 Let's open our Bibles together to Mark's Gospel chapter 11. I want to take you on a journey today in Mark chapter 11 through verses 1 through 11, a portion of Scripture that deals with what has been referred to in two different ways. One is the triumphal entry and secondly, Palm Sunday, because today is Palm Sunday. And so as you open your Bibles there and prepare for our study, a couple of announcements and then we'll get into our examination of this passage. Tonight we do have guests with us with Robert Baltodono for evening service. Joe Holden will be here and it's going to be a great service. It's at five o'clock in the chapel. And Joe is an apologist and he's going to give a grade. It's going to be a conversational kind of thing that's taking place. It's going to be unusual because it's a bit different than what we normally do on a Sunday night. But if you're able to be with us on Sunday night tonight, I'd invite you to be with us for evening service. We do have on Wednesday a continuation of our series in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book that dispenses to us the wisdom of God. And I enjoy the book of Proverbs and I'm looking forward to looking at chapter 13. We do have good Friday noon service as well as an evening service. You can choose either one or be at both if you can. And next week is Easter, as you know, and we're going to have a change in the time for second service. I'm sure it's been announced over and over again in the event that it wasn't. I will fire the one who didn't announce it, but we will have the same time. First service, it's 8.30. And the second service, this service, will be starting at 11 rather than the regular time of 10.45, which means you'll be on time. And that will be next week only. And that's because we have a longer time of worship. Easter for us is one of those times that our worship teams will prepare some very special music and I just love celebrating the resurrection of Christ, especially with the music that we'll be singing his praise to. And so that'll be on Easter Sunday. And Easter Sunday is one of the few times many of us will be wearing suits, you know. And so if you've never seen me in a suit, you will see it one time. And that's next week. And then finally, we do have our couple's retreat. It was already announced via the video bulletin. We do have some rooms available. It's going to be a great retreat. And if you're a married couple, we invite you to be part of that. And we have just a few rooms available. And so if you'd like to go, I highly recommend that you sign up before you leave. And we'd love to take you with us to Newport Beach and for the retreat. All right, here we are. Mark chapter 11, Palm Sunday, also known as the triumphal entry. And what we'll do is I'll read verses one through six. I'm going to give you a prolonged introduction and give you different things to think about before we actually develop this study together. But as we look at this passage here that deals with Palm Sunday, you're going to see one of the most amazing fulfillments of Scripture, one of the most amazing prophetic fulfillments that you're going to find in the New Testament. So beginning at verse one, reading to verse six, Mark chapter 11. Now when they drew near Jerusalem to Beth Vaj and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the village opposite you, and as soon as you have entered in, entered it, you will find a cult tied on which no one has sat, loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say, mind your own business. No. Say, the Lord has need of it and immediately he will send it here. So they went their way and found the cult tied by the door outside on the street and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, what are you doing loosing the cult? They spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. Again, this portion of Scripture has been referred to in different ways. It's Palm Sunday. It's also referred to as the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is one of those events in the ministry of Christ that is recorded in all four Gospels. In Scripture, when you read your Bibles, you'll discover this. In Scripture, there are not many events that are actually recorded in all four Gospels. You have Matthew, Mark and Luke, which are called the synoptic Gospels, and then you have John's Gospel. Matthew, Mark and Luke have a tendency of recording similar events. John records different events from a different perspective. And so when you begin to look at your Bible, you're going to see that there are some events that are recorded in one Gospel that may not be recorded in another. Well, what we're looking at is an event that's recorded in all four Gospels. Now, when you read your Bibles, you'll discover that some things are recorded in all four. For example, his baptism. Jesus' baptism is found in all four of the Gospels. Or the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. That particular miracle is found in all four Gospels. When Jesus went to Gethsemane, that is found in all four Gospels. You'll see that his trials and his crucifixion, his death, his burial, his resurrection, well, those are all found in all four Gospels. And this other event, this one event that we're looking at today, this event is also found in all four Gospels, the triumphal entry. It's found not only here in Mark chapter 11, but it's also found in Matthew 21 and Luke 19, as well as John chapter 12. And this particular event occurs during his last week. And this is his last major public appearance before he dies. Verse