What a joyful day this is!  In Jerusalem, thousands of faithful Jews are pouring in from the far ends of the earth to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.  Passover is the most joyful holiday in the Jewish year.  It is the eight day celebration of their freedom from slavery.  Their Exodus from Egypt.  A time for them to remember the mighty works in the history of their people - of God in doing for them what they could not do for themselves.

            During this time of celebration, the city of Jerusalem swells to more than 4 times its usual size.  There are people every where, rejoicing, worshipping and feasting.  Old friends are renewing acquaintances, far-flung family members are exchanging the news of home and all of them are filling the streets with gay laughter.

            Seemingly endless processions of travelers are arriving every day.  Great throngs of people come out of the walled city to meet them and as they do, many of them call down blessings on the travelers that quote an Old Testament prophet, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Welcome traveler!  May you be blessed in your stay in David's royal city!’

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Today the procession is even more joyful.  Jesus is coming!  But Jesus isn't walking to Jerusalem - he comes riding a colt.  All of his followers are with him.  Not just the twelve, but the multitude of disciples - the seventy whom he sent out two by two in Luke 10 - the ones who sat and listened to his words as he spoke at the seashore in Galilee - the thousands who heard the sermon on the plain - perhaps even his friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha are coming along in the procession. 

            Jesus is coming and in their excitement, the multitude of disciples takes off their cloaks and lays them in the path when Jesus approaches.  Like the red carpet laid down in to honor a visiting dignitary, or the white carpet we lay down in the aisle for the coming of the bride.

            But was this the procession of a king?  The garments that were spread at the feet of Jesus were not fine fabrics in beautiful colors.  These were the rough homespun of the common person.  These were not the brightly colored coats of the rich and the royal.  They were the drab and patched clothing of the poor and the outcast.  Jesus was not surrounded by the rich and famous, the powerful – but the poor, the anonymous and the powerless.

            Jesus comes to Jerusalem riding a donkey and surrounded by sinners and tax collectors, the poor, the dispossessed, the unlovely.

            What did they expect?

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Jesus is coming and the whole city is holding its collective breath.  What will happen when Jesus arrives?

            What did they expect?  These disciples of Jesus who had followed him for so long and who had followed him from so far?

            What did they expect?  These disciples of Jesus who had been with him to see the miracles and the teachings?

            What did they expect?  These disciples of Jesus some of whom had perhaps been part of the seventy who went out themselves to preach the good news of the gospel of the Messiah - the Christ?

            What did they expect was going to happen as Jesus made his way into the city of David?

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The blind whom Jesus had healed probably thought that Jesus might enter the city of David and bring healing to everyone in the country.  But Jesus came for more than this.

            The outcast and marginalized whom Jesus had treated with kindness probably thought Jesus might enter the city of David and bring that same acceptance to everyone in the country.  But Jesus came for more than this.

            The poor who had heard the Sermon on the Plain might have expected Jesus to enter Jerusalem and that no one in the city would be hungry ever again.

            The larger group of disciples perhaps hoped that Jesus would bring about the Kingdom of God on earth in the here and now.

            The twelve disciples might have expected that now finally they would get their reward – that they would sit in the judgment seats and receive honor and glory, riches and power for themselves.

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            But, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the priests and even the Sicarri – the 1^st century equivalent of terrorists - expect something very different.  Every priest, politician and person in power understands that the ministry of Jesus is not about a few healings and a little bread.  They understand that the ministry of Jesus is about turning the world upside down – upsetting the power and politics of the day.  And instead of welcoming them into the city, they fear his coming.

            They know what could happen.  A political demonstration like this one may make the Romans uneasy.  The kind of excitement that Jesus is creating could cause a riot.  A riot during Passover will bring a terrible crackdown from the authorities.  And so they cry out, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’

            But Jesus answers, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’  The gospel cannot be stopped.  If people stopped proclaiming the truth of Christ, the stones would cry out.  The whole creation would cry out, for every stick and stone and tree is looking for the redemption of God.

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People with power don’t want the world to be turned upside down.  They’ve worked hard to get where playing by the current rules - and they are and don’t want to give up all they’ve worked for.  They want things to stay just the way they are.  ‘Who cares’ they say, ‘if some people are oppressed?  I’ve got mine.’   ‘Who cares if some people are sick?  They should have taken better care of themselves – I did.’  ‘Who cares if some are hungry or lonely or cold?  They should have belonged to bigger families, had better support systems – or maybe they shouldn’t have outlived their friends.’

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            The wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that when we love God, we find in that love a God who fulfills our deepest desires, our most heartfelt longings.  The powerless find someone who cares for them.  The lonely find company.  The sorrowful find comfort.  The sick find healing.

            The wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that when we fail to love God, we find that God is a person who brings recompense to the wicked, who avenges the weak, topples those who abuse power and humbles the proud.

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He comes not to be a king like the world thinks of a king.  Jesus is not a king who oppresses the weak.  Jesus is not a king who throws people into prisons because they are poor.  Jesus is not a king who smiles at the powerful while he steps on the powerless.

            This is not the world's kind of king.  This was not the world's kind of savior.  This is not the world's kind of deliverer.

            But this is God's kind of king

            The king of the universe comes into Jerusalem riding a donkey.  Expectant crowds wave palm branches hoping for their own particular kind of deliverer.  But he is not the kind of King they expect and in just a few days they will tire of their disappointing messiah and cry out not ‘Hosanna’ but ‘Crucify him’.

The question remains for us today: What do we expect? A conquering hero who will bring our enemies to their knees?  A doting parent who will give us everything and require nothing in return?

What do we expect?  Do we expect a Christ who will congratulate us for a job well done?  Do we expect, health and wealth and power and prestige from a world drunk with its own power?  Do we expect that the ones who make mistakes will be punished while those who walk the straight and narrow live in smug self-righteousness?

            The Jesus who rode into Jerusalem is the same one who said, ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and you will find rest for your soul.’  He is the one who said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’.  He is the one who said, ‘I am come into the world that they might have life – and have it more abundantly’

It is this same Jesus who will sit with the disciples and say, ‘I have greatly desired to eat this Passover meal with you.’ and who will turn to the repentant thief and promise, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Today this same Jesus invites us to join in the procession of joy to wave palm branches and declare ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’

But we too must answer the same question faced by those ancient revelers.  What do we expect?  Whom do we serve?  How will we live?

            Amen.