Some of you might think it is odd that the Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent is about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. You might ask, “Why is a Palm Sunday text on the First Sunday in Advent? Shouldn’t we hear about Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus?”
But Advent and Lent actually have a lot in common. They are both penitential seasons. We repent during Advent because our sin caused Jesus to be born. We also repent during Lent because our sin caused Jesus to die on the cross. During Advent and Lent we gather for Midweek services so that we spend more time in God’s Word, prayer, and devotion. Advent prepares us for Christmas, whereas Lent prepares us for Easter. It all goes together.
The word Advent means “to come.” It is fitting, then, that the word “come” appears twice in our Holy Gospel for today. In verse 5 we hear, “Behold, your king is coming to you,” and in verse 9, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” So, the Palm Sunday reading is appointed for the First Sunday in Advent to emphasize Christ’s coming.
Today we will answer three questions: Who comes? How does He come? And why does He come?
First, “Who comes?” The prophet Zechariah says, “Behold, your king is coming.” Who is coming? A King is coming. According to Zechariah, this King is the promised Savior.
Jeremiah, in our Old Testament reading, says that God will “raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as king.” Again—who is coming? A King is coming. And according to Jeremiah, this King is the promised Savior.
The Good News is that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of both Zechariah and Jeremiah. Jesus is the King of whom Zechariah spoke, and He is the righteous Branch—David’s offspring—of whom Jeremiah prophesied.
Jesus is a King, but He is unlike the kings of this world. Earthly kings come and go; their kingdoms end. But Jesus is both God and man, and His kingdom has no end. As God, Jesus knew where the donkey and colt were, and He knew the owner would give them to His disciples.
The Palm Sunday crowd treated Jesus as a King. They didn’t roll out the red carpet for him, but they laid their cloaks and palm branches on the road before Him. They shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” David was a king, and Jesus is David’s Son. Therefore, Jesus is a King.
Jesus is like King David—but greater. David fought with the sword, yet Jesus won His kingdom by being crucified and rising again.
Jesus is like King Solomon—but greater. When King Solomon rode into Jerusalem on a mule, the people greeted him with shouts of “Long live King Solomon” (1 Kings 1:33-34). Yet Solomon died. Jesus died too, but unlike Solomon, Jesus rose from the dead, and His kingdom is everlasting.
Jesus is not like Caesar or Pilate. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. It is a kingdom of grace and mercy. Our ascended Lord now rules by means of the Gospel and the Sacraments.
Because Jesus is King, we must not treat Him as a “bread king” who simply gives us what we want. We must not use Him for personal gain. We must not tell him what to do. We must not reduce Him to a political figure. We must not make the Church into an earthly kingdom. We must not bring the things of this world into the church.
Advent calls us to repentance. Wake up. Look at your sin. Do not live, as St. Paul warns in our Epistle, in orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality, wild living, quarreling, or jealousy. These are sins of the flesh and of the world. Do not walk in the night of unbelief, but walk in the light of Christ. Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Confess your sin and trust in the forgiveness of sins.
Again, Advent is a time of repentance because it was our sin that caused Jesus to be born and it was our sin that caused Him to die upon the cross.
Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, in essence, “Yes, but not of this world” (Jn 18:36). Pilate even placed the inscription “King of the Jews” above Jesus’ cross. The thief on the cross knew the truth. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He saw with the eyes of faith that Jesus is a King with a heavenly kingdom. Jesus’ crown was a crown of thorns, and His throne was the cross. Jesus died, yet He rose, and now reigns in grace and mercy. Jesus is your King. He is ruling by means of the Gospel and the Sacraments.
There is an Advent hymn titled, “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns” (LSB 348). Stanza four of our closing hymn (Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come) goes like this: “Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son! Jesus, hear our supplication! Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown, Bring us blessing and salvation, That forever we may sing: Hail! Hosanna to our King” (LSB 350).
So, who comes? Jesus comes as your King of kings and Lord of all lords. He reigns forever. He rules for your good and for your salvation.
Second, “How does Jesus come?” Zechariah 9:9 says, “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.” How does Jesus come? He comes in righteousness. He comes bringing salvation. He comes humble and mounted on a donkey. He comes in the name of the Lord. He comes as the promised Savior.
Jesus came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. The people wanted a warrior king on a horse, not a humble Savior on a donkey. They wanted Jesus to have an army, not a small band of disciples. They wanted Jesus to enter Jerusalem with splendor and greatness not in humility. By the end of the week, they cried out “Crucify him.” Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him.
Having a sinful nature, we want a Jesus to be strong and powerful. We want Him to come with splendor and greatness. We want the Church to rule the world. But God’s ways are not our ways, and our ways are not God’s way.
How did Jesus come? He came in all humility being born of a poor mother and being laid in a manger. He came into Jerusalem by humble means of a donkey and not a war horse. He died in humility being nailed to a cross.
How does Jesus come to us today? He comes in humble means: water, word, bread, and wine.
The eye sees only water, but faith hears God’s promise that you are born again by water and the Spirit. The eye sees only a man speaking the words of absolution, but faith hears Christ’s promise: “Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven.” The eye sees bread and wine, but faith hears the words of Christ: “This is My body… this is My blood… for the forgiveness of sins.” So, walk by faith in God’s promises, not by sight.
As a forgiven sinner, you do not sleep in unbelief, but you are awake with faith in Christ. You do not walk in the night of sin, but you walk properly as in the day. You do not live in the darkness of this world, but the light of Christ shines through you to others. You do not gratify the desires of the flesh, but the fruits of the Spirit are evident in your life. You do not live in slavery to sin, but you live in the freedom Christ has given you. You freely love one another those within your family and those whom God has placed near you.
How does Jesus come? He comes giving you His righteousness, His salvation, and His forgiveness, through the humble means of Gospel and Sacrament. He comes as your Savior and your Redeemer.
Finally, “Why does Jesus come?” Jeremiah says that He comes to deal wisely and to execute justice and righteousness. Afterall, Jeremiah says: “The LORD is our righteousness.”
Jesus once said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn 3:17). Jesus did not come merely to condemn the world and then ascend back to heaven with no Good Friday or Easter. Jesus did not come merely to preach the law and then return to His Father in heaven with no cross or open tomb. Jesus did not come to criticize us and then leave us alone with no Gospel. Rather, Jesus came to save us from sin, death and the devil. The law still applies to us. Jesus’ mission was not to be a new lawgiver. Rather, He came to fulfill the law and to die on the cross for our sin.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He did not defend His innocence before the Sanhedrin. He did not persuade Pilate to set him free, and He did not fight back when the guards struck Him. Rather, Jesus entered Jerusalem to give His life as a ransom and to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The cross was the only way to save us who are lost in sin.
Dearly beloved, do not fear your Savior’s coming. He comes to you with thoughts of peace. You confess your sins, and He takes them away. The Law shows your sin, and the Gospel shows your Savior. You are sorry for your sin and God gives you faith to trust in the forgiveness of sins.
But woe to the one who rejects God’s Word. Woe to the one who resists the Holy Spirit. Such a person will see Jesus as Judge.
Why does Jesus come today? He doesn’t come to judge you, but to save you. He is your Good Shepherd, and you are His baptized lamb. He is your King and you belong to His kingdom. He is your Savior and you are His redeemed child.
So, who comes? Jesus comes as your King of kings and Lord of lords. How does He come? He comes by humble means of Gospel and Sacraments. Why does He come? He comes to save you from sin and to open heaven for you and for all who believe.
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Hosanna to our risen and ascended Lord. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is Jesus who comes to us in bread and wine!
To Him be all glory, now and forevermore. Amen.
