Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church

My dear friends in Christ,

Back in February, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in one of the greatest Super Bowl upsets ever. After the victory, the Giants returned to New York City. The city had something very special waiting for them. Do you know what it was? That’s right—a huge parade! People lined the streets cheering and celebrating, taking pictures, and shouting the names of their favorite players. Do you think it would have been an exciting day? For Giants fans, it was.

Today we participate in our own victory parade. It had nothing to do with football, or any other sport. Today we welcome our King, Jesus. As we review the events of Palm Sunday, and listen to the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 2, we will see that our King came in humility, and today he rules in glory.

First, let’s take a look at our gospel reading for today and review what happened to Jesus on Palm Sunday.

1. What did Jesus send his disciples to find? A donkey with its colt.
2. Why? To fulfill the Old Testament prophecy that Israel’s king would come to them, riding on a colt!
3. What did the crowds put on the road? Cloaks and palm branches.
4. What were they shouting? "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Doesn’t that sound similar to the Super Bowl Champion’s parade? People lined the streets, shouting Jesus’ name. Instead of tickertape raining down, people laid their cloaks on the ground and threw palm branches on top of them so Jesus wouldn’t have to plod through the dirt and mud.

As we look at our text for today, we can see why the crowds welcomed Jesus, and why we welcome him today. Let’s take a closer look, starting with verses 5-6.

1. Who is the "who" in verse 6? Jesus.
2. Who does verse 6 tell us Jesus is? That he is "in very nature God."

The crowd that welcomed Jesus had a good reason to welcome him. The individual entering the city on a colt is not just a rabbi from the northern village of Nazareth. He is God. Jesus proved it many times throughout his ministry. Just a few days earlier, Jesus had been at Bethany, just a few miles away from Jerusalem. He was standing in front of his friend Lazarus’ tomb. Lazarus had been dead four days. "Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’" (John 11:41-43). Lazarus—he came out. Jesus raised a dead man, something only God could do!

Take a look again at the end of verse 6: "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped."

1. What didn't Jesus try to grasp / hold onto? Equality with God.

The New York Giants had every right to that parade, didn't they? They won the Super Bowl. They are the champions! They could hold up that trophy and say, "Look at us! We're the best!"

Jesus had that same right. He is God. The Bible says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:3). Jesus had every right to hold up the trophy that says, "True God." Instead of showing up on a donkey, he could have come on the clouds of heaven and announced his arrival with thunder and lightning, angels and heavenly music. That's not how he came.

The apostle Paul reminds us how Jesus came in verses 7-8. Let's read them together. Ready? "but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8).

1. What did Jesus make himself? Nothing. Literally it says "he emptied himself."
2. What did he take? The nature of a servant, human likeness, and the appearance of a man.
3. What did he do? Humbled himself, was obedient to death on a cross.

Do you think the New York Giants would be willing to give up their title "world champions"? Do you think they would trade their strength and abilities along with their salaries to be "just another face in the crowd"?

Jesus was willing. He set aside the power and authority. He gave up the glory and perfection of heaven. He chose to be clothed as a servant, in human flesh. God himself, a spirit without flesh and blood, was conceived and born just like you and me. The all-knowing Son of God, had to learn his letters, memorize his passages, and ask questions just like you and me. The perfect and holy Savior had to fight off the devil’s temptations, just like you and me. Our immortal Redeemer obediently went to the cross and willingly bore its curse. He passed through the valley of the shadow of death into the grave, just like you and I will one day.

How do we match up to that kind of humility? Are we like the people in this cartoon? We don't want to empty ourselves and be the servant, the nothing. We like recognition. We like to win. We want to be first, whether it's for a promotion at work or getting in line for lunch during school.

It's hard to be humble. Children are convinced that mom and dad can't be right when they offer advice. Spouses are convinced that the other one is wrong because we distinctly remember being correct. We even struggle with humility in our congregation. When it comes to setting directions and goals, it's hard to be humble. It's hard to say, "I'll support your decision, even if I personally don't think it's the best."

Why did Jesus humble himself? Why did he become nothing when he had everything? Why did he offer his own life? He did it to pay for our lack of humility. The Bible tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24). We should have died forever thanks to our lack of humility. Jesus paid for it. He bought us back. He gave us his life so that we can live for him. That's why we welcome our King today. He came in humility so that he could rescue us. Hosanna in the highest!

Let's take a look at the last section of our text. "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

1. What did God do for Jesus? He exalted him to the highest place and gave him an exalted name.
2. What name is above every name? Jesus—Savior!
3. What will happen when Jesus' name is proclaimed? Every knee will bow throughout the entire universe; every person will confess he is Lord, their confession will glorify the Father.

How long are the New York Giants considered world champions? Until the next Super Bowl. Will they be the champions again next year? Maybe, maybe not. Another team could win and take the title. There are no guarantees that they'll keep it.

What about Jesus? He gave up the title to become one of us. Don't forget, what he gave up has been given back to him. The LORD promised through the prophet Isaiah, "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

Jesus is back where he began. He did exactly what his Father asked him to do. He carried out the plan of salvation to perfection. Now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father. The Father has restored to him all power and authority. Jesus has taken back his knowledge of all things. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

It doesn't appear that Jesus is very active in our world. We don't see him. He hasn't shown up at any funerals to raise the dead. He hasn't stopped by the hospital to make cancer patients well or knit broken bones together in a matter of minutes. He hasn't slowed the rate of foreclosures and unemployment. He hasn't eased the strain on our budgets at home and here at church. What's he doing up there? What good is it having a Savior with power and authority when it doesn't seem like he's using it?

Don't forget who we're talking about. Jesus is the name above every name. He is Lord, and one day everyone will have to confess that. The Bible assures us that Jesus is in control. Ephesians 1:22 says, "God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church" (Ephesians 1:22). We are his church. He will watch over us. He promises to take everything that is going on in our world and make it work out for our benefit. When we mourn at a funeral, he promises us that our loved ones who die in him will live forever. When we receive bad news from the doctor, Jesus blesses the treatments, and if we die, promises that we will join him in heaven. If we face foreclosure, unemployment or budget problems, Jesus guarantees he will provide for our needs.

Jesus isn't the New York Giants. Good thing! His glory won't fade and tarnish over time. His Palm Sunday arrival brought him to the lowest, most humiliating point in his life—death on a cross. It also pointed forward to his return to glory where he rules for us. As we celebrate our Savior's work today, we can shout along with the crowds, "Hosanna in the highest!" Amen.

To God alone the glory!