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In the name of Jesus, amen. Dear saints, we celebrate today rightly on Palm Sunday as the triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus. But I think that if we understood it right in its historical context, and even as it’s presented to us in the scriptures, we might, instead of calling it the triumphal entry of Jesus, call it the triumphal entry of Jesus. Because compared to other triumphal entries, it’s just not that grand. Consider, for example, just as an example, the triumphal entry of Alexander the Great into conquered Babylon. where he sent before him all of the prisoners of war, and then all of his foot soldiers, and then all of his mounted soldiers on horses, and then he had cages with lions and leopards, and then he had himself on a golden chariot pulled by four white horses, and they had every quarter mile incense burning and choirs singing, and the whole city of Babylon was out on the wall to watch the glory of the man coming into the king. Or they had in Rome the tradition of the triumph. If you went out, you had to apply to the Senate to make a triumphal entry, if you had conquered and killed so many enemies of the Roman nation, and then when you came back into Rome, you would do the same sort of thing. You would have your armies and your prisoners and all your mounted soldiers, and then you as the conqueror would ride on this golden chariot pulled by four warhorses with this white robe and a garland on your head and your face painted red, and you would go on this particular… parade route and everyone would see your glory and your wonder.
Even I think, if we’re right about the history of this, on the same day that Jesus went into Jerusalem, that was 1,994 years ago today, on that same day as Jesus was coming over the Mount of Olives and going down the path and coming into Jerusalem from the north, Herod was making his own triumphal entry. riding, no doubt, a warhorse, surrounded by soldiers, making a big show of his power and his strength. And so when we compare all of these other triumphal entries to our Lord Jesus, who’s there on a donkey, not a warhorse or an elephant or riding a chariot or something like that, but on a donkey, on a foal, on a young donkey, not wearing a sword, not wearing a crown or a laurel, Not surrounded by armies, but by disciples and by children with palm leaves, singing Psalm 118, Hosanna in the highest. We see that the prophecy from Zechariah is fulfilled, that Jesus comes to us meekly, lowly in humility. And that humility cannot be missed because Jesus this week will humble himself. This is what Paul preaches about in Philippians chapter 2. And I want us to think about this text today. It’s on page 5 in your bulletin. Some of the old Bible commenters say that it’s a hymn that Paul is quoting to us about the humiliation of our Lord Jesus. But here, I just want us to contrast what Paul is talking about with what we know happened in the Garden of Eden.
Remember how the Lord had placed Adam and Eve there, given them everything that they had, that they could have ever desired, put one tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden that was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And remember how the devil came to tempt them to eat that fruit. And he did it by saying, if you eat it, you will be like God. Now Adam and Eve were already like God. They were already created in the image and likeness of God. The Lord had already fashioned them with his righteousness and holiness so that they could stand before him and speak with him and live with him forever. But the devil tempts them now. It makes the likeness of God, you will be like God, knowing good and evil, makes likeness with God something that they reach out and grasp and they take a hold of it, that forbidden fruit. They grab it and they take it and they eat it and they invite to themselves… and to you and I corruption and sin and death. But Jesus does not have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God as something to be grasped. Jesus is doing the opposite of what Adam and Eve did in the garden.
He’s not reaching out and grabbing a hold of the glory that even was his already. He’s not. But he makes himself, look at what Paul says, he makes himself nothing, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. I know I’ve been preaching about this text a lot lately. I cannot read past it without getting goosebumps on my arms, and almost now a tear comes into my eye. Because do you see what Paul is pointing out here? That we who had the image of God and the likeness of God lost it. We gave it away. We squandered it. We ate the forbidden fruit. We grasped for that which was not authorized. And so we fell. And now you and I are born not in the image of God, but in the image of man, in the image of Adam, in the image of the man of dust, in the image of death and corruption and bondage. We’re born with the image of God defaced.
But Jesus, who originally created you and I to live with him forever and gave us that image, sees us lose his image of God and says, all right, if you can’t hold on to the image of God, if you lose the image of God, then I’m going to take upon myself the image of man so that I can be with you, so that I can be your brother, so that I can be bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh, so that I will not be separate from you. so that we who were originally created in God’s image but lost it, now have God who creates himself, who takes upon himself our image, and not just our image, but also our sin, also our corruption, also our mortality, also our shame. He takes upon himself our likeness so that, being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross, which is a punishment, which is a curse. Remember that verse in Deuteronomy that Paul quotes, cursed are all those who hang on a tree? So Jesus not only takes upon himself our flesh and blood, but he does it so that he can bear our sin and carry our sorrow. and suffer our guilt and our shame, that he can endure the wrath of God in our place so that he can be cursed with the curse that you and I deserve so that we can be blessed. He humbled himself. He comes on the donkey lowly, meekly, with gentleness, with peace so that he can forgive our sins.
And in all of this, Jesus is not, he’s not reaching out to grasp a hold of godliness or glory or the form of God or equality with God. In all of this, He’s reaching out to grab a hold of you. Now, I do not want us to miss this. I don’t want us to miss ever, but especially this week, today, all week, that all the things that Jesus did, all of the suffering that He endured, all of the shame and the spit and the mockery and the whip and the nails and all of it, all of this, He gladly suffers so that He can take a hold of you, so that He can call you His own dear child, so that He can forgive your sins and give you the confidence that you will stand before Him in glory and righteousness forever. Jesus is stripped by the soldiers so that you can be covered in His righteousness. He’s beaten by the soldiers so that you can be welcomed by God. He’s whipped by the soldiers so that you can be healed. He’s nailed to the cross so that you can be exalted. He’s crowned with thorns so that he can declare you forgiven. He suffers all of this so that you can rejoice in him, so that his sorrow is your peace, and his death is your life. Your life indeed.
So we have this mind among ourselves. It’s ours in Christ Jesus. Even though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped. but instead grasped you. He made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Dear saints, this, the humble, triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, this is our victory, this is our joy, and this is our peace. May God grant it for Christ’s sake. Amen. and the peace of God which passes all understanding. Guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.