All right, Matthew. Gospel of Matthew chapter 21. At least that's where we'll start. Matthew chapter 21, begin reading in verse one. The Bible says that when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage, under the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, the Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send them." I like it when somebody that has authority says, now you go take care of this, and if anybody asks you anything about it, tell them I told you to do it. Tell them the Lord said to do it. Sometimes in my secular work, I have to do that. I'll be busy about some things, and I'll have to tell somebody else to take care of something. And I'll remember, well, somebody might question. I'll say, listen, if somebody asked you why you did that, you tell them Bobby told you to do it. Because I don't want to deal with it. I don't want them to hesitate. I don't want them to come back to me and not do it. I say, look, just put it on me. Tell them I told you to do that. And I like it when somebody goes ahead and just takes on the responsibility of something. Verse 4, all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him their own. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. All right, I want to preach this morning on four views of Christmas. but from the triumphal entry. Your heavenly Father, I pray that you'll come down now and bear witness to the truth of your word through your spirit. Lord, we know that your spirit is the one that moved the holy men of God to speak and therefore give us our Bible. And so Lord, we pray that he will unlock our understanding so that we'll love and appreciate the Lord Jesus more and God the Father. And Lord, I pray that we'll appreciate him in unique ways in this very season. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. I want to say this morning that the triumphal entry did not deliver what it seemed to promise. Now the triumphal entry is what we talked about when Jesus came into Jerusalem just before his crucifixion and everybody was worshiping him as he came through and they were saying, Hosanna in the highest. and they were strawing the way to prepare him. They were lifting him up as the king, were they not? Amen. But within a short time, they were crucifying him. Let me tell you something. Christmas does not deliver, this modern Christmas anyway, what it claims to be. Now that word hosanna, I look that up, it means save, I beseech you, but it's an interjection of praise more than a prayer for help. It's more of a thing where he's already in the process of saving you, and you're saying, save me, I pray you, not so much in asking him to do it, because he's already halfway done it, but praising him for doing it. So I thought that was interesting. Now, the triumphal entry is very important. It's one of the few events in history so important that it is prophesied before it occurs, And then it is recorded four times in all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, after it happens. Most things in the life of Christ are not recorded in all four Gospels. And fewer still are prophesied and then recorded in all four Gospels. This is a big deal. The Lord thought this was very important. It appears to be a time of great honor and glory for our Lord Jesus Christ. but in a few days, he's gonna be crucified in the very city that he just had been so marvelously received by. Let me tell you about human beings. They are fickle. Some people that you think you can count on and that love you so much, in a short time, will be nowhere to be found. Some people that say they will love you till death do us part, when some of the ups and downs of life happen are gone. Our families are crumbling. Some people that lift up the Lord Jesus as the greatest thing ever won't care to denounce Him within a week. Some people that tell us every Christmas how they love Jesus and believe He's the Son of God won't live for Him all of next year. As I studied these accounts, I noticed some parallels to what is commonly called the Christmas story, and even more connections to the modern Christmas observance. And I noticed that a little different ending is given to each of these accounts of this momentous event that also corresponds to a motive for observing Christmas. I couldn't help but make the connections in my mind, so we'll go through them. All right, now here in this account of Matthew 21 that we just read, I call this one multitudes and money. You see the word multitudes, and it ends with Jesus going in there, overturning the tables and the money changers, doesn't it? Does anybody see any likeness between the modern Christmas observance and multitudes and money? I can't get uptown. For the multitudes, I can't walk through the grocery store. For the multitudes, I can't run and do something right quick. For the multitudes, and there's some money being made, isn't there? Now this story does start with Jesus. Verses one and two, it says, they drew nigh in Jerusalem, and Jesus sent two disciples. And he said, Find that ass in that coat, loose it and bring it under me. Our modern Christmas observance starts with Jesus. Oh, what a favorite way to worship Jesus where he is just a babe in a manger. There are plenty of people that love Jesus as long as you keep him right there. But the moment that you have him grow into a full grown man with some leadership and authority. Yeah, they don't care for that Jesus. It tells you anything to do and expect some things from you. No, they don't want that Jesus. And the Jesus that is gross to look at as they