Text: Philippians 2:5-11, Psalm 118, Dt 32 and John 12:12-19
Theme: “Psalm Sunday”
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Intr – The theme for my sermon for Palm Sunday is “Psalm Sunday”. I’m using “psalm” here as synonym for hymns, songs, music. The reason for my choice is that we see hymns all over our Bible lessons today. Psalm 118 is a hymn sung by the crowds on Palm Sunday “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”; in Deuteronomy 32 we find words that Moses “said”, but the Hebrew word is likely to mean singing. Then, as Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding on a donkey music is all around Him. Finally, the epistle for today, Philippians 2:6-11 is written as a hymn in the Greek original, one of the most ancient Christian hymns.
Somewhere else in the Bible Paul would say: “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16). It would be fair to think here about them as the Past (Psalms), the Present (Hymns) and the Future (Spiritual, new songs). It points to variety, different ways, different styles, and all pointing to the same One who comes in the Name of the Lord – Jesus. Singing is something very familiar to the people of God since most ancient times. Therefore, today we will sing for the most part of the Sermon. It will be a Psalm Sunday message.
First, the story of Palm Sunday. We have one of our hymns that tells an abridged version of what happened that day:(Hymn #443 Hosanna, loud Hosanna)
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,The simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children Should on His bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer, The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice!
Looking into today’s Psalm, Ps118 we find one of the hymns people were singing as Jesus was entering Jerusalem according to the prophets. Jesus is the “Blessed one who comes in the name of the Lord.” No one wrote down the notation, so we don’t know the exact tune to those lyrics. But we will do an exercise of imagination about how it might have sounded that day. We will sing two verses of Psalm 118 in Hebrew, the original language of the OT:(Bah-rook hah-bah beh-shem Ah-doh-nai,)
Bah-rook hah-bah beh-shem Ah-doh-nai,
Beh-rahk-noo-chem mee-bate Ah-doh-nai.
Hoh-doo Lah-doh-nai kee Tohv,
Kee leh-oh-lahm chahs-doh.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever![1]
In Deuteronomy 32, like I said before, we see Moses saying words to the people, but the Hebrew word is likely to mean singing. It is a sort of a swan song – the prophet who knows he will die sings his last song. He sings about the Goodness of God toward His People, the restoration He Provides, His incomprehensible love. HE says: “See now that I, even I, am he… I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal.” (32:39). God is always in control – just as He was in control of the whole Narrative of Palm Sunday and the following days. Everything happened according to His will and His purpose. Jesus did not stumble into suffering; He walked into it willingly, fulfilling the Father’s will. From the triumphant entry on Palm Sunday to the cross and empty tomb, everything unfolded according to God’s redemptive purpose. This is why we sing: (Our God)
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer, awesome in power
Our God, our God
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer, awesome in power
Our God, our God
Such immense and Great Love. He called us by His Holy Spirit to believe in Him, the One who comes in the name of the Lord to die for us, to save us. This is why we give unceasing thanks and praise Him constantly, for example with the words of the hymn: (Praise to the Lord the Almighty, 3 verses)
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear Now to His temple draw near,
Joining in glad adoration!
2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning And, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen All that is needful has been
Sent by His gracious ordaining?
5 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in us adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen Sound from His people again;
Gladly forever adore him![2]
That Palm Sunday in Jerusalem was a in a sense Psalm Sunday. We hear shouts of joy and adoration. But Jesus knew that soon shouts of joy would become shouts of rage and hate. Nonetheless, our Saviour is willing to enter Jerusalem and endure all things until the end – because He loved us. He loved the world. On the hymn we have in the epistle, Paul describes this humbleness, this willingness in a beautiful hymn. We don’t have the original tune, so we could make, as mentioned before, a “spiritual song”, a new song to the Lord. (ABOVE EVERY NAME – Philippians 2:6-11)
Though he was in the form of God,
He did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, becoming a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
being found in human form,
he humbled himself
n’ was obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
::Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.::
to the glory of the Father,
Jesus is Lord!::
Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
so that at His name every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that: [chorus][3]
Palm Sunday shows in word and verse a profound love; an incomprehensible one.[4]
This love is for you. This love is for us. This is incomprehensible to the ears of the world, that’s why many don’t believe it.[5] It’s because a God like that is out of boundaries for the human ability. But Yahweh says in Dt: “I am he.” I am God. I am in control. [6]
Jesus was obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross—and is now highly exalted, we know that we have forgiveness, peace, and new life. We know that we live under the grace and love of the One who is the Blessed One coming in the name of the Lord.
