Sunday
03/29/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s
Sermon Title: “Now that’s a
Messiah and a leader!”
Old Testament
Lesson: Isaiah 50:4-9a
New Testament
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel Lesson:
Mark 11:1-11
Friends, brothers and
sisters, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest”
(Mark 11:9b-10, CEB)!
Welcome once again on this our Palm or Passion Sunday, the
day that we celebrate Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into the city of
Jerusalem on a donkey. As Jesus Christ enters into the Holy City on this day, people
will shout “Hosanna,” and people will lay palm branches before Jesus Christ’s
path, to make a walk way for the King of Kings.
Yet this triumphant entry into the Holy City, into “Zion,”
will soon end at the cross. The people who shout “Hosanna” on this day, will
soon flee, and Christ will accomplish our redemption on the cross. Today though,
is a triumphant day, and day to be celebrated, as Jesus is coming ever closer
to completing his mission, and his ministry.
In ancient Roman times, a “Triumph” was often held, when a
great military or political victory was won. The leaders, the generals, the
senate, and the emperor at the time, would have a great parade through the
capital city to receive blessings from the gods that they believed in. They
also did this to show their power and their strength to the Roman citizens.
In such an ancient Roman “Triumph,” often no expense would
be spared. The Emperor or the set of leaders at the time, would enter into the
heart of the city of Rome with the best chariots and the best horses. Likely,
the chariots would be adorned with gold, and perhaps even precious stones. The
soldiers would be shined up, dressed to the nines, and drums and horns would be
played. Everyone in the city of Rome would then see the power, the wealth, and
the splendor of the Roman leaders.
During the Jewish Passover that happens every year, it was
required that all Jewish people were to come into the city of Jerusalem. They
of course were required to make an animal sacrifice at the great temple, and to
pay a fee to enter the great temple, to praise God.
The Roman governor of Judea at the time, which is largely part
of the present day country of Israel, Pontius Pilate, surely would have entered
into Jerusalem like a true Roman leader. Sure Pontius Pilate was no Jew, but
since so many people were in Jerusalem for the Passover each year, he would
have likely entered into the city every year with legions of soldiers to keep
the peace, and to show Roman power and authority, above all things.
Pontius Pilate, the one who washed his hands of Jesus, and
allowed his whipping, scourging, and crucifixion, likely came into Jerusalem
with many chariots, adorned with precious metals. He likely had shined and
valuable armor, and his soldiers were likely made to look their best.
If the then King Herod Antipas, son of “Herod the Great”
was not in the city of Jerusalem before the start of the Passover, he would
have also likely entered the city with great pomp and splendor, as well. You
see, King Herod Antipas and his father, had multiple residences all over, so it
is possible that King Herod Antipas could have been in Jerusalem already, or could
have not been in Jerusalem already.
Given all of this, it would seem that Roman leaders, and
most kings would enter into a city like Jerusalem with great glamour, vanity, wealth,
showmanship, and power. For this is how leaders showed the average poor wretch,
their power, their authority, and their strength.
Yet today, the savior of the world, the King of Kings, the
Lord of Lords, enters into Jerusalem, the Holy City, “Zion,” on a donkey. Now
if we were going to travel in style today, and make a grand entrance, would we
show up to the Oscars or the Emmys, on a donkey? Or perhaps you would leave
your wedding ceremony, and you and your husband would get on a donkey to go to
the reception party? It is certainly a humble form of transportation. Further,
Jesus borrowed this donkey, as it wasn’t even his donkey!
The Messiah, the promised one, the great redeemer, enters
into the Holy City this day, on a donkey. Yet we have had a mega church pastor
in the news recently asking his parishioners for 60-million dollars so that he
could travel the world and preach in a nice private jet. Yet Jesus enters Jerusalem
this day on a humble donkey. Why does Jesus do this?
Well there are couple of obvious answers to this. One,
Jesus is teaching us to be humble servants to each other. Second, Jesus is
teaching us to not glorify ourselves, but rather to glorify God. Jesus is also
teaching us what a true leader is. A true leader is someone of the people, and
for the people. Lastly, Jesus knew that as the Messiah that he must fulfill all
of the ancient prophecies that the prophets of the Old Testament made about
him. The specific prophecy for this day, comes from the Old Testament prophet
Zechariah. Specifically, it says in Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is
he, humble and
riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9, NRSV).
So in part,
the Messiah had to enter the Holy City, Jerusalem, in this way, but I believe
that Jesus also did this for all of the other reasons that I mentioned above,
as well. In all of these ways, I think that what Jesus displayed as far as
leadership on this Palm or Passion Sunday, is part of what makes him the “Messiah
and a leader!”
