Triumphal Entry Received Worldly Deception
An all-creatures Bible Message

Triumphal Entry Received Worldly Deception
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
25 March 2018
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Mark 14:1-26

Triumphal entry received worldly deception is exactly what Jesus encountered slightly before and when He entered Jerusalem some two thousand years ago.
 
It is also what every social justice movement encountered when it openly entered the status quo of this evil and corrupt world.
 
When school children are slaughtered with assault weapons, and they protest to the powers to be in Washington, our do nothing congress gives us the impression that the money they receive from the gun lobby is much more valuable than the people who are killed and maimed by these weapons, which have the sole purpose of killing living beings.
 
What these young people demanded, and which the majority of people in this country want, fell on mostly deaf ears; their triumphal entry received worldly deception.
 
We run into similar problems when we speak out about how switching to a whole unprocessed plant food diet would take a big chunk out of global warming and save millions of human lives by ending most chronic diseases, and billions of animals every year by ending their being raised and slaughtered for unnecessary food; and every time we have tried to do this, we find that our triumphal entry received worldly deception.
 
Let’s now take a look at Mark 14:1-26, which tells us about what Jesus encountered prior to entry into Jerusalem.

1. Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread was two days off; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him [Jesus] by stealth, and kill Him;

As we see here, the worldly deception started well before Jesus entered Jerusalem, and it came from the clergy, and unfortunately there are still many clergy today who continue to deceive their congregations by promoting ways that counter the heavenly will of God.

2. for they were saying, "Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people."

They are not only trying to deceive Jesus, but they are trying to deceive their own congregations.

3. And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.
 
4. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?
 
5. "For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

They are concerned more about the little things, and are blinded to the big picture of eternal life in heaven.
 
This is exactly like the people who ignore global warming and the contribution of animal agriculture to it, and instead tell people to use LED lights instead of incandescent ones, which eliminate only a very small fraction of the greenhouse gases produced by raising and killing animals for food.
 
So Jesus tries to change their thinking process.

6. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.
 
7. "For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me.
 
8. "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

It’s as though this woman knew that the worldly leaders were going to find a way to kill Jesus, and she just had to find a way of letting Him and others know that she believed and loved Him.
 
Even if His triumphal entry received worldly deception, hers was one of loving acceptance and welcome, just as ours should always be.

9. "And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her."

And as we see here, it is.

10. And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Him to them.
 
11. And they were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

Even one of His own disciples, was among those who wanted to deceive Jesus so that they could preserve their evil and corrupt worldly ways.

12. And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

Remember, that nowhere in the Bible does is say that Jesus ate the flesh of animals, and that there were vegetarian sects of Judaism at that time who also didn’t eat animal flesh, so just because others sacrificed lambs it doesn’t mean that Jesus or His disciples did; they just prepared the Passover meal with unleavened bread, wine, and other vegetarian ingredients.

13. And He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;
 
14. and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house,' The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'
 
15. "And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; and prepare for us there." 
 
16. And the disciples went out, and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

As we can see there were others who truly welcomed Jesus.
 
And as we have seen so far, there is nothing to indicate that a lamb was involved.
 
Jesus Passover was one of heavenly love and compassion, which was without any pain, suffering, or death, just as ours should be, because only worldly deception involves pain, suffering, and death.

17. And when it was evening He came with the twelve.
 
18. And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me — one who is eating with Me."

Even among the twelve, there is a worldly person who will betray Him.
 
His triumphal entry received worldly deception, 

19. They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"
 
20. And He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.
 
21. "For the Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." 

The very fact that people live in the corrupt and evil ways of this world instead of in the heavenly will of God, which they do by choice, makes us believe that they are really betraying Jesus, and if they say they also believe, it is, to us, no different than the deception of the priests and scribes that we read about above.

22. And while they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it; and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." 

This is the bread that is the substitute for the flesh of the sacrificed lamb.

23. And when He had taken a cup, and given thanks, He gave it to them; and they all drank from it.
 
24. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

This is the wine that is the substitute for the blood of the sacrificed lamb.
 
No longer is there any need or excuse for sacrificing and killing any animals for religious or food purposes.
 
All those animals are being betrayed by the humans who raised them; it’s time it stopped.

25. "Truly I say to you, I shall never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Jesus knows that His betrayal and death is coming soon.

26. And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
NASB

They are still praising God in the midst of the people who are betraying Him, and it gets even worse, for even some of the people who praised His triumphal entry later shouted out for Him to be crucified, which is a slow and agonizing death.
 
His triumphal entry received worldly deception.
 
We should never be a part of this worldly deception, which requires us to repent of our worldly ways and ask Jesus to forgive us, and then truly seek to live by His heavenly will and teachings.
 
Amen?
 
Amen.

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