“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9 (Read Matthew 21:1-9)

These words of the prophet Zechariah were fulfilled when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey colt and “the crowds that went before, and those that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matt. 21:9).

And we too, each Sunday and especially on this day, offer up the same praises to Jesus, our Savior and King. We did so in the words of our first hymn when we sang: “All glory, laud, and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and Blessed One.”

In the Sanctus, sung during our Communion liturgy, we sing with the angels, the archangels, and with all the company of heaven: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

These words are taken from the praise of the followers of Jesus on that first Palm Sunday, as well as from the vision of the Lord God in His holy temple recorded in Isaiah 6:1-3: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah recognized His unworthiness to stand in the presence of the Lord. He said, “Woe is me! for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (v. 5). It was not until one of the seraphs took a coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s lips that he could stand before the LORD God and be a messenger and spokesman for the LORD (v. 6-7).

We might wonder why Jesus’ followers sang such words of praise, echoing the word of Psalm 118:25-26: “Save now, I beseech You, O LORD. O LORD, I beseech You, send now prosperity. Blessed be He that comes in the name of the LORD; we have blessed You out of the house of the LORD.”

And why do we sing such praises to Jesus on Palm Sunday and in our Communion services when we know that He entered into Jerusalem that He might go to the cross and suffer and die — that He might be betrayed, forsaken, denied, condemned, and then be nailed to the cross, forsaken and condemned by God the Father, and die in bitter pain and agony of both body and soul? How can we rejoice when we see Him ride into Jerusalem, hailed as the Son of David and the Son of God, as Zechariah prophesied, when we know that He was entering Jerusalem to die?

In fact, we sing such words in our hymns: “Ride on, ride on, in majesty! Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry. O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, with palms and scattered garments strowed … Ride on, ride on, in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O Christ, Thy power and reign.”

Though the world may rejoice at Jesus’ crucifixion because it rejects Jesus’ doctrine — His call to turn from our sinful ways to Him for mercy and forgiveness, and for the needed help and strength to amend our lives and live for Him — we too, the daughters of Zion and daughters of Jerusalem, Christ’s church, true believers of all time, can shout for joy and rejoice at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem because He went there to atone for the sins of the world by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross. He went to atone for our sins and win for us forgiveness and life eternal!

Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples but also to institute a new sacrament by the shedding of His blood — a sacrament in which He gives to His disciples to partake of His sacrifice, of His body given into death for our sins and of His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the entire world. He is our Passover Lamb, “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19); and when we trust in Him, His blood is upon us and shields and protects us from the coming judgment of God upon this sinful world (cf. Exo. 12:1ff.; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

We rejoice and shout His praises because our King is coming; “He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the foal of a donkey.”

“Christ Jesus … being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

Jesus humbled Himself and went to the cross to redeem us and to win for us salvation. And Jesus still comes to us today, “lowly” and “having salvation.” He comes to us through the preaching of the Gospel and through the administration of the Sacraments — humble means — and He offers to us and gives to us the salvation He procured for us on the cross.

God’s law condemns us and reveals to us our failures to keep God’s commandments; it reveals to us the just punishment demanded on account of our disobedience and sin. But, Christ Jesus, through the preaching of the cross, comes to us and offers and promises to us God’s pardon and forgiveness through faith in His name. In our Baptism and in the Lord’s Supper, He gives and assures to us the new covenant promises of forgiveness for all sins and eternal life when we look to Him in faith.

That is why St. Paul could write in Rom. 1:16-17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

The Gospel preached to us assures us that “He has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:6-7).

Why do we “rejoice greatly” and “shout” for joy at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem? “Behold, your King comes to you; He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the foal of a donkey.”

O gracious and merciful Savior, we praise Your name for willingly entering Jerusalem that You might go to the cross, die for our sins and make full atonement for the sins of the entire world. And we thank You for coming to us humbly through Your Word and Sacraments that You might convey unto us mercy and forgiveness and the eternal joys of heaven which You won for us on the cross. Grant us Your Holy Spirit and faith to believe. Amen.

[Quoted Scripture is slightly updated from the King James Version of the Bible.]

The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore have I come baptizing with water.” And John bore record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him. And I knew Him not. But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.’ And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29-34

What was the testimony of John the Baptist? He testified that Jesus is that Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

How did John know? God, who told John to baptize with water and thus prepare God’s people for the coming of their Messiah and Savior, also told John that the one upon whom he saw the Spirit of God descend and remain was the promised Messiah and Savior, the very Son of God! He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. He would be God’s sacrificial Lamb and, by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross, make atonement for the sins of the whole world (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-21; 1 John 2:1-2).

So what did John do when he saw the fulfillment of God’s words (cf. Matt. 3:13-17)? Did he keep it to himself? Did he try to keep his own followers? No, John directed them to Jesus. When he saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!” John also testified of Jesus, “And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.”

