The Character of His Kingdom

This Sunday we enter Holy Week with our celebration of Palm Sunday.  In his Sermon for Palm Sunday of 1534, Martin Luther said: “This is the reason why Christ entered Jerusalem as He did ¼ to point out the manner and character of His kingdom.”  The manner and character of the Kingdom of God is not embarrassing humiliation, but humble service. The manner and character of the Kingdom of God is not bold demonstrations of weapons and war, but everlasting peace. The manner and character of the Kingdom of God is not pride, but grace.

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah knew it well: “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.” As Jesus actually did what Zechariah had prophesied all those years ago, He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey demonstrating that this King and His kingdom were different. He came to bring peace. But that peace would come at a price.

It all started with what theologians call the humiliation of Jesus. That is, that He took on human flesh and though He was still God He did not always or fully use His Godly powers. Wrapping Himself in the fleshly clothing of a human being was Jesus’ first step toward the cross. Moving from the glory of heaven to the humility of earth meant that Jesus would ultimately do what He was called by His Father to do. Though He could have waved away the devil or produced miracles that would have taken Him off of the path to our salvation, He set His face to Jerusalem.

This humiliation is described for us in Philippians 2: “¼though (Jesus) was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  There is no greater humility than God dying a criminal’s death on a cross.

That’s why He starts holy week on a donkey. He comes in peace to fight a war with every evil that would try to win us over. He comes in peace to fight a war with all the spiritual forces that attempt to take us down. He comes in peace to make His way to death on a cross where He wins the war over sin, death, the grave and the devil. He clothes Himself in flesh, death and the ultimate humility to exalt us into the space of the Father’s grace. His humility means that we are forgiven and free. It means that the war has been won for us. It means that though we don’t deserve it, in due time we will be exalted to the heavenly places according to the mercy of our loving God.

Our King, indeed, comes to us, in the greatest humility of all, to take our sin and have it placed on Himself.   Each of us earned the punishment that Christ humbly and willingly accepted on our behalf.

We earn it every time we put someone or something else before God, every time we take His name in vain, every time we fail to keep the Sabbath holy, every time we dishonor authority, fail to love as we have been loved, every time we gossip, slander or tear others down to make ourselves look good, every time we lust or covet.  How many times is that?  If you’re like me, you’ve lost count.  But losing count doesn’t change the fact that each and every sin earns the Cross, the punishment and the shame that we can’t pay.  Thus our cry of Hosanna - Lord, save us.

Don’t ever lost sight of your humble King, His love and His care for you because Jesus never lost sight of you and the Cross He would climb - for you - where He would pay the price to earn you the peace and forgiveness that you and I rely upon every day. 

In Jesus Christ, you now have everything - the forgiveness of sin, adoption as God’s children, and are heirs to the riches of heaven for eternity.  You stand firm in this humility because it is the mind of Christ, your Lord and King, now and forever.

Palm Sunday we are reminded that as Jesus humbly rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, He humbly rode into our lives on the waves of water and the Word. He came that day to deliver to us the forgiveness He had won on the cross. When He made us His own with simple water and God’s own Word, we too were clothed in Godly humility. We were made to be the ones in the world who help, serve, comfort, care, give and love.

            With the grace and strength of God alone, may all of our lives bear witness to stand in the humility of Christ for the sake of sharing His Kingdom that mends broken lives, forgives guilty hearts and makes a difference in the world around us for eternity.