Luke 19:28-40

Today is Palm Sunday which begins Holy Week and the final days leading up to His death and resurrection. It is Palm Sunday that Jesus makes a triumphant entry into Jerusalem for the last time. But before we focus on the end of His earthly ministry, let’s review the very beginning of His earthly ministry. Jesus is not your ordinary kid next door. He is the Son of God. Before he was born, the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her:

The angel Gabriel delivers God’s message that Jesus will receive the throne of his father David, he will reign over the house of Jacob and notice that the Gabriel said FOREVER! Gabriel also said that the kingdom will never end! We are also reminded when an angels appeared to the shepherds according to Luke:

The angels praised the Christ Child and the shepherd’s returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen. We are also reminded of the Magi in Matthew’s account:

The Magi refer to the Christ Child as the King of the Jews. This title is attributed to Jesus from the beginning through the end of his earthly ministry. The Magi came to worship Christ the King.

And let’s not forget the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Simeon breaks forth in the prophetic praise proclaiming:

Simeon proclaims Jesus is Salvation when he says my eyes have seen your salvation. He also prophetically proclaims that Jesus came not just for the Jews, but for "all people," including the Gentiles.

Jesus has been recognized as a king from beginning to end. On Palm Sunday we too sing our praises as we worship our King. Jesus is concluding his death march to Jerusalem where He already knows He will die. As we sing our praises today, let’s not forget Jesus own prophecy of what is going to happen. Matthew 20:17-19 states:

Jesus names the city, the accusers as being the chief priests and scribes, and that they will condemn him and that the Gentiles will mock, scourge, and crucify Him, and he will be raised from the dead. Jesus is carrying out God’s Big Plan of Salvation for the world. Everything is happening according to God’s plan. Keeping this in mind, we begin with the Gospel lesson.

It is interesting that Jesus is always preparing the way to carry out God’s plan. He sends two disciples with a command. The command is to go into the village and untie a colt there and bring it back. I don’t know about you, but I would be scared to death to go into that village and untie a colt that doesn’t belong to me and to bring it back. That is stealing and a violation of the 7^th Commandment: "You shall not steal". This seems like an easy commandment to understand, yet we too fall short on this commandment. Luther explains this commandment by saying "we should fear ad love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income." Stealing comes in many forms, it may be illegally downloading music files from the internet, it may be through loading some software onto your computer that you don’t own, it may be through not giving back money from a cashier’s error or not paying the correct price. You often fall short in helping your neighbor to improve or protect his possessions and income.

I know I would be scared to go into the village to untie the colt, but Jesus even tells them that if someone ask you what you are doing, to tell them "The Lord needs it." Jesus already knows that someone will ask them and that they will give their permission when they know who needs it. Jesus is preparing the way. This also reminds us when he sends Peter and John to prepare a place for the Lord’s Supper. Jesus tells them what to look for and what to say. Jesus takes care of the little details in life. It’s when you take your eyes off Jesus and do what you want to do instead of what God wants you to do that you that you fall into sin. Jesus tells the disciples to look for a colt and what to say if someone ask them what they are doing. Scripture states:

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 They replied, "The Lord needs it." 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

Everything happened according to Jesus plan.

As they begin to enter the city, scripture states:

"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!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’"

Today, you too celebrate the arrival of the King, the King of Peace. Through the Scripture readings, the hymns, and this sermon, you proclaim "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord" and "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest". This proclamation near the end reminds us of Jesus beginning in the humble stable. Jesus, the king of the Jews came riding in on a donkey, not a horse. The King of Kings was born in a stable, not a palace. The people are shouting for the King of the Jews, but they do not realize that it is God’s Kingdom, not an earthly kingdom. The people expected Jesus to rise up in power, not from the dead. Even the twelve apostles did not understand God’s Plan.

The crowds are going wild as Jesus makes his final entry into the city. Can you hear the crowds? Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Hosanna in the highest! The joy of seeing the miracle maker ride into the city! Notice that the focus from Luke is on the miracles, not his teachings! They proclaim what they have seen and what others have seen with their own eyes! Yes, Jesus performed many miracles, but they do not know about and will witness His greatest miracle during this Holy Week. They rejoice for what they have seen. You rejoice for what you have been told! You know the rest of the story! These people are giving Jesus the royal treatment by waving palm branches and laying down their cloaks. This is equivalent to rolling out the red carpet for kings, presidents, and people of power.

The Pharisees see special treatment as blasphemous! They come to Jesus to tell him to stop his followers. Scripture states:

Jesus doesn’t comply with their request, but instead states that if the crowd is quiet, then the stones will cry out. Jesus is pointing out that God’s Plan of Salvation will prevail. By the end of the week, all creation will declare Jesus Christ is King. The language of stones crying out can be found in the Psalm 96 that states:

Psalm 96:11-13

11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in his truth.

Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. He is the Creator. He is the Son of God. He came with a plan to bring Salvation to His people. The crowds in Jerusalem proclaimed here comes the King. You too proclaim Jesus Christ is King and we all look forward to the day He returns, all people will acknowledge Jesus as Lord as stated in Philippians 2:10-11, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen