Category: Palm Sunday

I Am Jesus’ Little Donkey

4/13/2022

Gioto, The Entry into Jerusalem, 1305. Public Domain.

Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-9
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
April 10, 2022

I am Jesus’ little donkey… It doesn’t have quite the same ring as I am Jesus’ Little Lamb. Yet, I would like each of you to consider yourself not only as Jesus’ little lamb, but as Jesus’ little donkey. Next to the lamb, the donkey is the most honored animal in all of Scripture. In the Torah, where God commands that every firstborn beast be offered to the Lord as a sacrifice, he excludes the donkey, commanding that every firstborn donkey be redeemed with a lamb (Exodus 13:13). God granted no animal on earth the gift of rational speech except Balaam’s donkey, which protested being beaten when it had rescued Balaam from the Angel of the LORD (Numbers 22). In Judges 15, the Holy Spirit records how Samson killed one thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Afterward, Samson dying of thirst, cries out to the Lord, who then causes water to gush out of the jawbone, quenching Samson’s strength and reviving him. Samson’s donkey bone both killed and refreshed. This illustrated that all preachers of God’s Word are mere donkeys from whose mouths come out death and life.

Although Scripture does not explicitly tell us, it is quite probable that the mother of our Lord rode into Bethlehem on a donkey while baby Jesus was in her womb. Likewise, a donkey probably carried Mary and the Christ-child on their flight to Egypt. Finally, we reach our Gospel lesson for today. On Palm Sunday, as foretold by the prophet Zechariah, our Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a little donkey, a colt of its mother, upon which no one had yet ridden. This lowly donkey carried our Lord and King into Jerusalem, where he would be beaten, crucified, die and be buried, before rising from the dead, all for our salvation.

So significantly does Scripture honor donkeys, that we should take a moment to consider how each of us can be Christ’s donkey. We’re used to mimicking the crowds and the children on Palm Sunday by waving the palm branches and singing, “Hosanna!” Yet, let us strive to mimic that humble, yet honorable donkey who carried our Lord to his destination. How do we do this? What does it mean to be Jesus’ donkey?

First, it means to be humble. The prophet told the daughters of Jerusalem to rejoice that their King was coming to them humble and riding on a donkey. There is hardly another way to ride upon a donkey than in humility. A donkey is a lowly animal. And so, we Christians are called to be lowly. The manner in which Christ entered Jerusalem, in humility, is often compared to how Christ comes into our midst today. Water is a simple thing we let run down the drain. Bread and wine are such a plain meal, many say, “No, thank you.”, without a second thought. Yet, our Lord comes to us by such lowly means. The Sacrament we prize is despised by the world much as the religious and political elites sneered at Jesus entering the city on a donkey. Yet, we Christians know that beneath those forms of bread and wine are the true body and blood of Jesus, which suffered and was shed for our sins, but is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father.

So, we Christians live in the humble manner in which Christ comes to us, meekly eating this meal, trusting that it provides what our dear Lord promises: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. This humility leads us to treat our neighbors with kindness and love, to be quick to forgive, slow to anger, ready to help, considering others more significant than ourselves. That is what it means to be Jesus’ donkey.

Second, to be Jesus’ donkey means to be faithful. When Balaam’s donkey rebuked him, she said, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” Although it is surprising that a donkey would speak, it is not surprising that a donkey would say that. Donkeys are faithful. They do their work. They follow him who leads them. So did this donkey, which carried our Lord on its back. He followed the direction of the disciples and did not begrudge the load. And so, to be Jesus’ donkey means to follow him, much as a little lamb follows its shepherd. Yet more, to carry the load he gives without complaint.

And this leads us to the third meaning of being Jesus’ donkey, to be willing to bear a burden. “If it is the Lord’s will that I bear this, I will gladly bear it.” That is the attitude of Jesus’ donkeys. They’re beasts of burden, who do not complain about the load. They also do not try to choose their load. What donkey chooses what his master will put on his back? Rather, he carries what the master places there, without complaint. And so too, you do not choose which cross your Savior lays on you for your good, but you bear it with patience.

Of course, the most precious load each of Jesus’ donkeys must carry is Christ Jesus himself. This is where the name Christopher comes from. It literally means to be a bearer of Christ. You’ve no doubt heard the line, “You shouldn’t wear your religion on your sleeve.” Even Christians say such things. It’s total nonsense. What does Jesus say? “Everyone who confesses me before men, I too will confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I too will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) To carry Christ means to confess Jesus at every opportunity, as St. Peter says, “Always be prepared to give a defense to anyone for the reason for the hope that is within you.” (1 Peter 3:15) Jesus’ donkeys confess Christ to family, friends, and acquaintances. They aren’t embarrassed to be known as Christians. They teach their children about Jesus at home and they take them to church.

Carrying Christ in this way does cause one of Jesus’ donkeys to receive honor. As the crowds strew their coats and palm branches on the road before Jesus and waved their branches in the air, so Jesus’ little donkey enjoyed the honor of walking over these coats and branches, feeling the gentle breeze of the palms fanning him, and hearing the sweet singing of the children. So, Christians will honor each other in their pursuit to honor Christ. They will speak well of one another and look out of their needs. They will be quick to offer a cup of cold water to one of Jesus’ little ones. Jesus’ little donkeys are not without honor in the Church of Christ.

Yet, as the world hated Christ, it will most certainly hate his disciples. If the world spits and hurls dirt clods at Jesus, they will certainly hit the back and face of the donkey on which he rides. So, it is important for Jesus’ little donkeys to know that if they are to bear Christ on their back, they will receive abuse from the world, which hates him.

And this can be the hardest load to bear. When people go after Christ, they go after his donkey. Much like how warriors will attack the horse of a cavalryman, so to knock the rider to the ground, so the world attacks Jesus’ Christians. And as a cowardly horse may be tempted to buck its rider and escape the battlefield, so Christians will be tempted to get Christ off their back to escape the abuse of the world.

When you stick out like a sore thumb among your co-workers and fellow students, because of your confession of Christ, it is tempting to remove Christ from your back. When you become an outsider in your own family, because you practice the Christian religion, but they refuse, it becomes tempting to remove Christ. When being a professed Christian earns you insults, it becomes tempting to remove Christ. Jesus becomes a heavy burden when you decide that it is easier to remain silent than to confess Christ and what his word teaches even to those whom you love.

Yet, when these temptations arise and the weight seems a bother, do not put Christ down. Do not silence your confession of faith. Remember the words of Jesus. “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for I’m gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

How can Jesus say that his yoke is easy and his burden is light, if it seems that Jesus’ little donkeys must bear the weight of the whole world on account of him? Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. It is impossible for you to carry a greater burden than what Jesus bore for you. To be Jesus’ donkey does not mean to bear the weight of your own sin, but rather, to confess him who takes your sins away. This is why Jesus’ donkeys gladly bear their load. They are not trying to earn their salvation. They are carrying him who has won their salvation for them.

Finally, Jesus exalts the humble. This is his persistent promise. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Jesus’ donkeys bear him in humility, because Christ came to us in humility to bear our sins for us. Yet, Jesus does not remain in his humility. He rises from the dead on the third day. He ascends to the right hand of God the Father, leading a host of captives out of the grave’s dark prison. He who carries Christ in his humility, will certainly be raised with Christ in his exaltation.

That lowly colt of a donkey carried Jesus to Jerusalem, where he was falsely accused, beaten, spit upon, mocked, crucified, and buried. He did this to save us from our sins. And so, being Jesus’ donkey today, you continue to carry Christ to Jerusalem, not so that he may be crucified again, but so that you may confess his crucifixion again and again. You carry Christ wherever you go, but you always carry him to the cross, where he paid for all your sins. You confess that He has made full atonement. That you are not ashamed of him, who was not ashamed to bear your shame. And with such a confession, you know that Christ is not ashamed of you. That little donkey did not carry Jesus to his destruction, but to his victory over sin, death, and hell. And so, as Jesus little donkey, you confess Jesus’ victory for you. Amen.

Let us pray:
On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessed Jesus, king of grace.
That life’s riches cares and pleasures
Never may your work erase.
Let the clear inscription be:
Jesus crucified for me
Is my life my hope’s foundation
And my glory and salvation. Amen.

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March 29th, 2021

3/29/2021

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The Procession into Jerusalem, James Tissot, 1886-94, Public Domain.

Palm Sunday
Philippians 2:5-11

Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
March 31, 2021

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is also in Christ Jesus.” St. Paul tells us to have the mind of Christ. Of course, Christ Jesus is the Lord of heaven, who sits at God the Father’s right hand with all powers and dominions under his feet. So, should we behave as if we are kings and queens? Well, no. Especially not if you believe this means to behave proudly and to look down upon others. No, when St. Paul tells us to have the mind of Christ, he is telling us to follow Christ in his humiliation. Christ’s humiliation is when he was brought low for our sake. Although Jesus was in the form of God and indeed is equal to God the Father, being true God himself, Christ emptied himself.
What does it mean that Christ emptied himself? It does not mean that he ceased to be God. That is impossible. Jesus remained God throughout his earthly ministry, from the time he was in the womb of the Virgin Mary, to when he was laid in the manger in Bethlehem, as he walked throughout Israel, even as he hung nailed to a cross, Jesus remained truly God at all times. Yet, that he emptied himself means that he did not show or use his divine power. Rather, becoming a human being, he took on the form of a slave and became obedient even to death on the cross.
Why did Jesus do this? Why did he humble himself to suffer such pain and death? Well, surely God exalted him afterward and bestowed on him a name, which is above every name. But Christ already was exalted above all names. He was and is God from eternity. He didn’t need to come down to earth in order to earn praise in heaven. He didn’t need to earn the title of God’s Son. By his very essence, he is and always has been true God. All angels in heaven adored him at all times. Why then did Christ empty himself and endure the cross? It was for our sake. Out of love for us, he emptied himself, suffered and died, so that he could be a ransom for all.
Christ Jesus came to serve! He did not deny that he was the Lord of heaven by coming in the form of a servant. He was confident that he would be exalted above every name and that he would receive glory in heaven. Jesus did not scandalize the rulers of this world by riding into Jerusalem. He scandalized the rulers, because he did so in such a humble manner. He didn’t ride up with an army to King Herod’s palace and evict him. He didn’t form an army to fight off the Romans. He didn’t seek a kingdom on this earth or honor from earthly dignitaries. He came with the praises of the lowly, and less than a week later, he was nailed to the cross, without so much as raising a finger for his own protection. Rather, he rebuked his disciple for wielding a sword in his defense.
This is scandalizing to a world that seeks after power and position. Yet, how silly would it be for the Lord of heaven to come to earth to establish an earthly kingdom to receive praise from mortals until they die and go to hell? Why would Christ exchange his infinitely marvelous throne in heaven for a meager kingship here on earth? No, it was precisely because he knew that he would receive his throne in heaven while gaining his precious people ransomed by his blood, that he was willing to forsake all temptation to gain a kingdom on this earth. Jesus came to serve, so that we could be saved. He humbled himself, so that he could possess us in his exaltation.
We are to have this mind of Christ, to be humble toward one another, to think of others’ needs before our own, to consider others more significant than ourselves. Such an attitude is to follow in the mind of Christ. Yet, you cannot fulfill this command of St. Paul by simply trying very hard to be humble and to serve others. St. Paul is not speaking of simply outward actions. He is speaking of having a different mind than the type you were born with. This can only happen through faith in Christ.
A humble spirit is a fruit of faith. We become as Christ is through faith. Saving faith is a gift from God. We do not believe that we deserve to be saved. We do not believe that we have earned our salvation. Rather, we believe that Christ out of love for us emptied himself and became a servant, even to the point of death on the cross, in order to redeem us from our own sins. We do not have grounds to boast. Rather, we receive citizenship in God’s kingdom through faith in God’s promise. If God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to die on the cross for us, then God must love us! If Jesus did not refuse the cross, but willingly bore its shame, then Christ Jesus must love us. It is only through faith in this promise of forgiveness and adoption as God’s children that we can have confidence to humble ourselves.
Yes, confidence to humble ourselves. Christ Jesus was confident to go to the cross and let himself be killed, because he knew his Father would raise him up and restore his kingdom to him. We too then, should be confident in Christ to bear all suffering, shame, and humility.
Why is it good to humble yourself? First, in order to crucify your prideful flesh, so that you remember that you are a citizen of heaven. St. Paul writes later on in this same epistle to the Philippians, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. There end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:17-21)
To live in pride is to live contrary to the Gospel. It is to serve your own belly and to live in a delusion. Through faith, we must believe that we are sons and daughters of God! We must believe that we are princes and princesses of God’s kingdom. Why on earth would you exchange that for some glory here on earth? We fight with each other. We think we’re better than others. We seek honor, and respect here on earth. Everyone behaves like Yertle the Turtle, trying to be king of all that we see, but in the end we’re king of nothing but mud. Our sinful flesh drives us to exalt ourselves above others, to think that our wants are more important than the wants of others, that our needs are more pressing than the needs of others, that our opinions should be considered more exceptional than others'. And all this just to give ourselves a nice view before we fall into the mud.
Yet, when we crucify our pride every day, and walk in humility, we walk according to the Gospel. We confess that we do not deserve anything in heaven or on earth, but we trust that God will give us what we need. We do not need to fight for status in this world, because God has given us the greatest status imaginable by adopting us as his children through faith in Christ. Jesus didn’t seek to dethrone Herod or Pilate, because he had a throne in heaven that would never fade. So, we do not need to prop ourselves up or tear others down, because God will exalt us, as Jesus promised again and again, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Secondly, we humble ourselves for the sake of our neighbor. St. Paul says, “In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” By having the mind of Christ and humbling yourself, you benefit your neighbor’s body and his soul. You benefit his body, because when you stop thinking only of yourself, you’re able to think about the needs of others. Is your neighbor hungry or thirsty, cold or naked? Is your neighbor mourning, distressed, anxious, or otherwise in need? You won’t know if all you think about is yourself.
But much more, by being humble, you benefit your neighbor’s soul. When you don’t bite back or insult those who revile you, you send a message to your enemies. When you’re patient, kind, and forgiving, you show Christ to your neighbor. St. Paul says that he has become all things to all people, so that he might by all means save some. Although, it is the proud who demand attention from others, it is the meek and humble, the patient and kind who are able to touch the hearts of others. When we forgive others, bear with their weaknesses, and seek not to boast in ourselves, but in Christ alone, we do not put a stumbling block in their way to believe in Christ. Rather, we glorify our heavenly Father by showing honor to Jesus.
Christ has received a name that is above every name. That name is Jesus. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Every knee means every knee. Every tongue means every tongue. In heaven the saints and angels shall praise Jesus and confess him as Lord. On earth, everyone, both Christians and unbelievers will confess Jesus as Lord. In hell, even Satan himself will bend the knee and confess Christ Jesus as Lord. This is Christ’s victory over Satan and hell. All powers are placed under Jesus’ feet. Yet, not all willingly. Satan will not confess Jesus as his Savior. The damned will not be glad that Jesus is Lord. They will confess with gnashing of teeth, because they rejected him. But everyone will confess him, because Jesus is Lord of all.
But we who bend the knee today and who confess Christ Jesus as Lord today, will with joy and gladness confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father, because Christ has humbled himself for our sake, to rescue us in our misery. He has humbled himself, that he might lead us out of captivity and bring us into his kingdom. We are humble today, because we are confident in Christ’s exaltation. And we are confident that on account of Christ’s humiliation, he will exalt us in his exaltation.
The name Jesus means, The LORD saves. This salvation can only be received through faith. So, we in humility bend the knee to Jesus and confess him as Lord through faith alone. We believe that Christ has put his name on us in Baptism, that we have died and risen again with him in Baptism. In fact, we die with Christ every day to sin and pride, and we rise with the mind of Christ, set on serving our neighbor and our God. Jesus did not lose his throne in heaven by humbling himself in service to his neighbor, so neither can we lose our inheritance in heaven by losing praise here on earth. So, let us follow Christ in his humiliation here on earth, so that we may follow him in his exaltation to glory in heaven. Amen.

