St. Luke 19:28-40 Dearly beloved,
A new church year begins with the solemnities of Advent. “Advent” is Latin, meaning “coming.” The church reflects in this season on the many “comings” of Jesus into our world. Today the “Advent” which we ponder is the “coming” of God into Jerusalem. It is a very important act of Jesus, fulfilling several prophecies of the Old Testament. The gospel for today is the historic text for the First Sunday in Advent. It is the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is meant to put two pictures into our minds. Today we think on Jesus sitting on a colt, riding into Jerusalem. The other picture of Advent is John the Baptist preaching repentance in the desert. We are to learn something from this. Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem. He brings His disciples with Him. They approach two villages: Bethany and Bethphage. Bethphage means “house of unripe figs.” Bethany means “house of suffering.” Then there is the Mount of Olives. These places carry with them symbolic significance. Figs and olives are the symbols for prosperity and blessing from God. Olive oil was used as an anointing oil in the Bible. House of suffering is the mark of Jesus' road. It is quite ironic, really. The colt is one that has never been yoked before—it has never been worked. This is an Old Testament sign that it is to be used for a holy purpose. This is not all, though. As the crowd assemble to welcome the Messiah into the holy city, we see several notable things. First, Jesus is placed on the colt. Matthew's account has the colt's mother, the donkey present, as well. The donkey is a working animal, taking away any pomp and ostentation associated with the triumphal entry of Jesus. It is also recorded that the people, as they praise and sing to the Lord, place on the ground before him their garments. We find here that there are at least two Old Testament pictures being recalled. The first is Solomon who is anointed as King in the same spot, in the same valley on the East side of Jerusalem. Solomon rides into Jerusalem amidst praise and trumpet blasts, riding on King David's mule. Jesus riding in on the colt is the statement that Jesus is the King of Kings. The garments being placed on the ground before Jesus recalls to us another anointing of king in the Old Testament. Elisha the prophet had come to Jehu and anointed him king, then fled quickly. The kingship of Jehu was done under very hostile circumstances, with much evil circulating, the evil of that wicked woman, Jezebel. When Jehu tells his commanders that he has just been anointed king, they immediately place their garments on the stone steps for Jehu to walk on. The whole point of the laying of the garments on the ground goes back to what takes place with Jehu. It is demonstrative of the type of reign that he was to undertake. For Jehu, much blood was to be spilled before the opposition of wickedness had ended. This points to two very important aspects of the Kingship of Jesus. One view is that of Solomon, the man of great wisdom and prosperity. The other view is that of Jehu, in whose kingship much blood will be spilled to rid God's people of the wickedness of evil. The important point of this picture is that the Kingship of Jesus was to be very different than what the Jews thought the Messiah's reign would be. The Jews looked for an earthly king who would bring earthly prosperity. The prosperity end of Jesus' reign is a spiritual prosperity. The bloodshed end of Jesus' kingship is much like Jehu's reign. Jehu has Jezebel killed. Jesus destroys Satan by the shedding of blood—but this comes by the shedding of Jesus' blood. The picture is rich and meaningful. So what is Jesus trying to tell you? Jesus purposely links the Old Testament to Himself. In Solomon's case, the temple is built during His reign. In Jehu's case, the evil of Jezebel is eradicated. We look at these two kingships and we see worship and the desire for God's truth to reign in the midst of His people. So, ponder this for your life. Are you desirous of the holy things in your life? Do you desire to worship the Lord in truth? Do you want God's word and teaching to reign in your life? It is very difficult to life a life of holiness in a world that is so contrary to the gospel. The world has so many enticing things that leads us away from the holy things. It is very difficult to live the life of a Christian. You must ponder this for your life. As you think these questions over, you may find that you lack the holy living that we are called to, but you hopefully have a desire to live a holy life with the teachings of Jesus in your midst. You may desire to worship the Lord more than you do. This is good. What holds you back is sin—Sin of the flesh, sin of the world. Repent and take these things to your Lord. The only antidote for this is precisely what underlies the whole picture of Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem. The bloodshed associated with the kingship of Jesus is His own for the life of the world. It eradicates the dreadful effects of sin. The erecting of a temple associated with Jesus, marking Jesus as one greater than Solomon is a spiritual temple, the one not made with hands, which is His very body. Jesus ushers in the spiritual side of worship, which finds itself in the preaching of the Gospel and in the blessings associated with the sacraments. This is meant to show you a new way. There is a way out of this world of sin for the people of God. There is a holiness and righteousness which is yours because of Jesus. What Jesus is trying to point out to you is that you need Him. You need more of Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. As you journey in this Christian life and on the path, you are to look to Jesus for everything. When you are in need, look to Jesus. When you suffer, look to Jesus. When you sin, look to Jesus. When you recognize your failures and desire to be holy, look to Jesus. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but He rides humbly on a colt, in service to the world. All the world had been waiting in expectation for the coming of the King to set free the captives. It is this very thought that occupies Advent. It is of royal proportions. It is because of the kingly Advent of Jesus Christ that you gather around the Holy things of Word and Sacrament, with the color of blue. In your midst is holy absolution and the very body and blood of Jesus. The triumphal entry and its celebration rings in your midst, with alleluias and blessings forevermore. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana
