He Knew What Had To Be Done
Palm Sunday
Light of Christ Anglican Church
Rev. Michael J. Moffitt, March 24, 2024
SCRIPTURE John 12:12–16
Since I was a kid I have loved reading biographies of people that I learned about in school. This past week I watched a video on the life of St. Augustine of Hippo who lived from the mid-4th century into the 5th. He was a brilliant scholar, an amazing theologian, and a prolific writer. His teachings still have great influence within the church today, especially those who have been influenced by the Protestant Reformation.
The documentary begins with Augustine as a young man who lived a scandalous life of immorality and drunkenness. He was a great disappointment to his father, who though a pagan sought to provide his son with a good education. His mother Monica, a devout follower of Jesus Christ, faithfully prayed for him.
It was in his 30s that the Lord brought him to the end of himself and Augustine dedicated his life to the service of Jesus, as Savior and Lord. He went from being a serious narcissist, addicted to his own pleasure and pride in his exceptional intellect to a man who was humbled by God. He sums up his love for Christ, saying, "So I may cease to be wretched in myself and may find happiness in you."
One of his famous quotes that I believe relates to how Christians should relate to the demands of our culture is, “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”
As a Christian Augustine sought to live his life for the glory of God and for those to whom he served as bishop and priest. It is said that he preached around 8,000 times in his long life. He was born in 354 and died on the 28th of August in the year 430.
I’ll give you an example of how far-reaching his influence was. When he was bishop of Hippo, now Armenia, St. Augustine founded monasteries for both men and women. He also wrote a rule, or set of instructions, for monks' and nuns' behavior. It wasn't until 1244 that a group of monks and hermits banded together in Italy and the Order of St. Augustine was founded, using that rule.
Some 270 years later, an Augustinian friar, also a Bible scholar like Augustine, rebelled against many of the policies and doctrines of the Roman Catholic church. His name was Martin Luther, and he became a key figure in the Protestant Reformation.
I decided to bring Augustine to our attention this morning as a comparison between his life and many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. The transformation in Augustine’s life closely modeled that of his Savior. Jesus became more important to him than anyone or anything else. If he had remained a man addicted to immorality and drunkenness we would probably never have heard of him. When converted to Christianity God raised Augustine up to be one of the most well-known of the early church fathers, whose writings are still read and studied almost 1,600 years later. How many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time have you heard or read of their writings? Many of the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus' time were very proud and arrogant and demanded respect from those whom they found to be inferior. The effect is that their lives are not remembered, or their works celebrated.
In our gospel account from John 12, Jesus alone understood the real reason that he had come and what it was going to cost him to accomplish it. He knew that the real enemy was not Rome, as the Jews supposed, but it was the king of darkness, Satan himself. Jesus at the request of his Father came to accomplish what only he could.
The first part of chapter 12 finds Jesus in a private setting at the home of Lazarus who he had recently raised from the dead. It was there that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints Jesus’ feet with very expensive oil over the objection of Judas Iscariot who contends that the oil should have been sold and the money used for the poor. Jesus tells him, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” Jesus knew what was coming and what he must do, and Mary, likely under the leading of the Holy Spirit had the sense that things were not as they appeared.
In this morning’ reading the scene moves from a private to a public setting. The day after the party in Bethany at which Mary anointed Jesus, news arrives that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (v. 12), and a crowd of pilgrims, presumably those who had been wondering if he would come, goes out to meet him. Mary's private love and devotion to Jesus are now matched by the crowd's public outpouring of anticipation.
The Apostle John recounts that the crowds are not only coming to see Jesus but Lazarus who he had raised from the dead. We are allowed to understand that the crowds are not the only ones who are seeking Jesus and Lazarus, but the chief priests are planning to kill Lazarus in order to remove the evidence of his healing. Why? Because on account of this miracle the people are believing in Jesus.
They were hoping that this was finally the coming of the king who would once again occupy the throne of David and overthrow the tyranny of Rome. Considering the tensions that had been growing between Jesus and the religious leaders, who have made it known that they intend to kill him, this is a very dramatic scene. By openly entering the city where he is a marked man he takes the first step toward the final confrontation. It is an intentional move and once arriving in Jerusalem the plans of the Father will quickly unfold.
