May 16, 2007

The Road to the Cross

• Obviously there will be many people that we don’t mention
• What a wonderful opportunity to spend time in private study of God’s Word
• As we look to the cross, we’ll still probably do some jumping back and forth

The Crowd

There is an entity that is with Jesus through much of his ministry. Throughout the gospels it is mentioned as following Jesus and being around Jesus.

• Mark 2 - the crowd at the house where the paralytic is lowered
• Mark 3 - the crowd in a house - Jesus and his disciples weren’t even able to eat
• Mark 5 - the crowd in the streets of Capernaum
• Luke 7 - the crowd with the widow from Nain
• Luke 19 - the crowd in the streets of Jericho when Zacchaeus climbed in the tree

As we look at the road to the cross, we see crowds there also…

Luke 23:26-27

26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Luke 23: 48 - When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.

But to get a better understanding of how Jesus touched the crowds, we have to back up:

The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:1-2

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

Luke 6:17-19

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Jesus saw the crowds as an opportunity

He saw beyond their physical needs and met their spiritual needs - he taught them

The crowds saw Jesus as more than just a healer - they “had come to hear him”

Matthew 7:28-29

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Matthew 14:13-21

Mark 6:30-44

Luke 9:10-17

John 6:1-13

Mark 6:30-34

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Before the people are fed

After going out two by two (Mark 6:7) the apostles come to report to Jesus

Yet they can’t even eat because of the people

They go out in a boat to get to a solitary place

Notice what the people do:

• Mark 6:33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 

And notice Jesus’ reaction to the people:

• Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
  • Remember the emptiness that these people were living in - spiritually and socially
  • Roman rule
  • Religious politics and nitpicking

Luke records it this way:

• Luke 9:11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Jesus heals

Jesus teaches

Jesus feeds

• We don’t want to minimize the miracle of the feeding, but it’s not the focus of tonight’s study.
• As the body of Christ, He gives us the example of meeting people’s needs and also the responsibility
• What’s missing??? We’re not told any of what he taught

And notice the reaction of the people:

• The physical reaction - Mark 6:42 They all ate and were satisfied.
• The emotional reaction - John 6:14-15 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

General observations:

• We should not only identify with Christ as His body; we are also the crowd
• We need something that only Christ can supply
• Once we realize that need we should seek it like these crowds sought it:
  • They ran to get ahead of Christ
  • Psalm 42 - “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”
  • Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
• Jesus doesn’t turn anyone away
• He doesn’t examine the crowd to make sure that they all fit a certain mold
  • There may be Pharisees trying to trap him
  • There may be sinners
  • There may be poor and wealthy
• Jesus welcomes all of them
• Jesus feeds all of them before they even ask
• But He gives us far more than food - He gives Himself

The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1-11

Mark 11:1-11

Luke 19:28-40

John 12:12-15

Luke 19:28-34

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

Luke 19:35-40

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Matthew and John add the detail of palm branches that Luke leaves out.

Remember the reaction of the crowd after feeding the 5000:

John 6:14-15 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Jesus comes as a king but in a very different fashion than what was expected.

• On a colt or donkey - a very unassuming animal - not a mighty horse
• With meekness and gentleness
• With peace
• We don’t know Jesus’ reaction to the crowd cheering

And he comes as more than a king:

• He comes as a Savior
• He comes as a sacrificial Lamb
• He comes as fulfillment of prophecy

John 12:15-16 “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.

Revelation 7:9-10

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, 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. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

• The prophecy in John 12:15 is from Zechariah 9:9
• It’s almost as if the triumphal entry is a before picture and Revelation is an after picture.
• Notice the result - if only we could have the same result today:

John 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Luke 19:41-44