Palm Sunday

Richard Davenport April 10, 2022 - Palm Sunday* Luke 19:28-40 (Palm Sunday reading) From some of the earliest parts of recorded history we have evidence of victory parades. Celebrating the conqueror is just something that's always been done and nearly every culture and society had some way of acknowledging those who return victorious. In ancient Rome for instance, a general who had led a successful campaign against an enemy would return home and march into the city at the front of his conquering army. There would be the trumpet fanfare and the beat of drums. The people would cheer and the general would receive some kind of recognition from the Senate. Often some monument, like a victory arch, would be erected to mark the occasion. It would be carved with depictions of the general and the army and maybe some notable battles, along with some text marking the date. People who came into town later would pass under the arch and know that general so-and-so and his army had been here once before and each arch would speak to the growing glory of Rome. Much later, Napoleon takes his Grand Army on a rampage across Europe. In order to celebrate his anticipated domination of all of Europe he begins building the Arc de Triomphe which still stands in Paris, even though Napoleon lost and never lived to see it completed. Nevertheless its intention was clear. After WWII, the Soviet Army built a monument in Latvia to commemorate their victory over Nazi Germany. The U.S. also has the National World War II Memorial along the National Mall in D.C. recalling our side of that war. After Desert Storm, Iraqi citizens built a monument on the spot a statue of Saddam Hussein stood, commemorating the death of the ruthless dictator. The monument, of course, was kind of the grand finale of the whole event. Often it would take quite a while to finish a big monument, so the site might be dedicated as part of the victory parade and the people would focus on cheering the general on his way in the city to receive his reward. Palm Sunday revisits this long-standing tradition. A victory parade, with Jesus as the conquering hero. The people come out in droves to see him and cheer him on. Instead of confetti and streamers he gets the ancient equivalent, palm branches. Instead of a float or a fancy car, he rides in on a donkey. It doesn't sound like much, but it has royal significance. The reasons for all of the celebration are probably mixed. Jesus has gained fame and notoriety in the region. Many knew of his miracles, especially the healings and exorcisms. Having someone like that in town is always a good thing, though he hasn't really had this kind of reception before. There are the others who think Jesus is a conqueror and a revolutionary who has come to Jerusalem to throw out the Romans. If it's the second option, then their celebration is a little premature. Jesus doesn't do anything of the sort. In fact, he counsels following Caesar's laws. Jesus has never done anything to mark him as a revolutionary either, so it would be odd for people to suddenly think that's what he's here to do. Either way, within a week all memory of this day is gone and the people are ready to send him to his death. Any revolutionary ideas they had are dispelled. The man who gets a hero's welcome is dismissed and rejected. The parade, while grand, is the only welcome he gets and it is soon gone. Any lasting monument commemorating this hero is certainly out of the question. They get everything backward and end up disappointed when things don't turn out the way they expect. That shouldn't really be surprising when it comes to God. God makes a lot of promises and those promises can be counted on absolutely. But people are always coming up with their own ideas of what God should do. It never really goes the way they want it to. Perhaps you have your own enemies you call to God for. They show up all over. The folks that give us grief, that make our lives less pleasant than they could be. The folks that drag us down, insult us, or generally just get in our way. The boss you've worked for for years who never really acknowledges the value of your contributions and doesn't give you the raise or promotion you've deserved for so long. The parents at the grocery store whose kids are completely undisciplined and they're running around causing chaos when you're already tired and don't feel well. The police officer who pulls you over for speeding when you're already late and now you're going to be later. The bullies who torment you, the stubborn ones who don't listen to you, the self-absorbed ones who ignore you, the careless ones who have no problem making your life miserable, all of them end up enemies in one way or another. Your life is a little worse for having known them. Just knowing you'll have to deal with them brings the whole day down. You know God defends his people. He says so. He overcomes the devils temptations and throws out demons that afflict people. This is Christ, Almighty God, who can conquer his enemies with a word. Surely sorting out your enemies and putting them in their place wouldn't take much effort for Jesus. You think to yourself, "God will get them. He'll put them in their place." You mutter under your breath how they'll all be sorry they ever caused you grief. You sit back and daydream about how they'll all get what's coming to them. You cheer God on and celebrate his inevitable victory and how you'll be there to see it all. But that day never seems to come. You keep waiting. You keep cheering him on and rousing him to action, but eventually you come to the realization that Jesus isn't going to give you what you've been asking for. He isn't coming to conquer your enemies. That's when the feelings of resentment and betrayal set in. Jesus has ignored you in your plight and left you alone to suffer. He isn't really interested in your business and doesn't seem to care about your misery. It becomes clear that he isn't worth any kind of lasting tribute. If he had done what was expected of him you might have been willing to do something special to commemorate his conquest of your enemies. But he doesn't. Pretty soon you're feeling disillusioned with it all. Maybe he isn't really worth your time. You already have enough grief in your life, you don't need to add disappointment with God to the list. If he finally gets around to doing something about your problem, well, that's fine and all. But, if not, you'll keep making your own way and dealing with your own problems, just like you always have. You might not ever get to the point of shouting, "Crucify him!" You just won't bother with him at all. Most of those who cheer Jesus here had their own plans for him. He's the savior, the conqueror they've been looking for. When he doesn't live up to expectations, they toss him aside and look for someone new. They've come to celebrate the conquering hero and it's right that they do, but Jesus hasn't come to conquer the Romans. He has come to conquer sin and Satan. They've come to celebrate the conquering hero who hasn't come for the Romans, he's come for them. The sinners are cheering on their own conqueror as he rides into town to defeat his enemies. Those who cast him aside and shout "Crucify," end up being the very same ones who erect a monument to his conquest, a monument that has stood ever since. They place a crude wooden cross on a mountaintop just outside the city and that cross has been a sign of Christ's conquest for the last 2000 years and will continue to be for eternity. Master Sun's ancient treatise, "The Art of War," says, "Know the enemy, know yourself and victory is never in doubt, not in a hundred battles. He who knows self but not the enemy will suffer one defeat for every victory. He who knows neither self nor enemy will fail in every battle." It's interesting how well this describes the situation here. The Jews who welcome Jesus do not understand the situation they are in and don't realize who the true enemy is. Satan's temptations to sin will always win them over in the end because they don't see him as the one who will ultimately destroy them. On the other hand, Jesus knows precisely who the enemy is and how he must be defeated. Jesus' victory is decisive and complete. Jesus' victory parade on Palm Sunday is fully justified, just not for the reasons people thought. He comes to conquer every enemy and put them all under his feet, sin, Satan, and finally death itself are defeated by Christ. The people thought they were getting rid of Jesus when, in fact, they were just ensuring his victory. Now he is the exalted one who rules over all creation and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him to be Lord. Jesus reminds the Pharisees, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." The cross itself and all of creation declares what God has done on our behalf. The cross here shouts God's victory over sin and eternal condemnation. The cross is not a symbol of defeat, but of victory and triumph. We welcome Jesus here today. We celebrate his entrance and sing praises to him. But he is not here to do our bidding. He is not here to be welcomed and sent off again to conquer the people who bother us and make us miserable. He has come to conquer us and make us his people. He has come to destroy his true enemies, the ones that lurk in us and have corrupted us inside and out. We hail Christ as the conquering hero. We worship him underneath the monument that marks his victory over sin and over us. In conquering us he has set us free from our true enemies. Satan cannot defeat us. Sin cannot destroy us and death is not the end but a glorious beginning. So cheer and wave your palms. Welcome the hero, the conqueror. Look to his monument to remember what he has done for you. Remember that his enemies are your enemies and that in conquering you, he makes you one of his people, and as one of his people, you are set free.