Palm Sunday Sermon-Luke 19:22-40

March 28, 2010
Luke 19:28-40
Pastor Waldschmidt
Blessed Is The King
I. Peace In Heaven. II. Glory In The Highest.

In the name of Jesus, our King, dear fellow redeemed Children of God;
When the Carthaginian General Hannibal attacked the Roman Empire, he used elephants as one of his weapons. This was pretty amazing because he attacked from the north of Italy through the Alps. I know that he didn’t have snow tires on the elephants and I’m not sure about any really big elephant sweaters. Still, he brought the elephants through the snow covered mountains. When it came time to cross one of the wide rivers, he build large rafts and covered the rafts with dirt so that the elephants would think they were still on the ground. Can you imagine the surprise when Hannibal’s army entered the cities of Italy with elephants? Today in God’s Word we see a king come riding into the city of Jerusalem riding on a surprising animal. It wasn’t a huge elephant or a fierce lion. Our King Jesus came into Jerusalem to do battle with sin and Satan to win our freedom riding on a little colt, the foal of a donkey. The sight in Scripture leads us to say with the disciples and children along the road, “Blessed Is The King.” I. Peace In Heaven and II. Glory In The Highest.
Remember what the angels sang on the night Jesus was born? They sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." So we heard about peace on earth and glory to Go when the rescue mission began and now peace in heaven and glory to God on Palm Sunday as that rescue mission neared the finish line. The Lord used Luke to record both those songs and it’s almost like he put book ends on each side of the mission. Today we look at the Palm Sunday book end of peace in heaven and glory to God. As we begin we see Jesus looking very much like a man but yet it is clear He came from heaven. “After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "
Have you ever had the experience of having someone send you to look for something, telling you exactly where it is, but then when you got there, it wasn’t right there where they said and so you have to look all over for it? Notice that this is not what happens here. 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34They replied, "The Lord needs it." The donkey and the colt are tied right there where Jesus said they would be. Jesus who brought peace made it clear that He came from heaven.
The peace in heaven was broken long ago when some of the angels God had created good rebelled against him. One gets the feeling it this is a sore subject with God because He doesn’t tell us many of the details, but God does say, “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.” The devil and his followers were tossed out of heaven. Since that war in heaven, Satan tried to get back at God by sneaking into the garden and tempting Adam and Eve to sin. They foolishly listened. So sin and death tumbled into the world.
Some might listen to those verses and think that it’s all just some kind of medieval fairy tale. But you still feel the effects of what happened back there every day. When confronted about something we have done wrong, the very first words to leap to our lips are words of denial and blame. Terrible thoughts jump into our minds and hearts. Martin Luther said that we can find more sin in ourselves than in any other person because we are with ourselves everyday. We know that sin washes down into our lives. That sin does not sit well with God. One day we are going to die and stand before the Holy One enthroned in heaven. If we stand in heaven in God’s presence with our sins, there would be no peace for us in heaven, because of the burning sting of God’s justice.
But the One enthroned in heaven decided to send a substitute. He Himself would come and pay the penalty. Since the Exodus from Egypt that coming substitute was pictured as a Lamb whose blood would save the people. Now as the people of Jerusalem get ready to celebrate that Passover, God works it out that the real substitute comes into the city. This King came in the name of the Lord. Everything is happening according to God’s plan. Matthew brings that out. “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “Say to the daughter of Zion, “See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey.”
“They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.” There were no limousine caravans bringing Jesus into the city on that first Palm Sunday. Though legions of angels were at his beckon call, a donkey was chosen to carry Jesus into Jerusalem for the rescue mission for all of mankind. “As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! The crowd shouted, “Peace in Heaven!" As the prophets had said would happen, Jesus the mighty King- God from all eternity, came riding into Jerusalem, not in a sleek chariot but on a lowly donkey. The other Gospels tell us that the people shouted Hosanna. Hosanna is a Hebrew prayer which asks the Lord to “save us.” It was also used as a way of praising God for being the Savior of his people-for bringing peace in heaven and earth. The people who carpeted the road with palm branches and coats were honoring Jesus as the promised Savior. They welcomed Jesus the Great King who brings peace.
Blessed is the king who brings peace for us in heaven. Whether our death comes today or next year or 50 years from now we don’t have to worry. This king has brought peace in heaven for us. When our last hour is close at hand we can cry out to the King with the people on the fist Palm Sunday, Hosanna, O Lord Save us!” Jesus calmly whispers in his word, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Blessed is the King! He brings peace in heaven for us.
The crowd shouted “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Usually when we think of kings, we think of people who are so used to glory that they lose track of the people they serve-people who eat the finest of fair while their people starve to death. What a different attitude we see in our Lord Jesus who “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking upon himself the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death- even death on a cross.” Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” His glory really is the highest glory.
The Pharisees were sure Jesus was taking too much glory for himself. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Jesus knew that suffering and a shameful death on a cross were waiting for him in Jerusalem. In true humility, the master of all became the servant of all by dying on the cross for the sins of all people. What Jesus was about to do in Jerusalem was so great that if the people had kept quiet on that first Palm Sunday the stones would have cried out! Blessed is the King Jesus. While He deserves the greatest glory as King of heaven and earth takes time to listen to our prayers. He truly cares about how things are going in our lives. He left His throne to suffer and die for us. He’s preparing a place for us right now in heaven. We are blessed because of our blessed King!
Hannibal’s attack against the Romans didn’t go so great. Many of his troops and most of his elephants died. King Jesus achieved His mission. He rescued you and me. Come this week and hear again about that rescue mission. On the pages of God’s Word let’s see the Lamb lay down His life. Let’s run again to the empty tomb and say again “Blessed is the King!” Amen.