Introduction
Palm Sunday—the Sunday before Easter, the Sunday that kicks off Holy Week. It’s a fun Sunday—jubilant, triumphant, loud, energetic. I mean it’s not every Sunday we get party favors, do special processionals, and get to shout stuff in church. But then we don’t have “C, E & PS” people do we? Folks who just come on “Christmas, Easter, and Palm Sunday.” And that’s because even the pageantry of Palm Sunday—party favors and shouting in church—still doesn’t create the gravitas that the big dances generate.
Palm Sunday is like the second day of school—still kind of exciting, but no one takes “second day of school” pictures. Palm Sunday is like Flag Day. We have it on our calendars, but a few weeks later is when we really celebrate our flag and country. Palm Sunday is like Ohio State before playing Oral Roberts University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament—“Who do you think we will play in the sweet 16?” But how did that work out for the Buckeyes?
Despite all of its pageantry Palm Sunday often ends up getting looked over. Even those of us firm in the faith, and know Palm Sunday is a big deal, will still look ahead to next Sunday. I’ll admit it. This past week I was already looking ahead to Easter—the Super Bowl of the Christian year as I have been known to call it. But fortunately, before it was too late, it hit me, again… We can’t have Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, or Holy Saturday, or Easter without Palm Sunday. Without Palm Sunday, the blessed one who comes, never comes. Blessed is the one who comes.
Move 1
As Jesus enters Jerusalem he is soon surrounded by excited crowds. They have heard he can heal people of disease, even conditions from birth. They know he can feed multitudes from meagerness. He can even raise the dead.
And it all makes them think; perhaps he will solve all their problems too. Perhaps he will heal them. Perhaps he will overthrow the occupying Romans and restore the Jewish Kingdom. Perhaps he is the Chosen One. Blessed is the one who comes? Maybe?
The people are hopeful, but that have reason to be skeptical. Others had pronounced themselves to be the Messiah before and their raised hopes were soon dashed when these false prophets proved to be nothing more than con artists. But Jesus has a proven track record, and the hopes of the people have once again been raised—higher than ever. This time will be different. This time is for real. Yes! Blessed is the one who comes!
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Jesus’ followers were caught up in this dramatic excitement too. Even though Jesus had been hinting and flat out telling them he will die as part of his ministry, this jubilant, triumphant entry into the Holy City, has vanquished all their fears about dying—surely these fine folks waving palm branches, throwing down their coats, blasting trumpets and shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” would never call for their master’s death. As the crowds cheered the disciples felt invincible, for they were following closely behind the blessed one who comes.
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But we know the same crowds who cry out “Hosanna”, while throwing down palm branches, will, in just a matter of days, shout out “Crucify him.” One of Jesus’ closest followers will betray him. Most of the disciples will desert him when things get tough. The religious leaders—convinced they are protecting the faith from this young rabbi turned rabble rouser—will plot with oppressive Roman politicians to kill Jesus.
It is all going to happen. And Jesus knows it, and he has known it for some time. Yet he still comes.
Palm Sunday becomes so important with this understanding, because Palm Sunday, in the drama of lessons and ritual, takes us from adulation to betrayal to desertion, to death, then to new life—just as life with God does for all of us millennia later. Which is why we should not, and cannot, look past Palm Sunday— because it is when Jesus knows that by going to Jerusalem what ultimately will happen to him— and yet, he still comes.
Blessed is the one who comes.
Move 2
Now if we are going to move Palm Sunday into the Christmas and Easter “High Holy Day” gravitas, we are going to need to go a little further than “Jesus knows he’s going to die yet he still comes.” Blessed is the one who comes…but for what though?
Again, we think we know, but do?
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A minister teaching his church’s seventh grade baptism class asked his students to write down any questions they wanted answered throughout the class. Most of the cards came back with the same question, “Is Jesus the only way to salvation?”
The minister explained how he liked to be an annoying pastor, and so would answer a question with a question.
His response to this question was, “Since salvation implies you are being saved from something, what do you think Jesus is saving you from?”
With that question the students looked around at one another and wondered if they were really allowed to say what they thought the answer was. Finally a student sheepishly raised a hand and said, “Hell?” The nonverbal ques from the rest of the students affirmed it was what they were thinking too.
This minister tells the rest of the story, saying, “I was rather impressed with such an answer from such young people. But I must admit my reaction when someone answers that ‘hell’ is what God saves us from is always that of suspicion.
I am suspicious first, because, for a good portion of American Christians, this is the obvious and only ‘right answer.’ Therefore, I had to wonder if the youth were thinking: ‘The preacher is asking ‘What does Jesus save us from?’ so the answer must be ‘Hell.’
