Palm Friday: A Sermon for Passion Sunday
John 18:22 NKJV
And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
We now come to the Sunday which has two names in the Lectionary. It is called Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. Often these themes are alternated. The one celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. Children often will come down the aisles of the church on Palm Sunday waving palm branches in remembrance of a day almost two thousand years ago when Jesus of Nazareth descended from the Mount of Olives on the Jericho Road. There was much excitement as Jesus came on a donkey colt in fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Zachariah. Not only did they straw the road with their clothes, they also waved the Palm branches. The excitement was seen from the city of Jerusalem. Many of them came out to meet Jesus and escort Him into the city. But not all. The Pharisees were concerned that the Romans who were in the Fortress of Antonio might notice. they were especially on guard at Passover time, because it served as a sort of sacred 4th of July to them. They remembered during this week that Yahweh had freed them from slavery in Egypt. From time to time, some became overwhelmed by this day, and felt that he had been called to be the Messiah who would free them from Roman captivity. It seems probable to me, that one of these messiah figures was Barabbas who had been arrested for “stasis” (insurrection) with two others. They were sentenced to be crucified, but Jesus would take the place of Barabbas.
When we reflect on Palm Sunday, it would be good to know that the last time that Israel was an independent state was almost a hundred years earlier. The Maccabees had overthrown the Greeks and set up a new kingdom. As a kingdom, they could mint their own coins which had a palm frond on one side of the coin. so the palm branch serves as a symbol of liberation. This was the expectation of the crowd that day, that this Jesus would overthrow the hated Romans and the traitorous Jewish priesthood who had assisted them. So when Jesus went to the Temple and cleansed it, it would have been seen as popular among the common Jews, even though the Sadducee’s would think quite differently as Jesus had upset their religious racket which brought them much money.
The first clue that something was going wrong with their ideas was when Jesus mourned over Jerusalem and prophesied the city’s destruction rather than its liberation. Jesus even confused His disciples, even though He was quite clear with them of the purpose of His coming to Jerusalem, to be rejected, suffer, and die for sin and sinners. He preached a different liberation than was expected.
We can see this juxtaposition of themes in the 118th Psalm. In one place it says Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.” You will notice that this is what was quoted by the crowd when Jesus came into Jerusalem. This is no accident. On the approach to the city, the crowds would recite Psalms 112-118 in order as they came to Jerusalem. So when jesus cleared the Mount of Olives which is also important in prophecy in the Book of Zachariah again, the people put what they were saying with the arrival of Jesus. they has put two and two together. But they arrived at the wrong answer. They should have reflected on Psalm 118:22:
Psalm 118:22 NKJV
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
(For a treatment of Psalm 118, read my sermon “The Day the LORD has made in this sermon archive.)
You might wonder, then, why I named this sermon “Palm Friday?” I am making a play on words here in the English tongue. It might not work in another language. The word for the open hand in which Jesus was slapped is the word “palm,” in English. This is the same spelling as that of the palm tree. On Sunday, they waved palm branches in joy at Jesus. But by Friday, he was struck with the palm of the hand in utter rejection and contempt. He was first struck at Jesus’ hearing before Annas who was previously High Priest and father-in-law to Caiaphas. This act of contempt was contrary to the Law, something which Jesus told the soldier who had struck Him. There were many illegalities at the trial. they tried Him at night and in secret. They suborned false witnesses to testify against Him. But they could not find the evidence to convict Jesus. We do not know who the members of the Sanhedrin were that convicted Jesus other than Caiaphas. The body was made up of both Sadducees and Pharisees, There were many who did not care for the Law itself, but they were fearful to make this known to the people, lest they be stoned. The trial had to have at least the veneer of legitimacy. there may have been some fair-minded individuals who were actually interested in the Law being followed. Nicodemus has shown reservations earlier in John 11. He felt that Jesus had the right to be heard. Was Nicodemus a member of the Sanhedrin? Joseph of Arimathea? So Caiaphas, knowing they only could convict Jesus if Jesus testified against himself. So He is asked if He was the Son of the Blessed? Jesus did not have to testify against Himself but could not deny the truth. So He answered. There could only be two responses by the Sanhedrin. If Jesus’ statement was true (It is), then they should have dropped all charges and fell before Him in worship. The other response was that He had committed the utter blasphemy. The Sanhedrin chose the latter.
