 I hope and pray that our Bible study today here on Palm Sunday speaks to your hearts. And so if you haven't opened your Bibles to Matthew 21, we're looking at verses 1-11 in Matthew 21. And we're looking at one of the most amazing prophecies that are fulfilled, not that all prophecies being fulfilled isn't amazing, but this is one of those moments that you get an opportunity to see something that is just, again, eye-opening and tremendously worthy of examination. And as we look through the passage here in Matthew 21 that speaks concerning Jesus' triumphal entry, also known as Palm Sunday. So let's begin reading here in Matthew chapter 21. I'll begin at verse 1, we'll read to verse 11, and we'll get into our study. Matthew 21 verses 1-11. Now when they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethlehem at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them, go into the village opposite you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them. All of this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, They tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you lowly, sitting on a donkey, a colt, the full of a donkey. So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them and sat him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? The multitudes said, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. This portion of Scripture that we are looking at this morning has been spoken of as Jesus' triumphal entry. And when you look at it chronologically, it occurs during Jesus' last week of ministry and it actually concludes a journey that he had begun earlier. As you look at this passage, it is Jesus' last major public appearance before he died. And this is one of those portions of Scripture that all four gospels actually recorded. Now in order for Jesus to get to the city of Jerusalem, he was going to go through another city by the name of Jericho. And it is recorded in the Gospel of Luke in chapter 19 that Jesus began to go through this city and as he did he encountered a certain chief tax collector by the name of Zacchaeus. We know the story of Zacchaeus. Now that Zacchaeus, this tax collector, this chief tax collector, sought to see him. We know that Jericho was a main road. He had many collectors there who were collecting the taxes and Zacchaeus was head of the entire tax district of Jericho and all of its vicinity. Now that would have meant that he had something that the average person didn't have. That would mean that he had what is called name recognition or in other words, that would mean that he was a man with a certain amount of fame. So he had notoriety, if you will. You see tax collectors paid the Romans for the position of collecting money and levying tolls. It was a fixed sum for exports, a fixed amount for imports. And the chief collectors, the chief tax collectors, which was Zacchaeus, well the chief collectors would hire people to collect the taxes. And they were known for something. They were known for extortion and they were known for the greed. And so this was a man who was well known. He had fame and he was also very rich but he was also very hated. You see his money had made him comfortable but his money had not made him content. It was something that he was used to having but he didn't give him the pleasure that he desired. In Ecclesiastes 1019 it says a feast is made for laughter and wine makes merry but money answers everything. And for him he had money but it really didn't supply the answer. He was very rich and yet he desired to see a man by the name of Jesus who was not known for being rich. He was an itinerant carpenter. He was a rabbi turned preacher. But you see his money and his fame had not satisfied his spiritual needs in order to get those things satisfied, the deepest need he sought out Jesus. It may be that he had heard that Jesus is a friend of publicans and sinners because in Luke's Gospel chapter 7 verse 34 Luke records that was said of Jesus. It could have provoked him to search out answers and he came to Jesus Christ. And so the Bible speaks concerning this as Jesus was going into Jericho and on his way to Jerusalem. It speaks concerning this how Zacchaeus had heard of Christ in all and as Jesus is passing by Luke records that a crowd of people began to line the street and Zacchaeus hears the noise and he sees all the commotion and he goes out to see what's taking place and he begins to move along the line there as the crowd is lining the street and he's beginning to try and squeeze in but the Scripture says he's very small and so he was unable to do so and the people were not giving him any room. They weren't allowing him in front and so looking in the direction that Jesus was traveling he ran up ahead and he climbed up on a tree. He climbed up what is called a sycamore fig and he waited for Jesus to pass by. Now I want you to think about this for a moment as I introduce all of this. I'd like you to think for a moment that this is a rich successful businessman and for him to be doing such a thing was extremely humbling and it reveals something to us that I believe that all of us ought to take note of and that is this he had a spiritual hunger that was not willing to be denied. Jeremiah 29.13 says you will seek me and you will find me when you search for me with all of your heart. God is willing to be found but he would have us to seek him with all of our heart I think that through this time this season that we as a nation as well as the world are going through if there's any benefit of any sort that that we might might gain from this it's the benefit of being aware that there are people who are looking for answers right now there are a lot of people who are afraid a lot of people who are concerned understandably so understandably so and right now there are many people who are saying perhaps God has an answer for this and the answer for that is indeed he does it just depends on what you're looking for with with the kids he had money he had notoriety he had everything