Sermon Text for Palm Sunday 1st April 2007, Year C, Luke 19:28-40.

Luke 19:30-31 (ESV)   saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.' "

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

How well can you read the signs?  I am not trying to give you a reading test on street signs but rather I am asking about the signs of things that happen around you. 

For example if you see the Lord Mayor wearing regal robes – you know that he/she is going to a function or if you see a solicitor wearing a wig – you know they are officiating in court.  These are the sorts of signs that I am speaking of; we see them everyday or maybe just once a year.  I do not have to tell you what season this is because I am sure you have all seen the shopping centres and the walls and walls of chocolate of every variety known to humanity.  Of course Easter is coming!  But of course for shopping centres it is chocolate is coming!   

We are however in Holy Week – the week before Easter Sunday.  Holy week focuses on the last week of Christ and begins with triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Then of course we have Maundy Thursday when we reflect on the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Good Friday when we look at the death of Jesus.  All these events culminate in one week which we call Holy Week.  I emphasis the word of Holy because this is how Holy week begins; it begins by showing Jesus holiness.  Did you read this sign? 

In our text we hear about certain things happening but do any of them ring bells for you?  For example does the significance of the colt mean anything to you?  Those of you who are farmers know how to read the land and see things that ‘townies’ just can’t see.  It is like this in today’s text because it is rich in its imagery but the casual reader may miss it completely. 

Jesus comes into Jerusalem as the triumphant Messiah and he chooses a ‘colt’ as His ride of regal entry.  Now to us in this day this seems contrary to what we expect.  Kings ride in gold coaches with an entourage, not a smelly colt.  Let us look at the signs and imagery!

There are two points to recognise here (i) fulfilment of Scripture and (ii) holiness.  In Genesis we read hows kings are selected and about the ruler of Judah.

Genesis 49:1 (ESV)   Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

Genesis 49:11 (ESV)  
Binding his foal to the vine
and his donkey's colt to the choice vine,
he has washed his garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

Zech. 9:9 (ESV)  
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.

Those who had eyes to see could see that riding on a colt was making a statement of royalty in the eyes of God.  Man of course would not see this but those who are steeped in Scripture would know this.  The emphasis is that Christ is a humble king and not one who rules over people but one who leads by serving.   

But there is another aspect to this and that is ‘holiness’.  Jesus is set aside as holy and this is indicated by the fact that the colt he rode was a virgin colt, meaning it had not been ridden on by anybody.  It was set aside for the one – the Messiah.  Jesus also was buried in a tomb that was ‘virginal’; never been used – set aside for the Holy one.  Jesus makes it very clear by His selection of the colt that He is the Holy one of God.  Holy Week testifies to this fact all week.  This is why we begin with Palm Sunday. 

So Jesus rides in on a colt and the word gets around.  Now you need to know that people of Israel were seeing Messiah’s with regular monotony.  Before Jesus was born Messiahs were claiming to be the One, and while Jesus lived there were others who also claimed to the Messiah.  Of course some would not get a second look because their actions were far from holy.  This is not hard for us to understand because today we see many in our society who claim to be the One and we also can see that they are not the One, because of their actions. 

Jesus was different because He was true to His Word and His gospel message was True and very different to what they heard from the Pharisees and Scribes.  Rumours had circulated about Him long before He arrived that He was the One; the Messiah who would release Israel from it oppressors.  Now of course we hear this through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit but many would have heard this through the wisdom of human power. 

Jesus entered Jerusalem as their King and the word got around.  People came out of the ‘woodwork’ everywhere.  People like heroes and parades.  This was their day of liberation.  All came out to sing Jesus praise and all shouted with joy.  The problem was that all people were joined together but had different agendas on their ‘plates’.  Some were shouting joy for Jesus because he was going to release them from their Roman oppressors.  Others knew that Jesus was going to release them from their guilt and sin. 

However the crowd was fickle because this same crowd would be crying for His blood and shouting ‘Crucify Him” in a few days. 

How do we see Jesus?  If you were in that crowd how you would be shouting for Jesus?  Would you see Him as a powerful hero against oppressors or a humble king who serves? 

Jesus is a servant King who leads by humility.  His holiness is awesome because He is God and what is a miracle is that this is also our holiness.  Hear the Word:

(1 Pet 1:16 NIV)  for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

By Christ’s death the curtain around the Holy of Holies was torn into two from top to bottom signifying the joining of the heavenly realm with the earthly realm.  This means that God’s holiness is now for the world.  Christ is holy and His ride into Jerusalem is the begging of His last week on Earth and as we refect on this week we realise that we are made holy as a free gift of God in our baptism  Our holiness allows us freedom to worship God and have a relationship with Him only through Christ. 

Yes Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people put palms before Him as one who regarded as the Messiah, hoping that He would release them.  He gave them a gift which was much more valuable than worldly freedom – He gave them eternal freedom from death and the devil. 

This is your gift, this is your beginning to Holy Week that you can remember that Jesus Christ has made you holy:

(Lev 20:8 NIV)  Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

Read the signs and know the work that Jesus has done for you so that you can relish in the gifts that you receive because of His death and suffering.  Yes we worship the king who rides on a colt and wave palm leaves because in this Holy Week He makes us Holy people of God.