Palm Sunday—Confirmation
Dear friends in Christ. Today, all around, is a joyful day for us in church. First, our Gospel takes us to the joys of Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And, of course, secondly, Otto, who was questioned on the doctrines of the holy Christian faith last Wednesday, will confess publicly his faith before God and congregation in the Rite of Confirmation as he answers for himself the questions asked of him at his baptism and answered for him by his sponsors. He will now be able to receive Holy Communion, being able, as the blessed apostle says [1 Co 11.28]: to examine himself, and so…eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
As we reflect a few minutes on today’s Gospel, we see and sense the joy of the crowds. St. John records: when they heard, “Jesus is coming to Jerusalem,” took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began crying out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!', that is, The King of Israel!" They welcomed Jesus and recognized Him as the Messiah, the Savior who had been long promised. Jesus is openly acclaimed by the title: 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'
This crowd was right in its verdict of Jesus. The beginning words of today’s Gospel show us that Jesus is more than a mere man: He is omniscient/ all-knowing and He can guide events at a distance: “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” To be sure, Jesus could have walked—like the vast majority of the people going to Jerusalem for the Passover—but by riding on the donkey Jesus is making it crystal clear to all there seeing Him that He is the Savior/ Messiah prophesied: This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” This crowd was right about Jesus: He is the One who comes in the name of the LORD!', that is, The King of Israel. Jesus approves their confession of faith in Him!
Palm Sunday began Holy Week, the week that ended with Jesus’ suffering, death and burial in the tomb. Now, on Palm Sunday, Jesus reaches Jerusalem. Here is the great moment, the culmination—Jesus, the only begotten of the Father, the Messiah, the King, the Lamb of God foreordained as the sacrifice for the sins of the world—had come! He had come to carry out His saving work. What great joy the people had that first Palm Sunday, but like the disciples, they didn’t fully “get it” as St. John records: His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things for Him. To understand and know the Lord and His work for our salvation rightly, that’s a work of the Holy Spirit. It’s not something we come to on our own but it is something the Holy Spirit worked in the heart of all Christians—you and me; that’s the faith Otto will confess here this morning.
Jesus knew that joy of Palm Sunday—that great outward joy—would turn to the sorrow and despair of Good Friday. Even though others didn’t, Jesus knew that His entering Jerusalem was for the purpose of suffering and dying for the sins of the world and that the week would end with Him forsaken by God and man, having suffered the wrath of God for every sin of every person ever to live. But that is the reason for His coming and that is what St. Paul talks about in today’s Epistle: Jesus’ humility and His willingness to obey and endure; to carry out the work for the salvation of the world.
There is a connection here with confirmation that you, Otto, do well to heed and that all of us do well to heed as today we think back and reflect on our own confirmation. It is this: today is certainly a day of great joy. Certainly, Otto, you feel strong in your faith in the Lord, just as the rest of us did at the time when we were confirmed. But like Palm Sunday’s joy, this joy, this feeling of strength/ invincibility will not last. The devil surely attacks with temptations to sin, with the call and allure of the ways and thinking of the world, with trying to get us to doubt/ question our faith and the words and promises of God. Like the devil wanted to do with St. Peter, so he wants to do with us [Lk. 22.31]: that he may sift you like wheat. That’s the reality—the Christian life is one battle/ attack right after the other from the devil and his allies. That’s why we do well to heed today’s Epistle from St. Paul: Let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ. Did you hear that? The mind of Christ. Just as Jesus’ life was marked by humility and willingness to obey and endure, may our constant prayer be that we have this mind of Christ—a mind marked by humility and willingness to obey and suffer. For Jesus, His obedience and suffering was to bring about the salvation of the world; for us, our humility, obedience, suffering is to put down our old sinful nature in us that wants us go along with the devil and his ways; for us it means to fight for our faith; for us it means that often we will be “marked” or “on the outs” with those around us—even those closest to us. Because our faith and confession of that faith is a gift and grace of God to us, we can be certain that it will be a struggle to remain faithful until death. But we are warned, so let us be readied for the battle! Let us have the mind of Christ—one of humility and willingness to obey and endure.
The Lord has not left us alone in our Christian life. Let us hear the words of our text: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? What marks our lives as Christians? Joy! –Joy even in the midst of struggles/ battles against the devil, the world, our own sinful self. How? Why? The Lord is my light and my salvation. What does light do? Why do you turn on the light in your house? So you can see what’s there; so you don’t trip and break something; so you can do things. What does it mean that the Lord is our light? It means that He tells us how things really are. Left to ourselves and our own devices, we would never come to know the true God rightly and so would be eternally lost and condemned to hell. But Lord is my light. The Holy Spirit takes away all darkness and ignorance from our hearts as He works true saving faith in our hearts—a faith that knows the holy Triune God, a faith that trusts in Jesus, the Second Person of the holy Trinity as our Savior from sin, death, devil and hell. On our own, we’d never know that but the Lord is my light, the Holy Spirit comes and enlightens us. Now we fear, love and trust in the holy Triune God aright and in the joy of faith receive His forgiveness, life and salvation.
