Palm Sunday 2013

Matthew 21:1-11

Today is Palm Sunday, and with Palm Sunday, we begin Holy Week, when we recognize the immense sacrifice that Jesus made for us. But Holy Week doesn’t start with resurrection; neither does it start with crucifixion. Holy Week starts with coronation. I will get more into this on Friday at our Lenten service at noon.

But as we look at this text, the first thing that stands out to me is that this is a story of obedience. Jesus told the disciples to do something, and instead of asking questions like, “Did you already clear this with the owner of the donkey?” they simply obeyed. I love the verse that says, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.”

When I’m talking with church people, one thing I hear a lot is “I don’t really know the Bible all that well.” While I agree that our culture is almost entirely biblically illiterate, this is usually a cop-out. Here’s an example: Jesus commanded (not asked) his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20a) How many of us didn’t know this until I said it today?

This isn’t new news. But here’s the unfortunate thing: our biblical literacy, as weak as it is, well overshadows our biblical obedience. What I mean by that is that we don’t obey what we already know, and that’s worse than not knowing.

That said, biblical illiteracy is also disobedience. It’s disobedience on two levels. First, it is disobedience on the part of Christians, who have been commanded to teach new disciples “everything [Jesus] commanded us” – which means we are commanded to teach the Bible. One reason people don’t know the Bible is because we don’t teach the Bible. We can manage to do everything in a church but study the Word of God. I don’t know how many groups have gathered to study books about the Bible, but when it comes down to the Bible itself, they’re not interested.

The other reason biblical illiteracy is disobedience is because God commands his people to know his Word. Listen to the command from Deuteronomy 6:6-9: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

When we casually avoid even reading the Bible, it’s not just laziness or ignorance; it’s willful disobedience. But we see Jesus’ disciples; even though Jesus tells them to do something rather unorthodox, they obey.

One of the most important things to learn in Bible study is that context is key. Leading up to today’s scripture, Jesus has been teaching extensively on the kingdom of heaven. Who is the greatest in the kingdom? What is the kingdom like? Who does the kingdom belong to? Who will sit at Jesus’ right and left in the kingdom? And now we have a scene that looks strange: Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. But this goes along with the context; this, too, is kingdom-oriented. Even as Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, it was also a royal entry. This scene is vitally important to set up Jesus’ coronation as King. Even the pericope immediately before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem sets up the scene: as he approaches Jerusalem, two blind men call out to him, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

First of all, the designation of Son of David establishes that he is in line to be the king of all Israel. But that he gave sight to the blind is also extremely important. Listen to Psalm 14:7-8: The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

How about Isaiah 29:18: In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

Another prophecy about end times from Isaiah (35:5): Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

And in Isaiah 42:7, about the coming Servant of the Lord, who is called: to open eyes that are blind…

Isaiah 42:8: Lead out those who have eyes but are blind…

And in Luke 4:18-19, we find Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth, reading from Isaiah (what is considered by many to be Jesus’ mission statement): The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus is truly the king – this is why the people are shouting “Hosanna.” This is a Hebrew expression of “save” that became an exclamation of praise. It has become one of those Christianese words that we say once a year and nobody knows what it means – it’s like singing Auld Lang Syne at New Year. What does that really mean? Hosanna means “save” and when we cry “save” we, by definition, require a savior!

And to need a savior, we need saved from something. If you want to talk about Christianese words that have lost their impact, let’s talk for a moment about salvation. Most of us would agree that we’ve been “saved” but when it comes to the world around us, they don’t know what that means.

If I’m in the water, caught in a riptide and a lifeguard comes out and pulls me out of the water, I’ve been saved and I know it. I have been saved from drowning. If my house is on fire and the fire fighters come in and drag me out of the burning building, I’ve been saved and I know it. I have been saved from burning. So when we talk about salvation in church, what are we really talking about?

Our culture says we don’t need saving. We are intrinsically good enough, that we have enough goodness within us, that all we have to do is dig deep or pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. The truth is that we can never save ourselves. On our own, we are incapable. We are stained with sin, and our human inclination is to sin. Sin is our default setting. Who has to teach our babies to be selfish? Who has to teach a 2 year old to say, “NO!” or “Mine!”? Who has to teach their children how to fight or to lie or to steal or talk back? We don’t have to because it comes naturally. And God’s standard is perfection. Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as my heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).

We need saved. And there isn’t anything we can do to deserve it. And God shows us mercy anyway when we ask for it. So we cry “Hosanna!” – save me! Save us!

Besides “Hosanna,” the crowds are shouting “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” which is originally from in Psalm 118:25-27, which is also a cry from God’s people for God to save them. O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks.

Jesus lets us know that it is He who comes in the name of the Lord. It is Jesus who is God, who makes His light shine upon us. The people of Jerusalem understood who this was, and they joined in the procession to the altar, palm boughs in hand. Because they recognized this Jesus as the Messiah, the Promised Savior, the one who would deliver them, the King in the royal line of David. Again, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is only one thing, and that is a royal entry. Jesus is king.

But the people of Jerusalem got all riled up and asked, “Who is this?”

This has been the question all along: who is Jesus? Back in Matthew 16, Jesus was with his disciples, and when they came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17)

Lots of people have a lot to say about Jesus. He’s a great teacher. He’s a moral leader. He’s a good example. He’s my homeboy. But who is He really? And who is He to you?

This isn’t about who Jesus is to your parents or grandparents. This isn’t about who Jesus is to me. Have you accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross? Have you recognized that you can’t save yourself? Have you admitted that you need a savior? Who is Jesus? What happens when Jesus comes marching into your life?

Jesus is the Savior. Is He also Lord? Many have recognized Jesus as Savior but have failed to make Him Lord of their lives. To make Him Lord is to give everything to Him. Will you do that today?