Palm Sunday 2023: Crossroads - John 12

What would you do if a pathway appeared for you to be a king? No, not necessarily in the royal sense, but in terms of autonomy and control. What if you could maximize power and privilege, and minimize all weakness and limitations. What if the world around you suddenly leaned in your direction and bent towards your will? All that resists, frustrates, and works against your will - suddenly all began working in your favor and according to your rules. You would take this path in a heartbeat, wouldn't you? We all would. We may not admit it, but there are people that we wish would just listen to us. If we were king or queen... if we had the power and all the luxuries in the world, life would be so much better. 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ obviously had come from God and deserved all the glory anyone could give Him. All the stars aligned the week of Passover 33 AD, as thousands declared Him their king. However, to everyone's shock and awe, Jesus said, "No thanks" to this opportunity to seize power and become their king. In this message, we seek to understand just why Jesus would turn down what most everyone else would love to have. We see how in Jesus' deflection, His whole heart is revealed and essentially true Christianity is defined. Listen and learn how Jesus calls for all of us to choose this same path. Every day we face the same crossroads He faced, where instead of a throne, He chose a cross - for God's glory and the whole world's good.