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INJ
'Ride on to Die'
St Matthew 21
Divine Service
Palm Sunday | Confirmation Sunday
April 9th, 2006
Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO
Dear Steven, Cynthia, Patti, and to all the Saints of God,
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In Lordly pomp ride on to conquer.
...No, that's not it...
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In Lordly pomp ride on to victory.
...Still not right...
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In Lordly pomp ride on in glory and might.
...No, that is how we would sing of an earthly king or ruler, but we want to sing about Christ. The song about Him goes like this,
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Now that's right; those are the words that we have sung together; that's the stunning song of the Lord's Church, of His victory and triumph. For this King comes not riding a stead of war but the lowly and humble donkey, barefoot, saddled on the worn robes of His disciples. To inherit His Kingdom, Jesus comes meek, lowly, and He comes to die. That's normally not why kings and rulers make their triumphant entry into cities. Earthly kings do not ride on to die, they ride on to conquer, to rule, to fight. But not our Jesus; He comes to be conquered and ruled and beaten and scorned and killed.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
That is why it is so appropriate that we have pinned to ourselves palm branches fashioned into the shape of a cross, for the triumph of Palm Sunday quickly turns to the tragedy of Good Friday. Today Jesus is placed on the back of a donkey; then a cross will be placed on His back. Today they tear down tree branches and palm leaves to strew in His path; then they will lift Him up and nail His hands and feet to the branches of that cruel tree. Today they take off their cloaks for a carpet for His entry; then they will tear off His clothes and gamble for His garments. Today they will sing, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!” Then they will shout, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
This is the King that Jesus is for you, a lowly, humble, crucified King, no other. He comes to die for you. This is the way it must be, for Jesus comes to rescue us from our deadliest captor: sin. This, after all, is our greatest problem, we are sinners, poor, wretched, miserable sinners. And sin is always bound to death, “if you eat it you will surely die... the wages of sin is death,” and so we who are bound to sin are also bound to die. That is, if we don't have a King to rescue us from sin and death.
But we do; He comes to the rescue lowly, riding on a donkey, riding on to die, because that is the battle that He must fight and win for you, for me. If we are to be rescued for sin and death then Jesus must Himself die, destroying death and bringing forgiveness, the forgiveness of all sin, that means even your sin. “Hosanna” is a Hebrew word meaning, “Lord, save!” and this is exactly what the Lord does, He goes to the cross for our salvation.
And so we rejoice, for Jesus rescues and saves us, not from the mini-tyrants of pain, or sickness, or hunger, or poverty, or any of these other little pretend troublemakers, but from the great tyrant of sin and death. From this He sets you free.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
So the crowds sang Jesus' praise on that first Palm Sunday, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” This song is not unfamiliar, for we sing it often, every time we gather here at the Lord's Table to receive His body and blood.
The Lord's Church has seen fit to use these words as the second half of the Sanctus, one of the five great hymns of the liturgy, and the hymn that we sing to prepare our hearts and ears and mouths to feast on the faithful promises of Christ, bound up in His true body and blood. “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of Thy Glory. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, Blessed is He, Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest!”
Just as the crowd welcomed their humble Savior and their King to Jerusalem, so we great the Lord who comes to us in humble bread and wine. “Hosanna!” Lord save us. And He does, and He will.
You confirmands will soon taste and know this salvation. You have studied the Lord's Word, the Catechism, and now you will make the good confession of your faith here, before God and His people, and then, having joined your mouth in confessing the faith, you will then be fed in that mouth the Lord Jesus' own body and blood. This is a wonderful treasure. You know that.
Steven, Cynthia, Patti, I have seen your knowledge of the Lord's Supper and how well you understand the meaning of it both in the words that you have spoken and also in your faces, in your smiles, and in your tears, for these last few weeks when we have talked about finishing Instruction and being Confirmed there has been an overwhelming joy, and tears of joy, in the anticipation of this meal. And that is right. For is it here that the Lord Jesus come for you, today, lowly but with His Word of promise, “This is My body, given for you. This is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” For you, today, for you, for the forgiveness of all of our sins.
Many of us have taken the Lord's Supper hundreds, thousands of times, and though the gift and treasures of heaven are always the same, always wonderful, we perhaps run the risk of forgetting the greatness and wonder of the treasure that the Lord here freely gives us. This morning you are our teachers, and your tears are our instructors, and your smiles are our reminders of the preciousness of the Lord's words, “Given for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” For this we thank you.
But most of all, we give thanks to the Lord Jesus, Who does not despise our lowliness and Who is not repelled by our sin, but Who comes to us to rescue and save us, and to be our King.
The time has come, the feast is ready. Blessed is Jesus who comes to us, today, in the name of the Lord. 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