Luke 19:28-40 (Advent 1C)                                                              
St. John, Galveston 12/1/24
Rev. Alan Taylor                                                                                                               
 
                                            + In Nomine Jesu +
 
Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today’s message is based on the traditional Gospel reading for the 1st Sunday in Advent, Luke 19, the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into the City of Jerusalem.

“They brought (the colt) to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on (it), they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Just a few days after Jesus entered Jerusalem, His arms were outstretched. His hands and feet were pierced and bloodied. Above His head hung a plaque with words written in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It read "The King of the Jews." 
 
The scene was macabre, for sure, but there was also something unimaginable, even strange, about it. Who would expect to find a King there, on a cross, that is? I mean, Kings aren't treated in such a foul manner, are they?! They aren't crucified! Rather, kings are the ones who sentence people to suffer the indignity of the cross! They don't suffer it themselves! 
 
The Chief priests and the other people who looked on that day sought to do something about the unimaginable. They couldn’t comprehend a king dying in that way either. They demanded that Pilate change the sign atop the King’s cross to read, "He said He was the King of the Jews!" Reality though can’t be changed by pretense. And so, Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written!"
 
The shameful treatment of the King was, to some extent, fueled by His less than glorious arrival into the city of Jerusalem. Oh, it’s not that He deserved such disrespect and disdain, but He did have a certain heir of lowliness and humility about Him. The people of Jesus' day, you see, were accustomed to seeing, or, at least to hearing about Roman festivals and Roman celebrations of their victories. The grandest, the most glorious of those celebrations was an event called the Roman Triumph. It was a grand parade that lauded the accomplishments of Roman Generals and other figures of renown.
 
The Senate lead the procession. Trumpeters announced the arrival of those who were to be honored. Carts laden with the spoils of war, at times vast fortunes, followed the Senate on the parade route. There were more musicians, followed by white bulls and oxen that would later be sacrificed to the god Jupiter. Elephants and rare animals or exotic plants from the conquered countries were paraded. The arms and insignia of the leaders of the conquered enemy were followed by the enemy leaders themselves, with their relatives and other captives. The Roman General would follow them in a circular chariot drawn by four horses. He was clothed in a gold-embroidered robe, and a flowered tunic; he held a laurel bough in his right hand, a sceptre in his left, and wore a laurel wreath on his head. He was followed by his adult sons and his officers. After them came the the entire body of infantry carrying laurel adorned spears.
 
The King of the Jews made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey that had been borrowed from someone devoted to His cause. In a make shift fashion, the crowds did the best they could to honor Him. They laid their garments on the road in front of Him to pave the way. They waved palm branches, symbols of victory and triumph, and they shouted, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord!"
 
Though His procession was not grand, complete with the pomp of a Roman Triumph, the King was received gladly by the crowds. However, since it would be but a week later that He would be hung up on that shameful cross to die, you know there were some in the crowd who were already expressing their shock and dismay at the humble manner in which He entered the city.  "This is our King!?" This is how He comes to us, riding on a donkey!?" "This is His triumph!?" "This is His finest hour!?" "Will our Roman lords, who are looking on, take Him seriously!?"
 
Those who expressed such shame, would, of course, conclude that Jesus couldn't be taken seriously. Thus, in but a week's time, their cries changed from "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him! How sad...the King came unto His own and His own received Him not! They were scandalized by Jesus!
 
Since you and I are often put in a position of answering the unbelieving world's questions regarding why God does or doesn't do certain things, I wonder, have you ever found yourself scandalized by, or ashamed of Jesus?  Why does your God allow tragedies to happen to His own people? Why does He allow His word to be mocked and His followers to be persecuted and even killed? Why are their more non-Christians than there are Christians in the world? Why doesn't God just save the whole world by fiat, by one grand declaration!?
 
The unbelieving world, ashamed as they are of the cross, always want to justify their unbelief. And, if truth be told, you and I often find ourselves struggling to believe in the depths of our hearts what we confess with our lips about God. It is for us, not to feel compelled to answer for God, but, in the midst of the things we can't understand, to draw near to the King who comes to us so humbly that He might die for us who are sometimes at a loss to explain Him. 
 
Jesus, of course, still comes to you today. His manner of coming to you is no less humble than a stable on a cold winter's night, a dusty road in Jerusalem, a cross set upon a hill called Golgatha. He came to you in time in water and His word to transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light. Bread and wine seem less than royal means for a King to bless His subjects, but here, in this bread and wine, your King touches your sin parched lips to give you a King's pardon. 
 
And yes, as you labor over sins guilt, your King comes to you in the person of your pastor, who himself bears the same weight of sin and guilt as you do, who, none the less, is charged with declaring to you the Kings pardon.  Indeed, I, in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, forgive you all of your sins!
 
Opening His Word this morning, reading about Jesus' less than grand Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are confronted once again with the paradox of our faith. Christmas too, which is soon to be celebrated, reminds us of the same paradox. Our King, though glorious and powerful, doesn't come to us in ways that satisfy our craving for glory and power. Rather, He comes to us in ways deemed foolish by the world. Truth be told, He comes to us in ways deemed foolish by our own reason and senses too. 
 
A baby awakens in the middle of the night. His mother tends to His needs. A soiled diaper is replaced with a clean one. He nurses at His mother's breast because He's hungry. She comforts Him in a mother's warm and tender embrace. 
 
So it was that Mary comforted Jesus. Only, in this case, the meekness and lowliness of the scene was accentuated by the setting. Diapers were replaced with swaddling clothes. The stillness of the night was broken by the sounds of cattle lowing and sheep bleating out their mournful sounds. The sweet smell of baby powder was replaced with the stench of a stable.
 
And yet, the Child cuddled in Mary's arms is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who commands the stars and holds the planets in their orbit, who made all that has been made, whose arms would be stretched out and whose hands would be pierced and bloodied that the whole world would be reconciled to God. Who would have expected to find a King in such a place!?
 
From the manger to the cross one thing is clear.  Your King, my friends, comes to you in ways least expected. And yet, He is worthy of praise. Indeed, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord!"  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.
 
                                            + Soli Deo Gloria +