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April 15th, 2019

4/15/2019

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John 12:12-19
April 14, 2019

“Are you the King of the Jews?”, Pilate asks Jesus on Friday morning. Jesus replies, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Well, who told Pilate that Jesus was the King of the Jews? Yes, the chief priests and elders of the people accused Jesus of making this claim. This was the charge they hoped would lead to his death. Yet, just six days earlier large crowds were shouting this very thing as Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey with palm branches waving in the air and people singing Hosanna! It is possible that Pilate himself heard the crowds shouting, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” If not, it is certain that many ran to inform the governor that a man was entering the city, whom the crowds called, “the King of Israel.” This certainly would be unsettling news to a Roman governor ruling over a proud province, which once was a mighty kingdom.
The crowds declared Jesus the King of Israel. And six days later the inscription above Jesus’ head as he hangs on the cross reads, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Oh, the irony! Jesus is proclaimed the king of the Jews by the Jewish people themselves, and for this claim Jesus is crucified. The charge that brought Jesus’ death sentence was shouted with joy just a few days earlier by children and adults alike. Now it is written above his bloody head, so all may know why this man died.
The chief priests and Jews complained to Pilate and said, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” But Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” Now, what Pilate meant by this, one cannot be so sure. Yet, what the Holy Spirit meant by causing Pilate to write these words is clear. Jesus did not die because he said that he was King of the Jews. Jesus died upon the cross, because he is the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of Israel. And for that, he must die.
The day before Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey he was at a dinner given in his honor at Bethany, because Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead there. And as Jesus ate, Mary, the sister of Lazarus anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment made of pure nard. Now, in the Old Testament two types of people are commonly anointed. One is a king. You might remember that the Prophet Samuel anointed David to be king while he was yet a shepherd boy. And of course, the priests were anointed with oil when they were ordained to perform the services of the temple.
Yet, this anointing with aromatic oil just the day before Jesus’ kingly procession into the city of the Great King was not Jesus’ anointing to be king. Jesus had already been anointed by the Holy Spirit to be both King of Israel and High Priest. This happened at his Baptism by John in the Jordan River. Jesus tells us why Mary anoints him, “Leave her alone,” he says when Judas complains, “so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” The sweet aroma coming from Jesus’ body as he rides into Jerusalem is not the ointment of a newly anointed king, but rather the smell of a body fitly prepared for the grave.
Yet, the shouts of the crowd are not wrong. They are absolutely right when they call Jesus their King. And they are right to shout, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us now!” Jesus indeed is their king, who comes to save them. But he will not save them in the way many expect. He will not overthrow Herod or Pontious Pilate. He will not unsheathe a sword or draw a bow. Rather, Jesus will go as a lamb to slaughter without complaint. He will die without shedding the blood of anyone else.
The problem for unbelievers, who think that Jesus failed in his death is the confusion that comes from equivocation. Equivocation is when the same words are used for two different meanings. Jesus is the King of Israel. To Pilate this means that Jesus comes to rules an earthly kingdom from Jerusalem. But that is not what those words mean. Jesus is not a king of this world, but he rules a heavenly kingdom. That means that Jesus does not fight against human foes, but against spiritual foes. Jesus comes to conquer Satan and death itself. Jesus overcomes death by laying down his own life. And Christ’s precious life wins for us eternal life. The Israel of which Jesus is King is not the territory on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean between Europe and Africa. Rather, Jesus rules over a heavenly Israel, which has no end. A nation made up of every people and language on earth, all those who believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is also the High Priest. But not a high priest, who offers sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, sacrifices of bulls and sheep. Jesus, the great High Priest offers himself up as a sinless sacrifice for all people.
And so, to understand the events from now until Easter, we must look not simply at the physical, but the spiritual. Jesus the King of Israel and High Priest comes to battle and to sacrifice. Without the eyes of faith this looks like an utter failure. Yet, if you believe the words of Scripture, you see how great a victory our King wins for us and how priceless a sacrifice our High Priest offers.
The crowds shout, “Hosanna” to their king. They were absolutely right to do so. Jesus is the King of Israel. Yet, they didn’t really understand what was happening. Even Jesus’ closest 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.” Does that mean that when they did not understand these things that they did not have faith? Did those who declared Jesus the King of Israel and the Son of David not have faith? Certainly, they did have faith. Yet, they did not know that in six days their king would be nailed to a tree.