In fact, when we
have elections, aren’t we often looking for leaders with that sort of humility,
love, and kindness, versus a politician that spends tax payer money in a greedy
or a selfish way? For me, if I were in Jerusalem all those years ago, I would
likely snicker at the greed, the pride, and the selfishness of King Herod
Antipas and the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, as they entered into the city of
Jerusalem. Yet if I were there to see Jesus Christ enter Jerusalem, I would
say, “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!” I would say, “He truly must be the savior,
he truly must be the Messiah.” I would say, “Hosanna Jesus! We here in
Jerusalem are living in poverty and squalor, save us, help us, oh savior of the
world!”
When we look
at the scripture reading from this morning from the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah
says, “The LORD God opened my ear; I didn’t rebel; I didn’t turn my back.
Instead, I gave my body to attackers, and my cheeks to beard pluckers. I didn’t
hide my face from insults and spitting” (Isaiah 50:5-6, CEB). This
prophetic language spoken by Isaiah of the Passion that would befall Jesus
Christ soon, was written centuries before Christ ever walked the earth. That
soon this great Messiah and leader, would be brutally tortured and murdered.
In our scripture reading from this morning, from the
Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi or the Philippians, the reading
begins with 2:5-6, that says, “Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God
something to exploit” (Phil. 2:5-6, CEB). So according to the Apostle Paul,
Jesus was humble and loving, and we should seek to be the same. Then in Philippians
2:7, the Apostle Paul says, “But he emptied himself by taking the form of a
slave and by becoming like human beings” (Phil. 2:7, CEB). To me then, I say,
“Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!”
In looking more closely at our gospel of Mark reading for
this morning, Jesus and his followers arrive in Bethphage, which is just
outside of Jerusalem. Jesus then told two of his disciples to “Go into the
village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt
that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why
are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he we send it back right
away” (Mark, 11:2-3, CEB).
So the two disciples went and found the colt or the donkey,
and brought it to Jesus, well after they were questioned about it of course.
When the colt or the donkey was brought to Jesus, the
gospel says that the disciples “threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it.
Many people spread out their clothes on the road while other spread branches
cut from the fields” (Mark, 11:7-8, CEB). Many were shouting ‘Hosanna!,’ “Save
us!” (Mark, 11:9, CEB).
After this triumphant entry into the Holy City, into
Jerusalem, into “Zion,” Jesus entered the great temple in the city. Then our
gospel reading concludes by saying, “After he looked around at everything,
because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the
Twelve” (Mark, 11:11, CEB). Presumably the colt or the donkey was then returned
to.
So this is the narrative or the story of Palm or Passion
Sunday from the gospel according to Mark. This Palm or Passion Sunday story, is
also found in all four of the gospels in the New Testament. So, this is the
Messiah and the leader who comes to us in the most humble and loving of ways on
this Palm or Passion Sunday.
I
would like to share a story with you on this Palm or Passion Sunday. This story
is taken from Guideposts, and it is
called ‘Take Jesus' hand as we enter Holy Week!’ The story is written by Marci Alborghetti. This story begins
with this scripture: “I
am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it”? —Isaiah
43:19 (NRSV). Here is the story:
“Normally I delete those forwarded
e-mails with cute or sentimental stories without even reading them. I receive
so many, and when it comes to Internet profundity, I just don’t have the time.”
“But for some reason I read the one I
received on Palm Sunday. It told the story of a little boy who had to stay home
from church because he had a cold. After the service, his older sister came
home, waving her palm frond in the air. “What’s that?” asked the little boy. She answered smugly, “We wave these
in the air and then put them on the ground to welcome Jesus.”
“The boy started wailing and fled
the room. When his mother held him and asked what was wrong, he said
through his tears, “The one Sunday I don’t go to church, Jesus showed up!”
“Today’s the day Jesus shows up—in
our churches, in our hearts, in our minds. We’ve been waiting for Him all our
lives. Are you ready? Will you be there? Don’t let an ailment—physical,
emotional or spiritual—keep you from the warmth of Jesus’ dramatic entrance
into our lives.”
“Today is the first day of the most
exciting, harrowing, tragic, grief-stricken and ultimately joyous week of our
year. Don’t miss it. Don’t hit Delete. Show up, take the Lord’s hand and begin
the journey.”
There
is then a small prayer to end this story that says: “Jesus, don’t let anything keep me
from You this day, this week, this life!”
Brothers
and sisters, while we might think that Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on
this day is common and unimportant, or that Jesus Christ himself is common and
unimportant, let us in this Holy Week, and always, realize who Jesus Christ was
and still is. Let us realize that Jesus loves us all, and that he is the savior
of the world. For Jesus Christ this day, comes to us in the humblest and the most
loving of ways. “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!” Amen.
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