Bigger Than Our Expectations

         This morning is what we celebrate as 'Palm Sunday'. It's the day we focus on Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem at the beginning of the week leading up to Easter. It's kind of a big deal. It's the kickoff to the week referred to as the Passion Week or Holy week - the week long series of events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Jesus had been teaching and preaching publically for three years now and He'd gained a lot of followers and even some enemies. So expectations were extremely high all around. Here comes Jesus - crowds are gathering for the Passover celebration - what exactly is He going to do - what are the people going to do? So let's jump right in at...

I. The start of the week

The week starts off on a high note. Jesus' followers are excited! They're thinking Jesus is here to lead them, to maybe lead a rebellion against the Roman's, the current government, who had been hostile to the Jewish Religion. Finally, they're going to get some relief from their oppression. All four Gospels have accounts of this story, but I want to look at what was recorded by the Apostle Mark in Mark 11:1-11 (NIV)...

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, (2) saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. (3) If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" (4) They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.

As they untied it, (5) some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" (6) They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. (7) When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. (8) Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. (9) Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

(10) "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (11) Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

People were extremely excited to see Jesus. Here was a man - whom very recently, many people had witnessed with their own eyes - this man had raised Lazarus from the dead! Of course they would want to follow someone like that! Of course they were excited about a man who could raise the dead and lead an army against the Romans. That's something to cheer! This is our guy!

Why wouldn't you be excited when someone who can bring dead people back to life comes to town? It's certainly not something that happens every day. But even then, the religious leaders - because they knew Jesus was not just another preacher - they were smart enough to see there was something more going on. And it didn't take long for it to begin to become obvious to everyone.

So, big crowds gathered. Jesus was welcomed and celebrated all because of the promise of what people believed Jesus offered. And when you take an overhead look at the four Gospels, you can piece together all the parts and see all the various events of the entire week in order. So we had this excitement at the start of the week, and then we have...

A. The next day

People were expecting Jesus to take on the Romans, but the first thing Jesus does when He reenters the city - He turns over the tables in the temple, their very center of worship (Mark 11:15-18 NIV)...

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, (16) and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. (17) And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

(18) The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

Many people expected Jesus to pick a fight with the Roman government - but instead, Jesus takes aim at the center of their worship - the Temple and their traditions. The crowds were surprised and the religious leaders were furious. And this had to be confusing. The people needed to be able to make these animal sacrifices according to the law; they needed to be able to purchase them - but Jesus was turning over tables and driving the money changers out.

This was not what people were expecting, but Jesus had much larger plans! Right at the beginning of this week - Jesus demonstrated, in a highly visible confrontation that He was doing something new. Jesus showed up and...

B. Changed everything

The people had expectations of who they thought Jesus was, and should be - but when Jesus didn't fit their mold, many started to reject Him. Faithful Jewish believers were looking for their Jewish Messiah - but then Jesus shows up and turns everything about the Temple upside down! Jesus disrupted the ways and traditions that had been in place for hundreds of years!

In disrupting the way they performed their religious animal sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for their sins under the law - Jesus was making a statement and a symbolic foreshadowing of what was about to happen in this incredible week! Jesus fully understood the religious law. He understood that the temple practices were extremely important to the way faithful believers could approach God in worship under the law. And Jesus taught the people that He clearly understood, in Matthew 5:17-18 (NIV)...

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18) I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Jesus knew the law had been established by God the Father under Moses. He understood the importance of the ceremonial law in order for people to be ceremonially right with God. Jesus came to go beyond just symbolism and ceremony! And all the while he was turning over tables - Jesus knew how the rest of the week would go. Jesus knew that He was quickly approaching the time when the old way of doing things would be exchanged for something better! Jesus knew this was leading up to what was recorded in John 19:30 (NIV)

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

These words, "It is finished" - they weren't a statement of surrender - but a statement of impending victory! 'It is finished' means so much. It was a statement proclaiming that the ceremonial religious law was being fulfilled with a fixed, unmoving period at the end. It was exclaiming that the substance of what was symbolized was now here! The 'Old Covenant', the Mosaic law was giving way to a new, better hope! The Lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world, and it is finished!

Jesus had been preparing for the events of this week His entire life! But even when He shared with His followers what was coming - the actual events didn't meet their expectations. The events of that week left many of them extremely confused and disillusioned. Even when Jesus told His disciples His plans, they didn't understand.

Learning to walk completely by faith required His followers to learn...

II. His plans are better

What Jesus did through His perfect sacrifice was much better than fighting a war with the Roman government and overthrowing it. But at the time - it certainly looked like Jesus was just attacking their religion and dying a failure. But His plans were so much higher than just freeing the Jewish people of that day. The week started with a parade and was ending with Jesus' looming death. And it looked pretty bleak. But we know, we serve a God who specializes in turning tragedy into victory.

Sure 'shouts of Hosanna' sounds more like victory to us, but... (Isaiah 55:8-11 NIV)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. (9) "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(10) As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, (11) so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

From Palm Sunday, throughout the events of that entire week, those witnessing it all unfold were operating from a very...

A. Limited perspective

They couldn't see higher than the emotions and events happening right before their eyes. Their perspective was limited to their experiences and understanding. Jesus is not limited. God's plans are not limited. They had read the history of what had come before. God had personally orchestrated that history.

Think how the Jewish people must have felt when they experienced hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt. That had to feel like defeat. It had to feel like God had abandoned them - but it all had to take place in order to fulfill God's promise to Abraham. And when it was complete - Abraham's children had become a mighty nation.

Think how the Jewish people must have felt when they watched the Roman Empire grow in its dominance - 'the sun never sets on the Roman empire'. Through their power, Rome influenced trade and controlled other cultures and the Jewish people again suffered. - But though their governance came the 'Pax Romana', the 'Roman peace'; a time period of a couple hundred years.

And yes, it was a 'forced' peace - but it also provided the infrastructure, the roads and circumstances necessary to spread the Gospel message. Without the oppressive Roman government - the accounts of the Book of Acts would have looked much differently. When Christians were persecuted, they scattered using these roads and carried the message of Jesus to their entire world! What looked like oppression turned into salvation for thousands upon thousands!

Look at the perspective of those experiencing the passion week firsthand. From the celebration at the start to the way things finished at the end of the week - this looks awful! This looks a whole lot like failure! Faithful people in the middle of it all had to have been thinking, 'this was the worst week ever!'

But it was only after God had played His final card that their perspective changed. It was only then that the people saw - then it was like, 'Oh! Now I get it! Well played! This wasn't the worst week but the best week ever! But it's so hard to see when were somewhat blinded by circumstances. - Which is why they had to remember that God's plans are so much higher than ours!

And the frustrating truth is, we are...

B. Still limited

We still get stuck in the present and still see things only from a very limited perspective. But that's not where we have to stay. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 (NIV)...

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, (10) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. (12) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Let's face it, this is the second year in a row where our Easter celebrations are not quite what we would have wanted. Families are still apprehensive about gathering. We can't do our big Easter breakfast here. Many people will still only be able to join us online. Present circumstances aren't great.

Our nation is in a rough state. It doesn't feel like anything was even remotely resolved in the last election. We're still deeply divided and it feels like the divide is growing. Christian values are being rejected everywhere you look. Our nation's capital is surrounded by the National Guard and barbed wire. Many question - is this the end times? Yes...? - BUT, not necessarily... We make this assessment based on our limited perspective.

Imagine what Churches were doing, what Christians must have felt during the Civil War. - A nation divided, brother against brother - it had to feel like the end, like everything was out of control with no hope.

Imagine how the Jewish people must have felt during the holocaust under Nazi Germany. 'This has to be the end, it feels like God has abandoned us'. God always has a plan and His ways are higher than ours... (1 Corinthians 2:4-9 NIV)

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, (5) so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. (6) We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. (7) No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

(8) None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (9) However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

Circumstances in our nation and in this world look bad, but God has a plan. Remember how things looked towards the end of the Passion Week. We still serve the same God who specializes in turning tragedy into victory.

So what might God have planned for His Church after a worldwide pandemic...? "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

So What?

God is bigger than our circumstances; bigger than our expectations. This week, as we approach Easter Sunday next week - try to lift your vision higher. Don't limit what God can do through you this week. Even if your situation isn't what you had hoped for; even if things have not gone according to your plans for quite some time - God has not forgotten about you. God still has a plan and you are very much a part of that plan.

Remember the hope that we have in Jesus, the One who turned everything upside down - the One who does the impossible - the One who defeated death for us! Just as Jesus expertly planned the events of the week leading up to Easter Sunday - let Him direct you this week. His plans are always better than ours!