Cleaning Out the Temple!

March 30, 2026, Monday Message:

Mark 11:15a NLT: “Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices.”

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday, when Jesus made his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. People waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna, save us, save us now!” Both the Pharisees and the Roman army ordered Jesus to silence his people, but Jesus told them that even rocks would cry out, celebrating the return of God’s Son to Jerusalem, celebrating sins being forgiven!

So today became the day to clean house at the Temple. It seems to me like Jesus had a list titled “Things to do before the crucifixion,” and this topped the list.

The Temple had three general areas. The innermost was the “Holy of Holies,” reserved for God. The Temple Sanctuary was for worship, sacrifices and Jewish traditions and rituals. The outer court was where all hell broke loose, and I mean that literally. Lies were uttered, scams took place and merchants took advantage of visitors.

Let me explain. Devout Jews would travel hundreds of miles, bringing their best animal to sacrifice to the Lord at the Temple. Upon arrival, they were told that their animal wasn’t suitable, and they would have to purchase a different animal, which was conveniently available right up the street at an inflated price. Of course, the visitors only had their native currency, so money-changers saw an opportunity to make another unfair shekel. This was the scam taking place in God’s house, and Jesus would have none of it. He drove the animals out of the Temple, and overturned the money-changer’s tables! Jesus stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He concluded: “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

Jesus’ opinion on this hasn’t changed. There will be times when we need to collect money at a church, but honesty should be the key: no scams and no over-inflated prices. You don’t want Jesus to have to overturn your money tables!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Palm Sunday!

For Sunday, March 29, 2026:

John 12:12b-13 NLT: “A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet Jesus. They shouted, ‘Praise God! [Hosanna!] Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’”

Today is Palm Sunday, when Christians everywhere celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had recently healed Lazarus and brought him back to life. A large crowd had been present for that event, and there was much anticipation when word got out that Jesus was coming back into town. They lined the streets as if a parade were about to take place.

Meanwhile, Jesus sent two disciples to borrow a donkey, who were told to say, “The Lord has need of it.” The donkey had never been ridden, and I look at this like asking to borrow a new Buick off the showroom floor. It fulfills the prophecy, “Look, your king is coming to you,... riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”

As Jesus entered the city, the crowd waved palm branches in the air and lined the streets with brightly colored cloth, shouting, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us; save us now!” I suspect that the crowd knew mankind had a sin problem, and the only solution was an alliance with the man who could raise someone from the dead. They wouldn’t have asked Jesus to save them, to rescue them, unless they believed it to be possible.

Shouts rang out, “Hail to the King of Israel!” Recall John (the baptist) saying, “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” as he introduced Jesus to the world. Only a King has a Kingdom, and Jesus is the one King! This upset the Roman Government, which thought Herod was their king. It also upset the Pharisees. “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

So this is all about money and power. Pharisees didn’t like worshipers leaving to follow Jesus, and they didn’t like tithes going to the Jesus team rather than the Temple. Furthermore, the Roman government already had a king and didn’t want another, and certainly not a Jew! Jesus’ demise seemed certain, and he predicted his own death.

People are fickle. In just a few days, they went from “Save us now!” to “Crucify him!” No one understood that Jesus would take the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and that mankind could be forgiven and have a shot at eternity! Those railing against Jesus were actually fulfilling God’s vast eternal plan!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Triumphant Parade!

For Wednesday, September 17, 2025:

Luke 19:38 NLT, the crowd shouting as Jesus entered Jerusalem: “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

This scripture describes Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. We celebrate this on Palm Sunday. Many believers anticipated Jesus’ return for Passover, and they were not disappointed!

I’m always amazed at how the scenario begins. Jesus sends two disciples into town to borrow a donkey that heretofore had not been ridden. I’ve never had a donkey, but my uncle had horses, and I know full well the challenges present when riding an unbroken animal! Furthermore, the donkey is valuable. It could not only move people, but also transport farm supplies and haul grain to market. It’d be like if I asked to borrow your Ford F150, we didn’t even know each other, and you said, “Go ahead – here’s the keys!”

I love a parade! Last week we took my grandson (age 3) to the fire truck parade. People cheered and clapped, the trucks rang their big bells and sirens filled the air. Actually, candy filled the air, tossed from the fire trucks, much to the delight of our 3 year old! Jesus’ parade didn’t have candy, but there was plenty of shouting and clapping. People lined the route with palm branches and colorful garments, celebrating the wonderful miracles they had seen. They shouted, “Hosanna!,” which means “Save us – save us now!” You wouldn’t ask anyone to save you unless you believed they could do that! I rest my case!

