This is part of the worship series
"Picture Jesus"
Introduction
Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5
Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter
The sixth Sunday of Lent (Palm Sunday)
The King
Service of Confession
Call to Confession
In this season in which we remember our Savior’s suffering, let us confess our sinfulness to him.
Our Prayer of Confession
Most holy and merciful Father, we confess to you and to one another that we have sinned against you by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways, by forgetting your love. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father, and free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, our Savior. Amen.
Assurance of God’s Pardon
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
—Philippians 2:5–11 NRSVUE
Hymn:
“Christ, the Life of All the Living” (st. 1) Homeburg et al.
A Commitment to Holy Living
Since we have been saved by grace, how shall we live in obedience to Him who saved us?
We will love the Lord our God with all our heart, our mind and our strength; and we will love our neighbors as ourselves.
And how will it be clear that your Lord has first place in your life?
We will have no other gods before God; we will not make for ourselves any substitute gods; we will not abuse the name of the Lord but speak it only in reverence and love; we will honor the Lord’s day through worship, witness, and fellowship with God’s people.
And how will it be clear that you love others as yourself?
We will honor our parents and hold the family in high esteem; we will not abuse, hate, or injure our friends or neighbors by word, gesture or deed; we will live sexually holy and disciplined lives; we will not steal; we will not lie; we will not grasp for what we do not have, nor reject others for having it.
Will you commit yourselves to this obedience?
Yes, by God’s grace we will do it!
The Word
Scripture
Isaiah 50:4–9a; Philippians 2:5–11
Text
John 12:12–19
Sermon Notes
Palm Sunday and Jesus as King always go together. As a congregation we needed to understand that the triumphal entry was not an isolated event. Eagerness for a king had always been a part of the Christian faith. Israel’s desire for a king, David’s prominence as king, and God’s promise about David’s son being on the throne had always shaped and formed their expectations. That’s why Jerusalem was seen as the location that had to be prepared to receive God’s messianic King.
We also needed to sense that the idea of Jesus as King was deeply threatening. Herod massacred babies in Bethlehem because he was afraid a king was coming. The religious leaders became angrier on Palm Sunday because of the idea of Jesus as a king. According to Matthew, much of the beating and ridicule that Jesus received at his trial was directly related to the idea that he claimed to be a king. Pilate even hung the sarcastic sign “King of the Jews” over Jesus’ head on the cross.
With all that as background, we stepped into the Palm Sunday scene, trying to understand how different groups there reacted in different ways. Their reactions were shaped by whether they understood his kingship or not and whether they viewed it as a welcome event or a threat to their power.
In an effort to make the message appropriate to the events of our world, I tried to portray the difference between two kinds of Christianity—that which believes Jesus is king today, and that which believes that he will become king some day off in the future. The implications are so far-reaching!
Then we went back to Bethlehem, noting how Herod was stirred to violence by the idea of Jesus as king. We admitted together that Herod may have been very evil, but he certainly was correct in his understanding that this child would be a king and that it would be impossible to side-step him. Either we must embrace Jesus or totally reject him. There is no middle ground. All the different segments of the crowd on Palm Sunday found that out—sooner or later.
Congregational Songs
“All Glory, Laud and Honor” Orleans et al.
“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” Threlfall and Wittenberg
“Man of Sorrows, What a Name” Bliss
“All Hail, King Jesus” Moody
Choral Suggestions
“African Psalm,” Patrick Liebergen (Alfred 16025, SAB anthem)
“Jesus, the King,” Lloyd Larson (Beckenhorst BP1234, SAB anthem)
Instrumental Suggestions
“Partita on ‘All Glory, Laud and Honor,’” Michael Burkhardt (st. theodulph; Morningstar MSM-10-306)
“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” Michael Burkhardt (Five Lenten Hymn Improvisations; ellacombe; Morningstar MSM-10-309)
“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” Frank Stoldt (Five Hymn Settings; ellacombe; Morningstar MSM-10-931)
Liturgy Notes
- The service included a Litany of Profession constructed from the contemporary testimony Our World Belongs to God, 25, 27, 28.
- Our Palm Sunday service normally includes a palm processional or parade (depending on placement within the service) by all children of the congregation. The congregation sings while the children process.
- We distribute large used carpenter nails to all members of the congregation that they may carry with them through Holy Week as a devotional tool and reminder of Christ’s great sacrifice and gift to us.
Revised Common Lectionary
Years A, B, C: Lent—Liturgy of the Passion
Year B: Lent—Liturgy of the Palms
