Palm Sunday- Matthew 21; Matthew 26 & 27

 The last Sunday in Lent, or as the traditional Books of Common Prayer say, "The Sunday Next Before Easter," is commonly called Palm Sunday. This title is common even among some Christian groups that do not observe most of the Christian calendar. The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem at the beginning of the first Holy Week has been observed publicly since the early fourth century in Palestine. There is a certain joy in the event, but there has always been a bit of irony about the observance and the events it recalls.

Certainly, the story of Christ's triumphal entrance (Matthew 21:1-11 and parallels) into Jerusalem should be remembered. The event was rich in symbolism. He came on a donkey as a peaceful king from the ancient East would come to be enthroned. And the children and humble people present that day welcomed and praised Him. He deserved the praise and recognition. He was the true king of God's people, the Messianic deliverer. Unfortunately, the crowds did not really understand Him. They did not accept His spiritual type of leadership. They were looking for a political deliverer, and when the crowds were disappointed, they would quickly turn on Jesus and accept His crucifixion. Thus, the Palm Gospel for the day naturally leads us to the Passion Gospel (Matthew 26 & 27), which is central for this day. 

In fact, the Passion accounts are at the heart of all our readings during this week. The events that we commemorate this week are key to the entire Christian message. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ are the greatest acts of God for our salvation. Without them, Jesus' birth and ministry lose significance. Without them, we have no hope of redemption from our sins, no hope of eternal life. A faithful response to the events of Holy Week and Easter is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. Therefore, let us take time all this week to listen, read, and meditate on these painful but mighty acts of God.

Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday- Phil. 2

Many people know this Sunday as Palm Sunday from the Gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem on this day.  Many also expect the long account of Christ's Passion from Matthew 27. Although the events are distinctive, these two readings from the Gospel tell us what happened this week. Jesus our Lord was glorified and then rejected and horribly killed.  As human beings, we may have some difficulty keeping these two aspects of Holy Week together in our thoughts.  Yet, they belong together, and in the Epistle from Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul ties the themes together in a beautiful way. 

Philippians 2: 5 -11 reads: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This passage from Philippians may be an early Christian creedal hymn, and the words can be applied to many commemorations of the Christian faith. As we look at them on Palm Sunday, the words are very appropriate at the beginning of Holy Week. Their devotional significance is to draw us closer to the "mind" or attitude of Christ (2:5). The divine and unique Son of God deserves praise as the King of Israel and the King of all creation. Yet, He comes in humility in order to redeem human beings.

We see this humble acceptance of the human condition at His birth and throughout His earthly ministry, but it culminates in Holy Week and Good Friday: "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (2:8). These words summarize the details of the Passion Gospels. Christ voluntarily humbled Himself. The divine Son became the servant so that He could accomplish the ultimate obedience to holy principles, obedience unto death which had no rightful dominion over Him. Furthermore, the death He accepted was not just any death but death upon the cross. He accepted crucifixion, one of the most degrading and horrifying means of torture and execution devised by cruel men.

The Cross of Christ should always be at the center of Christian preaching, doctrine, and devotion. It is at the heart of Christ's earthly ministry, and it is a basic element in understanding the profound meaning of divine love. Nevertheless, as central as the Cross is to our Christian faith and life, the words of Philippians 2:9-11 also teach us that believers should look beyond the Cross. The Cross is necessary and central to our faith, but Jesus Christ transforms the Cross. He suffers as a human being, but He is also God the Son who cannot be conquered in the end. His perfect obedience and sacrifice are accepted, and He is exalted. He receives "a name which is above every name."

This means that as believers, we see a deeper reality. The way of the Cross is the path toward Resurrection and true Life. So like our Lord, we walk the way of the Cross both figuratively and in the real trials of human existence because we trust that God uses the Cross for our redemption and true life.

Lent VI, commonly called Palm Sunday- Matthew 21: 1-11; Matthew 27: 1-54

On this Sunday next before Easter, many Anglicans and other Christians read two gospel accounts-  Matthew 21: 1-11 (or Mark 11:1-11) and Matthew  27:1-54. Most contemporary Christians, even those who do not go in for historical church ceremonies,  know the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday.  And the Gospel account of people praising Jesus and waving or strewing palm branches is lovely and meaningful.  As believers, we certainly think that Jesus was/is the Christ and deserved/deserves to be honored as the great king humbly coming in peace. So reading the Palm Gospel is appropriate, and there is nothing inherently wrong with having a few leaves of palms or other leaves in the church in commemoration.

