Sermon Notes: 04.13.25 Palm/Passion Sunday Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

The last few weeks I’ve started my sermon by asking you questions -- something to ponder either while listening to the sermon or later at home.

Two weeks ago we heard the story of the Prodigal Son. The question to ponder was this: “What if the young man was genuinely repentant?” or “What if he was just being manipulative?” The bottom line was that it didn’t matter! The father loved him and forgave him just as our Heavenly Father loves and forgives us.

Last week I asked you “what you expected of God”. We discussed the fact that throughout the ages, God has shown up in unexpected ways, in unexpected places, using unexpected people!

Today’s Palm Sunday question is a doozy: What would you do if you knew this was your last week on earth? How would you fill your time? Who would you like to see? What would be your priorities?

Very few of us have the luxury of knowing such a thing. But Jesus did! Even as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, he knew his death was drawing near.

Even as the people shouted “Hosanna, save us” he understood that he could not be the kind of king the folks wanted.

So then, what did Jesus do? He just did the next thing -- He continued his work.

There is such irony here. The people wanted a king, cried for a king, and got a servant.

On the Sunday of the Passion, which we celebrate today, Jesus rode into Jerusalem triumphantly. On Monday, he spent time at the temple and cast out the money changers. On Tuesday he went to the Mount of Olives. The scripture doesn’t tell us what happened on Wednesday, but I suspect he hung out with his disciples. There certainly could have been some teaching and healing possible. Thursday, of course, he celebrated Passover with his best friends. And not only that, he washed their feet (again showing that he was a servant.) Of all the things that Jesus might have said … instead, what he did was show them how to serve.

When the Passover meal was finished, Jesus and his disciples went out into the night singing and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested.

We all know what happened on Friday. Jesus was tried, beaten, carried his cross, crucified, and buried.

But wait! Jesus kept serving till the end. He made sure his mom would be cared for and he forgave the sins of the thief on the cross.

Jesus was a servant until the very end. He knows what is coming… but is undeterred by it. Why? Because he is the emissary of God’s great love for the world.

Jesus came for both the righteous and unrighteous, the repentant and unrepentant, those who greet him as Messiah and those who reject him as a criminal. In short, Jesus comes for the good, the bad, and for everyone in between.

And of course, that includes each of us, some 2000 years later.

I know there are times when we wish that Jesus would appear or that God would send a sign to help us in our times of chaos or pain.

Although we can’t always feel it, or see it, we can trust that God is at work, giving us strength or courage or whatever we need.

So, again I ask, “What would you do if you knew that it was your last week on earth?” Would you moan and groan and say, “Why me?” Would you be thankful for the life that you’ve had? Or would you, like Jesus, figure out a way to serve others?

It’s surely something worth thinking about during this holiest of weeks.

Amen.