Sermon 123

Sermon by Ian Scott-Thompson at Wonersh on Palm Sunday 16^th March 2008

Meekness & Majesty

Readings: BibleGateway - John 12:12-19 and Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44,-Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 118:20-29

Icebreaker

Each choose the Gospel character you would like to have been. 'Think yourself into the character', then say if you would have followed Jesus to Jerusalem and why (or why not).

Opening Prayer

Lord, at the beginning of our time of study, we pray that we may grow together in love and trust. Open our eyes to read Your Word as if for the first time; open our ears and give us grace to listen to each others' thoughts and observations;

and open our hearts that we may deepen our knowledge and love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray for the touch of Your Spirit on each person here, that we may know Your presence and guidance in all we say and do, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

Music Inspiration

(pause to hear the musical interpretation of this story)

You may find it helpful to sing the song 'Meekness and Majesty' at each session.

Hymn: 'Ride on, ride on in majesty'

Hymn: 'All glory, laud and honour'

Song: 'Meekness and Majesty'

Aria from Handel's Messiah: 'Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion'

`Hosanna!' from Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Jesus Christ Superstar

Chorus from Verdi's Hebrew Slaves.

Setting the Scene

Without doubt Jesus had become a 'cult' figure. He was the hero of the poor and downtrodden, a charismatic preacher and healer who travelled around Galilee with a selected core group of followers. Let's remember that Jesus was not just a carpenter from Nazareth. During those hidden years, He would have attended the synagogue each Sabbath to hear the rabbi read from the Torah, the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These books were repeated over and over, so that, in the oral learning culture of that time, it became ingrained on the heart and mind of every devout Israelite. This was not only on the Sabbath, but there would have been synagogue prayers twice a week on the market days of Tuesday and Thursday. It seems highly probable that Jesus may have received extra tuition to become a rabbi, for the Gospel accounts record Him being called Rabbi, Teacher, Master and Lord. For example, Nicodemus addressed Jesus as `Rabbi' in John 3:2.

So we take a new look at Jesus. This man of God, soaked in holy words, a prophet-cum-healer who, within His ministry, soon gained the reputation for challenging His critics with profound words from Scripture. And, as the prophets before Him, when words were insufficient for the point He wished to make, Jesus dramatically enacted His message.

Jerusalem was bursting with thousands of pilgrims gathered especially for the Passover Festival.

The historian Josephus wrote that on one occasion there were over two million people packed into the city and suburbs, but that is perhaps a slight exaggeration! However, people from all over the known world, three times a year, turned the City of David into a vibrant, cosmopolitan meeting place for commerce and for worship. And Passover was the biggest of all the festivals.

HOSANNA!

The closing verse of John chapter 11 makes it plain that Jerusalem was now a dangerous place for Jesus. The chief priests and the Pharisees had their spies mingling with the crowds, ready to pounce at the first opportunity to arrest Him. Jesus was too popular. He longed for people to see that they could worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) without the pomp and ritual sacrifices that burdened the poor and lined the pockets of the priests. Time and time again, Jesus sought to focus the people's minds on God; to bring them back into the trusting, loving relationship the religious legalism of their day had blunted. At the time of His temptations, Jesus rebuked the devil with quotes from the Torah (Deus. 8:3; 6:16 and 6:13) and referred to the Ten Commandments when addressing the expert in the Law who wanted to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25-28). Jesus' teaching showed His followers how to put into practice the high moral and ethical demands of Scripture, not as a cold duty, but in response to God's eternal goodness and love.

Several times in the Gospel narratives we see Jesus taking a deliberately low profile and even telling people not to speak about things they had witnessed. In this story, however, we have a spectacularly high-profile Jesus. By riding down the Mount of Olives and up into Jerusalem on the back of a humble donkey, Jesus ensured all eyes were directed on Him, and after Jesus had been glorified they might remember Zechariah's prophecy, the king riding on a donkey was the hope of a re-established Davidic kingdom (Zech. 9:9-10). The longed-for Messiah would be a descendent of King David and would bring the new age into being – the rule of the living God. Also, the display was a loaded reminder from 141 BC when Simon the Maccabee rode into the Holy City on a donkey and cleansed the Temple from the Syrian desecration. (In the Apocrypha, see 1 Maccabees 13:51.) With supreme courage, Jesus, by now a 'wanted man', was making an emphatic visual statement. He saw Himself as God's Anointed, the King of Peace whose kingdom would never end. The crowds seemed delighted to hail Him as King, but on their terms, a King who would rid them of the Roman occupation.

The Messiah they wanted was a King to lead them into battle against their enemies and then they would live happily ever after!

So they chanted their 'Hosannas', meaning 'Save!' — lifted directly from Psalm 118 verse 25, one of the psalms recited at the Passover Festival. It was also the part of the Hallel, sung each morning by the Temple choir during the Feast of Tabernacles, and therefore would have been a familiar song of jubilation. When the choir reached the `Hosanna' part, it became a tradition for worshippers to wave lulabs — a few shoots of willow and myrtle tied with palm — similar to the tradition of standing for Handel's `Hallelujah Chorus'. Sometimes, these lulabs were even called 'hosannas'.

When Luke records that the crowd 'spread their cloaks on the road', it was not just a romantic expression such as Francis Drake's for Queen Elizabeth I, but an ancient honour in acknowledging a king. See what happened to Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13.

We also need to recognise the potential political implication of the palm branches. Waving a palm branch was like waving the national flag. The palm was such a popular national emblem that it was used on Jewish coins. In the context of an occupied nation, entering the city waving palm branches was blatant and defiant nationalism. Therefore, Jesus' calculated action causes us to ask some questions: Was Jesus deliberately rousing a volatile and potentially explosive situation? And, if His prophetic actions held such clear scriptural, Messianic overtones, how was it that the people were blind to His message of justice, peace and compassion? How could the meekness and majesty portrayed by Jesus in that triumphal entry into Jerusalem have been so badly misunderstood?

Discussion Starters

1. Have you been involved in a 'great crowd'? For example, at a football match or the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the London Marathon or Spring Harvest ...

2. Have you ever taken part in any Good Friday Walks of Witness? What was the reaction of people in the street?

3. The crowds had wanted to make Jesus their King following the feeding of the 5,000. Now, as He entered Jerusalem, they were treating Him as their King. How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus rejected their expectations for power and control?

4. Gandhi said: 'An eye for an eye will make us all blind.' How do these words speak to us today with the present world and/or community situation?

5. As Jesus looks over the world today, what things do you consider would make Him weep?

6. There has always been ritual and symbolism with ‘royalty'. Make a comparison between biblical and contemporary royalty.

7. Discuss the similarity between Isaiah 42 verse 1 and Luke 3 verse 22.

8. Jesus was at the height of His popularity. Consider how quickly public support can evaporate from `heroes'. Explore the Pharisees' jealousy and their anxiety over the adulation given by the crowd to the man from Galilee.

Closing Prayer

Meekness and majesty ... Manhood and Deity, Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings.

Thank You for the mystery and miracle of Your divine presence.

May Your grace and peace rest in our hearts today and always. Amen

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