Pr. DFD : Palm Sunday

Showing posts with label Palm Sunday. Show all posts

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. The first day of what is traditionally known as “Holy Week” or “Passion Week” During this week we will walk with the Savior, observing His Passion. As He approached Jerusalem coming to the Mount of Olives Jesus presents Himself as the Prince of Peace. While many received Him on that day as their royal King, most will reject this prince and His kingdom. This prince will pay the ultimate price for the peace of the world. And for the peace from above. And for our salvation.

The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. Lazarus, who had been dead, was raised to life.

So, the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” The world has gone after Him. Or, is it the other way around? Have wayward children gone after the world?

As we review Jesus’ approach to the city, a beast of burden carries our Lord who Himself will carry the burden of the world’s sin –

The Son of Man the Prince of peace appeared on that first Palm Sunday to offer Himself for the life of the world. Today we offer our praise and we journey with Him as He offers up Himself for the sin of all and for your salvation and life.

Palm Sunday images by Ed Riojas, copyright Higher Things

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Friday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Psalm 118:19-28 The Psalm appointed for this coming Sunday. This section seems to be the answer and a great thanksgiving song, which echoes the “Give thanks” of verse 1, the “answered …me” of verse 5 and the testimony of verse 14.

Psalm 118 – The Chief Cornerstone

Psalm 118 does not name an author in its title, but there is reason to believe it was King David, the Sweet Psalmist of Israel. Ezra 3:10-11 suggests that Psalm 118 was sung at the founding of the second temple, and when they sang it, they attributed it to David (“according to the ordinance of David king of Israel,” Ezra 3:10).

Most probably, David was the author of this psalm…. It partakes of David’s spirit, and everywhere shows the hand of a master. The style is grand and noble; the subject, majestic.

Though this was likely David’s psalm, it was also Jesus’ psalm. “This is pre-eminently the triumph song of the Christ, He the ideal Servant, He the perfect Priest, He the Leader of the people. How much all these words meant to Him as He sang them on that night in the upper room.”

Though this was likely David’s psalm, it was also Luther’s psalm. “This is my own beloved psalm. Although the entire Psalter and all of Holy Scripture are dear to me as my only comfort and source of life, I fell in love with this psalm especially. Therefore, I call it my own. When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned and even saints could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles. As a result, it is dearer to me than all the wealth, honor, and power of the pope, the Turk, and the emperor. I would be most unwilling to trade this psalm for all of it.” (Martin Luther)[2]

Collect for Psalm 118: Lord God, your Son, rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church. Shed rays of your glory upon your Church, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its courts to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection, now and forever. Amen [3]

Collect for Friday of the week of Lent 5: Grant us your forgiveness, and set us free from our enslavement to sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]

[1] Palm Sunday Images, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-118

[4] Ibid, Collect for Friday of the week of Lent 5

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Thursday prior to Psalm Sunday Psalm

[1]

John 12:20-43 – In the Gospel lesson Jesus suffers the death of the cross as we view the history of Jesus’ passion. The cross of Christ produces a response. It is not an ordinary death, which might cause only sympathy. There is a positive response by those with at least neutral eyes as expressed by a professional soldier, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

Jesus knew how awful His death would be but He also knew that it was His purpose and so rather than forgo it, rather than ask the Father to save Him from crucifixion, He chose to glorify Him. It is not a sin to feel the angst and difficulty of the sacrifices made for God. It is in remembering their purpose that we can go through it. That is how Jesus managed it. He took His eyes off Himself and put them on the big picture of God’s purpose, which is God’s glory. And the Father answered Jesus so that everyone could hear! “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” God was glorified in Jesus birth and life and He would be glorified in His death and resurrection. It wasn’t Jesus who needed the audible comfort. It was the listeners. Jesus continued teaching in verses 31-33.

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.”[2]

Collect for Thursday of the week of Lent 5: Lord, come to us; free us from the stain of our sins. Help us to remain faithful to a holy way of life, and guide us to the inheritance you have promised. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. [3]

[1] Palm Sunday Images, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://www.donnalcampbell.com/salt--light-devotionals/john-1220-43-jesus-died-publicly-for-you-will-you-live-publicly-for-him

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Wednesday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Philippians 2:5-11 - In our Epistle lesson we learn that as an obedient servant Jesus humbles Himself to die on a cross. As He humbles Himself even to death, God exalts Him. Because Jesus came down to the humiliation of the cross, Jesus was raised in exaltation. There are two sides of a coin. Jesus taught that He who humbles himself would be exalted, and the reverse applies. During Holy Week, we watch Jesus stooping to the lowest level by dying a criminal’s most horrible death and on Easter He is raised to glory. His exaltation will not be complete until every knee shall bow and every tongue confesses Him as Lord.

