Sunday, March 24, 2024

Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion
Processional
John 12:12-19
Passion
Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 118:19-29
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1-15:47

Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty vision, so we know the whole story. We know what happens at the end. We know that even though Jesus died on the cross, He was raised and lives and in Him we have life. God exalted Him because He was obedient. The stories we hear during Holy Week are very familiar, but it is good for us to walk the journey again, waiting and watching as if we are ignorant of the future. Sometimes it is good to put ourselves in the shoes of those who lived it. They didn’t know what would happen on Easter. They didn’t even know on Palm Sunday what would happen by the end of the week.

Whispers of real danger were beginning to run through the people who were witnessing the actions of Jesus. He had done amazing things. The leaders were nervous because the people were crying out for a savior. They wanted a king that would save them from the Romans and make the nation great again. This kind of talk threatened the lives and lifestyles of those in control. It was not just selfishness and greed that made them hostile to Jesus; they knew a revolution would be dangerous to the nation of Israel.

They may have been afraid that they would lose their own power and authority, but they also perceived the danger Jesus posed to the nation of Israel and he wanted the council to consider everything. What they didn’t consider is that the path they were taking was exactly according to God’s plan. They thought that killing Jesus would end the danger. Killing Jesus would do something more extraordinary. These thoughts were already in their mind because Jesus seemed to be the Messiah for whom they were waiting, but He wasn’t the Messiah they expected.

According to Rabbinical tradition, there were three miracles that could only be accomplished by the Messiah. The first was the healing of a Jewish leper. Though the Torah gives a lengthy procedure for spiritual cleansing of a healed leper, there is no record of it ever being used. The scriptures tell us about Miriam’s leprosy and healing, as well as that of Naaman. However, Miriam lived before the Torah was given and Naaman was a foreigner. Jesus was the only one who ever healed a Jewish leper. (Luke 5)

The second Messianic miracle was the casting out of a dumb demon. Casting out demons was not all that rare, but there was a specific process that was followed. The exorcist had to establish communication with the demon and find out its name. Then the exorcist could then cast the demon out by commanding it by name to leave the person they were possessing. The religious leaders could not communicate with a dumb demon and so could not cast it out. Jesus, however, was able to do so. (Matthew 12)

The third Messianic miracle was to heal a man born blind. You might note that the man in the previous miracle was also blind, though we do not know if he was born that way. The disciples were curious about the man described by John; they wondered whose fault it was that he could not see. “Did he sin or did his parents sin?” Jesus answered that it was not caused by sin, but that God did it so that He would be glorified through the man’s life. Jesus glorified God as he healed the man born blind. This final of the three Messianic miracles should have opened the eyes of those who knew and understood the Law. (John 9)

The religious leaders were investigating Jesus from the first Messianic miracle. There was a process to authenticate the identity of the Messiah, just like the Catholic Church goes through a series of steps to decide whether a person can be canonized as a Saint. The religious leaders were following Jesus, asking questions, investigating to find the truth, but they had their own understanding of what the Messiah should look like. Instead of looking for the truth, they tried everything to prove that He was not actually the Messiah. He didn’t fit their expectations, and though Jesus accomplished the very miracles that they claimed only the Messiah could do, they refused to believe.

There was a fourth miracle found in the book of John that was beyond human ability: the raising of Lazarus. The Jews believed that a man’s soul left his body after three days in the tomb, and so it was impossible for him to be raised after that time. Jesus raised Lazarus on the fourth day. This particular miracle, or sign as John calls them, was the catalyst that set the end in motion. The religious leaders were threatened by Jesus, and they had to turn the course of events. This brings us to the moment of Jesus’ story that we hear on Sunday.

Then Jesus fed their concern. Instead of quietly slipping into Jerusalem for the Passover feast, Jesus came in a very public and extraordinary way. He fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament by arriving as a triumphant King, filling the people with such hope. But He wasn’t the kind of king that they expected. He is the King who was willing to spill His own blood to set us free from the real oppressor: sin and death. This is the reason for us to rejoice. Unfortunately, those who were there on the first Palm Sunday did not really understand the meaning of the Old Testament promise. They rejoiced as Jesus went into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, righteous and humble, because they thought that Jesus would deliver them from the Romans. They cheered as He entered the city, threw palms and cloaks along His path. They were unprepared for what would happen during the rest of the week. Even His disciples did not understand until after the Resurrection.

