Preparing for the Lord's Day
Jesus is Better
This Sunday we remember Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem the week of his arrest, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. As Jesus comes to the city of Jerusalem he rides upon a humble donkey, yet showered with the praises of the people. The crowds call out to Jesus, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They wave palm branches before him indicating their identification of Jesus as the king. The contrast is evident. Jesus comes in outward humility but with the adulation of the crowds. He is lowly and exulted. There is a tension between what is present and what is to come.
It is this tension between present humility and future glory that is explained in our passage from Hebrews. The author has continued to display the superiority of Jesus above the angels and yet a question remains. If Jesus is in control of all things, why is chaos still at play in the world? The recipients of this letter may have been asking, “If Jesus is King, why are we being persecuted by the powers of this world?” You, personally, may ask, “If Jesus is sovereign, why is there such hardship and struggle in my life?” And what we will see in our passage for this Sunday is that to have peace in this world of chaos we must worship this donkey-riding king. Amid hardship, every Christian must trust that Christ is in control. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Hebrews 2, Genesis 1:26, Psalm 8, Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 21:1-11, and this video on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.
As we gather to worship our Humble King this Palm Sunday, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Processional Hymn “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”, the Acclamation of Praise “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus!” and the Hymn of Response “Lift High the Cross.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him! This week we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. For as we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits.
Sermon Information:
Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:5-9
Title: A Donkey-Riding King
Outline:
- We Must Have a Vision of the Future (v. 5)
- We Must Have a Knowledge of the Past (vv. 6-8a)
- We Must Have a Trust in the Present (vv. 8b-9)