Worship Helps for Palm Sunday
Artwork: Entry into Jerusalem
Artist: unknown
Date: c. 1030
Worship Theme: Palm Sunday gets its name from the palm
branches that people spread to make a path of victory for Jesus as he entered Jerusalem . There he would
gain a victory they did not expect. The victory over sin and death won for us
by his own suffering and death. On Palm Sunday, the crowd hailed Jesus as king.
Yet Jesus cried on his way down the Mount of Olives
on the donkey, because Jerusalem
did not recognize God’s coming to them. Bottom line: Jesus is more than the
crowds knew. He is Lord of all. He is King of the world. He wore a crown of
thorns for us and for all people. Praise his name forever!
Old Testament: Isaiah 45:22-25 "Turn to me and be
saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23
By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will
not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
24 They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'"
All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. 25
But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will
exult.
1. Whom does God want to turn to him? Why?
2. Will people who raged against God get a second chance
to repent after death/Judgment Day? Explain.
3. On the other hand, what will all who have descended
from Israel
do?
Epistle: Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4. What two
things are we to throw off so we can run the race with perseverance?
5. Runners focus on the finish line. On whom do we fix our
gaze?
6. What kept
Jesus going, despite the shame of the cross?
Gospel: Luke 19:28-40 After Jesus had said this,
he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached
Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of
his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of
you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has
ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why
are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'" 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. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 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: 38 "Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory
in the highest!" 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to
Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" 40 "I tell
you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
7. How did Jesus' entry into Jerusalem resemble that of an earthly king?
8. How was Jesus' entry into Jerusalem different from that of an earthly
king?
Answers:
1. God tells all the earth to turn to him and be saved
from eternal death apart from him. He is God. There is no other God. In him
alone are righteousness and strength.
2. No. People who raged against God will not get a second
chance to repent after death/Judgment Day. It will be too late, and they will
not want to. They will come to him and be put to shame.
3. Isaiah says, “In the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be
found righteous and will exult” (45:25).
4. We need to throw off 1) “everything that hinders” and
2) “the sin that so easily entangles.” (Many things that are not sinful still
can keep us from following Jesus and running the race of faith with
perseverance if we get too busy with them. Picture trying to run a race with a
refrigerator on your back.)
5. In the same way a runner aims at the finish line, we
fix our gaze on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.
6. For the joy that would be his, and ours after he
accomplished the work the Father gave him, Jesus endured the cross and scorned
its shame. Now he is seated in the position of all power and majesty in the
universe. He is the Father's equal in every way.
7. Jesus rode into Jerusalem
like a king who had been victorious in battle with a crowd shouting his praise.
Any people in the crowd who considered Jesus an earthly king were wrong, but
Jesus was and is King—the almighty, eternal Savior-King of all people.
8. Jesus rode on a donkey, not a proud war stallion. He
entered Jerusalem
on a borrowed, lowly donkey, not a horse decked out with the finery and jewels
of an earthly kingdom; in lowliness and humility although he is the Son of God.
But this humility he bore as one of us. He bore even death on a cross for us
and for our salvation.
Putting your faith
into action
On this
Palm Sunday, we ponder the humble entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, where he
was welcomed with praise and respect by those who believed in him, his
miracles, and his teachings, but rebuked by the Pharisees. We are told that our
attitude “should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” who “made himself
nothing, taking the very nature of a servant . . . humbled himself and became
obedient to death—even death on the cross!” It is difficult for us to imagine
ourselves being able to make the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us, to
live the perfect life of Jesus in a world in which corruption is seen daily on
television screens and newspapers and heard on radios. Selfishness seems to run
rampant and selflessness seems non-existent. How do we begin modeling our lives
after that of Christ, our Servant Leader and King? The answers are found in
God’s inspired Word and by managing our spiritual life through regularly
reading and studying Scripture. We can walk the humble path of life just as
Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt on Palm Sunday so many years ago.
Believing the Gospel is
believing that the forgiveness of sins has been granted for Christ’s sake. This is revealed in the Gospel. The two parts are joined: contrition when
sins are rebuked; and faith when it is said, “Believe in the gospel.” Contrition and faith are named as the chief
parts.
When Paul describes conversion
or renewal, he almost everywhere designates these two parts, making dead and
making alive, as in Colossians 2:11, “In Him also you were circumcised with a
circumcision made without hands,” namely, “by putting off the body of the
flesh.” And afterward, “in which you
were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God” (2:12 ). Here are the two parts. One is putting off the body of sins, the
other is the rising again through faith.
These terms “making dead,” “making alive,” “putting off the body of
sins,” “rising again” means true terrors, such as those of the dying, which
nature could not sustain unless it were supported by faith. Paul calls that “the putting off the body of
sins,” which we ordinarily call contrition.
In these griefs the natural, lustful desire is purged away. “Making alive” should be understood as
comfort that truly sustains life that flickers in contrition. For conscience cannot be quieted except
through faith. Faith alone makes alive,
according to this declaration: “The righteous shall live by his faith” – The
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XIIA, Repentance (paragraphs 45-47)
Hymns
for this Sunday: 579; 716; 131; 133; 363
363 The King of Glory Comes
Refrain:
The King of glory comes; the
nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him;
lift up your voices.
1 Who is the King of glory? How shall we call
him?
He is Immanuel, the promised
of ages.
Refrain
2 In all of Galilee, in city or village,
He goes among his people,
curing their illness.
Refrain
3 He gave his life for us, the lamb of
salvation;
He took upon himself the sin
of the nations.
Refrain
4 He conquered sin and death; he truly has
risen,
And he will share with us his
heavenly kingdom.
Refrain
Text: Willard F. Jabusch, b.
1930, alt. © 1966, 1985 Willard F. Jabusch
(admin. OCP Publications). All
rights reserved. Used by permission.
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