Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025

Luke 19, 28–40

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, “Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of it.’” So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying this colt?” They answered, “The Master has need of it.” So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”

The Lord Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem as its king in fulfillment of the prophecy (cf. Zechariah 9, 9), and not according to the false ideas of many of his followers.  He shows this at once by making it clear that he will ride in — but on a donkey, not on a horse.  Still, he sends his disciples to fetch the donkey and does not go himself.  And he directs the disciples to tell anyone who stops them that “the Lord” — not “the master” in the translation, which would be understood as a mere “teacher” — has need of it.  Those to whom they spoke would understand, as anticipation was high for Jesus to restore the royal line of David: “As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road.”

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”  The crowd of disciples adapt Psalm 118, 26.  This Psalm was widely understood as speaking of the Messiah and its application to Jesus makes clear to all others along the road and at the entrance to Jerusalem that the Messiah had come to assume power.  

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  The Pharisees call Jesus “teacher”, pointedly refusing to acknowledge him as Lord.  To them, the crowd must have seemed a dangerous mob that only Jesus could command, a true threat to order.  

“I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out.”  The Lord is saying that nothing would quiet the crowd of his disciples in their rejoicing and excitement.  He also intimates the rightfulness of their joy, though they did not know the enormity of what the Lord was about to do — to lay down his life in order to free them from sin.  

Psalm 118, 24: “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  On Palm Sunday we praise Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is about to throw wide the gates of heaven for us.  And as it was his faithful disciples who entered Jerusalem with him long ago, so may he live as faithful disciples now so that we may enter the heavenly Jerusalem at the end of our service to him here.