"At the descent of the mount of Olives" we see Jesus on the colt looking toward Jerusalem. Jerusalem where the leadership was trying to hold onto political and religious power. As he entered the city, he was not recognized. Jesus wept over the city.
"I do not see triumph," said Pastor, "I see a weeping prophet who knew what was coming. He knew. He wept because they didn't know."
Amidst the shouts and praises, hell was breaking loose; Jesus was in torment, had already laid down his life.
Within the city, hatred and bitterness was harbored. Plotting to kill Jesus, rid the world of him was afoot..
- "Wherever hell is breaking loose, God is working most."
The demons of hell are fighting against the very salvation Jesus came to effect. Knowing what was to come, Jesus wept. "All goes downhill from here."
In the temple, Christ in anger threw out the moneychangers, turned over tables, for he found that
- the church that was meant to administer grace was hoarding grace to itself.
The house of prayer had become a den of robbers.
Do we put a safe distance between ourselves and the hell that is breaking loose? Robbers holding grace to ourselves that Christ commisioned us to offer to the world?
Christ called us to go to places where hell is breaking loose, to get messy.
- The church is not to be set by the boulevard, but rather next to the gates of hell. Why? To keep people from getting in!
I don't like to go where the road goes down.
Jesus: "Take up your cross and follow me."
We need to ask, "Where is hell breaking loose now?"
Do we come to church, set up a culture which distances us from that culture? Where there are people who are like me, who like me?
Jesus was not just celebrating praises: he was dying for a cause.
Hell is Breaking Loose. What are you doing about it?
Where we see the most pain, the most corruption, the most chaos, the most need, that is where God is pointing us to go. He carried our guilt, our sin, our cause, and he died for that.
We must not hold for ourselves that which we are commissioned to give to the world.
Pastor Johnnie Blair
Palm Sunday morning
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