Palmarum, the 6th Sunday in Lent + Matthew 21:1-9

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Jesus, the Son of David, rides into the holy city of Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey. When David was at the end of his life, he put Solomon on his own mule and had him ride to the Gihon, a spring outside of Jerusalem where the son of David was proclaimed king. Christ told His disciples to fetch this colt so that He could enter the city as its king. And the crowds of people present in Bethphage seem to get that. The great multitude went before and after Him, giving Him a king’s welcome. They “spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” They greet their new David and praise Him with the words of Psalm 118, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” On that glorious day, Jerusalem received Jesus as her king.

Yet the people imagined that this Son of David would be a worldly king. The Jews at that time had looked to throw off the yoke of their Roman oppressors. Their hope for a political kingdom was renewed with this son of David riding into David’s city in such a way. Undoubtedly, many in the crowd that day looked for the kingdom of God to appear on earth, paradise to be restored, so that God’s people would once again be self-governing and autonomous from their Gentile rulers. But the Evangelists tell us differently. St. Matthew tells us that “all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.” You heard the words of the prophet moments ago. “Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a cold, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Riding the donkey was certainly a sign of royalty, and Jesus was indeed their king. But it is also a sign of humility, for His kingdom is not of this world. He doesn’t come with great power and might to subdue His enemies. He doesn’t ride the chariot of Caesar. He doesn’t come to bring a worldly kingdom at all, for as long as His subjects are sinners there can be no paradise on earth, no utopia, not paradise. Humanity’s problem isn’t a political one so that it can be fixed with the right political philosophy, or worse, an ideology. The people expect a worldly savior and Messiah. But Christ has a different mind.

St. Paul describes that mind for us in the appointed Epistle lesson.  Christ, “being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). Christ didn’t consider it robbery to be equal with God, meaning that Christ was already equal with God the Father as we confess in the Nicene Creed each week. He has no need to strive for glory, for His glory is that of the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from all eternity from the Father. He is very God of very God. But He makes Himself of no reputation. He takes the form of a bondservant, but a better translation is slave. He comes to earth in the likeness of men. He is found in appearance as a man. This king, who is God’s eternal Son, becomes man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. God Himself becomes like us in every way, excepting sin, so that He has a human body, a human soul, human emotions, and a human will. This is the beginning of Christ’s humiliation, that God becomes fully man, but in such a way as to remain to true God.

Paul goes on. Christ “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). God assumes our human flesh but He does not stop there. He humbles Himself, which is better translated “He emptied Himself.” He remains fully God while simultaneously being fully man, but He empties Himself of His divine prerogative. He conceals His divine power, so He only lets it shine through in His miracles, all of which are merciful. He empties Himself and goes further still. He is obedient to His Father’s will to the point of death, even the death of the cross. The cross is the most shameful death sinful humanity can concoct. It’s a death designed to shame and torture. It was for the criminal and the slave according to Roman law, and never for the citizen. But this self-emptying goes further still, for on the cross Jesus bore the sins of every person to ever walk the planet. He bears our sins in His body. He bears God’s wrath for our sins because God’s wrath is the natural consequence of sin. His suffering begins in Gethsemane where He feels God’s wrath rest heavy upon Him as our substitute. He suffers unfathomably according to the flesh, beaten, whipped, crowned with thorns, flesh torn as nails shot through His hands and feet. All of this, every drop, was for the salvation of mankind.

He atones for the sins of the world. He makes perfect satisfaction for all your sins. He pays for each and every evil though, wicked word, and sinful deed. He humbles Himself to bear your flesh, to endure your temptations, and die for every one of your sins. He is no worldly king. His is no political kingdom. His is no earthly realm. None of that really matters because none of can solve your true problem which is sin. This is the problem He comes to remedy. The prophet had said, “He is just and having salvation.” Just is another word for Righteous, and righteous He is. He never sinned but was perfectly righteous. He has salvation and brings it with Him. He takes away the sin of the world, atoning for each one, and wins perfect merit before God. He does none of this for Himself. He does it for you. His kingdom is one of grace. His kingdom still comes among us in His holy Church. It’s here, through His Word and His sacraments that He gives you the benefits He earned in His righteous life and innocent, bitter sufferings and death. He atones for all your sins at the cross by applies that directly to you through His Word preached to you right now. He earns a perfect righteousness for you, so that you might be righteous before God, not with your own righteousness, but with Christ’s perfect righteousness, and He gives that you in in baptism and in His body and blood under the forms of bread and wine. Humble, earthy, everyday things, but yet holy things because He attaches to them the promise of the remission of all of your sins. Why would His ministry in the Church be any different from His ministry two thousand years ago? He is still gentle and humble heart, forgiving your sins as often as you confess them to Him, and daily clothing you with His righteousness because you believe His Word and trust His promises.

The only question that remains is how do you meet Him, this king whom comes to you humbly and lowly, righteous and having salvation? The crowds, though their faith was misplaced, had the right idea. Lay down your garments at His feet. Not your physical garments. But what St. Jude calls “the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 23). St. Paul urges you to “put off the old man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:9). Put off the works of the sinful flesh and lay them at Jesus’ feet. He comes bringing righteousness so confess your unrighteousness so that you may receive His. The crowds waved palms and sang Hosanna, “Save us!” So you too, call upon Him to save you from your sins. He does, for He comes as one “having salvation” and giving that to all who repent and flee to Him for mercy. He is not an earthly king. He’s not bringing paradise on earth or any sort of utopia. He’s bringing the salvation He won on the cross and He’s bringing it to you through His humble means today once again. Hosanna to the Son of David, our King crucified for us and our salvation.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.