PREACHER: REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON
Today is Palm Sunday, a day Jesus Christ rode triumphantly in to Jerusalem as the blessed king who comes in the name of the Lord to face the challenge of dying on the cross to save us from the power of sin and death.
Today, we also begin what we call in Christendom-the passion of Christ or the holy week, a week we recall how he loved us and how he has shown this love.
In the 1st lesson read to us, we see how the 2nd Isaiah describes in these verses how the suffering servant- the messiah- facing the challenge of life- suffering which the father has designated for him. He is to preach the message of God’s mercy to men. Many rejected him and tortured, but God was on his side and would not be moved from his resolute purpose by his insults and injuries.
Brethren in the Lord, the sufferings, various episodes or stations in the life of Jesus were all challenges to Jesus (betrayal, denial, trail by Caiaphas and Pilate and eventual crucifixion). He triumphed in the end. This is to teach us that challenges are inevitable in life but when we remain resolute with the help of God just as the suffering servant was- he remained unswayed by whatever hardship that was awaiting him as he rode to Jerusalem to be crucified (Ezekiel 3:8-9 and Luke 9:51).
No matter how he was to be mistreated, mocked and repudiated, the servant /messiah had such full confidence of God’s support that he welcomed the challenges in life schools, workplaces, in your marriage, in your family- am here today to tell to brace up and face these challenges because God’s helps is available to us in the face of these difficulties and challenges. This is why the church was red parament (liturgical colour) to teach us that the Holy Spirit is present to give us help in order to face these challenges of life. Amen
Brethren Jesus Christ at the end of a long journey eventually came to Jerusalem. This was in fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy in 9:9 Zion’s king should come to her righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of an ass.
When Jesus reached Bethpage and Bethany he sent for a donkey, he mounted it and his entry into Jerusalem to face his life challenge became a royal procession, with the king surrounded by his disciples and greeted by cheering crowds – like we have done today. Jesus by this action entered Jerusalem as king of peace and love and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited to liberate them from roman rule.
The people threw their clothes on the donkey for Jesus to sit on. The people shared what they had with Jesus Matthew 21:8 and Mark 11:8 mentions the cutting of Branches and spreading them on the road. The crowd shouted hosanna to the one who comes in the name of the Lord, quoting psalm 118:26 hailing Jesus as Messiah. Hosanna means save us now. Brethren, because Jesus was able to face the challenges in life by taking the form of man even though he was God, humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross most wretched of deaths a death a roman writer describes as she was highly exalted, given a name above every name and at the mention of his name every knee must bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father.
Let us face the challenges in life with Christ this passion and holy week- tomorrow –Friday please do not be left out and am certain we will also receive grace and favour from God to be able to face our individual challenges in life. Amen
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