Text: Luke 19:2843

Topic: Why Palm Sunday was significant

• Palm Sunday began with joy as Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, but ended in his weeping over Jerusalem.

His arrival was greeted with deserved joy.

• The people excitedly gathered to be blessed and healed and to receive Jesus' hope.

His arrival preceded betrayal.

• Palm Sunday marked the end of public affirmation for Christ's ministry.
• The people are fickle—those who cheered him on Palm Sunday cried, "Crucify him!" before the week was over.

Illustration: Harrington tells about Marvin Griffin, who while campaigning for governor of Georgia, held big barbeques for the people of Georgia, but on election day, they did not vote for him, and he lost.

Illustration: When asked if he enjoyed the people's enthusiastic greetings, Napoleon said that should circumstances change, the people would just as enthusiastically watch him die.

His arrival was accompanied by tears.

• Jesus wept over needy Jerusalem as a place of lost opportunity, for the people did not get his message.

Illustration: Harrington tells the story of a foster child who had retreated into a world of fantasy to cope with her life. She would write songs to mail to people, but instead of putting them in the mail, she would put them in a tree. Her negligent foster parents found one of the notes and read, "Whoever finds this note—I love you." Jesus reached out to Jerusalem in a similar way, but his efforts were to no avail.

His arrival demands our response.

• This holy week challenges us to ask, "Do we have anything that we can give to him?"

Illustration: Harrington mentions Chariots of Fire, in which runner Eric Liddell thought he felt the call of God to be a missionary, but he realized that when he ran, he felt the pleasure of God.

• God has need of our hearts, and it brings him pleasure when we give our hearts to him.