Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday 06

As we’ve been journeying from Christmas to Easter, we’ve been looking at a series of Psalms that Jesus likely sang on His way up to Jerusalem for the last week of His life. These psalms He likely sang are the same many of the other pilgrims to Jerusalem and the Temple. These psalms are called the Psalms of the Ascent, and were sung as the pilgrims went up, literally and spiritually, to Jerusalem and to where God dwelt specially in the depths of the Temple. We’ve been looking at the different songs, because that’s what these psalms were, the different songs the Jesus and His disciples likely would have sung on the way up to Jerusalem. They are songs of encouragement, songs reminding the singer of God’s presence in their lives, they were songs of hope and waiting. Some were songs of perseverance, some of the blessing that God is in our lives, songs of security, safely, help, worship and so forth. As Jesus headed, step by step to Jerusalem, He would have sung these songs, knowing the truth in them, especially knowing what was waiting for Him at the end of the week.

So here we are at Palm Sunday, Jesus arrival into Jerusalem after the long trip onward and upward. Jesus has been moving toward Jerusalem, teaching, healing, singing His way toward the capital city of Israel, the city of worship of Yahweh. Jesus has finally arrived at Jerusalem. There will be fanfare, there will be celebrations, confrontations, teachings, punishment and death. But though the battle will be lost, on Friday, the war doesn’t end there. The entrance into Jerusalem is the beginning of the end. Once Jesus announces His true self there can only be one of two outcomes for each human, them then and us now. Either we accept Him, or we reject Him. There is no kinda/sorta with Jesus. Either He is the Lord and your Lord, or He is not. In Mark, the beginning of Holy Week starts in chapter 11.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Let’s pray.

Mark was most likely the first gospel written, and it was probably written with lots of input from the Apostle Peter. It is a fastest read of the 4 gospels, with just 16 chapters. Mark always to me seems like he wants to get to the point of Jesus life quickly. Mark heads quickly to the last week of Jesus life, and then it slows down. The last week of Jesus life is so important that it merits more time, more details, more scrutiny than any other week in His life. And it starts with Jesus entrance into Jerusalem, the city of God. Jerusalem was the location of the one and only Temple devoted to the worship of Yahweh, as well as where the secular leadership of the Israel was as well. This was the first city of Israel Jesus had arrived at, like New York and Washington D.C. rolled into one. The battle was about to be fully engaged; the battle for the hearts and minds of the Israelites-would they believe in Jesus, or would they reject Him? The stakes couldn’t have been higher for humanity. The stakes couldn’t have been higher for evil either. What would the people do with this itinerant preacher who claimed to be God, who healed many people, who fed thousands out of nearly nothing…what would the people of Jerusalem do? Recognize Him at the Messiah, the King? Or would something else happen? Would He be rejected? The possibilities are all there on the table when Jesus enters Jerusalem.

When I read this I always think ‘what if’- what if they had believed? What if they believed He was the God He said He was, what if they saw the miracles and believed in Jesus, and really did repent and live for the kingdom of God as Jesus was saying they should? The problem with that sort of speculation is that we are never given the answer to what if. What if such and such hadn’t happened when I was little? How would my life have been different if I had won that award in 5th grade…how would life be different? There is something in this text that really makes me wonder what if-but we’re not there yet. We’ll get to it-but again, its just idle speculation. The events of Easter week played out the way God ordained, the way they had to play out for our salvation. Jesus had to suffer and die for us, He had to stay up on that cross and die on our behalf-to become our sacrifice before God. And all we have to do is accept that sacrifice-to begin to live for Christ because He died for us. But we have a week to go, Jesus is just entering the city after a long trip through Israel.

Bethany is well known to Jesus-He raised Lazarus from the dead at Bethany, visited Mary and Martha there-this is a little town about 2 miles east of Jerusalem. Oddly, at present it is named after Lazarus. It is a little hike uphill from Bethany to Jerusalem, and two disciples are sent on ahead to prepare the way for the entrance of the Messiah. Not too far out from the city Jesus begins to prepare for His entrance. And it is to Bethany that Jesus will return at certain times during the upcoming week.

Let’s look at the image Jesus is portraying in the colt. The colt is always interesting to me. Conquering Kings back then would ride into taken towns riding a war charger, a strong horse to proclaim that this city is truly conquered, under new ownership, and here is the dynamic leader to prove it. The beaten people would sometimes line up, under guard, to watch the victorious, new leader parade past them. But Jesus is not a victorious King-not yet. He does not force us to follow Him-instead He offers us the chance. He is a humble king, with a humble entry into Jerusalem. This is Jesus offering Himself as a leader, not forcing anyone at sword point. This is again the offer of Jesus-take up your cross and follow me. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Respond to Jesus, respond to this generous offer is the message of Jesus then, it is the message of Christians these days to people who don’t know Him. He won’t force you, but He will love you. The decision is the same then as it is now; who is Jesus? Is He the Christ-or was just a nice guy who was killed for telling people to be nicer to each other. The decision was for those watching Him ride into town, and it is for us today.

I think the faith of the owners of the colt in God is on display here as well. With just the assurance of two people, probably unknown to them, they loan their brand new colt to Jesus. To me that’s a little picture of faith-that whatever we are asked to do in God’s name we do. The owner said yes to Jesus without knowing what might happen, without knowing every single little fact-he trusted. Jesus took that trust and used it to give the world a memorable image of His arrival into Jerusalem.

