Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, Liturgy of the Palms

Norman Unsworth

Lent • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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CALL TO WORSHIP

Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good.

His faithful love continues forever.

Let the people of Israel say, “His faithful love continues forever.”

(StF 677) Christ is made the sure foundation.

A GATHERING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, help us to recognise Jesus as the one who comes in your name, as the one who blesses and saves us. As we explore your Word this morning, may we offer true praise and adoration in our worship, may we be open to learn more about your ways, and may we resolve to walk the road with Jesus every day. Amen.

A PRAYER OF ADORATION

King of kings and Lord of lords! There’s nothing like a bit of splendour, a bit of majesty, to lift our spirits.

Nothing like coming together with a common purpose of worshipping you.

You are enthroned on high. You look down on us as we worship. You love us. We love you. Amen.

A PRAYER OF CONFESSION

The crowd honoured Jesus. For the times we, as a crowd, don’t honour you, when we don’t even want to be in the crowd: forgive us, gentle Jesus. Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord.

For the times we don’t mark Christian festivals the way we should. When we don’t recognise you as Son of David, when we go along with the crowd, perhaps not even knowing why: forgive us, gentle Jesus. Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord.

For the times we aren’t ready to do what you ask, when we don’t want to share with others, when we try to go it alone: forgive us, gentle Jesus. Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Gracious God, you always know our hearts, even if sometimes we feel lost in our wrongdoing, lost in the crowd, you are always there – to pick us up and put us back on the right track, to teach us to improvise even when we feel bogged down, to bring new life and forgiveness in your wings. So we can truly rejoice in travelling with you. Amen.

(StF 262) All glory, laud, and Honour

READING

Doris will bring our readings

Zechariah 9:9-13

“City of Zion, be full of joy! People of Jerusalem, shout! See, your king comes to you. He always does what is right. He has won the victory. He is humble and riding on a donkey. He is sitting on a donkey’s colt. 10 I will take the chariots away from Ephraim. I will remove the war horses from Jerusalem. I will break the bows that are used in battle. Your king will announce peace to the nations. He will rule from ocean to ocean. His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. 11 I will set your prisoners free from where their enemies are keeping them. I will do it because of the blood that put into effect my covenant with you. 12 Return to your place of safety, you prisoners who still have hope. Even now I announce that I will give you back much more than you had before. 13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow. I will make Ephraim’s people my arrows. Zion, I will stir up your sons. Greece, they will attack your sons. My people, I will use you as my sword.”

Matthew 21: 1-11

21 As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. 2 He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away.”

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,

5 “Say to the city of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)

6 The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

(StF 265) Ride on, ride on in majesty.

SERMON

Here is a story about a little boy who was sick. It was Palm Sunday and the children waved palm branches to open the service. But this young boy stayed home from church with his mother.

His father returned from church holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do we wave palm branches on Palm Sunday, Dad, and why do we call it Palm Sunday?”

“You see,” his Dad explained, “when Jesus came into town, everyone waved palm branches to honour him, so we got palm branches in the service today.”

The little boy replied, “Aw! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up.”

Well, I’m sure that Jesus will show up today, even though we won’t be able to welcome him with quite the excitement with which the crowd in Jerusalem welcomed him 2,000 years ago. Someone has compared the reception Jesus received to a hero’s welcome they used to hold in America you may remember seeing the ticker tape parades back in the 60s for the returning astronauts who landed on the moon, as they travelled in an open top car, with ribbons of paper floating down on them and the crowds cheering.

So, for a few moments, I want you to imagine not motorcade in America but on a much smaller scale parade in Jerusalem in about 30 A.D. Imagine the excitement. Jesus is coming to town. Some say he’s a great teacher. Others, a great healer. Still others say he’s the Messiah, come to lead the people of Judea against the awesome might of Rome.

Now in your mind’s eye visualise that scene. Let your ears be filled with the beautiful, sound of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Even as our minds may well drift to thoughts of the events ahead. Just for a few moments, let’s bask in this time of victory that is Palm Sunday.

Although Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels The account of Palm Sunday is one of the few events in the New Testament that is recorded in all four gospels. Details vary slightly, as it tends to do when eye-witness accounts are reported, but the major details remain the same. As we visualise this great event, I want you to focus on three things: the way Jesus entered the Holy City, the reaction of the crowds to his coming, and finally its meaning for us.

First, of all, notice when and how he came.

It was at the time of the Passover celebration. The Passover was one of the three feasts that Jews were supposed to attend in Jerusalem.

Because of this, the population of Jerusalem swelled to bursting point. As a good Jew, Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples.

In preparation Jesus did something quite unusual. He instructed his disciples to borrow a young donkey which no one had ever ridden and bring it for him to ride into the city. He also told them if they were questioned about taking the animal. They were to say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back shortly.”

It’s interesting. Jesus and his followers had probably come by foot all the way from Galilee. But now for the last two miles Jesus decided to ride a donkey. This was obviously to fulfil the prophecy found in Zachariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

So, without questioning the request, the disciples did as they were instructed. They found the young donkey just as Jesus had said.

One thing we can find in John 14:12, Jesus said to them, “If you love me, you will obey my commands,” and they did. What does this tell us? How can you tell someone is a disciple of Jesus? They listen and follow his commands.

After borrowing the colt, the disciples put their cloaks on it as a saddle.

The choice of Jesus coming on a donkey is significant, of course. He didn’t ride in an ornate chariot or on a large and imposing horse. He rode a young donkey, an insignificant animal generally thought of as a beast of burden. This was a metaphor, perhaps. As in five days, he would take on the greater burden the sins of the entire world. He would be spat on, beaten, mocked, jeered, and nailed to a cross. All of that can be symbolised by this lowly donkey.