that a person is told that you need to have and yet at the same time he didn't have any contentment and here comes this itinerant rabbi and the crowd is forming he's trying to get in to see him he's unable to because they will not allow him to press in front and he looks and he sees the direction that Jesus is going and he hurries up climbs up a tree and there he is looking down as Jesus is passing by but the Bible tells us that as Jesus came by and he was passing past that tree he looks up and he saw him so much noise so much confusion so much jostling and yet Jesus wasn't distracted by that in the midst of all of that Jesus was aware of one man he was aware that one man had a need and he was also aware that this one man was looking for him and so Jesus speaks to him you see when you read the Bible you discover that Jesus is presented to us as a good shepherd and the good shepherd seeks out sheep in Ezekiel 3411 thus says the Lord God indeed I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out and Jesus did exactly that in the midst of all of the noise all of the confusion all of the need all of the excitement Jesus was looking for one person and he found him a man by the name of Zacchaeus and guess what again Luke records how that Jesus called him out by by name Zacchaeus he said to him I must stay at your house now when he said that I must stay at your house the crowd would not have been happy with this they murmured they said well he's gone to be a guest with a man who's a sinner because there's not a whole lot of people out there especially in the South self-righteous crowd that learned to rejoice over a sinner being found you have a tendency of thinking that certain sins are always unacceptable and this man had taken advantage of so many and become rich off of so many so many people's needs they couldn't understand it so not only are they upset at Zacchaeus but now they're speaking against Jesus himself but when Jesus said I need to stay at your house I must stay at your house Zacchaeus his heart must have been thrilled because Jesus is coming over and they spoke in the Bible records how Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus and in that conversation Zacchaeus came to faith in Jesus Christ and as a result he went on to say if I if I've extorted from anyone I will restore for hold he said I give half of my goods to the poor and why am I pointing that out because we're about to look in in a passage of scripture that relates to the purpose of Christ coming in all and I simply want to remind you that Jesus came to seek out the lost and when somebody really is found genuine repentance is always evidenced by a change of behavior it is not just something that is said it is something that is done in Matthew 3 verse 8 it says bear fruits worthy of repentance I've been asked what do I think it's going to take place once this this time of pressure and this time of pain finally recedes and and what I've been saying I'm concerned about so I'll say it openly again is that whenever we have problems the nation such as ours has a tendency of turning to God you know when disasters happen earthquakes you name it people begin to flood churches for times of prayer we've seen that so many times where people will show up and and the whole place even our fellowship will be filled with people saying we need God but when the problem is solved and things settle then once again people go to the lives that they were living because there was really no true repentance that took place at all it was simply fear for the moment and if we just share and I was just sharing with one of the guys yesterday there are no atheists and foxholes people have a tendency of becoming very religious when they're in a great need so listen for those of you who are listening right now when this passes and it will make sure you get back to your church make sure that you get involved and in this time that you're afraid and in this time that you're missing people you actually many are I miss my friends I miss my fellowship I miss my church I miss serving let that be a motivator to you let that be awakening to you because these things can happen and very few people can really say they were prepared for it but if you're following the Lord and walking with Jesus on a daily basis you're being prepared for these kinds of things you're prepared for the good and for the things that are not considered so good and if you really are getting right with God it lasts beyond the troubled time it lasts into the times of prosperity also and so genuine repentance is something that lasts it isn't something that happens only when you're afraid it also is something that happens when you're at ease and and as Jesus was speaking to this man Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus had made statements concerning what his repentance looked like Jesus said this to him because he disclosed his mission to Zacchaeus in Luke 19 verse 10 and he spoke to him and he said to him the son of man came to seek and to save what was lost and that's what Jesus did that is his mission it was mission 2,000 years ago and it is still his mission today in 1st John 3 verse 5 John said it like this the Apostle said you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him there is no sin and so Jesus is on his way into the city of Jerusalem and we pick up the story after he's left Jericho and ministered to Zacchaeus we pick up the story here in Matthew 21 and so in Matthew chapter 21 notice how it speaks in verse 1 it says when they they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives Jesus sent two disciples saying to them go into the village opposite you immediately you'll find a donkey tide and a colt with her lose them and bring them to me and if anyone says anything to you you shall say the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them he's entering into a place called Bethphage it's a village that is directly opposite another village that you've read of in Scripture a village