Jesus' Triumphal Entry | Mark Jones | 3-29-2026

On Sunday, guys are going to have to cut me a little bit of

grace today because many of, you know, lost about 1/4 of my

tongue about two months ago, almost to the day and cancer

free now, but not slur free. So you'll have to just bear with

me. But we'll get through this.

So I wanted to comment when I mentioned the Wednesday service.

I would strongly encourage you to go.

I have been there, I think every day but one.

The nice thing about this is if you have a family and you think,

man, I can't be there by 5:30, you don't have to worry about

dinner because there's pizza provided and plenty of it.

So if that is an encouragement, The second thing is there's a, a

prayer component to it, but it's not like corporate prayer.

So nobody's going to go Pat, you need to pray right now.

It's if you have a prayer request or you want to tell, you

know, give a thanks about something that happened, you can

do that. And so nobody's going to call on

you. And then Pastor Nick actually

gives a message about 1/2 hour, usually 1 of encouragement.

And so I know this past Wednesday, I, I thought I got to

go. I need to go, didn't want to go.

I had one of those weeks where, you know, sometimes you're the

dog and sometimes you're the hydrant.

And I had been definitely the hydrant this week and sat with

my arms folded in my chair. And at the end of it, my arms

weren't folded. And I was very glad I felt the

presence of God. I was very glad I had come.

So I would encourage you, if you don't feel like cooking, come

down and eat pizza. So, OK, so it is Palm Sunday.

Most of us know what that's about.

We're going to read a portion of the Luke 19.

You know we're going to go to the Lord in prayer.

Then as he was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of

Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice

and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that

they had seen saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name

of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory to the highest.

And some of the Pharisees called him from the crowd.

Teacher, rebuke your disciples. Father, we just, we just thank

you for who you are. I asked for a special blessing

today upon everyone who's here and especially on everyone who's

listening online. I know that there are people

that are gone that are dealing with family issues.

I know there are people that are dealing with health issues.

Every issue that can befall a human being people are dealing

with Lord and I would just ask a special blessing upon all of

them and that they would know that you were are near and that

you love them Lord and I'd ask you would help anoint this

message and help me to give it. I asked this in your name.

Amen. So the picture is, and I know

many of you have been to Israel. You know that there's an area

that's called Mount Olives, and it's kind of off to the east,

and then there's a slope that goes down to the Temple Mount,

and that's where the temple used to be.

And so what's going to happen is Jesus is going to come down.

He's going to go through the eastern gate, and he's going to

go into Jerusalem. But to understand really what's

going on here, you really have to go back and you have to go

back to Genesis because there is so much happening at this

moment. It's really kind of hard to

comprehend. And I would submit to you that

this event, him coming down on the, on a cult into the city of

Jerusalem is to accept the crown of David and to be acknowledged

as Christ. But we know that's not going to

happen because a week from now, Pastor Ben's or pastor, Pastor

Nick is going to be here giving a certain message on Easter.

So if there's ever a chapter in the Bible and there's probably

about 3 or 4 different sections in the Bible where there should

be a drum crescendo, it is this point here because this is the

culmination of it of the entire Old Testament.

So let's go back to Genesis 1 and we're going to read through

this. Then God said let us make man in

our image according to our likeness.

Now this first sentence is really critical because what it

tells us that the creation of man, we were not gods and we

were intended to reflect the character and nature of God.

It continues, Let them have dominion over the fish of the

sea, over the birds of the air and over the cattle, over all

the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on

the earth. So God created man in his own

image, in the image of God. He created him, male and female.

He created them. Then God bless him and God said

to them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and

subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of

the sea, over the birds of the air, and over everything that

moves on the earth. And God said, see, I have given

you every herb and seed yield that yields seed, which is on

the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields

seed to you. It shall be for food also to

every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and

everything that creeps on the earth in which there is life.

I have given every green herb for food.

And so it was. Then God saw everything that He

had made, and indeed it was very good.

So we have the creation, and Adam and Eve are given dominion

over the earth. They have everything provided

for them, and He gives them another command, and this is in

Genesis 217 at 15. Then the Lord took the man, and

put him in the Garden of Eden to 10 and keep it.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of

the garden you may eat, you may freely eat, but the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day

that you eat of it, you shall surely die.

So we know that there was a tree there.

I think the tree of life is the second one that was present.

And we also have this tree of knowledge of good and evil, and

you just weren't supposed to eat it.

So what happens? Genesis 3 Now the serpent was

more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had

made. And he said to the woman, Has

God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of

the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in

the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor

shall you touch it, lest you die.

And the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die,

for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be

open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it

was pleasant to the eyes, a tree desirable to make one wise, she

took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband

with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them

were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed

fig leaves together and made themselves coverings, and they

heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the

cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid

themselves from the presence of the Lord, along with the trees

of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam

and said to him, Where? Where are you?

So he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid

because I was naked, and I hid myself.

And he said, Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you

should not eat? And the man said, the woman who

you gave to me, she gave it to me, she gave me of the tree and

ate. And the Lord said to the woman,

What is this that you've done? The woman said, the serpent

deceived me and I ate. So the Lord God said to the

serpent, because you've done this, you're a cursive more than

all the cattle and more than every beast of the field on your

belly. You shall go, and you shall eat

dust for the days of your life. And I will put empathy between

you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.

He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

To the woman. He said, I will greatly multiply

your sorrow and your conception in pain.

You shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your

husband, and he shall rule over you.

Then to Adam he said, Because you have heeded the voice of

your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded

you, which from the tree of which I commanded you, saying,

You shall not eat it, curse it is the ground for your sake in

toil. You shall eat it.

Eat of it, and in the days of your life both thorns and

Thistle shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb

of the field. And So what of your face?

You shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of

it you were taken. For dust you are, and dust you

are to return. And Adam called his wife's name

Eve, because she was a mother of all living Also for Adam and his

wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them.

Then the Lord said, Behold, the man has become like us, we know

good and evil, and now lest he put on out his hand, and take

also from the tree of life, and eat and live forever, therefore

the God. Therefore God sent him out of

the garden to Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

He also drove out the man and he was placed and he placed

cherubim at the East End of the garden with a flaming sword

which turned every way to guard the way of the tree of life.

So I mean, most of us have heard this, you know, the general

concepts of this. But, you know, it's really kind

of hard to comprehend exactly what Adam and Eve lost when

they, when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

And you know, these, they were taken care of.

I suspect they had never seen death.

And, you know, Can you imagine having the Lord come down and

walk with you, want to walk with you, and you're talking to him.

You know, there there's some extra biblical sources like

Joe's pieces and some of the Jewish histories that talk about

Adam wrestling with lions, you know, not getting hurt, you

know, in a playful way. And them playing hide and seek,

you know, hide and seek with the Lord.

Praise is not going to work too good with you.

It's like playing Jeopardy with him.

He's going to know the answer. You know, it's, it's hard to

comprehend exactly what we lost when when we fell in the garden.

You know, and I'll tell you every time we get on an airplane

and go to the Bahamas or Hawaii or wherever your favorite place

is to decompress. Really, I think we're trying to

get back to the garden, but it's not going to happen this side of

heaven. So some of you may be surprised

to see the serpent, which is of course, Satan.

And so a couple of verses that kind of explain why Satan is

appearing in this particular chapter and why he tempted them.

First of all, we have to remember that he absolutely

hates us. And I know it's hard to, to, to

get into this mindset where you think there's this spiritual

entity that you can't see that literally hate you.

And I suspect a lot of that is jealousy because he was God's

Angel up there and he got so full of himself that he thought

he could be like God. And of course, we know that he

was kicked out of heaven along with the 30 the angels.

And there's a it's discussed in Isaiah 14 how you have fallen

from heaven, O Lucifer, sun of the morning, how you are cut

down to the ground, you who weakened the nations.

For you have said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven, I shall

exalt my throne above the stars of God.

I also sit on the mount of Congregation on the farthest

side of the north. I will ascend above the heights

and the clouds. I will be like like not actually

the the most time, but like the most time.

Yet you shall be brought down to shell, which is another word for

hell to the lowest depths of the pit.

Those who see you will gaze at you now I, This Is Us.

If you're saved, those who see you will gaze at you and

consider you saying, is this the man who made the earth tremble,

who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and

destroyed the cities, who did not open the House of his

prisoners? And then in the New Testament,

Jesus says, and then this is what's happened, is he sent 70

people out. This is kind of the start of the

the gospel and sending people out to spread it.

And he sent 70 people out. This is Luke 10.

Then the 70 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons

are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, this is

Jesus. I saw Satan fall like lightning

from heaven. Behold, I give to you authority

to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power

of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this that the spirits are

subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are

written in heaven. So it's pretty logical that when

Satan fell, he fell to earth. I mean, I guess he could fall to

the moon, but it pretty, it seems pretty logical.

That's that's where he ended up and he's on the earth and we

know that he's, this is kind of his domain that he has power on

the earth. And so he, he set out and he

successfully caused man to fall in a garden.

And so what's happened now God has driven them out of the

Garden of Eden. I know for a fact you did it in

a Mopar product because one of the texts says he, he drove them

out in a fury. If you guys don't know what if

you kids don't know what a fury is?

Google it. But anyway, he drove them out of

the Garden of Eden. And so now there's a situation

where he still wants to be with, he still loves mankind and he's

got not personally, but he's got a sin problem where actually

he's got man's sin problem. And man has a sin problem

because he's now falling. And it is from this point that

the entire Old Testament begins. And it is literally how God is

going to fix man's sin problem. And there are over 350, maybe

400 different references to the coming Christ, to how God's

going to fix this. I, I was going to jokingly say

we'll go through all 350 of them, but we're not.

But the Old Testament, the entirety of it points to this

coming Christ, this coming once and for all sacrifice that's

going to occur at some point. Now I can think of no better

example of this in Genesis 22, and that's Abraham and Isaac,

and starting at 22. Now it came to pass after these

things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he

said, here I am. Then he said, take now your son,

your only son Isaac, or we heard that only son whom you love, and

go to the land of Moriah, and offer him.

There is a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I

shall tell you. So Abraham rose early in the

morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with

him and Isaac his son. And he split the wood for the

burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God

had told him. Then on the third day, third

day, Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place far off.

And Abraham said to the young man, Stay here with the donkey

and the lad, and I will go Yonder and worship, and we will

come back to you. So Abraham took the wood of the

burnt offering and waited on Isaac his son.

And he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and the two of them

went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his

father, and said, my father. And he said, yes, I'm here, I am

my son. Then he said, look, the fire in

the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself the

lamb for a burnt offering. So the two of them went

together. Then he came to the place of

which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar

there, and placed the wood in order, And he bound Isaac his

son, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the

wood. And Abraham stretched out his

hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said,

Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am.

And he said, Do not lay a hand on the lad, or do anything to

him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not

withheld your son, your only son, for me.

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there beyond him was

a ram caught in the thicket by its horns.

So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt

offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of

the place. The Lord will provide, as it is

said to this day in the mount of the Lord shall be provided.

So I don't know of a better example of a foreshadowing of

what's going to happen in the New Testament than what's being

done. And there's other examples of

it. I'm not going to bore you with

them, but there are clearly lots of examples that point to this

once and for all sacrifice to cure man's sin.

And so we find Jesus back up on the slope and it's 33 Adi think

it's NASAN. 10 was the Jewish date if I remember correctly.

And interestingly, this triumphal entry, at least

according to the research I've done, actually happened on

Monday. And it had to do with calendar,

which is kind of weird because we think of it as a Sunday, but

it actually happened on Monday. And coincidentally, it happened

to fall on the day that the sacrificial lamb was selected

for the Passover. So I mean, we've got all these

coincidences happening at the same time.

But again, Jesus is still up on mount by the mount, Mount of

Olives. He's about to come down, he's

going to come into Jerusalem. And of course we know because

we've already had that he's going to go through about 5 days

of of chaos. Friday is going to be hell.

He's going to be scourge to the point where his spine can be

seen. He's going to have his beard

ripped off. He's going to be beaten and he's

going to be crucified. And so that's not the only

problems that Jesus is dealing with because he, he's a local

guy. And so you kind of have to

understand as you're reading from the time that he makes this

triumphal entry and even in the earlier parts of the New

Testament, you you've got the issue that they know this guy.

They've known him since he was a kid.

And so in John 641, one of the references to this says the Jews

then complained about him because he had said, I am the

bread which came down from heaven.

And they said, is not this Jesus the son of Joseph who father,

whose father mother we know? How is it then that he says I

have come down from heaven? So kind of a weird deal.

So what happens is he's fighting this, you know, local boy.

Now that's not the only problem. And let me so here's a here's

the second problem. And this again is in John three.

I know that you are Abraham's descendants.

This is Jesus speaking. I know that you are Abraham's

descendants, but you seek to kill me, because my word has no

place in you. I speak what I have seen with my

father, and you do what you have seen with your father.

And their father, According to him, is the devil.

And they answered him and said to him, Abraham is our father.

And Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's children, you

would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a

man who has told you the truth from which I heard from God.

Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father

the devil. And then they said to him, and

listen to this. Then they said to him, we were

not born of fornication. We have one father God.

And So what what they're, they're saying to Jesus as they

believe that he's the bastard son of a Roman soldier.

And so, you know, you can kind of see how this is happening.

I mean, think about the whole sequence.

You have Mary and Joseph are going to be married and during

that time before the marriage and I and maybe Joseph was gone

for a period of time. I mean, I'm just a speculation,

but somehow everybody in the community knows Joseph hasn't

been there or he's not suspected of being the father.

And God implants Jesus into the womb of Mary and she shows up

pregnant. So there, everybody's going.

Yeah, we know what happened. I mean, I'm sure I would do the

same thing. I mean, Can you imagine?

Here's here's Jesus going back, you know, down from Nazareth

because we know he was born in Bethlehem.

His family fled to Egypt. He ends up coming back to

Nazareth and what a miserable place.

I've been there a couple times and I, I hate that place.

I don't like it. But the mountains there where

they're going to throw Jesus off of it.

I mean, I've seen it, but you can imagine.

So they're coming down for the Passover.

You know, they come, they're coming down, I imagine several

times a year from Nazareth, which is north down to

Jerusalem, which is South. And, you know, here's Jesus

probably is a young child and I'm sure the people that you

know, what's going on are, you know, nudging each other, you

know, saying, hey, I wonder if he has to buy 2 Father's Day

cards, you know, So, you know, so there's this concept or this

belief that he is an illegitimate son of a, of a

Roman soldier. Now it's interesting when you

think about the fact that one point when he was 12, they came

down, I don't remember if it's for Passover, but for a festival

or feast or whatever. And when the parties leave and

head north, they don't realize Jesus didn't go with them.

And so at some point on the way N they're like, where's Jesus?

And they panic. And so everybody heads back to

Jerusalem. Well, he's in the temple and

he's, he's confounding the wise religious men.

And I would submit to you that if you've got a 12 year old

that's confounding the wise religious men that that child

would generally in that Jewish culture be fast tracked into a

rabbi position. I mean, he would be probably

taken and put into some program where program they have and

would be groomed to be one of these elite religious leaders.

But it didn't happen from what we can see.

And I would submit to you, the reason probably why it didn't is

because of what they thought his heritage was.

It wasn't Jewish or completely Jewish.

It was half Roman and half half Jewish speculation, but it's

interesting. So, so here's Jesus, He's got

all these problems going on. You know, this, this chaos

that's surrounding him. I guess he really doesn't have

any problems because he knows what he's going to do, but he

he's going to descend into this five days of misery and hell.

And like I say, the whole point of this, what was supposed to

happen? You're supposed to come down

that Temple Mount from or from the Mount Olives into the Temple

Mount where the the temple was still at and still standing and

accepted the crown David and be crowned with Christ.

But that's not going to happen. And there's a very interesting

study done by Chuck Missler. It's available on YouTube.

I if you're interested in this, he explains that the Jewish,

the, the elite Jewish leaders knew the day to the day that the

Christ was to appear in Jerusalem.

And this was that day. So if if you have an interest in

it, I'd encourage you to watch it, draw your own conclusions.

But, you know, we have this entire history with Jesus where

he's confronting these religious leaders.

And so, you know, we have these exchanges.

John 831 If you abide in my word, you are my disciples

indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make

you free. And they answered him.

We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to

anyone. Now you cannot, you have to

understand this is so asinine because they're, they've got

Roman rule over them. I mean, they can't, they can't

hardly do anything because they're under Roman rule.

Plus they've been captives twice.

And to say this is just craziness, but they say it to

him. We've never been in bondage to

anyone. How can you say you will be made

free? So what's happening is these

religious leaders, even if they knew the date and time, they're

not looking for this Jesus. They don't want this Christ.

Because what they're looking for is they're looking for Rambo

with a couple of slings of ammo over his shoulder and them

safety under his arm to go kick some Roman bottom.

But that's not going to happen. And they know this because this

is the crisis telling them if the if the Romans to ask you to

carry their pack a mile, carry it too.

If they, you know, if you get slapped on the cheek, turn the

other cheek. This is not the guy that they

want. They want somebody who's going

to take them out of bondage, even though they've just denied

being in bondage. And don't forget, Jesus has

poked these guys every chance with the truth.

And religious leaders, especially in the leaders, he's

continuously pointed out their sin.

He's continuously pointed out the hypocrisy of what they say

and what they do, and he's never held back for any reason.

And so they hate him, and they also know that about his

miracles. They know that despite every

effort to trap Him into some kind of sin for which they can

kill him or or embarrass him or do anything, every time they try

they fail. And of course He's out doing

these miracles. And so in John 845, we're

continuing on. Many of the Jews who had come to

Mary had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him, but some

of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the

things that Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the

Pharisees gathered the council and said, What shall we do?

For this man works many signs. If we let him alone like this,

everyone will believe him, and the Romans will come and take

away both our place and our nation.

But yet just a while ago they said they weren't captives.

But anyway. And then Caiaphas, being High

priest of the year, said to them, you know, nothing at all,

nor do you consider that is expedient for us, that one man

should die for the people and not that the whole nation should

perish. The irony of that statement, you

know, obviously Caiaphas is saying the truth.

He doesn't realize until then. In fact, one man has come to die

for the sake of the whole nation, for the sake of mankind.

So we know what the Jewish religious leaders were thinking

in their head. This is not the Christ we're

looking for. We need a guy who's going to

kick some rear. And then later Jesus said in

Luke 9, and he strictly warned and commanded them to tell no

one, saying the Son of Man must suffer many things.

This is his disciples He's telling us to.

And he will be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and

scribes, and be killed and raised on the third day.

And then later in the same verse at 51.

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for him to be

received up, saying steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

and sent messengers before his face, and that as they went,

they entered a village of the Samaritans prepare for him.