one tells us that Jesus is entering into Bethphage. That was a small village just outside and opposite of the village of Bethany. According to John chapter 11, verse eight, Bethany was located two miles outside of Jerusalem. So Jesus and his men are now in an area called the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is located just east of the city of Jerusalem. And he's about to finish the work that he had been sent to perform. He's about to lay down his life to redeem the world. Jesus made it very clear that he had a purpose. There was a reason that he came. Somebody one time said to me that he thought that Jesus was somebody who didn't want to die because he enjoyed life so much. And when he was there in the Garden of Gethsemane and he was saying, if it's possible, take this cup from me. He said, I believe that Jesus was enjoying life so much that he didn't want to die. I don't believe that at all. Didn't believe it then when he first heard that. I don't believe it now because Jesus knew exactly why he came. As a matter of fact, he makes it very clear various times as he shares concerning his purpose. And all he said, this is something that he had come to do. He had come to lay his life down. In Matthew 18 verse 11, for example, Jesus said, the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. In Matthew chapter 20 verse 28, he said the Son of Man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. In Luke chapter 19 verse 10, he was speaking to a man by the name of Zacchaeus. And he said the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. So Jesus Christ came with a purpose. And it was to lay his life down for the redemption of the world. He wasn't murdered. He laid his life down voluntarily. And he did so as what is referred to in Scripture as a sin offering. In John 10 verses 14 and 15, he said it like this. He said, I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep. My sheep know me just as a father knows me and I know the father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. So he knew why he came. He came to lay his life down. He came to seek and save that which was lost. And so somebody said it like this. The great saving truth is the doctrine of atonement by substitution. Without it, ministers will keep souls in bondage year after year because they do not proclaim the finished redemption. Nor let men know that sin was laid on Jesus, that it might be forever removed from the believer. One of the problems I'm seeing in the church today, and I'll say this briefly. It may not be something many in this room realize or even think about, but it's something I as a pastor think about. One of the things that concerns me greatly today is in many quarters, in many church services, there is so much emphasis on you having your best day and knowing how good you are, that you're not being equipped for works of service. We have right now a battle that's going on, and I won't spend a lot of time sharing with you about it. You're all familiar with it, but there's a battle going on. It's a battle for the mind. And there are various ways that that battle is being fought and there are various different things that are being used to undermine your trust in God and his scripture. There's just no doubt about that. But one of the things that's happening in the church today is people are coming to church not to be taught, but to feel. And instead of thinking, what they're doing is they're emoting, and the problem is, is the things that are being told to them, they may feel good when they walk out, but they're not being equipped for works of service. And I was listening to something that a great apologist by the name of Ravi Zacharias was saying. And Ravi Zacharias was saying, one of the things that's problematic in the church today that people are not realizing is in the way the church is being conducted and the things that are being said from the pulpit. It's not equipping the saints to know how to defend their faith. He says, and they're not being equipped to be able to speak to those of other faiths and not being equipped to be able to speak to those of the Muslim faith. They're not capable of doing that because they're too busy right now being taught things that don't matter to the exclusion of the things that do. And that's true. That's what's taking place right now. The American church is very weak at the moment, though I have great hope that it'll rise from its knees and begin to stand the way it's supposed to. But that comes through the word of God. It doesn't come because I feel good about myself or I felt good when I walked out of that church service. It comes because I've been equipped for works of service. It comes because I know who Christ is and I know what the Bible teaches concerning him. And Jesus wants us to know that. He wants us to know that he came not just to enjoy life but to lay his life down in order that we might be saved. You see, the Bible teaches very clearly that all mankind is guilty. It's guilty of sin. In Ecclesiastes in chapter 7, verse 20, the writer said, there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. Not a single one. There's not one person on the face of the earth who's perfect as the point he's making. Not one. All are guilty of sin. According to Romans 3.23, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There's not a single person who's alive who doesn't sin. And so we're in need of redemption. We're in need of salvation. We're in need of being rescued. So to save us, God sent his son to take our place as an atoning sacrifice. Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 53 verse 6 said it like this. He said, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Jesus is about to lay down his life for the sheep, voluntarily. He said in John 10, 17 and 18, therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my father. What human being could have killed Jesus if Jesus resisted? He laid his life down. And so he's come to do that. He is now finishing the task that he has been sent to perform. So before entering into Jerusalem, he stops in a small village named Betfaj. And there he sends two of his disciples out on an errand. It says in verse 2, he said to them, go into the village opposite you and as soon as you have entered it, you'll find a cult tied on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say the Lord has need of it and immediately he will send it here. So he sends them. He says, go into this village opposite you. Now Matthew adds a detail found in chapter 22 verse 2 of his gospel. Matthew says that Jesus said you'll find a donkey tied and a cult with her. What Jesus is about to do right now is he's about to receive public adulation, open worship. It's interesting that in the gospel of Mark up to this time, Jesus had basically discouraged public honor. For example, in Mark chapter 1 verse 44, Jesus had cleansed a leper and after cleansing the leper he spoke to him and said, I believe that you say nothing to anyone. But go your way, show yourself to the priest, offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them. Again in Mark in chapter 9 verse 9 at the transfiguration, it says as they came down from the mountain he commanded them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen. He had been discouraging public recognition and public honor. He didn't want them openly promoting him. He was a marked man. All the way back to a time when he had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities were bent on killing him for that. It was common knowledge. John 7 once says after these things Jesus walked in Galilee, he did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews, the Jewish authorities sought to kill him. So in spite of the danger, he now determines to enter into Jerusalem as time has arrived to open honor. He gives his disciples a simple order. In verse 2 he says, you'll find a cult tide on which no one is at. Loose it and bring it. So he sends them because he has enemies who are plotting to arrest him. John 11.57 says both the chief priest and the Pharisees had given a command that if anyone knew where he was he should report it that they might seize him. Well he gives this order. It's a very simple one. It's an order that's really not that difficult to obey. He simply says loose this cult and bring it. If somebody asks what's going on just say that the Lord has need of it. He'll let it go. Now I'm going to say something briefly here as I was preparing this message I thought of it so I added it to my notes. I began to think of how often Jesus issued orders or commands to his disciples, his followers. Sometimes we don't realize that Jesus gave many orders to his followers. And so as I was thinking about that I saw this very simple order. I started thinking I wonder how many commands we find in the New Testament that Jesus in the Gospels gave to his disciples. And so I began to do a little you know research. I asked the Almighty Google some questions and Google responded. And so I began to look and I asked the question how many orders did Jesus give? How many commands are recorded that Jesus gave? And there are various books that are written. One book that was written counted some 147 commands. Another book lists some 125. Now the reason there are that many commands found in both of those books is because they would take a command that is found in Matthew and Mark or Luke. They would count that. So it actually multiplied it into having that kind of number. But the majority of the books narrowed the list to somewhere around 50 commands that you can find that were given by Jesus. One book had 49. And so as you read your Bible you'll remember these are commands. And as you read your Bible you'll see them for what they are. For example in Matthew 4 17 Jesus commanded everyone to repent. That's a command not a suggestion. So Jesus commanded us to repent. Jesus commanded us to not let our hearts be troubled. He commanded us to follow him. Pick up your cross daily he said and follow me. He commanded us to let our light shine so that men may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. He commanded us to give to fast. He commanded us seeking first the kingdom of God. He commanded us to refrain from judging. He commanded us to beware of false teaching. He commanded us to honor marriage. There's a command that gives to love the Lord. He commanded us to love our neighbor. He commanded us to remember him as we celebrate communion. He commanded us to await his return. He commanded us to love one another. He commanded us to go into the world to make disciples. There are a lot of commands that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the church. Many of them are ignored by people who call themselves Christians. Yet Jesus gave command after command after command and the central command that makes all the other commands possible to obey is when he said in John 3 7 you must be born again. Because without the power of the Holy Spirit I will not please him without the power of God's Spirit in my life. I cannot obey him. If without his power I'm going to walk in the flesh. By his power I