Thursday, April 2, 2020

Palm Sunday Sermon: “The Emotions of Lent: Joy”


“The Emotions of Lent: Joy”
Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland
Sunday 5 April 2020
Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

PALM SUNDAY
Old Testament: Zechariah 9:9             
Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11              
Epistle: Hebrews 12:1-3

It happened in Matthew 21:1-11, was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9, fulfilled in Hebrews 12:1-3.
Key text: Hebrews 12:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

A PALM SUNDAY WORD STUDY
JESUS “THE AUTHOR… OF OUR FAITH” ON THE CROSS
Author – literally ‘to begin’ + ‘to lead’

JESUS “ENDURED THE CROSS, SCORNING THE SHAME” OF THE CROSS
Endured – the preposition ‘under’ + the verb ‘to stand, to remain’ to remain under the cross.
Scorning – the preposition ‘against’ + the verb ‘to understand/to judge,’ judge against the cross.
Shame – from the verb ‘to dishonor, to make ashamed.’ It was here He reversed the entrance of shame into human existence at the fall in Genesis 3:10.

JESUS DID IT ALL BECAUSE OF “THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM” ON THE CROSS
Joy – from the verb ‘to rejoice, to be glad, to be favorably disposed’: a joy found in …
1. the basis of joy, the birth of Jesus -“….good news of great joy…” Luke 2:10
2. the salvation of a soul -“…rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…”  Luke 15:7
3. the security of our salvation – “…rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
4. the Holy Spirit gives it to us – “…the fruit of the Spirit is…joy…” Galatians 5:22

JESUS BECAUSE OF THE CROSS “SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD”
Sat down – from the verb ‘to be seated’ i.e. because He had completed His work He now could take a seat – “It is finished” He cried from the cross – John 19:30.

JESUS IS “THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH” BECAUSE OF THE CROSS
Finisher – ‘to complete, to perfect, to finish i.e. as in a race’- 2 Timothy 4:5.
Our lives of faith are framed by Jesus who began something in us that we have yet to experience being completed in heaven: “…Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

MONDAY MORNING

Q: Has Jesus begun to author faith in you, to lead you in a relationship with Him? With what adjectives would you describe it?

Q: With which of the four locations of joy, above, do you most identify? Why? 

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