Palm Sunday (A) 2014

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +

Text: Matthew 21:9
Theme: Hosanna

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

Palm Sunday is probably the pinnacle of Jesus’ popularity. Many thought dreams of a restored Jewish nation were about to come to fruition. Many believed Israel would be freed from Roman oppression. All hopes rested with the prophet and miracle worker of Nazareth. But riding into Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lord!”1Jesus journeys to His death. It was a scene that required interpretation. Christ’s means of entry is completely antithetical to human logic. The creator of the universe and redeemer of humanity rides on a lowly beast of burden to the place of His crowning. Staged in the present it would be viewed as a parody. The world cannot conceive of kingdoms built by such self-effacement. In an instant Jesus could have requested that the Father put at His disposal legions of angels. They would quickly overmatch the might of kings and armies. But this war had to be won in a different way. It wasn’t a matter of brute force or military strategy.

For Christ’s followers, even His disciples, it seems as though everything is quickly coming unglued. Cheers will turn to jeers and high expectations to gloom and despair. But from the divine perspective everything is just coming together. The kingdom of God is established through sacrifice. Sinners would have to be saved by mercy, not by decree. The reason is wrapped up in the mystery of divine love. Justice had to be met. Grace had to prevail. Only in Christ was this possible.

Dear friends, Christ came so that the humble may be exalted and the exalted would be humbled2. This great theme of reversal is central to Jesus’ work and the meaning of the gospel. We struggle to grasp it in two significant ways. Firstly in recognizing the blessings we have from God because we like to consider ourselves as self-made people. Secondly, we struggle because we tend to see God’s love and forgiveness in abstract terms. It’s a nice theory-we think- but seldom meets our requirements of tangibility.

The first struggle is more a matter of pride, skepticism and unbelief. It is the bane of sinners. We doubt that God is active in the affairs of the world that provide our daily bread. We give credit to medicine or doctors for recovery or rescue when God should be acknowledged first. We honour science for technological breakthroughs while forgetting the wisdom of God is the source. In these “First Article” matters of provision and providence it is often only gratitude that separates Christians from unbelievers. Faith is required for true gratitude but not for benefitting from God’s kindness.

The second struggle is of a different nature. How can the forgiveness of sins be understood in concrete terms? How can divine pardon be tangible? The biblical doctrine of the atonement often seems aloof and abstract, distant from people’s lives. Our brokenness, hardship, and sorrow seem to contradict the promise of God’s presence and restoration. How can this humble Saviour striding into Jerusalem have any relevance for people now? By what means is this achieved?

The law would appear to have an answer for us. It offers us measurable outcomes.
You can curb, control, and conform the external activities of people by use of threats and force. Often it is necessary to do so for the well-being of others. The law operates precisely with such motivation. Outward obedience can be demanded and achieved in this way. The law of God is good and holy. It demands love. Yet humans cannot meet the demand. The problem is not with the law but with us.

Jesus made no demands when He rode into Jerusalem. He instituted no new law. Rather, “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death.”3 His sacrifice gives power to the prophet’s predictions, the Spirit’s words, and the sacrament’s tender. In the gospel we learn that the resolution to our struggles is no longer ours to worry about, it is Christ’s. Faith lives from this truth. Jesus said, “The time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.”4St. Paul greets the Romans saying, “We received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.”5

Faith is a magnificent, superlative gift. It frees us from the burden of courting divine favour. It releases us from all of our efforts at bargaining or negotiating- promising obedience or devotion in exchange for healing or intervention to alleviate pain or distress. It liberates us from the eternal punishment of the law. The obedience of faith freely and spontaneously flows. God Himself initiates, strengthens, and sustains it.

He does it through His word at any age, in any condition. Baptism is the starting point.
Lila knew water was being splashed on her head. It was an outward symbol, but the Holy Spirit promises that inwardly He grants new life, faith and forgiveness. Lila need not be able to articulate her faith in order for it to be valid. Faith at its deepest level is sheer trust. It is the conduit for God’s mercy. It takes Him at His word. Our faith is fundamentally no different than the faith of those who are newly baptized. The Holy Spirit gives complete faith bridging the chasm of hell and traversing through the gates of heaven.

The importance of baptism never wanes. In fact each time we confess our sins and receive absolution we return to the font where our faith was first engendered. Trial tests our faith. Forgiveness strengthens it. In a world where people are plagued with crises of identity or purpose baptism gifts us with the identity of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
He promises never to leave or forsake us. In the same way Christ is present in this holy meal bestowing on believers grace, forgiveness and peace. In His divinity and humanity He communicates to us the power and promise of immortality.

Palm Sunday is the turning point. Cheers of hosanna turn to cries of “Crucify Him!” It all happened in less than a week. It’s a vivid depiction of the instability, frailty, and incredulity of humanity. Yet we can hardly judge those contemporaries of Jesus that week. We would have fared no better. Only the Spirit could soften hearts of stone and remove the scales of spiritual blindness. The incomprehensibleness of this sacred sacrifice was too much for human minds and hearts. It demolished human reason and logic in one fatal blow. Even in the light of Easter’s glow the Spirit must continually pierce the darkness. And this He does not fail to do. The One who was crucified lives. Death has no power over Him.

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”6
+ In nomine Jesu +

1 Matthew 21:9
2 Matthew 23:12
3 Philippians 2:8
4 John 4:23
5 Romans 1:5
6 Matthew 21:9

Palm Sunday
13 April 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt