Palm Sunday Homily – Deacon Jeff Sutterman
I. Hosanna in the Highest!
A. “Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!”
B. Focus of our celebration today
C. What do we mean?
II. Son of David, King of the Jews, Messiah
A. In this final week before His Passion, reveals His Kingship
B. We normally may think of Jesus as the mild, gentle shepherd
C. With great bravery and courage
D. Jesus makes His march to Jerusalem to claim His Kingship, and to face His death
III. Jesus’ march on Jerusalem
A. Jesus’ march on Jerusalem begins with His own disciples
B. But by the time He reaches Jericho, there is “a great multitude”
C. The blind beggar Bartimaeus may be the first to “see”
1. Incessantly calls Jesus, “Son of David”
D. The expectation, and the crowd, continue to increase
E. “Could this be the Son of David, the one who is to restore David’s throne, the Messiah?”
F. The sick are healed, the poor hear the Word of God, the blind see, and Jesus even restores the dead man Lazarus to life
IV. This King is different
A. But this doesn’t march with an army of soldiers
B. He marches with the anaweim, the people of the Beatitudes,
C. The poor of spirit, humble of heart, those who seek God and righteousness, the peacemakers
V. Jesus, Son of David, King of the Jews
A. While the signs Jesus orchestrates to us appear mysterious, even harmless
B. To Jesus’ contemporaries they are a courageous claim to Kingship
C. And a brave challenge to the false king Herod, the High Priest Caiphas, and the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate
VI. Looking at The Signs
A. Jesus enters Jerusalem from Bethany to the Mount of Olives, the road the Messiah was expected to take
B. Jesus instructs two disciples to find and bring Him a donkey
C. Jesus’ claiming the Right of a King to take possession of a horse when “He has need of it”
D. King’s horse is only for the King, “on which no one else has sat.”
E. Genesis 49:11 – “The obedience of the peoples shall be upon him who binds his donkey to the vine.”
F. I Kings 1:33-34 – King David orders Solomon his son to be sat upon his own mule and taken to be anointed King.
G. In today’s Gospel, quoting Zechariah, “your king is coming to you, mounted on a donkey
1. Just as this King’s army is the poor, the humble
2. So too Jesus’s animal is not a magnificent war horse, but a humble donkey
3. Signs that Jesus is not establishing a military or political kingdom
H. (2 Kings 9:13) – Origins of the Davidic tradition: spreading garments before enthroning a newly anointed King
VII. Most especially the words “Hosanna in the Highest” – Psalm 118
A. Blessing upon pilgrims, in expectation of the Messiah
B. “The Lord, my strength and might, came to me as savior”
C. “I shall not die but live, and declare the deeds of the Lord.”
D. “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” ---and the ending----
E. “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest!
Join in procession with leafy branches
up to the very altar of God”
VIII. Jerusalem
A. The crowds wave their leafy branches, and
B. Jesus leads the procession up to the very Temple in Jerusalem
C. Under the wary, watchful eyes of Caiphas, Herod, and Pontius Pilate
D. Caiphas and the Sanhedrin begin immediately to plot against this claimant to David’s throne
1. “Better that one should die than a whole people.”
E. The Roman guards posted around the exterior of the Temple
1. Are a far, far way from home
2. Outnumbered, they watch this crowd in full insurrection
3. Feel their nervous perspiration trinkle down the inside of their armor
F. The crowds are right in declaring Jesus as Son of David, and their King
1. But in their grandest dreams, they couldn’t possibly imagine the glory of the Kingdom Jesus is about to establish
2. Or the gift of Himself He is about to establish in the new Covenant of bread and wine
G. Their common, erroneous expectations of Kingship will lead to confusion, fear, and abandonment
H. In contrast to Jesus’ courage, his disciples will abandon Him
I. Jesus will deliver Himself into the hands of Caiphas and Pontius Pilate
J. The Roman Guards will take out their fears and anxieties on the King of the Jews, nearly beating and scourging him death, mocking Him with a fake crown.
K. Finally, the elevation of this King and the New Kingdom is upon a Cross, as Jesus is crucified,
L. Revealing the unimaginable Love God has for each of us.
IX. Today – Why shout Hosanna?
A. Still, while the crowds expectations of the Kingdom fell short, they were right in shouting, “Hosanna.”
B. Their “Hosanna!” pointed out Jesus as Messiah, the Son of David, and they were correct
C. Why do we imitate them today? …. And every Sunday
D. Not just Palm Sunday, but every Sunday
E. At the beginning of every Eucharistic Prayer,
we echo the crowds, as we proclaim:
“Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the Highest!”
X. Our Hosanna
A. Why imitate them?
B. As the crowds pointed out the Son of David,
C. We are called to point out the Son of God
D. In our homes, our communities, our workplaces, our schools,
E. We are to find the Risen Christ, shout Hosanna!
F. And lead others to the risen Christ!
XI. This week, we will keep the Holy Week Holy
A. Invite you to celebrate the Triduum and special events this week
B. Chrism Mass at Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
C. We will place our blessed palms in our homes to remind us of our vocation to shout “Hosanna”
D. In your workplace? Your locker at school?
E. Most especially, We will make a special effort to find the Risen Christ in our daily lives
F. Shout, “Hosanna”
G. And point out the Risen Lord to others.
H. In our homes, our communities, our workplaces, our schools,
I. We will find the unconditional Love of the Father and His Risen Son at work in the world
J. And point out their works of Love to those around us.