pluck the beard out of his face and the blood is running down his face. coming out of his hands and feet and his back where they beat him, yeah, there is no form nor comeliness that we should desire in man. They don't care for that one. And least of all, the one that they're gonna have to go face after they die, they don't care for that Jesus. But the Jesus in a manger, the Jesus being cared for by his mother, He seems pretty harmless. And so this story starts with Jesus, the way much of the modern Christmas observance does. And it's in a setting of hospitality. It says, if any man say autumn to you, you shall say the Lord hath need of him, and straightway he'll send them. All right, well, they're kind. He's letting you borrow the colt. In Christmas observance, you know what I notice? We get real hospitable with one another. Aren't we just glad to bring somebody some food and have them over and feed them? We get all of a sudden such great hospitality that we don't get the rest of the year. They call it the Christmas spirit. Now you get a little more money tied in with it and the people get a little more ornery to deal with, but as long as you keep the money out of it and as long as you're just giving people some gifts and some food and that sort of thing, it's in a setting of hospitality. And I'll tell you something else, it's in a setting of prophecy being fulfilled. Verse 5, or well, the end of verse 4 says, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and occult the foal of an ass. That's based on prophecy. Well, you know what, Jesus? Birth is prophesied. Thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet from thee shall he come unto me that is to be ruler. All right, those things are prophesied. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And you know what? It said peace on earth, goodwill to men when the shepherds were announcing his coming. So this story starts with Jesus, and it's in a setting of hospitality, and it is involved with fulfilled prophecy, and multitudes observe it. Boy, we have multitudes observing Christmas, don't we? And there were multitudes flocking when Jesus came in, weren't they? But they had a very imperfect understanding of it, didn't they? because they were welcoming him in like the king that was going to meet all their needs and within a week they'd be saying, crucify him, crucify him, we have no king but Caesar and then adding the most unbelievable statement, his blood be on us and on our children. How in the world are they honoring him the way they are here and within a week saying things like that, and we hate him so bad, and you go ahead and kill him, and if that costs anything, you let us and our children pay the price of it. You know what you're doing when you don't follow the word of God? You are saying, you know what, I'll take the punishment of it, and I'll let my children suffer. That is not a good mama or a good daddy. In the Old Testament, when it's talking about witchcraft, you know what it calls that? It calls that which destroys families. When I was growing up, you couldn't fool with any witchcraft. You couldn't watch TV shows that dealt with witchcraft, innocent though they seemed. You know why? Because we knew passages of Scripture that talked about how it destroyed families. You know what one of the types of devils is that shows up in the Bible? They call them familiar. Spirits. That's a good point. Have you ever looked at the word family and the word familiar? They run in families. That's right. There are some families got plenty of devil in there. We all have some sinful flesh, don't we? Yeah. God help us. Let's not call the devils in on our families. It wasn't Brother Bob that said that destroys families. I didn't write the Old Testament. Pretty sure that was written before my great-great-grandparents were even born. Every time you talk like this, somebody says, well, that's your interpretation, well, that's your opinion. Nope, nope, that's a quotation of Scripture. But there is something wrong when people don't have any trouble getting their families involved in stuff that the Scripture teaches is not a good thing. Let me tell you why Jesus Christ was born. He was born to grow into the perfect man that we should submit to, should we not? Is He not spiritually speaking our hope to us? And secondly, the loving Savior that would die for us. But lo and behold, the very group that were saying they were receiving Him would later be saying, crucify Him, we have no King but Caesar, and God help His blood be on us and on our children. How in the world do you do it? I'll tell you how. you don't have any understanding of who you're worshiping. You don't get that he's the son of God. As a matter of fact, look at verse 11. And the multitude said, this is Jesus, the everlasting son of God and creator of the universe. No, they say the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Now he was a prophet, I'll give you that, but he was a whole lot more than a prophet too. And he was from Nazareth of Galilee, but he was from heaven. Ultimately. They had a partial understanding of him. Have you ever heard somebody talk about knowing just enough about something to really mess it up? There are plenty of people that know just enough about Jesus to really mess it up. Multitudes and money. It starts with Jesus. It's in a setting of hospitality and fulfilled prophecy and great multitudes observe it, but with very weak understanding. and accompanied by the love of money. You know when a lot of businesses get profitable? Oh yeah. Getting ready