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News for United Presbyterian Church in Ingram
April 5, 2020 Palm/Passion Sunday Centering Words On the back of a humble donkey, Christ looks beyond the shouts of “Hosanna in the highest.” He is traveling a slow journey to the cross and he will pay the price of turning the tables on the money changers, upsetting the status quo, and living authentically before God. Will he travel that road alone, or will you travel with him? The Last Act With this passage we embark upon the last act in the drama of the life of Jesus. It was the time of Passover and Jerusalem and the surrounding towns and villages would have been crowded with people. Some scholars believe that there would have been as many as 2 million people within and around Jerusalem. It was the law that every adult male Jew within a 20-mile radius of Jerusalem were required to celebrate this festival at the temple. Then one would have to take into consideration that there were Jews throughout the world who prayed that one day they might celebrate Passover in the great temple. Consequently, people from around the world would be coming into Jerusalem. Jesus could not have chosen a more dramatic time to enter into the city. Jesus knew full well that the Chief Priests and whole council were looking for any excuse to get rid of Jesus. But Jesus, with his head held high carried out the plans he had previously made. Jesus had sent his disciples into the city of Bethany to retrieve an ass, a donkey upon which no man had ever ridden. Jesus had been to Bethany many times visiting his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus and the people of the town would have known him. When the disciples went into the city, they came to the owner of the donkey and said that, “the Lord has need of it.” It must have been the code which Jesus had worked out with the man in advance, for the man readily gave the donkey to the disciples. The fact that the donkey had never been ridden is especially significant. According to Numbers 2 the ceremonial animal should be one “without defect” and “upon which no yoke has been laid.” In I Samuel 6: 7 we find that the cart on which the ark of the Lord was carried had to be a vehicle which had never been used for any other purpose. This sacredness of the occasion was underlined by the fact that the donkey had never been ridden by any other person. The crowd received Jesus as a king and laid out cloaks in front of him. They waved palm branches and shouted “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” which was the traditional salutation to pilgrims entering the city. But they also shouted “Hosanna.” Hosanna literally means save now and was the cry of the people to God in times of need or difficulty. A shout which we should be using during this very difficult time. A cry to God to Save Now, to reach out to us as the great physician and heal a broken world. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem show us three things about Jesus… First, it shows us the courage of Jesus. Just about everybody in authority at the time was looking for Jesus, to get rid of him for he was a threat to their way of life. Their goal was not just to arrest him, but to eliminate him for good. The Jewish leadership could not put him to death, but they made sure to force the hand of Rome so they would. Most men in Jesus’ position would have considered that discretion being the better part of valor, to slip into the city by night and unnoticed. But Jesus is defiant in his actions and almost throws down the gauntlet and says do your worst for I will do my best! Second, it shows the claim of Jesus. He was not just a prophet, or a rabbi, but the very Son of God and he would accept nothing less. If he had been accepted as a prophet or a great teacher, he would not have had to die. But he was the Messiah and would accept nothing less than the top spot. If we are to receive him, we must receive him as the king or not at all! Lastly, it shows us the appeal of Jesus. It was not the kingship of the throne which he sought, but the kingship of our hearts. He rode into the city on a donkey. In our part of the world we usually think of a donkey as stupid and difficult, but in the time of Jesus the donkey was considered a royal mount. It was not a royal mount of war, that was a horse, but one of peace. So, when Jesus claimed to be king, he was not a king of war, he was not there to wield a sword, but was there to conquer one’s heart in peace. He came not to destroy our enemies, but to love them; not to condemn the sinner, but to save them. This week marks the last appeal to people to open, not their palaces, not their homes, not their fortresses, but their hearts. As you celebrate this Palm Sunday and prepare to celebrate this Holy Week, do so with a heart open to the call of the King, the Son of God! Other Scripture Lessons for Palm Sunday Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 Psalm 31: 9-16 Isaiah 50: 4-9a Philippians 2: 5-11 Matthew 26: 14- 27: 66 Prayer of Confession God of righteousness, this day places a mirror before our faces. We would rather sing hosannas with the cheering crowd, than stand up for our convictions in the face of an angry mob. We would rather dine with Christ at his table, than stand up for him in a courtyard of accusers. We would rather see ourselves as Christ’s champions than admit to ourselves that we too could betray him with a kiss. Forgive our fickle faith, and heal our hesitant hearts. In your loving name we pray. AMEN Assurance of Pardon God has opened the gates of righteousness, and the righteous enter through it. The one who is our cornerstone, the stone the builders rejected, has become our salvation. God offers us