Worship Helps for Palm Sunday
Entry into Jerusalem
Worship Theme: Hail the King who humbly comes to save us!
For 1700 years the Church has celebrated with Hosannas and palm branches this
festival that opens Holy Week. The time for Christ’s glory had come. He would
not, however, gain glory in the manner of other kings. Rather, he would humble
himself in great acts of love for us, and then the Father would exalt him to
the highest place, because he had fulfilled God’s mission to save mankind.
Old
Testament: Zechariah 9:9-10
9Rejoice greatly, Daughter
of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your King is coming to you.
He is righteous and brings salvation.
He is humble and is riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will cut off the
chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The battle bow will be taken away,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
His kingdom will extend from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.
1. Zechariah writes 520 years before Christ. What does
Zechariah say Jesus will bring for all people? (See 9:9.)
2. Look at 9:10 .
What amazing gift would this King riding on a donkey bring?
3. How does Zechariah give us a picture of the salvation
our King would bring in verse 10?
Epistle: Philippians
2:5-11
5Indeed, 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. 9Therefore 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.
4. As followers of Jesus what kind of attitude are we to
have?
5. Why is it such a surprising thing that Jesus humbled
himself all the way to the most cursed death, that of a cross?
6. Because Jesus was willing to endure so much for us,
what glory did God the Father, give him?
Gospel: Mark 11:1–10
As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and
Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and
told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will
find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it
here. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord
needs it, and he will send it back here without delay.’”
4They left and found a
colt on the street, tied at a door; and they untied it. 5Some who
were standing there asked them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6The
disciples answered them just as Jesus had instructed them, and the men let them
go.
7They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat
on it. 8Many people spread their garments on the road. Others spread
branches that they had cut from the fields. 9Those who went in front
and those who followed were crying out,
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
10Blessed
is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest!
7. If Jesus knew details about the colt, etc., ahead of
time, what else must he know in advance?
8. What does the word hosanna mean?
Answers:
1. Zechariah says Jesus will come into Jerusalem with
salvation― eternal life― for all people.
2. Peace.
3. What a picture: There would be no more instruments of
war. In Zechariah’s day the instruments of war were chariots, warhorses and
bows. Today we would say that there would be no more guns, missiles, tanks,
bombers, or fighters. Instead there would be peace throughout the earth, and
the King (Jesus) would rule over all. This picture finds its fulfillment in
heaven, and on the new earth where sin and war will rage no more for God’s
people.
4. We are to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, who
humbled himself in service to his Father and others.
5. If we had been in a position of authority over all
things, we probably wouldn’t want to give it up to serve others, let alone die
under God’s curse on the cross. Jesus left the glory of heaven to live in a
world filled with sin, violence and death. What great love for sinners!
6. The Father gave the Son back the full use of the
position the Son had always had from eternity: equality with the Father in
every way. Now when we worship Jesus as Lord, God the Father receives the glory
he deserves. Let us do this now and forever!
7. If Jesus knew about the colt, etc., Jesus must have
known all that would happen in his betrayal, suffering and crucifixion. What
love for us and for the Father he had!
8. Hosanna literally meant, “Please, save.” It was a plea
for deliverance. Because we generally only call for rescue to people great
enough to help, over the centuries hosanna became a shout of exclamation or
praise to someone great.
Could a prophecy made about 25 centuries ago about an
event about 20 centuries ago change our lives? Absolutely. As the prophet Zechariah
here sees Jesus coming so humbly to save us, we learn what grace, and our lives
under God’s grace, are all about. We’re not here to do whatever we want. Humble
faith leads to humble willingness to do whatever God wants.
Thy
kingdom come. In the First Petition we
prayed about God’s honor and name. We
prayed that He would prevent the world from adorning its lies and wickedness
with God’s name, but that He would cause His name to be valued as great and
holy both in doctrine and life, so that He may be praised and magnified in
us. Here we pray that His kingdom also
may come. But just as God’s name is holy
in itself, and we still pray that it be holy among us, so also His kingdom
comes of itself, without our prayer. Yet
we still pray that it may come to us, that is, triumph among us and with us, so
that we may be a part of those people among whom His name is hallowed and His
kingdom prospers.
“But what is God’s
kingdom?” Answer, “Nothing other than
what we learned in the Creed: God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, into
the world to redeem and deliver us from the devil’s power. He sent Him to bring us to Himself and to
govern us as a King of righteousness, life, and salvation against sin, death,
and an evil conscience. For this reason
He has also given His Holy Spirit, who is to bring these things home to us by
His holy Word and to illumine and strengthen us in the faith by His power.”
We pray here that this may happen with us. We pray that His name may be so praised
through God’s holy Word and a Christian life that it may gain approval and
acceptance among other people. – Large Catechism, Part III (paragraphs 49-52)
Hosanna, loud hosanna, The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them, Close folded to his
breast,
The children sang their praises, The simplest and the
best.
From Olivet they followed Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of saints and angels Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children Should on his bidding
wait.
"Hosanna in the highest!" That ancient song we
sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, The Lord of heav'n, our King.
Oh, may we ever praise him With heart and life and voice
And in his royal presence Eternally rejoice.
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