hundred years later, the acorn had grown up through the grave and split that large slab of stone in two. It was now a tall towering oak tree. The minister looked at it and asked, "If an acorn, which has power of biological life in it, can split a slab of that magnitude, what can the acorn of God's Resurrection Power do in a person's life?"
In fact, the minute you decide to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Power of God’s Holy Spirit comes into your life. It's the Power of the Resurrection—the same POWER that raised Jesus from the dead …. Think of the things you see in your life as immovable slabs—your bitterness, your insecurity, your fears, your self-doubts, your sins, and your coldness. Things we try and hold down and not allow to surface. Those things can be split and be broken apart by the Power of God. The more you know Him, the more you grow into that Power of the Resurrection. キリストの復活には力があります。
Here comes Jesus. He wants to come into your city…your family…your life. Would you let Him in?
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Come to our SunRise Service on April 8th at 7:30 AM just outside the Kokukoen station (park side). Look for us near the airplane and the water clock. A good time to praise God in public and for us to let our lights shine. Service should be over in about 45-50 min.
Stores in the station open at 7 as does the parking lot.
(First two hours are free!) E&J-OK.
Stores in the station open at 7 as does the parking lot.
(First two hours are free!) E&J-OK.