“Let the same mind be in you…”

Paul incorporates this hymn into his letter in the service of pastoral theology. He is thankful for the Philippians’ care for him and support of his ministry (1:3-8), yet there are some problems in the community. In particular, Paul is concerned about dissension among members (2:2-4; 4:2-3), and about “opponents” who preach righteousness based on circumcision and law observance (1:28; 3:2-3, 7-11, 18-19). Paul urges the Philippians to live “in a manner worthy of the gospel” so that he will know that they are “standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel” (1:27).[2]

Collect for Wednesday of the week of lent 5: Father of mercy, hear the prayers of your repentant children who call on your in love. Enlighten our minds and sanctify our hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. [3] Amen

Collect for the Annunciation of our Lord (March 25): O Lord, as we have known the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, by the message of the angel to the virgin Mary, so by the message of His cross and passion bring us to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

[1] Palm Sunday Images, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/name-of-jesus/commentary-on-philippians-25-11-2

Monday, March 23, 2026

Tuesday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Isaiah 50:4-9a- In the Old Testament lesson God’s servant suffers willingly because of his trust in God. God’s servant faces suffering confident of God’s help. The suffering of the Messiah was not only physical but also mental and emotional. This may be a worse form of hurt – hurt feelings. The Servant as a faithful follower of God endures shameful treatment. His enemies pull out his beard and spit in His face. Jesus endures this form of suffering: the soldiers dressed him as a king, the superscription above His head, crucified between two criminals, exposed naked before a crowd, taunted and mocked: “If you are the Son of God…”

“The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught (a disciple or learned person), that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary“(v. 4a). This is the voice of the Servant—in this instance, apparently the prophet. It can hardly be the nation Israel here, because it is Israel who is weary and needs sustaining. Also, these verses describe a kind of faithful discipleship that does not describe Israel in this time.

The phrase, “The Lord Yahweh” four times in these verses (vv. 4, 5, 7, 9). In each instance, the Lord God enables the Servant—”has given me a tongue” (v. 4), “has opened my ear” (v. 5), “will help me” (v. 7), “will help me” (v. 9). Not only does “the Lord Yahweh” empower the Servant, but these references serve to authenticate the Servant’s work.

The Lord God has given the Servant the tongue of a teacher (or a disciple or a learned person). This suggests that there has been an ongoing communication between God and the Servant—with God conveying wisdom and the Servant listening, as good disciples do, to absorb every syllable. Without having listened to God, the Servant would have nothing to say to his weary people. Having listened, however, the Servant has God-given power to sustain the weary. That is no mean feat, because these people have suffered through a long exile and are very, very weary. God has commissioned the Servant to encourage them—to bring them hope. That would be impossible except that God makes it possible.[2]

Collect for Tuesday of the week of Lent 5: Lord, help us to do you will, that your Church may grow and become more faithful in your service. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [3]

[1] Palm Sunday Images, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-isaiah-504-9a-commentary

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Monday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Psalm 31 The Antiphon for this coming week’s Introit is taken from verse 31, Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O lord, the God of truth. This Psalm is a prayer of deliverance when confronted by conspiracy so powerful and open that all David’s friends abandoned him. Where do we go when we feel as if we haven’t a friend? We go to Jesus, our friend and confidante our Savior and our Redeemer.

Psalm 31 – Shelter from Trouble in the secret places of God’s presence

This psalm is simply titled,To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The dedication to the chief musician proves that this song of mingled measures and alternate strains of grief and woe was intended for public singing, and thus a deathblow is given to the notion that nothing but praise should be sung. We have no definite marking place in David’s life for this psalm because he was so often in trouble. It resonates with deep and personal trust in God in the depths of difficulty.

An interesting feature of this psalm is that it is often quoted in other passages of Scripture.

The author of Psalm 71 (possibly David himself) quotes the first three verses of Psalm 31 to start Psalm 71.

Jonah seems to quote Psalm 31:6 in Jonah 2:8, his prayer from the belly of the great fish.

Jeremiah quoted Psalm 31:13 six times, in Jeremiah 6:25; 20:3; 20:10; 46:5; 49:29, and Lamentations 2:22.

Paul quoted Psalm 31:24 in 1 Corinthians 16:13 (according to Adam Clarke, this is more clear in the Septuagint – the early Greek translation of the Old Testament).

