Our Narrative Lectionary provides this week’s passage as John 19:16b-22 with an option for
12:12-27...for those who want to preach on the Palm Sunday theme. I’ve decided
to follow the more traditional route—Palm Sunday, but I’m trimming the passage
a bit by focusing on John 12:12-19.
Let’s see where John takes us this week...
Summary—
v.12-15 – These verses are the reason
for this day of celebration. Jesus enters Jerusalem amidst the shouts of the
people and waving palm branches. We can focus here on the joy of the day, the
people caught up in hope and expectation. We can remember the prophecies
fulfilled in the person of Jesus.
v.16 – We find here one John’s
‘asides’—a bit of commentary that guides us to make connections even as Jesus’
disciples later made connections.
v.17-18 – We do get a better
understanding of who this crowd is: these are folks who had seen and heard
about the Lazarus affair, the resurrection of Jesus’ friend. In fact, if we
read the verses just prior to this passage (v.1-12), we see that the narrative
begins at Mary & Martha’s B&B. Many of the people there for supper have
been hanging out with Jesus, Lazarus, and Mary & Martha—these are the same
folks who now make up much of the crowd coming to Jerusalem.
v.19 – And, here we see the
Pharisees’ disdain. “Look how the whole world has gone after him.”
Thoughts and Observations—
While this is about Jesus’ grand
entry, I can’t help think of some folks I know—those who like to make a grand
entrance. I’ve even visited a few churches in which the pastor likes to enter
this way—oh, not with donkeys, palms and shouts of ‘Hosanna!’, but amid the
cheers of their members. Oh, did I fail to mention that I’ve had those moments
myself? Yep, riding the crest of the wave is heady stuff. But, only one person really
merited this entry—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Only Jesus really deserves
this kind of praise...so we may want to think twice before handing out this
kind of praise in any other direction, and we may want to check ourselves if
that praise is coming towards us (I’m reminded of the chorus of “The Ballad of
John and Yoko”....)
My focus for this week
will be vs. 17-18:
17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the
tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18Many
people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to
meet him.
These folks had something to shout
about! They had seen or just heard about the amazing thing that had taken place
back the Mary and Martha’s B&B—the resurrection of Lazarus. Here was
someone who had reversed death! Here was someone who could potentially save
sons and daughters, parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters...and their
own selves from the finality of death. Surely this was Messiah...and if this
was the work of Messiah, oh, how things would change! They had seen and
experienced something that had turned their world on its head. They experienced
a worldview shift—from one that posited death as final and forever to one that
recognized that even death is not the end. Their experience changed their lives—they
had something to shout about.
What about us? Has our Christian
experience changed our lives? Is the Christian faith something that has changed
our worldview? Does Jesus change the way we see the world? Has the Christian
faith permeated all areas of our lives? In short, has our faith in Jesus
changed us?
If not, then what is this we’re
doing? Is the faith a compartmentalized, intellectual assent that provides a
bit ‘fire insurance’ just in case all of “this” is true? Is our Christianity
something we don on Sunday mornings with a smile and a gentle attitude...just
something we do one day a week? Are we simply hanging on to something that was
important to Mom or Grandma? Is the Church just one social outlet among many,
perhaps one where I’ve been asked to be on or chair a committee...a place that gives
me nothing more than another outlet for social connection and perhaps a bit of
power or prestige? If any or all of these are the case, there is probably not
much to shout about.
But, if Jesus—his life, teachings,
death and resurrection—have so impacted our lives that we are now different
people; if the Christian faith has turned or is turning our broken, fractured
lives and families into something whole and healed; if God’s Word—the Scriptures—has
provided wisdom for living, hope for living, promises for living; if the
community of faith has rescued us from a life of loneliness; if the social
ministries of the church have filled our lives with purpose; if this faith has
permeated our lives, shaped our worldview, provided us with a deep sense of
connection to God and neighbor; if Jesus—as with Lazarus and those standing
around watching—has brought us back to life and has shown us that death is not
the end; well, we have something to shout about. Hosanna!! Blessed is he who comes
in the name of Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!
When we find a sale at the local
grocery store, when hear that there’s a new ethnic restaurant opening, when we
hear that government is giving us a tax break (has that ever really happened? 😊 )—when we hear good news, we share it. What about the Good News? Are we sharing that as
well? When Jesus has truly impacted our lives, changed our lives, it’s easier
to share that Good News.
If you have not truly experienced Jesus,
may today, this week, soon!, be the time that you allow this person—his life,
teachings, death and resurrection—touch, fill and change every part of your
life. If we have had that life-changing Jesus-experience, what are we waiting
for? We have something to shout about! And, we may just find that because of
our ‘shouting,’ because of our testimony, because we’re willing to tell others
of the change we have found in Jesus, lives may be changed and the church may
grow and our influence can impact home, business, school and community. Then, those
standing on the outside may say again, “Look how the whole world has gone after
him!”
(Closing song—“Shout to the Lord.”)
And, that’s where I think I’m going
this week—a call for people to examine their lives, to examine their faith: is
it a faith of ‘going through the motions,’ of is it a faith that works like
leaven throughout their lives? ‘Cause if this faith has truly changed us, we do
have something to shout about—whether it’s Jesus coming through the gates of
Jerusalem or through the gates of our lives.
Happy Preaching!
(Go HERE to read my intro to this
series.)
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