Today is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. It is also Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus rides into our lives not with force, but with invitation – calling us to follow, to risk, and to trust. We don't always understand where the road leads. Our tendency, like the Jerusalem crowds, is to profess our faith in moments of enthusiasm and deny our faith in moments of stress. We sing and praise God, happy of heart and strong of spirit, when we are among others who praise Him too. But in times of stress, we seek scapegoats to be targets for our anger. We betray those we love and who have loved us, and we turn against God as well. But His compassion is without bounds, and He forgives us again and again.
Today, we join Jesus in the final ascent to Jerusalem, knowing the depths we will descend on our journey through Holy Week. We join the disciples in declaring that Jesus, riding on a donkey, is our Ruler, the One who will bring peace and salvation for all. We remember the crowds in Jerusalem who laid their cloaks on the road, shouting "Hosanna" as Jesus passed. We know they were looking for a Messiah who was different from who God sent Jesus to be – not one of political power and military might, but one who came in compassion and mercy to heal, love, and save. Let us be confident that the Messiah for whom we long is Jesus Christ, the Anointed One.
Today is Palm Sunday - Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord - the King of Israel! Rev. Ron Bartlow gives today's sermon from…