It’s kind of similar to what happens when I go to see my doctor, and she asks, ‘So, have you been exercising?’ and I know what she wants me to say.
Still, beyond being suspicious of people’s tendency to want to tell the pastor what they think he/she wants to hear, there are still some deep theological meanings to be found when such a question is asked. It really is a complicated thing to ask, “What does Jesus save us from?”
I don’t believe the people lining the streets of Jerusalem were primarily concerned about ‘hell’ on that first Palm Sunday when they were shouting out Hosanna.
If the Gospel hints at the crowd’s motivation, it was that the people wanted to be ‘saved’ from the Romans. They wanted deliverance from an occupying army. They wanted new life.
With that understanding, I decided to change tactics and said to my students, ‘Let me put it this way—If Jesus came here today, what would you want him to save you from?’
Suddenly, our conversation got interesting. Very interesting.
One of the youth raised her hand and said, ‘Death.’ Another student said that God could really help by saving him from an upcoming math test. Then one of the seventh graders said, ‘Pressure.’ Another youth said, ‘My parent’s expectations.’
And then, this one from a shy little girl, who, in barely an audible whisper, said, ‘Fear. I want Jesus to save me from my fears.’
All of these answers struck me as more sincere, and far more scary than ‘hell.’ Not to mention, I think you could argue that their comments gave a pretty clear picture of what ‘hell’ looks like to a 7th grader.”
Indeed it does. Blessed is the one who comes to save us.
Move 3
I love this story because it uses the faith of children to help us reach deep down into our souls to be as honest as these young people were. Do we dare imagine what we really want God to save us from? If Jesus were here today, what would you ask him to save you from? Would you say:
Save me from anger. Save me from cancer. Save me from depression. Save me from debt. Save me from the strife in my family. Save me from the endless cycle of violence. Save me from being lost. Save me from bitterness. Save me from discouragement. Save me from loneliness. Save me from being unloved. Or would you maybe just cry out, “Save me, Jesus, from my fears.”
If Jesus were here today, what would you ask him to save you from?
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If we dare to approach Palm Sunday from this perspective, we will begin to see the real depth and need for Palm Sunday. For embedded into this day is an appeal to God that originates in the most vulnerable places of our souls.
If Jesus were here today, what would you ask him to save you from? Because truly, he saves us from everything that seeks to destroy us.
Blessed is the one who comes to save us.
Conclusion
There was dramatic excitement on that first Palm Sunday. The people were excited because they believed the chosen one of God had come to save them.
And their salvation came—just not as they wanted. And as a result—that first Palm Sunday, like the many since, got over looked.
But we if reach down deep and seek to answer what it is we truly need Jesus us to save us from, then our shouts of “Hosanna” our pleas of “Save us” on Palm Sunday will thrust us toward Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter morning, with renewed meaning, purpose—with a deeper understanding that solidifies in us that this day is sacred and holy and blessed because Jesus came, despite knowing what was going to happen. He came to save us.
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Palm Sunday is a day we need to embrace and celebrate because it forces us to reveal just what it is we celebrate on Easter—what Jesus has saved us from.
So may dare not lose or look past this day. For without Palm Sunday, we don’t get Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday. Without Jesus’ willingness to ride into Jerusalem, knowing full well what was going to happen to him, we don’t get Easter.
Without Palm Sunday we never, ever get to shout, “Blessed is the one who comes… to save us.” Amen.
Pastoral Prayer
Gracious and loving God, like those who lined the road and waved palms as your son made his way into the holy city of Jerusalem, we too join with their shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
But also like them, we too are guilty of holding the wrong hopes and expectations of why he comes to us. They wanted a soldier who would come with swift attack. They wanted a king who would command them together, and usher in a new rule. They wanted revenge upon those who did them wrong.
All they expected is what we still want from Jesus. But yet he came gentle and meek. The only invasion he offered was upon our souls, breaking down walls with love and grace.
Lord God, we pray you parade yourself again on this Palm Sunday, and help us focus on what this day means, and what it all leads to. May this Holy Week assist us with the almost impossible human task of loving the unlovable, which includes our enemies. Help us to learn how to transcend the differences we have and to learn reconciliation and forgiveness. May the waving of palms, the holiness of the upper room, the tearing of the curtain, and the rising sun on the third day, make us part of your vision to bring healing restoration to our broken world.
Help us to use our faith to show others the saving grace that brought your son to the place of his death—that he was and always is the blessed one who comes to save—saving us from sin, but saving us too from all that seeks to destroy us in this world.
For that is what Palm Sunday and Holy Week are all about—the love and grace that Jesus expressed to all your children so that the sting of death would never win, so that the blessings of healing, wholeness, and new life abound for all.
Here now the prayers of our hearts as we offer them to you in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus, Hosanna, the King of Kings, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”