The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called
Palm Sunday.
The
Collect.
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LMIGHTY
and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy
Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death
upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great
humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his
patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said every day, after the Collect
appointed for the day, until Good Friday.
The Bible is populated
with a number of Great Lone Hills that rise majestically from the dunes
and deserts of the wilderness of sin. That which we approach today in observing
the impending crucifixion of Christ is the great mountain of grace and mercy at
Calvary – a mountain of unmerited mercy and grace for the chosen of God. It was
foreshadowed by the interdicted sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham in the same
mountain range as that of Calvary. These smaller mountains of God's grace are
like small foothills of promise that rise in growing measure toward the heights
of Everest which is the true Calvary.
The sacrifice of Christ
was the consummation of all of God's prophecies of redemption, salvation, and
atonement. It was the final act that opened the floodgates of mercy and the
fountain of eternal life for all who are those of faith. There was nothing
reasonable about the sacrifice of Christ. He came to shed His life's blood for
those who were at enmity with Him and His Father. As our fathers climbed each
successive mountain of grace and prophecy, their perspective prevented their
clear view of the ultimate mountain of greatest towering stature that loomed
beyond the crest of the last lesser mountain that foreshadowed Calvary. Mount
Moriah upon whose brow, Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac, precluded the full
view of that sacrificial fulfillment in Christ. As well was the fullness of the
Promise occluded from the view of Moses upon Mount Nebal. It was the faith of Abraham,
Moses, and others in the satisfaction of the benefits of salvation that made
the coming reality of the redemption an accomplished and known fact centuries
before its actual fulfillment.
As we begin our observance of Holy Week, it will be revealing to our souls if
we view the
significant events of the week in order of their occurrence:
The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the Lord's
Day. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that
Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, (John 12:12) This was the day that the
Passover Lamb was to be set aside and kept for its sacrifice on the eve of
Passover. Truly, Christ coming into Jerusalem to be kept until the 14th Nisan was the full picture of our
Passover in Christ. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for
us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Cor 5:7-8) The
unleavened bread with which we observe the Passover represents the truth and
sincerity of Christ our Passover.
It is noteworthy of the fickle and wicked nature of man that the same people
who were shouting Hosanna at the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem were the same
who would be shouting for His crucifixion less four days later.
On the next day much people that were come to
the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of
palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King
of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a
young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold,
thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt (John 12:12-15)
Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to express His humility. He had
travelled to Bethlehem on a donkey at the beginning of His life. At the close
of His life, He again rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people cast palm
branches before Him shouting "Hosanna" a word of Hebrew origin Ho -
see us, Yasha- na (save). This is why we refer to the day as Palm Sunday. It is
the day that we, like Christ, begin our observance of Holy Week in preparation
for our Passover in Christ. (Explain Passover: Exodus 12)
The Jewish rulers were enraged at the honor the people showed to Christ. They
could have been part of the celebration, but chose to be part of the gloom and
hate. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye
prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. They conceived in
their hearts to destroy the source of their anguish. The devil, like
governments, can tolerate no opposition.
Jesus would observe the Passover meal the night of His taking by the
Jews in the Garden at Gethsemane. He would serve the meal to Judas, and the
disciples, knowing beforehand that the disciples would flee from Him once the
tables were turned against Him, and Judas would betray Him with a `kiss.' As
Mary had anticipated His coming Passion (unwittingly), and bath the feet of
Christ with ointment, Christ will now signal that act of humility by bathing
the feet of His disciples at the Passover meal.
On the eve before His crucifixion, the Lord went into the Garden at
Gethsemane to pray. He took His three closest disci0ples, Peter, James, and
John, who could not keep awake even in the last moments of the life of Christ.
We, too, cannot keep our attention on the Word even during the sermon most
frequently. How vain and fickle are we.
When the Jewish soldiers came to take Jesus captive in the Garden, His identity
was pointed out by Judas who went to Christ and kissed His cheek, thus
betraying the Lord of glory with a kiss. And while he yet spake, behold a
multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them,
and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas,
betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? (Luke 22:47-48)
That was a betrayal of eternal repercussions for Judas, and for us. Judas
then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and
Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. John
18:3
The courageous Peter drew
a sword and severed the ear of one of the guards. He had much courage in the
presence of Christ, yet, when separated from Christ in the Garden, that same
Peter denied Christ shamefully three times in the night.
Christ (the true High Priest) was taken to the Jewish High Priest where He was
mocked, beaten
and ridiculed. He was blasphemed and the Sanhedrin presumed to interrogate the
Son of God. Having falsely accused Him, they led Him to Pilate the Roman
Proconsul. Herod would be considered a pretty good Democrat or Republican today
– he was quite politically correct. He found no fault in Christ, but wished to
pass the buck by sending Jesus to Herod who also mocked Christ and tried to
humiliate Him. He then returned Jesus to Pilate. King Herod and the Proconsul
had previously been bitter enemies, but in their mutual estrangement to Christ,
they became friends at this time.
The devil's children are
united in their opposition to God always. To be honest, even the Gentile,
Pontius Pilate did attempt to set Jesus free, but the moment he attempted to do
this, the Jews raged against him and threatened him with a charge against his
allegiance to Caesar.
Pilate, after an
established tradition of setting one prisoner free at Passover, decided to
offer up Christ as the man to be set free. The Jewish rulers would hear none of
this. They demanded, instead that Barabbas, a depraved murderer, be set free
instead. Let me tell you here and now, that Barabbas represented each one of
us. Because of Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension, we all, who were
offenders against God and man, have been set free.
Please note this political decision of poor and
cowardly Pilate: And Pilate, when he had called together the chief
priests and the rulers and the people, 14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this
man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined
him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof
ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing
worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release
him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they
cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us
Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was
cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to
them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them
the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in
him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with
loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and
of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as
they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was
cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:13-25)
Pilate should run for President of the United States since his politics so
corruptly match those of our recent administrations.
So Christ was beaten with many stripes, tortured and delivered up for
crucifixion – a crown of thorns on His head to ridicule His claim to be the Son
of God. He was cast without the gate of Jerusalem as the Son of the Owner of
the Vineyard. Along the Via Dolorosa, He carried His heavy cross – the cross intended
for you and me. He was driven all the way to Golgotha on Calvary's brow and
crucified between to criminals. The events of that day will await further
revelation in next week's sermon for Easter.
