Embracing the King of Glory This Palm Sunday
Summary
On this Palm Sunday, we gather to reflect on the significance of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and its connection to Psalm 24. As we explore these scriptures, we are reminded of the profound truth that Jesus is the King of Glory, the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Psalm 24 asks, "Who is this King of Glory?" and answers with clarity: it is the Lord, Yahweh, the one true God. This psalm, while celebrating God's presence, also points us to Jesus, who embodies the King of Glory as he enters Jerusalem.
In Luke 19, we witness the disciples' excitement as they approach Jerusalem, praising God for the miracles they have seen. They recognize Jesus as the King who comes in the name of the Lord, echoing the call to worship found in Psalm 24. This psalm invites us to lift our heads in joyous anticipation, for the King of Glory is here. It is a call to worship, to recognize the presence of God among us.
The psalmist emphasizes that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. God is not just the God of Israel but the creator and sustainer of all creation. This truth challenges us to see beyond ethnic, political, and geographical boundaries, recognizing God's authority over all. Even if people do not acknowledge this, creation itself will cry out in praise.
As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he weeps for the city, knowing the destruction that awaits due to their rejection of him. This moment reflects the heart of God, who desires all to come to him. Psalm 24 asks who may enter God's presence, highlighting the need for clean hands and a pure heart. Yet, it is not our actions that earn us salvation; it is a gift from God. Jesus, who lived out this righteousness perfectly, makes it possible for us to enter God's presence.
On this Palm Sunday, we are called to examine our hearts. Are we living lives that reflect the transformation brought by faith in Jesus? As we celebrate his journey to the cross, let us strive to live with clean hands and pure hearts, worshiping the King of Glory in spirit and truth.
Key Takeaways:
- The King of Glory: Psalm 24 identifies the King of Glory as the Lord, Yahweh, the one true God. This psalm points us to Jesus, who embodies this King as he enters Jerusalem. Recognizing Jesus as the King of Glory calls us to worship and acknowledge his presence in our lives. [26:52]
- Creation's Praise: Even if people do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, creation itself will cry out in praise. This truth reminds us of God's authority over all creation and challenges us to see beyond our limited perspectives. [31:21]
- God's Heart for All: Jesus weeps for Jerusalem, knowing their rejection of him. This moment reflects God's heart for all people, desiring that none should perish. It challenges us to share this heart, reaching out to those who have yet to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. [36:15]
- True Worship: Psalm 24 emphasizes the need for clean hands and a pure heart to enter God's presence. Yet, it is not our actions that earn us salvation; it is a gift from God. Jesus, who lived out this righteousness perfectly, makes it possible for us to worship in spirit and truth. [39:41]
- A Life Transformed by Faith: Verse 4 of Psalm 24 describes a life transformed by faith. As we place our faith in Jesus, we are called to live lives characterized by clean hands, pure hearts, and unwavering commitment to God. This transformation is both a gift and a calling. [39:41]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [18:20] - Fellowship and Board Games
- [22:14] - Guess Who and the Psalms
- [26:52] - Psalm 24 and the King of Glory
- [31:21] - Creation's Praise
- [36:15] - Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem
- [39:41] - True Worship and Clean Hands
- [01:02:42] - Closing Prayer and Reflection
- [01:11:40] - Farewell and Good Friday Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Palm Sunday Reflection
Bible Reading:
- Psalm 24
- Luke 19:37-44
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Observation Questions:
1. In Psalm 24, who is identified as the "King of Glory," and how is this title significant in the context of the psalm? [26:52]
2. According to Luke 19:37-38, what were the disciples doing as they approached Jerusalem with Jesus, and why were they doing it? [22:14]
3. How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees' request to rebuke his disciples in Luke 19:39-40, and what does this response signify about creation's recognition of Jesus? [31:21]
4. What does Psalm 24:1-2 say about God's authority over creation, and how does this relate to the sermon’s message about God's sovereignty? [31:21]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the description of the "King of Glory" in Psalm 24 help us understand the nature and character of God, and how does this relate to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem? [26:52]
2. What is the significance of the disciples' praise in Luke 19:37-38, and how does it reflect their understanding of Jesus' identity and mission? [22:14]
3. In what ways does Jesus' response to the Pharisees in Luke 19:39-40 challenge our understanding of worship and recognition of Jesus' authority? [31:21]
4. How does the sermon explain the connection between Psalm 24's call for "clean hands and a pure heart" and the concept of salvation as a gift from God? [39:41]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the idea of Jesus as the "King of Glory." How can you acknowledge His presence in your daily life and worship Him more intentionally? [26:52]
2. The disciples praised Jesus for the miracles they had witnessed. What are some "miracles" or blessings in your life that you can praise God for today? [22:14]
3. Jesus said that if the disciples were silent, the stones would cry out. How can you ensure that your life is a testimony to Jesus' authority and presence, rather than leaving it to creation to speak for you? [31:21]
4. Psalm 24 emphasizes the need for clean hands and a pure heart. What steps can you take this week to align your actions and heart with God's standards? [39:41]
5. Jesus wept for Jerusalem, knowing their rejection of Him. How can you cultivate a heart that reflects God's desire for all to come to Him, especially those who have yet to recognize Jesus as the Messiah? [36:15]
6. The sermon challenges us to see beyond ethnic, political, and geographical boundaries. How can you apply this perspective in your interactions with others, especially those different from you? [31:21]
7. As we celebrate Palm Sunday, how can you prepare your heart for the journey to the cross, ensuring that your faith is reflected in your daily life? [39:41]
Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing the King of Glory
Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a profound moment that echoes the declaration in Psalm 24, identifying Him as the King of Glory. This recognition calls for worship and acknowledgment of His presence in our lives. As the disciples praised God for the miracles they witnessed, they understood that Jesus was the fulfillment of the psalmist's words. This moment invites us to lift our heads in joyous anticipation, acknowledging Jesus as the King who comes in the name of the Lord. It challenges us to see His presence in our daily lives and respond with worship and reverence. [26:52]
Psalm 24:7-10 (ESV): "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!"
Reflection: How can you intentionally acknowledge Jesus as the King of Glory in your daily routine today? What specific actions can you take to worship Him in your everyday life?
Day 2: Creation's Unyielding Praise
Even if humanity fails to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, creation itself will not remain silent. This truth underscores God's authority over all creation and challenges us to broaden our perspectives beyond human limitations. The natural world, in its beauty and complexity, testifies to the Creator's majesty and power. As we observe the world around us, we are reminded of the divine order and the call to join in creation's praise, recognizing God's sovereignty over all. [31:21]
Psalm 19:1-4 (ESV): "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."
Reflection: Spend time in nature today, observing the beauty around you. How does creation's praise inspire you to worship God more fully?
Day 3: God's Heart for All People
Jesus' tears for Jerusalem reveal God's deep desire for all people to come to Him. Despite the city's rejection, His heart remains open, longing for reconciliation and salvation. This moment challenges us to share in God's heart, reaching out to those who have yet to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. It calls us to embody His love and compassion, extending grace to those around us, regardless of their response. [36:15]
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV): "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
Reflection: Who in your life has yet to recognize Jesus as the Messiah? How can you demonstrate God's love and patience to them today?
Day 4: The Call to True Worship
Psalm 24 emphasizes the need for clean hands and a pure heart to enter God's presence. Yet, it is not through our actions that we earn salvation; it is a gift from God. Jesus, who lived out this righteousness perfectly, makes it possible for us to worship in spirit and truth. This understanding invites us to examine our hearts and live lives that reflect the transformation brought by faith in Jesus. True worship is not just an act but a lifestyle characterized by integrity and devotion. [39:41]
Hebrews 10:22 (ESV): "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Reflection: What areas of your life need cleansing to worship God in spirit and truth? How can you seek God's help in this transformation today?
Day 5: A Life Transformed by Faith
Verse 4 of Psalm 24 describes a life transformed by faith, characterized by clean hands, pure hearts, and unwavering commitment to God. This transformation is both a gift and a calling, inviting us to live out our faith in tangible ways. As we place our faith in Jesus, we are called to reflect His righteousness in our actions and attitudes. This journey of transformation is ongoing, requiring daily surrender and reliance on God's grace. [39:41]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you live out your faith today, demonstrating clean hands and a pure heart? What steps can you take to ensure your actions align with your beliefs?
Quotes
"And in Psalm 24, it's very clear who the psalmist is talking about, right? It doesn't take a lot of questions, it doesn't take a lot of detective work to figure out who Psalm 24 is about. Because in Psalm 24, in verses 8 and 10 of Psalm 24, the psalmist asks, who is this king of glory, right? He asks this twice. And both times he answers, it's the Lord, right? And it's the Lord with the all caps Lord, right? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, the Lord almighty. And when you see that Lord in all caps, that means it's the word there, the Hebrew word there is Yahweh, right? It's the one true God." [00:23:15] (39 seconds)
"So there's no possible way that the king of glory in Psalm 24 could be anyone else other than God, right? Other than Yahweh, God, right? Psalm 24 is speaking about God. But this morning, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, and we look, we're going to look also at Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We're going to see how this psalm, which is about God, the king of glory, also points us to Jesus. And so if you have your Bible, if you turn with me first to Luke 19. So we're going to kind of be going back and forth from Luke 19 and Psalm 24. You can follow along up here on the screen, in your Bible, in the app, wherever you want to do it. Luke 19, starting in verse 37." [00:24:33] (41 seconds)
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest, right? And they're praising God, it says, for all the miracles they had seen, right? They have seen Jesus turn water into wine. They have seen Jesus feed multitudes with just five loaves of bread and two fish. They have seen Jesus heal people from things like blindness and leprosy and other physical ailments. Guys who could not walk and got up and started running around and dancing, right? They've seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. And so they are loud and they're rejoicing, they're praising God because they have seen Jesus do all these crazy things. And they recognize that Jesus is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord." [00:25:39] (46 seconds)
"Lift up your heads, O you gates, be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates. Lift them up, you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. Who is he, this king of glory? The Lord Almighty, he is the king of glory. He says, lift up the gates. Open the doors, let the king of glory enter. Again, they're approaching the temple. He says, this is a call to worship. As they're approaching the temple, get ready. The king is here." [00:26:20] (36 seconds)
"Something great is going to happen. There is hope, there is joy, there is excitement. Why? Because the king of glory has come. And it's believed that this psalm was written and kind of about the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant coming to the temple, right? The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's presence. And so there's reason for joy and hope because God's presence was now coming near, right? The presence of God was there. And so they're saying, get ready, get excited, start worshiping. God's presence is here. The Ark is here. The king of glory, right? Again, we don't have to guess who the psalmist is talking about because he clearly states it twice. It is the Lord. It's Yahweh, right? Strong and mighty, mighty in battle." [00:28:08] (42 seconds)
"Really, the Lord Almighty really says the Lord of hosts, meaning the Lord who's over all the armies and forces, both spiritual and physical, right? This is the king of glory. Glory, the word glory, to me, you know, it's always hard to find when you say, well, God's glory, what does that mean, right? God's glory. The word glory really means like heavy, heaviness, right? Heavy in weight. So when it speaks about glory in terms of God, it's heavy in importance or value, of highest honor, right? The king of glory is the king of just great, tremendous value and honor, the king of glory, a term of high honor. And so just as the disciples and the other people started to worship and sing praises as Jesus made his approach to Jerusalem, Psalm 24 is calling all to worship the king of glory, saying the king is here, God's presence is here. Lift up your heads, get ready in anticipation and hope. The king is here. Get ready, worship him, right?" [00:28:16] (56 seconds)
"So the Pharisees, the religious leaders, who don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, they hear the disciples being loud. They hear him praising God, and they tell Jesus, Hey, shut your disciples up, rebuke them, because they think what the disciples are saying. It's not because they're loud. It's because what they're saying in the minds of the Pharisees is blasphemy. He says, stop them from praising God, because they think that what Jesus has done is not from God. So they're accusing the disciples of blasphemy. So they tell Jesus, Hey, rebuke your disciples. What they're saying is false." [00:29:31] (35 seconds)
"And I love Jesus' response. This is probably one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, verse 40. I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Even if you stop their voices, he says the stones will cry out in praise, in truth. Shutting the disciples' mouth doesn't make it not true. You can silence them, but even the stones would cry out saying the very same thing. Nothing can stop all of creation from worshiping the Lord, from recognizing who the true king is. Jesus says, even nature recognizes that I am the king." [00:30:14] (39 seconds)
"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. In the Bible, we often see the words world and earth often paired together. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. You say, well, why do that? It's kind of the same thing, right? But we see this often in scripture. 1 Samuel 2, 8. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord's. Upon them he has set the world. 1 Chronicles, chapter 16." [00:31:06] (32 seconds)
"Tremble before him all the earth. The world is firmly established. It cannot be moved. Psalm 89. The heavens are yours and yours also the earth. You founded the world and all that is in it. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. The psalmist is saying that everything belongs to God, the earth and the world. God is the creator and sustainer of all creation. He founded it. He established it. He created it. He sustains it. And so a lot of times when they put those words together, the earth and the world, it's talking about how God as the creator of it also has the authority and not only the authority, but also he kind of upholds it. He sustains it, right? He created all this and he sustains it. He takes care of it, right?" [00:31:48] (48 seconds)
"Psalm 24 is showing us that it's bigger than that, that everything is the Lord, that God is not just the God of Israel, right? He is the creator and sustainer of all creation. He is king over all of creation, not just for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. And because he has created all this, sustains all this, he has authority over all of this, right? Not just over the earth, the physical earth, but everything in the earth. God has authority. All of creation, all are dependent on him for life and existence." [00:34:29] (34 seconds)
"See, God is creator and all of creation belongs to him. Even if people don't recognize his authority and worship him, he says, even the stones will cry out, right? Back to Luke 19, verse 41. As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, it says, he wept over it and said, if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes. And so as Jesus gets closer to Jerusalem, he sees the city as he starts to weep, right? He knows the impending destruction that's coming and that awaits them because of their refusal to accept him as the Messiah. He says, if only you knew what would bring you peace." [00:35:04] (42 seconds)
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