Unfortunately, there are problems associated with "Palm Sunday" from the first century onward. The crowd that praised Jesus did not really understand or appreciate Him. Five days later, some of the same people may have been yelling, "Crucify him." This sinful fickleness still applies to many people.

Furthermore, from about the 8th century, the medieval church got carried away with the ceremony of the Palms. It became more and more elaborate, and in the popular consciousness overshadowed the more ancient emphasis on the Passion Gospel. So it should not be surprising that in 1549 Archbishop Cranmer tried to shift the emphasis to the Passion of Christ. The ceremony of the Palms was abolished, and from 1549 through 1662, Anglican Prayer Books simply called the day "The Sunday next before Easter." Even under ritualist pressure, the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer remained subdued in calling the day "The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday."

With the passage of time, we seem to see a repeat of medieval extravagance. Ceremonies, palm leaves, music, and processions have become more and more widespread and elaborate. And in many Anglican and other churches, these cute rites have come to overshadow the ancient and Reformation emphasis on Christ's Passion. While I do not advocate the abolition of the observance of Palm Sunday, I can see why Cranmer and other reformers did so. If we do wish to focus on Christ's triumphal entry, we should avoid too much pageantry, and we should relate this day to our Lord's Passion.

Palm Sunday- What Kind of King? Matthew 27, Isaiah 53

 In the twentieth-century, many churches began observing an autumn Sunday in honor of Christ the King. The intention may be good, but it sometimes seems a redundant afterthought. The Christian Church has long had another, older, and more directly biblical Sunday with the theme of Christ as King. That is, the last Sunday in Lent, commonly called Palm Sunday. This Sunday already highlights the Messianic kingship of Jesus.

The Scriptures often read on this Sunday reference Jesus as king in different ways. The Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 53 shows the Suffering Servant who becomes ruler of God's people. Zechariah 9 prophesies the peaceful arrival of God's king to reign over Israel. The Epistle from Philippians 2 refers to Jesus Christ as the great ruler to whom every knee must bend. The four Gospel accounts of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem show Him being honored as the Davidic king. 

The Passion narratives from the Gospels also contain references to the kingship of Jesus. For example, consider the traditional Gospel for the Sunday from Matthew 27. Jesus and Pilate discuss kingship. The Roman soldiers in their hall cruelly ridicule Jesus as a Jewish king. At Golgotha, the crowds, the Jewish leaders, the Roman soldiers, and the impenitent thief all taunt Jesus for being a humiliated king. Roman officials mock Jesus and the Jews by attaching the official accusation "King of the Jews" to the cross. Although His enemies and even His disciples fail to understand the spiritual nature of His kingdom, He suffers and dies because He is king of God's people.

It should be clear that Palm Sunday and Holy Week concern Jesus as the divinely anointed King. The question is what kind of king He is. Many people in the first century were looking for a king, and some hoped that Jesus might be the One, but He did not meet their expectations. They wanted a king who offered external worldly power and material benefits. They did not want a king who humbly offered spiritual and moral benefits. Unfortunately, many people, even many who claim to be Christians, still have similar worldly expectations. However, Jesus transforms the idea of king, and in humility, He offers us a different way. Let us use this Holy Week to reflect on Him, cast off our false hopes, and turn to Him as true king of our minds, hearts, and souls!

Lent VI commonly called Palm Sunday- Mark 11; Matthew 27

This last Sunday in Lent is commonly called Palm Sunday by many Christians. The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem at the beginning of the first Holy Week started being observed publicly in Palestine in the early fourth century. However, Books of Common Prayer from 1549 until the 1928 revision did not call it Palm Sunday. The 1928 BCP restored the title Palm Sunday, and it included the account from St. Mark 11 for an alternate Morning Prayer lesson. In addition, many Anglicans have included the Liturgy of the Palms from other sources.