walk in the Spirit. Those who walk in the flesh cannot please God. Paul told the Romans and that's an absolute truth that you find in Scripture. That's why some people are trying so hard to please God without the power of the Spirit. You'll never do that. In order to be able to be that one whom God says is my father, you pick up that cross daily and you follow him, you must first be born again. You need to be born again for the other things to be made possible. And as Jesus is speaking here to his disciples, he's giving them a simple order. These are men who've already given up and followed after him. It's pre-Pentecostal and the Holy Spirit comes upon them and baptizes them and brings them into the body of Christ. But they are disciples following him. They are pursuing him now and gives them an order and a disciple will follow the order. Now here's another thing for you. There's a new and a prominent TV preacher that many are following today. I'll leave his name unnamed. I just don't feel like mentioning him. But I will say this. He was in Israel when we were there. And he had 60 bus loads of people following him all through Israel while we were there. He preaches something that it's called today. If you haven't heard this term, you will. It's called hypergrace. I'm not going to give you a study on that at the moment, but eventually I'll probably be giving you some things that will help you to understand what I'm saying. I'm just using this as an illustration. But it's a philosophy of ministry today that's called hypergrace. And basically what it speaks is that once you're saved by God and the grace of God has been shown to you, you can basically do what you want. You never need to repent again because there's going to be an automatic flow of obedience to God because you're walking in grace. And that is not absolutely true at all. As with all bad teaching, that leaves certain elements of discipleship out. Interestingly enough, while we were there my guide, while we were in Israel, my guide was speaking to me. And these buses are going past us. You need to understand 60 buses each bus contains 50 to 55 people. You're looking at 3,000 plus people that all came to hear this guy. And so my friend who is our guide is saying to me, and he starts talking to me and he says, you know, and he shows he says that guy is with they are with this guy here. And I said I'm not familiar with him. He says, yeah, he goes, you know, he said they charged they charged about 60% more for their tour than we did. They traveled half the distance we did. And they got half the Bible studies. He says they don't go and have Bible studies. He said what they do is they go to hear him speak in different sites. He said, you know that this guy brought his hairdresser with him and flew him here first class. He said it cost $6,000 for him to bring that guy to make sure his hair looked just right as they were filming him because he was filmed at each site. His studies will be on TV and those of you who will see this guy he's got real sweet hair. And so he's telling me about that and I'm going, oh really should have brought my hairdresser Mr. Bick and I told our church I said, you know this fella here and I mentioned him by name I said has brought 60 bus loads on a hairdresser and you guys I said his people are not being taught the word. They're not being taught the word but they paid $2,000 plus more than you guys did. You're getting twice because you're going to we have so many sites you're going from 8 o'clock in the morning until 5 o'clock at night site after site Bible study after Bible study why? Because we want you to know the word of God. That's why you need to know God's word. That's why we go to Israel so you have an opportunity to be there by the sea of Galilee. You're not going to walk on water? No, I mean that's just to show you it can be done. You see what it is there are people who are doing whatever they desire because they're being taught you're living in grace and there's no discipleship. Jesus said pick up your cross daily and follow me. Christians are commanded to walk in the spirit so that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Peter in 1 Peter 2 verse 1 said it like this he said lay aside all mellus all deceit hypocrisy envy and all evil speaking lay it aside Ephesians 431 let all bitterness wrath anger clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all mellus. Verse after verse after verse after verse that speaks about us pursuing the Lord dying to south walking in his spirit as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We understand that obeying his commands is of utmost importance it's a mark of a believer it's a cornerstone of being one of his disciples in matters of faith obedience is an earmark of a person who's born again Jesus said at John 14 15 if you love me keep my commandments if you love me keep my commandments it's easy to say you love me he asked the question in Luke 6 he says why do you call me Lord Lord what I say see that's the Lord he's speaking to us it's obedience that demonstrates that you're saved in John 14 21 he who has my commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father I will love him and manifest myself to him so obedience in the lesser things makes it possible to be entrusted with the greater in Luke 16 verse 10 he who is faithful in what is least is faithful and also in much he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much and so when you're faithful in the small things and that's what he's doing here he's saying this is a simple thing I want you to go I want you to find a cult it's a cult that is tied no one's ever sat on it I'm simply saying loose it and bring it if anyone says to you why are you doing this or does need of it immediately he'll send it here so verse 4 so they went their way found the cult tied by the door outside on the street they loosed it some of those who stood there said what are you doing loosing the cult and they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded so they let them go it would seem that this was prearranged somebody said clearly the owner of the cult was a disciple because at once he gave up his property when the message was repeated the Lord has need of him so that allows the disciples to bring them to Jesus without sparking interest notice how it says the Lord has needed them the word the Lord speaks of the proprietor of all things the owner of everything has need of the donkey and the cult in order to fulfill prophecy in order to humbly enter Jerusalem he needs what you have notice with me that Jesus didn't make a demand instead he made a request and it says the Lord has need that word need speaks of necessity he has a need a necessity and through this simple exchange God's word is being fulfilled Jesus was not afraid of what was about to happen he knew that his enemies would arrest him he knew he was going to be taken but he still sent them nonetheless in order to fulfill the prophecy they found that cult tied by the door people did ask them what are you doing they gave the answer that Jesus applied and they were allowed to go now why did Jesus need these animals the animals were needed to enable Jesus to enter Jerusalem in a manner conforming to prophetic requirements worthy of the Messiah you see Matthew 21 4 and 5 the angels had a prophecy by Zechariah was fulfilled Zechariah was written 520 years before Christ 5 centuries before Christ think about that for a moment we Americans don't understand that 5 centuries the United States is less than 300 years old as a nation we don't have a long history but Israel does I mean you'll go to places in Israel where you'll see a gate you'll go to places where you'll see that are 2,000 3,000 year old sites and you'll go my goodness America has a very short history we don't understand this so when I say Zechariah prophesied 520 years before Christ we may not allow that to sink in because we don't understand what that means 5 centuries ago this was said is going to happen 5 centuries ago Zechariah 9 verse 9 Zechariah prophesied that concerning Messiah Jesus is fulfilling that that these people would not have done what Jesus said that prophecy would not have been fulfilled simple obedience in the will of God is revealed and he's going to come meek filled with kindness and compassion even towards those who are plotting his destruction Jesus had come to do his father's will and he said he's going to come meek Jesus had come to do his father's will in John 4 34 he said my food is to do the will of him who sent me in to finish his work and he also came that he might fulfill the Old Testament prophecies concerning Messiah in Matthew 5 17 he said do not think that I've come to abolish the law of the prophets I haven't come to abolish them but to fulfill them and so he comes on a donkey the donkey represents his rule humble and gentle when a king came in peace he would ride a donkey so Jesus was coming in peace but if the king came upon a horse that was associated with coming in war Revelation 19 11 speaks of it that way I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war Jesus came the first time on a donkey coming in peace with humility the next time he returns as the judge to make war the cult that Jesus is riding on by the way has never been ridden by anyone it says in verse 2 as soon as you have entered it you will find a cult tied on which no one has sat an unbroken cult an unbroken cult it was reserved is what it was for sacred use this unbroken animal yielded to the Lord without resistance it's interesting when you you read your bible and Jesus encounters a man whose demon possessed and with the word he casts that demon out be silent come out and it happens you see that over and over again he'll encounter a fever and actually speak to the fever and say to the fever depart and it does he encounters somebody with blindness and that blindness is dealt with he encounters somebody who's paralyzed they'll say pick up your mat and the man does instantly responds he even speaks to death itself and brings life nature when you read the bible you see that the man himself responded to the commands of Christ when there was a storm Jesus stands up and he says be still be silent be muzzled literally is what he is saying and the response is that it calms instantly and the disciples will say even the winds in the sea obey him it's interesting when you read your bible it's notice is that demons and illness have a nature nature itself yields to the word of Christ but man doesn't isn't that interesting nature itself when Jesus spoke nature listened when he says to the wind in the sea be settled be muzzled that's it but he speaks to man over and over and over again and man resists constantly it's easier to tame a donkey than it is to tame a man it's easier because we resist well it says in verse 7 they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it he sat on it many spread their clothes on the road others cut down leafy branches from the trees spread them on the road those who went before and those who followed cried out saying blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Jesus