Risen: Week Two- Pastor Michael Landrum

The passage from Luke 19 unfolds as a clear, urgent invitation to see Jesus’ movement as both shepherding and summons. Jesus goes ahead into Jerusalem, intentionally leading toward a week that will hold honor and deep suffering. That going ahead signals care: every trial believers face meets a shepherd who already stands before it, prepares the way, and understands the cost. The procession into the city becomes a study in contrast — loud, physical acclaim at the roadside and a deeper spiritual reality that most fail to perceive.

Serving and suffering appear side by side. The crowd’s celebration with cloaks and palm branches foreshadows moments of service, foot washing, betrayal, denial, and the cross. The narrative presses disciples to learn how to serve both friends and those who will betray or deny, modeling service as a formation of character rather than a mere response to affection. Jesus teaches that true service reflects identity and transforms character, not just social exchange.

A dominant theme urges spiritual sight over physical spectacle. The crowd seeks a political or physical savior, but Jesus came for spiritual peace and restoration. He weeps over Jerusalem because the time of visitation goes unrecognized; people grasp the outward signs but miss the interior work that makes lasting peace. The text calls for an awakened heart that discerns God’s visitation, prays for spiritual breakthroughs, and prioritizes soul-restoration above earthly gain.

The sermon drives toward holy week with practical calls: expect suffering as part of discipleship, follow where the shepherd leads, serve sacrificially, and reprioritize spiritual petition. Prayer, confession, baptism, and evangelistic invitation become the concrete responses to a visitation that remains available. The narrative ends with a pastoral urgency to invite others, to pray for those not yet reconciled, and to let resurrection and restoration shape how life and community move forward. The church stands invited to see the week’s events not as ritual alone but as a window into the spiritual warfare and grace that redefine what peace and kingship truly mean.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus leads before suffering Jesus goes ahead of trials and prepares the path through them. That leadership reframes suffering: it does not surprise or abandon but enters with purpose and direction. Knowing the shepherd leads first frees the follower from frantic updates and fosters trust that pain sits under divine care. Receive hardship as terrain already surveyed and shepherded. [48:17]
• 2. Serve even those who betray Serving those who betray exposes the heart’s true formation. Service should grow out of identity, not reciprocity; it disciplines pride and enlarges mercy. When service extends to betrayers, it resists vengeance and cultivates the kingdom ethic that imitates God’s undeserved grace. That posture refines character more than it rewards comfort. [58:07]
• 3. Don’t miss the time of visitation God’s drawing near appears in many subtle moments, and failure to recognize that visitation brings lament, not wrath. Spiritual sight discerns the difference between physical excitement and real opportunity for soul-change. Attentive hearts notice daily visitations in worship, suffering, and ordinary days, and they respond with repentance and invitation. Missing those moments forfeits peace offered in the Spirit. [63:17]
• 4. Prioritize spiritual transformation over physical The crowd sought physical deliverance; the work required was spiritual restoration. True peace enters through repentance, cross-shaped denial of self, and resurrection life, not merely improved circumstances. Redirecting prayer and energy toward spiritual chains, revival, and proclamation unlocks deeper, lasting change. Spiritual investments yield eternal dividends beyond temporal fixes. [77:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [42:11] - Exalting in Hard Times
• [43:19] - Campfire Moments with Jesus
• [45:10] - Jesus’ Love and Care
• [47:37] - Luke 19: Going Ahead
• [49:16] - Leading Through Suffering
• [56:39] - Serving Friends and Betrayers
• [63:17] - Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
• [71:33] - The Cost of Following
• [86:36] - Holy Week: Good Friday & Easter Invitation

Bible reading: Luke 19:28-44 (ESV)
And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his 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 in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Observation questions

1. What specific actions did Jesus take that showed he was "going on ahead" of his disciples into Jerusalem? [48:17]
2. What were the two different reactions Jesus received from the crowd and the Pharisees as he entered the city?
3. What was the reason Jesus gave for why the city of Jerusalem would face destruction?
4. What physical signs of celebration did the crowd use to honor Jesus, and what did they say about him?

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they "did not know the time of [their] visitation." What does it mean for God to "visit" his people, and why is it possible to miss this? [01:03:17]
2. The crowd was excited about the "mighty works they had seen," but Jesus was focused on the "things that make for peace." What is the difference between these two perspectives? [01:15:19]
3. Jesus served those who would betray and deny him. How does this type of service differ from serving those who love us, and what does it reveal about the nature of true service? [58:07]
4. Jesus told the Pharisees that if the people were silent, "the very stones would cry out." What does this statement reveal about the necessity of proclaiming who Jesus is?

Application questions

1. Jesus goes ahead of every trial we face. [48:17] What is one difficult situation you are currently walking through or see on the horizon? How does knowing Jesus has already gone ahead into that pain change how you feel about it?
2. We can often be more focused on what we want God to do for us physically than on what he wants to do in us spiritually. [01:17:32] What is one "physical" prayer request you regularly bring to God (e.g., health, finances, a better job)? What would it look like to shift your prayer to a "spiritual" focus for that same situation (e.g., peace, trust, character, or an opportunity to share faith)?
3. The time of God's "visitation" can be missed in the busyness of life. [01:04:15] This week, what is one practical way you can become more attentive to recognizing God's presence in your ordinary, daily moments (e.g., in a sunrise, a conversation, or a moment of suffering)?
4. Serving is meant to be an overflow of our identity in Christ, not just a response to how others treat us. [58:07] Is there someone in your life—a family member, coworker, or neighbor—who is difficult to love or who has wronged you? What is one tangible, Christ-like act of service you could extend to them this week?
5. Jesus weeps when we miss the spiritual reality of what he is doing. [01:08:30] When you think about your engagement with church, Bible reading, or prayer, are you primarily going through physical motions, or are you actively seeking a spiritual connection? What is one step you can take to move from ritual to relationship?
6. The sermon challenged us to pray for and then invite someone who needs to know Jesus. [01:30:07] Who is one person God has placed on your heart? What is one specific way you can pray for them this week, and what is one step you can take to lovingly share the hope you have with them?