Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion
March 16, 2008
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb (Matthew 21:1-11;
26:1 27:66)
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb. Have you heard
that saying before? Its used in reference to the
month of March. The idea is that usually March comes
in like a lion--the weather to begin the month is
harsh and cold--and then at the other end, March goes
out like a lamb--the weather is fair and mild. This
year March started out with a few days of lamb-like
weather, then the lion roared into our area, and now
were sort of in-between. Whats in between a lion
and a lamb anyway? A llama? Is the middle of March
like a llama? Anyhow, March usually comes in strong
like a lion and goes out as gentle as a lamb.
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb. Its true for the
month of March. Today we will see that its true also
for the Messiah--and his march, in and out of the
city of Jerusalem. Christ Jesus came into the city
like a lion--at least in the minds of many--but he
went out like a lamb, a lamb led to the slaughter.
Now what does that mean for you? Thats what we want
to find out.
Today is the first day of Holy Week. The week begins
with this day we call Palm Sunday, when Jesus comes
riding into Jerusalem and is hailed as a conquering
hero, greeted with palm branches and loud hosannas.
But Holy Week reaches its climax on Good Friday, when
Jesus, crowned with thorns, is led out of the city
like a common criminal, on to crucifixion, death, and
burial. This week, this Holy Week, we see our Lord
come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.
A lion king, thats what the people wanted. Someone
to march right in and run the Romans out of town. A
mighty Messiah, a new David, someone strong and
powerful and aggressive. Someone to get the
foreigners out of the country and get the country back
to its glory days. And that is what many were hoping
Jesus would be. A political savior. A lion king.
This idea of a lion king Messiah goes back a long
way. In the Book of Genesis, there is a prophecy
about the sons of Jacob. Of Judah it is said: Judah
is a lions cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone
up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a
lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not
depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between
his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to
him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
And so from the tribe of Judah would come rulers for
the people of Israel. King David was such a ruler, a
great military leader who brought glory and grandeur
to the nation. And Davids descendants would continue
to wield the scepter for centuries after him.
Until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall
be the obedience of the nations. There would come
one descendant of David who would be the Lion of
Judah, the promised Messiah, the lion king, if you
will. Now Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. He was
a descendant of David. Could he be the great
messianic king? He had done great and miraculous
works. His wisdom seemed to exceed even that of
Solomon. Could he be the one?
Pilgrim throngs from all over were already crowding
Jerusalem for the Passover festival later that week.
Excitement was building. Expectation was running
high. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem! Lets go out
to meet him! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in
the highest!
So Jesus enters the city in triumph. But all that
week, does he drive out one Roman soldier? No. The
only driving out he does is when he clears the temple
of Jewish merchants. Instead of denouncing Israels
political enemies, he denounces her own religious
leaders--the Pharisees, chief priests, scribes, and
elders. Law and gospel, not sword and club, are his
weapons of choice. Is this any way to lead a
rebellion? No. But it is the way to bring sinners to
repentance. And it is the way also to bring the
murderous anger of your opponents down upon your head.
Which in turn will be the very way Christ will win
forgiveness for sinners, that is, by being struck down
by his enemies.
The Lion of Judah is going the way of the Lamb, the
way of the cross. On Good Friday, Jesus is led out of
the city in disgrace. He is crucified, dies, and is
buried. You see, it would take a lamb, not a lion, to
free us from our strongest enemies.
Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah had written
about a suffering servant of the Lord, who, though
innocent, would be like a lamb that is led to the
slaughter. Thats Jesus, the innocent sufferer.
Judas, filled with remorse, recognizes that he has
betrayed innocent blood. Pilate wants to be
innocent of this mans blood, because he realizes
that this man he has condemned is himself innocent.
Pilates wife was more right than she knew when she
called Jesus that righteous man. Not only was he
innocent of any great crime, he was innocent of any
sin at all.
But you and I, we are not so innocent or righteous.
And therein is the reason for the sacrifice of this
lamb. Isaiah writes: But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his
own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of
us all.
We were those straying sheep. But Jesus is the lamb
led to the slaughter. You and I have strayed from the
green pastures and the paths of righteousness in which
the Lord God would shepherd us. We have wandered off
into strange and dangerous territory. Instead of
loving God, we love to be our own god. Instead of
loving our neighbor as ourselves, we love ourselves,
and our neighbor becomes an afterthought. This
tendency we have to wander from Gods ways, this
pattern of bad behavior and wrong thinking each one of
us displays--this is what God calls sin. You and I
are guilty, and the sentence is death.
But this man Jesus, this innocent and righteous man,
took that death sentence for us. And that meant he
had to do it as the Lamb, not the Lion. Jesus is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That
is why he died. So that all of your sin would be
taken away--and it is! So that life, not death, would
be your eternal inheritance--and it is! So that you
would be at peace with God--and you are! Only a lamb,
the one spotless Lamb of God, dying as the sacrifice
in our place--only a lamb, not a lion, could win all
that for us.
But in so doing--in so dying--Jesus proved himself to
be the real lion king. In apparent defeat, he was
truly triumphant. In dying on the cross, Jesus
conquered our real enemies for us--sin, death, the
devil, hell. In weakness and humility, Jesus was
strong to save.
Many of you know the scene from The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe where Aslan the great lion king of
Narnia, willingly lays himself down and allows his
enemies to kill him. But that turned out to be the
way the ancient stone table of the law was broken,
treacheries were paid for, and the enemies put to
flight. Aslan the lion, of course, is a picture of
the self-sacrifice and victory of Christ.
Because Christ died in weakness, for sinners, and
thereby won the victory for us, now you and I can
afford to be weak, too. We can admit to being
sinners, because we know that God is absolutely ready
to forgive us. We can forgive others, because we know
God has forgiven them too. Now we can live with pain
and setbacks and unanswered questions, because we know
that this life is not the end. And now we dont have
to struggle in vain to be our own savior, because we
know we have a much better Savior in our Lord Jesus
Christ.
In the Book of Revelation, chapter five, St. John is
given a vision of the throne room of heaven. He is
told, Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David, has conquered. Then John looks, and
what does he see there at the throne? A Lamb
standing, as though it had been slain. Did you catch
that? John is told to look at a lion, and he sees a
lamb! A lamb who was slain, no less! The point is,
the Lion is the Lamb! Jesus has triumphed precisely
as the Lamb who was slain! The conquering Messiah is
the crucified One! There is no other. On the cross,
Jesus triumphed over our enemies--sin, devil, hell.
By his death, he has destroyed death. With his own
blood, he has made us Gods own people. Yes, the Lion
who is the Lamb is our Lord!
And so with the worshipers in that heavenly throne
room we praise our victorious king, the Lion who is
also the Lamb: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to
receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and
honor and glory and blessing!
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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