Faith does not mean that you understand everything. We usually explain faith as what you believe, and that is what the word means. Yet, saving faith is not simply believing in facts. Saving faith is trusting in Jesus. When you believe that your sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, then your sins are truly forgiven. That is saving faith. These people did not know all the facts. They didn’t understand what Jesus knew as he entered Jerusalem. Yet, they had saving faith in their Savior, to whom they shouted, “Save us now!”
Today, two young persons were baptized; one, only a baby, who can’t even talk. Neither of them knows all the facts about Jesus. They have a lot to learn. But do they have saving faith? Does their Baptism do them any good? In our Small Catechism we learn that Baptism “works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” And these words and promises of God are revealed to us in Mark chapter 16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Baptism does not save apart from faith. But this should not trouble those who are baptized as little children. Because baptism is not our work, but God’s work in which he washes away our sins by virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection. Baptism simply joins you to Christ’s work on the cross. And faith is not our work either. Faith is a gift from God. No one can believe in Jesus Christ unless it is given to him from God. And Jesus makes clear that the gift of faith is given even to little children.
No, these young children do not know all that they should know about Jesus. But they still have faith in Christ. Baptism itself, which is powered by God’s Word, can give faith even to infants. So, we should believe that Gracie and even little Lane, who have been taught God’s Word and who have been Baptized into the name of the Holy Trinity, indeed have saving faith, because they trust in their Savior Jesus Christ, even as baby Lane trusts in his mother without knowing anything about her except that he trusts in her.
Saving faith does not mean that you know everything about Jesus. But this does not mean that it is not important for you to learn the teaching of Jesus. Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand what was going on that Sunday so long ago. Yet, they eventually did learn it. And had the crowds who declared Jesus the King of Israel not learned how Jesus would reign even from the cross, their faith would have been lost when they saw him die. But they learned that Jesus’ death was for their sake. And many even witnessed the resurrection of Jesus and testified of it to their friends.
Saving faith involves learning the truth of Jesus. Saving faith does not refuse to learn. Gracie and Lane are going to continue to learn more about Jesus as long as they have saving faith. And so, it is for all of you who trust in Jesus. If you do not continue to hear God’s word and to learn from Jesus, then your faith will die. You cannot keep your saving faith by your own strength. Saving faith is given to you as a gift through the word of God.
St. Paul teaches us to share in the same mind of Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God took the form of a slave and humbled himself to die on the cross for us. You can only share in this mind if you have saving faith. This humility, which Jesus teaches us involves humility toward both God and our neighbor. In humility toward God, we are to repent of our sins and receive forgiveness as a free gift. The Psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Only in humility can you receive forgiveness from God. If you do not acknowledge your sin as sin and repent of the wrong you have done, then you cannot receive forgiveness from Christ. Saving faith includes having a humble and repentant heart.
Christ teaches us to be humble to our neighbors. Jesus is God. He never stopped being God for a moment, even as he suffered like a criminal. And he did so in service to you. This means that there is no service below you. It is good for us to humble ourselves and serve one another. The simplest way to do this is to forgive one another. Christ never sinned against us, yet he willingly covers up our sins with his blood. So, should we, who do sin against one another, willingly cover up each other’s sins. Not by ignoring sin, but through gentle correction and forgiveness for the sake of Christ.
Jesus told Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world. That means that the faithful who called Jesus the King of Israel in the streets of Jerusalem were citizens of a heavenly kingdom. And so are we! We are citizens of a kingdom not of this world today. And so, we behave as citizens of that heavenly kingdom even as we live here on earth. Christ rules us with his Gospel, forgiving our sins and strengthening our faith. And we repent and believe in Christ and serve one another in love.
There were two crowds who met to greet Jesus with praise. The one crowd, which followed Jesus were those who witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. The second crowd, which came to meet Jesus from Jerusalem, were those who heard the report of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead from these witnesses. And so, this procession into Jerusalem foreshadows our entrance into the heavenly Jerusalem on the Last Day. We have heard the report of Jesus’ death and resurrection from those, who witnessed it in real life. And we are going to meet those witnesses one day in the heavenly Jerusalem and sing praises to Jesus our King. On that day, we who live as citizens of Christ’s kingdom through faith will see this kingdom with our own eyes. And we, who have believed on Christ because of his words spoken to us will see him in the flesh. Our king, who once reigned from the cross will reign over us in heaven. And we will all fully understand the words we speak when we sing, “Behold, the King of Israel.” Amen.