But they did not receive him because his face was set for the

journey to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and

John saw this, they said, Lord, do you want us to command fire

to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah

did? But Jesus rejected them, he

said. But he turned and rebuked them

and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to

save them, And they went to another village.

So as Jesus is standing waiting for the arrival of this colt,

this donkey, baby donkey, or young donkey, he's in, he's in a

lot of turmoil. I mean, he's calm.

He knows what he's going to do He's determine, He's got his

face set to complete this act. He knows what's coming down.

And so let's read all of Luke 19 now with this perspective.

When he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

And it came to pass when you drew near the best page in

Bethany at the mount called Alvet, that he sent two of his

disciples saying, go into the village opposite you.

Where you enter, you will find a colt tied to which no one has

ever sat lucid, and bring it here.

And if anyone asks you, why are you losing it?

Thus you shall say to him, because the Lord has need of it.

So those who were sent on their way and found it just as he had

said to them. But as they were losing the

colt, the owners of it said to them, Why are you losing the

colt? And they said, the Lord has need

of him. And they brought him to Jesus.

And they threw their clothes on the colt and it and set Jesus on

it. And he went.

Many spread their clothes on the road and is suspected they also

threw palm leaves, which was common then as he was drawn near

the descent of the Mount of Olives.

So he's coming down and going to go through that Eastgate.

The whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God

with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,

saying, Blessed is the King, who comes in the name of the Lord,

peace in heaven, and glory to the glory in the highest.

And some of the Pharisees called him from the crowd, Teacher,

rebuke your disciples. But he answered them and and

said to them, I tell you that if these should keep silent, the

stones would immediately cry out.

And then Jesus, as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over

it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially on this

day, the things that make for your peace, but now they are

hidden from your eyes. For days will come when the

enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, and

close in on every side, and lovely you and your children

within you to the ground. And they will not leave in one

stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your

visitation. And then we know Jesus goes in

and one of the first things that happens as he went into the

temple began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

saying to them, it is written, My house is a House of prayer,

but you have made it a genome. Thieves.

And he was teaching daily in the temple.

But the chief priest, the scribes and the leaders of the

people sought to destroy him and were unable to do anything, for

the people were very attentive to hear him.

And then finally we know what happens, that he's arrested and

Scourge, I know Pastor Nick's going to talk about this next

week. I'd be surprised if he didn't.

And on that day when he was crucified, Luke 44, now it was

about the 6th hour and there was darkness over all the earth.

He's, he's been crucified until the 9th hour.

Then the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was torn

in two. And then Jesus cried out in a

loud voice. He said, Father, into your hands

I commend my spirit. And having said this, he

breathed his last. You know, Can you imagine the

people in Jerusalem on Friday night after the crucifixion,

after all of the years of miracles and the stories and the

things that were happening when, when Jesus was in its ministry

for those three years and they had to know that he had risen,

raised Lazarus, remember, just before he came into, and the

trip down to the Mount of Olives and down into Jerusalem.

And, and the thing that just cracked me up, I was with his

sense of humor. Right before they crucify him, a

guy gets his ear cut off and he sticks his ear back on.

I mean, can you, how are the, how are the priests dealing with

that? But now it's Friday evening,

it's late at night in Jerusalem. I imagine it's quieter.

But Can you imagine the thoughts that are going through people's

minds? We have the benefit of knowing

the rest of the story. We know that there's going to be

an empty tomb, but they didn't. But yet the question still

remains that they were asking themselves.

And it's amazing 2000 years later, people in this world are

still asking, who was Jesus? Was he really the Christ Lord?

I just, I just pray special blessing upon these people.

Lord, I ask you will make yourself present to them.

We thank you for what you did on Calvary and we thank you for

what you did as the guardian tomb Lord being raised.

We know Lord that you suffered immensely and I we just have no

comprehension what our sin has cost you.

We just ask that you will prepare our minds, our hearts

for this coming Easter and we will understand what really

happened as that tomb. We ask this in your name, Amen.