forgiveness and fullness of grace in Christ’s name. Centering Words On the back of a humble donkey, Christ looks beyond the shouts of “Hosanna in the highest.” He is traveling a slow journey to the cross and he will pay the price of turning the tables on the money changers, upsetting the status quo, and living authentically before God. Will he travel that road alone, or will you travel with him? The Last Act With this passage we embark upon the last act in the drama of the life of Jesus. It was the time of Passover and Jerusalem and the surrounding towns and villages would have been crowded with people. Some scholars believe that there would have been as many as 2 million people within and around Jerusalem. It was the law that every adult male Jew within a 20-mile radius of Jerusalem were required to celebrate this festival at the temple. Then one would have to take into consideration that there were Jews throughout the world who prayed that one day they might celebrate Passover in the great temple. Consequently, people from around the world would be coming into Jerusalem. Jesus could not have chosen a more dramatic time to enter into the city. Jesus knew full well that the Chief Priests and whole council were looking for any excuse to get rid of Jesus. But Jesus, with his head held high carried out the plans he had previously made. Jesus had sent his disciples into the city of Bethany to retrieve an ass, a donkey upon which no man had ever ridden. Jesus had been to Bethany many times visiting his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus and the people of the town would have known him. When the disciples went into the city, they came to the owner of the donkey and said that, “the Lord has need of it.” It must have been the code which Jesus had worked out with the man in advance, for the man readily gave the donkey to the disciples. The fact that the donkey had never been ridden is especially significant. According to Numbers 2 the ceremonial animal should be one “without defect” and “upon which no yoke has been laid.” In I Samuel 6: 7 we find that the cart on which the ark of the Lord was carried had to be a vehicle which had never been used for any other purpose. This sacredness of the occasion was underlined by the fact that the donkey had never been ridden by any other person. The crowd received Jesus as a king and laid out cloaks in front of him. They waved palm branches and shouted “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” which was the traditional salutation to pilgrims entering the city. But they also shouted “Hosanna.” Hosanna literally means save now and was the cry of the people to God in times of need or difficulty. A shout which we should be using during this very difficult time. A cry to God to Save Now, to reach out to us as the great physician and heal a broken world. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem show us three things about Jesus… First, it shows us the courage of Jesus. Just about everybody in authority at the time was looking for Jesus, to get rid of him for he was a threat to their way of life. Their goal was not just to arrest him, but to eliminate him for good. The Jewish leadership could not put him to death, but they made sure to force the hand of Rome so they would. Most men in Jesus’ position would have considered that discretion being the better part of valor, to slip into the city by night and unnoticed. But Jesus is defiant in his actions and almost throws down the gauntlet and says do your worst for I will do my best! Second, it shows the claim of Jesus. He was not just a prophet, or a rabbi, but the very Son of God and he would accept nothing less. If he had been accepted as a prophet or a great teacher, he would not have had to die. But he was the Messiah and would accept nothing less than the top spot. If we are to receive him, we must receive him as the king or not at all! Lastly, it shows us the appeal of Jesus. It was not the kingship of the throne which he sought, but the kingship of our hearts. He rode into the city on a donkey. In our part of the world we usually think of a donkey as stupid and difficult, but in the time of Jesus the donkey was considered a royal mount. It was not a royal mount of war, that was a horse, but one of peace. So, when Jesus claimed to be king, he was not a king of war, he was not there to wield a sword, but was there to conquer one’s heart in peace. He came not to destroy our enemies, but to love them; not to condemn the sinner, but to save them. This week marks the last appeal to people to open, not their palaces, not their homes, not their fortresses, but their hearts. As you celebrate this Palm Sunday and prepare to celebrate this Holy Week, do so with a heart open to the call of the King, the Son of God! Other Scripture Lessons for Palm Sunday Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 Psalm 31: 9-16 Isaiah 50: 4-9a Philippians 2: 5-11 Matthew 26: 14- 27: 66 Prayer of Confession God of righteousness, this day places a mirror before our faces. We would rather sing hosannas with the cheering crowd, than stand up for our convictions in the face of an angry mob. We would rather dine with Christ at his table, than stand up for him in a courtyard of accusers. We would rather see ourselves as Christ’s champions than admit to ourselves that we too could betray him with a kiss. Forgive our fickle faith, and heal our hesitant hearts. In your loving name we pray. AMEN Assurance of Pardon God has opened the gates of righteousness, and the righteous enter through it. The one who is our cornerstone, the stone the builders rejected, has become our salvation. God offers us forgiveness and fullness of grace in Christ’s name. Grace and Peace, Pastor Wayne