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Palm Sunday 2018: The King Comes to Reign

3/26/2018

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Zechariah 9:9-12
Philippians 2:5-11
John 12:12-19
March 25, 2018

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double. (Zech. 9:9-12)

The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed. This pithy statement expresses for us the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments in the Bible. All Scripture speaks of Christ. And all of the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied of Christ, as Jesus himself said. (Luke 24:44) If you do not know Christ as he is revealed in the New Testament, the prophecies of the Old Testament will make no sense and the Old Testament will remain a closed book to you. But if you do know Christ, then the Old Testament becomes an endless fountain of knowledge, that teaches of Christ Jesus and his salvation on every page. Our Gospel lesson tells us this when it says that Jesus' disciples did not understand what was going on, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done by him. (John 12:16) Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the waving of palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna!", were written about in Zechariah chapter 9. And since Christ has been revealed to us in faith, this Old Testament lesson reveals to us much about our king.

Jesus is the king prophesied of by Zechariah, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Yet, it is important to know what type of king he is and what kind of kingdom he will rule. It is clear from Zechariah's words and through Jesus' fulfillment of these words that Jesus is a spiritual king and his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.

The prophet tells the daughter of Zion to rejoice and the daughter of Jerusalem to shout. Zion is the mountain on which the city Jerusalem is seated. The daughters of both are the same citizens of this city. And they did in fact rejoice and shout as Jesus entered on a donkey. Yet, there is also a spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy, which transcends its physical manifestation. For Jesus does not enter Jerusalem to rule as a physical king over Israel. As Jesus says to the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. … But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth." (John 4:21, 23) And St. Paul makes a distinction between the physical Jerusalem, which corresponds to slavery under the Law and the free Jerusalem above, who is our mother. (Galatians 4:25-26) And the author to the Hebrews speaks of a spiritual Jerusalem when he declares to those of faith, "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the first born who are enrolled in heaven..." (Hebrews 12:22-23)

And Zechariah makes clear that Jesus comes not to rule a physical, but a spiritual Jerusalem by the manner in which he describes his conquest and rule. He comes lowly on a donkey, not upon a war horse. Neither does he threaten any of the political leaders of Jerusalem. Zechariah does not say that he will put an end to Roman military rule, but rather he says, "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem." Ephraim represents the northern kingdom of Israel. Jerusalem represents the capital of the southern kingdom and the true capital of the united nation of Israel. Zechariah tells us that he will cut off their military might, that is, God will put an end to the political and earthly kingdom of Israel and replace it with a spiritual kingdom. Jesus does not conquer with the use of military might, he even leaves his twelve legions of angels in heaven (Matthew 26:53). Rather, he speaks peace to the nations. He conquers the nations by the word of his mouth.
This brings us to another proof from Zechariah that Jesus' kingdom is spiritual. "His rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." Jesus' kingdom will not be confined to the borders of Israel but will rule over the entire earth! If this were a prophecy of a physical kingdom, it certainly would have failed, since the kingdom of Israel no longer exists and the nation of Israel only rules a sliver of land. This prophecy is shared by Psalm 72:8, "May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!" Psalm 72 also makes clear that the Christ's kingdom will have no end, "May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! … May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!" (vss. 5, 17a)

Today the Church recognizes the Annunciation of Jesus' Birth to the Virgin Mary. Exactly nine months from today is Christmas. At the annunciation the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary as recorded in Luke chapter 1, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Vss. 30-33) The angel Gabriel makes clear before the conception of Jesus in the womb of his mother that his kingdom shall be an eternal, spiritual kingdom.