for Christmas. You know why they call it Black Friday? Because after running in the red all year, they finally make so much money on Black Friday that they get over in the black. They get on the positive side of the ledger. You know what our modern Christmas is to a lot of people? It's multitudes and money. That's true. Mark chapter 11. Let's see the second account of the triumphal entry. Mark chapter 11. Mark chapter 11 verse 1. And when they came nigh to Jerusalem unto Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples. And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you, and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon every man saith, Loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him, and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met, and they loosed him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye? loosing the colt. And they said unto them, even as Jesus had commanded, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him, and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple. And when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if happily he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. So if the first account is multitudes and money, I call this one false claims and fruitlessness. And notice the distinctions. Notice all the pairs that show up here, all the situations where there are two of something. In verse one, there are two disciples. He sent forth two of his disciples. Now, the Lord tends to send people by twos. There's some practical reasons for that. One can be praying while one witnesses and this sort of thing. And that's good. But there are two disciples here. And then when he goes down to get the foal, the colt, There are two donkeys there. Now in this particular passage, it doesn't mention the other one, but we know from Matthew 21, there are two donkeys there. And then we see that where he finds them in verse four are where two ways met. In other words, there are two directions. You know when the Lord will show up for you many times? When you are at a crossroads. Ah, poet Robert Frost. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both. You know what will happen in your life? You are gonna hit a fork in the road, and you're gonna have to make a choice. And on one of them will be the Lord Jesus Christ. And it won't have quite the sparkle right now, that the other path will have. The other path will always look better right now. Daddy said ever since I was a little boy, the devil is the God of the short run, and God Almighty is the God of the long run. Jesus' path right now doesn't look all that great. But it gets better, and better, and better, and better. The world, and the flesh, and the devil, their path looks great right now. But it gets worse, and worse, and worse, and worse. You know how you tell somebody that chose the path of the world, the flesh, and the devil? They are down that pathways, and it's getting worse, and worse, and worse, and they're constantly looking back to where it was better. like that song I often refer to called Glory Days. They're all the time looking back to when they were young, when they were the sports star, when they were the beauty queen, when things were great, because they can never get that again. You know how you know somebody that has picked Jesus' path? Forgetting those things which are behind, I press toward the prize, the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The path of the just is the shining light that shines more and more into the perfect day. The one that chooses Jesus' path, it might be meek and lowly at first, but it gets better and better and higher and more glory and more wonder! Pick the path that gets better. Don't pick the one that makes the money now. Take it from the ones who have been there. When I read about Job in the Old Testament, you know what I read? I read about a rich man, richest man in the East. That whole region of the world, he was the richest man there. And you know what he brags on? He brags on wisdom and understanding. When I read about Solomon, I read about him and all his glory and that magnificent temple and his magnificent houses and gold everywhere and silver to the point it wasn't accounted of anything in the days of Solomon. You know what Solomon talks about? He said, he doesn't say get all the gold you can. He doesn't say get as rich as you can to where silver is just like a handful of dust. He says, get wisdom. Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. With all thy getting, get understanding. That's what he said. There are two directions here. They could have chosen to say, you know, this isn't our donkey. I'm not going to grab this thing. What was Jesus thinking? But they were in a place where two ways met, and they chose to obey Jesus. You do that, and you'll never be sorry you didn't. Live for Him. Number one, trust Him as your Savior. Number two, obey Him. I know everybody's going a different way. You be different. Broad is the way, and many there be that find it. But straight is the gate, and narrow is You want Jesus on the other end of it. You know why else? It gets better and better and better the further you go. Now it's not as fun right now. It doesn't have the pleasure of sin that this other one has right now, but it gets more and more. In thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand. There are pleasures forevermore. You want the momentary pleasures or you want the pleasures forevermore? Two ways are meeting. Which do you choose? Two disciples, two donkeys, two