Posted on by pastorkevinjud

What Kind of King is This?

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BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Palm Sunday 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 29, 2026
Zechariah 9:9-12, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 21:1-17

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com 
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

           When the president visits somewhere it is not on the spur of the moment.  Forward teams come well in advance.  Limos and tactical vehicles are flown in on military transports.  Motorcade routes are cleared.  Venues are searched and swept for any threats.  Bomb sniffing dogs are everywhere.  Secret Service coordinates with local law enforcement and emergency plans are made for proximity to a trauma centers and backup vehicles and planes.

            When a king travels, likely similar protocols would be in place.  In our Gospel reading today we hear about a King making a visit.  The forward team goes on ahead and secures transportation; one female donkey and her colt.  That’s it.  That is the only preparation.  There is no security plan, no emergency plan.  However, this trip has been being planned for hundreds of years. 

            Zechariah prophesied of this visit 550 years in advance… Zechariah 9:9 (ESV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 

            Zion is another way of saying Jerusalem.  Zion was the fortified hill conquered by King David around 1000 BC.  O daughter of Zion O daughter of Jerusalem.  Rejoice, shout aloud.  Your king is coming to you.  The King of the Jews is coming.  This seems like it has to be a magnificent event.  The King will be entering Jerusalem.  Will it be a grand procession with the King arriving in a chariot or atop a noble warhorse accompanied by troops of cavalry and foot soldiers?  You hear a commotion up the hill.  The King is coming!  But as you look you see just a single rider – and He looks… not magnificent.  He looks kind of ridiculous.  It is a grown man bouncing down a steep path astride a small donkey colt.  There are no armed horsemen, there is no army.  Just a motley crowd of men, women and children surrounding the man waving palm branches and shouting, Matthew 21:9 (ESV) 9 … “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”  Something big is happening, but what kind of King is this?

            Upon arrival, the King does His own sweep of the venue.  But He is not looking for security threats; He is eliminating the established thieves; the thieves who are taking advantage of faithful Jews coming to the temple for sacrifice.  These thieves sell “approved” animals at inflated prices and exchange the more valuable Roman coins for less valuable coins they deem “clean” for the Temple.  It is believed this sales area in the Court of the Gentiles is called the Bazaar of Annas.  Annas is the powerful former High Priest and the father-in-law of the current High Priest Caiaphas.  The High Priests are making money off of Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem by only allowing their “certified” animals and coins, and overcharging for both.  The King comes and drives out all who bought and sold in the temple.  Matthew 21:13 (ESV) 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 

            The people of Jerusalem hear that the prophet Jesus has come and is at the Temple.  Jesus is the one who can heal the sick and make the blind see.  Matthew 21:14 (ESV) 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.”  There is no security to keep the King separate from the people, instead, He is surrounded by all those coming for healing. 

            The chief priests and the scribes, who are already upset about Jesus shutting down the Bazaar of Annas, are indignant that children are crying out to Jesus using messianic language.  They are calling Jesus the Messiah as they say, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Save us, descendant of King David.”  The King has come who is a descendant of King David and an heir to the throne.  But what kind of King is this? 

The week ahead will show that there is something very different about this King. Very different…as we see when He receives His crown… as we see when He is installed upon His throne with His title above.  Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.  The King reigns in suffering and utter humility.  What kind of King is this?

            This confuses the disciples and it is still confusing today.  Jesus is King, but He is not like any other King.  St. Paul helps us in our Epistle reading from His letter to the church at Philippi.  Philippians 2:5–7 (ESV) 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”  Jesus is the humble servant King.  Being a follower of the Servant King is to also be a humble servant. 

            In our world, being humble is not considered a good thing, but that is what the truth of God’s Word does to you.  Christianity is, by nature, humbling, because it shows that you are, by nature, sinful and unclean.  It shows that you cannot pay the price for your sin.  You cannot do it yourself.  You are dependent upon another.  This offends your pride, it hurts your self-esteem.  You so much want there to be something that you can do to help yourself.  As you enter Holy Week there is a temptation to think that in your observance of Holy Week you earn some merit.

            Now, this has not happened before, but probably will happen again.  Vicar was working on his Wednesday sermon, the same time I was working on this one.  We both read a great quote from Martin Luther in the Treasury of Daily Prayer.  He quoted it on Wednesday and I will quote it again today as it addresses well our humility as followers of Jesus.  Martin Luther writes in a 1519 Lenten essay called “A Meditation on Christ’s Passion,” “Our heart-felt piety and devout participation in the services of this week do not atone for our sins or make us acceptable to God. It is only through faith in the crucified that we are righteous and at peace with God…After man has thus become aware of his sin and is terrified in his heart, he must watch that sin does not remain in his conscience, for this would lead to sheer despair. Just as [our knowledge of] sin flowed from Christ and was acknowledged by us, so we must pour this sin back on him and free our conscience of it. Therefore beware, lest you do as those perverse people who torture their hearts with their sins and strive to do the impossible, namely, get rid of their sins by running from one good work or penance to another, or by working their way out of this by means of indulgences.… You cast your sins from yourself and onto Christ when you firmly believe that his wounds and sufferings are your sins, to be borne and paid for by him, as we read in Isaiah 53 [:6], “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” St. Peter says, “in his body has he borne our sins on the wood of the cross” [I Pet. 2:24]. St. Paul says, “God has made him a sinner for us, so that through him we would be made just” [II Cor. 5:21]. You must stake everything on these and similar verses. The more your conscience torments you, the more tenaciously must you cling to them. If you do not do that, but presume to still your conscience with your contrition and penance, you will never obtain peace of mind, but will have to despair in the end. If we allow sin to remain in our conscience and try to deal with it there, or if we look at sin in our heart, it will be much too strong for us and will live on forever. But if we behold it resting on Christ and [see it] overcome by his resurrection, and then boldly believe this, even it is dead and nullified. Sin cannot remain on Christ, since it is swallowed up by his resurrection. Now you see no wounds, no pain in him, and no sign of sin. Thus St. Paul declares that “Christ died for our sin and rose for our justification” [Rom. 4:25].[1]

            The great Good News of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection is that He has done all that is necessary and you cannot add to it. The humble servant King, out of love, gave everything to save you.  He gives it to you completely as a gift.  You cannot add to this gift.  This humbles your prideful desire to be a part of your own salvation.  This humbles you.  But, knowing you cannot do anything to accomplish your salvation gets you something beyond comprehension.  You get Shalom.  You get God’s peace that is beyond understanding.  By the blood of Jesus, you are right with God, the creator of the universe.  What kind of King is Jesus?  He is King of the universe who loves you and gave everything for you that week in Jerusalem.

            Your King has come, humble and riding on a donkey to save you.  Amen.

[1][1] CPH Treasury of Daily Prayer, pg. 306

Posted on by pastorkevinjud

The Most Important Week Ever

WORSHIP VIDEO LINK (linked after 10:45 AM Service)

WORSHIP AUDIO LINK

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BULLETIN

SERMON TEXT BELOW

Palm Sunday
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
April 13, 2025
Luke 19:28-40

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com 
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

            Sometimes days go by quickly and uneventfully and it is hard to believe that another week has gone by and nothing important really happened.  Jesus’ week in Jerusalem is not that kind of a week.  On Sunday, as Jesus rides a donkey colt down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem He is beginning a monumental week — the most important week in the history of the world. 

            Jesus has been moving toward Jerusalem for a long while with crowds following Him to receive healing and authoritative teaching. Accounts of Jesus’ miracles and teaching have spread throughout Israel and the surrounding countries.  Everyone has heard about this teacher from Galilee who can do things that only God can do.  This should bring great joy and excitement, but the local religious leaders are very focused on their own rules and their power and authority.  Jesus purposely performs miracles on the Sabbath and this enrages the Scribes and Pharisees.  The tension between Jesus and the religious leaders has grown intense, especially so after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead just outside Jerusalem.  The whole world is going after Jesus. 

            Now the time has come for Jesus to enter Jerusalem. He instructs His disciples to get a donkey colt and they are able to find the colt and bring it to Jesus, just as He said.  Some throw their cloaks onto the colt and Jesus begins His journey down the Mount of Olives.  The little parade must look a bit silly; a full grown man astride a small donkey. The King is coming into the Holy City, but He is not coming in power and might…He is coming in peace and gentleness. 

            Jerusalem is crowded with Passover pilgrims and they hear Jesus is coming into the city.  This causes a great commotion as people rush toward the Mount of Olives to greet Him. Some cut palm branches and wave them in welcome, others lay palms on the road, still others lay their cloaks on the road.  The gathered multitude cries out, John 12:13 (ESV) 13 … “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”  Hosanna means help us, save us!  Indeed, the King is coming into the city to save His people.  Hosanna!

