/Shout for joy in the highest, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of
Jerusalem! Look, your King, He comes to you; He Himself becomes
salvation; humble and He rides on a donkey, and on a stallion, the son
of a female donkey. And I will cut off a chariot from Ephraim and a
horse from Jerusalem; and will be cut off a bow of battle; and He will
speak peace to nations; and His dominion from sea to sea, and from the
River to the ends of earth. As for you, on the blood of a covenant with
you, I have set free your prisoners from a cistern without water in it.
Return to the fortress, prisoners of the hope; indeed today I announce,
from double I will return to you! /
Sometimes saviors come in strange packaging. If Lois Lane is in
distress, we expect a man in a cape to fly to her rescue. If Robin is in
trouble, we expect a cowled Bat-man to save him. If our nation
struggles, we may look to our elected officials to bail it out. But when
folks look for a Savior-King, all they get is this humble Jesus--not
riding into town on a horse driven chariot, but on a little donkey.
We like our saviors to give us what we want. No doubt, many who shouted
"Hosanna" ("Save us") had their own ideas of what salvation meant:
Relief from government oppression, free bread, instant/ free medical
treatment. Jesus offered none of these things to them during Holy Week.
Now was not the time for worldly concerns, as though His main purpose
was to promote only social justice.
Instead, as your Savior, Jesus gives you what you need most. Not an
earthly dominion lording it over subjects, but a heavenly reign over His
people, the church! Not a worldly peace between nations, but a
spiritual peace between sinners and God. Jesus comes to speak the Gospel
message of His peace through the forgiveness of the +. His strong word
bespeaks you righteous, every time your pastor proclaims your sins
forgiven from this pulpit, or in the sacrament of Confession & Absolution!
We want our saviors to remain popular. Of course, Jesus' popularity
quickly waned during Holy Week. The shouts of "Hosanna" quickly changed
to shouts of "Crucify Him!" Hailed as a King this day in history, but 5
short days later he is convicted of the crime of being their king.
Abandoned, betrayed, denied & finally forsaken, Jesus is anything but
popular. He is completely alone at the end.
What Jesus did to be your Savior was neither pleasant nor attractive.
Folks are not drawn naturally to the bloody + where He died. The blood
of His covenant with you is repulsive. But it was the only price that
could be paid, for there is no forgiveness for you without the shedding
of blood. His body given & His blood shed for you on Calvary sets you
free from being prisoners to your own sin! For His covenant is for you
the new testament in His blood, for the forgiveness of your sins.
We desire our saviors to be strong. The residents of Jerusalem would
have liked to see Jesus on a war-chariot leading troops into battle
against the hated Roman occupiers. But instead, they get Jesus who
appears quite weak. He comes as a King to save them, but then is
arrested, convicted, and sentenced to a death from which He can't even
save Himself! Then the Savior/King dies...
God's strength is made perfect in the seeming weakness of Jesus at the
+. By His death there, He conquers death for us all. He embraces your
death as His Own on the tree, and is cursed there in your place. He
takes upon Himself the eternal prison of hell on the +, to set you free
from sin & its wages of death. In return, Jesus gives to you double for
your death which He took. You receive life, and life in abundance! The
life He gives you is eternal habitation in the paradise of heaven!
Indeed, our Savior comes in odd packaging, from this world's
perspective. No super-hero cape. No powerful political office. No great
financial wealth. No military might. He comes only with the righteous
obedience to God's Law, to become a perfect sacrifice for sin. He comes
as the mute Lamb of God led to slaughter at the +. He comes to give up
His life in His covenant of blood as your ransom price. He comes to you,
in holy pomp, riding on to die--He Himself having become your salvation!
Amen.
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
[email protected]
