Palm Sunday

Liturgy of the Palms
  Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
  Gospel: Luke 19:28-40
Liturgy of the Passion
  Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16
  Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a
  Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56 or 23:1-49
  Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11

Today is Palm Sunday as I am sure all of you are aware. This is the Sunday where we traditionally celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The "Liturgy of Passion" begins with the Last Supper and continues all the way to Jesus' death. Hopefully we all will be reflecting on the Passion narrative later in the week, perhaps even at a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service. So much happens in the last week of Christ's life before his crucifixion that it is appropriate we spend time reflecting on it before we celebrate Easter.

Our passage today begins with these words, "He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem." The narrative of Luke has been leading up to this moment. As early as chapter 9, Luke writes that Jesus was "determined to go the Jerusalem." (9:51; see also 9:31, 13:22, 17:11 and 18:31) The word "determined" means "to set his face towards" Jerusalem. The narrative is such that it doesn't mean that Jesus is literally walking towards Jerusalem in a straight path with no distractions. Although Jesus is still traveling and will take a very circuitous route to Jerusalem, the way to understand this is that Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem and accomplish what needs to be done according to his Father's will. What comes after Ch. 9 then, and actually everything before, is to be seen in light of what is to come during the Passion Week and Jesus' death. Jesus is determined to follow the Father's will even unto death.

We have discussed the Triumphal Entry before, and probably heard a sermon on this already today. We understand the symbolism of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on donkey, as the prophet Zechariah spoke,

Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (9:9)

It is significant as well that no one else sat on the colt and so it had never been used for secular purposes. A side note about Luke's text compared to the other 3 Gospels is that Luke specifies that it was the "whole crowd of the disciples" praising Jesus, not just the anonymous "crowd" that is so often referenced. It appears that Luke wants us to know that not everyone was supporting Jesus, but those who did, his disciples, understood that something significant and maybe even Messianic was happening. Luke tells us that even in this moment of "triumph" and adoration from his disciples, there were still the ever-present Pharisees to damper things (19:39). However, even if the people were silenced like the Pharisees wanted, the stones would cry out. Indeed, the disciples were right that something of cosmic significance was occurring and if people wouldn't recognize it (which was their God-given task), then the very creation of God would cry out in celebration!

The Psalm the disciples quoted is also significant. Psalm 118 is a psalm of thanksgiving for the deliverance of Lord. It tells us what the people were hoping for Jesus to do. In Psalm 118, the deliverance is from a foreign nation who was oppressing the people of God. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, Israel was still under foreign oppression, now by the Romans, and hoped for the anointed one of God to provide deliverance and salvation. Jesus would provide these things, but in a way no one expected and Israel, for all outward signs, would still physically be under the oppression of the Romans.

Well, that is the story and we only read through verse 40 according to the Lectionary, but as I said, so much happened in the next week of Jesus' life (including the ransacking of the Temple on the same day Jesus enters Jerusalem, according to Luke). I know Philippians 2:5-11 technically goes with the reading for the Passion, but I find it so integral to understanding the life of Christ and how we are to live as well. Even at the Triumphal Entry, we see that Jesus comes riding humbly on colt rather than on a war horse. So I encourage you to read these words from Philippians as well.

This week may we seek to be like the crowd of disciples in worship of Jesus Christ. But let us not miss the true meaning and way of Jesus' kingdom as shown to us in Philippians 2:5-11. Let us seek to follow the humility of Christ in obedience to the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grace and Peace.