This is not just a “church thing.” This isn’t just for Sunday mornings. This is for Tuesday afternoons when your heart is heavy. For Friday mornings when the pressure heightens. For Saturday evenings when regrets accost your mind. This message—this Christ—this cross—is for your everyday life.
It shapes your identity.
It restores your heart.
It renews your hope.
On this Palm Sunday—on this Psalm Sunday—we remember His unfailing love. We rejoice in His great work of salvation. We respond, not with mere words, but with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him who died, rose again, and is coming again. We thank Jesus for entering Jerusalem; and then for walling our of it to His Cross, for us. For, where would I be (without the Cross)?
1 – I was broken, with no peace,
Lost and guilty, in need of mercy.
I saw no hope beyond a grave—
The cost for sin I deserved to pay.
2 – You are spotless, unlike me,
Holy on Your throne of glory.
You saw my soul’s depravity,
But Jesus, still, You rescued me.
Where would I be without the cross?
Amazing love poured out for us!
You took the wrath, You paid the cost—
Where would I be without the cross?
3 You were crushed and torn for me,
As You carried that cross of suffering.
You died my death, laid in my grave—
But praise God, that’s not where You stayed!
By Your power, I am free,
I now live to tell this story.
My heart’s transformed for all to see—
Because, Jesus, You rescued me.
Oh, such love, how can it be?[7]
Cc – Jesus rode into Jerusalem because of you and me, to rescue, forgive and save us. We can keep singing, believing and living in Him. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
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👑 Children’s Lesson: “The Real Royal Match”
Theme: Jesus is the King who gives us real life and real time
Text: Matthew 21:1–11, Philippians 2:5–11
“Have you ever played a game where you match things? Like Royal Match?”
“It’s a game where there’s a king, and you match pieces to win levels. But the king? He doesn’t do much. He just stands there while you play. He doesn’t save you. He doesn’t fight. He doesn’t even give you more time!”
“But we have a real King—Jesus!
He didn’t just stand around. He came to match exactly what we needed.
He came at just the right time to save us from something way worse than losing a game—He came to defeat sin and death.”
On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem—not on a big white horse—but on a donkey.
People shouted, “Hosanna!” which means, “Save us now!”
He came not to kill time… but to kill death.
Not to give us 5 more minutes… but eternal life!
Worse of all: In the game, you have to save the King
In real life, the King saves us!
And now He gives us the best prize ever: forever life with Him!”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, You are the best King. You didn’t just play games—You came to save us.
Thank You for giving us more than just time to play— You gave us time forever with You. Hosanna! Amen.
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[1] Psalm 118: 26, 29
[2] LSB 790
[3] “Above every name” (Lucas Andre Albrecht)
[4] , We see it in the OT reading; as we contemplate it on Psalm 118. We feel it as we see Jesus riding resolutely into Jerusalem to accomplish His work. We see it in a profound way as we read Philippians and hear about the Son of God who humbles Himself to do the will of the Father
[5] Perhaps that’s why I saw a poll some time ago – as much as you can trust polls – showing that atheism has just edged out Christianity to become the largest religion in America. “God Help Us: Atheism Becomes Largest Religion In U.S.” https://tinyurl.com/nxsjrdca The article adds: “As religiosity has declined, social ills have abounded. Nearly one in five American adults suffers from anxiety disorders, which now constitute the most common mental illness in the country. One in six Americans takes antidepressant drugs, a 65% surge over just 15 years. The problem is particularly acute among younger Americans. While depression diagnoses have increased 33% since 2013, that number is up 47% among Millennials and 63% among teenagers. Coincidentally, suicide rates among American teenagers have increased by 70% since 2006.”
[6] This is why we look to Palm Sunday as a show of His Steadfastness in His promises – there see Him in the control of everything so they would happen in the exact time and place He designed them to happen.
[7] “Where would I be (without the cross)?” Hope Alive Music Written by Josh Ninaber, Andrea Nicholls, Sam Hart and Matthew Zigenis. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrsVY-h-zJk
