Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, in fulfillment of prophecy, knowing full well what would happen there at the end of the week. He came to Jerusalem to complete the saving mission which his Father sent him. He knew why he was doing it. He went in our place to face the punishment we deserved so that we could receive the freedom we could never earn. The crowds praised Jesus as the One sent in the name of the Lord. We join the crowds in praising him because we know him as the Savior whose love knows no bounds.

ABOUT THIS MESSAGE:
Sometimes in life it is necessary to take a stand, whether it’s standing up for what you believe in or making a statement about who you are. Many times we are called to take a stand, witnessing to our relationship with Jesus. It’s not always easy, though. This morning in God’s Word, we are going to see how the compassionate glance of Jesus empowers us to witness even in the toughest of moments that we face. As we personally witness the compassionate glance of Jesus, we find pardon and peace that restores us. Then, we can turn and witness to others the compassionate glance of Jesus that brings them pardon and peace, too.

ABOUT THIS MESSAGE:
No matter what happens in life, it is certain that you will stand trail before the Judge of all, the Lord himself. That fact is one that ought to make us tremble because the Judge is one who must pass judgement on sin. But the Judge himself came to be judged in our place so that our day of judgement would be one of the greatest joy because the outcome is already secured. We walk into the judgement hall justified - just as if we had not sinned - because the Judge already paid the price. You can stand before God without fear. In Christ, our trial is done!

Everyone is chasing something and everyone has a price they are willing to pay to get what they are chasing and to keep what they get. Many times this leads us down a path of selling our exalted position - being a child of God - for something that we think is truly great. Jesus calls us to repentance, calls us his friend, and shows us that the only thing he wants is us and the price he is willing to pay is his very life. He calls off all help, embraced the cost of to save us, and paid it in full so that we would be welcomed as redeemed children. Christ has paid the highest price to give us something for greater than we could ever imagine. All to make us his own.

We were stuck in a mess we couldn't escape, trapped by the fear of the cost, unwilling and unable to pay the price and unable to find the way out. Deep down, we thought we could handle it on our own. But the truth is we cannot. Only One could, and he did it at the cross. Jesus stepped in to pay the price we could not afford, would not choose, and didn't even realize we needed. One Savior, one sacrifice, one ransom for everyone who walks on the earth. That truth changes everything!

Looking directly at the sun would burn your retinas and give permanent blind spots. What happens when you look directly at God? It sounds great , at least in theory. But it would be even worse. The Lord told Moses, "No one may see me and live." So, how can we possibly know God? In our final Epiphany moment of the season, God shows us that he hides his glory to reveal himself to us. In order to carry out his good and glorious work of salvation, Jesus hid his glory when he went to the cross. To allow sinners to stare at his glory without fear or harm, God hides his glory in the gospel. And in the gospel we see the glory of Christ's power, love , and salvation - true, amazing glory.