Palm Sunday 3/30/05 Text:Matthew 21:1-11 Title: Jesus Came Riding
Date: 3/20/2005
Title: Jesus Came Riding
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Please join me in prayer. Eternal God, pour out your Spirit upon us that we might be aware of your presence in our midst, that we might be attentive to your Word, and that we might be faithful always to your way, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
Today is Palm Sunday, that day when we try to recreate the same sense of happiness and expectation that those in Jerusalem must have felt as Jesus entered the city.
We will never know for sure what they were thinking that day, but several years ago I heard a narrative account of Jesus entrance into Jerusalem that I think would help us to get a better feel for what the crowd might have been thinking as Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time.
In this particular story we will view Jesus entrance through the eyes of young boy named Jacob. There he was, just minding his own business, tending his flock on the hillside outside of the city gates when he noticed there was a lot more traffic on the road going into the city that day.
What caught his attention was that the people seemed to be largely gathered around some man on a donkey. Stretched way out behind him were a large group of people, and in front of him other people were gathering as they rushed out of their houses, and fields, cutting palm branches and putting them down on the road, why some were even taking off their outer garments and putting them down on the ground for the donkey to walk on.
Jacob had never seen anything like that before, well there was the one time when the Emperor had arrived, but he was on a magnificent horse, and not a plain ol’ donkey. It was not until Jacob got closer that he could make out what they were shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Young Jacob just did not get it, who was this man, and why were they all acting this way? There is not doubt that he had to be someone really important, for such a big parade, so he asked a man who was standing next to the road, “What is going on?”
The man replied, “What is going on? Have you been sitting under a rock someplace? Why the king is coming, that is what is going on. Well Jesus did not look like a king, so that did not help him any. So young Jacob asked another man if he knew what was going on. Why were those people all lined up shouting Hosanna? The man turned to Jacob, and said, “See that man standing along the road waiting for Jesus to come by. He is very poor and he is crying out to Jesus for help. He wants Jesus to end his poverty and oppression.”
Then he pointed out a rough group of men standing together off by themselves. “See those guys, they are zealots. They want to fight in an army that will drive the Romans from our land. They are crying for help, but they are pretty confused right now as they see what they thought was going to be their mighty king ride by on a plain ol’ donkey.”
“See those other people over there, they are crying out to Jesus for restoration. Some want their wealth restored, others their health. Still others want broken relationships with family members or neighbors restored, while there are some that want their relationship with God restored. That my dear young boy, is why they are crying out to the Messiah.”
Jacob was still confused, but he joined the crowd in crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" He figured it would not hurt anything because he needed food, and his father was at home dying of some strange disease. It could not hurt, so he cried out to Jesus, “Give me food, save my father, Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
Unlike young Jacob we know the rest of the story. We know about this king. We know that Jesus is a king that did not come with an army, but riding on a donkey. This king did not come to be served, but to serve, to give himself to death, for our sake, for the sake of the whole world. He did not come to be crowned with a crown of jewels, but a crown of thorns,
Jacob and the others gathered there that day did not know the reason Jesus was riding a donkey, but Jesus knew full well what this day meant. He knew that by the end of the week he was going to terribly beaten and that nails were going to be driven into his flesh, that he was going to die a horrible death, he knew it and yet he willingly kept on riding into the city.
Jesus knew all the different thoughts that people had about him. He knew that after the excitement of the parade they would go back to their daily lives. He knew that when he did not meet their expectations that the majority of those worshiping him today would turn their backs on him. He knew that even his beloved disciples would be sleeping when he needed them the most, that almost all of them would desert him in the end.
He knew, and yet he kept on riding into the city. He kept on riding knowing that the religious leaders were planning to kill him. He kept on riding knowing that Judas would sell his soul for a handful of silver. He knew and yet he kept on riding with his face set toward the cross.
He kept on riding, because he knew that all people needed to have him ride into their lives as the Messiah. He knew that they needed his kingship in their lives and so he kept on riding.