And this tells us a lot about what Jesus is doing as he rides into this holy city. Jesus does not come to battle earthly armies. He comes to wage a war within our hearts! We are captives to sin and death, under the constant threat of God's Law. Satan is constantly assaulting our hearts with temptation and doubt and our hearts themselves are by nature tainted with sin. And the Ten Commandments, which we have not kept constantly threaten death and eternal punishment. This is the task at hand. No amount of chariots or swords or tanks or nuclear missiles can solve this dilemma. Rather, Jesus, who was appointed by God to live under the Law perfectly in our stead must sacrifice himself as our scapegoat. As Jesus rides weaponless upon a donkey into his city he comes fully armed to win the day and set his people free.

And this makes the betrayal, the beating and spitting, the scourging, the willing ascent to the cross all make sense. It is by this punishment upon his body and soul that he removes our sin from our consciences, disarms the devil and removes the threats of the Law from us. The Prophet says, "As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit." Not the blood of the thousands upon thousands of lambs to be sacrificed that week for Passover. That is the blood of the old covenant. No, by the blood of the new covenant, which Jesus will shed, he sets the prisoners free from the waterless pit. We are the prisoners. The waterless pit is the threat of the Law upon all sinners. Just as a waterless pit cannot offer life, so the Law promises only death to us sinners. We are left to suffocate in our own sins, until Christ comes to rescue us through his blood!

When we see Jesus riding in on a donkey we see the Lamb of God being led to slaughter silently and willingly. He humbles himself to the point of death upon the cross. "Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Jesus won for himself an eternal kingdom inhabited with citizens, who will live forever. He couldn't do this with military might. He had to do it through humble sacrifice.

This message is difficult to accept, even for us, who have no hope like the Jews for the re-establishment of the kingdom of Israel. We are earthly minded. We want a powerful earthly king. We want God to work for us on our terms, make us rich and healthy and successful and happy. We make God out of our own image and demand that Jesus ride in on his war horse and solve the earthly problem we deem to be the most important. But God reveals to us through Scripture that the spiritual is more important than the physical and the eternal is far greater than the temporal.

This means that Jesus will serve you in a different way than you would expect, if you simply want him to solve your earthly problems. We are the daughter of Zion and Jerusalem. We are citizens of Jesus' spiritual kingdom. And Jesus comes to us even today, bringing salvation for us. But you will only recognize him if you recognize your greatest need: the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. And you will only recognize him if you pay attention to his word as it is revealed in Scripture.

Mary was rightly perplexed by the message of the angel. Yet, when Gabriel told her this was from God and her son would be the Son of God, she responded, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) And so our mother in the faith teaches us how to live in Christ's kingdom today: by trusting in the word that comes from God. God's Word reveals to us that the lowly rabbi who rides in on a donkey and is beaten and crucified to death does so to bring salvation to you. God's Word reveals to you that Jesus comes to you today with words of peace, the forgiveness of sins, and even his body and blood, which sets prisoners free. God's word reveals to you that you live now in a spiritual kingdom you cannot see, which grants you peace with God and eternal life by grace apart from your works. Through physical eyes this is impossible to see. But with spiritual eyes of faith, you can with confidence say to God, "Let it be according to your word." Amen.

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Palm Sunday: Christ Humbles Himself For You

4/13/2017

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"His disciples did not understand these things at first." The Pharisees didn't understand Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem either. Not even the crowd laying down palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna" and even calling Jesus "the King of Israel" really understood what was going on. Do you? Do you really understand what's happening here? Jesus, riding on a young donkey, entering Jerusalem to observe the Passover, greeted by ecstatic crowds. These crowds will be nowhere to be seen come Thursday night, instead a band of armed thugs. Come Friday a bloodthirsty crowd shouting, "crucify him!", will replace the crowd shouting, "Hosanna!" And the only ones calling Jesus king are mocking him.

It sure is a bizarre event. The crowds claim him to be king, yet he rides on a lowly donkey. He's too humble to be a real king. And in just a few short days he'll be murdered and buried, like so many other flash in the pan revolutionaries entombed in the history books. But Jesus is no flash in the pan revolutionary. He truly is a king. But he's not the king anyone would expect or ask for.

