PALM SUNDAY / CONFIRMATION

April 13, 2025

John 12:12–19 (Palm Sunday Procession)

Deuteronomy 32:36–39

Philippians 2:5–11

 Luke 23:1–56

The Cross and Passion of Our Lord Are the Hour of His Glory

The King of Israel comes into His royal glory by the path of humble obedience “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). He “goes as it has been determined” (Luke 22:22), according to the Scriptures, willingly submitting to His Father’s plan for the salvation of sinners. “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). His suffering and death open the way of repentance for the forgiveness of sins because He goes to the cross bearing the sins of the world. In His resurrection, God the Father vindicates His people and has compassion on His servants (Deut. 32:36). He kills to make alive; He wounds in order to heal. In remembrance of Him, we praise God, confessing “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11).

GREETING

P    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C    Amen.

P    Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

C   Hosanna to the Son of David.

PROCESSION OF PALMS

P Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

C Amen.

READING:                                       Luke 19:28–44

P   A reading from St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter.

    28And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

    41And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

P   This is the Word of the Lord.

C   Thanks be to God.

P   Let us go forth in peace,

C   in the name of the Lord.

VOTUM

P   Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

C   Hosanna in the highest.

INVOCATION                                                                     LSB 151

P   In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C   Amen.

P   If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C   But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION                                LSB 151

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

P   Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C   Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen.

P    Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C   Amen.

INTROIT:                         Psalm 24:7-10; antiphon: Psalm 118:26

P Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
    C We bless you from the house of the Lord.
P Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    C that the King of glory may come in.
P Who is this King of glory?
    C The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!
P Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    C that the King of glory may come in.
P Who is this King of glory?
    C The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!

C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
            and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
            is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
    C We bless you from the house of the Lord.

OLD TESTAMENT:                                  Deuteronomy 32:36-39

36 The Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
    and there is none remaining, bond or free.
37Then he will say, “Where are their gods,
    the rock in which they took refuge,
38who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
    let them be your protection!

39“See now that I, even I, am he,
    and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
    I wound and I heal;
    and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”

EPISTLE:                                                               Philippians 2:5–11

    5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

VERSE

C   He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

HOLY GOSPEL:                                                          Luke 23:1–56

    1Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

    6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

    13Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16I will therefore punish and release him.”

    18But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

    26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

    32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

    39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

    44It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

    50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

    On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Sermon by Pastor David Matthews

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today is a Sunday like no other.  At the beginning of the service the children of our congregation waved Palm branches around.  Jesus does no come into Jerusalem in a pompous manner, He comes into a humble manner.  He does no come on the back of a great white war horse, but on the back of a donkey, a beast of burden symbolizing peace and humility.  And donkey's had a great significance.  In fact in the Old Testament, riding on a donkey is how kings would come into a city.

"And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my mule, and bring him down to Gihon. And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel.  The blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!' . . . So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and hand Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon.  There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon.  Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, 'Long live King Solomon!'" (1 Kings 1:33-34, 38-39).

Jesus coming into Jerusalem was also him fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, you king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Instead of blasting a trumpet, the crowd shouted, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

The sad thing is that they have their celebration for the wrong thing.  They rejoiced and gave praise to God "with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen."  The people are celebrating, yet they are completely missing the mark.  Which is why at the end of the Gospel lesson, Jesus is seen weeping.  He knows that their unbelief will be their demise.  For Jesus says, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."

And that is what Jesus came to do.  He came to proclaim peace not on a war horse, but on a donkey.  From the very beginning of Jesus' life, Jesus came to proclaim peace in humble means.  For we all know that Jesus was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manager.  He obediently followed the orders of His Father, Our Father in Heaven, where He went into the waters of the Jordan River, to be baptized in not clear water, but murky water.  He was cast into the wilderness, and triumphed over all the sins that we have or will ever face.  And now He is on a donkey, with people placing palm branches as He marches to His death.

If you notice though, Jesus was placed on the donkey, not by His own strength, but by the disciples whom He instructed to go find the donkey.  This is quite significant, Jesus is placed as an object on the donkey, which is a precursor to Jesus being placed as an object on the cross.  Both times Jesus is not under His own power, but by others.

There is another significant portion of our text this morning.  You may not know where the Mount of Olives is located on a map, but theologically it is important to highlight.  This is the same mountain that Jesus will ascend into Heaven, on Ascension Day, which is always 40 days after Easter.  This is also the same mountain where the Garden of Gethsemane is, which all of us remember, is the place Jesus was praying before the Roman guards came to arrest Jesus.  Jesus throughout His ministry had retreated to the Mount of Olives or Olivet, to teach his disciples, and to pray.

Whey is all of this important you may ask?  If you think about it, Jesus came into the world to die, but He also came to rise from the dead.  Jesus came from His majestic throne in Heaven to redeem all of us, poor, miserable sinners. But He would also come to ascend back into Heaven to be even closer to us, through the Lord's Supper.  Likewise Jesus descends the mountain to die, to end sin, death, and hell.  And this event sets in motion, that Jesus will march to His death.

And thee Pharisees are shaking in their boots.  They know that the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, is going to come to fruition, but they cannot accept it.  They want to rebuke the crowd giving praise for the wrong reason, but Jesus rebukes them, saying, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."  For Jesus knows that if the crowd was silent, nature would cry out.  And if you think about it.  Nature will cry out, and you can see that on a daily basis.  Creation crys out the glory of God, yet many people are blind to that fact.  Just look outside, God's creation is crying out in various ways; bird chirping, the thunder and rain, the wind blowing, and many other ways.

There is also another reason that Jesus refers to stones crying out.  For Jesus, is the cornerstone that has been rejected.  Yet St. Peter writes, "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen, and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'"

Jesus wants us to know that we are stones that should not be proclaiming the excellencies of Christ.  We ought not be as boneheaded as the Pharisees, who have less faith, than a stone.  Rather we should confess with our words and actions that we believe that Jesus has come into this world to die for the sake of the whole world.  If you live a life that is not Christian, and you say you are a Christian repent.  We have to be unified in doctrine and belief.  We cannot miss the mark that Jesus had died for our sins, and gives us eternal life and salvation.  To miss that is to be like a Pharisee, one without faith and hope.

Jesus came into the world in a humble manner, and Jesus marches to the cross in a humble manner.  Let us keep our eyes on Jesus as He marches to His death, and never forget the reason why.  To redeem you, a lost and condemned person, from sin, death, hell and Satan himself.

In the Name of Jesus.  Amen.