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INJ
St Matthew 21:1-11
'Lowly'
Divine Service
Palmarum, or Palm Sunday, The Sixth Sunday in Lent | March 16, 2008
Dear Saints,
Jesus comes into Jerusalem five days before His death, and He comes riding on a donkey walking on cloaks and surrounded with the shouts of people singing Psalm 118, “Hosanna, (That means, 'The Lord Saves'), Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”
We call this the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but that's not what the Bible calls it. “Triumph” is not the adjective the Scriptures use, rather, they call this coming “lowly.” Humble, that's how Jesus enters into Jerusalem, modest, meek, lowly.
Now we might miss this, because this is, perhaps, the most splendid moment of public adoration in Jesus life. Never before had the crowds so embraced Jesus and sung His praises. And, more, you and I have never been there as a king made his grand entry into a city of the ancient world.
A couple of years ago I told you about the triumphal entry of Alexander call “the Great” into ancient Babylon. The city manager came out to meet him with troops and horses to surrender, and the high priest of the city had the road carpeted with flowers and silver altars set up along side of the road, and he brought gifts of herds of cattle and horses and lions and leopards. Alexander himself road into the city on a chariot followed by priests chanting his greatness and musicians playing instruments. The procession must have gone on for miles. [link]
This is how a great king was received into a city.
Alexander also came to Jerusalem. Josephus tells about this triumphal entry. [link] Supposedly the high priest had a dream in which God told him how to save the city, and following the dream all the people dressed in white and went out to meet Alexander and his armies. The priests in purple linen also went out, with the high priest in his high priestly garments, with the golden headband with the Divine Name written on it.
And, to the surprise of everyone, Alexander honored the Divine Name, took the priests hand and was led into the city, and into the temple where he made a sacrifice on the altar. (Now this, of course, was breaking all sorts of the laws, having a non-priest Gentile going into the temple was an abomination, not to mention the making of a sacrifice.)
Now this is the point of all this history, we want to compare it to the entry of Jesus, and let this comparison show us the lowliness of Jesus' entry. For Jesus comes on a donkey (not a chariot or even a war horse), and He is met with a children's choir (not the priests or leaders). In fact, the religious leaders and high society comes along and try to stop the whole thing.
You see why Jesus, when He is on the mountain overlooking Jerusalem weeps over the city and her people and their unbelief. When the pagan ruler comes with his armies the people and the leaders and the priests pull out all the pomp and bend over backwards to receive him and welcome him into the city. But when Jesus comes, the promised Messiah of Israel, the Savior of all the world, rather than going out to meet Him and welcome Him aright, Jesus gets none of it. If you should roll out the red carpet for anyone, it should be Jesus. But, instead, the priests try to stuff up the mouths of the disciples, and at last they are plotting to have Jesus arrested and murdered.
But this is the way it is with Jesus. He comes lowly, in humility, not for the red carpet, not for triumph, not for horses of war, but rather for whip and jeering, not for beautiful clothes and pomp, but rather the purple robes of mockery and the naked shame of the cross. Jesus comes to false accusation of guilt and cross, for nails and spit, thorn and donkey and tomb. Jesus does not come to conquer, to rule, to kill, but rather to be conquered and ruled and killed.
The humility of the manger, the humility of the wandering Rabbi with no home and no bed, the humility of the donkey and the palms, all of these are pushing toward the humility of the cross. (It's why we have palms in the shape of the cross.) One humiliation to another.
Remember how St Paul sung about this, Philippians 2:
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The humiliation of the cross, that's where Jesus is headed, because that is where you are, and Jesus is rushing toward you. Do you see that Jesus is on the donkey riding to you, riding toward your death and your sorrow and your sin? Jesus comes in humility because our sin has put us in humility. Our death has put us in lowliness. And Jesus jumps in with us. Into our humility and lowliness, sin and death. In to our sorrow and pain.
I've never been visited by an earthly king. The closest I've got when my mom, standing on the side of the road, saw the president's limo drive down the street and got a wave. That's about as close as any of us will get to the high pomp of a visit from a king. But not Jesus. He comes to us. In lowliness and humility and love to take away our sin and give us life. Even this morning He comes into our midst, riding not on a donkey, but on His Word, His Absolution, and His bread and wine.
Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO
