“Admiring Jesus”

Sermon for Palm Sunday April 1, 2012

Mark 11:1-11

Prayer:

Who do you admire?...... Who do you admire?

What are characteristics you admire most in that person?

We admire lots of people… primarily because we often don’t see the admiring characteristics in ourselves that we see in others. Truth be told… we too have those characteristics as well.

I remember a few years ago watching a political debate when the question posed to the candidates was, “Who do you admire the most?”… when they got to George W. Bush he said, “Jesus Christ”. It was startling and shocking statement. No one expected an answer like that… the expectation would have been someone like Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Regean, MLK Jr., or Mom or Dad… but not Jesus.

What would have been your response? Would you have said Jesus?

Who do you admire?

Our story today is read every year.

Each of our four gospels record Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at Passover.

Each record Jesus riding a donkey.

Each has people waving palms and laying coats on the ground.

Each have hundreds of people cheering and admiring Jesus.

“Hosanna… Hosanna… blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

This must have been quite an event…. Hundreds… maybe even thousands of people cheering Jesus. The closest we can come to celebrating like this would be something like our favorite team winning the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or maybe the inauguration of a new president. For the most part we admire these people for what they have accomplished.

Who Do You Admire?

I don’t want to jump ahead too much, but the cheering crowd today for our hero… isn’t cheering all that loud in a few days.

I wonder if this would have been different had Jesus rode in on a tall white horse rather than a donkey? Would have the crowds been more admiring? More cheering?

It seems to me that Jesus challenged the religious systems with a new way and it seems the crowds admired Jesus a lot for this. Jesus was about pointing people to a new way to be in the world, yet it wasn’t enough. People wanted to follow a king who would deliver them from the struggles of the day. The people in Jesus’ day wanted a king who would overthrow the Romans and bring the land God promised back to them… back to the days of King David… the good ole days…and they thought Jesus was that kind of Messiah.

In many ways we too are looking for the same kind of messiah. A Messiah to fix our country, our city, our community… and perhaps even our church. A Messiah that brings peace and justice and hope to the hurting world. After-all… when you look around and see all the death, injustice, declining attendance… lack of commitment etc. who wouldn’t want that kind of messiah?

In the next few days… Jesus still does some more teaching. The end isn’t quite here yet. Although… many churches will read the story we read and continue right through to his death… there’s really a lot of stuff in between that we should pay attention to. Read the next three chapters in Mark… there are radical teachings here that we should pay attention to. Teachings that point to a new way. A new way that brings us closer to God.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday is coming and I invite you to come and experience these events at Cross. These experiences will bring you closer to why Jesus did what he did for us. An experience of God’s grace for us.

Will we be like the crowds today cheering and just admiring Jesus… then cheer a different tune in a few days?

Who do you admire?

See You on the Road