 Hi, this is David Rosales, pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley. Today, I will share a bit about Palm Sunday. This upcoming Sunday morning, churches around the world will be celebrating the powerful event of Jesus entering into the city of Jerusalem to the overwhelming reception of pilgrims who had come to celebrate the Passover. It is estimated that up to three million people had taken up temporary residence in and around the city of Jerusalem and the atmosphere was charged with religious fervor and excitement. It was at this precise time in history that Jesus made his descent from the Mount of Olives and began his entry into the city, a city packed with pilgrims and filled with anticipation. Jesus came as the Lamb of God, the one who was to take away the sin of the world. He came fully aware of the fact that this would be the beginning of his final week, a week that would forever impact the future of mankind. Jesus came into the city not simply to celebrate Passover, but to be the fulfillment of Passover. He came to be the perfect sacrifice and did so willingly. He had once said, I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am till it is accomplished. It was his passionate desire to fulfill his father's perfect plan and with that in mind, he now entered into the city of Jerusalem. As we all know, Jesus rode on the back of a colt, the fall of a donkey. Jesus had sent his men to secure the animals for him and in doing so, they were actually fulfilling the prophecy that had been given by Zechariah 500 years earlier. Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9 reads, Tell the daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the fall of a donkey. Through the simple obedience, they actually participated in the fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy. Something that might be taken into consideration is this, the donkey needed to be untied in order to be capable of carrying Jesus. As long as it was tied up, it was not of use to him. To be used by him, it needed to be freed and when it was freed, it was useful. It needed to be untied. It seems to me that the Lord is still the one untying us that we might be of use to him in his kingdom. As Jesus was carried along the way, pilgrims from the city and pilgrims approaching the city joined in one large procession, crying out, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. You would think that Jesus would be overwhelmed by such a response. Luke tells us that the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen. When the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples, Jesus made it clear that if they were silent, the very stones would immediately cry out. This is a very dramatic picture, but what happened next was Jesus stopped and began to weep over the city. Luke 19 verses 41 to 44 says, as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, if you had known even you, especially in this year 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. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation. Notice how Jesus clearly said the people did not know the time of their visitation. The word visitation can be translated investigation or inspection. It is the act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds, and character of men in order to judge them accordingly. He wept because though they were excited, they were not prepared. Matthew chapter 21 verses 10 and 11 inform us that they saw him as Jesus the prophet from Nazareth, though this is obviously true, he was in means and remains much more than simply the prophet from Nazareth. They saw him as a prophet but rejected him as Messiah, which continues to this day. During the Easter season, many Americans return to their childhood thoughts of Easter and celebrate a holiday they have never really understood or believed in. They forget that Palm Sunday was followed by Good Friday, that the cries of the crowd changed from Hosanna to crucify him. Palm Sunday led to Good Friday, a day that is good because God did something for mankind that is the ultimate good. As Isaiah so clearly 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 who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Palm Sunday led to Good Friday, but then Good Friday brought us to Easter Sunday. A ride on a donkey into the city was followed by Jesus being crucified outside of the city. He was carried on a donkey into the city but was carried by his disciples from across and placed in a borrowed tomb. The excitement died when Jesus died, but the joy arrived when Jesus was raised from the dead. On this most holy time of the year, may we the church remember what it cost for us to be called children of God. It cost every drop of the blood of our precious Savior Jesus. May we live as if we truly believe this. If you're in this area, please try to join us this Sunday, March 25th for our morning services. I pray that you can be with us. This is David Rosales, pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley.