Palm/Passion Sunday Jesus Died For Us -Matthew 21: 1-11 and Matthew 26:14 - 27:66

We are in the middle of March Madness. The Girl’s Basketball Tournament finished last night. The Boy’s Tourney is this week. The NCAA begins on Tuesday. All kinds of kids are going to experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

The Christmas story tells us that Jesus was born as a true human being, but it is the two gospel stories we read today that confront us with how truly human Jesus really was. In the story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem we see that Jesus experiences the thrill of victory. People are calling out his name. They are waving palm branches, praising him and naming him the Son of David. They are cheering him on as they proclaim him to be the king, the messiah, the long awaited savior.

Years ago the church went from just celebrating Palm Sunday, to also emphasizing this as Passion Sunday so that people wouldn’t miss the story of Jesus’ sacrificial death. If you only attend worship on Palm Sunday and Easter, and miss Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, you could miss the depth of love Jesus demonstrates for you with his death on the cross. You could go from glory to glory while missing the gory story of the suffering and agony Jesus experienced because of our sin.

In the story of the passion history we see how deeply Jesus experienced the agony of defeat. He is betrayed, falsely arrested, abandoned by his friends, unjustly accused, mocked, beaten, spit upon, crowned with thorns and finally killed on a cruel cross.

The story of Jesus passion, his suffering and death, graphically illustrates how human he really was and how much he entered into our experience. This story about Jesus is also a story about us. If we look at it we can see ourselves there.

The long version of the passion history from Matthew begins with Judas betraying Jesus into the hands of the chief priests. He sells Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.

You have met Judas. It may have been under a different name, but he or she betrayed you just the same. They sold you out. They stabbed you in the back. They betrayed you.

Six foot ten inch tall, major league pitcher, Randy Johnson, nicknamed The Big Unit, has battled some demons in his life. Early in his career he struggled with alcoholism. He claims his troubles started when he came home early one day to find his best friend in bed with his wife.

Talk about betrayal. That is about as big as it gets, except for Judas, who betrayed Jesus into the hands of his enemies.

As much as we hate to admit it, there have been times when we have been Judas. We have betrayed others. Someone has shared a secret and we haven’t kept it to ourselves. We got credit for something someone else did and we accepted it without correcting the mistake. We have been Judas.

Jesus went to the cross and died so the sins of all who have betrayed others might be forgiven. He went to the cross so that we might forgive those who have betrayed us.

Matthew tells us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He took Peter, James and John with him. He told them how upset he was. He pleaded with them to stay awake and pray with him. He went off by himself and prayed so fervently that his sweat was like drops of blood. They fell asleep on the job.

I am sure they wanted to stay awake. They wanted to be supportive of Jesus, but they couldn’t follow through on their good intentions.

How many times has that happened to us?

How many times have we had such good intentions?

How many times have we had such big plans for doing the right thing and then failed because the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak?

Jesus went to the cross and died so the sins of all those who fail to fulfill their good intentions could be forgiven. He died so that we might have the power to forgive those who have failed us.

When Jesus was arrested all his disciples scattered and ran. They were scared. They wanted to save their own skin. Peter was brave enough to follow at a distance. He even entered into the courtyard of the high priest where Jesus was being tried. But when people identified him as a follower of Jesus he denied it, not once but three times.

How often have we failed to stand up for our convictions?

How often have we told a white lie to avoid a problem or confrontation?

How often have we said nothing when someone else made a racist or sexist remark, laughing with the rest of the crowd, because we were too cowardly to stand up for what is right?

Jesus went to the cross and died so the sins of those who fail to stand up for their faith, or for justice or for what is right might be forgiven. He died so that we might forgive those who have failed to stand up for us.

Matthew tells us about Pontius Pilate. He questioned Jesus and could find no wrong in him. But the priests and the elders stirred up the crowd and incited the mob to demand Jesus’ death. Pilate yielded to the pressure. He literally washed his hands of the matter.

We look at big issues like war, world hunger, global warming, homelessness and we basically wash our hands of them. After all, what can one person do about those problems? But the truth is we can do something.

Maybe we can’t end war, but we can advocate for peace.

Maybe we can’t feed the world, but we can feed someone.

Maybe we can’t turn the tide of global warming, but we can be better stewards of the earth.

Maybe we can’t end homelessness, but we can work on a habitat house.

Our small effort will not change the world, but if each individual did their part, the world would be changed.

German theologian Martin Niemoller spoke to the US Congress after the Second World War and said, When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church — and there was nobody left to be concerned.

Jesus went to the cross and died to forgive the sins of those who cave in under pressure; who wash their hands of responsibility, who fail to be concerned; who fail to do what they can.

Matthew also tells of Simon of Cyrene, who was pressed into service to carry Christ’s cross. You can be sure he did not want to do this. According to the Gospel of Mark he was there with his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. He had to abandon his boys in the crowd and carry a heavy, blood-stained cross up the hill for a condemned man he didn’t know. If he hadn’t been so frightened of the Roman soldiers he would have refused. But he ended up being the closest person to Jesus on that fateful day. He helped Jesus bear his burden. Even though Simon was reluctant, he helped Jesus fulfill his mission. And something must have happened on that trip up to Golgotha. Simon’s son, Rufus, is later named as a believer in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

We are reluctant servants sometimes. We get pressed into service by our spouse or by our kids or by a friend. We really don’t want to do this thing, but in the end it turns out to be a positive in our lives. Service has a way of doing that.

Jesus didn’t want to die. He pleaded with God in the Garden of Gethsemane asking that this cup of suffering might pass from him. But he obediently went the way of the cross. He died so that we might live.

Think about it. It is amazing. Jesus died for our sins. He died for people who betrayed him, people who denied even knowing him; people who washed their hands of any responsibility for justice; people who entered into service out of fear and obligation. He died for you. He died for me.

Think about that during this holiest of weeks.

Jesus died for you. Won’t you live for him? Amen.

GUIDED BY THE GOSPEL: GATHERING • GROWING • GIVING