Otto, at the time of your baptism, that’s when the Lord created faith in Him in your heart. He is your light. He brought you in baptism from spiritual death to spiritual life. There in those saving waters He came to you and enlightened you and became your light. All through these years as at home and in church you were taught the holy Christian faith, the Holy Spirit was strengthening your faith, enlightening you further so that you come to know your God and Savior all the more; enlightening you so that your faith becomes more firmly grounded and you begin to see how it all fits together and make it part of your daily life.
Confirmation does not mark an end to your study of our Lord’s word, that very word through which He enlightens you. Instead, it is just a milestone along the way. It marks the time that the church is reasonably certain that you can examine yourself and prepare yourself to receive the Blessed Sacrament worthily. But keep at it. There is no standing still in the Christian faith. You are either going forward/ growing in faith and knowledge or faith and knowledge—enlightenment—is decreasing. Keep going forward! We do not keep ourselves in the faith—that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. But give the Holy Spirit a fighting chance to continue His enlightening work on you.
One of the devil’s great temptations is to try to get you to think of other things as more important and things relating to the holy faith as less/ or unimportant. Otto, and all dear Christians, there is absolutely nothing more important than our Lord and His saving/ enlightening word. It concerns your eternal destiny. Lord is my light. It is a work He began at your baptism and continues throughout your life.
What the Holy Spirit enlightens us about is our salvation: The Lord is my light and my salvation. We wouldn’t know a thing about the true God and our salvation unless the Holy Spirit had first enlightened us. Without the Holy Spirit’s work, we would be like the rest of the religions of the world and think that we earn/ merit our salvation by what we do; all the supposed good things we do somehow make up for our sins and reconcile us to God. But what does David say in the psalm? The Lord is … my salvation. Not only did Jesus live a perfect/ sinless life for us keeping God’s holy Law for us because we can’t, but in Holy Week we remember that Jesus went to the cross, loaded down with the sins of the world and suffered God’s wrath and punishment for us. Now the holy wrath of God over sin has been appeased/ assuaged. Now we sinners are reconciled to God. Our sins are forgiven. That’s what Easter next week proclaims to us! And Jesus’ ascension 40 days later proclaims that heaven has been opened to all believers. All the work for our salvation is done. It is an accomplished fact. And so we can say with David: The Lord is … my salvation.
And then what does David add? Whom shall I fear? Since the Lord—not we ourselves/ our works, merits, etc.—is our salvation, it is certain and sure. Our only need is trust; we need not fear. Can our sins condemn us? No! Jesus was condemned for our sins; they are forgiven. Can the devil drag us down to hell? Hardly! The Lord has claimed us in baptism and brought us into His holy family. Christ has triumphed over hell as He descended into it. Is what we are suffering, God out to get us? In no way! God already poured out His wrath on Jesus for our sin, instead of on us; in Jesus we are forgiven, reconciled and at peace with God. We have nothing to fear—even though our old sinful nature working in cahoots with the devil will want to fill us with every fear and doubt. May Otto, you, and I, in the boldness of faith, always say: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Remember: our great spiritual joy—like Palm Sunday—does not last, but soon changes to the doubt and trial of Good Friday. Even though we have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we are still frail, sinful human flesh and blood and all too easily fall prey to doubts and worry. Does the Lord just leave us to wallow in doubt and despair? Absolutely not! What else does David say in our text? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Our Lord is our true defense in all times of trial. Not only did our Lord fight for us against sin, death, devil and hell with His holy life and innocent suffering and death, but He will continue to keep us. In every time of trial, doubt, or questioning, let us run to the Lord [who] is the stronghold of my life.
Otto, and all of us, let us not rely on ourselves and our own ability to stay in the faith. Run to the stronghold of the Lord—run to His holy word and sacrament. There He will strengthen your faith. There He will enlighten you further. There He will give you—into your very mouth—His body and blood, His forgiveness, life, holiness. Run to the Lord—He isn’t far away, after all you were united to Him in baptism. Remain faithful always to our Lord, His holy word and sacraments and boast with David: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Our enemies cannot break into this stronghold but must retreat. How glorious it is to be in the Lord [who] is the stronghold of my life.
Otto, your life in Christ is one of the joy and certainty of salvation. Hold fast to Him. You are safe in Him. INJ