[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 5th of April, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our YouTube streaming channel is http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg. Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today is Palm Sunday on our Christian calendar, the day for waving palm branches and singing joyous, triumphal songs. For this is the day we celebrate the Sunday that Jesus rode into Jerusalem surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of His followers. This was the day that many would hail Him as the long awaited Messiah, sent by God to free them from tyranny’s stranglehold.
Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Matthew recorded about that day so long ago, in chapter 21 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 11, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Matthew recorded about that day so long ago, in chapter 21 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 11, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
--Matthew 21:1-11 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, back when man first fell captive to sin, there in the Garden of Eden, You admonished the serpent. At that point You promised that You would send Your Messiah to save us. Your people waited for such a long time for their Savior to come. Yet when Your Son, the Christ, came to us, so few recognized and accepted Him. Thank You, Father, for sending our Savior, and for choosing us to believe in Him and to follow His voice. Father, please help us remain true to Jesus so that we can share in His great victory over death. And help us share the good news of His coming and His offer of salvation to others.
Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and thoroughly understand the message we so need in this age. Speak to us of how we can triumph even in the face of what the world sees as defeat. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Colin Chapman, in The Case for Christianity, quotes Ugandan bishop Festo Kivengere's account of the 1973 execution by firing squad of three men from his diocese:
February 10 began as a sad day for us in Kabale. People were commanded to come to the stadium and witness the execution. Death permeated the atmosphere. A silent crowd of about three thousand was there to watch. I had permission from the authorities to speak to the men before they died, and two of my fellow ministers were with me. They brought the men in a truck and unloaded them. They were handcuffed and their feet were chained. The firing squad stood at attention.
As we walked into the center of the stadium, I was wondering what to say. How do you give the gospel to doomed men who are probably seething with rage? We approached them from behind, and as they turned to look at us, what a sight! Their faces were all alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance.
Before we could say anything, one of them burst out: "Bishop, thank you for coming! I wanted to tell you. The day I was arrested, in my prison cell, I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart. He came in and forgave me all my sins! Heaven is now open, and there is nothing between me and my God! Please tell my wife and children that I am going to be with Jesus. Ask them to accept him into their lives as I did."
The other two men told similar stories, excitedly raising their hands, which rattled their handcuffs. I felt that what I needed to do was to talk to the soldiers, not to the condemned. So I translated what the men had said into a language the soldiers understood. The military men were standing there with guns cocked and bewilderment on their faces. They were so dumbfounded that they forgot to put the hoods over the men's faces!
The three faced the firing squad standing close together. They looked toward the people and began to wave, handcuffs and all. The people waved back. Then shots were fired, and the three were with Jesus. We stood in front of them, our own hearts throbbing with joy, mingled with tears. It was a day never to be forgotten. Though dead, the men spoke loudly to all of Kigezi District and beyond, so that there was an upsurge of life in Christ, which challenges death and defeats it. The next Sunday, I was preaching to a huge crowd in the home town of one of the executed men. Again, the feel of death was over the congregation. But when I gave them the testimony of their man, and how he died, there erupted a great song of praise to Jesus! Many turned to the Lord there.
I wonder how many of us would consider death by firing squad to be a triumph. Yet these three men seemed almost overjoyed knowing that very soon they would be with Jesus. Why? Because they had come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. They knew Jesus had conquered death and that they too would share in that victory. And once the shots rang out, they joined their Lord in paradise.
Jesus always attracted a large crowd wherever He went, but this time was a little different. This time, the crowd wasn’t necessarily gathered for healing, but for rejoicing and honoring Jesus.
A great multitude walked ahead of Him, and as many behind as they entered the great city of Jerusalem. They shouted and sang, and soon the people in the city began to come out, too, spreading their cloaks and palm branches along the dirt road so that Jesus’ mount wouldn’t kick up dust as he walked.
And Oh, what a magnificent mount it was, a flashing white stallion prancing as he walked! What? You mean Jesus, the Messiah, didn’t ride in on a white charger? Isn’t that how we picture all conquering heroes?