            On that Sunday, Jesus enters the city and moves onto the temple mount.  There He clears the temple of those who are changing money and selling animals for sacrifice…thus ratcheting up the tension with the Jewish leaders even more.  The next three days Jesus travels into the city each day from the Mount of Olives to teach at the Temple.  The Jewish leaders desperately want to arrest and silence Jesus, but they do not want to do it in front of the crowds because they fear the people will riot.  So instead, they try to trap Jesus in His words and teachings, but they find that their traps are no match for the one called King of the Jews.

            The frustrated religious leaders continue to look for a way to get rid of Jesus when an opportunity comes to them through the help of the devil.  Luke 22:3–6 (ESV)  3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.”

On Thursday, Jesus tells the disciples how to find a room for the Passover dinner and it is exactly as He says, and there, in the upper room, they prepare the Passover.  During and after the meal Jesus transforms the Passover into Holy Communion.  The annual celebration of salvation through the blood of a lamb painted on the doorposts and lintel in Egypt becomes the weekly celebration of salvation through the body and blood of the Lamb of God soon to be sacrificed on the cross. 

            In John’s account of the Last Supper we see Jesus wash the disciples’ feet to show his love and service to His followers and how we are to love and serve one another.  After the Passover meal, Jesus and His disciples walk down across the Kidron Valley to Gethsemane which means “olive press” in Hebrew.  There, Jesus takes Peter, James and John and heads deeper into the olive grove, then leaving those three; Jesus goes a little further to pray by Himself pressured by the weight of knowing what is going to happen over the next 18 hours.  He prays… Luke 22:42 (ESV) 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 

            As Jesus is praying, Judas leads an armed group to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus under the cover of darkness away from the crowds.  The disciples try to defend Jesus.  Peter draws a sword and strikes off the ear of one of those who came to arrest Jesus, but Jesus stops the fighting and heals the man’s ear.  Jesus is seized and taken back across the Kidron Valley and up to the high priest’s house for a late night show trial, and a time to be able to abuse and mock Jesus away from the crowds. 

            In the morning they take Jesus to the governor, Pontius Pilate.  Pilate has no interest in executing Jesus, but has less interest in a riot.  Jesus is flogged and mocked and crowned with thorns and led off to be crucified. 

Jesus’ joyous, Sunday palm procession down the Mount of Olives with a donkey colt carrying Jesus, now, on Friday, becomes a horrifying, cruel, heartbreaking procession to Golgotha with Jesus carrying the cross on which He will die.

            Rather than shouts of “Hosanna! Save us!”  now it is mocking shouts of “save yourself!, if you are the King of the Jews.”  Jesus is crucified and dies and is taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb to rest on the Sabbath day to await the 8th day, the first day of the week, the day of new beginnings for all time.

            Jesus’ journey is not just that one week, or even His 33 years on earth.  Jesus’ journey down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem begins in eternity — before the creation of the world — it continues at creation…in wrestling with Jacob…in the burning bush…the pillar of cloud and fire…in the fiery furnace.  The journey takes on flesh in Nazareth and continues to Bethlehem and the Jordan River and Galilee, to the cross and tomb in Jerusalem which seems like the end, but the journey continues from the empty tomb to the ascension from the Mount of Olives.  It is a journey that Jesus has been on from the beginning and it is a journey that continues today as we walk, with Christ, awaiting His return on the Last Day to raise the dead and take us to be with Him at the wedding feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom.  It is a journey from heaven before creation to eternity in the heavenly city where there will be… Revelation 7:9–10 (ESV) 9 … a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  

            On that first Palm Sunday, the people cried out, “Hosanna!”  Save us! That week in Jerusalem Jesus accomplishes the salvation of the world.  His Body, the Church, distributes this forgiveness of sins to those on the journey with Jesus to the Heavenly City — and invites everyone to follow Jesus.

            Today you remember that first Palm Sunday by waving palm branches and singing out to Jesus, “Hosanna!  Save us!” for you need Jesus’ forgiveness and salvation.  As you hold the palm in your hand, also look forward to being a part of the multitude in white robes with palm branches for eternity with Jesus in the Heavenly City. 

            You are on an eternal journey with Jesus.  That week in Jerusalem changed everything.  Amen.