(Psalms 118, John 12:9-19)

The triumphal entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem was a royal coronation ending in a death sentence. But it was a drama scripted from Psalms 118: “Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures forever (1) This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it (24). …. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord… (26)With branches in hand, join the joyous procession (27)

This is the day of salvation! Jesus is the long awaited King of Israel. Hosanna in the highest (which means save us! But by week’s end, people were calling for his blood “Crucify him!. Why was Israel so fickle? Was it because Jesus did not fit the bill?

1.       The expectation: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…(26)

Can we blame the people for their great expectations on Jesus coming to Jerusalem? They had heard of his miracles, especially the raising of Lazarus from the dead. They expected Jesus, the healer and miracle worker from Nazareth, to be the Messiah, Savior, King of Israel. His coming to Jerusalem was his ascension to the throne of David. They had waited far too long for this promise to be fulfilled. And it was being fulfilled right before their eyes. Or so they hoped. Was it a misplaced expectation?

There’s an apocryphal story that says that Judas betrayed Jesus after he was corrected by the other disciples. No Judas, it is not “Take up your crown and follow me?” Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow me…..And Judas betrayed Jesus.

The old covenant stipulated that God will perpetuate the crown of David if Israel, the chosen people, will worship only one God, and obey the commandments. This was based on Scriptural promises.

And this is where the problem lies. After David and Solomon, the kings of Israel with few exceptions, became power seekers. They trusted in other Gods, and in the might of their political allies. Despite the warnings of the prophets, like Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the kings went about their politics like ordinary kings. They were warned against befriending Assyria. They were warned of the invasion by Nebuchadnezzar. They were warned against the worship of other gods. But they were hard necked.

And so again and again, the Israelites were made captives – first by the Assyrians, by the Babylonians, by the Greeks and now at the time of Jesus, by the Romans. And the 500 year waiting for salvation by God’s anointed Messiah, was palpable. At every Passover when they gathered in Jerusalem, the expectations of Hosanna were raised higher. And so when Jesus, the miracle worker arrived in Jerusalem, they crowned him king of Israel.

2.       Rejected by Israel: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (22)

The problem is the Jews were not paying attention. All religions start with faith in God but end up wielding power over one another. It was faith that gave Israel the Law. But the law became a power system, an institution with hierarchy and interests. Salvation was by the grace of God in Egypt, through the plagues and the Passover. But now salvation was a matter of offering sacrifices in the temple, a mechanical act. If you were a rich sinner, you sacrifice a cow. If you were a middle class sinner, you sacrifice a goat. If you were a jobless sinner, you sacrificed a dove for your sins once a year at Passover. There was no contrition. There was piety. But there was no faith.

Jesus was the stone that was rejected. The priests rejected the cornerstone of the temple, by allowing the idolatrous selling of animal sacrifices and of money making at the temple which had become a market. So Jesus drove the merchants away. Jesus said “I will destroy this temple and rebuild it in 3 days. The priests exploited Jesus “words”. Quickly, Hosanna became Crucify him!

The priest’s agenda was power. Their expectations were now in conflict with God’s plan of salvation.

3. What is God’s plan of salvation? Jesus is the cornerstone.

God’s plan was to offer a new covenant for his people. He would offer his only Son to remind them of his Fatherly love. That through His Son, they may learn that more important than power, is the Spirit of love.

How did the Jews misread the Messiah? How did they fail to grasp what was going on? John clearly informs us that even our Lord’s disciples didn’t understand. Well, it was something new. It was difficult to understand until Jesus was glorified—that is until after our Lord had been rejected, crucified, and resurrected. It is only then that the Holy Spirit made things clearer.

Palm Sunday is the day of understanding what the Lord is like. The Lord chose to ride a donkey. His message is simply that He is a different King, not the king of quick solutions, but the king of your heart. We must allow Jesus to rule our lives triumphantly. We too welcome the Lord with joy and celebration as He rides triumphantly into our hearts and minds.

Palm Sunday reminds us that the Lord is a personal God, who knocks at the door, rides calmly into our lives and uses us to inspire a world that is fallen and hopeless. We are invited, too, to wave palm branches of joy and salvation in the air, and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The “triumphal entry” was a day of misunderstanding. Jesus did not fit the bill of a military Messiah. Even today, He does not fit the bill of a God who overthrows the wicked, who brings prosperity, peace, and freedom so people can think they have a right to God’s blessings, though they cannot accept their sinful state. Because they believe they are sinless, they cannot accept a king to die for their sins. Like the Jews, we prefer to hear Jesus saying, “Take up your crown, and follow Me” . Actually he said “Take up your cross, and follow Me.” Is this the day? For a quick fix king? No. Is this the day for Christ to rule your heart today and forever? Yes.

(Sermon delivered April 5, 2009, Silliman church)