The Sanhedrin sent Jesus to Pilate. Pilate was known as a bloodthirsty governor. He was a man of limited ability and owed his position to the fact that he was married to the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus. He may even have been clued in on the plot to destroy Jesus. Yet Pilate showed great reluctance to condemn Jesus and tried to find reason to free Jesus. Perhaps He was troubled by the dream his wife had concerning him. More likely, Pilate was surprised by Jesus’ calmness. During the arrest and trial of Jesus, He seemed to be the only one in His right mind. Everyone else was either angry of fearful. (You might want to look at my sermon “Did Jesus try to Save Pilate” in this sermon archive).
Israel rejected Jesus, just as their ancestors had rejected the LORD when they said they wanted a king to rule over them, just like all the other nations. Samuel was told to grant the request, but not without warning them first of the hardships of serving an earthly king. The crowd wanted Barabbas and wanted Jesus to be crucified. Pilate asked them: “Shall I crucify your king?” The response was: “We have no king but Caesar!” Had they received Jesus, they would have been saved. But because they rejected Jesus for Caesar, their city would soon be destroyed by the very Caesars they wanted to serve.
Many have tried to exonerate at least some of the Jews. They want to blame just a few of the Jewish leaders as well as Rome. Most of the crowd, they say, did not know what they were doing. There is some truth to this idea. But the decisions of the leaders of the nations affect the entire nation in an idea called “corporate solidarity.” It is also true that Rome and Pilate we not without sin in the matter, even though the Jews rejection was the greater sin. They should have known better. We hear the words from the cross of Jesus crying out: “Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” Those who called out for blood would have a chance to repent after Jesus rose from the dead. The rejection of the Jewish people of Jesus was a slap in the face of God. But the soldiers also mocked and buffeted Him,
We like to call Jesus a “victim.” Some see Him as being the victim of religious hatred and bigotry and would like to condemn all religion as leading to intolerance and hate. There have been many atrocities committed in the name of religion, including many who call themselves “Christian.” But is Atheism the answer? One only need to look at how many have suffered and died in the name of socialistic Atheism. How many were purged or allowed to starve in the atheistic Soviet Union? How many died under Pol Pot?
The problem of mankind is far greater than the fact that man is religious. Man is a rebellious sinner against God. This affects religious practice which is the result rather than the cause of violence itself. This is not to accept the validity of least some religious beliefs and practices. The Bible clearly states that Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. (John 14:6) He is the only way to the Father.
But we must be careful when we call Jesus a “victim.” A victim has little or no control over his fate. But Jesus was not powerless. He could have ended the inquisition at any time. He could have called a legion of angels to defend Him. He could have called His disciples to fight for His kingdom. Instead, He made them stand down. In the Garden of Gethsemane, it was He who had called out to those who had come to arrest Him: “Whom do you seek?” When told they sought Jesus of Nazareth, He answered “I AM”. The entire armed mod fell backwards. He could have used the opportunity to have escaped into the darkness as it would have taken some time for the soldiers to have gotten to their feet, seeing that they were laden down with their heavy armor. Instead of having them fall backward, Jesus could have slain them. Knowing all things, He could have avoided arrest by not coming to the garden, a place which Judas knew well. He had the free will to let the cup of God’s wrath pass. But He chose to drink it and to suffer in our place.
We confess that Jesus not only suffered and died on a cross under Pontius Pilate. We also confess that God raided Him on the third day. He appeared on several occasions alive after His passion to those He had chosen to reveal himself. The Apostles saw Him ascend into heaven to the right hand of God, a position of power and judgment. He intercedes as the Great High Priest for us, We confess that He will return and set up the Eternal Kingdom. Those who receive Him will have eternal life beyond the realm of sin and sorrow. Those who reject Him will enter into eternal punishment, Seeing this, should we not be the more diligent in our faith to be witnesses.
Just as the Jews in Jesus’ day, there are many in the crowd of those who call themselves “Christians” who do not understand what they are doing. There are false teachers who reduce Jesus to just being a man, a teacher, a victim, a doer of good. They do not realize the great danger their ignorance puts them into. People want the acceptance of other people. Most want to join in with the crowd, lest they stand out. Sometimes, this ignorance is willful. At ant case, the angry mod wants to crucify Jesus again. They would if they could. Because they can’t they mock His followers and beat on them. There have been many Christian martyrs who have confessed Christ to their own hurt on earth. But these martyrs are not victims as we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing can separate the Christian from the love of God which has been demonstrated in Jesus Christ our LORD. All will be well.
Let His passion for us be our passion for a lost and dying world. We still have time to snatch them from the fire. May God add to His church daily those who are being saved. Amen.
