“RIDE ON”
Saint Matthew 21: 1-9
Ad Te Levavi (1st Sunday of Advent): 27 November Anno Domini 2022
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Jesus goes to Jerusalem. Yes, it was “THE” city of the Jews—God’s Zion, the place where He dwelled amongst His people in a located and physical way. But the city was largely apostate—fallen from grace by pagan leanings and Pharisaical heresies. The Gospel, to be sure, had been lost. They were not “looking” for Messiah. So, Messiah came to them.
“And when they drew night unto Jerusalem.” The “they” refers to Christ, His “12,” and then all of His other disciples (Mary Magdalene, Mary, Salome, Susanna, Joanna, Matthias, Justus Barsabbas, and the most Blessed Virgin Mary).
Advent—the period the Church chose (it’s not in the Bible but it is most definitely OF The Holy Scriptures); the period of penitence and eager anticipation of your Lord’s final Advent at the end of time. And thus, the beautiful and felicitous “tie-in” to the first Advent—your Lord’s Nativity in Bethlehem.
The entrance into Jerusalem ties Christmas (and its Adventide prelude) to Easter wherein The Lord enters Jerusalem for the final time on this donkey to suffer and die. Advent is not about evergreens, snowmen, sugar-plum fairies, reindeer, or colored lights. Advent is Christ drawing nigh (close) to you; The Prince of Peace to make you HIS Jerusalem—the very place/abode of peace.
You can choose to be super-busy and over-scheduled these next four weeks and have your “own” reward. Or, you can have The Holy Spirit constrain you into a mediated, meditated, intentional repose of Scripture reading, prayer, alms-giving (but NOT to the LGBTQ1a+, i.e., satanic “Salvation” Army (sic)) and fasting. Jesus wants to give you Peace that passes man’s understanding.
You know that THAT peace is not emotional “feel-goods,” it is objectively true and real and present in the God/Man’s flesh and blood. For all you post-Easter New Testament Christians, Advent gives you Immanuel before the 24th and 25th of December. But you are given Esaias’ Messiah—The Suffering Servant, not Joel Osteen’s (or sadly, many other protestant and Lutheran pastor’s “enabling life-coach” to success and warm “fuzzies.”
Yes, the First Sunday of Advent is about blood. It’s about suffering and death.
In your sinful and lost condition, The Lord carried you naked, dirty, and dead, to the “Bethphage” of the Holy + Font. You were washed clean and pure in His Blood in that Holy Water; sealed with the Olive Oil of His Word of Adoption—squeezed from His very flesh.
The Lord speaks and it is done.
“Go into the village over against you…find an ass…and a colt with her…loose them, and bring them unto Me.” They did and thus has it ever been done. The 2 Apostles representing all their successor in Christ’s Office; two for His own Two Natures (Divine and Human) and His full counsel (Law and Gospel) loose—i.e., they forgive sins in Holy + Absolution!
But this forgiveness—this redemption and restoration—family in-gathering of all prodigals—salvation, is only done, only accomplished because of where Christ was riding the two testaments towards; and why He was going; and how. So, thank The Lord and sing His praise: “Ride on, Ride on, in Majesty; in lowly pomp ride on to die.” Follow Him this blessed Adventide in the self-same attitude.
By hearing this Gospel text from Saint Matthew this morning, The Holy Ghost has brought the exact same Lord Christ Jesus unto this Jerusalem, this Bethphage called Augsburg, this Mount of Olives at our Altar—which is also Mount Sinai and Mount of Ascension, and most purely Mount Calvary—for you!
Daughter of Sion, fellow disciples and Saints, the Prophet’s words are fulfilled this morning; the Apostle’s words are fulfilled this morning. His Word from my vocal cords to your ears; His true and real Body and Blood from bread and wine; from my hands to your mouths.
“Behold, thy King cometh unto thee!”
And you too will sing with a devout, penitent, and yet joyful spirit: “Hosanna to The Son of David; Blessed + is He that cometh in The Name of The Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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