On the other side of town, Pontius Pilate was entering Jerusalem around the same time on a horse, the symbol of war and power. Jesus rode a young donkey as a symbol of peace and humility.

Secondly, notice the reaction of the crowd.

Mark notes that, as Jesus entered the City, lots of people spread their cloaks on the road while others spread branches they had cut in the fields (John is the only Gospel that describes the type of branch as being palm).

In Jewish history victorious kings were honoured like this. Many in the crowd were welcoming a king. They expected that he would lead an uprising against the Roman’s. They and not even his disciples realised his kingdom was not of this world.

While he rode into the city the crowd was singing, “Hosanna in the highest.” Songwriters have done more to capture the beauty of this day than any preacher could possibly do. For many in the crowd that day, this was a moment of adoration.

This ecstatic type or worship reminds us of the fickleness of human nature and how often we to straddle the fence. We see Jesus being worshipped here by the crowds, but in a few days these same people who are singing, “Hosanna” will be shouting for him to be crucified.

Not everyone who sings praises to Christ can be counted on when the going gets tough. Such as choosing Barabbas over Jesus, the crowd would forget that just a few days earlier they were hailing Jesus as their King.

Not even those who were close to Christ remained faithful when the crowd turned against him. One of his disciples denied him and another betrayed him with a kiss.

Of course, as Jesus entered the City some people were there just out of curiosity. They were just following the crowd. They saw the excitement and wondered what was going on and just started shouting like the others.

People do tend to follow the crowd, a sort of what is now called FOMO fear of missing out.

The same thing happens with churches. Some people are attracted to church because their friends are there. Nothing wrong with that it’s a great first step. We come into worship for a variety of reasons. Some of us come into this room with a sincere desire to know God’s will for our lives. Others are still seeking faith. Still others come because their family expects it.

If I were to ask you today, why are you here, what would your answer be?

If we look at Matthew 16:15-17, Jesus questioned his disciples. He said to them, “And who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!”

Jesus didn’t want Peter and his other disciples to believe he was the Son of God just because he said so or because someone else told them. He wanted God to bring them to this conclusion, based on their experience with him.

If you are still uncertain about who Jesus is, this is a great place for you to be. Walk with Christ for a while and see for yourself who he is.

That brings us to the last thing we need to look at: What Palm Sunday means for us.

More than four decades ago, Beatle superstar John Lennon caused a worldwide storm. Some of you know what I’m referring to. In an interview with the press, Lennon claimed that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

Now, more than four decades later, the Beatles former drummer Ringo Starr says he has found God after taking a long and winding road.

He admitted he lost his way when he was younger, both as a Beatle experimenting with marijuana and LSD and afterwards when he suffered alcohol and cocaine problems in the late 1970s. But the musician, who has since become a teetotaller swearing off alcohol, drugs and quitting his 60-a-day cigarette habit says that religion now plays an important role in his life.

Ringo, said: “I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life. Being on this quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself. For me, God is in my life. I don’t hide from that. I think the search has been on since the 60’s. I stepped off the path for many years and found my way back onto it, thanks to God.”

By the way, Ringo wasn’t speaking at a church when he said this. He was speaking at the Grammy Awards Museum in Los Angeles.

I’m glad that as Ringo Starr has gotten older, he’s also gotten smarter. It’s a shame that sometimes people must get into such a bad way before they realise there is a better way.

The Bible teaches us that there will come a time when God, will reign in every heart. There will come a time when ever knee, will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. Palm Sunday give a glimpse of that grand event.

Looking at the four Gospel accounts together, it becomes clear that the triumphal entry into Jerusalem was a significant event, not only to those people who were there to witness it, but to Christians throughout history. As we to celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that amazing occasion.

Corrie Ten Boom is famous for helping many Jews escape the Nazis from the Holocaust during World War II by hiding them in her home. Her life through God's grace has touched millions of lives. Years ago, in a press conference following a ceremony in which Corrie Ten Boom was given an honorary degree, one of the reporters asked her if it was difficult remaining humble while being given so much acclaim. She replied immediately, "Young man, when Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments in the road and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?" She continued, "If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise and all the honour. He is our Redeemer King. He deserves our allegiance. He deserves our all.

OFFERING DURING HYMN

(StF 244) Blessed are the pure in heart.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

We praise you, Lord, that you travelled the road that led to your death, not with armies but gently, riding on a donkey. We thank you that, wherever you call us to travel, into whatever situation, we too can go gently. Surrounded by your love and your community, we go out today in your name, singing Hosanna in the highest heaven.

Lord Jesus, we pray for all who give of themselves sacrificially, for those whose lives are dedicated to serving others: parents, carers, foster carers, doctors, nurses… those caring for children or elderly relatives. Let us travel together and lighten the load. We pray for those serving in war-torn countries around the world: medics, those who work in missions, the media, NGOs and charities… who bring food, shelter and healing to those in need, sometimes putting their lives on the line. Let us travel together and lighten the load. We pray for those in our communities who need our unconditional love: those hurting from broken relationships, abuse, bullying, domestic violence… children and adults whose lives are bereft of love and hope. Let us travel together and lighten the load. We pray that we might be Easter people, laying down our lives to serve others, bringing hope to hopeless situations – the hope of the cross and resurrection. Let us travel together and lighten the load. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

(StF 264) Make way, make way.

Thanks to Doris for our readings and Jean for the music this morning.

BLESSING

Go with us, good Lord, on our journey to the cross and beyond. Help us to pass on our enthusiasm to others. Keep us faithful to Jesus, our saviour and friend. Stir up our praise as we look forward to Easter Day. Amen.

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