PALM SUNDAY; 16 March, 2008
Do not make the mistake in thinking that the whole point of Palm Sunday is just
that Jesus is processing into Jerusalem on the donkey, and all the excitement
connected with it. If that is what Palm Sunday is all about for you, you have
completely missed the point; in fact, you have missed the Gospel, for that is
not where the Gospel is found. The whole point of Palm Sunday is not just THAT
is processing into Jerusalem, but WHERE He is going when He does so -and it is
summed up so perfectly in the last hymn which we will sing today-it is HERE
where the Gospel is found:
"Ride on, ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die."
Actually, riding on to die is no remarkable thing. YOU have been doing it every
single day of your life-ever since you were born-it's the life-story of us all.
We have all been riding on that beast of burden called sin which drives us
relentlessly onward to die. It's the curse of sin given to Adam, and to all of
us who are children of Adam. Everywhere in this long account of the Passion of
our Lord you see crowds of people riding on to die. It's found in the crowds
who first cry "Hosanna to the Son of David"-with what happiness, excitement
there seems to be with these people as they do so!-they are so full of life,
aren't they? No, they are full of death, because what they want from Jesus is
for Him to be nothing more than an earthly King, to set up an earthly Kingdom,
they are looking for the stuff of this world. But there is no life in that-even
if we gain the whole world, we have nothing; there is no life in that, only
death. They are deceived. They have a false god, and where will that lead
them?-on the broad road that leads to destruction. Look at that crowd, look at
them "ride on. . .to die."
Are YOU preoccupied with things of this world, and trust in them as gods, worry
about them, look for in the Lord only those things of this world which he can
give you which will build up your Kingdom of this world? "Ride on, ride on. . .
.to die." Repent!
Then there is Peter. He denied his Lord three times. What was most important
for Him was saving his life which he thought he might lose if he openly
confessed Jesus as His Lord. Aren't you one of his followers? "No, I do not
know the man." How sin deceives us-tricks us, ensnares us with its lies. Peter
wanted to save his life without Jesus, and in doing so, lost His life, and
renounced the very One Who at that very Hour was giving up His life to save
Him. It is the darkness and deception of sin. Look at Peter in the grips of
death and hell from which he cannot free himself "riding on, riding on . . .to
die."
And then Pilate. He already managed to accumulate a lot that can be offered in
the Kingdom of this world. He was a high official in his kingdom. He had the
power of Life and Death-even the power to crucify others. Surely he had nothing
to fear in life-but he does fear-he is afraid-very afraid at what others will
think of him if he frees Jesus. He does something evil-sending an innocent man
to crucifixion, and then in order to placate his guilty conscience, in order to
bury the nagging burden in his heart for doing so, he washes his hands and says
"I'm innocent."
Do you ever try constantly to cover up your guilt with the fig leaves of
excuses and denials, desperately trying to wash your hands and clean the
dirtiness that you know is deep within you. Have you done such a good job at
doing so that you don't even notice the dirt of sin within you anymore--"you
say you have no sin and have deceived yourself so that the truth is not in
you?" Ride on in that way in your life, and you will ride on, ride on. . .to
die."
Judas was also riding on that pathway, and how soon did he "ride on to die." He
thought it was a bargain to sell the priceless treasure of the Prince of Peace
for 30 pieces of silver. The guilt for doing so was overwhelming. He saw where
the sin that he had committed was riding him to, and he tried to escape this
death-he went to the priest for spiritual comfort, he even confessed his sin,
"I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." It was the job of priests to offer
sacrifices for sin, to atone for them, to give forgiveness,"-to get sinners
shackled onto that beast of burden of sin riding on to death off it so that
they can live-and they could have even said-at this very moment the once and
for all sacrifice for sin-for which all of the sacrifices which we do in the
Temple are pointing to-for the Lamb of God Who takes away the Sin of the world
is on His cross winning you forgiveness! But instead, they said, "what is that
to us, Go figure it out all yourself." No absolution given.
See what happens when you don't have the Gospel, when you do not hear it. Judas
went out and hung himself. He rode on, rode on, to die. But for the Gospel, we
are all hanging ourselves, riding on to die.
And it with those priests where the darkest ride to death is taking place.
