Sermon for Palm Sunday: "Dying and Rising in Jesus"

 + Palm Sunday – March 24^th, 2024 +

(Confirmation Sunday)

Series B: Zechariah 9:9-12; Philippians 2:5-11; John 12:12-19

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Palm Sunday is a day of movement, from outside Jerusalem into the city. A movement Jesus’ 3-year ministry towards its destination, the cross. A movement of all history and the words of the prophets finally coming to fulfilment as Jesus rides on a donkey: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming.

 

Palm Sunday is a movement from death to life, for Jesus and for you who are in Jesus.

 

That’s why the crowds were following Jesus in the first place. They had witnessed a death and resurrection  John gives us this beautiful detail: The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸ The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

 

What the crowds and disciples soon found out was that Lazarus’ dying and rising was accomplished by the words of the one who entered Jerusalem to die and rise for them, for you, for all. 

 

You see, the crowds and even Jesus’ own disciples didn’t understand this yet, but in time they would: Palm Sunday is a day where we follow Jesus to the cross. Palm Sunday is a day of Hosannas (Lord, save us now!). Palm Sunday is a day for dying and rising with Jesus. 

 

Palm Sunday is the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to bring you from death to life. 

 

Earlier in John’s gospel (John 5),  Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

This is the pattern, the rhythm, the shape of your life in Christ: daily dying and rising. Out of darkness into the light. Dying to sin and living in Jesus’ sufficient, reckoned righteousness. From death to life in Jesus. 

This is true of our catechumens being confirmed today. Today they die and rise in Jesus because of the gift each of them received in Holy Baptism. Today they confess that faith. Today they remember the words spoken at their baptism. Today they move from being in confirmation class on Monday nights to being a catechumen of God’s word and gifts each day of their lives.

And we join them. Palm Sunday is a day where we all die and rise in Jesus. 

 

In fact all of us died and rose already this morning:  you die and rise daily in God’s gift of Baptism he gave you and renews in you daily. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6).

We also die when we confess our sins and rise again in Jesus when he delivers the absolution: “I forgive you all your sins.” 

 

This is what Palm Sunday is about: Jesus goes into Jerusalem to bring you from death to life. This is what your life in Christ is about, whether you’re confirmed today or went through confirmation years ago: you die and rise with Jesus who has brought you from death to life. 

 

This is what this Great Week that lies before us is all about – the greatest week in all of human history – Jesus dying and rising for you so that you die and rise in him. On Palm Sunday, and every day, Jesus brings you from death to life.

 

A blessed Palm Sunday to each of you…

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.