Jesus is not an earthly king, who enters with pomp and circumstance and rules with physical force. Jesus is a spiritual king and he rules a spiritual kingdom. He fights not against Romans, but he wages spiritual warfare. And he is indeed marching off to war. He goes to fight your battle, a battle you would surely lose.

Jesus' march into Jerusalem seems peculiar to all who witness it, yet this very event has been prophesied for ages. Zechariah wrote:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
Righteous and having salvation is he,
Humble and mounted on a donkey,
On a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Scripture does not promise a mighty Caesar or an Alexander the Great. Rather Scripture promises a poor man riding a borrowed animal. Scripture promises a man led to slaughter like a lamb and like a sheep silent before its shearers. And yet, this lowly prophesied king brings righteousness and salvation. If you expect an earthly king or earthly power, you won't find it here. But if you want the Savior, prophesied by seers of old, behold your King!

"Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)

Jesus truly is God from all eternity. St. Paul writes, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible." (Colossians 1:15-16a) and St. John writes of him, "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:3) Jesus is fully God and he has the right to take that form, to be worshipped by angels and feared by the children of men. He did not need to grasp at equality with God, he owned it. Yet he empties himself of all that. He doesn't cease to be God! No. He could never stop being God. Jesus is and was and always will be God. Even nailed to the blood stained cross, breathing his last breaths he remains God. Even cold and still as clay, laid in the tomb, he remains God. But he hides it. He hides his divine majesty, for a time, he humbles himself.

Jesus took on the form of a slave, born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Jesus' becoming a human being is not his humiliation. If it were, Jesus would forever be humiliated. But our Lord currently risen and seated on his throne of glory is a man. Yet, he is not humbled. And he will not come in humility to judge the living and the dead, but he will most certainly come as a man.

Yet, as a man, Jesus humbles himself below all men. No one was despised as Jesus was. In fact, the Lord spoke through the Prophet David in Psalm 22, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people." (vs. 6)

And so here in just a few short words, St. Paul shows us the extremity of God's love, and the great lengths he went to save us sinners. There is no higher position than God himself. No one could be exalted as highly as God. And no one could humble himself so lowly as our king, who rode on to his own slaughter. And even if we could join his wormhood, it would not be such a great leap as it was for him; no, simply a step into our true form, if we were judged rightly for our sins.

And yet how difficult it is to humble ourselves in our own eyes, to step down from our own contrived eminence. Each of us is a god in our own eyes! Look out for number one! How difficult is it for us to look at our peers as our equals, or even our superiors as anything other than the accidents of inequality. How difficult it is for us to look to the needs of others, as St. Paul wrote immediately before our Epistle lesson, "But in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4)

Indeed our Lord desires us to follow his example as surely as he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39) And Christ does empower you through the Gospel to love others, even against your natural pride. But this is not the purpose of Jesus' humiling march to the cross. Jesus emptied himself of the form of God and became obedient to death for your sake. Jesus was looking after your interests long before you could have ever asked him to do so or even knew what your best interests were.

Even today, people want to trade in Jesus for some more attractive king. A powerhouse. A king loved by the world. A king, who isn't so divisive or controversial. A king, who boosts our self esteem and pride. A king, who makes us rich. If you want such a king, you sure can find him. But don't look to Jesus.

In Jesus you will not find what you think you need, but what you really need. And there's a big difference. Take whatever is stressing you out right now, be it your health, money, relationships, job, children, whatever. Take the headlines in the news, the threats of war from North Korea, the uncertainty of health care reform or the success of the economy. None of these things is most important. Even if God grants all you want concerning these things and you live to be a hundred years old, never suffering pain or anxiety or want, you will still die and be met with your sins and your judge.

But upon that donkey we see a man, who enjoyed the worship of angels, humbly and obediently advancing to his own punishment. He bears the sins of the world. He carries your sins, even before you yourself felt their weight. And he suffers the price to remove them from the sight of your God. Jesus frees you from eternal humiliation and pain. He releases you from judgment. He exalts you higher than any position you could ever contrive for yourself, even in your imagination.

It is in Jesus' passion on the cross for sinners that we understand the odd festivities of his entrance into Jerusalem. We see him fulfill God's will, not for his own sake, but for us. We see upon that foal of a donkey our salvation and our king. Indeed this is how we understand this Holy Week into which we now embark.

And so we meet our king in humility as he taught us. We don't prop ourselves up to some lofty position. Rather, we bring our sins and our sorrows and lay them on Jesus. In humility we meet our king in his humility, so that we might be exalted in his exaltation. Everyone who humbles himself in such faith will surely be exalted. May God bless you as you ponder the passion of your King this Holy Week. And may you rise with him next Sunday and forever free from sin and death. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

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Palm Sunday: Christ Humbles Himself For You

Rev. James Preus

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