Welcoming Jesus
Luke 19:28-44
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” vs. 38
Palm Sunday Around the World
Today is a pretty neat day when you think About it.
Rome, Italy
At 9.30 a.m. on the morning of Palm Sunday in Rome the Pope, Benedict the 16th at present, appears in St Peter’s Square to celebrate mass and take part in one of the great Easter traditions in Rome – the solemn but very colorful procession of palms and the blessing of the faithful. This is a long ceremony which you should expect to last about three hours. Cardinals, Bishops and priests as well as the Pope and his closest clergy advisors all take part in a lengthy procession which winds through the Square to the altar in front of the Basilica, where mass is celebrated.
Because palms are not readily available in Italy they are often replaced in Easter traditions with branches from olive trees which symbolize both local olive culture and peace.
Columbia, South America
Palm Sunday begins with mass at church and the blessing of the palms, then they usually have a procession, commemorating Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem where Jesus comes riding on a donkey while the participants salute him with palms. These palms become the dark ashes for next year’s start of lent or Cuaresma on Miércoles de Ceniza or Ash Wednesday.
Africa
Customarily, worshippers in many churches receive palm branches on Palm Sunday. There have been, however, historical situations wherein it has been either impossible or impractical to acquire palm branches; adequate substitutes (e.g. Yew tree branches) were found and utilized in those instances. In some cases, contemporary worshippers will reenact the joyous celebration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by waving of palm branches and singing songs of celebration as central parts of the Palm Sunday liturgy. Sometimes this is accompanied by a processional into the church. In other settings, there will be the distribution of palm branches or leaves in their natural form or, more often, fashioned in the shape of a cross or loop in order to be pinned onto each worshipper that day. For many churchgoers, the lush greenery that typically fills the church sanctuary during this period of the Lenten season, especially the sight of palms and Easter lilies, has a wonderfully transformative effect in terms of embracing the concepts of rebirth and renewal as central to Lent and ultimately Easter. The liturgical color for the Lenten season in most Protestant traditions is purple, which is used until Easter Sunday. Catholic tradition, however, the color for Palm Sunday is red, representing not only the color of the church but also being used for Pentecost as well as remembering the martyrs of the church. Since it symbolizes shed blood, the incorporation of red is also used on Palm Sunday to commemorate and reflect upon the death of Jesus .
England
Many churches provide congregation members with small crosses made from palm leaves at special Palm Sunday services. The priests or ministers bless these palms, which are also used to make the Ash Wednesday ashes for the next year. Many churches distribute palms in the shape of a cross. Churches may also have a procession that involves people singing songs and waving palm leaves. Some churches give people pax cakes at the end of a service. Children’s activities on or around this event may include story telling about biblical events relating to Palm Sunday and crafts such as making palm crosses. Palm Sunday also has the nick name ‘Fig Sunday’ because Christ had wanted to eat some when travelling to Jerusalem (Mark 11: 12-14). Figs were once traditionally eaten on this day.
Read Passage – Luke 19:28-44
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “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. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 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: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 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. 43 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. 44 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.”
Prepare the Way
In Luke 19 we see Jesus about ready to embark on the what is to be the last week of his earthly life. It’s not really explained to us but Jesus knows what is about to happen to him and that there are things in place for everything to happen the way it needs to; notice verses 29-30:
“As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you…” vs.29-30
Jesus is preparing to celebrate the Passover feast with and embark on the last week of his earthly ministry. He sends two disciples ahead to prepare the way for him and to get the donkey he will be riding on. One thing that we see time and time again in the bible is that when has a God plan for something, everything is set in place for that plan to succeed.
Ex. God is going to send rain so he prepares Noah with an ark, Abraham is to make a sacrifice and when the time comes there is a ram caught in a bush neatr by for him to make that sacrifice, God wants Israel to gain land and he throws armies not chaos and there were times they didn’t have to fight, etc.
Ready to Go
And…in our story today the disciples find out that when God’s plan is set in motion, everything is ready to go just as he planned it; verse 32:
“Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.” vs. 32
Everything was ready to go and they just needed to follow his instructions which they did.
Point: I think this is a point that still rings true for us today, when God has something for us, and he does promises us things, the right thing will be in place and ready to go when we need it.
Ex. The right job, the right finances, etc. It’s not coincidence or chance, it’s God’s plan unfolding right before our eyes.
There is something unusual about the story too. Did you catch what Luke said about the donkey’s owners? That’s right, evidently this donkey was owned by more than one owner. Donkeys were expensive. Probably many people in there day might not be able to afford a good donkey. So they pooled their funds & bought this donkey. That is exactly what happens. They found the colt and untied it. And as they did, the owners rushed out to ask them what they are doing. They reply, “The Lord needs it.” Donkeys were prized possessions. They were means of transportation. They were beasts of burden, and they pulled the farmer’s plows. They did so many strenuous things that a man could not do by himself. So this donkey was a very valuable possession. Yet Jesus said, “Tell them ‘the Lord needs it.’” When they heard that, they gave it. And when they gave that donkey they were giving a valuable possession.
Recognizing Jesus as King
One thing that is fascinating about this story is the praise that the disciples of Jesus are shouting. Notice again that in verse 37 notes that the “whole crowd of disciples” were the ones shouting. Last week we noted that many, many disciples followed Jesus from place to place. You had the 12 disciples, then about 70 more or so that many believed followed him and then a whole crowd of woman as well. These disciples are the ones crying out and shouting in the story.
But the other thing that is really neat is that their praise is based on the prophecies and the fulfillment of them. You will see that in each part of the praise. Also, the praise has a current meaning to those disciples but a deeper one that has an impact for us too.
• Save, Rescue, Savior!