directions. Here's a good one, verse eight, there's two decorations. Garments and branches off trees. You know what we do at Christmas time? We put on pretty winter Christmassy outfits. And we decorate with pretty Christmas trees. Amen. Verse nine, there are two divisions. They that went before, and they that followed. You know what we do at Christmas? We look at old traditions from they that went before. Not all of them are Christian, are they? Some of them are about as pagan as they can be. The whole thing ties in to the winter solstice and all that stuff. It's no more Christian than the days of the week and the pagan gods they're named after and the names of the months and the pagan gods that they're named after. Praise the Lord, we also remember the Lord Jesus Christ being virgin born. That's the fundamental of the faith. If he had a human father, he can't save us, can he? If he had a human father, he has human blood, and that blood can't wash away my sins. That his father's God, the Father, praise the Lord, that's some sinless blood that can wash away my sins. Thank God he did. Two decorations. Two divisions, before and after. What about the traditions at your place? What are they gonna be? Are they gonna bring in as much of the pagan stuff as they can, or are they gonna center around the Lord Jesus Christ? A lot of people say he's the reason for the season. For a lot of people, he isn't. It's the food, it's the money, it's the multitudes, it's the parties. Two destinations look at verse 11 Jesus entered into Jerusalem and Into the temple He was in the right general location And he went right straight to the place of prayer and worship Now it's good to know about Jerusalem and know about the place of where David's throne was and know about the place where God's eyes and God's heart are continually and know about the place where Jesus will one day come back and rule on the throne of David and to know about that place where Jesus was taken out to be crucified so we can trust his blood to wash our sins away. It's good to know about those things. But sometimes all we do is get to Jerusalem. We don't actually get in there to the temple. and send up prayers and put our trust in him personally. There are two destinations here. And then after he deals with the temple, and remember that's the end of it over there in Matthew, where he goes in there and tears that place up because of all the money they're worried about making instead of what's really important and what's really going on. This time he has a different ending to the story. It sort of skips over that. passage and it tells about the barren fig tree or the fig tree that isn't bearing any fruit yet because it should have two different signs. It should have leaves showing that it's alive and it should have figs showing that it's bearing fruit. And he goes and there's leaves but there's no fruit. Now I'm speaking to some saved people here this morning. I'm glad that you're alive in Jesus Christ. I'm glad that I can look and I can see the leaves in your life. I thank God that he saved you, but I want to ask you this. What fruit is he bearing in your life? What results are coming? Who are you witnessing to? What spirit is coming from you? What are you talking about? How has he changed your life? I'm glad that you're alive. I'm glad that you're saved. I'm glad that you trusted him. But we ought to also do some things for him, shouldn't we? Wouldn't you like to earn some crowns that you can cast at his feet on that great day? Wouldn't you like to bear some fruit? God help us to bear fruit. We're coming up on a new year. What if you made a commitment? Lord, I thank you for the life you've given me. Now I want to give you something from that life. I want to bear fruit for you. Lord, what can I do? Who can I speak to? Who can I witness to? Who can I be a blessing to? What backslider can I reclaim? What lost person can I give the gospel to? What downtrodden, depressed, sad, afflicted Christian can I help lift up? Bear fruit. Then I see two deceptions. I see a bunch of people that went before and that followed after saying, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, and blessed be the kingdom of our father, David, that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And yet, within a week, they'd be killing him. And he comes up on a tree that has the leaves, but no figs. You know what he looks sometimes at Christians and Z's? He sees some people that with their mouth are showing much love, saying, Oh, praise the Lord. Oh, Jesus. But when Mr. Hard Times comes and when it's going to actually cost you something and it's going to get a little bit scary, all of a sudden you back down and there's no fruit. Matthew, multitudes and money. Mark, false claims and fruitlessness. Let's turn to Luke 19. Luke 19, verse 29. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go ye into the village over against you, in which you are entering. Ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat. Loose him and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, why do you loose him, thus shall you say unto him, because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way and found, even as he had said unto them, when Jesus sends you and tells you how things are going to be, let me say something, they're going to be that way. Amen. Jesus doesn't ever say, oh man, I missed that one. He knows. Just like we read in Spurgeon's devotional this morning, When God Almighty says He's going to strengthen you, He's going to strengthen you. And when Jesus tells you how things are going to be, that's the way they're going to turn out. Now let me tell you what the world and the flesh and the devil will always tell you. Oh no, don't listen to that. Because there's so much fun you're missing if you go that way. Is that not what the devil said all the way back in the garden? Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Oh, that's the way he always does it. But I better get back to my reading here. Verse 33 of Luke 19, And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus, and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." Let me tell you something. What the Lord Jesus Christ does ought to make you rejoice. Paul said, Rejoice, and again I say, REJOICE. He said, what is my joy or crown of rejoicing are not ye in the presence of Jesus Christ at His coming? There ought to be joy. That is a command in Scripture. You are disobeying God when you do not rejoice in Him. Now that's another sermon for another time. Verse 38, saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest. By the way, that's what was also said at the time of his birth. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. They're getting out of hand. They're too happy. Old, cold, dead, formal religion always hates to see people real happy. Verse 40, and he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it. saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hidden from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, encompass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. I call this gladness and grieving. Verses 33 to 35, they are glad to be giving unto Jesus. Maybe I'm talking to somebody, and you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you remember a day that you were thrilled to see the truths of Scripture, and you were thrilled to hear them sing the songs of Zion and praise His holy name, and you remember a time when somebody would point out something from the Scripture, and you were excited, and you were writing it down, and you were underlining it in your Bible. You were so excited, but you've been sitting for a long time, and your ears have got what the King James Bible calls dull of hearing. it would sure be good to get back to the gladness and giving that we once had. And I'll tell you something else they got glad and praising in verses 37 and 38. It says the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. In the book of Revelation, you know what I read every so often? It says they do something with a loud voice. When you get real excited, you do a loud voice. I was watching the football playoffs last night, and there were a bunch of people in those stadiums with a loud voice. You know why? They're happy and excited about something. And if you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you don't hesitate to employ a loud voice. But in spite of the gladness in giving and the gladness in praising, there were some people that were grieving over the singing saints. Look at verse 39. Some of the Pharisees from among the wolf toots said unto him, Master, rebuke that as I. Why in the world would anybody not want anybody to rejoice? Amen. I'll tell you why. Because they're not happy themselves. Or you don't like what they're rejoicing in. In those playoffs, when one team's fans was yelling and screaming, the other team's fans was real sad. We had an election, and about half the country was real happy, and the other half was real sad. Let me tell you something, folks. Get on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your bunch will be real happy one day, and the other side will be real sad. You get on the side of Jesus, is happy when he is being lifted up. But the Pharisees, the cold dead religion, they'll be grieving over the singing saints. But there's somebody else that's grieving here. This one is followed up by the Lord Jesus Christ looking over the sinning city. Grieving over the singing saints and somebody else grieving over the sinning city. If you have the heart of Jesus, you look at some of the stuff that's going on around you and it breaks your heart. You know the way we're living in this country right now? It is bad for men. And it is bad for women. And it is bad for children. In every group I just listed, anxiety is up, depression is up, suicide attempts is up, institutionalizations is up. Nothing is going well. You know why? We're getting further and further from where... They keep telling us we're making progress. The last thing we want to do, they say, is go back to the 50s when we didn't have the rights we have now. Hey, wait a minute. Depression, anxiety, suicide. All of those things are up since then, not down. I get that somebody's making a little more money here and there, and somebody can go to college here and there, and somebody can buy a house here and there, and those are some good things, and I'm an American, and I'm all for them, except for one thing. There's something about the way that we're doing it that isn't right, because everybody's getting more and more miserable with all of these increased rights. What's wrong? And God's people ought to be looking over the stuff going on, especially in the cities, and be grieving. Luke 19 is gladness and grieving. All right, one more. Look at John chapter 12. I want to talk about the sincere seekers. John chapter 12 and verse 12. I mean, it's in all four Gospels. We have multitudes and money. We have false claims and fruitlessness. We have gladness and grieving, and here we have sincere seekers. Hey, listen, I want to tell you something. There are some people that at Christmas time remember the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, remember that He came and lived a perfect life, and He came to die and wash our sins away, but thank God was also resurrected, went back to heaven, and one of these days is coming back to set up that kingdom like He promised the Jews in the Old Testament. All those things are going to happen. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. I want to tell you, there's some people that are sincerely seeking at Christmas time, just like there were some sincere seekers at the time of the triumphal entry. John chapter 12, verse 12, on the next day, much people that were come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried, Hosanna, blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat there on as it is written. Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, thy king cometh sitting on an ass's coat. These things understood not his disciples at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The people, therefore, that was with him, when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bear record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevailed nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came, therefore, to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. All right, now the first thing I notice about this is with sincere seekers, they're always planning ahead. If you came to church this morning, you know what this tells me? This tells me some of you got your baths last night and laid out your clothes last night, and you planned on being to church this morning. You know why a lot of people don't go to church? They just didn't lay their clothes out. They just didn't intend to. They just didn't get washed up. Or maybe they're spiritually speaking, they're washed up, but physically they didn't get washed up. And they didn't prepare for it. If you're excited about something that you do, you prepare. People were talking about it. When they heard that Jesus was coming, hey, are we telling people that Jesus is coming? That ought to be important enough that we're talking about it. Planning ahead, telling that Jesus was coming, preparing for worship. They took branches and went forth to meet him. They heard Jesus was coming. They said, oh man, we got to welcome this king. And so they got their clothes. They got branches from trees and they strolled the way. The place was decorated by the time he got there. They planned ahead. I'll tell you something else about these sincere seekers. They got a little confused. From time to time when you're seeking the Lord Jesus, he'll do things a little different than what you had planned. And it won't make sense to you. I wish I could always explain it. I can't. Verse 16, it says, these things understood not his disciples at the first. Get used to that in your Christian life. He will allow some things that you won't get. And tell you the truth, just to be honest, you'll get a little bit mad at him for doing them, or allowing them, I should say. Why, for example, is there such a reception at a place of such opposition? Back in John chapter 7, it said, Jesus walked no more in Jewry because they were trying to kill him. And yet here he is, and they're thronging him and praising him. In 11, chapter 11, verse 53, it again warns us. Jesus didn't go there. Why? It is dangerous. They were trying to kill him. They were having meetings and they're saying, what are we going to do? The whole world is going, if we leave him alone, everybody's going to turn to him and the Romans will take away our place in nation. That was faulty reasoning. Let me tell you about this world. It's going to take away your place in nation anyway. Father time and your flesh and this world and the devil are going to take away everything they can from you. They're gonna take away your health. They're gonna take away your happiness. They're gonna take away your joy. They're gonna take away your testimony. Don't cut deals with this world. It does not have your best interest at heart. You cut your deal, if I could use such an irreverent term, but you cut your deal with the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that loved you. Say, well, I know some of the Lord's people. They haven't exactly done me right. No, no, they haven't. They're human, too. They're sinners, too. But they'll do you better than the devil ever will. They sure will. You get over there with Jesus. You get over there on His side. You get over there on His team. How in the world did they get through this? Look at the end of the verse. But when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things of Him. page over at chapter 13 and verse 7, Jesus is talking to him and he says, Jesus answered and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Sometimes what you're gonna have to do, you're just gonna have to trust and obey. Because there's gonna be some stuff you don't understand what God is doing right now. You just obey him and trust that in the end, it'll be okay. And then when Jesus is glorified, you'll remember Oh yeah, that is what the scripture said. In the meantime, just obey him. Resolved by remembering scripture. Tell you something else about this particular account that isn't mentioned in the others. This reception is empowered by resurrection. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead bear record for this cause the people also met him for that they heard that he had done this miracle. You know what has a great effect on people? A good Christian testimony. Let them see that Jesus Christ rose you from the dead. I'm speaking spiritually. Let me tell you something else. literally and physically with Jesus Christ rose from the dead. That's the thing that finished the gospel. And that's the thing that we put our trust in. And that's the thing that gives us eternal salvation. Jesus resurrection and in this case, a resurrection of Lazarus. Everybody was talking about it. That's why this place that was so opposed to him said, we got to see him. I got to admit he's got it. There's no way we can deny it. The man is right here. Ah, you know what we're not seeing much of in our day? We're not seeing life-changing salvation stories like we used to in this country. There are not multitudes coming to worship Jesus because there are not many people submitting to Him. There are not many people bearing fruit for Him. Everybody's just getting caught up in the multitudes and the money. But where a resurrection happened, this was empowered. Tell you something else, the opponents have jealous religious and political motives. Look at verse 19. The Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. Hey, man, why don't you? If he's got the power to heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind and raise the dead, that might be a guy you want to be with. If He can take five loaves and two fishes and feed thousands and thousands of people, that might be a guy you want to be around. Here's the problem. You've determined you're not going with Jesus no matter what He does. You know, when He had fed the thousands, and when He had opened the eyes of the blind and healed the sick and raised the dead, and fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures, that's a time I hope, surely, I would have turned around and said, wait a minute, there's something different about this one. But instead, with all of that evidence, they just say, the world's gone after him. You're not prevailing anything. We're going to have to come up with a plan. Why would you want to take down somebody that good? Did you have any stories of him doing wicked and horrible and hurtful things to people? What's wrong? Here's what the problem is. Somebody has just hardened their heart against the Lord Jesus, and knowing good and well what they're doing is killing themselves, they just continue to do it anyway. That's what the Bible calls a stiff neck. That's what the Bible calls a hard heart. Hey, folks, listen. If I'm speaking to somebody and you've hardened your heart and you've stiffened your neck against Jesus, say, okay, wait a minute, Lord. I take it back. I take it back. I repent. I'm coming to you now. Is he trying to get your attention? Is there a scripture that's coming to your mind? Is there something going on in the affairs of your life and he's been trying to get your attention? That's a real good time to repent, bow your knee and submit to him. Or you could do like Pharaoh and just harden your heart and just let it bust you wide open like he did Pharaoh. But I do not recommend that. John chapter 11, verse 47. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of counsel, and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. Hey, wait a minute. How about let's follow him too? That would be the thing to do. No, we got to make a plan. We got to get rid of him. We got to take him down. Dummy, did it ever occur to you that that's going to wreck you and your next generations? Oh yeah, they even offered their children in this terrible sacrifice, as we've already mentioned, saying, His blood be on us and on our children. And yet, here in verse 20 I read this, And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast, The same came, therefore, to Philip, which was of Bethsaida, of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh again and telleth Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. In the midst of all this wickedness, in the midst of this hard-hearted rejection of Jesus Christ, there come up some Greeks that said, Hey, we want to see this Jesus. There are some sincere There are some people that had seen the miracle and they wanted to see the Jesus who did it. What have we seen this morning? The majority, the millions, if we were putting it on a graph, we would say the masses in the middle, the multitudes, follow the money. That was in Matthew. In Mark, we read about another large group that project a false front, a false face, but don't have any fruit. In Luke, we have another significant percentage of people that are largely good, but because of the evils of their day, they alternate between gladness and grieving. But in John, and surely this is the best group, are the ones who come to worship, sincerely seeking Jesus. And when they show up, Jesus himself says, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Let me tell you what will happen if you put the money in the multitudes away, if you put the false professions and the fruitlessness away, if you bury the grieving and only gladly receive your Lord Jesus Christ, if you sincerely with all your heart say, Lord, I just want to see you and receive you and love you. You know what Jesus says? The hour has come. The Son of Man should be glorified. Have you done that? Have you trusted Him as your Savior? Have you given Him your whole heart? Have you surrendered the whole thing and said, Lord, I'm tired of holding anything back from you. I'm tired of not bearing fruit for you. I'm going to give you the whole thing. I have got but five loaves and two fishes and what in the world good is that among so many?