Palm Sunday - Our Upside Down God : Matthew 21:1-11

Matthew 21:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’

4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:

5 ‘Say to Daughter Zion,
“See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’

‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’

11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’

Our Upside Down God

He didn’t have a sermon written out so I have tried to summarize what was on YouTube – sorry you can’t see him!

Hats tell us something about a person – Who they are? What they do? Where going? Etc

1st Hat a football hat – A football fan wears one to show who they support, may be wear to a match – what does it mean for me? Probably despair and occasional hope as I support Leeds.

2nd Hat a top hat – what am I doing/going? Could be a magician, could be going to a wedding.

3rd Hat – Chefs Hat – Could be a baker – making bread, could be chef working in the kitchens. Again you can look at a hat and it tells you something about that person and often what they do.

4th Hat – Crown – A king wears it – now this does fit in with the first Palm Sunday as Jesus was acknowledged as king. A crown tells you I live in a palace, I rule over you, perhaps a life of luxury

5th Hat – for Jesus as he enters Holy Week – crown of thorns – this is the hat he is going to wear. What does this say about him – this is who I am, this is the king I am – what do I do? I die for you – I am going to the cross. This is the hat Jesus will wear on Good Friday for you and me.

Picture of Mr Topsy Turvey – this is our God. Palm Sunday and Holy Week shows that people had one idea of about God but Jesus shatters all those. What sort of God was born among us? What sort of God washes disciples’ feet? What sort of God touches lepers? What sort of God dies for us? Other gods stand afar. But this is our God who enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He is heading to the cross. This is your God and mine.

What has he come to do? The baker or chef is baking cakes, the football supporter is going to see his team. Why has Jesus come? We are reminded of the 3-line mantra for all our lives at this time from the Government – Stay home, support the NHS, save lives. A mantra for Palm Sunday and for this Holy Week. Jesus enters Jerusalem, dies on the cross to save lives.

I want to encourage you to walk with Jesus through Holy Week – through the reflections from Mark or through other ways. We have to enter into the pain of Good Friday before we can enter the joy of Easter Sunday – both are true and necessary for our faith. As we enter this week think of Jesus as he enters Jerusalem but knows what lies ahead. I want to ask this question. What kept him going? What keeps us going? These are days when we have to keep going there isn’t at the moment an end in sight but it will come.

Two things often keep us going. One may be because of what lies ahead – may be you are doing a degree course and you are working for that final degree. It may be what lies at the end or the reason why we are doing it. For Jesus it is going to the cross for you and me for our world. Out of God’s great love keeps him going – your name and my name on his lips, your name and my name as he prays in Gethsemane. In these days it is a marathon not a sprint for us as a nation. Running a marathon – there is an often a reason and there a usually walls during the run they have to push through. I haven’t run a marathon but I have walked from Lands End to John O’Groats. Yes part of what kept me and my friend going was the destination at the end but also what kept us going was to raise money for cancer and leukaemia because we had both lost friends and we were raising money for these causes. On many days that is what kept me going. So in a practical way as we face difficulties as families what we are having to do in confinement I pray that saving lives will keep us going in a practical way.

So, as we look at this Holy Week. We are following Jesus a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, by his wounds we will be healed. Yes, in this week Jesus experienced, and it may well be something you or your family may be experiencing now or will do in the coming days. He knew what it was to be alone, to be fearful as he prayed in Gethsemane for the cup to be taken from him, to be abandoned to be rejected, to suffer and yes there may be some people we know who may die. This was the path Jesus was taking. But in the midst of it Jesus was still caring, still forgiving, still loving, still praying and still preparing his disciples for what was to come. And this same Jesus stands along side you and me. This Holy Week we may enter into places of pain as we pray for people we know but we do it along side Jesus, Jesus along side us. This Palm Sunday and as we begin Holy Week – this is your God, this is our God (Gary holds up the crown of thorns). Walk with him as he walks with us.

And as we come to Good Friday remember Sunday is coming.