is coming down from the Mount of Olives and he's walking down there are people who are pouring out from the city of Jerusalem and there are people following after him the gospels tell us that in the gospel of John chapter 12 verses 12 and 13 the next day and much people that were come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of palm trees went forth to meet him cried Hosanna blessed is the king of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord so there are people pouring out from the city as there are others that are with him coming with him and these two crowds from the city with him begin to merge and they're throwing these palm branches that's why it's referred obviously to palm sundae there are palm branches that are being thrown out there as Jesus is coming riding on this donkey and they're rejoicing they're praising God with a loud voice according to Luke 1937 for all the mighty works that they have seen Jerusalem this city what a beautiful city is filled with pilgrims they have come to celebrate somebody said the main sources available estimate that the population of those living in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus was probably around 80,000 to 100,000 citizens but during the Passover hundreds of thousands of Jews would pour into Jerusalem and the estimated number was around 3 million people both Jews and Gentiles who visited Jerusalem for the Passover the atmosphere would be electric it would be charged with energy there are people are crying at the top of their lungs Hosanna the word Hosanna means saved now they're charged with enthusiasm and emotion as Jesus is entering in and as he's entering in you can almost hear it you can almost hear the noise it would move you like waves the sound of that thousands of voices ancient history time I was at the World Series last time the Dodgers won long before some of you were born and Kurt Gibson hit that home run I was there and the ball went flying right past me I was on the right field line and when he got up he hobbled up there and he had that bat and he's just all like what's he doing up he's going to strike out and then we connected and that ball came flying off that bat passed us and it was still being elevated and we saw it land in the bleachers there I am telling you I have never been in an atmosphere so charged as I was that day it was so loud it was unbelievably thunderous and continued for an hour just continued it didn't stop there was just so much for a home run when Jesus was entering in to Jerusalem in these small streets that he was coming down with all of these pilgrims who were pressing against the wall so that he could come on this donkey they were yelling at the top of their voices Hosanna Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord they're so enthusiastic as this is taking place the Pharisees the religious leaders as they see this the Pharisees get upset and they turn to Jesus and they tell him rebuke your disciples they shouldn't be doing this this is wrong this is blasphemous rebuke them but Jesus made it very clear that if they were silent the very stones he said would immediately cry out now for us to get a picture of that you need to know that everything there is stone the streets are cobblestone the buildings the walls everything to this day there are regulations in the city of Jerusalem that it needs the buildings have to be built with Jerusalem stone the whole place during the time of Christ was made out of stones so when Jesus said if you want them to be quiet I'm telling you these stones themselves will cry out is quite a statement to be made and they're saying master rebuke your disciples nope this is the proper time for this but as all of this is explained something begins to happen that's very important before he enters in Luke 1941 through 1944 as a junior he saw the city and he wept over it saying if you had known even you especially in this your day the things that make for your peace but now they are hidden from your eyes for days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you surround you and close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground for they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation Jesus weeps over individuals like he did over the the tomb of Lazarus his friend who died behold how he loved him is what we hear and there he is standing by this tomb crying but he also wept over cities that gives us the understanding that compassion and concern for people is not just the one it's the many also it's a compassion for all and he says to them as he's weeping he seems to be so out of place I mean these people are they're shouting they're welcoming him they're excited enthusiastic they're waving palm branches they're throwing it before him he's coming in and he stops and he begins to speak to the city if you'd have known your day this your day not a stone will be left upon another you see Titus of Rome is going to come in 70 AD he's going to level the city level and the people will die by the multitudes and that's what he's doing now you don't know he said he didn't know the time of your visitation you didn't know the time of your visitation the word visitation your inspection this was a surprise investigation a surprise inspection when I was in the military we had surprise inspections they wouldn't tell us they would just knock on your door you'd have to open up the door they'd come in and they'd check everything in your room in your cubicle it's a surprise inspection you don't know when it's going to come but it's going to come and that's what he's saying you did not know the time of your visitation this investigation this inspection the word visitation speaks of the act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds and character of men in order to judge them accordingly you did not know that God was judging your heart when it's happening and he's weeping over it now here's the question how could they have known that they would have a surprise inspection well in the Old Testament book of Daniel Daniel was written somewhere around 535 BC at chapter 9 verses 24 through 27 Daniel was inspired by the spirit to write these words 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city that would be Jerusalem to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness, a seal of vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until messiah the prince there shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks you had those 69 weeks the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublesome times and after the 62 weeks messiah shall be cut off but not for himself and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city of this sanctuary the end of it shall be with a flood and until the end of the war desolations are determined then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week that's called Daniel's 70th week that's the tribulation but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice an offering and on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate even until the consummation shall be cut off on the desolate Daniel prophesied 490 years were determined to accomplish 6 things one to end Jewish apostasy for the Jews to receive messiah second to make an end of sin in other words that sin would be completely doubt with third to make reconciliation which is accomplished through Jesus messiah fourth to bring everlasting righteousness in which occurs at the second coming fifth to seal up vision and prophecy those things are not necessary when all is complete and then finally sixth to anoint the most holy referring to Jesus and his reign as messiah Sir Robert Anderson in a book called The Coming Prince gave us insight into this and he wrote concerning the 70 week prophecy of Daniel he treated it as weeks of years because when you looked at it as just seven day weeks there was nothing that happened but when he began to use a system of weeks of years which you find in Leviticus 25 he was able to pinpoint some things you see when it says when the order is given to restore and rebuild or restore and build Jerusalem you find that order in scripture it's found in the book of Nehemiah chapter 2 that's when King Art Xerxes gave the command to restore and build Jerusalem and the date is found in history that date is actually recorded March 14, 445 BC now Daniel spoke of 69 weeks of years you add the other week which is 70 weeks and you have the 70 week prophecy but you speak in 69 weeks at first so you take the 69 weeks you multiply it by 7 7 days in each week then you multiply that by 360 which were the days at that time equally in a year you end up with 173,880 days and so what he did Sir Robert Anderson did is he went to the order which was given by Art Xerxes and he knew as March 14, 445 and he began to count he began to count from March 14 173,880 days and he came to April 6 AD 32 which is Palm Sunday one of the most fantastic demonstrations of the accuracy of prophecy the order was given he counted 173,880 he arrived on Palm Sunday and Jesus said you did not know the day of your visitation it was recorded for you inscription from the day that Art Xerxes gave the order to restore and build Jerusalem to Messiah the Prince 173,880 days you did not recognize the day of your visitation and he cried because of it they didn't recognize Messiah though they had been prepared by scripture to receive him the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus of Rome 70 AD well as this is taking place verse 11 finally Jesus went into Jerusalem into the temple when he had looked around at all things the hour was already late he went to Bethany with the 12 you see what happened and I'll close with this Matthew 21 says come into Jerusalem all the city was moved saying who is this so the multitude said this is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee they saw him as the prophet but they didn't see him as Messiah the hour was late in many ways and he left many of those who were crying out Hosanna very well could have joined with the crowd just a few days later saying crucify I guess the question that we would close with as we look at this is which voice am I am I the one saying Hosanna to the highest Hosanna to Messiah or have I rejected him again there are many people in churches today even this one right now go to church who have never really gotten right with God who aren't born again or just attending church because that's what people do who have never said God be merciful to me I am a sinner forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of my unrighteousness God I'm miserable without you forgive me well the scripture says today is the day of salvation and perhaps this is the day for some of you to get right with God to actually say I'm not going to play anymore with you I'm not going to play games anymore you see God's word is true and the blessings that come following him are true but the result of rejecting him are equally true they're equally true I want to be on the side of the one who says yes I believe you're true and therefore I'll follow you that's called being born again