Reading, Sermon and Prayers for Palm Sunday

READING Mark Ch 11 v 1 – 11
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden, Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

SERMON

The event that is so much a part of this day, Palm Sunday, is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels and I wish that somehow we could all go to Jerusalem and relive the events of that tremendous day. How exciting it would be to be a part of the crowds, and walk down that winding road from the Mount of Olives, past the Garden of Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley and up through the great Eastern gate into the city of Jerusalem. It would be a parade that we would never forget!

As a nation, we tend to love parades, don’t we? We turn out to wave and cheer at royalty, return of cup winning football teams, returning heroes, remembrance Sunday parades etc etc.

But every once in a while wouldn’t it be nice if our peers, if our colleagues, if our brothers and sisters in the Lord would just pat us on the back? If we could just hear the applause of the crowd?

Watching our children and grandchildren as they grow make us aware of the value of praise. In learning to walk they stumble and fall. Applaud and encourage them and they get back up and keep on trying until they get it right.

You see, everybody appreciates applause. And Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem provided an opportunity for the people to lift their voices in praise to God.

It was Passover time and Jews from all over the world were crowding into Jerusalem. News had gone out that Jesus was on His way, just passing by the towns of Bethphage and Bethany so a crowd of people rushed out to meet Him.

There were actually two crowds. One crowd was accompanying Jesus as He came from Bethany and the other was surging out from Jerusalem to meet Him. The crowds must have flowed together in a surging mass like 2 tides of the sea.

Jesus was coming, and as the crowds met Him they received Him like a conquering hero. The sight of this boisterous welcome sent the Jewish authorities into the depths of despair. It seemed that nothing they did would stop the people from following Jesus. Of course, some in the crowds would have been curious sightseers. They had possibly heard of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. And they wanted to see something else sensational, too.

But most of the people were greeting Jesus wildly. They were shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the son of David!” The word “Hosanna” is the Hebrew for “Save now!” and means almost exactly the same thing as “God save the King!”

With Jesus as their king, they were convinced that it was only a matter of time until the trumpets rang out, and the call to arms sounded, and the Jewish nation led to its long delayed victory over Rome and over the world. But what about Jesus?

In such a situation it was obviously impossible for Jesus to speak to the crowd. An excited crowd won’t stop to listen. So Jesus did something that all could see. He sent for a donkey’s colt and came riding upon it, a dramatic fulfilment of the words of Zechariah the prophet: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The passage tells us some things about Jesus and why it was important to have this parade. Notice what it says, “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.” This parade was announcing plainly to the world that Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It was also saying that Jesus was a special kind of Messiah. We usually think of a donkey as a lowly animal, but in the East it was considered very noble. Kings, princes and judges rode upon donkeys. A king rode upon a horse when he was bent on war, but he rode a donkey when he came in peace.

Zechariah said that the king would be “gentle and riding upon a donkey” and Jesus deliberately fulfilled that prophecy to call attention to the fact that He comes, not as a war maker, but as a peace maker. He comes into the world to bring gentleness and love and peace.

But what about the donkey’s owners? Evidently this donkey was owned by more than one owner. Donkeys were expensive. Probably one person couldn’t afford a good donkey. So they pooled their funds and bought this donkey. Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew that donkey was there? I’m more inclined to believe that Jesus may have walked up and down that street many times before.

Maybe He had seen this colt and where it was kept. Maybe He had already talked to the owners and explained to them that one day He would have need of that animal. And when that day came would they be willing to let Him have it? And they said that they would.

Whatever the case, the day finally arrives and Jesus tells His disciples, “Go into town and you’ll find a colt, a donkey. No one has ever ridden it. And when you find it, untie it, and if anyone asks what you are doing just say, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and that will be enough.” and that is exactly what happens. They found the colt and untied it. And as they did, the owners rushed out to ask them what they are doing. They reply, “The Lord needs it.”

Donkeys were prized possessions. They were means of transportation. They were beasts of burden, and they pulled the farmer’s ploughs. They did so many strenuous things that a man could not do by himself. So this donkey was a very valuable possession. Yet Jesus said, “Tell them ‘the Lord needs it.”

When they heard that, they gave it. And when they gave that donkey they were giving the best and the most that they had to give.

One last look at the donkey. Donkeys play an important part in Scripture. It was a donkey that carried Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And now in the last part of His life we see a donkey carrying Jesus in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Horses are beautiful animals with coats that shine in the sun. They have flowing manes and long graceful legs. They have soft eyes and make a sound that radiates power and strength. But not the donkey. His hair looks like ours does when we get up in the morning and haven’t combed it. His tail is unkempt. His mane is nothing beautiful to behold. His ears are too big, too floppy. And his braying sound causes us all to laugh.

Yet, on the road to Jerusalem this little donkey hears the people shouting, “Hosanna!” and sees them spreading their cloaks on the road before him. And for a while, this donkey that is not supposed to be in parades is in one, and he is the focal point of attention. Why? Because he is carrying the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.

Someone wrote a fanciful sequel to this event, entitled “Only A Donkey.” The donkey awakened, his mind still savouring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure and pride. He walked into town and found a group of people by the well. “I’ll show myself to them,” he thought. But they didn’t notice him. They went on drawing water and paid him no mind.

“Throw your garments down,” he said crossly. “Don’t you know who I am?” They just looked at him in amazement. Someone slapped him on the side and ordered him to move on. “Miserable heathens!” he muttered to himself. “I’ll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me.” But the same thing happened. No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place.

“The palm branches! Where are the palm branches?” he shouted. “Yesterday, you waved palm branches!” Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.

“Foolish child,” she said gently. Don’t you realize that without Him, you are just an ordinary donkey?”

In summary, Palm Sunday still has a message for the church today. Jesus is passing by and He is saying, “The Lord needs you.” Now how will we respond?

Will we turn our backs as the Pharisees did? Or will we support Him for just a while like most of the people did? And then when we get out into the real world crucify Him all over again? or will we be like the owners of the donkey who gave what they had just so Jesus could have a parade? We’re like that donkey and God wants to change us and transform us and make us new all over again.

For when we are faithful and obedient to Him then He becomes our Lord and Saviour too. And we begin to march in the great parade of Christians that carries on down through the ages and we’ll march till Jesus comes, with “Hosanna” on our lips, palm branches in our hands. We’ll crown Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen

PALM SUNDAY PRAYERS

Lord Jesus, on that momentous day a donkey carried you into Jerusalem. Let it be our privilege to carry you into today’s Jerusalem’s, our world of trouble and terror. Let us bear your weight and be agents of your peace as you bring your kind judgement to a fallen world.