A short service for Palm Sunday

A Short Service for Palm Sunday

Call to Worship

Lord Jesus Christ, come to us as we come to you.

Lord Jesus Christ, stand among us as we gather in your presence.

Lord Jesus Christ, quieten our anxious hearts and minds.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us your peace.

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the Highest

Merciful God, as we enter Holy week, turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, and to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Stir up within us the gift of faith that we may not only praise him with our lips, but may follow him in the way of the cross. Amen (by John Paarlberg, retired minister of Word and sacrament, Reformed Church in America)

Prayer of Confession* 

On this day, so many years ago,
the people welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as if he were a triumphant king.
Forgive us
for the times when we forget how important you are in our lives.

On that day
the people paved his road with palm branches and coats and cheered him through the city.
Forgive us
for the times when we lack enthusiasm in our worship and witness.


On that day
Jesus came in meekness and humility, bringing Hope and the assurance of God's reign, reminding people that God is in control.
Forgive us
for the times when our fears and anxieties block you out of our lives and make us feel that we are on our own.

*(First 2 biddings by Marjorie Dobson, The Worship Cloud)

Bible Reading:    Matthew 21:1-11

 1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.
 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately. "
 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;
 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?"
 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

A Reflection

Today is Palm Sunday, although it doesn’t really feel like it. Normally, we would have been in church, waving palm crosses, singing well-loved hymns such as “All glory, laud and honour” or “Ride on, ride on, in majesty” – but these are not normal times. These are worrisome and challenging times. The daily number of confirmed cases is gradually increasing along with the death toll. As we start to hear of people we know contracting the virus, or sadly, losing loved ones to the virus, we know it is no longer affecting nameless, faceless people, as tragic as that is. It is all the more real. How do we find comfort and hope in the events of that first Palm Sunday in the midst of this pandemic? To answer that, we need to turn to the event itself.

All four gospels describe Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). We know that he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and were glad to see him. They shouted praises and, waved branches of palm trees (Jn 12:13). There was a spirit of celebration and festivity. There was an air of expectancy and anticipation. Could this be the long-awaited Deliverer, God’s long promised Messiah?

Around the same time as Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, historians and biblical scholars tell us that Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, rode into Jerusalem on a war horse, accompanied by fully armed soldiers, their spears, swords and shields glinting in the sunshine. Pilate’s procession was everything that Jesus’ procession was not; it had the pomp and splendour befitting of the power and might of Rome. It evoked fear and dread in the hearts of the on-lookers. It was a force to be reckoned with.

Pilate’s visit to Jerusalem was a routine visit. He came during the Passover not because he respected the religion of the Jews but because he had to maintain law and order. During important festivals in the Jewish religious calendar, nationalist feelings were strong. Hatred towards the Roman oppressors was very real. Pilate’s presence in Jerusalem that day sent out a message: if there was trouble, it would be stamped out quickly and brutally.

In contrast, Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem was very different. Yes, it could be said that Jesus came to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the festival of the Passover as was his custom. However, on this particular occasion, his visit was far from routine. The gospel accounts tell us that he had a plan - he had organised his transport in advance, which is why he said to his disciples when they went to collect the donkey: “If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.” (Matt 21:3). Clearly, this suggests he had a prior arrangement with the owners to borrow the donkey.

For Jesus, the choice of a donkey was very intentional. He had a prophesy that he wanted to fulfil– he had chosen a particular scripture to enact. Centuries ago, the prophet Zechariah had said: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!....your king comes to you…humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech 9:9). Jesus knew that riding into Jerusalem on a donkey would stir up that particular scripture in the minds of the people, because Zechariah’s prophesy revived the aspirations and hopes of the people of Jesus’ day, of the promise of a coming King and Deliverer.

Riding into Jerusalem at a time when Jewish people thronged to the city to celebrate the Passover, filled with hope that God would shake off the yoke of the Romans, the air was both religiously and politically charged. All that was needed was a tiny spark to ignite the emotive tinderbox that was Jerusalem. So when this charismatic, travelling rabbi showed up on a donkey (in fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophesy), without needing to do anything more, he initiated a procession – people spontaneously followed him. His actions made a clear statement – he was a kingly figure, as prophesied by Zechariah and the procession confirmed this. His arrival into Jerusalem for the Passover at the same time as Pilate’s arrival had all the makings of a monumental showdown: the power of the Roman Empire was being challenged by the Kingdom of God Therefore, it should not surprise us when Matthew’s gospels states: “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil…” (v. 10).

These three factors (the plan, the prophesy, and the procession) suggest to us that Jesus was in complete control of the situation, even before he came to Jerusalem. He had thought through it carefully and knew exactly what he was going to do and how he was going to do it. He knew which scripture would be most effective, and what message his actions would send. It is important to see that he was not deterred by the tense political atmosphere of the day or by the threat of Pilate’s powerful and menacing presence. Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem bought confidence and hope in a context when dark and volatile forces raged around. Because of this, the jubilant cry that rose from crowd was: “Hosanna to the Son of David!!” (v.9). ‘Hosanna’ means, ‘Save us, Lord!’

We look at what’s happening around us and cry out: “Hosanna’, Save us, Lord!’” These days, it is hard to hope, hard to ward off the fear, hard to hold on to our faith. But this is when we need to hold fast more than ever before to what we believe, to trust in the powerful plan of God, to hold fast to the powerful promises of the scriptures, and rest confident in the powerful presence of God.

Just as Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday brought confidence and hope, his presence still brings confidence and hope in the midst of the fearful situation unfolding around us, for he is the one who hears our prayers, understands our fears and assures us that he comes to heal and save us. The message of Palm Sunday conveys to us just that.

Hosanna! Save us, Lord! Amen.

Prayer of Intercession

We pray for all who are overwhelmed with fear and anxiety by the COVID-19 pandemic, that they will be led to peace by God’s loving and liberating Spirit.

We pray for those already suffering the illness, or bereaved by it.

We pray for protection for ourselves and our loved ones, trusting in God’s sovereign will for us in these difficult times.

We pray for the medical and political authorities, for success in the race to develop a vaccine, and for greater wisdom in practical response to such things.

And above all, we pray that we will persevere in faith, and hope in the overruling sovereignty of God, our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Blessing

This Holy Week, 

As we begin the journey from Jerusalem to Calvary

As the shouts of 'Hosanna' change to 'Crucify!'

As the celebration changes to suffering, 

As the triumphal entry gives way to a lingering death

May the powerful presence of Jesus, 

who suffered, died and was raised to glory

Be with us now and always.

Amen