called Bethany in John's Gospel chapter 11 verse 8 we're told that Bethany was located two miles outside of Jerusalem so they're in an area right now that is called the Mount of Olives when you're looking in at a map and all or if you've been to Israel you know that the Mount of Olives is east of the city of Jerusalem itself and so Jesus is here to finish the work he began to do he's about to lay down his life in our place he's revealing to us the love of God and the holiness of God and he's about to finish the work that God sent him to do he had said in John 10 14 and 15 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 laid down my life for the sheep and so he's about to go and do that but before entering Jerusalem he stops in this small village Bethphage notice again verses 2 and 3 Jesus told his men go into the village opposite you immediately you will find a donkey tied a colt with her loose them bring them to me if anyone says anything to you you shall say the Lord has needed them immediately he will send them notice how Jesus initiated the events that led to his triumphal procession into Jerusalem notice again that he gave a simple command he said go into the village opposite you that village opposite was this the village of Bethany and you will find a donkey tied a colt with her and he gives a small order a simple order loose them and bring them to me now up to this point as you read your gospel up to this point Jesus has discouraged public honor and this is because according to John 7 verse 1 the Jewish leaders are plotting to kill him but in spite of this Jesus was determined to enter into the city of Jerusalem it was the appointed time to complete his mission and so he gives his disciples a command he sends them out with an order notice in verse 2 this is the order go into the village opposite you immediately you'll find a donkey tied a foal with her here's your order loose them and bring them to me why would he do that well he did that for several reasons including the fact that that keeps him from being accosted by any enemies John told us in chapter 11 verse 57 both the chief priests and Pharisees which were normally divided incidentally because the Pharisee was in constant opposition to the Sadducees and the people who were of the chief priests were Sadducees and they're normally divided but they united in their opposition against Jesus it's interesting how these enemies of Christ and enemies of one another determined that their hatred for Jesus was greater than their differences theologically but they had given a command that if any man knew where he was that he should show it that they might take him and Jesus knew that and so he gives a simple uncomplicated order he says go you're gonna find a donkey tied with foal loose them bring them to me here's a very basic thing I'll say this very briefly for those of you who desire to be servants of the Lord and to be used by him just remember this you're never going to be a great leader if you're not a great learner you never will if you can't follow an order you will never be able to give one and so these men are being trained to be leaders and they need to follow orders and they're not great orders by the way it's a simple order and it's in the simple orders that I have experienced so many people differing say no I I want to do something else I've got better ideas but in this particular case Jesus knew what he was doing he had information they didn't have and so he sends them with a very uncomplicated order all you need to do is what I'm saying you're gonna find a donkey they're gonna find a foal this is your order loose them bring them to me and notice he says at verse 3 if anyone says anything to you I want you to see this simply say the Lord has need of them the Lord has need that word need in the original language the New Testament being written in Coine Greek the word need speaks of necessity it speaks of duty or business the Lord has need of them why well because they're needed to fulfill scripture and the plan that God has for salvation I wonder if you've ever realized that there may be things you have that he has need of that you've never even loosed and given to him now why did Jesus have need of these animals well they were needed to enable him to enter the city in a manner that conformed to prophecy that was worthy of Messiah you see what we do when we release to him whatever it may be that he speaks to our heart about when we when we release into his hands that was what that which is needed by him that's how he completes his plans and so he says this is what you do you let him know the Lord is need of them and immediately he'll send them all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying tell the daughter of Zion behold your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey a cult the fall of a donkey this is in the Old Testament book it was the book of Zechariah was written some 520 years before Christ and so by their simple obedience to Zechariah's word or to Jesus's word Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled if you take notes you need to remember that Jesus's life in ministry was in fulfillment not in contradiction to the word of God in Matthew 5 17 Jesus said it like this he said do not think that I've come to abolish the law or the prophets I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them and so he says this is fulfilling the prophecy that was given over five centuries before by the prophet Zechariah and the prophecy was verse 5 tell the daughter of Zion now the daughter of Zion is the city of Jerusalem because the city of Jerusalem is called in Scripture Zion in Psalm 48 1 and 2 greatest the Lord greatly to be praised in the city of our God in the mountain of his holiness beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north the city of the great king and so Zion is Jerusalem now why was he on a donkey because the donkey represents his rule which is humble and gentle when you look back into the Old Testament darling you begin to see how donkeys and were written very often you will find in Scripture that a king when he came in peace into a city he would ride on a donkey we know that Jesus Christ according to 9 Isaiah 9 verse 6 is the prince of peace because he brings peace to the to the human heart if his disciples that thought no he is more he is more worthy of a beautiful white horse well we need to remember that that the horse very often was what the king would would ride upon in times of war in Revelation 19 verse 11 John said I saw heaven opened behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war Jesus was not coming to bring war if you will he was coming to bring peace and he was bringing peace to those who would respond to him I wonder if there's anybody today listening that needs to respond to him because you're in need of peace with God now Mark tells us in chapter 11 verse 2 that the cult was one upon which no one had ever sat in other words it was reserved and in this case it's reserved for sacred use it's interesting how this unbroken animal yielded to the Lord without resistance when you read your Bible you see that that is very true whenever the Lord is is making any kinds of commands or whatever you see demons respond to him in obedience fevers are dealt with blindness leaves leprosy paralysis even death itself yields to his command and donkeys do too it's interesting that it is rebellious man who refuses to yield with yield to him the other things do but man doesn't well in verse 6 it says the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them they brought the donkey and the cult they laid their clothes on them and set him on them they made it more comfortable for him to ride on this animal is a very subtle evidence of their love and honor as they were caring for him in verse 8 very great multitude spread their garments on the road others cut down branches from the trees spread them on the road multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out saying who's honor to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord was on in the highest when you begin to look at the different gospel accounts of this you're going to note that John gives more insight because what you actually have is you have people following Jesus from the Mount of Olives and he's coming down towards the city but you have people coming from the city of Jerusalem who are coming out and meeting him as he's going on this on this road and I've been on that road it comes to mind even as I'm thinking this my wife and I have been on this particular road something like 27 times we've walked down this road so many times and just the drama of that just the impact of that as you're walking down from the Mount of Olives and walk down this very steep road on your way and you pass up the Garden of Gethsemane gethsemane as you do so and then you move on in this is what's taking place according to John 12 verses 12 and 13 it says a great multitude that had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him and they cried Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the King of Israel and this is where we get the term Palm Sunday from they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him I want to take a moment to read to you what Luke records because he records what happened just before Jesus entered the city and I want to use this for an encouragement to us in an exhortation because in Luke 19 verses 41 through 44 Luke says as he drew near he saw the city and 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 close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation you know when I first got saved there were new new pieces of art drawings that were made depicting Jesus it became very popular for a while if you look in the older artwork from the Middle Ages and even prior to that different renditions of biblical scenes and all very often the depiction of Jesus is with a sorrowful look in his face very often he's got a brokenness about him that was very well known and all but when I got saved people wanted to show the joy of the Lord and so now you had the smiling Jesus and I'll be honest with you between the smiling and happy Jesus and the broken Jesus I have more of a tendency of leaning towards the depictions of him with a tear in his eye and I'm not quite sure why maybe it's because I realized that I've caused him pain I don't know but I also know that that speaks deeper into my heart knowing that he loved me he loves us enough to cry over us when you read when you read your Bible and you see that Jesus had a friend by the name of Lazarus and you see that this friend had died and how that Jesus had gone to wake him up if you will how that he stood by Lazarus' tomb the easiest scripture in the Bible to memorize two words in the English Jesus wept and I was impacted by that because not only did he weep over an individual a friend it said in in John 11 concerning that now Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters and love sometimes weeps and he wept and he wept over one man but he wept over how it affected others how somebody's death affects family and friends but you know he also weeps over cities and he was weeping over Jerusalem not just over the one man but to all those people he wept he stood there and it was so obvious that he was weeping that was written in scripture and as they're standing there next to their master in the midst of all in the midst of all the celebration people are throwing down palm branches they're shouting Hosanna Hosanna all the celebration in the midst of all of that there are still tears and he stops and he looks into the city he looks at that city picture that in your mind's eye for a moment and he stops and he weeps over a city that is so lost if you'd have known even you especially in this your day the things that make for your peace but now they're hidden for your eye from your eyes you don't see them can you imagine the broken heart of the master you guys sometimes have tears in your eyes over the lost in our cities lost in our nation do you do you weep over them I do not every day not every moment but I do but I do there are so many hurting people so many broken lost people I think that the church has to learn to cry again but so much garbage on TV so many phony phony preachers who who are so busy building their preaching empires and their financial wealth the cost of so many broken people I've told pastors I've said to them look out in your congregation get to know them get to know them I don't care how big your church is they'll come and speak to you if you step down there for a while I have conversations with people every week and many of them are sad many of them are people walking up and saying to me my my husband died on Friday I'm here on Sunday my heart is broken and I've spoken to to the the young woman who was in a laundromat who said pray for me because on Friday I was doing my wash at a local laundromat and I was and I was raped I have spoken to the parents who have lost their babies I've spoken to so many broken hearted people and then sometimes you'll hear preachers like everything's just always so good everything is always so happy when in fact yes thank God for the joy he brings into our life thank God for the work he does in us bless you Lord for your goodness in your mercy oh I'm thankful to you for that I really am but I also know they're a broken people don't ever forget that don't ever forget that you have the broken single mother you have the broken little boy you have brokenness all around you because of what sin has done and Jesus stood there and he looks at a city and he weeps for it and he weeps for it because they're lost if only you would have known this day if you'd have known the things that make for your peace but they're hidden from your eyes you rejected your Messiah his heart was broken they rejected him they will suffer for some of you who are watching how long has the Lord waited for you to come perhaps you were raised in a home of faith but you rejected the things mama said to you and what your dad said to you or grandma or grandpa for that matter how many heartbreaks do you need to go through before you come to the one who heals the broken heart and understand that as Jesus was weeping over a city and weeping over a friend his heart is still moved by you and you can come to him you can open your heart to him and you can say God be merciful to me I really am a sinner I have rejected you he said in verse 44 notice you did not know the time of your visitation that word visitation is a word that is translated investigation or inspection when the word is used one commentator pointed out it's 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 the day of your visitation what's he speaking about you didn't know the day of your visitation what is he speaking about how could they have known of this inspection well when you read the Old Testament book of Daniel written 605 years or so before Christ Daniel gave in chapter 9 of his book a portion that is referred to as the 70 week prophecy in Daniel 9 24 through 27 allow me to read it to you it says 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness to seal up 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 seven weeks and 62 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 the people of the Prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary the end of it shall be with the flood and till the end of the war desolations are determined he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate now I've given whole studies that take 45 to 50 minutes on this one portion I'm only going to gel it for a minute because I want to point something out the day of the visitation so when you look at this Daniel 9 24 through 27 the prophet prophesies 490 years I determined to accomplish several things to finish the transgression which speaks of the Jews receiving Messiah when he comes to make an end of sin to completely deal with sin to make reconciliation for iniquity which was accomplished through Jesus to bring in everlasting righteousness which occurs at the second coming to seal up vision and prophecy which is not necessary any long when all is complete anymore when all is complete and to anoint the most holy referring to Jesus in his reign as Messiah and so that's basically what you see but in chapter 9 verse 25 of Daniel he said no therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commander restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the prince there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks which when you add together obviously are 69 weeks there are 70 weeks prophesied but he speaks of 69 weeks and then there's the 70th week and there was a man by the name of Sir Robert Anderson he he lived in in from from 1841 to 1918 he was the second assistant commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police from 1888 to 1901 he was also an intelligence officer he was a theologian as well as a writer and Sir Robert Anderson established the fact that 69 of Daniel's 70 weeks have now transpired and that the tribulation is what is called the 70th week so he wrote a book it's called the coming Prince and in the coming Prince Anderson gave us insight into the 70 week prophecy and this is what Sir Robert Anderson did he treated it as weeks of years because he he counted 490 days after the order to restore and build Jerusalem had been had been given and he discovered that nothing had happened and so what he did is he he took those weeks instead of having weeks of days he made them into weeks of years because according to Leviticus 25 3 and 4 Israel had a system of weeks of years one day representing one year and so he looked and he saw that art exert sees had given a command to restore and rebuild and you find that in Nehemiah chapter 2 and the date is very well documented the date of that order March 14th 445 BC now Daniel wrote of 69 weeks of years he had the other year which is his 70th which makes the 70 week prophecy so when you take 69 weeks times the seven days of the week times 360 which is the days that equal a year and then you include what we call leap years and he did that the number was 173,880 days and he began to count the days for March 14th 445 because that is when the command was given and he kept on counting on the calendar including leap years and all of that and it concluded at April 6th AD 32 which is Palm Sunday Palm Sunday the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem and Jesus wept because he said you didn't know your day of visitation it was there in Scripture all along they just didn't know it you were warned in Scripture but you didn't know it and Jesus wept over it they didn't recognize their Messiah those Scripture had prepared them to receive him and he weeps because he says destruction is now going to come and destruction did come under Titus of Rome in AD 70 now of course someone's going to say oh that that's difficult to really I mean who could actually count out 173,000 plus days and all of that here's the thing that may have been hidden within the Scripture and all it was Rabbi's responsibility to keep track of those things I think pastors have a tremendous responsibility to study the Word of God and to seek him for these things of course the bottom line is the things that we speak about today are not as difficult to comprehend as 173,880 days listen guys what we teach as pastors and teachers is it's kind of obvious are you lost yeah do you want to be found yeah are you a sinner well I make mistakes no I didn't ask if you make mistakes I asked are you a sinner depends on what sin is well have you ever lied yeah a few times they ever stolen this I have you ever been disobedient to your mom or your dad yeah you're a sinner you may not be as bad as some people who are hardened criminals who were behind bars right now but all I've sinned and fall short of the glory of God so are you perfect no you're not perfect then you need a savior don't you see that's just the basic thing that's not even that deep really is it and it's really not that deep all you need to be is a little bit honest with yourself bottom line I'm a sinner and only sinners need saviors and Jesus Christ in his gospel gave to us some very clear things very clear I'll have sin and fall short of the glory of God there's none righteous no not one it is appointed unto men to die once and after this the judgment but God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish they have everlasting life leave in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved these are promises these are basic things this is what preachers supposed to preach on Sundays to remind people that they're lost and in need of help or to encourage those who have been saved to live righteously for Christ but today unfortunately it seems that we've forgotten those things are so busy trying to build up things that that aren't gonna last instead of building up the body of Christ instead of teaching people how to handle the difficult times and be prepared for times like this we're so caught up trying to fill up our pews with people instead of filling up our people with Jesus and that's what's happening right now for many people they didn't know the time of this kind of visitation they weren't ready the Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord and it's in the lowest times that I've discovered how low he's willing to stoop to lift me up it's in my time of need that he shows when he's able to meet my need it's in my time of fear that he's able to reveal to me that he's the one who drives out fear it's when I'm weak that's when I become strong and that's what we're going through right now guys I believe that the church right now is being refined and I think that what's happening also is that people their faith is being revealed for what it is tested as through fire to reveal what sort it is quality it is and then God has given us opportunity to cast our cares on him so that he can show us how great he is how also you're going to discover how great he is if you don't go through things that require a great God and instead of being afraid every day be wise don't tempt the Lord don't be presumptuous don't do things that are unnecessary but at the same time hold fast to him and you will see the salvation of the Lord hold fast to him you see they close this when they say back in Matthew 21 and he comes into that city after all of this it says the city was moved and they said who is this notice verse 11 the multitude said it's Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee no he's not just a prophet he is the Messiah he's not simply the one who speaks forth the mind of God he is God in the flesh it's more than simply the prophet from Nazareth he is the Messiah from heaven and that's how he came and that's why he came in order that they would turn their hearts to him and so Palm Sunday today we can give our hearts to him too and if you're watching right now and you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ and yes I'm very serious about these things because your soul is something to be serious about if you've never opened your heart to Christ this is your opportunity are you one of those who have rejected him are you one of those who have heard the message and have never opened your heart well you need to do it today you need to give your heart to Jesus you need to say God be merciful to me forgive me I am a sinner I need your help and if you're ready to do that and willing to do that I want to pray with you let's close our eyes for a moment we're gonna close with prayer and if you want to give your heart to Jesus Christ right now say God be merciful to me and pray with me repeat in your heart as I say these these words father forgive me I know that I'm a sinner Jesus died on the cross to save sinners Jesus died to save me forgive me of my sins cleanse me give me a new life I'll follow you every day from this day forward in Jesus name