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.

Of course, they found the colt, untied it and brought it back to Jesus. It was time to enter Jerusalem, not on a white charger, a horse of war, but on a colt, a young horse, a ‘new’ horse to symbolize the new thing that Jesus was. His offering was Himself, a new covenant with humanity. Humanity, primarily in the form of the Jewish people, had been unable to adhere to the terms of the previous covenant, the one made with Abraham on the mountain. God was faithful to His part of the bargain, but the people constantly strayed. They were unfaithful, but God was faithful. They lost interest in God, but never He with them. They got tired of following a God they couldn’t see, but God never got tired of watching out for them. It is the same with us. We get tired, we are faithless at times, but God never gives up on us. And to maintain His faithfulness to us, He does a new thing. He comes from Heaven itself to us, to humanity. He is the new thing, He Himself is the new covenant, His blood on the cross is the price paid for all those who believe in Him. He is less than a week away from being the new covenant-but He gives people one last whole glimpse of Himself as He really is-a different sort of conqueror doing a new thing, riding into town on a new horse.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”

These are the sorts of things the Jews were supposed to yell when the Messiah comes into town. They did something similar when King David came to town to claim his throne in Jerusalem. Psalm 118, v26- “Blessed is her who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of God we bless you. The Lord is God and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.” This seems to be exactly what the people are doing. They have made their decision, they are making their hope this preacher from Nazareth. But we’ll see how long this enthusiasm lasts when Jesus and His followers come under pressure from the powers that be. So often our decision to follow Christ seems tentative-like its all about what we get out of it rather than submitting out lives to the King. I wonder about these people-what happened to them. I would guess many of them heard Jesus preaching at the Temple during the following week-but when He died, I wonder if their faith did too. I wonder if they abandoned their hope in the face of that awful tragedy. But as we have been reading in the psalms, great faith is often what it takes to get through tragedies.

You hopefully can appreciate the scene. Up on the screen is a painting called “Hosanna” which you can hopefully see. Jesus is coming into town, on a little colt, through the crowded streets of Jerusalem. Whenever I pictured Jesus entrance into Jerusalem I had always pictured wide streets, like the one I grew up on, like a parade with Jesus going down the middle of the street. Jerusalem isn’t like that. The streets are narrow, okay for bikes and donkeys, but really not big enough for a car to travel through, unless the street has been completely redone. The town back then had narrow streets, with buildings several stories high on either side. It is crowded scene, not a solitary figure coming into town. And Jerusalem was especially full of travelers in town for the Passover feast. This is very different picture of a king coming to town than the people were used to-this is clearly a very different type of ruler, a different type of king. Way more humble, but far greater in power and majesty.

This is Jesus the first time-coming asking us to believe in Him, coming to us humbly, riding into town on a common animal. This Jesus asks us to place our faith in Him, asks us live for Him, asks us to humbly, like Him, take up our personal crosses and follow Him. This is Jesus who had suffered, who will suffer and die.

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
I strongly suspect that Jesus is offering the high priests and the scribes and the Pharisees to make a decision about Him. And this was their response-no one was there to welcome Him, they had made their decision. I wonder what if…what if the priests had accepted Him as the Messiah-but the real answer is that that question isn’t relevant. They didn’t accept Him, they had rejected Him long ago. In fact, they’d been plotting to kill Him for a while now-His presence in Jerusalem just made it easier to find Him. Their decision had been made-Jesus would die for His impertinence, He would die on a Roman cross outside of Jerusalem. The entrance into Jerusalem, His claim of kingship would come to a physical end within the week. The answer for the citizens of Jerusalem was clear- but for the disciples the answer was less clear. They were still willing to wait, stunned of course, but they waited still. And they hoped.

The entrance into Jerusalem says as much about Jesus as does the exit. This is a humble King, but a king nonetheless. This is the Messiah, though not necessary the one they were hoping would conquer the Romans and kick them out. This was the man, the God that came to us, and for us. And so the question would be presented again the people of Jerusalem, and the question comes again to us. Who is this Messiah? Who is this man on the colt? Was he just a man? Was He the King He said He was? Is He very God who went to the cross not for anything He did, but because of all the things we do? Is He your Lord, the one in whom is your hope and trust, the Messiah on the colt, doing a new thing, that you will submit your life to? Jesus asks you to come to Him. He will not force anyone to recognize Him as Lord. He is the humble king, ready to lay His life down for you, if you’ll only accept.

End- Just as Jesus made an entrance into Jerusalem, He waits for the time to make an entrance into your life. He wants to rule your life, but He invites you to invite Him into your life. Once you’ve come to the realization that ruling your own life doesn’t make you happy and whole. Once you realize that He is the way, the truth and the life, then the time is right and you can invite Him in, either for the first time or once again. There is no kinda/sorta with Jesus. Either He is your Lord, or He is not. We don’t have the option to be wishy washy about Jesus. He is more than a nice guy, more than the humble man who rode into Jerusalem on a little colt. He sits at the right hand of God waiting for the invitation to come into your heart, to send His Holy Spirit into our hearts to remake them better, improved.

I’d also like to invite you to participate in something this week. I’m inviting you to this week of worship, Easter week here at the church. Walk with us through this Holy Week, through the deep meanings of Thursday night, through the pain, anguish and separation of Friday and the hope when the body wasn’t there, when Jesus was resurrected Sunday morning.

Let’s pray.