Luke 19:29–46

Palm Sunday

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'" Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace— but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

It was the year 331 b.c. Alexander the Great entered the city of Babylon with his army. He was met by Mazaeus who came to surrender himself and the city to Alexander. The people of Babylon stood on the walls to have a view of their new king, and others thronged out to meet him on the road with cheers and songs of praise. As he came down the central corridor on his gallant white horse flanked by his generals, he was followed by rank after rank of soldiers. The road was carpeted with flowers and leafy branches as people stretched out their arms in hopes of touching this man whom they considered a half-god.

It was one of Alexander’s greatest moments of glory. Processions like this were common in the ancient world and were meant to glorify conquering generals and kings.

Some 360 years later, after a journey of several weeks, Jesus arrived at Jerusalem. As he approached the citizens of the city rushed out to meet him. They lined the roads, stretching out their arms to touch this man whom they considered to be from God. Some climbed into trees along the road so they could get a better look at their king. They carpeted the road before him with palm branches and their own clothing. And as he rode in on a donkey, he was flanked by his motley band of disciples. The people sang praises and glorified him as the King of the Jews.

It was a procession that reminded them of King David as he entered Jerusalem after a victorious military campaign. The palm branch was a symbol of the nation of Israel. The people acclaimed him king as they had acclaimed David king a thousand years before. They had been awed by his awesome power that could heal people with his touch, cast out demons by his command, and order dead men to rise up out of the grave.

But his enemies felt threatened. They were afraid. They could see their own power slipping right out of their hands as the people proclaimed allegiance to this man. Envy filled their hearts and they wanted to kill him that very moment, but were afraid of the crowds who would have revolted.

It appeared to be a day of great glory for Jesus. But everyone had misunderstood the meaning of Jesus’ procession in Jerusalem. He had long been on his way to Jerusalem and everyone was expecting his arrival for days in advance.

The crowds expected him to be a military leader. They thought that now that he was in Jerusalem, he would raise up an army to defeat the Roman soldiers and free Israel from the Empire.

The disciples and followers of Jesus were expecting him to take his seat on the throne of David and rule as an earthly king. He was the rightful King of the Jews. And with his miraculous powers, prosperity would return. Food would abound. They would be healed of their diseases.

People today are not much different in their expectations of Jesus. We often want a Jesus who will serve our self-determined needs and wants. People today want a Jesus who will heal them of their diseases. They want a Jesus who will give them everything they want, make them successful in business. Give them economic prosperity. Take away their sense of loneliness. Give them a sense of self-esteem. Make them powerful in their relationships with others. People today want success, the power of positive thinking, financial independence, leisure, and a pain free life to enjoy themselves. People want a Jesus who will provide all these things. Books like Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now abound telling us how Jesus wants to bless us today, with riches and success in this world. Books like The Prayer of Jabez teach us the proper way to pray so that God will listen to us and make sure he will give us what we want. We want a Jesus who will make us well and relieve our pain. A Jesus who will add many years to our lives and make them prosperous and successful.

The procession; that triumphal entry of Jesus, appeared to be his glorification. But there were subtle signs that all was not right. Jesus did not ride on a gallant white war horse of generals, but on a humble donkey, a beast of burden, an animal that was used to carrying bags of grain, baskets of grapes, loads of fire wood, women and children of poor families. Jesus’ was flanked not by mighty generals, but by humble fishermen from Galilee. He was followed not by ranks of soldiers, but by a multitude of poverty stricken, homeless people, prostitutes and sinners, former lepers and crippled beggars. They were the kind of people who would not be welcomed into many churches today because they would give the church a bad name.

Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem was not understood. He did not come as a conquering general who would throw out the Roman legions. He did not come as a king taking charge of his kingdom. He did not come as a facilitator of positive thinking or motivational speaker who would show the people how to be successful and prosperous. He came as a servant to suffer under the burdens of the people. He came as a poor, humble servant who would carry the burdens of the burdened, suffer the sickness of the sick, bear the pain of the suffering, assume the guilt of the sinner, and die the death of the dying.

His arrival in glory was not his glory, but his humiliation and suffering and death. He came to Jerusalem to die the ignoble death of a condemned criminal. Like a King, he came to place a crown on his head; a crown of thorns. Like a King, he came to take his seat on the throne; the throne of a cross. Like a King he came to place on his shoulders the royal robes; the robe that gamblers would throw dice to see who would take it home.

Still, Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem did lead to his ultimate glory—his death on the cross. Jesus’ ultimate glorification did not occur on Palm Sunday, but on Good Friday. He real glorification was his death. He himself said: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed; but if it dies is produces many seeds.” Jesus asked: “What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came. Father, glorify your name.” Once again, speaking of his death, Jesus said: “The hour of my glory has now come.”

Glorification through suffering is a paradox that the world cannot understand, but it is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. It is God’s way. First we must suffer for it is in our weakness and suffering that God is glorified. It is through trials and suffering that we are glorified. Our pain in this life; our weaknesses; our sickness; they all lead us to our final glory when God calls us out of this world into life. Then we shall share in the glory of Christ in heaven. Glorification comes only through humiliation, suffering and weakness.

Jesus’ death was his most glorious moment, because it is the accomplishment of his mission to redeem sinners. His death and resurrection fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for all mankind. It was by his death that he received his inheritance; his church. It was by his death that he won the victory over death; over sin; and over the devil. It was by his death that he crushed the head of the great serpent—Satan. It was by his death that we are washed clean of our sins. It was by his death that we are given life eternal. It was by his death that we become the children of God almighty and heirs of eternal life.

It was God’s plan of salvation that his Son, his beloved Son, bear the curse of sin for us so that we sinners might be forgiven. It is because of His suffering, death and resurrection that we are reconciled to God and made heirs of his kingdom.

Now we glorify the Crucified One as our ultimate King. Even the disciples did not recognize Jesus’ true glory until after his resurrection. Even at his ascension they were still thinking of him as an earthly ruler. It was only when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost that they fully realized who Jesus Christ really was and understood the fullness of his glory.

When we repent and confess our sins we glorify him as our King. When we repent and by faith receive his forgiveness we are glorifying him as our redeemer and King. By our baptism we affirm Jesus as our King and become his subjects. His name is glorified by our life of love and service to our neighbor. His name is glorified by the fruit of faith which the Holy Spirit produces in each of us. The crucified Jesus is glorified when we tell others about the forgiveness of sins and eternal life which he purchased by his death.

Jesus’ glory was his death for by his death he made us his own people; and in his people he is glorified when they repent and believe in his name and bear the fruits of repentance in their lives.

Amen.