PALM
SUNDAY
March
28-30, 2026
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Philippians 2:5-11 (EHV)
“LOOK UP!”
1.
To
see how much Jesus cares for you.
2.
To
see why you can care more for others.
So what do you think it looked like?
Jesus’ Palm Sunday procession. You can watch what various directors think it
looked like in movies like “The Passion of the Christ” or series like “The
Chosen.” They may be right and they may be wrong. All we have for sure is the
Gospel writers’ accounts, each with their own details. What is common to all is
that the focus is squarely on Jesus. Everyone was looking at Jesus as He passed
by. What did they see? A kind of celebrity like the beauty pageant queens at
parades? A potential Messiah from the Romans? Hosanna. Save us! Matthew, who
was there, told us they saw only a prophet. What do you see? That’s what is
most important. Today in his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul, urges
us to look up to Jesus for comfort and encouragement.
Look up to see how much Jesus cares for
you. So how do you feel when you see government leaders doing photo ops? You
know, when they get there in the trenches with the people they serve. Take for
instance when the prince or princess of England goes to visit a refugee camp
sponsored by the royal charities. You watch them visit and sympathize with the
state of those in need. Or maybe when we have had natural disasters and state
and federal officials show up with the gaggle of reporters and photographers to
survey the damage. Or how about when a mayor dons the yellow vest and helps
fill in potholes for a few minutes while the camera rolls. I know how I feel
because I have been in a similar situation when the boss came to work alongside
the workers for a few hours at a difficult job site to demonstrate he
understood. No you don’t. Spending a few minutes or hours or even a day with
those who are suffering might be a way to try to show you care. But if you
really care, take my place.
See how much Jesus cares for you! “Indeed,
let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 6Though
he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be
displayed, 7but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a
servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that
of any other man, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to
the point of death—even death on a cross.” Thirty three years! Thirty three
years. Jesus did not pull a photo op. He did not spend a hour or a day to
convince us He cares. No Jesus emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and even
though He is true God became true man. The Creator became the created. The
Master became the servant. He became obedient. Thirty three years of obedience.
Thirty three years or resisting temptation. How trying that must have been!
Some world philosophers in their pondering of just how insistent temptation is,
came up with a way to get rid of temptation. Give in. Give in frequently until
you don’t want that temptation anymore. But giving in racks up sin debt. Those
of you who deal with anything that has an addictive quality to it, like a
substance or spending money or binging shows or playing video games or social
media, know exactly how hard it is to resist. Jesus resisted for thirty three
years using only what we get to use, God’s word. For us. A true substitute. See
how much He cares.
And that care went on. We will sing it at
the end of this service. Jesus on Palm Sunday entered Jerusalem with purpose. “Ride
on, ride on in majesty. In lowly pomp ride on to die!” Why does He die. For us.
For you. For me. For every time we gave into temptation instead of resisting
the Devil. For every time you told God what to do instead of asking Him. For
every time you pulled another Adam and Eve, choosing to declare independence
from God by making your own version of good which is evil. Every single sin
racks up a punishment debt and that debt must be paid. So Jesus became obedient
to death, even death on a cross, such a shame filled way to die that God
declared cursed is anyone who dies that way. See how He cares for you.
Economists
correctly point out that any item’s value is determined by the price people are
willing to pay for it. Do you see what Jesus is saying about you? Look at the
price He is willing to pay! For thirty three years He gives up His rightful
glory and honor for you. For you He allows the most humiliating form of death,
crucifixion, the death on a cross. For you He is covered with the filth of the
sins of the world. For you! That’s how valuable you are. Tell that to the Devil
when he tries to make you feel worthless because you’re old and can’t do much
for anyone anymore. Shove that in the Devil’s face when he tries to make you
feel worthless because you have what the world considers a menial job or when
your kids don’t appreciate you at home or you find yourself left out and feel worthless. You’re not. God says so
and Jesus proves it by how much He cares for you.
And that is why you and I, in gratefulness,
can also care more for other people. What is it that often holds us back from
showing care to others, especially care that costs us time or money? Isn’t it
always a kind of fear? Fear that there won’t be enough time or money for
ourselves. Fear that in all our caring for others no one will care for us. God has an answer
for our fears. “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name
that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every
knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and
every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.” Actually God is the answer to our fears. “Therefore.” It’s a word
our American eyes skip over. Those in the past trained to think logically did
not. Therefore joins whatever is coming to what was just said. It’s important.
Because Jesus humbly cared for us God
exalted Him. God gave Him glory and honor. Jesus missed out on nothing.
Neither will you as you look to Jesus to
see why can care more for others. Remember Paul started this section with the
words, “Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
We love because He first loved us. We care because He first cared about us.
Christian humility has often been misunderstood. That’s because it is often put
opposite of sinful pride. Sinful pride leads us to glory in ourselves, so often
people think Christian humility means you put yourself down. Not so. The best definition
of Christian humility that I have heard is “not thinking less or yourself, but
thinking more of the needs of others.” That’s good because while we should not
think more highly of ourselves than we ought, we have no right to think less of
ourselves than God has made us to be. Each one of us has been fearfully and
wonderfully made, physically exactly as God wants us. Each one of us gifted
exactly as God knows best. Each one of us so valuable to God Jesus was obedient
to death, even death on a cross to win us back for God. Each one of us a temple
of the Holy Spirit. We are to care about ourselves.
Look up to Jesus to see why you can care
more about others. God’s got you. So boldly be a friend to the girl in your
class who is on the outs even if it costs you some status with the mean girls.
It will gain you honor with God. Go ahead and keep helping that neighbor who
never reciprocates. God will. Humble yourself in Jesus’ way, thinking of the
needs of others and God will lift you up in the right way at the right time,
just as He exalted Jesus.
Speaking of which, what do you think it
will look like? When we see our exalted Palm Sunday King Jesus the first time
with our own eyes? Many people have tried to describe our heavenly home. God
has chosen to reveal little. This much I can say. Whatever you’re thinking it,
will be better. So keep looking up! Amen.
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