“Today the Palms! Tomorrow the Cross!!”
Palm Sunday
March 16, 2008
Pastor Suzanne Taczak

Remember how much fun it is to watch a parade or to be a part of it? Even if you watch it on TV, there is always something happening, isn’t there? It’s always so exciting!

Such was the parade on that first Palm Sunday. The famous personality leading the parade was none other than Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Son of Man, and Savior of the world. Instead of a spirited horse, He was riding a lowly donkey. There were no marching bands, but music filled the air with, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The crowd really got into it when they took off their cloaks and spread them on the way, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. They waved those palms!!!!

But what happens after a parade is important to note, too. Many people return to their homes, the excitement diminished, and their lives back to normal again.

Much the same probably happened on that first Palm Sunday. Only for them life would no longer be the same. Dramatic changes and events were about to take place. Good Friday is on the horizon. The glad hosannas will fade and shouts of “Crucify Him!” fill the air.
We can certainly say that, on Palm Sunday, Jesus was greeted whole heartedly by the people of Jerusalem as if he were the King of Israel. Yet, by Friday they were shouting “Crucify Him!”

We who have joined the Palm Sunday parade, today, need to ask ourselves, “What effect will all this have on us?”  What difference had the Christ made in their lives?

That’s the question that confronts us this day, also. We have come to worship, and we will receive our palms. What difference will Jesus Christ make in our lives?

What difference will He make when adversity comes? It’s not difficult to see Christ in our lives when times are good, and we're feeling healthy and happy. When adversity comes what do we do?

What’s interesting is that the disciples are not our role models in the face of adversity. They were probably there, a part of the Palm Sunday. They were with Him during the first part of the week. They met with Jesus onThursday, but in the Garden the same night they fled from Him. Most of them didn't show up at the crucifixion. John was there and some of the women. Only the women were the ones who ran to the tomb on that first Easter morn. Not His disciples. Not even the inner circle of Peter, James and John, until later. They were scared to death that what happened to Jesus would happen to them.

Today, there are those who think that if I don’t see God’s generous blessing in my life, then I don’t want to follow Him! If life for me isn’t fun and games, then I don’t want what he calls of me! If I’m going to suffer in any way, then forget about it! If Jesus gets too demanding, or demands sacrifices too great, then I’ll drop out of the parade!

Times of adversity are times of testing in our own lives, too - the testing of our faith.

One of the keys for our life, amid difficulties, is to draw closer to Christ and our fellow Christians in times of adversity. There will be times in the life of each of us when we will encounter situations that are terrifying, frightening, sickening and depressing. We need support. We need someone to listen to us. We need someone to pray for us and with us. But above all we need to accept the invitation of our Savior who beckons to us. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mat 11:28). Will our problems disappear? They may or may not. We may receive the answer that Paul received (2 Cor 12:9), “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

When Jesus needed His disciples the most, they fled. Coaches like to use the expression, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” In the case of the disciples it was more like, “When the going gets tough, we’re going to get going - right out of town.”

But what about us? It’s easy to express our Christian faith when we’re among fellow Christians -here in church or out to lunch with ten other Christians. But when we’re alone, maybe in an environment that isn’t exactly friendly to the Christian, are we bold in the Holy Spirit?
Why would we recognize Jesus as our Lord Sunday after Sunday,
and then forget who He is by . . . Monday?

Is it, perhaps, because we human beings are a sinful, fallen people? Is it, perhaps, because those people who greeted Jesus on Sunday, really didn't know who they were proclaiming, and certainly not why?
The Christ who rode into Jerusalem was headed to the cross of Good Friday, where He bore all our sins, including forsaking Him in time of trial and tribulation and testing, including the times when we ought to have witnessed for Him but instead crawled into our little shell. There is forgiveness for all sins, as we trust in the Christ who rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday; and we join the crowd today in our own little parade and sing our praises to Him who is our Savior and King. In faith we sing, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

They didn't flock to see Jesus because they had heard that he was the Son of God, their Almighty Lord and Savior. They didn't flock to see Jesus because he was God, the second person of the Trinity.No, they flocked to see Jesus because they thought he was a powerful magician.They had heard that he could work great miracles, great signs,
and so they went to greet him, in hopes that he would free them from their yoke of bondage to the Romans.

They had no idea that Jesus had not come to free Israel from Rome's rule,
but, rather, to free us all from sin. Indeed, Jesus had come to free the whole world, all of creation,from the oppression of sin and death.The Gospel message is one which frees us from power of sin and death,from the evil forces of spiritual blindness, and demonic control, which have gripped the world since the days of Adam and Eve. The people who went out, waving palms, failed to see and understand this fact. Jesus wasn't there to free them from Rome, Jesus was there to free them from Satan.

 Jesus’ very disciples failed to understand it too.

“His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him.” Well, if the apostles didn't even get it and they saw all His miracles and they lived with him day and night for 3 years, what do you expect of us, you ask? And then there is the really hard part ---- The Crucifixion.

Why was Christ crucified? Why did the Son of God have to go through such horrible agony? Why did the Almighty God, the King of Creation, go through this horrendous trial and ordeal? Why did Jesus have to die?

I’m afraid that the answer isn’t nice. We are sinners. We have fallen short. . . oh, so far short... of the Glory of God. We are the reason Christ was crucified. You . . . and me.
I used to like to blame Adam and Eve for this mess we are all in. But what if you and I were there in the Garden? What would we have done? We're doing it now so we know the answer! We are sinners! This realization must hit home before Easter morning will have any meaning at all.

We are the reason Christ was crucified. We are the reason God sent His only Son, to die on a Cross. Before we can see and understand the Glory of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and accept His forgiveness which comes through His blood which was shed on the cross in atonement for our sins, we must first be driven to understand and accept that we are all sinners.

We must ask "Who is Jesus to me?"

This day Jesus goes to do something world shaking, and life-changing in our behalf. What are you looking for? And are you willing to set it aside for a bit…recognize for one brief shining moment that its not about you…not about what you want…not about making you feel good. But it’s about healing in our lives! It's about understanding what Christ really did for us! It's about submitting to His authority and His power in our lives! You want power from the Holy Spirit, then submit yourselves to His will and be a part of something big this week!! Do you want Him to bless your lives, bless your families and bless your socks off, then come to Him this Holy Week!!!
 “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin if the world!”

Isaiah 53:7 prophesied that the Messiah, God's servant, would be led to the slaughter like a lamb. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”

To pay the penalty for sin, a life had to be given. God chose to provide the sacrifice Himself. The sins of the world were forgiven when Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” The sin of the world means everyone's sin, the sin of each individual, you and I. You can receive forgiveness by confessing your sin directly to Him and asking for His forgiveness!

So my question is this for you today, “What are you expecting this week? Not just of Jesus, what are our expectations of the church? What do you expect of your Pastors? What do you expect of each other? What are you willing to do for His Kingdom?

There is a life ahead of us, and a purpose for us. None of us knows just how long that life will be, just how much time we have left. Every time we learn of someone who dies young, we are reminded of that. Right now people are dying is Africa! Our troops are dying at war! People close to us die!

None of us can know all that the future holds. We don't know how long we will be on this earth. But we can know that God has a purpose for us. He calls us to love Him and love others with the kind of love that makes a difference. He calls us to speak out the truth, to reach out our hands, to hold out our hearts.

And he calls us to do that now. Many people hold off about being truly faithful to Christ. "One day I'll be obedient," we say. "One day I'll be truly committed. One day I'll serve Him." One day I'll follow Him with my life!

Let that “one day” be today!!!!

 To see Pastor Suz's sermon in it's entirety, please go to: