Joy and Sorrow: Embracing God's Presence in Life

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Jesus Christ ministered for about 3 years in his life about 2,000 years ago to the people of his time, the Jewish people and the people around. He had a great ministry touching everybody's life, healing the sick, raising the dead, driving out demonic spirit, and doing many miraculous things, including multiplying food to feed the hungry. Jesus's ministry touched many life and made difference in the community. His ministry could be summed up in Acts 10:38. Jesus went about doing good. Jesus went about doing good. I like the songwriter who wrote some children's songs saying, "Everywhere he went, he was doing good. Almighty healer, he healed the lepers." [00:35:39]

When the cripples saw him, they started walking. Everywhere he went, my Lord was doing good. Jesus's ministry could be summed up in this Sunday school song. According to the gospel reading today, Jesus's last entry to Jerusalem became a royal procession with the king surrounded by the crowd with palm branches and leaves, rejoicing and praising God and shouting out. And they were giving glory to God. He was sitting on a donkey. First Jesus's disciples went to the village nearby page and Bethany as Jesus instructed them to take a donkey from there and they said to the person who asked them why the Lord needs it. [00:36:47]

That is the first thing that comes up here. The fact that even a small donkey was useful to our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that we are always useful in the sight of God. We are always worthy in the sight of God. We are God's people and our usefulness never expires. Please listen to me. You may be feeling a little unworthy and thinking your life is becoming meaningless. But I'm here to remind all of us that the Lord has a purpose for all of us because we are useful to God. [00:37:50]

The second thing that comes up out of the story is that when they brought the donkey, all the people around found ways to be part of what God was doing to celebrate Jesus. As people of God, wherever we are, we have been invited to go make a difference and let our differences count in the community in which we are. We are invited to celebrate wherever we are. We go, we make a difference and our differences count. [00:38:39]

The third thing that I want to lift up here especially in Luke chapter 19 verse 37 is the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in a loud voice saying blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord peace on earth and glory in the highest heaven. They praise God for all the mighty deeds that Jesus did. And we as God's people are invited to praise God with our life, with all that we do, with all that we have. We are invited to praise God. [00:39:22]

Jesus was excited to see that day coming with people surrounding and cheering with little children crying on the street and screaming on the street rejoicing. Jesus was excited as God was given the glory. However, being God in human form, Jesus also knew that something else was awaiting him. He knew that in few days he is going to be betrayed, arrested. In few days the people chanting hallelujah, hosana will be shouting crucify him, crucify him. He knew that. [00:40:14]

He knew that that the celebration that is calling hosana save us now will turn out very soon to be crucify him. Jesus might be feeling like the little child in the library nited when he was approaching Jerusalem. He was excited yet he knew the cross, the pain and the difficulties that was coming. The pain and suffering of bearing the sin of all humanity that caused him to cringe and to say, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Sometime we too we feel the same. [00:41:05]

I remember about 13 years ago, I walk alongside a young couple going through difficult times concerning their son, Kinsel. Kinsel was about to turn two. He was born as a brew baby with a hole in his heart. And before he turned two, he had a terrible a terrible medical condition that sent him to sus hospital. The family went there, they called and as a friend, I was able to go there, pray with them and stand with them. It was not easy. It was not easy because he passed out over there and he passed to glory. [00:42:15]

The boy's suffering caused the parents more pain and struggles that they didn't know what to do. They loved their son. They wanted him to be relieved, but they were grieving the fact that their little boy was slipping away slowly from their hands into eternity. The emotions were much too much painful and overwhelming for the young couples to handle. I remember being by their side in sickest hospital and feeling overwhelmed with pain and suffering for this boy. [00:42:58]

The words of the psalmist in Psalm 22 verse 1 and 2 came into mind. And the psalist says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me from the works from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry by day. But you do not answer me and by night I find no rest. These words were lingering in my head. Even for months, a few months after the boy passed, it was so hard that we couldn't celebrate the second anniversary of our first baby." [00:43:45]

We have to stay silent because we couldn't even mention she's turning to because of the pain we went through for Jesus. Was it a palm of celebration or a cross of suffering? While the people were celebrating in Jesus's royal procession, singing hosana, hosana, Jesus could see not only the palm, but also the passion. Jesus could see the cross, the symbol of pain, torture, humiliation, death right in the midst of the celebration. He could not only hear hosana, he could also hear crucify him. Crucify him. [00:44:53]

