“GOD THE KING SAVES”
Saint Matthew 21: 1-9
PALMARUM: 25 March Anno Domini 2018
Father Jay Watson SSP
Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! It’s all about Hosanna, i.e. it’s all about Jesus. Not the Jesus of anyone’s imagination or sinful manipulative desires, but The Lord of The Church and of The Word. His Person and Work.
His Person is King—the True Zion, the True Israel, The Son of David and David’s Lord. God!
His Work is Hosanna.
That word is an Aramaic expression which can be translated “please save” but has come to be translated in the context of it’s placement by The Holy Ghost in the Palmarum narrative as “save now,” “save us,” and in those words the crowd is shouting “God The King save us,” or even, “God save The King.” It’s all about Jesus’ Person and Work. A King—a different kind of King; A Work of Rescue—a different kind of saving.
The Holy Ghost has called you this morning by The Word for Hosanna, not history.
The History was the prophetic utterance that Saint Zecharias “spake by The Holy Ghost.” It was fulfilled in The Nazarene’s Hosanna.
The crowd, buoyed by many, maybe a majority, of Galileans in Jerusalem for The Passover, knew that Jesus was important—maybe the most important Rabbi they had ever seen or heard of. But they missed the import if they thought that His Messiah-ship was socio-political, or military. There would be no deliverance from Sanhedrin collaboration, Publican corruption and thievery, or Roman insult and domination. There would be no King David redux. There will be no glory and triumph for any of you in an earthly sense. Your fate is bound to The One that rode to death.
But if this was only the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem you would be dead in trespasses. This is the day that Jesus rides into this nave and chancel to take away your sins. If this was only a parade of clothes and branches strewn on the highway to Calvary you would be lost and damned. This is the day that Jesus has you paraded to His riven side that He might give you shade with His pierced palms and cover you with His clothes of righteousness.
There is no scandal or affront to your old-nature in your Savior saving you. There is a scandal to your sinful self in your Savior being a servant on the back of a donkey on His way to torture and execution as a criminal and loser.
Hosanna! God save The King! He did not. The Father let the King die as an idolater, thief, murderer, fornicator, adulterer, gossip, and coveter. i.e. as a sinner, as you, “for you,” in your place. God save The King! The King saved you by not saving Himself.
The Son of David makes all of you David’s this morning—Kings and Queens and Royal Priests.
When you sing the great Hosanna during the Sanctus, do not let it escape you, that your shouts are to a very PRESENT Jesus. You’re bowing your heads to His journey to this Communion rail. Your song is to The One that you confess is “riding” now into your very midst…in The Sacrament. He Is coming in The Name of The Lord, His Holy Name + Jesus. This is the highest, this is the altar, this is forgiveness, life, and peace. Hosanna. God The King Saves you!
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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