Sermon 2nd April 2023 - PALM SUNDAY
Text: Matthew 21:1-11 –
Our Triumphal entry into Heaven
Today, we celebrate the
triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where the people welcomed Jesus
with palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna!" But as we remember this
joyous occasion, we must also bear in mind that it was the beginning of a
journey that would end not with what seemed to be victory but defeat. The
crowds that hailed Jesus as their king will soon call for His crucifixion. Yet,
amidst the pain and sorrow of the cross, there is also the hope and promise of
resurrection which is where the triumph comes.
As we journey through
Holy Week, we are reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and the
immense love that He has for each one of us. We are reminded that to arrive at
the Triumphal Easter Sunday that we must first journey through the valley of
the shadow of death in Good Friday. But we remember, as promised in Psalm 23 –
that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be
afraid. For you are with me to comfort me. Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus
has won the victory despite what our eyes see. The crowds gathered at the foot
of the cross see death and defeat. But on Easter Sunday morning his disciples
will see the true triumphal entry out of the tomb. That was the message of
Transfiguration when Jesus took Peter, James and John to the mountain-top
experience to reveal his true hidden glory to prepare them for what seemed to
be the defeat of death.
When the people thought
Jesus was the one they were ready to crown him as their King. But they reject
him when he doesn’t meet their expectations. Even Peter, head of the Apostles, reflects
this same fallen nature. He had said to
Jesus, “Even if everyone else abandons you, I will never desert you.” Sadly, Jesus says to Peter, “Before the cock
crows, you will deny me three times.” We all face those moments so we shouldn’t
be too critical. As we look at the world
around us it is easy to come to a conclusion that God has lost the battle. The
church seems powerless and irrelevant in a growing secular world that demands
we fall into line with the ways of the world.
It is easy for us, like
Peter, to deny our faith and fall into line. So Palm Sunday is a good reflection of our own
faith cycle throughout our life time where we struggle between faith and
doubts. How does Jesus respond to our doubts?
Firstly, he prays to
God that we may be his, and that we not be lost. Jesus knows the struggles we
face in the Garden of Gethsemane asking that if it is possible that his cup of
suffering may be taken away from him. Hadn’t he rebuked Peter for not wanting
to journey to the cross? Get behind me Satan. But he shows that with God’s
strengthen we can overcome.
Jesus remains totally
committed to his Father’s will. “Not my will, but your will be done.” And through this he has compassion for each of
us in those times. Even after his betrayal and torture, as he is crucified, he
prays,” Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”
How comforting to know
that that request for forgiveness extends even to us just as it did to Peter
after the resurrection for his 3 time denial. Jesus can do that because he
takes upon himself the sins of all people who have ever lived, or who will ever
live in the future. He who has never
known sin, experienced the full extent of sin experiencing rejection from his
disciples, rejection from his own people and the pain of rejection from God –
my God, my God, why have you forsaken me.
We too know the affects
sin has on our relationship with God. Much the same way as it had on Adam and
Eve who hid in shame from God – Adam – where are you.
Sin is so much a part
of our lives that we don’t even feel bad about “little” sins at all but justify
them by judging the big sins of others. We
experience the inner turmoil of Paul – the good I want to do I do not do. The
evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing. But Jesus overcame sin and
temptation by his death and resurrection. But he does not look down with judgment on
those who sin but empathises with us as the writer to the Hebrews reminds us: Hebrews
4 says: we have a great high priest who is able to empathize with our
weaknesses, who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not
sin. And that means we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus experienced the
full extent of our sin so that we could experience the full extent of God’s
grace and righteousness:
God made him who had no
sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. So we are never alone. Jesus is always with us
as he promised at the Ascension – I am with you always till the end of the age
– fulfilling God’s prophecy – he shall be called Immanuel – God is with us. Paul
reminds us that the wages of sin is death and that Jesus pays those wages for
us by his sinless death.
And so Palm Sunday
really is a triumphal entry despite the cries for his crucifixion. Because it is
our triumphal entry into Heaven through Jesus’ death, resurrection and
ascension.
It is our sins that
nail Jesus to the cross and cause the shedding of his innocent blood which
mysteriously pay the price of our sinfulness. Here in this mystery is the real
meaning of Palm Sunday; not the human defined triumphal entry, but the entry of
Jesus into our sinfulness and our entry into his righteousness, the greatest
sacrifice ever offered which can never be forgotten. There is every chance we
may have joined the crowd to shout, “Hosannah!” but we would also have joined
the same crowd to scream, “Crucify him!” But there is a third lone voice that cries out
in the quietness of Jesus’ death.
Let us pray that we can
join with the centurion in proclaiming, in awe and humility, and even joy,
“Truly, this was the Son of God.”
No comments:
Post a Comment