Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Welcome to the Chroma Church podcast.
[00:00:07] As we go into this Easter week.
[00:00:11] If you don't get anything else out of the story of Easter, it's the goodness of God. God loves his people. He loves to bless and to heal and to change lives. And what I want to do today is start with Palm Sunday, which is where we are today. But I want to tell you the greatest story, the story that will change the world, the story that is ongoing today on the 13th of April, 2025, the year of our Lord.
[00:00:44] And I don't know if you realize, but the church calendar with Christmas, Easter, Pentecost.
[00:00:56] The reason we have these Landmar is so that we keep telling the story and so that we understand where we fit into the story, okay? Because it's no good knowing a story unless you know how you fit into the story and the difference the story can make in your life. So, Amelia, read this right as we at the start of the service, but most of you hadn't arrived then. So find.
[00:01:23] Find Luke, chapter 19. And we're going to read it. Read it again. Why don't you stand as we read? We're going to do Luke 19 from verse 28.
[00:01:35] When he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass when he drew near to Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that he sent two of his disciples, saying, go into the village opposite you, where as you enter, you will find a cult tied on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you why you loosen it thus, you shall say to him, because the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, why are you loosing the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it. Then they brought him to Jesus, and they threw their own clothes on the cult, and they set Jesus on him. And as he went, many spread their clothes on the ground.
[00:02:34] Then, as he was now drawing near the Descent of Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees called to him from the crowd, teacher, rebuke your disciples. But he answered them, I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out, amen. Right.
[00:03:11] Take A seat. Here we go.
[00:03:16] So today we start what the church calls the seven days of Holy Week. And next Sunday, we celebrate Easter, the risen Jesus. And in the evening, we're going to baptize, I think, more people than we've ever baptized in an evening service. I'm not sure, but I think so. It's going to be really fun, but let's start. I'm going to do seven days. We're going to move quick. Day one. Behold your king. Humble riding a donkey. You see, the salvation of God is not ushered in with a king riding a white stallion in incredible armor, but rather the Son who has humbled himself and come to earth, who hasn't held onto all the glory of heaven, but came as a man, Emmanuel, God with us. That's the Christmas story, that Jesus is born into the world. That God. All of the other religions, they're trying to find God. Christianity is different. God comes and finds us, and he comes and walks amongst us. And this God who is with us as he rides into Jerusalem, the prophetic story of redemption, how we are rescued, is unfolding before our eyes. Zechariah says, behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a donkey. You see, the picture here is creation rising to the king.
[00:04:53] And what happens is, as Jesus rides in on this donkey, people spontaneously just start laying their coats down on the road. And they start breaking off branches of the palms and start waving them. They cry out, hosanna. Hosanna to the son of David. That as Jesus, the people, there's something that goes off inside of them. You know, we've seen it here as we worship, sometimes we'll be singing and something goes off inside us. There's more than what we're doing. And they just start laying their coats as Jesus welcoming the son of God into Jerusalem. And whenever God moves, I believe it always starts in prayer and worship.
[00:05:40] God responds to the prayers and worship of his people. And whenever his people start to worship, there's always somebody saying, be quiet.
[00:05:51] You're getting out of control.
[00:05:53] We just sang that song, needing oxygen. I needed oxygen. At the end of it, I look around, I said, can somebody just get me some air?
[00:06:08] But there's always, oh, it's just too much. It's too much. And that's what the religious people are saying to Jesus. Tell your disciples. It's too much. It's too much. Stop it. And Jesus says, if they stop it, the creation will start. The rocks will start to cry out praises to God because They knew more than the religious leaders because the king is coming. And Cromer Church. If I have one request from you, it is that you would never stop worshiping Jesus in an undignified way. That you would be like David and you'd just go crazy. Viv, never grow up, all right? I want you to grow, mature in the Lord, but never grow up and go, oh, no, that's just for the children. That's for the family. It's for all of us that we lose our dignity because he stepped down from heaven for us. And so that when we go into praise and worship, we lower ourselves and he gets the glory. And it's interesting, you know, you read these stories and it's only when you look at a whole week in time that the praise and worship on Palm Sunday as Jesus comes in Jerusalem, makes way for the temple to be cleared.