I would like to ask us all is it a palm of celebration that is going on in your life or is it a cross of suffering that you are facing now? Is life a possession with palm or a difficulty, humiliation, suffering and challenges like that of a cross. Jesus went through both lives of palm and of the cross. In the midst of all these, he knew one thing. He knew that God was with him. In the words of Job in Job 19:2, when Job was going through the pain and the struggles and the afflictions of life, he said, "I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand on the earth." [00:45:41]

I know. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's torturing. Yes, my heart is breaking apart and my skin is wasting away, but I know my redeemer lives. A young minister was in a car driving with his little sister north of Berry and it was a blizzard winter. And in the midst of the blizzard winter, the car broke down and this young minister was so disappointed and so worried and sat there sobbing and frustrated. Then his little sister came along and said, "Hello, brother. Cheer up." [00:46:44]

Jesus never promised that our car will never break down in the midst of blazard winter, but Jesus promised to be always with us. So cheer up. Later the minister shared this story in his preaching with us at school and it was so powerful. that Jesus never promised that we will not go through the pain and the struggles and the furnace of fire. But one thing Jesus promised us that regardless of all that we go through whether it is a procession with harm or a cross of affliction, health issue and challenges, God is with us. [00:47:20]

The psalmist in Psalm 23:4 put it this way. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for God is with me. His rod, his staff, they comfort me. Friends, God is with us. Whether it's a palm of celebration or a cross of affliction, pain and death, God will never leave us. To Jesus, the people shouted, "Hosana." The love of God is with us to save us now from all that we go through. [00:48:11]

Whether he save us to come to this side of heaven or to the other side of heaven, God will still be with us and he will never leave us. He has promised and will never fail. We are not alone in the difficulties we face. God is with us. God will deliver us and God will show us his salvation. For we know that our redeemer lives and our savior is with us. Is it a cross or a palm? Whatever it is with your children, with your family, with your workplace, Canadians, whatever it is, God is with us. [00:48:54]

We sometimes get mixed emotions. We are feeling excited but scared. Sometime we feel angry but happy. Sometime we are nervous but excited and the list could go on and on. [00:35:08]

Jesus could see the cross, the symbol of pain, torture, humiliation, death right in the midst of the celebration. He could not only hear hosana, he could also hear crucify him. Crucify him. I would like to ask us all is it a palm of celebration that is going on in your life or is it a cross of suffering that you are facing now? Is life a possession with palm or a difficulty, humiliation, suffering and challenges like that of a cross. [00:45:13]

Jesus went through both lives of palm and of the cross. In the midst of all these, he knew one thing. He knew that God was with him. In the words of Job in Job 19:2, when Job was going through the pain and the struggles and the afflictions of life, he said, "I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand on the earth. I know." [00:46:13]

Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's torturing. Yes, my heart is breaking apart and my skin is wasting away, but I know my redeemer lives. A young minister was in a car driving with his little sister north of Berry and it was a blizzard winter. And in the midst of the blizzard winter, the car broke down and this young minister was so disappointed and so worried and sat there sobbing and frustrated. [00:46:44]

Then his little sister came along and said, "Hello, brother. Cheer up." Jesus never promised that our car will never break down in the midst of blazard winter, but Jesus promised to be always with us. So cheer up. Later the minister shared this story in his preaching with us at school and it was so powerful. that Jesus never promised that we will not go through the pain and the struggles and the furnace of fire. [00:47:32]

But one thing Jesus promised us that regardless of all that we go through whether it is a procession with harm or a cross of affliction, health issue and challenges, God is with us. The psalmist in Psalm 23:4 put it this way. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for God is with me. His rod, his staff, they comfort me. Friends, God is with us. Whether it's a palm of celebration or a cross of affliction, pain and death, God will never leave us. [00:47:56]

To Jesus, the people shouted, "Hosana." The love of God is with us to save us now from all that we go through. Whether he save us to come to this side of heaven or to the other side of heaven, God will still be with us and he will never leave us. He has promised and will never fail. We are not alone in the difficulties we face. God is with us. God will deliver us and God will show us his salvation. For we know that our redeemer lives and our savior is with us. [00:48:36]

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