TTT Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. TTT
Dear saints, today we begin to wrap up Lent be entering into Holy Week. Holy Week begins the same way we begin Advent: with Jesus riding into Jerusalem at his Triumphal Entry. When he rides into the City of Peace as its King. But we hear of this entrance from St. John’s point of view rather than that of St. Matthew.
As always, context matters. St. John begins his gospel account speaking of Jesus in a manner the reminds the reader or hearer of Genesis. In the beginning…. Throughout his account, John speaks about the signs of Jesus, seven in all. He often mentions that Jesus is not revealed for who he really is because his time had not yet come. In fact, even at his Triumphal Entry, his time has not yet come. But it is near.
In chapter 11, Lazarus gets sick and dies. Jesus goes to his sisters and comforts them. They confess him to be the Messiah. Moved with compassion, our Lord weeps and raises Lazarus from the dead. This event did not please the chief priests. The plot to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus was hatched shortly before the Passover.
The day before Jesus enters Jerusalem, he returns to Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters were from. There, Martha serves a dinner, hosting Jesus, the Twelve, and her siblings. A large crowd gathered, not just because Jesus was there, but because Lazarus was too. And he, after all, is who was raised from the dead. This is when they begin to plot Lazarus’ death along with our Lord’s.
The next day, the large crowd that had come for the Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. And so, they lined the streets. They carried palm branches. And when he enters, this crowd went out and met him shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel!”
These cry out to Jesus to save them. The exclamation is a sort of prayer and plea expressed to Jesus. And even after everything Jesus has said and taught his disciples, they still don’t understand what exactly is going on. They don’t see this as Jesus riding into the city in fulfillment of prophecy. They don’t see that it is the King coming into the city.
But that is what was happening. The King of Kings had arrived. He was getting ready for his enthronement. And as he arrives, he is welcomed like a king.
Many people are happy. They line the streets, wave palms, sing Hosanna! They have heard of Jesus. Perhaps seen what he has done. They have some idea of who he is. But others see Jesus and think the opposite. They think he is dangerous. They think he is an impostor. Perhaps some may even know who he is and still reject him. What a scary thought that is! Nonetheless, the Pharisees see what happens, turn to each other, and say, “You see? You are accomplishing nothing. Look! The world has gone after him.”
They see their grip on the people being wrestled away. They see a rival. They see their traditions being overturned. And they hate Jesus for it. No wonder they want to kill him! It isn’t a new desire. They have wanted to put him to death for a while now. But it had not been his time.
But soon after Jesus enters Jerusalem, we hear of some Greeks who were there for the Feast. They find Phillip and tell him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” When Jesus hears this, he says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” The life and ministry of Jesus were all leading to this. All leading to his time.
And glorified he will be. But not yet. There are still things for him to do. Still some preaching and teaching. Still some preparing. When we gather again on Maundy Thursday, we will sit with him as he celebrates the Passover with his disciples and institutes his Holy Supper. On Friday, we witness our Lord take his throne. Not the golden and adorned throne most kings sit, but rather the rugged and splinter-filled throne of the cross. There, we see him in his glory. We see him saving us in real-time. Dying and suffering God’s wrath and hell in our stead. To win our forgiveness and redemption by shedding his holy and innocent blood.
On Saturday, we see him rest and his disciples fear. And then, on Sunday, we see that all the promises he has made to us are true. For on that day, he defeats our last foe and rises from the dead.
But here we are at the beginning of the week. Until the past few centuries, the church met daily this week. They would daily see what Jesus was doing. Even if that was still our practice, we couldn’t do that corporately this year. But as most of us are semi-stuck at home, we can do it with our families. So, I encourage you to walk through Holy Week with Jesus. Read the gospel accounts of what he does. And then, whether with your congregation or at home with your family, rejoice in our Lord’s gifts, remember his suffering, and celebrate his victory for us. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen.
TTT Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. TTT
Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD
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