The leaders were worried on that first Palm Sunday because it seemed as though the world was willing to follow Jesus. The people cried out in celebration as He entered the city, praising God for finally sending the Messiah that would save them. The jubilation did not last very long, however, which we see in the story of Jesus’ Passion. They were easily turned by rumors and lies. They were shocked by the words and actions of Jesus during Holy Week. He did not act like one who was determined to take the throne. He acted like One who set His feet on a path that would lead to death. Wisdom incarnate was foolish in their minds and they looked for another who would do what they wanted and expected the Messiah to do.

My mom always said, “If you don’t give me flowers when I am alive, don’t bother to send any to my funeral.” She insisted that she’d rather enjoy the flowers while she is alive. “I can’t enjoy them after I’m dead!” She had plenty of flowers at her funeral, given by friends and loved ones, yet her request always made me wonder why we do so. Others must do so, also, because there are often requests for donations to be made to favorite charities in lieu of flowers.

There are several reasons why flowers are sent to funerals. First of all, in days long gone, the flowers helped to mask the smell of the decomposing body. Most bodies are now embalmed, so it isn’t as important, but we continue the practice because flowers also are a visual expression of love, sympathy, and respect. They are means of lending support and sharing the burden of grief. Some people have begun sending flowers or plants to the family rather than the funeral home so that they can be enjoyed.

Another reason for sending flowers is the image it conveys. One of the most beloved hymns for use in funerals is “In the Garden.” The flowers give a visual and olfactory impression of being there in the Garden, walking with the Lord as we wish our loved one a final farewell. An article I read said, “Flowers create a background of warmth and beauty which adds to the dignity and consolation of the funeral service. Those who have attended services where there were no flowers have expressed the feelings that something was missing... that the funeral was depressing.” Funerals are a time of sadness, but for those who are Christian it is also a time of joy. Flowers add to the celebration of life and remind us in the midst of our grief of the promise of new life.

The Gospel passage for this week begins in Bethany as Jesus is anointed at the home of Simon the leper. Mark’s version of this story has fewer details than the other Gospel writers, but we know that she had pure nard which she poured over his head. This perfume would have filled the room with an overwhelming scent. Some of the disciples were upset by the waste; Judas was upset about the cost of the perfume; he slipped out to betray Jesus.

Jesus used the experience as an opportunity to talk about His death. He told them to leave the woman alone and that her work was to prepare Him for what was to come. Anointing a body at death was a loving, intimate, and respectful ritual. As soon as a person was dead, they closed the eyes, gave their loved one a kiss, and washed the body. They often used perfumes like nard, myrrh, or aloe. The woman chose to do this before He was dead, and Jesus honored her sacrifice. I suppose, like my mom, He preferred to experience the love when He was alive rather than later when He would not experience it at all.

While the disciples were gathered at Simon’s house, the chief priests and teachers of the law were scheming about how to destroy Jesus’ ministry. They knew they needed to stop Jesus, but they also knew that they had do it in a way that would not set the crowds against them. The people were beginning to see Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the nation of Israel, and the leaders were concerned that the people would rebel if they did not act with caution. Judas went to see how he could help.

Many things happened between Palm Sunday and Maudy Thursday, but Mark next reports about the Lord’s Supper. This meal celebrates the Jewish festival that remembers the Exodus from Egypt, when the Passover lamb was slaughtered and eaten. This was a very special meal for the Jews. Jesus and His disciples were wanderers with no place of their own, so the disciples asked where Jesus wanted to celebrate. Jesus already had a plan; He already selected a place for them to gather. The disciples found everything as Jesus had said. At dinner, Jesus revealed that one of them would betray Him and one would deny Him. They couldn’t believe it, each denying that they would be the one. Despite the betrayal and denial, Jesus ate this special meal with those who still followed Him that day, sharing with them the hope of His presence in their lives, establishing the covenant of forgiveness and grace we still celebrate with bread and wine. Despite their commitment to Jesus, He told them that they would all fall away. Peter denied it, insisting that he would follow Jesus into death.

After the dinner, Jesus and His disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus wrangled between His human desire for life and His divine calling to die. He was obedient, but we see how closely Jesus’ identified with us. The disciples were facing a battle of their own against the effects of the huge dinner. In the peace of a cool evening in the garden, they kept falling asleep though Jesus needed them to be strong for Him. The third time He found them asleep, Judas returned with the crowds of soldiers.

Jesus was arrested and tried. The disciples went into hiding. Peter denied Jesus, just as Jesus said he would. Jesus faced the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the first unable to put Him to death, the second unwilling to do so. In the end, Pilate had no choice but to do what was meant to be done: Jesus was sent to the cross. Those last few steps were probably the most difficult of Jesus’ life. He was beaten and mocked, forced to carry His cross until He was unable to do so. On Golgotha, Jesus was nailed to a cross and raised for all to see. Even then, in those horrific moments, the people continued their cruelty. The soldiers cast lots for His clothes. The chief priests and teachers of the law insulted Him. They commanded Him to prove He was the Messiah by saving Himself.

His death came quickly. Mark gives us a few final words from Jesus. He cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which Mark translates to mean, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” The people gathered at the base of the cross misinterpreted His cry, thinking that He was calling for Elijah to save Him. He was remembering Psalm 22, in which David cried out as a godly sufferer; Jesus identified with the pain of David and all the people who suffer. It is a psalm of comfort, which gives hope to the sufferer in the midst of their trial by remembering the promises of God.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last breath. The curtain in the Temple was ripped from top to bottom, because God refused to be hidden away in the Holy of Holies. A Roman centurion who witnessed the death confessed that what they had witnessed was more than they realized by saying, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” The women followers of Jesus refused to leave Him alone even as His disciples went into hiding. They showed the strength to persevere as only mother, sisters, and female friends can show.

It was an important day in the Jewish calendar, so Jesus’ friends had to quickly put His body into a tomb. Joseph of Arimathea, an important member of the Sanhedrin, approached Pilate for the body. This was a surprise, considering the Sanhedrin were so intent on seeing Jesus humiliated and killed. However, not all the leaders agreed with the verdict. Some believed in Jesus. In the end, Joseph was willing to risk his power and position for the sake of justice. They quickly wrapped Jesus in a cloth and placed him in a new tomb. The women watched where He was laid so that they could return after the holy day and take care of Jesus’ body.

It is a long story to read, but it is worth taking time this week to read it again. The story of Jesus’ Passion has been presented in many ways, by many people, with their own vision of those events. Perhaps the most famous right now is the movie “The Passion of the Christ” that was created by Mel Gibson. It is hard to watch a movie that shows so much pain and suffering of the One we love, and yet it is a powerful film to reminds us of what Jesus really went through for our sakes. What do you hear and see when you read the story? What moments stand out for you? If you were to make a film, what form would it take? Which characters do you identify with? Where is the triumph? Where is the defeat? Who is in control? What promises do we see fulfilled? Where is the grace?

During the reading of the Passion story, we look at the events of that horrific week. Jesus suffered in so many ways. He was harassed, rejected, betrayed, and denied. He was beaten almost to death and experienced the physical pain of being nailed to a cross. You might think that nothing could be worse than that but imagine knowing that God has turned His back on you! Jesus took upon His shoulders the weight of the world’s sin which made it impossible for God to look upon His beloved Son. We see His Jesus’ human nature when He cries out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?.” He may have suffered the pain of all His wounds for hours, but He suffered most during that that one moment when He was truly alone.