Certainly, the story of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem should be remembered. The occurrence was rich in symbolism. Jesus came on a donkey as a peaceful king from the ancient East would come to be enthroned. And the children and humble people present that day welcomed and praised Him. He deserved the praise and recognition. He was the true king of God's people, the divinely anointed deliverer. Unfortunately, the crowds still did not really understand Jesus. They did not really accept His spiritual way of being a leader. They were looking for a political deliverer, and as disappointed crowds are apt to do, they would quickly turn on Jesus and accept His crucifixion. 

Thus, the Palm Gospel naturally leads us to the Passion Gospel (Matthew 27) which is the main reading on this day. The events surrounding Christ's Passion are key to the whole Christian message. Holy Week and Easter are the goals of the Incarnation. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ are the greatest acts of God for our salvation. Without them, Jesus' birth and ministry would fade into insignificance. Without them, we would have no hope of redemption from our sins, no hope of eternal life. A faithful response to the events of Holy Week and Easter is central to what it means to be Christian. So let us take time throughout this week to listen, read and meditate on these painful but mighty acts of God.

Sixth Sunday in Lent-Palm Sunday

Of course, in the popular mind, this is Palm Sunday. People like to recall this moment of external triumph. Jesus rides into Jerusalem to fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah 9. By coming to King David’s city on a donkey, Jesus is making a Messianic claim. He is coming in humility and peace to begin His rule. And despite their confused ideas about the nature of Christ, many praise Him. Jesus is the Christ and receives the praise that He deserves. Like the ancient crowd, we tend to get caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment.

Unfortunately, many people who praised Jesus that day did not really understand Him. They did not sense what sort of king He was. So by the end of the week, many who praised Jesus turned on Him. Some would go from shouting “hosanna” to shouting “crucify him.” Even His closest disciples would flee in confusion and fear.

On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus was asking for spiritual and moral commitment, but the crowds were looking for other things. They were blinded by their physical, material, and worldly aspirations. Jesus Christ came to redeem people from their sins. He came to offer His life to deliver them from the power of evil. He came to conquer death, to rise again, to establish the kingdom of heaven, and to offer eternal life in God’s presence.

But most people, even would-be disciples, misunderstood. They were looking for Him to bring them temporal or worldly blessings. They mainly wanted things such as wealth, power, free food, healing, health, material comfort, external happiness, etc. And when they started to realize that He wasn’t that kind of king, their responses to Him started to change.

Many were confused or disappointed. And some were downright fickle and mean. They turned hostile. When He didn’t live up to their mistaken worldly ideals, they rejected Him and falsely accused Him.

Modern people, even many who say that they are Christians, are much like those first-century crowds. Many human beings continue to have poor understandings of redemption. We still look for false messiahs. We still misunderstand what kind of Messiah, what kind of king, Jesus is. We still try to make Him fit our personal preferences.

People still tend to focus on the material, physical and worldly aspects of Christ’s divine kingship. Yes, He knows that we are body and soul, and He cares about all aspects of human life. He asks His followers to care as well. He wants us to live in general safety and health with reasonable food, shelter, medical care, rest, and so on. But such matters are not His primary or ultimate concern for human beings. He is not a worldly king. He does not preach some sort of distorted prosperity or social gospel.

Instead, Christ’s main concerns are spiritual. He does care for our earthly lives, but He focuses more on our spiritual and eternal lives. He knows that there will always be earthly problems. He sees that there will always be crosses to bear in this world. And He wants people to respond to those crosses in ways that lead to resurrection and eternal life spent with Him, His heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Our priorities should be spiritual and moral. Beginning with faith in Jesus as the Savior of our eternal souls, we respond in love- for God and for our neighbors. Many things can be included in these faithful responses. We do good deeds to the extent that we are physically and materially able. We support the church and charitable institutions. We study Scripture. But above all we love God, and we express that love spiritually in worship and in prayer.

Our love of God is also expressed by love for our neighbors, and not just in generally polite words or kind actions. We also love our neighbors by pointing them to Jesus Christ who alone can give their lives the deepest meaning and save their souls.

So during this Holy Week, let us seek to appreciate the kind of king that Jesus really is. Jesus Christ is a spiritual king who comes in humility and peace to establish His rule in our hearts, minds, and souls. He is a king who asks us to keep following Him even when the hymns of praise fade. He is a king who asks for our loyalty as He and we walk the way of the cross.

Jesus Christ certainly deserves our praise, our “hosannas.” He deserves praise more than anyone else. But the praise He wants is not just for the big events and celebrations. He wants our praise and our loyalty even on ordinary dull days. And He even asks for our praise and our loyalty on days, like Good Friday, when the honor and cheers of the crowd turn into rejection and jeers.

Palm Sunday has a dual aspect. It is a somber reminder of human blindness, disloyalty, and evil. It is also a joyful reminder that Jesus Christ is a spiritual king whose love, grace, and glory transcend human frailty. Even in the midst of suffering and death, even in a pandemic, the love and the grace of Christ Jesus continue undefeated. He triumphs through His cross and through all our little crosses.

To Him, with the Father and Holy Spirit, be all praise now and evermore! Amen.

Palm Sunday as a Warning

Very often Palm Sunday is a beautiful observance. Whether there is a procession or not, there are likely to be palm branches ( or some local green substitute). A Gospel about Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem is likely to be read, and there are probably some rousing hymns or songs of praise. Christians of all sorts like to praise Jesus, and even many "nice" unbelievers don't mind joining in if it is a pretty spring morning.

Yet, in truth, sometimes we don't stop to consider the deeper meanings of the commemoration. Jesus comes as a peaceful and humble King to claim His throne, and the crowd seems to have a partial appreciation. They use Messianic titles and shout "Hosanna" which means "save now." This expression, Hosanna, is great, but we should beware. A crowd may have divergent views about what it means to be saved and differing understandings of what happens "now." Many in the crowd were looking for political salvation from Roman oppression, and they hoped that now- that Palm Sunday- the great Jewish Revolt was starting under the leadership of Jesus the Messiah.

They misunderstood. They had not really listened to or understood Jesus for a long time. They had overlooked the spiritual and moral implications of salvation. They did not see that "now" was a time of repentance and conversion, a time to choose a higher way. Now was a time of humility and suffering and sacrifice. It was not a time for a great military or political victory, but a time for victory over sin and death through cross and resurrection. And because of their misunderstanding and impatience, many members of that crowd may have been among another crowd that would soon shout "crucify him."

For us then, Palm Sunday is a warning. Although we have long heard the message and the story of Jesus, our understandings and applications are often incomplete. We tend to focus on great displays and worldly blessings just as the Jerusalem crowds did. And we want such things "now."
Therefore, let us focus on the spiritual dimensions of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We need to understand the spiritual character of salvation through Christ. We need to be patient and see that the "now" of our salvation is to look to, understand, and have faith in Jesus as the deliverer who comes in the name of His heavenly Father.

Palm Sunday?

Most contemporary Christians, even those who do not use many rituals/ceremonies,  know the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday. And on the first day of the week before Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Gospel account of people praising Jesus and waving or strewing palm branches (in Matthew 21 and other places) is lovely and meaningful. As believers, we certainly think that Jesus was the Christ and deserved to be honored as a king coming in peace. So reading the Palm Gospel is appropriate, and there is nothing inherently wrong with having a few leaves of palms or other tress in commemoration.

Unfortunately, there are problems associated with this day from the first century onward. The crowd that praised Jesus did not really understand or appreciate Him. Five days later, some of the same people may have been yelling "crucify him."
In addition, from about the 8th century, the medieval church got carried away with the ceremony of the Palms. It became more and more elaborate, and in the popular consciousness overshadowed the more ancient liturgical emphasis of the Passion Gospel. So it should not be surprising that in 1549 Archbishop Cranmer tried to shift the emphasis. The ceremony of the Palms was abolished, and from then through 1662, Anglican Prayer Books simply called the day "The Sunday next before Easter." Even the American revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 remained subdued in calling the day "The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday."

Over the years, it seems that we have seen a repeat of the medieval developments. Ceremonies, palm leaves, music, and processions have become more and more widespread and elaborate. And in many Anglican and other churches, these cute rites have come to overshadow the Scriptural, ancient Catholic, and Reformation emphasis on Christ's Passion. While there are positive elements in observing Palm Sunday, one can see why Cranmer felt obliged to abolish it.