Sermon for Palmarum (Palm/Passion Sunday)
The Disciples Did Not Understand (At First)
In the Name of the Father, & of the + Son & of the Holy Spirit
Grace to you and peace from the One Who Is & Who Was & Who Is to Come!
“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”1
How often have you not had reality meet your expectations? You see something online that looks great, and the price is right, but when you receive it, it is made of the cheapest Chinesium and looks nothing like the pictures. You think a good photo of you was taken, you were well dressed and looking your best, but the actual image made you want to destroy all copies. The ingredients on the menu sounded good, but the actual meal was disgusting. You thought your family trip would be fun and exciting but turned out to be one headache after another. Our expectations tend to exceed reality.
Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem is all about expectations and reality being different things. Our friends, the disciples, are right there in the middle of it all. Now, Jerusalem had seen plenty of parades. Pontius Pilate regularly held military parades full of pomp and circumstance. All the legionaries were spit-polished and shined, looking their most regal and imposing, fully armed as if ready for battle. From the western end of the city, they would enter to the beat of a drummer and march across the city, polished helmets and shields gleaming and their dyed horse-hair plumes attached to their helmets shining red in the bright sun. They were the greatest military force the world had ever seen, and the message of these displays was clear: peace on earth was due to the power and might of Rome. Historians call this period of Roman dominion the pax Romana, the “Roman peace.”
Jesus enters Jerusalem from the east. That should tell us something right there. The disciples, like many others, thought Jesus was entering the city to defeat the Roman legions and usher in a new era of Jewish peace. The crowd shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”2 “Hosanna" means "Save us now!" They are waving palm branches which were an ancient symbol of victory. Jewish peace through King Jesus is what they were expecting. But their expectations did not match up with reality.
“And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’”3 In ancient times, horse-drawn chariots were paraded before the people because they represented the power and might of the army that utilized them. A triumphing general entered the city crowned with laurels and riding a guided chariot pulled by mighty steeds. Everyone who saw him knew he was the victorious general to whom they owed their awe and devotion for keeping the realm safe from her enemies! In the Bible, horses and chariots are proverbial symbols of power as well!4 Jesus enters Jerusalem on… a donkey.
Not a champion stallion warhorse. No chariot. No weapons. No army. No fancy plumed helmet, shield, or spear. A donkey. What is Jesus thinking? What kind of conqueror is this? We can understand why St. John states (including himself in this observation): “His disciples did not understand these things at first.”5 John recorded that he and the disciples did not understand a lot of things! A whole bunch of other people did not understand, either!
The master of the Cana wedding feast doesn’t realize where the wine has come from.6 Jews believe Jesus will rebuild the literal temple in three days.7 Nicodemus thinks Jesus is talking about a grown man literally needing to be physically reborn from his mother.8 The Samaritan woman misconstrues Jesus’ reference to “living water” in the liquid she draws from Jacob's well.9 The man who was healed by Jesus doesn’t know who did it!10 The crowd wants to make Jesus an earthly king.11 “Not even His brothers believed in Him.”12 People are confused concerning Jesus’ Bethlehem birth and its significance.13 The disciples misconstrue Jesus’ reference to Lazarus having “fallen asleep.”14 Martha doesn’t understand Jesus’ use of the word “resurrection.”15 Peter fails to understand the significance of Jesus’ washing his feet.16 The disciples in the Upper Room fail to understand the significance of Judas’ leaving the meal.17 Both Thomas and Philip misunderstand Jesus’ reference to being “the way.”18 By cutting off Malchus's ear, Peter shows that he fails to understand Jesus' plan to go to the cross.19 Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus.20 Seven disciples go fishing and don’t recognize their risen Lord.21 Phew, that’s some list! How many of these same events do we find ourselves not understanding at times? We know all the stories, but do we know how they connect to us, here and now?
Art Holst was an NFL referee and used to tell a story about Fred Arbanas, who was a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and had a glass eye. Fred was once tackled so hard that his artificial eye popped out. After a search, the missing eye was found. Arbanas popped it back into place, declined the coach’s offer to send in a sub, and was eager to resume play. Holst playfully said to Arbanas, “Fred, I’m impressed. But what if you had lost the other eye?” “That’s easy,” quipped Arbanas. “I’d become a referee!” Referees aren’t the only ones who are blind. So are people throughout John’s Gospel. So are we!
Frequently, we are spiritually blind because, deep down, we want a different Savior. We want a Messiah who can instantly right our wrongs, heal our bruised ego and hurt feelings, and miraculously deliver us from our ailments and diseases, or save us from the doom and gloom of this world. That kind of ideal Christ gives only sweetness and light, sparkles and rainbows.
Then reality crushes our expectations. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.22 Peter blooded his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane to cut off Malchus' ear. By Good Friday, most of the crowd of Jews – the same one waving palm branches and shouting "Hosannah!" this morning, wound up rejecting the Christ God sent them, shouting instead, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"
It is no surprise that by Friday, we find Jesus hanging beneath a sign telling everyone why Rome had Him executed: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”23 Looking for a king who had power and presence, a first-century influencer who would turn the tide of Roman oppression, they missed the Christ they actually had: A God-man who had divine power and presence, offering true peace that endures. He rode ride up to them on His trusty donkey.
Jesus is gentle and kind, humble, and without pretense. He does not require flashy weapons or armor. He is a mighty warrior, though He does not look it. He is a conquering hero, though, upon that cross, He looks defeated. But it is true. This is the Christ we need. This is the Christ who turns the darkness of Good Friday into the joyous light of the empty tomb. The shadow of the cross into everlasting peace with God. Jesus' blood shed on the cross grants us peace with God through faith alone.24 God delivers that peace to you now through the Gospel proclaimed, through His body and blood in mysterious union with bread and wine, and in the waters of Holy Baptism connected to the divine name of the Triune God.
How many people have you heard say, “I’ve made my peace with the man upstairs?” Have you said it at some point? What that really means is, “I’ve declared a cease-fire with God. We have an understanding.” God, you stay up in heaven doing whatever you do, and I’ll carry on sinning down here, and never the twain shall meet. I know you’re there, I guess., but we’ll just not bother each other. That’s not peace with God. Peace with God is a relationship with Him.
The problem with our understanding of relationships is that our earthly ones are so broken by sin that we can't understand what an authentic relationship with God is like. We think this whole religion thing is a bunch of rules we have to keep – things we have to do for God, to keep Him happy, or we're going to hell. We are all Pharisees at heart – we think what we do for God is how we make Him happy. Many of us are sitting in our pews right now because we believe that. This is what God expects us to do. Do right, mark your time, and maybe God will smile on you. If your life is tough, it's because you aren't trying hard enough, and God is punishing you. Stumble through it in the right way, and God will open the gates of heaven to you. It's a one-way street with the burden of action on us.
We could not be more wrong. A relationship with God is most definitely one-way in origin, but it begins on the end you did not expect! From Him to us. It is a relationship built on faith and trust. Faith to believe that that humble man riding a donkey to his humiliating death covered in sweat and blood upon a cross is the warrior king who stormed into this world and became a human being, not in a cloud of fire with the army of heaven behind Him, but on a cold, quiet night born of a young girl in a feed trough. This warrior king defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil for you by humbling Himself, humiliating Himself, and becoming a man like you and me. That is genuine power and brings true peace with God. He did it all for you because you were incapable of doing anything yourself. That is reality. Does it exceed your expectations of what you really deserve?
Then do not keep it to yourself. Christ's disciples did not remain ignorant forever. They began to understand when they saw the empty tomb. They told everyone. The reality is that our God rode a donkey. Our God suffered, bled, and died to feel God's wrath and take God's punishment - which we deserved for our sins. All because He desires to have a relationship with us, to love us, and be loved in return. All He asks is that you, in turn, have relationships with others, loving them like you love yourself. And He gifts you the Holy Spirit to do so. You don't do it alone. Believe it, share it, and live it.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”25 In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
May the peace which passes understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
1John 12:12-19 (ESV).
2John 12:13 (ESV).
3John 12:14-15 (ESV).
42 Kings 2:12; 13:14.
5John 12:16 (ESV).
6John 2:9.
7John 2:20.
8John 3:4, 9.
9John 4:10-15.
10John 5:13.
11John 6:15.
12John 7:5.
13John 7:41-42.
14John 11:11-13.
15John 11:24.
16John 13:6-11.
17John 13:28-30.
18John 14:5.
19John 18:10-11.
20John 20:14-15.
21John 21:4.
22That’s only about $300 in today’s money.
23Matthew 27:37 (ESV).
24Philippians 4:7; Romans 5:1.
25John 3:16-17, 20-21 (ESV).