The Pharisees didn’t like what they saw. “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

To which Jesus replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

We should all add our cheers to those from along the Jerusalem road: “Hosanna! Save us, save us now!” We believe Jesus already did that for us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Parade Day!

For Friday, July 25, 2025:

John 12:13 AMP: “A large crowd of Passover visitors took branches of palm trees [in homage to Jesus as King] and went out to meet Him, and they began shouting and kept shouting “Hosanna! Blessed (celebrated, praised) is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

This scripture describes Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Christians celebrate it on Palm Sunday. Jesus’ popularity with the populous had been increasing, and this day marked the pinnacle of his ministry. The crowd shouted, “Hosanna,” which means, “save us.” Save us from hell, save us from the lake of fire and grant us a place in your Kingdom. Shouting hosanna also implies an urgency. “Save us, save us now!” Stop and think – you’d only ask someone to save you, to redeem you, if you believed they could fulfill that request!

Jesus rode a borrowed donkey that day, fulfilling scripture. Donkeys were valuable in that they could transport a heavy load from point A to point B. Imagine someone saying, “I’m going to take your F-150 pickup. The Lord has need of it!” Probably wouldn’t happen, but God was showing off his Son that day, and He may have had a hand in it! God has a hand in most everything! This was parade day, and Jesus was the celebrated Grand Marshall!

On the street, people were still talking about how Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. That’s why so many flocked out to meet him. They had heard of that miracle. It was starting to look like Jesus could be the promised Messiah. Let’s all go and check it out!

So friends, let’s try this: When everyone is praising the Lord at church, try shouting out, “Hosanna!” Save me, save me now. Picture Jesus riding through the congregation on a borrowed donkey. Picture a parade right up the center aisle. Tell Jesus you love him. Assure him that you’re not like the fickle ones who abandoned him. True believers are in this until the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Palms lifted up!

For Sunday, March 24, 2024:

Matthew 21:9 NKJV: “The multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest!’”

Jesus and his disciples were headed for Jerusalem and the Temple. Passover would soon be starting.

As they neared the city, Jesus sent two of his disciples to borrow a donkey and its colt. “The Lord has need of it.”

Entering the city, they put their clothes on the beast, and Jesus climbed aboard. People lined the parade route with more clothing and with palm fronds. That’s why we call it Palm Sunday. As they processed, the people cried out, ”Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna is a Greek word which literally means, “Save now.” That’s quite important. Think about it. You wouldn’t walk up to just anybody on the street and ask them to save you, to redeem you. There has to be a reasonable expectation that they’re able to do it! Which tells us that a great many people in Jesus’ path believed that he could save them, that Jesus was the redeemer, the Son of God!

Yesterday I mentioned mob mentality. This mob wanted Jesus to save them! But the mob on Thursday night/Friday morning would be shouting, “Crucify him!” That’s why we need to collect all the information we can, and think things through to their logical conclusion. When I die, I want to be with the group shouting, “Save us now!”

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Palm Sunday!

For Sunday, April 2, 2023:

Matthew 21:9 NIV: “The crowds that went ahead of Jesus and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’”

At this point, Jesus was probably the most popular man in Jerusalem! Everyone gathered like they would for a parade, marking a colorful route with their garments and palm branches. Jesus rode into town on a borrowed donkey while the people shouted, “Hosanna,” which means “Save us, save us now!” They would not be asking Jesus to “save” them unless they believed he was a heaven-sent “Savior!” We should all shout, “Hosanna!”

The glory was to be short-lived. People are fickle, and soon they would be following the orders of the Pharisees and Temple leaders. Today Jesus was celebrated, but he had started down the path to becoming the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Jesus was obedient to the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Hosanna!

For Sunday, April 10, 2022

Matthew 21:9 NIV: “The crowds that went ahead of Jesus and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’”

Jesus had been ministering on earth for three years, and word had gotten around about all the healings. Jesus was known as a fair person, an honest person, but mostly as a worker of miracles. Even people who didn’t know he was the Son of God thought he was an important prophet, certainly sent from heaven. In Jesus, they found hope!

And today Jesus is making his Triumphal Entry into the Holy City, riding on a borrowed donkey. It was like a parade! People lined the streets, laying palm branches and bright cloth in the street ahead of their Savior. Everyone called him ‘blessed,’ and shouted, “Hosanna,” which means save us, save us now!

In our churches, we celebrate this day as Palm Sunday. We too should shout out, “Hosanna! Save us, save us now!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406