Pilot Knob Lutheran Ride On 3/29/2023
The Sunday prior to Easter is Palm Sunday. That is the day Jesus proclaimed through his actions that he was the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecies and that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah, the very Son of God.
He did this by riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey symbolizing humility and peace. But there is more, he was fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. By coming on a donkey, he is stating he is not coming to wage war or incite a revolution. Rather, he refuses to exploit or oppress those who live under his reign. He is a gentle and compassionate king, not a despot.
1 Kings 1:38-40 So Zadok the priest. . .went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. Solomon rides a donkey on his was to be crowned king. Jesus rides into Jerusalem in the same way, to be crowned king. The crowds knew what he was doing and shouted Hosanna (save now) and cheered him on throwing down palm branches and clothing to ride on, something only done for kings.
Of course, not everyone was happy with this parade. The religious authorities wanted him dead at any cost.
The exuberant crowd did not fully understand what they were shouting and doing, but God did. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he saw a nation that would reject him, the religious establishment that denied him as the Messiah, a nation that would be overthrown in 70 AD.
The tragedy is seeing the crowd enthusiastic about their religious leader, boldly praising God before those who violently oppose him. Was it sincere? Would it last? With all the evidence of his miracles the past three years and fulfilling prophecy one would think they were firm in their faith and understanding. However, they eventually caved in to political pressure and their shouts of Hosanna turned into shouts to crucify him: Kill the imposter who claimed he would save and free his people.
Easy to criticize from our vantage point, but should we? We must constantly be on guard against a superficial following of Jesus Christ. Looking only for the positive things God promises and rejecting what we do not like: suffering, rejection from the world and being last. Our nature is no different than the crowd two-thousand years ago.
Embrace the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, be sincere and count the cost as well as the final reward for remaining faithful.
Pr. Bob Snitzer
By the Way:
Today 4:30 Confirmation.
April 1, 4:00 The last LLS final dress rehearsal.
April 2, 9:00 AM Morning worship and holy communion. Sermon: Passover Pt. 1
10:15 No Sunday school.
April 2, 2:00 Join us for the presentation of the Living Last Supper. Refreshments follow.
~ Past communiques and sermons can be read and heard on our website: www.pilotknob.org and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PilotKnobLutheran/
Sermons may be heard on KIOW 107.3 FM Sunday mornings at 7:00. Spread the word. If you would like to support this outreach with a contribution, it costs $55 each week.
