Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: John 12,12-19. Palmarum

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

John 12,12-19 (Mt 21,1-9; Mk 11,1-10; Lk 19,28-40) 1915

Palmarum (6. Sonntag der Passionszeit) 029 „Palms“

Eustace, Abbot of Luxeuil, France. Apostle to the Bavarians, ✠ 629.

29. März 2015

1. O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou rode into Jerusalem on an ass as the Prince of Peace and a Man of Sorrows, so that giving up Your life in death You would thereby ransom us back to our Heavenly Father. Amen. (VELKD, Prayer for Palmarum § 1)

2. The next day the large crowd that had come to the Feast of Passover heard that Jesus was going 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 him, 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.“

3. On this day we remember and celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The liturgical name for this day is Palmarum (Palm Sunday) and it 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.«

4. Jesus entered Jerusalem on an ass in the spirit of King Solomon who also rode up to Jerusalem on an ass 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. Jewish tradition dating back to the time of 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, and such olive branches signify peace (Gerhard 291; Genesis 8,11). Palms also signify victory and conquest (Gerhard 292) with the traditional cry of „Hosanna!“, for they were welcoming in their king, a son of David. „Hosanna“ means „O Yahweh, help us!“

5. The Jewish people and Jesus’ disciples really wanted a triumphant Messiah-King who would help them, and on Palmarum they finally received what they wanted all along. The Prophet Zechariah proclaimed the Messiah as the Triumphant King who rides in justifying and saving (Zechariah 9,9). The disciples and the crowd believed Jesus was fulfilling the Prophet Zechariah, and so they joyously sang Psalm 118: »Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of Yahweh! We bless You from the house of Yahweh. Yahweh is God, and He made His light to shine upon us«. (Psalm 118,26-27a).

6. After this spectacular entry into Jerusalem, the Pharisees said to one another: „You see that you are gaining nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.“ Palmarum publicly proclaims: Messiah has arrived! But the Pharisees had hoped to accuse Jesus of blasphemy or treason against Rome so they could have Him arrested and crucified. His triumphant entry into Jerusalem seemed to have dashed their hopes because the very crowds are behind Him. We see from the main stream media how the crowds can dictate a scene or co-opt a movement. If you are going to go against the crowd, then you have to do so carefully and meticulously. Before Palmarum, the Pharisees and the chief priests had decided that they cannot let Jesus go on doing miraculous signs, like raising Lazarus from the dead. If they do, then everyone will believe in Him and the Romans will take away their temple and their nation. (John 11,45-48)

7. How can the Pharisees turn public opinion against Jesus? Their first move is to eliminate Lazarus. The chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus along with Jesus because many of the Jews were believing in Jesus after He had raised Lazarus from the dead. (John 12,9-11) Their second move was to find someone close to Jesus who would betray Him, and they have that gift dropped right into their hands! Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and asked: „What will you give me if I deliver Him over to you?“ (Matthew 26,14-16). We also know that Satan entered into Judas and caused him to betray Jesus (Luke 22,3-6; John 13,27). Now it is all a matter of timing. The chief priests and the Pharisees did not want to arrest Jesus during the Feast of Passover because a riot might erupt with the large crowds in Jerusalem who would demand Jesus’ release. So they decided to arrest and condemn Him the night before the feast which happened in the late night of Maundy Thursday.

8. Now all that was left was to turn public opinion against Jesus. The crowds are fickle. They always have been, and they always will be. How do you turn a pro-Jesus crowd into one that calls for His death? Political agitators know how to do this: seed the crowd with dissenting voices and change the mood of the crowd. There were many people in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Jews from Judea heralded Jesus as the Messiah, but there were many other Jews from all corners of the Roman Empire who had arrived to celebrate the feast. These Jews probably never heard of Jesus or perhaps just rumors. They might be easily swayed to call for His death, especially if the religious leaders shout the loudest and remind everyone that they delivered Jesus over to Pilate for the charge of blasphemy, which was one of the worst sins a Jew could be charged with. And that appears to be what happens. The Gospel according to Matthew tells us: »The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus« (Matthew 27,20).

9. In one week’s time the chief priests and Pharisees had turned their lament: „The world has gone after him!“ into their jubilation: „The world has abandoned him!“ Jesus’ victory on Palm Sunday had been replaced with His humiliation on Good Friday.

10. This was a surprise to His disciples and the crowds that hailed Him as the Messiah, but Jesus had been proclaiming this turn of events throughout His ministry. Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the humble Christ not to be crowned the Messianic King of the Jews but to be crucified as the Savior of the world.

11. The world still rejects Him today. He is ridiculed and mocked by billions around the earth. Even those who claim to be His followers often fall to the same misunderstandings about Him like His 1. century disciples and crowds did. A victorious King riding into His capital is much preferred to a humiliated Savior dying on a cross. Palm branches and Hosannahs are much preferred to nails, thorns and lamentations.

12. Would that the world would go after Jesus! He desires that everyone behold Him as their Savior from sin, death and hell, but He will not force and compel anyone to believe in Him. Instead the Holy Spirit works patiently through the proclamation of the gospel to create faith in men and women. This faith is grounded up the crucified and risen Christ. From this faith is formed the belief that Jesus is both the humbled Christ and the venerated King. His public acclamation on Palmarum is a foretaste of the universal Hosanna that will resound on the last day when all the angelic host in heaven and all Christians will herald Him as the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign (Revelation 5,12). On that greater day of Palmarum the chief priests, the Pharisees and all who have rejected Him throughout history will bow down before Him and recognize Him as the Messiah and the Son of God.

13. We believe in Him now and acclaim Him as the Christ, thus we can look at each Palmarum as a liturgical dress rehearsal for our performance on the last day. We will stand before Christ in full restored glory that reflects His Glory, kneel before Him and line His path with Hallelulahs and Hosannas as the Savior of the world. There is no greater joy and honor we could claim than to process with Christ Jesus at His 2. Advent. Amen.

14. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of Man who must be lifted up for all the world, send forth the Holy Spirit to sustain faith in You, for whoever believes in You has eternal life. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

John 12,12-19. Palmarum

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