[00:07:28] You see, when we praise and worship, when we lose ourself in adoration, there's something that happens in the spiritual atmosphere that enables change. You see, when you praise, the spiritual atmosphere changes and your life starts to change because you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. So when you praise, something starts to happen inside of you. And when we praise together, guess what? The church is cleared. Something starts. You know, when you all go, this place is going to look like a bomb site. There's cups, there's leaflets, there's chairs everywhere.
[00:08:13] And it needs clearing out, okay, for the next gang. When we praise, when we come into the presence of God, it's like there's a clear out not only of our lives, but in the church as well.
[00:08:27] The praise and worship cleans the church.
[00:08:33] So that's day one, day two.
[00:08:36] So day two, and I've already touched on it, Jesus walks to go to the temple. It's Monday morning. And en route there's a fig tree. And he curses the fig tree. And you think that's really strange because it doesn't sound like nice old Jesus, does it? You know, why would he do that? But what he's showing is God is looking for fruit. God wants to see fruit in our lives. And where the spirit of God is, there is always fruit. Even in the worst moments, even in the most difficult times of our life, he is always producing fruit in our life. And then, so what happens next is Jesus goes to the temple and he shows what fruit is meant to look like. And he gets a whip and he starts clearing the temple. That's not the fruit bit. But again, you think, what is going on? And he drives the money Changers out of the temple. And he says, my house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
[00:09:44] And Mark. We were reading from Luke's gospel, but Mark's gospel gives us a little hint. Why? Because Mark tells us he went after the. The money changers that were selling the doves.
[00:09:58] Excuse me. And the doves were the smallest offering for the poor.
[00:10:05] They were the offering that enabled you to come into the presence of God, that you would and that almost anyone could afford the dove. But what they were doing was they were pushing the price up, and they were making it so the poor and the broken couldn't come into the presence of God. So Jesus drives them out. Because what Jesus is saying, the fruit of my church, is that anybody, anybody can come to the throne of God. My house is a house of prayer and worship for the poor, for the broken, for the sinner, for those that are thirsty, for the sick. Those. Don't stop them approaching the throne. And I want to say to you, if you need Jesus today, his arms are wide open.
[00:10:55] And even in the ministry time, I just sensed there were a number of people that needed a miracle in their life this week. His arms are wide open to you.
[00:11:11] I love, I love this place.
[00:11:14] But we've had, you'll see all the scaffolding up. There's some repairs going on finally. And, and I, I, I sometimes, just sometimes when I'm praying, I, I get a little down. Lord, why didn't you give us this beautiful building? Because you might not know, but often during the week when it rains, we're sweeping the water out of here because that's what they're repairing at the moment. And so we've had all sorts of flooding problems and stuff like that. And I'm going, lord, Lord, you know, with all the water coming in and the disrepair, it just, it just doesn't look very nice. Why didn't you? I mean, obviously I wasn't complaining because I'd never do that. Just like none of you would ever complain when you pray, right? But it's better to pray and complain than not pray at all. All right. The Lord is good. Anyway, I'm just going, why? Why? Why haven't you given us this beautiful building? And he said, I've given you my presence.
[00:12:14] I'm there. That's what makes it beautiful.
[00:12:18] I'm right in your midst.
[00:12:20] That's why the people come. No one comes for a beautiful building. They're coming because I'm there.
[00:12:28] And that, you know, a number of times we Thought maybe we just need to move out of the city center. Maybe we need to find a nice building somewhere on the outskirts.
[00:12:43] But the thing is, he's here. And I know he'll go wherever we go, but actually we're meant to go where he goes. And he's here. So we're here.
[00:12:56] And the temple is clean. When the holy God is in the temple, when his presence dwells, he's the one who purifies his church. Day 2 Day 3 Jesus teaches the disciples. So we're on Tuesday now. Okay, so Jesus teaches the disciples on the Mount of Olives. And it's interesting, he says, he does three things. He tells them of the destruction of Jerusalem.
[00:13:29] He says, Jerusalem is about to fall. It's going to fall.
[00:13:32] He says. He tells them about the end times. He says, this is what it's going to be like in the end. Get yourselves ready. And then he says, I am coming back. He talks about his return and what I want you to. As we go through Holy Week, I want you to think about this. You cannot separate the death and the resurrection of Jesus with his return.
[00:14:03] We live in between two ages.
[00:14:08] The coming of the kingdom and the fulfillment of the kingdom.