Has God, through His Word, revealed to you that Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh? That Jesus is the promised Messiah and Savior? That Jesus has paid in full and made atonement for the sins of all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross and is risen again? Do you trust in Him for God’s mercy and forgiveness and look to Him for everlasting life?

And, do you keep this to yourself? Do you talk of this truth only within the confines of your church? Or, do you say, as John the Baptist did, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!”? Are you willing to point people to the crucified and risen Christ Jesus and tell them that He is God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and that through faith in Him there is forgiveness and life?

O gracious Holy Spirit, we thank You for revealing to us that Jesus is the Messiah and our Savior. Embolden us to bear witness of Him to others that they too may see Jesus for who He is and believe. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21), Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death — even the death of the cross. Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

The apostle Paul here tells us as Christians that we who trust in Christ Jesus should follow His example and humble ourselves now, trusting that God will also raise us up and exalt us to reign with Christ Jesus after we have suffered a while in this world.

But in these words, the apostle teaches us much about the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus is true God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He would not be taking undue honor to Himself to be equal with God. Indeed, He is the eternal Son of God through whom God created the heavens and the earth and gave to man life, both spiritual and physical (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; John 1:1-5).

Yet, this same Lord Jesus, true God with the Father and the Spirit, took on our nature and was born a true man, “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary” (Apostle’s Creed). And not only did Jesus not make full use of His divine attributes — his divine power, knowledge, glory, etc. — and live humbly as a man in this world, “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death — even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried” (Apostle’s Creed).

And why did He do this? Why did God the Son take on human flesh and blood, live humbly as a man in this world and then suffer and die on the cross? That He might make atonement for our sins and redeem us from sin, death and the power of the devil (cf. Isa. 53:5-6; John 1:29; Heb. 2:14-17; 4:15; 7:26-27; Gal. 3:10,13; 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Luther explains this in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.”

The eternal Son of God humbled Himself and became true man and suffered and died on the cross that you and I might be redeemed and become His own — that through faith in Him and His shed blood, we might be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God our Maker. That we might become a part of Christ’s eternal kingdom and dwell in the presence of God forever (cf. John 3:16-17; Col. 1:19-23; 2 Cor. 5:18-21).

“Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ” (Phil. 2:9-11). Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God the Father, a position of power and glory in which He rules over all and works to build His Church and establish His eternal kingdom (cf. Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Eph. 1:15-23; 4:8-16; Ps. 2; 110:1; Col. 2:13-15; 1 Cor. 15:20-28).

And what does God’s Word call upon us to do? To have the same mind as Christ Jesus: to humble ourselves in this world — to sacrifice our lives in this world — that those for whom Christ died and shed His holy and precious blood might hear the Gospel of forgiveness and life in Jesus’ name and repent, looking to Jesus and His cross for pardon and forgiveness. Indeed, that is what Jesus calls us to do as His redeemed, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (cf. Mark 16:15-16; Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8).

And, as Jesus humbled Himself and was exalted, so we are assured that we who humble ourselves and trust in Christ will be exalted with Him. The Bible promises us that we will receive a crown of life and reign with Him forever and ever (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11-12; Rev. 2:10; 22:5).

“Let this mind be in you …” Amen.

O Dearest Jesus, we thank and praise You for humbling Yourself, taking on our nature and going to the cross to redeem us and make us Your own. Grant that we have the same mind in us, that we humble ourselves and trust in You and then live our lives for You that others, too, might hear of You and the salvation You won for all. Keep us in the true and saving faith until we are exalted to reign with You in heaven. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21). Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

Again the high priest asked Him and said unto Him, “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest rent his clothes and said, “Why need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy. What think ye?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Mark 14:61-64

Jesus warned his enemies – the Jewish high priests, elders and scribes – that though they rejected Him now, they would one day see Him seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven and coming in the clouds of glory to be their Judge. Now was the time to repent and look to Him in faith for mercy and forgiveness before it is too late (cf. Psalm 2:10-12).

Why was Jesus condemned by His enemies? What were the charges against Him? It was because He told His enemies the truth, that He is God’s own dear Son – and that they would on the Last Day see Him as prophesied in Daniel the prophet: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).

Jesus’ enemies accused Him of “blasphemy” for claiming to be the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty God, and said He was “deserving of death.”

This truth that Jesus is the Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, and their Judge on the Last Day, was distressing to them because Jesus revealed to them their utter sinfulness and their need to repent and trust in Him for salvation, but they were not willing to face their own sin and need of a Savior!

Today also, people reject Jesus and the Christian Faith for the same reason. They are discomforted by the truth that Jesus is God the Son and will be the Judge of the living and of the dead on the Last Day. They are unwilling to acknowledge their own sinfulness before the LORD God and their need for a Savior! They are unwilling to turn from their sins to Christ Jesus for mercy!

