Church Sermon - March 20, 2005

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Epistle Lesson; Philippians 2:5-11
Old Testament Lesson; Zechariah 9:9-10
Sermon Text; Matthew 21:1-11

As I mentioned in the children’s sermon this morning, Palm branches and cloaks were used on festival days, and also to recognize the presence of a king. I gave the example of the Festival of Tabernacles, where God had told the people to cut down palm fronds, or palm branches, wave them before the LORD, and to rejoice before the LORD their God, during that festival. The laying of cloaks in the presence of a king also goes back into the Old Testament.

Did you know that there was a time when Israel was in disrepair, because the kings did evil in the eyes of the LORD? They followed the example of a wicked king, whose name was Ahab, and his wife Jezebel. God came to Elisha, the prophet. God told Elisha to anoint a new king in Israel. This is what Elisha did. He gave a seminary student a flask of oil. He told that seminary student to go to Jehu, who was the commander of the Israelite army and to anoint him as the new king. As soon as he had done that, he was supposed to run, right after he had anointed Jehu.

And so, that seminary student did what he was told to do. He went and found Jehu, who was meeting with the other commanding men of his army. That seminary student asked Jehu to come into an inner room where they could be privately together.

This what that seminary student said to Jehu. "This is what the LORD says, the God of Israel says, ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel.’"

As soon as he did that, he fled. He ran from the room, right back to Elisha.

When Jehu came out of the room, his men, who were sitting there asked, "What did that mad man want with you?"

That is when Jehu said, "You know."

They said, "No. We don’t know."

Then Jehu told them, "I have just been anointed the king of Israel."

Immediately, they stood up and took off their cloaks and garments and laid them on the ground before Jehu. They blasted the trumpet and said, "Jehu is king."

It is on this Palm Sunday, that we wave our palm branches to Jesus, the Son of David. In a sense, we take off our cloaks or garments, and lay them before Him, as we recognize Him to be our King.

As we look at our text for today, I want us to see three things.

We know who it is that came into Jerusalem. It is Jesus. The scriptures are very straightforward about that. But, did you know that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He had fulfilled a lot of prophesies from the Old Testament? I want to share a few of them with you today.

It was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be the Son of God (Psalm 2:7). That was fulfilled in the New Testament when the angel came to Mary and said, "The son to be born to you will be the Son of God." (Luke 1:32, 35)

In the Old Testament it was prophesied that the Messiah would be from the seed of a woman, from Eve (Genesis 3:15). That was fulfilled when in the New Testament we are told, "When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of woman." (Galatians 4:4)

In the Old Testament it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from Abraham. And, that all nations would be blessed through Him (Genesis 22:18). In the New Testament, Paul rightly tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Yes, Abraham had many children. He had many descendents, but it found its fulfillment in the one seed that is Christ (Galatians 3:16).

In the Old Testament it was prophesied the Messiah would come from Isaac. His descendents would be reckoned through him (Genesis 21:12). That was fulfilled. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

In the Old Testament it was prophesied even to the location where the Messiah would be born, in Bethlehem. "But you Bethlehem, Ephratha, though you are small among the clangs of Judah, out of you will come from me one who will be ruler over my people Israel." (Micah 5:2) That was fulfilled when scripture tells us after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4-6)

It was prophesied that kings would bring their gifts to the Messiah. (Psalm 72:10) That was fulfilled when the Wise Men brought their gifts to Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-11)

It was even prophesied, as our Old Testament text tells us today, the Messiah would publicly come into Jerusalem, "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion. Shout daughter of Jerusalem. See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, the colt a foul of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9) As we saw today in our sermon text, that was fulfilled as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1-5)

Today we remember who it is that came into Jerusalem. It is none other than Jesus Himself, who according to His divine nature is true God, but who also according to His human nature is true Man, the Son of David.

As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, we see, secondly, how it is that He rode in. He rode in humility. He rode in on a donkey. Our scripture reading for today tells us that Jesus sent His disciples in front of Him to go and to fetch that donkey that had never been ridden before. In those days, most kings would have come on a horse. But, Jesus came on a donkey. Jesus came on a beast of burden. And, Jesus came in great humility.

But, another way in which Jesus came into Jerusalem, on that very first Palm Sunday, was He came in the name of the LORD. The people recognized that with their shouts, as they said, "Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."

Yes, Jesus truly is the Son of David. And as Jesus comes in the name of the LORD, that should remind us of King David himself, before he was king.

We all know the Bible story very well. The Bible story of David and Goliath. Goliath was that champion of a warrior from the Philistines. He was a very imposing figure standing over nine feet tall. His armor probably weighed more than the average Israelite. The head of his spear weighed 15 pounds! All of the Israelites trembled in fear. They thought this was an earthly battle against Goliath. But, when David came to the war camp, he didn’t see it as an earthly battle. He saw it as a spiritual battle. David didn’t need muscles to defeat Goliath. David didn’t need better armor to defeat Goliath. What David needed was the LORD. David went against Goliath. He looked at Goliath and said, "You are the one who has defied the God of Israel."

Listen to what it is that David says to Goliath. "I come against you in the name of the LORD almighty, whom you have defied. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD’s."

It was a spiritual battle. And, as David went against Goliath, he went against him in the name of the LORD. Because the LORD was on his side, David won.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He told the people, "I am the Son of David. Here I come in the name of the LORD."

In so doing, Jesus was simply relying on the promises of God, by coming in the name of the LORD. Certainly, blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.

Well, knowing whom it is that came into Jerusalem on that very first Palm Sunday, knowing how it is that Jesus came in humility and in the name of the LORD, how is it that we are to meet Him?

We are to meet Him with our praises. As we do today. "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."

As Jesus comes in the name of the LORD, we are to meet Him with our praises. And yet, with our mouth today, as we praise the LORD, it is with that very same mouth this past week that we have cursed men whom God has created. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. Scripture says this should not be. This past week we have taken that same mouth that this morning is praising the LORD, and we have lied to people whom God has created. We have betrayed people whom God has created. We have gossiped about people whom God has created.

As Jesus comes in the name of the LORD, we are to meet Him with obedience. And we rightfully do that, as we obey Him. But, even though we obey Him, how often don’t we show our lack of obedience to our very own parents? How often don’t we show that very same lack of obedience to our superiors?

As Jesus comes in the name of the LORD, we should give Him everything that He needs, whether that is our skills, or abilities, or our offerings. And, we rightfully do that. And yet, how often don’t we give to Jesus or others of our skills or abilities? How often don’t we keep from Him our offerings? The reason why we give to Jesus everything that He needs is only because God has given everything to us. This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love. Not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sin.

The reason that we give everything to Jesus with our praises and with our obedience is because this road of Palm Sunday leads to the cross. This road of Palm Sunday reminds us that only in five short days we are going to see our Jesus willingly going to the cross where there He is our substitute. There He willingly lays down His life for us, as He gives to us the forgiveness of our sin, and as He gives to us eternal life in Heaven. On this Palm Sunday we do rightfully join together with the people who spoke these words over 1900 years ago, as we say,

Amen.

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