[00:14:12] And Jesus says, you have a choice which way you lean. That when Jesus came, he ushered in the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of God. But he says, I am coming back to fulfill it completely. And we used to teach it like this, that we would believe in the now and the not yet of the kingdom, that the kingdom is now, but it's also future.
[00:14:37] And I still don't necessarily disagree with that theology. The problem with it is we kept landing on the not yet.
[00:14:49] We were leaning into. It's not here because we were leaning back into instead of forwards.
[00:14:57] So we would pray for the sick and someone wouldn't get healed. And we'd go, oh, it must be the not yet.
[00:15:02] Instead of contending for the now, we would preach the gospel. And people wouldn't respond, oh, well, it must be the not yet instead of. No, it is the now. Because Jesus said, preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead. Now.
[00:15:22] Okay, so it's about which way are we going to lean?
[00:15:28] And we declare the cross and the resurrection that we look back to. But we look forward to the parousia, the return of Jesus when the sky splits open, when he doesn't come as in secret, as a little baby, but he comes as king. That is what we're looking forward to, you see, that will center eternity.
[00:16:00] When I became a Christian, I became a Christian in the late 1970s, some of you weren't born, but we used to talk a lot about this, I remember. And sometimes it was a little unhealthy because we'd look at the news and go, it's next week. The world's coming to an end. I mean, I dread to think if those people were still alive today, what they think listening to the news.
[00:16:23] Okay? But there were, you know, songs that we would sing. Wish we'd all been ready, you know, because, you know, one is left and one is taken away. Those books written hell into the Great Lake, Planet Earth and things like that. But what we. What it did was it gave us an urgency.
[00:16:39] It gave us an urgency that Jesus is going to return.
[00:16:43] And if the story of Easter teaches us anything, it's that the prophets say that Jesus is coming, and he comes. The prophets say that he's going to die, and he dies for us. He says, I am coming back.
[00:17:03] And both Paul and Peter a number of times refer to this urgency that Jesus is returning. And I was just thinking, you know, I was just sitting, thinking about today, and I was saying, if Jesus was coming back next week, what would I change in my life?
[00:17:21] What would I do differently? What would I not need to do?
[00:17:25] And you see, the early church, their passion was the return of Jesus Christ, that he would come and fully establish this kingdom that he started by the death and resurrection. And I just want to ask you, this week, you know, is the urgency of the kingdom in your life, and if you knew he was coming next month, maybe not tomorrow, but next month, what would you change?
[00:17:52] And then start to put some of those changes in place. Because Jesus said, I am coming back, and the church needs to be ready. And he's coming back for a bride, a beautiful bride that will welcome him.
[00:18:13] Day four, Holy Wednesday, which, coincidentally, is my day off. And he took Wednesday off as well. We don't know what he did on Wednesday. He rests.
[00:18:25] So whatever you're doing on Wednesday, have a rest.
[00:18:30] If you're around on Tuesday night, we're going to break bread and do communion at revival prayer. I know we've got it all out. We should be doing it on the Thursday, but who cares, right? We're all out on Tuesday, so we're going to do it then. And then. Day five, Maundy Thursday.
[00:18:49] Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper. Before he suffers, he says this. I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you because it's about to be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He says, my body broken for Each of you. My blood shed for each of you. Have you ever thought. Who was there?
[00:19:13] Have you ever thought about.
[00:19:15] He's eating with the disciples. I've eagerly desired this meal because my blood is sufficient for every single one of you.
[00:19:29] Peter is going to deny him.
[00:19:33] Yet Jesus eagerly looks forward to eating with Peter.
[00:19:39] Judas, who will outrightly betray him, and Jesus will call him friend.
[00:19:49] James and John, who still want to be the greatest. You know, the mum's given up now, but they still want to be the greatest in the kingdom.
[00:20:00] Jesus eagerly desires to eat this meal with them. Thomas, who's going to doubt the resurrection? I don't know if God really. I don't know if he's alive. I'm not going to believe unless I see him standing in front of me. Jesus eagerly desires to eat with them. And all of them are going to leave him.
[00:20:23] Yet he eagerly desires to eat with them.
[00:20:27] Then he's going to take them to the Garden of Gethsemane. The disciples are going to fall asleep. And the stress of what is about to happen will be so strong on him, he will sweat drops of blood while they sleep. And he will wake them three times.
[00:20:47] Judas will hand him over with a kiss.
[00:20:53] And amidst it all, Jesus is going to heal the guards here.
[00:20:59] This is what Jesus is like.