Most significantly, Psalm 31:5 was quoted by Jesus Christ on the cross as His final words before yielding His life (Luke 23:46). Stephen, the first martyr of the church, also alluded to Psalm 31:5 (Acts 7:59).[2]

Collect for Psalm 31: God of kindness and truth, you saved your chosen one Jesus Christ and you give your martyrs strength. Watch over your people who come to you now, and strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you, that they may proclaim your saving acts of kindness in the eternal city; though your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [3]

Collect for Monday of the week of Lent 5: Father of lover, source of all blessings, help us to pass from our old life of sin to the new life of grace. Prepare us for the glory of your kingdom. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [4]

[1] Palm Sunday Images, © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-31

[4] Ibid, Collect for Monday of the week of Lent 5

Friday, April 11, 2025

Saturday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

John 12:12-15; Psalm 118:26; Psalm 24:7-9 - Sunday’s hymn of the day is All Glory, Laud, and Honor (442 LSB). Today is the day in which we worship Jesus as He rode into the streets of Jerusalem as Lord and King. In many churches the youth are confirmed. If not, it is a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm your confirmation vows. Some of the most moving and dramatic readings and reflections happen on Palm Sunday; it is both a happy and somber mood. Christ is hailed and at the same time rejected. He offers Himself only to be refused. If Jesus were to come to your fair city, what sort of reception might He receive?

This hymn text was written by St. Theodulph of Orleans in 820 while he was imprisoned in Angers, France, for conspiring against the King, with whom he had fallen out of favor. The text acts as a retelling of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The medieval church actually re-enacted this story on Palm Sunday using a standard liturgy that featured this hymn. The priests and inhabitants of a city would process from the fields to the gate of the city, following a living representation of Jesus seated on a donkey. When they reached the city gates, a choir of children would sing the hymn, then in Latin: Gloria, laus et honor, and the refrain was taken up by the crowd. At this point the gates were opened and the crowd made its way through the streets to the cathedral. Though we might not have any city gates to proceed through today, this hymn still acts as a royal hymn of praise and proclamation. Today we praise the “Redeemer, King” because we know just what kind of King He was and is – an everlasting King who reigns not just in Jerusalem, but over the entire earth. What more could we do but praise Him with glory, laud, and honor.[2]

[3]

A prayer before worship – O Lord, our Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter, as we come to worship You in spirit and in truth, we humbly pray that You may open our hearts to the preaching of Your Word, so that we may repent of our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as our only Savior, and grow in grace and holiness. Hear us for His same.

A prayer for help in times of temptation – Almighty and everlasting God, through Your Son You have promised us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit that in our daily need and especially in all time of temptation, we may seek Your help and, by a true and lively faith in Your Word, obtain all that You have promised; through Jesus Christ our Lord.-[4]

[1] Palm Sunday, Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

[2] https://hymnary.org/text/all_glory_laud_and_honor

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Friday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Jesus “goes as it has been determined” (Luke 22:22), according to the Scriptures, willingly submitting to His Father’s plan for the salvation of sinners.

Luke 19:28-40 – Jesus sent two disciples to bring Him a colt upon which He could ride into Jerusalem. This is probably the humblest animal available. To this day we use “ass” or “Jackass” to heap scorn on people. You may consider yourself an ass and thus feel unworthy of being a servant of Christ.

Even if you are an ass, Christ can use you. During the Medieval period, a young man with not too many brains was examined for the priesthood. His examiner was in despair and told him that he was so stupid that he was only half an ass. The candidate replied that if Samson could kill thousands with the jawbone of an ass, maybe God could do wonders with a whole ass. Though you may consider yourself of little value ponder these realities. You are needed (verse 31) and you can carry Jesus to others (verse 35).

[2]

A prayer for Grace to receive the Word – Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark,, learn and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. [3]

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Thursday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Philippians 2:5-11 – Paul seems to be going in two opposite directions: Christ’s going down in humility and going up in exaltation. The key is that no one can go up unless he first goes down. Holy Week is the period of Christ’s going down, even to the depth of death. Because of this, we can anticipate His rising from the dead at the right hand of the Father. Paul urges his people to have this same mind of humility that God may exalt them.

The King of Israel comes into His royal glory by the path of humble obedience “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). According to the Scriptures, willingly submitting to His Father’s plan for the salvation of sinners. “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). He kills to make alive; He wounds in order to heal. In remembrance of Him, we praise God, confessing “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).

