Hosanna! Save Us Now!
A sermon for PALM/PASSION SUNSAY
Rev. Kurt Hering, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Layton, Utah
TEXT: The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to
meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!""Blessed is the King of
Israel!" John 12:12-13
Hosanna!" Save us now!
With these words the people recognized that the Messiah, the Savior had come
into their midst. They are bold words, having something of the sound of a
command to them. But they are exactly the kind of words our Lord had in mind
when He said "Ask and it will be given to you." [Matthew 7:7] because while
they are imperative, they acknowledge a need the people cannot fill for
themselves and are simply a recognition of who God is and what He has come
to do. In other words, they are words of faith.
But this is one of those good news/bad news things that day in Jerusalem.
The good news is they are right. Jesus is indeed the great Messiah, the
Savior sent by God to deliver his people. But the bad news is that the
people misunderstand and underestimate just what this means.
The expectations and faith behind their hosannas falls far short of the
intentions and faithfulness of the One riding the donkey that day. "He is
much more than just a new national king, who will restore Israel to her
glory days, peace and prosperity, and get the Romans out of town." [Rev.
Charles Henrickson]
But, we see the same thing among us today, don't we? We'd be happy with a
religion that would validate us the chosen people, affirm us, make us
comfortable, make us feel good about ourselves-at least compared to those
heathen sinners out there. We would gladly welcome a king who could pull us
out of recession, restore our stock portfolio, reduce our mortgage, and pay
for our health care, put an end to abortion and poverty, and protect us from
Muslim terrorists without the use of military force. That kind of a king
would get lots of hosannas and look real good in the opinion polls. [Rev.
Charles Henrickson]
But that does not even come close to what this Messiah--this one whose very
name, Jesus, means I Am saving--has come to do.
Yes the Son of God is saving:
a.. from before the very foundations of the earth.
b.. through the people of Israel .
c.. on Calvary.
But never in a very pretty way or one which is well received--because that
saving is always connected to His passion, as we see on this Palm Sunday.
The entry into Jerusalem is ultimately for the same way as His entry into
the world of human flesh-to suffer, die on a cross, be buried and
resurrected from the grave for us.
And that is true today as well. Because Jesus name still means "I Am
Saving," that is what He does when he comes among us as the Holy Spirit
gathers us together in His holy Christian Church. And when He comes, He
comes to bring us His Passion and make us part of it--burying us into His
death and having us participate in the resurrection of His once crucified
flesh.
Yes, now I Am Saving does it as our ascended Lord from the right hand of the
Father, judging the living and the dead by means of His Word and Sacrament.
I Am, Saving sinners whom He judges to be righteous as they are covered in
His forgiveness by the work of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, the preaching and
giving of Absolution, and the Lord's Supper. I Am, Saving the righteous from
themselves by the preaching of His holy Law that judges them to be sinners,
utterly dead, completely condemned, and in desperate need of His
deliverance.
Yes, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega of Saviors. He is the I Am who is always
Saving from the beginning of the world to the end.
And you are among those He is saving now.
So with the triumphant crowd of palm branch wavers, we too cry Hosanna! Save
us now. For it is the cry of the faithful, beseeching the Lord to do that
which He has always promised to do.
And God, the great I Am who is the same yesterday, today, and every tomorrow
saves you the only way He has ever saved anyone-by forgiving you all of your
sins--in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen!
____________________________________________________________
Click here to find the perfect picture with our powerful photo search features.
http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/BLSrjpYR2bn98pk6dW9RFI0Pp25jhSyw0gdkbqMisvB8FuJCRFF4C8g73lG/
___________________________________________________________________________
'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]>