God’s plan seemed uncharacteristic, unmerciful, and unloving, but Jesus continued in the path set by His Father. He did not save Himself even though the crowd shouted that He should. Instead, He gave a loud cry and died. He suffered the ultimate abandonment in the moment when He needed God the most, and He did it willingly. He was not willing to follow the cries of the crowd. They were fickle, following every wind. They did not know what they were doing. He had to die for God’s promises to be complete. His amazing grace was realized through the most incredible act of sacrifice: the beloved Son, the proven Messiah, the Priest-King, offered Himself as the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of all sin for all men in all time.

Jesus could have done everything the disciples suggested. He could have called down legions of angels to defeat the Romans. He could have pushed Herod off the throne. He could have even defeated Tiberius and toppled the entire Roman Empire. But that was not His purpose. He humbled Himself even unto death, giving up the glory of heaven for the torture of the cross to serve you and me. We did not deserve His love and grace; we will never deserve His love and grace. He did not do it to reward us for our goodness. He did it because our Father the Creator made us good and though we were the ones who were unfaithful, He desired restoration. God sent Jesus so that we could be saved from ourselves, forgiven for our sins, and set free from sin and death to live in His Kingdom forever.

God set us apart as Christians, but not above others. We are set apart because through faith we have been forgiven and made new. But that does not mean we can lord over those who have not yet found Jesus Christ. We aren’t appointed as their judges or called to force them into our way of living. It is not for us to strive to be anyone’s spiritual guide or father. Faith in Jesus makes us servants of God who are sent into the world to share His grace. The people wanted to appoint Jesus as King, but He didn’t come to be an earthly ruler. He didn’t come to take over the Temple and be the High Priest. He didn’t come to be set on a pedestal and worshipped as a god-figure in this world. He came to serve and to teach us to be humble like Him.

That’s why Paul writes, “Have this in your mind...” Jesus Christ was God but gave up equality with God to become one of us. He experienced what we experienced. He was tempted as we are tempted. He experienced hunger, thirst, pain, and heartache. His feet got tired. His humility is what saved us; His obedience is not only an example for us to imitate but is the very foundation of the salvation that God has promised to all who believe.

Jesus proved Himself to be the One God sent, though many throughout history have ignored or rejected the truth. And though He was God in flesh, He gave up the glory of heaven to glorify His Father by being obedient to His will.

We are to have the same humility in our own lives, taking on the nature of a servant. We cannot follow Jesus to the cross, but we can humble ourselves and become obedient to God’s will for each of us. The answers to our prayers might include humiliation, persecution, and suffering. It might even include death, but we willingly accept all these circumstances because Jesus did it first for our sake. Now we can see Him exalted, as was written in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. “Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The psalmist wrote, “Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to Yah. This is the gate of Yahweh; the righteous will enter into it.” Who are the righteous? In the days of Jesus, the “righteous” were the ones who had the power, who had the appearance of righteousness. They knew the scriptures and they knew Law. Yet they did not know God. They did not recognize Him in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. They rejected Jesus; they cast Him away to the cross.

We are Easter people, given life because He was raised, but the Passion is too important to ignore. If we truly listen to the story, we see the incredible suffering and degradation that Jesus underwent for our sake. This will cut us to the heart, bring us to our knees and cause us to cry out for mercy and forgiveness. After all, we are as guilty as those who rejected Him two thousand years ago. We were there, not in flesh, but in the same nature of those who actually witnessed the events. We need to experience it, too, to truly understand our sinfulness and receive the grace of God’s answers to our prayers. He will deliver us from the hand of our enemies. Jesus remained faithful. He did not fail when the world cried out for Him to take the throne or save Himself. He faced the suffering of the cross with boldness; He even faced the abandonment of His Father. He calls us to be faithful, humbly accepting the answers He gives to our prayers even when they don’t fit our expectations. He just might not do it the way we want Him to.

As we walk through Holy Week, reflect on the Passion story. Hear God’s grace in the midst of the horror. Feel the pain that Jesus experienced both in His body and in His spirit. Walk with Him, remembering that Jesus did it all for you and me.

One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Until then, we are called to have the same mind as Christ, putting God’s will ahead of everything else. We are called to live as Christ, willingly giving ourselves for the sake of others. This is the life of thanksgiving we are called to live. He is our salvation because He willingly gave Himself for us on the cross.