Palm Sunday is the first day of Passion Week. Are you going to leave here this morning just like the crowds left Jesus on Palm Sunday, going back to your daily routine, or are you going to follow him this week, as he heads for the cross and grave? You should, we all should follow him this week, for it is the most important journey we will ever take, for our souls depend on its outcome.
I hope, I pray, that you will wear your cross this week, as you go about your business, but especially as you attend the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, for when you have traveled with Jesus this coming week you will truly be ready for Easter morning, when we shout out “He is risen, he is risen indeed.”
I pray that you will put the passion of Christ first in your life this week, or otherwise you might like the little boy who had never seen a circus. He knew about circuses from his school books, but he had never seen a real live circus.
One day when he was going to the grocery store for his mom he heard someone say that a circus was coming to town that day. Well he rushed home got his money out the piggy bank and headed downtown.
Just as he got there the circus parade turned the corner. He saw lions, he saw tigers, beautiful horses, huge elephants, jugglers, clowns, acrobats, and the circus band. It was wonderful.
When all the animals and performers had gone by, the little boy stepped out of the crowd and handed his money to the last man in the parade, probably the fellow with the big scooper, and then he went back home. It was not until some years later that he discovered that in fact he had really not seen the circus, only the parade.
You might be thinking that this boy must have not been too smart, or what does this have to do with Palm Sunday and Holy week. This story has to do with this week because I am afraid that there are too many Christians that have only watched the Palm Sunday and Easter parade and have never seen the entire Easter story. I know that some stay away because they think that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services are too depressing, after all they are all about death.
I use to feel the same way, until I realized that they are not about death but about life, our eternal life. They are about Christ giving us the good news of our salvation, thus allowing us to stand before God, cleansed of the guilt of our sins. They are about our knowing that even in our sinfulness we are made holy.
You see, that is what Passion Week is all about, the Good News of our salvation. Rejoice and be glad in it, for Christ’s resurrection on that first Easter morning is proof that Christ is God. For in that resurrection is the proof, that when he said on the cross, “It is finished!” it was finished, for in his death and resurrection he had fulfilled what he had spoken in John 12, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
Hosanna, hosanna to the highest. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Amen
Title: Jesus Came Riding
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Please join me in prayer. Eternal God, pour out your Spirit upon us that we might be aware of your presence in our midst, that we might be attentive to your Word, and that we might be faithful always to your way, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
Today is Palm Sunday, that day when we try to recreate the same sense of happiness and expectation that those in Jerusalem must have felt as Jesus entered the city.
We will never know for sure what they were thinking that day, but several years ago I heard a narrative account of Jesus entrance into Jerusalem that I think would help us to get a better feel for what the crowd might have been thinking as Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time.
In this particular story we will view Jesus entrance through the eyes of young boy named Jacob. There he was, just minding his own business, tending his flock on the hillside outside of the city gates when he noticed there was a lot more traffic on the road going into the city that day.
What caught his attention was that the people seemed to be largely gathered around some man on a donkey. Stretched way out behind him were a large group of people, and in front of him other people were gathering as they rushed out of their houses, and fields, cutting palm branches and putting them down on the road, why some were even taking off their outer garments and putting them down on the ground for the donkey to walk on.
Jacob had never seen anything like that before, well there was the one time when the Emperor had arrived, but he was on a magnificent horse, and not a plain ol’ donkey. It was not until Jacob got closer that he could make out what they were shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Young Jacob just did not get it, who was this man, and why were they all acting this way? There is not doubt that he had to be someone really important, for such a big parade, so he asked a man who was standing next to the road, “What is going on?”
The man replied, “What is going on? Have you been sitting under a rock someplace? Why the king is coming, that is what is going on. Well Jesus did not look like a king, so that did not help him any. So young Jacob asked another man if he knew what was going on. Why were those people all lined up shouting Hosanna? The man turned to Jacob, and said, “See that man standing along the road waiting for Jesus to come by. He is very poor and he is crying out to Jesus for help. He wants Jesus to end his poverty and oppression.”
Then he pointed out a rough group of men standing together off by themselves. “See those guys, they are zealots. They want to fight in an army that will drive the Romans from our land. They are crying for help, but they are pretty confused right now as they see what they thought was going to be their mighty king ride by on a plain ol’ donkey.”
“See those other people over there, they are crying out to Jesus for restoration. Some want their wealth restored, others their health. Still others want broken relationships with family members or neighbors restored, while there are some that want their relationship with God restored. That my dear young boy, is why they are crying out to the Messiah.”
Jacob was still confused, but he joined the crowd in crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" He figured it would not hurt anything because he needed food, and his father was at home dying of some strange disease. It could not hurt, so he cried out to Jesus, “Give me food, save my father, Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
Unlike young Jacob we know the rest of the story. We know about this king. We know that Jesus is a king that did not come with an army, but riding on a donkey. This king did not come to be served, but to serve, to give himself to death, for our sake, for the sake of the whole world. He did not come to be crowned with a crown of jewels, but a crown of thorns,
Jacob and the others gathered there that day did not know the reason Jesus was riding a donkey, but Jesus knew full well what this day meant. He knew that by the end of the week he was going to terribly beaten and that nails were going to be driven into his flesh, that he was going to die a horrible death, he knew it and yet he willingly kept on riding into the city.
Jesus knew all the different thoughts that people had about him. He knew that after the excitement of the parade they would go back to their daily lives. He knew that when he did not meet their expectations that the majority of those worshiping him today would turn their backs on him. He knew that even his beloved disciples would be sleeping when he needed them the most, that almost all of them would desert him in the end.
He knew, and yet he kept on riding into the city. He kept on riding knowing that the religious leaders were planning to kill him. He kept on riding knowing that Judas would sell his soul for a handful of silver. He knew and yet he kept on riding with his face set toward the cross.
He kept on riding, because he knew that all people needed to have him ride into their lives as the Messiah. He knew that they needed his kingship in their lives and so he kept on riding.
Palm Sunday is the first day of Passion Week. Are you going to leave here this morning just like the crowds left Jesus on Palm Sunday, going back to your daily routine, or are you going to follow him this week, as he heads for the cross and grave? You should, we all should follow him this week, for it is the most important journey we will ever take, for our souls depend on its outcome.
I hope, I pray, that you will wear your cross this week, as you go about your business, but especially as you attend the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, for when you have traveled with Jesus this coming week you will truly be ready for Easter morning, when we shout out “He is risen, he is risen indeed.”
I pray that you will put the passion of Christ first in your life this week, or otherwise you might like the little boy who had never seen a circus. He knew about circuses from his school books, but he had never seen a real live circus.
One day when he was going to the grocery store for his mom he heard someone say that a circus was coming to town that day. Well he rushed home got his money out the piggy bank and headed downtown.
Just as he got there the circus parade turned the corner. He saw lions, he saw tigers, beautiful horses, huge elephants, jugglers, clowns, acrobats, and the circus band. It was wonderful.
When all the animals and performers had gone by, the little boy stepped out of the crowd and handed his money to the last man in the parade, probably the fellow with the big scooper, and then he went back home. It was not until some years later that he discovered that in fact he had really not seen the circus, only the parade.
You might be thinking that this boy must have not been too smart, or what does this have to do with Palm Sunday and Holy week. This story has to do with this week because I am afraid that there are too many Christians that have only watched the Palm Sunday and Easter parade and have never seen the entire Easter story. I know that some stay away because they think that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services are too depressing, after all they are all about death.
I use to feel the same way, until I realized that they are not about death but about life, our eternal life. They are about Christ giving us the good news of our salvation, thus allowing us to stand before God, cleansed of the guilt of our sins. They are about our knowing that even in our sinfulness we are made holy.
You see, that is what Passion Week is all about, the Good News of our salvation. Rejoice and be glad in it, for Christ’s resurrection on that first Easter morning is proof that Christ is God. For in that resurrection is the proof, that when he said on the cross, “It is finished!” it was finished, for in his death and resurrection he had fulfilled what he had spoken in John 12, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
Hosanna, hosanna to the highest. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Amen
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 11:01 AM
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