Palm Sunday 2021

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) 5  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Who was the greatest person of all time?

According to one source, the top five in order are:

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Albert Einstein

Jesus Christ

Greatest contribution: Christianity

With over 2 billion followers, Christianity is the most prominent religion in the entire world! His teachings about forgiveness, salvation, and love are preached to this day in masses and bible study groups.

Mahotma Gandhi

Arnold Schwartzeneggar

According to another list, the top five are

Jesus Christ 

Albert Einstein 

Isaac Newton 

Leonardo Da Vinci 

Aristotle 

Both of those lists have a short explanation of why that person is considered to be great.

As Christians, I think we would all agree about just how important Jesus was and still is. He is the central person in Christianity who has saved the world by his death on the cross, rose again for our justification, and currently rules all things at the right hand of God the Father. He is to us the greatest person of all time and the most important person in our lives.

Often a person who is great, may have quite the ego. Many of us remember Mohammed Ali’s claim that “I’m the greatest.” and how he would boast about his abilities. We all remember that top student or athlete in school that wouldn’t stop talking about himself or herself. Powerful people today demand respect and expect the best of what life has to offer.

We have a word for that. “Conceited”.

A conceited person has an inflated self-image and perceives himself as incredibly entertaining and wonderful. Talk incessantly about your accomplishments on the clarinet or amazing ability to wiggle your ears, and people are going to think you're conceited.

Napolean

Joseph Stalin

Absalom was such a man. (explain)

2 Samuel 14:25–26 NIV

25 In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. 26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.

2 Samuel 15:1–4 NIV

1 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”

If anyone ever had a reason to think he was better than others and to demonstrate this, it would have been Jesus. St. Paul reminds us of the deity of this unique individual. “Who, being in very nature God.” John tells us in John 1:1–5 (NIV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

A central truth in Christianity is what we confess in the Nicene Creed: “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were created.”

The first commandment teaches us that we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. When God would appear in the Old Testament in all of his glory, the people would bow down to him. God is to be worshiped and adored and held in the highest esteem.

And yet, Jesus did not “consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage”.

We call this the humiliation of Jesus. Theologians will also refer to it as his exinanition. He “emptied himself” and did not make full use of his divine attributes while on earth.

Philippians 2:7–8 (NIV)

7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

The most starking example of this is found during Holy Week from his riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday humbly on a lowly donkey to his his being taken off the cross on which he had been unjustly put to death — the most shameful of ways to die.

But his humiliation was not limited to that week. He considered the needs, the concerns, the souls of those he came to save to be so precious that he approached the unapproachable and ministered to the outcasts of society — the Samaritans, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the poor of the land. He upheld the cause of the weak and was the champion of those who were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

It is no wonder then that many artists portrait Jesus as a kind, loving, and gentle man with powerful words and strength of character. And when people tried to prematurely promote that he was the Christ with the wrong motives, he would order them to keep silent until the proper time.

Why did he do this? “For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried.”

Illustration.

At times a person who has great strength will not make full use of it so that other may have success. Many fathers will ease up when competing against their children so that the children can win. A time comes when they are evenly matched. Later, a child will ease up so that Dad can win.

A powerful nation which has the capability of thoroughly defeating an enemy will restrain itself so that the nation will not be decimated. We may think of how the United States treated Japan and Germany after World War II. The US could have completely subjugated them but instead used her strength to restore their cities and their economies.

Our God could have destroyed us as he showed during the time of the Flood. But instead he sent Jesus to save us through his weakness so that we might become strong in faith.

This has a tremendous impact on our lives.

We are saved. Even though we may be worried and concerned about many earthly things, the most important aspect of our lives is eternal salvation “What does it profit someone if they gains the whole world, yet lose their soul?”

Jesus teaches us how to interact with others — especially those we or society teaches are inferior to us.

Philippians 2:1–5 NIV

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Application: Do you ever compare yourself to those around you? Our society seems to thrive on this?

Who is the greatest of all time?

Who is the prom king or queen?

Top student?

Employee of the month?

Best restaurant in town?

MVP

NCAA National Champion.

Nothing new. One factor in Cain killing Abel was jealousy when Cain thought that Abel’s sacrifice was better than his and he refused to change his attitude but eliminated Abel instead.

Jesus’ disciples argued about who was the greatest.

Paul refers to this in

Galatians 6:1–5 (NIV)

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load.

Are there people better than you? The constitution may claim that all people are created equal but the reality is that we have different gifts and abilities and different levels of them and our accomplishments.

Are you better than some others at some things? Yes, Yes you are. And it is not wrong to realize that. There is a place in society for healthy competition.

What is wrong is when we become too proud of who and what we are that it becomes a hindrance to our willingness to help others. Regardless of our gifts and abilities, we are to value others more than we value ourselves and look out for their interests.

Can you think of any individuals in your life that need a helping hand or aid that would benefit from you stepping in to help them? Our attitude should be the same as that of Jesus and as his children, we can use our strengths to help them in their weaknesses. Amen.