Sermon

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April 4, 2004
Palm Sunday
Luke 19:28-40
Pastor Robert Raasch

Here Comes the King!

1. A King Who is Worthy of Praise
2. A King Who Brings Heavenly Peace

This week the city of Appleton played host to a rather special guest, didn't it? On Tuesday, the President George W. Bush came to town to give a speech at the Performing Arts Center. Maybe you were there to see and hear the president in person. Maybe you went out to the airport to see him step down out of Air Force One. Or maybe you staked out a spot along College Avenue in hopes of catching a glimpse of the leader of the free world. Now if you were somewhere out there on that historic day, I expect that there was a certain electricity in the air; an air of excitement, anticipation, as you waited for your first glimpse of the president. And then maybe you or someone with you suddenly said, "Hey, there he is. I can see him. Here comes the President!" And then maybe you waved and whooped and held up the sign you made. For most of us, seeing the President of the United States would be a pretty memorable event. His mere visit to our city made front page headlines. It caught the attention of supporters and protesters alike. That's what happens when a dignitary comes to town. Some one who is truly famous. People sit up and take notice. They get excited. There's someone special in our midst!

How some things never change. Almost 2000 years ago, a different dignitary paid a visit to a different city. But the effect was the same. A lot of people got excited. A lot of people lined the streets. Most of them were there to support him. Others were there to criticize him. But they were all charged up by the same announcement. It wasn't "Here comes the president." But rather, it was, "Here comes the King!" The city, of course, was Jerusalem. The king was Jesus. And the day was what we now call Palm Sunday. This morning/evening, we want to take a moment to relive that historic event in the life of Jesus and his followers. We look to Luke's gospel as we consider the theme:

Here Comes the King!

1. A King Who is Worthy of Praise
2. A King Who Brings Heavenly Peace

First, a King who is Worthy of Praise. Certainly, the people of Jesus' day thought he was worthy of praise. When Jesus rode into town on that first day of Passover week, the people treated him like royalty. Luke tells us that as Jesus went along, the people spread their cloaks on the road. The other gospel writers add the note that the people also cut down palm branches and spread them in his path. In ancient times this was a sign of honor and respect. It was an action reserved for the entrance of kings and princes. By laying their cloaks on the ground, the people were saying in a very dramatic way, "Here comes a King." But not only were they saying it with their actions, they were saying it with their voices. Luke tells us that the people came right out and said, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord."

As you watch these crowds and as you listen to them use Old Testament terms like "Son of David," or "the king who comes in the name of the Lord," you realize that many of these people were acknowledging Jesus as the promised Messiah. Even though they maybe didn't always understand exactly what the Messiah had come to do, they were pretty sure that this Jesus was the One. They were acknowledging that Jesus was the one promised by God from ancient times. They had seen his miracles of healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead. In fact Luke says, "the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen." On that first Palm Sunday, the crowds of people were convinced that Jesus was a king worthy of praise.

Or should I say almost everyone in the crowd was convinced that Jesus was a king worthy of praise. There were a few people who didn't share that popular opinion of Jesus. Luke tells us, "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"" What did they mean by that? They mean, "Jesus, you're letting this celebration get out of hand. Your followers are claiming that you're the Messiah. They're praising you as if you're God. And you're letting them do it. That's blasphemy! You've got to rebuke them. You have to tell them to be quiet. Don't let them praise you like that!"

What was Jesus response to the Pharisees? He said, "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Hmmm. What does that mean? "If the disciples keep quiet, in this case, if the crowds of Jesus' followers keep quiet, the stones will cry out"? Isn't Jesus' point this: "Listen, you Pharisees, these crowds have every right and every reason to praise God for my coming. I'm the world's savior. I am worthy of their praise. In fact, if I restrict their praise, then someone else will offer it. And even if not someone else, then something else. Ultimately, all of creation will give me the glory." Jesus' point is this: As the King of Creation and Savior of the world, Jesus will be praised. He deserves to be praised-even if it is the rocks that are doing it.

Tell me, do Jesus' words to the Pharisees have any application in our world, or in our lives today? I don't know, have you ever thought to yourself, "Man, what's everybody getting so excited about? It's only Jesus. It's just a church service. I'm not going to get too involved here. I've kind of got my set schedule, my way of doing things. I mean, to just start giving glory to God, to give my best to God, to lay my coat on the road-well, I'm not sure I want to do that. And if other people are doing that, if other people are just praising Jesus with all their hearts, man I'd look at them funny. I'd think, "Man, I wish they would be quiet."

