John 12:12-19

Palm Sunday

April 9, 2017

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

The beginning of Holy Week. This is the most important week in the life of the Church. This is what it is all about.

Many palm trees grew around Jerusalem in Jesus’ day. Palm branches represented an oasis, water and food, shade and shelter present in an area commonly devoid of such things. Palms had become a Jewish national symbol, even appearing on their coins. Palms decorated the temple and Hebrew poets counted the palm as a symbol of beauty and prosperity. 

It is no wonder then why the crowds picked up palm branches as they greeted Jesus as the King of Israel. A national symbol of prosperity and victory for a king. And here Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, an animal of peace and humility. He does not ride into town as a conquering hero, but rather as a peaceful servant. And He is greeted as such by the crowds waving their palm branches in joy and triumph

It wasn’t just the crowds that day.  St. John tells us in his Revelation how he sees palms in the hands of those how have come through the great tribulation and have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. They take up palms to identify with our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem as a sacrifice and the victory over sin and death.

It wasn’t just the saints in heaven either.  Today, Christians around the world pick up palm branches. We are yet through the great tribulation, but we are still one with those heavenly saints: the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us in the faith.  And along the way we echo the shouts of the crowd: Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Now, “Hosanna” is the Hebrew word that means ‘Help, save us.” It is a plea for divine help and deliverance. So here is the crowd, gathered around Jesus because they have heard that He had raised Lazarus from the dead, wanting to see what He was going to do next, and crying out to Him for help. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  They believe, though maybe not completely understanding, they believe that Jesus comes to them in the Lord’s name and He comes to save.

We sing the same in the Sanctus this morning, in recognition of the Lord coming to us in the Sacrament of the Altar. He comes not in all His glory and majesty, but in the lowly forms in, with, and under the bread and wine. He comes to save us in this holy meal. And so we will sing a little later this morning: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Sabaoth adored. Heaven and earth will full acclaim shout the glory of Your name. Sing Hosanna in the highest, sing Hosanna to the Lord. Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Here’s the big twist. Notice that He comes! You do not seek Him, He seeks you.  You do not find Him, He finds you.  The preachers come from Him, not from you.  The preaching comes from Him, not from you.  Your faith comes from Him, not from you. And everything that faith works in you comes from Him, not from you.  Where He does not come, you remain outside. And where there is no Gospel, there is no God there, but only sin and damnation.  No greater wrath of God exists than where He does not send the Gospel. There can be only sin, error, and darkness there no matter what they do.  No greater grace than where He sends His Gospel, for there fruit and grace must follow together, even if not all, or very few, believe it.

And because He comes to us, He calls us now to follow Him.  “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” The Pharisees grumbled that the world has gone after Jesus, and may their words ever be true for us! This week, we follow Christ to the upper room with His disciples as they celebrate the Passover; we follow Jesus to the cross and to His death, and we follow Him as He meets the women and disciples away from an empty tomb. We follow Him to where He has promised to be for us: in His Word and Sacraments.

Yet, the Pharisees are wrong in that those who follow Jesus gain nothing.  This is the same charge that many in the world bring against Christians: Your faith, your devotion to Jesus, means nothing. Going to Church, praying, reading the Bible, gains you nothing.  You’re not necessarily better people than the heathens out there. You’re not necessarily more successful in the eyes of the world, not any more rich or famous. Look, you gain nothing. But that is wrong. We do gain something.  We gain the same as Christ: the cross and then an empty tomb.

Just as Jesus was ready to face death, so too must we be.  We do not live in a culture or a world that accommodates a resurrected Christ nor His followers.  We are not welcomed with Palm branches and shouts of joy.  Christianity does not share a favored status in our country as it was did. Why are we surprised at this?  Within a week, the city of Jerusalem turned their back on the Christ and were calling out for His blood. If our culture keeps going the way it is, we will be met with a similar angry mob who wants nothing of Jesus save to bury Him, and come after His followers.  

As we begin this holiest of weeks, we do so knowing how it all ends as well.  We have the promises of the Risen Christ that all who believe in Him, who follow Him, will be with Him.  For the sake of Christ, we will be honored by the Father.  May God’s Spirit keep us faithful to receive that crown of eternal life. This is why the saints above and the saints here rejoice this week and hold their palms. Let us do the same, joining our praise with theirs.

Come to the church services this week. Hear again the story of salvation, the depth of God’s love for you in Christ, the agony of the cross, the joy of the Resurrection.  Receive His forgiveness, life, and salvation through His Word and Sacrament. Give witness to the world of Christ and Him crucified by centering your own life, your activities, your relationships upon the life of God’s Church, which is to say, the life of Christ that He gives to His Church. While the world goes after the Easter bunnies and eggs and things that will be here today and gone tomorrow, let us go after Jesus, gaining nothing but His cross and resurrection.