[2]

A prayer for reconciliation – God of love, through Your Son You have commanded us to love one another. By the guidance of Your Word and Spirit, deliver us from impenitence and teach us the truth that we might conf3ess our sins, receive Your forgiveness and be reconciled to one another; through Jesus Christ our Lord.[3]

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Wednesday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Deuteronomy 32:36-39 – God has compassion on His people in their extremity. God’s opportunity is Man’s extremity. Consider the condition of man. He is powerless – “Their power is gone.” He is nothing – “There is none remaining.” Then there is God’s opportunity – Vindication – “The Lord will vindicate His people.” and compassion – “Compassion on His servants.”

Christ’s suffering and death open the way of repentance for the forgiveness of sins because He goes to the cross bearing the sins of the world. In His resurrection, God the Father vindicates His people and has compassion on His servants (Deuteronomy 32:36).

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday is from the fifth book of the Torah, Deuteronomy. The text is Deuteronomy 32:36-39 and is designated for “The Sunday of the Passion,” or as us older guys remember, “Palm Sunday.” The lesson forms a small part of the entire “Song of Moses” located in Chapter 32. Perhaps a good question would be why this particular passage was chosen for the Sunday of the Passion. Maybe because after everything has fallen apart, it is the LORD who comes to deliver and save. The LORD vindicates His people in the midst of their misery and despair—for this He has come.

The Song of Moses extols the virtues and the faithfulness of the LORD in contrast to the unfaithfulness of the people and their struggles to walk in His paths. As the LORD points to His own faithfulness and His actions to deliver and save, He also points to the lack thereof of the other “gods” to whom the Israelites have turned or eventually will experiment with. These “gods” have and will continue to prove unable to provide for the needs of the people—they will let them down for they are no gods. Some have also pointed out how the lyrics of this Song of Moses bring charges against the people of Israel and end up being the equivalent of “legal briefs” in a lawsuit which the LORD charges against His chosen people.

Verses 36-38 of our lesson deal with the condition of the people as they live out lives in the embrace of other gods. When they have been brought low and all their “gods” and all the things they have sought refuge in have failed them and proven ineffectual to providing help, then… verse 39. The LORD identifies Himself and who He is and what He does—in contrast to the false gods—“I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal…” I am He; there is no god beside me!!

Another interesting component of this text is the language concerning these other “gods.” The LORD is basically engaging in an ancient form of “trash talk.” This could provide an excellent introduction to the sermon. By pointing out the inabilities of these false and foreign gods, the LORD is focusing the people on what He has done and what He will do. We see this same move in the 10 plagues as the LORD prepares to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Every plague is directed toward one of the gods of Egypt, even to the death of the son of the god Pharaoh. Then for good measure, the LORD kills the false god Pharaoh in the Red Sea. In Genesis when Rachel steals the family gods, she hides them by sitting on them during her time of the month. A woman is protecting these “gods” and makes them unclean by sitting on them in her condition! In Isaiah it is recounted how a man goes out and chops down a tree to obtain wood for his cooking and the heating of his house, and then, with a nice piece of the leftover wood, he carves a god and worships it. Ancient trash talking! The LORD God ridicules and mocks those useless gods the people chase after—only He is God, there is none beside Him!! [2]

[3]

Collect for Palm Sunday – Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [4]-

[2] https://www.1517.org/articles/old-testament-deuteronomy-3236-39-sunday-of-the-passion-series-c

Monday, April 7, 2025

Tuesday prior to Palm Sunday

[1]

Psalm 118:19-29; key verse, verse 26 – Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Again, these are the words used to praise Jesus when He came in triumph. At the end of that day and by the end of the week, He would be rejected. The people simply wanted a different kind of King. What sort of king are you seeking? Does Jesus fit the profile? If not, for what sort of king should you seek?

Psalm 118: Looking to Christ the Chief Cornerstone

“Most probably David was the author of this psalm…. It partakes of David’s spirit, and everywhere shows the hand of a master. The style is grand and noble; the subject, majestic.” (Adam Clarke)

Though this was likely David’s psalm, it was also Luther’s psalm. “This is my own beloved psalm. Although the entire Psalter and all of Holy Scripture are dear to me as my only comfort and source of life, I fell in love with this psalm especially. Therefore I call it my own. When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even saints could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles. As a result, it is dearer to me than all the wealth, honor, and power of the pope, the Turk, and the emperor. I would be most unwilling to trade this psalm for all of it.” (Martin Luther, cited by James Montgomery Boice) [2]

[3]

Collect for Psalm 118: Lord God, your Son, rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church. Shed rays of your glory upon your Church, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to al nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its courts to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection, now and forever. [4]

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-118/