The first part of their praise is not found in our text written by Luke but it is found in the Matthew account of this same event. Matthew 21:9 says:
“Hosanna to the Son of David.” Matthew 21:9
Hosanna is a Hebrew term and it means save, rescue or Savior. It is only used in the Old testament that way and we find it in Psalm 118:25. The disciples and the Israelites were anticipating a Savior. But there idea of a Savior was one that would rescue them from those oppressive, horrible Romans. Remember our story last week where some of the disciples are arguing over who would sit at the right and left hand of Jesus. They are thinking her on earth. They had every reason to want to be freed from the oppression of the Romans and to see Israel restored to this great nation but they missed what Jesus real mission was. In their mind this was like a prep rally to coronate Jesus as their Savior. It’s like “Yeah! Israel is going to be restored and we have our rescuer and Savior right here.
Now this is a fulfillment of a prophecy given to Joseph in Matthew 1:21:
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
Joseph was told the mission of Jesus and now we are seeing it fulfilled here in Luke 19. The real meaning, the deeper aspect comes in the fulfillment of Matthew 1:21 at the end of the verse, to save us from our sin. They real issue is that we don’t need someone to save us from other oppressive, abusive people. We need someone to save us from our problem of sin and that was Jesus mission; to be that sacrifice that would save us from our sins, those things that separate us from God.
The great news about this is that we don’t have to keep trying to atone for the things that we have done wrong, Jesus takes care of all of that. His work frees us.
• The Kingdom of God
The second part of the praise we read in verse 38a of our passage:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” vs. 38a
Jesus comes to bring God’s kingdom to earth. And notice that he comes in the name of the Lord. He comes with authority and power. Although the disciples were looking for an earthly kingdom, ab earthly kingdom can never satisfy or last. It is only God’s kingdom that will last. Again the disciples thought that Jesus would be that one who could re-establish the prominence and power that Israel experienced under David and Solomon. Unfortunately, it was their disobedience that led to their downfall and that kingdom would never be the same.
Again, this part of the praise is a fulfillment of and Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah from Isaiah 9:7:
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Is. 9:7
Jesus is in the earthly line of David from his mother Mary and from his earthly (not biological) father Joseph. This passage recognizes the covenant that God made with David that from hi line he will never fail to have someone to reign over his people. Jesus fulfills that forever. Notice it says in that verse that his reign will be from that time on and forever. To take this to a deeper level, we can live with the establishment of God’s kingdom through Jesus, forever. Daily we live with the words of Jesus “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”
For you and I that means we look to seeing God’s kingdom for eternity so the temporary setbacks and troubles here will not last.
• Shalom! Peace
The third way in which this praise is found in verse 38b where it says:
“Peace in heaven…” vs. 38b
It had been hundreds of years since the Israelites had known peace. Since the death of Solomon Israel had been in turmoil. It was their own doing but none the lies they didn’t really know peace. Now they recognize that Jesus bring peace. Of course the disciples are thinking this is peace from the romans but Jesus peace is much deeper and more satisfying. Jesus though, brings a different kind of peace. Remember Jesus words from John 14:27:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27
Although we want peace, peace from fighting, peace from turmoil, peace where everyone gets along; we see a different kind of peace that Jesus brings.
Ill. The beauty pageants where the announcer asks the young woman what she would like to bring to the world in their reign and what they would like to see and they answer: “World peace.”
The deeper meaning of this is that we can have a peace that Jesus talks about that the world can’t know. It’s that peace that no matter what happens, no matter what we face, we face it with the peace of God.
Ex. The disciples and what they would face and how they died.
Peter – widely believed to have been either beheaded or crucified (upside down) in Rome.
Matthew – beheaded.
John – boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil
Bartholomew – flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew – was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece.
Thomas – stabbed with a spear
Matthias – stoned and then beheaded.
Paul – tortured and then beheaded
James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded by King Herod in Palestine.
Philip was crucified.
James (son of Aphaeus) – thrown from the pinnacle of the temple at Jerusalem and dispatched with a club where he fell, or crucified or stoned.
Simon Peter was crucified upside down.
Jude was “cruelly put to death” by the Magi of Persia, or crucified.
• Glory To God
The final part of the praise comes in verse 38c and it says:
“…and glory in the highest!” vs. 38c
This seemed to be a time of great hope for those following Christ. They thought that Israel being reestablished as a worldly power would bring glory to God. They are anticipating their eminent victory over the Romans and in a great way, they want god to have glory for that. But they missed that Jesus was all about bringing glory to God.
In fact, remember in the story of Jesus birth the angels cry out from heaven and say: “Glory to God in the highest.” Jesus earthly mission is to bring glory to God. He even tells us that in John 17:4 where he says:
“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4
Jesus was all about bringing glory to God. We need to have that same perspective.
Our lives reflect our love and commitment to God and people can see that. We should live in such a way that people see our love for God and how he has changed our lives.
Preparing For Easter
This is where we are challenged from this story; how are we preparing for Easter. Are we looking ahead and preparing our hearts or are we getting caught up in the glitz and glamour and excitement of Easter. The great thing is that we have 20/20 hindsight. We know what happened and the events that took place. So who do you identify with as you prepare for Easter next Sunday?
Here’s how a lot of people take the time to get ready; buying the right kind of plastic grass for their kids baskets, the baskets themselves, stuffing eggs, dying eggs, buying chocolate, candy, and make sure you get the right clothes too. P.S. Pastels work great. Get the house ready, the traditional food, and all that goes along with the feasts we prepare.
What if you took a different approach to prepare for Easter and made sure you put in as much time getting your spiritual life and heart as ready as you do everything else? How about inviting a few people to church? How about attending our Good Friday service? How about making sure your heart is ready to remember the price that Christ paid for you and truly take in the whole meaning of what we celebrate. Preparing spiritually makes next Sunday a real celebration.