There is no deception so dark, no sin more damning, and no unbelief more
profound than the one of religious self-righteousness--where you think that
because of your own earnest holiness and righteousness you have earned
something which ought to count before God, and that it will ride you right up
to heaven. Every time we point to the sin of others -in order to look ourselves
as "not quite as bad,"whenever we think that being a Christian is a matter of
`handling' our sin and reforming ourselves-rather than our sin as something
that needs to be put to death, and ourselves as one who needs to be born to a
new life-we are ever more firmly entrenched on that beast of burden, indeed,
pushing and egging it-and ourselves-on to `Ride on, Ride on. . . . to die."
But then, look! Look Who makes Himself our traveling companion on this beast of
burden, riding on with us to die. It is Jesus! Unlike all the people in the
history of the world he was not born on his beast of burden of sin riding on to
die. He was born without sin, and lived perfectly fulfilling the Holy Law of
God. Such a pathway leads the opposite direction of this beast of burden-it's
the Holy Highway of our God, the one only the Holy and righteous may enter. But
look! Freely he climbs up upon this beast of burden making its way towards
death; He rides it from heaven, down into the womb of the blessed Virgin, and
to the manger in Bethlehem, born there to die. Riding on, until he reaches
Jerusalem entering it on a lowly donkey, but really it is not this beast of
burden who carries the Lord, but the Lord who carries the real beast of
burden-for he carries on His back our beastly sin and the burdens of our guilt,
all our sorrows, our stripes and punishment-and our death. At any time he could
have climbed off this beast-called it quits; many taunted him to do so-"if you
are the Son fo God, come down from the cross." But He did not-for He "Rode on,
rode on in majesty, in lowly pomp, rode on to die." What majesty, is there in
this One Who is crucified so shamefully? It is the majesty of His infinite love
for you, which shines forth from this cross to which he goes.
The shouts of "hosanna" will soon give way to shouts of "crucify." The tree
branches they wave have simply bared the trunk so that a cross can be hewn. As
the people remove their cloaks and lay them on the road, so will Jesus' tunic
be removed. What kind of King is this Jesus? A King that willingly rides alone
into the enemy camp, Jerusalem.
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem I actually the procession of a
sacrificial offering-like Isaac marching with Abraham to be sacrificed by him
on Mt. Moriah-except this time the Father does not call out at the last moment
`Stop!' Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, did not ride in to rule. He rode
in to die. He rode in to die for you. He bore the cross for you. In His death,
all your sins are forgiven. By His precious Blood, even your sin of putting the
things of this world before the things of God is forgiven. Regardless of where
you have placed God, He places you first. He gave His only Son Jesus to die
that you might be forgiven, and reconciled to God.
Behold, your king is coming to you, He is just and having salvation. But be
sure to behold more than this. See yourself riding on, riding on. . .to
die-with Him. And if he dies with you, and you with Him, then death is not the
end of your journey, for it was not the end of His. From the cross, the Lord
rides on, rides on from the tomb-He rises again, and he rides on into
Jerusalem-not to the earthly one again, but to the heavenly New Jerusalem,
ascending into heaven, sitting on the right hand of the Father. You cannot ride
here yourself, but you are carried there by the Lord. And He rides to you
now--not to a cross, but from it with all of its blessings for you -riding on
the Water of baptism which unlike Pilate's petty washing really will wash you
clean, riding on the Word of the Gospel, and on the Bread and on the Wine of
the blessed Sacrament which carries you into the New Jerusalem. No wonder when
we receive this Holy Sacrament the liturgy has us to joyfully cry "Hosanna in
the Highest!"
So dear Christian, during this holy Week, we ride on with our Lord in faith,
dying with him, and rising again with Him. No matter what the devil may through
at us, no matter what the crosses and persecutions, no matter what the
hardships, grief or discouragements, ride on in faith with Christ, ride on in
majesty-for you have been clothed in Baptism as His dear bride with His
majestic robe of righteousness. Ride on, ride on in majesty-His majestic Grace,
Forgiveness, and Life. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna
in the highest! Amen.
___________________________________________________________________________
'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise
noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such
gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_
_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author, as well as
for quoting or use in a congregational setting
_with_or_without_attribution_.
Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list.
Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster.
Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/>
For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach
For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at:
Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
