‘Service’ is something a lot of people nowadays do not understand. We live in a time of world history where each person thinks; “What will I get out of it for myself?” I suppose it is human nature to think about one self but it is also human nature to think about others. This Week we will be looking at Palm Sunday and if the Gospels were made into a play this event would be the last act, last part of the story of the incarnation of Christ. Usually in a country, any country the mark of the ascendancy to the throne of anyone would be a great celebration. Only the so called most important people in society would be invited to the festival. It is interesting that our Lord Jesus also was hailed as king. The king of the Jews and the gentiles. There were no important people at our Lord’s Coronation of Coronations. Sometimes there are people who really decided to serve:
“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” (Taken from; royal.uk/21st-birthday-speech-21-april-1947)
This is what the late Elizabeth 2nd Said on here 21st Birthday. She said she would ‘serve the people’. A lot of people focus on how wealthy she was, but few realize that she made a promise. This promise in effect made her a servant. As a human being she made mistakes a long the way, but she loved the Lord Jesus. Wealth was not the driving force.
What is the driving force in your life and have you ever thought about it?
We now turn to the story of Palm Sunday. A good place to start is to read it.
The Triumphal Entry
1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:1-11 NASB
Background Information
According to William Barclay there were over two and a half million people getting ready for the Passover. It is very interesting that our Lord chose to ride into Jerusalem this way. Our Lord was not the first Royal person to ride into Jerusalem this way. In the Apocrypha before the Roman era we read that the Temple was desecrated by Greek soldiers. Antiochus Epiphanes about 175 B.C had sacrificed pigs on the Holy alter in the Temple. The Greeks were eventually overthrown and the people celebrated.
Barclay writes about this event:
“Therefore, they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto Him that had given them good success in cleansing His place.” On that day the people carried the palm branches and sung their psalms; it is an almost exact description of the actions of the crowd who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.” (From dannychesnut.com/Bible)
This is kind of interesting and also the fact that Barclay mentions Judgement starts at the sanctuary Ezekiel 9:6.
When reading the story of Palm Sunday I also think we need to keep it in it’s theological context Philippians 2. 1-11 fits the bill but we will look at this later.
For now, we can say that our Lord Came into Jerusalem on the back of two animals. John Calvin says that this signified that our Lord was sending the message that he was king over the whole world. King over both the Jews and the Gentiles. Matthew is very precise to the prophecy:
5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’” Matthew 21:5
The other two Gospels only mention the colt. It is also very interesting that our Lord was not riding a Stallion or some powerful horse of war. A colt by definition is only between one year and four years of age. This prophecy shows that our Lord did not come as a warrior into Jerusalem as a king that was to wage war against literal physical armies.
The crowds all two and a half million of them would have been quite a site for the High Festival of the Jewish nation as our Lord rode into Jerusalem having coats and palm branches laid in front of him as he entered the Holy City. Matthew goes on to write:
9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:9 NASB
The crowds new they needed help from God. For the crowds that day our Lord was their saviour, their Messiah, their King! A few days later they would be chanting ‘crucify Him’.
The crowd were on fire, they were excited about their Messiah:
“When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” Matthew 21:10 NASB
They knew who Jesus was:
“And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:11
Perhaps William Barclay was right that perhaps the people of Israel looking at their history remembered their earlier deliverance from the Greeks. Perhaps this is one reason they had an image of our Lord defeating the Romans.
The means by which Jesus entered Jerusalem was as a king of peace. Riding a donkey and a colt which ever way represented peace to the Jews and the Gentiles. The crowds must have seen something odd about our Lord not riding a royal war horse.
Calvin also mentions a little bit more about this story from:
38 shouting:
“BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:38 NASB
“Luke adds a few words, Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest; in which there would be no obscurity, were it not that they do not correspond to the song of the angels, (Luke 2:14;) for there the angels ascribe to God glory in heaven, and to men peace on earth; while here both peace and glory are ascribed to God. But there is no contradiction in the meaning; for, though the angels state more distinctly the reason why we ought to sing, Glory to God ― namely, because through his mercy men enjoy peace in this world ― yet the meaning is the same with what is now declared by the multitude, that there is peace in heaven; for we know that there is no other way in which wretched souls find rest in the world, than by God reconciling himself to them out of heaven. Matthew 21:9”
The whole tenor of this story shows that our Lord was about bringing peace to humanity from heaven. The rationale and the summing up of what has been said about the incarnation life of Christ is found in Philippians 2. 1-11.
Be Like Christ
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11
Reflection
Queen Elizabeth certainly understood the ramifications of Kingship. It is a life of service. Palm Sunday was about our Lord being the servant of God. The one who would serve the people. A service that also mean that a few days later he would be crucified. The people did not understand the relationship of peace and war. What is your understanding of service?
Are you in a position of authority for yourself or are you there because you feel that this is your duty. Is your view of Jesus as a great conqueror who will walk all over the nations or is it that In Christ the barrier that separated us from a relationship with God has been broken and peace has been established.
As our Lord taught us in the Beatitudes we need to do some soul searching and start to put others needs in front of our own selfish needs, and ambitions.
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