Instead of accepting the responsibility and guilt for their own wickedness, people attempt to justify and excuse themselves, placing the blame for their failures on anything and everyone but themselves. Instead of acknowledging their utter sinfulness and seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness, they attempt to justify themselves and are angered by the truth that God will judge and condemn them for their sin.

The Bible says: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

The Bible also says in Psalm 32:1-5: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; the sap of my soul was turned into the drought of summer. (Selah) I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,’ and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. (Selah)”

If we hide and cover up our sins, we are lying to and deceiving ourselves; but, if we acknowledge and confess our sins unto the Lord, He will have mercy upon us and forgive us all our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead.

Again, the Bible says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).

Dear LORD God, we acknowledge our own sinfulness unto You and ask You to graciously forgive and cleanse us for the sake of the holy and precious blood which Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, shed for us on the cross. Amen.

[Scripture quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” These are the opening words of Psalm 2 and so well describe the raging of our own day. In fact, if you read on in the psalm, it tells us the real root of the raging we see almost every day on the news and increasingly in our own communities and neighborhoods: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

Though I shouldn’t be surprised, I admit that I sometimes am amazed at how accurately the Bible describes sinful me and the world in which I live. It’s just one more proof of the 100-percent accuracy and truthfulness of the Scriptures, which should come as no surprise to those who accept the Bible’s claim to having the God who created the universe as the real author. But, back to the heathen raging.

“Why do the heathen rage?” Why do people, politicians and the mainstream media rage when someone takes a stand against such things as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, adultery, divorce, etc.? Why do they employ dishonesty, name-calling, demonstrations and sometimes even violence in an attempt to sway public opinion to their side? The answer of the psalm: they are trying to break and cast off the bands of the LORD God of the Bible and His Anointed, Jesus Christ, from us and our society and nation. They wish to be free of all influence of God and the Bible and they rage against any who hold to the true Christian Faith or to a true Christian view of the Bible as God’s inspired and unerring word.

And, yes, the word “heathen” includes many who claim to be Christian. It includes all who do not live in continual repentance and faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of the world. It includes all who reject the Christ of the Bible, who is true God and true man and held to the accuracy and truthfulness of every word of the Bible and called such things as adultery, fornication, evil words, evil desires and coveting, sin and worthy of damnation. It includes all who would soften the words and teaching of Jesus to make them more appealing to our modern world. It includes all who believe or teach that faith in Jesus and His cross is not the only way of salvation.

Why do the heathen seek to cast off the LORD God of the Bible and His Christ? It’s because they don’t wish to be held accountable to a God who condemns sin. They don’t wish to admit that they are living in rebellion and disobedience against the God who created them and gave them life. They don’t wish to hear that they will all stand before the judgment seat of God’s Son. They don’t wish to repent of their sinful ways, place their faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross and then amend their thinking and lifestyle in accord with God’s Word, the Bible.

Jesus explained it when, just after the words of John 3:16, He said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19-20).

And the raging against God and His Word is more than just a battle of opinions among people. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). We need to remember that Satan Himself is behind the raging against the LORD and His Anointed. With his lies and deception, Satan is at work trying to make good look evil and evil look good — that is why the killing of the unborn is described as women’s reproductive rights, euthanasia as showing kindness and mercy to the elderly and terminally ill, homosexuality as an individual being true to his or her nature, etc. It’s all a lie — an appealing lie — of Satan.

This raging against God and His Word is not a new thing even though the battle has become more open and vocal in recent years. The raging was evident in the teaching of evolution in the public schools and the attempts in public education to discredit the Bible. It has been evident in church body after church body with the questioning of the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and with challenges to numerous teachings of the Bible. It was evident in the Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decisions. And, it is evident today in all the wranglings to keep conservative judges from being seated in courts and to prevent states from enacting and enforcing moral laws.

Christians will not and cannot win this battle over the raging by simply electing conservative leaders, because the real battle is not for outward dominion but for the hearts and minds of the people. It is not a battle to be fought with guns and bombs, or even by political maneuvering to get more votes and more earthly power. It is a spiritual battle to be fought with spiritual weapons. Christians will not win or gain ground through compromise or acquiescence. It’s not time to surrender the sword of the Spirit or to put our armor down (Eph. 6:10ff.). Appealing to the raging masses through any compromise of the truth will only give the enemies of truth the entrance and foothold they need to silence the witness to the truth altogether behind good words like “love” and “acceptance.”

Christians must stand firm and teach and proclaim God’s truth — all of it — nothing more and nothing less! And Christians need to be praying that God would use His truth to change hearts and minds from those who rage against the LORD and His Christ to those who submit to the LORD and His Christ and who hear and believe the truth, repenting of their sins and sinful ways and looking to Christ for pardon, forgiveness and for the needed help and strength to amend their lives.

And we do, by the way, know the final outcome. Read on in Psalm 2 for the answer. Those who are raging now would do well to heed the words of the final verses.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]