Could it be that there have been times when you or I have stood in the sandals of those Pharisees? Times when we have felt like worshipping the Lord was an inconvenience at best, a burden at worst? Have there been times when we have resented the expression of worship and praise offered by others? Have there been times when we saw our worship life only in terms of what we get out of it rather than what we give to it?

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that the primary purpose of a worship service like this is so that we can give something to God, whether it be offerings of praise or offerings of money. No, the primary purpose of every Lutheran worship service is to receive from God. In worship God comes to us with his love and forgiveness through Word and Sacrament. That's how God keeps our faith strong and growing. And yet, Christian worship is also about responding to God's love and mercy with our personal expressions of praise and thanksgiving. Every week, we have a chance to join those Palm Sunday worshippers in singing: "Hosanna in the Highest", Glory be to You, O God, Praise be to you or Christ" and a host of other expressions of praise.

Sometimes we think in terms of "What did I get out of worship today?" I know I've asked my daughters that, many times, especially when I'm preaching, "So did you get anything out of that sermon?" And I guess there's not necessarily anything wrong with that question. In fact, I pray that they and every one of you can always find one nugget, one promise, one morsel of hope, one directional arrow for your life in every worship service. And yet, maybe instead of always asking, "What did I get out of the service?" maybe I should ask, "What did I put into the service? What did I offer to God today? Did I praise God for the health he granted to me this week? Did I give him glory for keeping me from harm, or for giving me the strength to complete my tasks this week? Did I offer to him my thanks for the forgiveness of sins he again granted me? In a world filled with skeptics and naysayers, did I come today eager to join with other believers who rejoice in the truth of God's holy word? When I went through the parts of the liturgy, or sing the hymns did I take the time to think, "Yes, that's what I believe! What I'm saying is what I mean!"

I don't know about you, but I know that there are way too many times in my life when my worship is downright pathetic. It's thoughtless. It's insincere. It's a going-through-the-motions. I expect that, from God's perspective, he'd say my worship is "boring." Recognize, that's not God's fault. It's not my church's fault. It's my fault. I'm the one offering to God a sacrifice that is nothing more than a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. When God looks at my half-hearted, even hard-hearted, he has every reason to say, "Get out of my face! You're wasting my time!"

But God doesn't say that. Why not? The answer is found in the person of the Palm Sunday King. Jesus is a King who is not only worthy of praise. He's also II. A King Who Brings Heavenly Peace. Isn't that the confession made by the crowds? Listen carefully to their words of praise. They say, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."

"Peace in heaven." Hmmm. What does that mean? I mean was there once war in heaven and now there's peace? Well, yes, in a sense. Throughout the history of the world when God in heaven looked down on mankind, he has seen that the entire human race is totally corrupt. As sinful human beings, we are constantly thumbing our noses at God and his God's will for our lives. Obviously, that bothers God. To think that the creatures he formed for himself are in constant rebellion against him. What's worse, as a just God, he knows that everyone who disobeys his laws must be punished eternally. So here is this human race, whom God desperately loves, and they're all headed to hell. If that doesn't create conflict in the heart of God, I don't know what does. On the one hand, God wants people in heaven with him, but knows that by their behavior, they deserve eternal death in hell. How is that conflict in heaven resolved?

I think you know that it's resolved on a cross. There on the cross of Calvary, God nailed every sinner-in the person of Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus, God sent every sinner to hell. And when Jesus had endured an eternity of hell there on the cross, he cried out for all sinners, "It is finished. The bill for your sins is paid in full. You are no longer sinful. In God's eyes you are now sinless. As the crown of God's creation, you are no longer separated from God. You are reconciled to God." That means there is once again "peace in heaven."

My friends, isn't that the real reason Jesus rode into Jerusalem? Yes, he went to be acclaimed by the crowds as the Messiah. But ultimately, he went to Jerusalem to give his life on a cross. He went to make peace between us and God. And when it comes right down to it, isn't that what moves us to be here today giving glory to God? It is Jesus' love, his sacrifice, his commitment to us that has the power to transform us from people who offer half-hearted, self-centered worship to people who truly want to praise the King, people who want to lay down our palms in his path, to lay our crowns at his feet, to give him the glory not just for an hour of the week, but for every hour of every day for the rest of our lives.

What better day than Palm Sunday to give God the glory for all he's done for us in Christ Jesus? As Jesus once came to the people of Jerusalem riding a donkey, he still comes to us through his Word and Sacrament today. God grant that our reaction to his coming today be no less enthusiastic than the reaction of the crowds on that first Palm Sunday. No, we won't be lifting up palm branches each week. But I pray that we will be lifting up our hearts and voices in the kind of God-pleasing praise that is truly fitting for the coming of a King, our Savior and King, Jesus Christ. In his name. Amen.