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 Mount of Olives
on the donkey, because Jerusalem
Old Testament: Isaiah 45:22-25
22Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth,
because I am God, and there is no other. 23I have sworn by myself.
From my mouth a righteous word has gone out, and it will not return
unfulfilled. Indeed, to me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear
allegiance. 24“Only in the Lord,”
they will say of me, “Only in the Lord
is there true righteousness and strength.” To him they will come and be
ashamed— all those who are angry at him. 25In the Lord, all the descendants of Israel will
be justified. They will be praised by him.
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
Epistle: Hebrews 12:1–3
Therefore, since
we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us get rid of every
burden and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patient
endurance the race that is laid out for us. 2Let us keep our eyes
fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its
goal. In view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its
shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne. 3Carefully
consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinful people, so
that you do 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
28After Jesus had
said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he
came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he
sent two of his disciples ahead, 30saying, “Go to the village ahead
of you. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever
sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are
you untying it?’ you will say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32Those who were
sent ahead went and found things just as he had told them. 33As they
were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34They said, “The
Lord needs it.”
35Then they
brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their robes on the colt and set Jesus on
it. 36As he went along, people spread their robes on the road. 37As
he was approaching the slope of the Mount of
Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud
voice, for all the miracles they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the
King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest!”
39Some of the
Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40He replied, “I
tell you, if these people would be silent, the stones would cry out.”
7. How did Jesus' entry into Jerusalem
8. How was Jesus' entry into Jerusalem
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
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
8. Jesus rode on a donkey, not a proud war stallion. He
entered Jerusalem
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)
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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