Passover was one of the three feasts that Jews were supposed to attend in Jerusalem, and consequently the population of Jerusalem swelled enormously at this time. The city was packed with those who had come from all over to attend this feast but also those who had come to see what Jesus would do. As this great crowd is beginning to gather from around Israel and the larger world of those who lived away from Jerusalem, news about Jesus was spreading, and there was a feeling of hope that maybe, finally, the Messiah had come.
As he enters they cry out “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!” They are quoting the passage from the Messianic Psalm 118:25–26. It is not uncommon in our day to quote from this Psalm too, but it is best seen through the context of Jesus’ triumphal entry. It is often a temptation to quote verses as a stand-alone promise or standard but listen to Psalm 118:22–26 as a unit and it takes on a whole new way of understanding,
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
People often quote this passage referring to every day as a reason to rejoice no matter what is happening, but the Psalmist is pointing us to a particular day that should cause us to rejoice, no matter what is going on today. It is the day when Jesus becomes the cornerstone upon which we build a solid foundation and the cry of “Hosanna” literally meant, “save us” or “help”!
Jesus had come to do just that, but they couldn’t see their greatest need. The Jews and the disciples had a very limited view of what was really happening when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They believed that their greatest need was to be delivered from the tyranny and oppression of Rome, but Jesus had come to set them free from the bondage of a much more evil and sinister enemy.
One of the drawbacks of those who are involved in religion is they find themselves following traditions that are appealing to them but fail to confront them of their real spiritual need. They often consider themselves as worthy of God’s love because of their righteousness. Just like today this was true in Jesus’ time too.
Perhaps you remember John 8:31–33,
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.’ ‘How is it that you say, “You will become free?’”
It’s important to understand that those whom Jesus is addressing claim to believe in him but soon their profession will be seen as superficial. Real belief perseveres because there is regeneration brought about through the Holy Spirit as opposed to an empty profession. Real saving faith is also lasting faith even though there can be times of doubt. Of course the Jews understood Jesus’ statement as applying to external, and political freedom. Jesus was speaking of the grievous results of sin upon fallen humanity. Deliverance can’t be achieved by one’s own power.
Even so their claim is so strange. Abraham’s descendants were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, and once they were settled in Canaan they were often dominated by others, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Syrians, and the Romans. Spiritual freedom is the freedom from sin, and sin, at its heart, is an alienation from God. Jesus is offering a restored relationship of intimacy with God, which brings life in place of death and is not dependent on circumstances.
The fact that they chose to welcome Jesus by waving palm branches reveals a lot about what it was that they were expecting from him. This had all the elements of a patriotic parade. Palm branches were a symbol of Jewish nationalism since the time of the Maccabees. F. F. Bruce in his commentary wrote,
“From the time of the Maccabees palms or palm branches had been used as a national symbol. They had figured in the procession which celebrated the rededication of the temple in 164 BC (2 Maccabees 10:7) and again when winning the full political independence was celebrated under Simon in 141 BC. Later palms appeared as national symbols on the coins struck by the Judean insurgents during the first and second revolts against Rome (AD 66–70 and 132–135).”
They saw Jesus as a military leader against the Roman Empire. In many stories within the gospels you may remember that the people came to take Jesus and make him king, but he slipped away from them. He was to be their King but not in the way that they assumed.
It’s important to understand the next part of the reading where Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. Jesus intentionally secures a young donkey to sit on (v. 14), thereby making a mess of the picture they were creating. If this had been a military parade Jesus would have found a horse to ride on or made use of some other symbol of power. Instead he intended to present a different image. His action undercuts their nationalism and points in a different direction, evoking an image from the Prophets in Zechariah 9:9.
“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt a foal of a donkey.
John says even the disciples did not make the connection with the passage from Zechariah at the time. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him (v. 16).
Try and understand this from the perspective of the disciples. They are most likely caught up in the nationalistic fervor of the crowd because they also believe that Jesus has come to Jerusalem to take over as king and they will be his ambassadors. They thought they were honoring Jesus as king, and they were, but at this point no one was connecting the Scriptures with what was happening. Whenever there is a misunderstanding concerning spiritual things you can bet that the enemy is suggesting a different viewpoint that ultimately will bring discouragement, frustration, and even anger when it doesn’t happen the way that was assumed.
As we continue this week, Holy Week, we will see the story unfold with Jesus being crucified, dead, and placed in a tomb, with the stone rolled closing the opening. It had a feeling of finality. But that’s for another sermon.
The disciples needed the revelation of the Holy Spirit to illumine their minds, but this had not yet happened. They did not yet comprehend that Jesus was not only the King of Israel but the King of the universe who had condescended to come down and rescue those who were in the clutches of the enemy.
God’s heart was reaching out to all those who were lost. Israel had failed at being the nation that revealed the only true God to all the kingdoms of the earth and Jesus had come to complete the task that the children of Abraham had failed to accomplish. He loved them more than to simply solve their immediate situation as servants of Rome and his task and vision were far broader than Israel.
If Jesus had settled for the throne of David in Jerusalem the real issue of mankind’s bondage to sin and death would never have been dealt with and the kingdom of Satan would have remained in power and authority over the earth. At the time of his entry in Jerusalem only Jesus fully understood what was at stake and that only he could do what was necessary to overcome the kingdom of darkness.
It was no coincidence that Jesus chose Passover to enter Jerusalem. Flavius Josephus, the 1st-century Roman-Jewish historian, wrote that one year a census was taken of the number of lambs slain for Passover and that figure was 256,500. Jesus would have entered Jerusalem walking in the midst of lambs who were destined for sacrifice during the celebration, and as he walked he alone knew that they were a symbol of what he had come to be: the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus was the living reality of what the sacrificial lambs pointed to an atonement that would be made once and for all. He knew what the scriptures foretold about the Messiah and was under no illusion that it would be easy.
I suspect these things were on his mind as he entered Jerusalem to the cheers and celebration of the crowds, some who would be the very ones a few days later who would scream, “Crucify him. Crucify him!” and yet he still came. As we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem we have the joy of celebrating that he is not merely the king of Israel but the King of all creation. As we saw a few weeks ago in Ephesians 2, Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and those who follow him are seated with him in the heavenly places. Why? Because he is the King who overcame sin and death and for those who embrace him by faith and live for his glory there is new life both now and throughout all eternity.
A few weeks ago I told you about my visit to a Hindu temple compound in Nepal, but I also went to a Buddhist temple. There were religious symbols all over the place and they were making sacrifices and offerings to the many, many gods they worshipped. They placed colorful bright powders on the altars and lit countless candles or vessels with oil and wicks. They made gestures and bowed down in obeisance to their many gods, but I knew that it was all in vain and it made me sad. I was very aware of the presence of the demonic and I prayed continually for the presence of the Holy Spirit to surround and protect us. This place was not safe because the demonic knew who we were, but we knew who we were in Christ, too. I wasn’t afraid, but I also wasn’t arrogant. I was reminded of 2 Timothy 1:12,
But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
Ones that they called “holy men” sat around doing nothing and I looked into their eyes and saw no life in them. The experience was very overwhelming, and it reminded me that only Jesus could overcome this depth of the demonic and that he already had.
Later that evening as I reflected and prayed, God reminded me that these religions without Jesus are nothing more than celebrations of the demonic and death.
Unfortunately, the truth is that there are many churches that claim to gather to worship God but deny the divinity and authority of Jesus Christ alone, and as a consequence they are also celebrations of death. Like the temples that I visited, they have the appearance of righteousness but deny the power that would set them free.
Jesus came to bring us life as it was intended, but it wouldn’t come easily, it never does. My trip was a reminder that the kingdom of darkness is still very much alive and active, but this season is a reminder that what Jesus came to do was accomplished. When he came into Jerusalem they welcomed him as their new King, but when he went to the cross in submission to the Father’s will he did the kingliest thing that he could do, he laid down his life for his subjects. In closing let’s look again at Isaiah 42:6–9,
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Jesus came to bring freedom from sin and darkness. We can and must boldly proclaim that he is the Lord, his name is Jesus, and he will not give his glory to another. Anything else is a lie and it doesn’t matter how many claim that he is not. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and this is the Gospel—the Good news that we proclaim.
Let’s pray.