Let’s rewind just a bit.
The children of Israel had long been promised a Messiah, a Savior, who would free them from tyranny. At the time of our scripture this morning, the “tyranny” was considered the Roman Empire, who ruled over all of Judea with an iron hand and oppressed the people. So when news spread that the Messiah was coming, the people were overjoyed, thinking they would soon be set free from Roman rule.
They expected a conquering hero, ready to do battle. Instead they got a seemingly simple man, riding in on a donkey, the most humblest of creatures. Is it any wonder their joy soon turned to disappointment, and then to anger? For in just a few days, they would shout for this man’s death.
If we looked at all this from Jesus’ standpoint, we might not see much to be triumphant about. Jesus knows what is coming – His mistreatment at the hands of the very people He came to save, the beatings, the cruel, painful death. He knows that He is not the Savior that the people are expecting. He chose to ride in on a donkey to fulfill scripture, but maybe also to show the people that what they thought to be significant and important really isn’t.
Jesus indeed came to conquer, but it had nothing to do with the Romans, or any other human dominion. Jesus came to defeat the tyranny of sin and to conquer death itself. His entry into Jerusalem led straight to the cross where His blood was shed to atone for our sins! This was the planned victory, and this is why His entry was triumphant!
The world sees things as important that God sees as less than nothing. Victory and triumph in the world’s view brings great respect and rewards, maybe even fame and wealth. Victory in God’s eyes brings a great reward also, but it has nothing to do with fame or respect or money.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote about victory, in his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 9, verses 24 and 25…
24 In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. 25 To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears.
--1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (TLB)
In the world’s view, a person does this to win some physical prize. And we all know what happens to physical things. They eventually fade away into nothingness. But if the finish line of our race is heaven, to live forever with Jesus - a reward that will never disappear - then we too must be willing to deny ourselves of anything that will keep us from that goal.
Paul knew how important this race is, as well as the reward at the end. Listen to what he wrote in his 2nd letter to his young friend Timothy, from chapter 4 verses 6 through 8…
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
--2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NKJV)
Right now, we are facing a tyranny of a different sort. This new coronavirus, COVID-19, is sweeping the globe, terrorizing the peoples of this world and bringing death in its wake. Medical professionals are working hard to at least slow the destruction if not stop it entirely. People are scared, sheltered in their homes, avoiding gatherings and social contact.
But do we not see Jesus riding in on a donkey? He has triumphed over death for us, whether it be by coronavirus or an auto accident or natural causes. Be careful, sure, but do not be afraid, for our Lord is with us – the Messiah, the Christ, our Savior.
So yes, family, let’s celebrate this wonderful day as Jesus rides into Jerusalem for the last time. Let’s shout and wave our arms and sing joyous songs of praise. Because no matter what this world throws at us, our victory is assured. Jesus triumphed over sin and death, and this is the true and everlasting triumph.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Blessed be Jesus the Christ, the one true Son of God! In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, countless times in Your word, our Bible, You tell us that what the world thinks of as important, You view as worthless. What matters most to You is that we believe in Jesus as Your Son and follow the purpose to which You have called us. This may mean that we deny ourselves the treasures of this world, knowing we will receive a far greater, eternal reward in Your heaven. Thank You, Father, for loving us enough to make us equal heirs with Your Son Jesus. Please help us stay strong in our faith and service, even in these very challenging times. Help us reach out to a hurting, fearful world, with the calming reassurance of Your word, and the offer of salvation through Your Son.
Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…
Lord Jesus, when You rode into Jerusalem that last time, You knew how it would end. You knew that the great triumph You would bring was not at all what the people expected, but was exactly what we needed. Thank You, Jesus, for defeating death itself. Thank You for allowing us to share in that great victory if we would only believe in You and follow Your voice. Please help us continue to serve You even in these times of great turmoil and distress. Help us remain calm and faithful, ever trusting in You and our Father God. And help us to continue to find new ways to share the Good News You brought to the world. This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior. Amen.
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