[00:21:01] This is our God. This is what he does. You know, you really know what someone's like when they're under stress. This is what Jesus is like. And I just want to say to you, if you're going to walk with Jesus sometimes, you're going to let him down.
[00:21:17] His blood is sufficient for you. He still wants to eat with you. Do you know? We let him down and we pull back a bit. He eagerly desires to be with you. Even when you let him down. You might even deny him. His blood is sufficient for you. He loves you.
[00:21:36] You might go and do your own thing.
[00:21:39] His blood is sufficient for you.
[00:21:44] And you might doubt what he says in your life. His blood is sufficient for you. No matter where you find yourself, no matter what the circumstance is, because of this week that we celebrate. His blood is sufficient for you. Put your trust in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:22:09] Let him keep your heart sweet. And sometimes you're even going to have to call Judas, your friend, and you might go, I just don't know if I can do it. Sometimes it's just too hard.
[00:22:22] His blood is sufficient because without the Holy Spirit, neither could the disciples remember who was in the room with him. Without the Holy Spirit, they couldn't do it. Either day six, trial and crucifixion or Good Friday, Jesus will be falsely tried, whipped and beaten. He will carry his cross through the streets and he will fall to the ground. Have you ever wondered about that? I've often wondered about this. Jesus says, if anyone wants to follow me, he must pick up his cross and follow me. And there Jesus is carrying his cross through the ground. And he falls to the ground because it was too heavy for him, because he'd been beaten.
[00:23:16] And you know, often we carry our cross and it's too heavy for us that when we fall to the ground, he lifts us up.
[00:23:27] He forgives us. He is our strength. Why? Because his blood is sufficient for you and me.
[00:23:36] And Jesus will hang on a tree between two criminals. Deuteronomy says, anyone hung on a tree is cursed. The prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in a day. Isaiah, Psalms, Zechariah, for all the world to see.
[00:23:55] The sin of the world will be poured upon the spotless son who knew no sin. He will be alone, yet his last words are, it is finished.
[00:24:12] He will give his last breath for you and I.
[00:24:17] They will pierce him, just as Zechariah foretells. And blood and water will flow from his body, proving death. The Romans knew when someone was dead.
[00:24:29] And the curtain in the temple separating the holy of holies, where only the high priest could go once a year, will be torn from top to bottom. And access to the presence of God will be granted to anybody who knows Jesus.
[00:24:45] And as Jesus body falls to the ground, dead. The tombs of the dead Open and about 500 are raised from the dead. There are stories all around of the dead being raised. Not at the resurrection, it's at the crucifixion when Jesus breathes his last and his body hits the ground. And life, the life of God hits the ground and the dead are raised.
[00:25:12] This is the story of Holy Week. And this single act of God centers the whole of eternity. That Jesus would give his life for me, a sinner. And through this act, I wouldn't stay a sinner, but I'd become a son.
[00:25:31] And this is the invitation to you, your family and your friends.
[00:25:36] John opens his gospel with as many as received him. To them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name, who were not born of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
[00:25:56] And then day seven, he's laid in the tomb.
[00:26:02] All the angels that were waiting for the call to rescue him stand holding their breath.
[00:26:12] Heaven is silent.
[00:26:15] The powers of darkness are rejoicing. They're throwing a party.
[00:26:21] We've defeated Jesus and God's people experience the last feeling of despair that they will ever have to endure.
[00:26:38] The Son in the tomb, dead.
[00:26:45] But it's Friday and Sunday is coming.
[00:26:55] This Holy Week.
[00:26:58] Worship Jesus.
[00:27:01] Lose your dignity in praise.
[00:27:06] If there's anything that needs clearing out, clear it out.
[00:27:11] It's time. It's time for a spring clean.
[00:27:15] Live as if he's coming back next week.
[00:27:20] Get ready. Jesus is coming back. Stay close. His blood is sufficient for every single one of you.
[00:27:30] He loves you. He has covered you with his blood. And learn to live as a son or daughter, not a sinner, because he's washed you clean.
[00:27:43] And remember, it's Friday, but Sunday is coming when we celebrate.
[00:27:50] Thanks for listening to the Cromer Church Podcast. If you enjoyed this message, you can like and subscribe. You can also join us in person or online every Sunday at Cromer Church. For more information about us, including our ministries, events, worship and how to donate, visit our website at Cromer Church.
