X In the Name of Jesus X
John 12,12-19
Palmarum (6. Sonn. der Passionszeit) 028 „branches of palm trees“
Anicet, Bishop of Rome, Martyr 173
17. April 2011
1. O Almighty and Everlasting God, who of Your tender love towards mankind, has sent Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, so that all mankind should be redeemed by His great humility; mercifully grant, that we may both look to His cross where salvation was purchased, and also be made partakers of His resurrection. (Book of Common Prayer 36).
2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to St. John where the holy evangelist writes: 12The next day the large crowd that had come to the Feast of Passover heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, „Hosanna! Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!“ 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15„Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is arriving, sitting on a donkey’s colt!“ 16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. 17The crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet Him was that they heard He had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, „You see that you are gaining nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.“ This is our text.
3. On this day we remember and celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The liturgical name for this day is Palm Sunday (Palmarum) receives its name from today’s reading from the Gospel according to John, where the holy evangelist and apostle writes, »They took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Jesus« (John 12,13). John, along with the three Synoptic Gospels known as Matthew, Mark, and Luke, declares that the Son of Man rides into Jerusalem on a colt. There are numerous symbols and prophetic fulfillments with Jesus’ triumphal entry.
4. Jesus’ reception was not uncommon. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey in the spirit of Solomon who also rode up to Jerusalem on a donkey for his coronation as David’s successor (1 Kings 1,33.38). On Palm Sunday, a colt is blessed to bear upon his young back the Son of Man. This colt receives and rejoices in Jesus by being a colt and doing what a colt does, namely, a steadfast beast of burden upon which a person can ride. Jewish tradition dating back to the Old Testament kings reveals that it was the common practice for the Jews to carry green palm branches and to place their garments before the king at public celebrations (Gerhard 286; 2 Kings 9,13; Nehemiah 8,15). Christ’s entry into Jerusalem began on the Mount of Olives, and thus it is probable that some of these palms were olive palms. Olive branches signify peace (Gerhard 291; Genesis 8,11). Palms also signify victory and conquest (Gerhard 292). The usual cry was „Hosanna!“ for they were welcoming in the king, a son of David. „Hosanna“ means „O Lord, help us!“
5. All the Scriptural images portray the messiah as the triumphant King who rides in justifying and saving (Zechariah 9,9). The disciples and the crowd saw Jesus fulfilling the Prophet Zechariah, and so they began joyously singing: »Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of the Lord! We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and He made His light to shine upon us«. (Psalm 118,26-27a).
6. Finally, the disciples and the crowds are getting the messiah they had anticipated. Jesus is openly and publicly claiming to be Israel’s king and messiah. In short order they expect Jesus will call down fire from heaven, drive the Romans out of Judea, and establish a glorious temporal reign greater than that of David and Solomon. Even the Pharisees begin to resign themselves to the fact that Jesus is destined to restore Israel’s fortunes, for they despair that the entire world has gone after Him. Such is the hope of men and women. We want Jesus to be a regal king in the image of King Arthur and Camelot who will right all the wrongs and conquer all the foes that infest the land. For the Jews it was remove the pagan Roman occupiers, for us it is lower our taxes, give us jobs, and eliminate the national debt.
7. Yahweh, however, has grander and longer-term plans than the immediate and temporary concerns that occupy average citizens and their nation. After His triumphant entry on Palm Sunday, Jesus set about the affairs of His kingdom. His first act was not to drive the Romans out of the temple courtyard, but the Jews. It was not the pagan Roman presence that had tarnished the temple but Yahweh’s own people had turned the temple from a house of prayer into a den of insurrectionists. God’s people need to understand that it is not just the other person who needs redemption but themselves. Jesus arrived to cleanse His temple, redeem His chosen people, and even suffer for the sins of the pagan nations, including the Romans. Jesus arrived not merely to be the King of the Jews, but to be the King of the world for the psalmist proclaims, »All nations … will come and worship before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your Name« (Psalm 86,9).
8. Thus the Prophets acclaimed that the messiah would justify and save sinners, like you and me. Zechariah proclaims Jesus to be a Righteous Savior. The Holy Gospels recount that Jesus was a Suffering Servant and not a King Arthur. Jesus has a realm centered on Calvary and not Camelot. Jesus’ royal steed was not a veteran, armored warhorse but a humble donkey bearing his first passenger. Jesus’ throne was not a splendid chair but a wooden cross. Jesus did not wear a golden diadem but a crown of thorns.
9. Human nature naturally assumes that victory should be glorious and wondrous, and yet, four days after His triumphant entry Jesus was betrayed, sentenced to death, and executed as an enemy of the Roman State. Triumphal victory turned into horrendous defeat, however, Christ’s victory was couched in His defeat. Christ’s victory lay in the cross, and by His sacrifice He conquered sin, death, and the devil for you and me. Christ gives these victorious gifts to us.
10. „Christ’s gifts are two-fold. First He bestows on us freedom from evil and then He grants us Himself as our own. In whomever Christ dwells, he can say then: Whatever belongs to Jesus belongs to me, too. His righteousness is mine, His purity is mine, His life is mine, His suffering and death is mine, His blessedness, His heaven is mine. Hallelujah!“ (Walther 31).
11. Before Christ hung on the cross as our paschal lamb, He first entered Jerusalem as our king. Martin Luther liked to say that ,,Our salvation does not depend on the fact that we believe Christ to be the Savior of the godly, but that He is a Savior to us and has become our own“ (Luther 1,21). „It is not enough that Christ saves us from the rule and tyranny of sin, death, and hell, and becomes our king, but He offers Himself to us for our possession, so that whatever He is and has may be ours“ (Luther 1,27). Christ’s righteousness is our righteousness; His blessedness is our blessedness. He is our King, our Savior, and our Son of Man crucified for us so that we are now redeemed back to our Heavenly Father. Jesus arrived in the Name of the Lord, and He is blessed. He brings with Him the coming Reign of David, and it is a blessed reign of forgiveness and justification that Christ gives to us. „That’s why all of us should truly welcome this Christ-King, recognizing Him as our Righteous Helper, and by the power of the Word, Sacraments, and faith, enjoy Him now and forever!“ (Luther 5,370). So with the disciples we acclaim, »Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!« (Matthew 21,9). And with the psalmist we affirm, »Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!« (Psalm 115,1). The Lord's glory is Christ Jesus who faithfully entered Jerusalem on a donkey to show us God's loving-kindness. Amen.
12. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, the Son of Man who was lifted up on the cross, pour out upon us in Your Word and Sacraments grace and mercy so that we who believe in You will have eternal life. Amen.
One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!
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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, John © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson.
Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1771 Oxford University Press.
Luther, Martin. The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Vols. 1 and 5. Eugene F. A. Klug, Ed. Copyright © 2000 Baker Book House Company.
Walther, C. F. W. Treasury of C. F. W. Walther, Volume 1: Festival Sermons and Prayers from the Advent through Epiphany Seasons. Copyright © 2008 Joel Baseley, Translator and Editor.
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