April 13

1. Today is Palm Sunday. This is the day Christians remember when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. They believe this showed that God was keeping his promise to his people. After Palm Sunday comes Holy Week, sometimes also called Passion Week. During this week, Christians think about how much Jesus suffered to save everyone. One important idea to consider is that each person should have freedom. This means you can make your own choices, work for what you earn and keep it, and generally live your life as you want, as long as you don't harm others. This idea is often called liberalism. In government, this often looks like a democracy, where people have a voice in choosing leaders and making rules. In a democracy that values individual freedom, the government allows people a lot of personal and economic choice. You can try to become wealthy, live your life as you see fit, and even choose not to use some of your freedoms if you want.   

2. Another important idea is that freedom belongs to the whole group. The thinking here is that what is best for everyone is more important than what any single person wants. This general idea is often called socialism. One way this can look in government is communism. In a communist system, the idea is that individuals don't really have their own separate freedoms in the same way. Instead, everyone is expected to follow the government's plan. Things like wealth and resources are seen as belonging to everyone, so the government takes control of them and tries to share them among the people. So, you don't really get to own a lot of things privately, and the government has a big say in how things are run.

3. Think about it this way: even if we strongly believe in individual freedoms (like in democracies), we still need rules and someone to make sure everyone follows them. This is so one person's freedom doesn't unfairly limit someone else's. We need laws against things like stealing or hurting others to keep things peaceful and organized. The government is there to create these rules and make sure they are followed. On the other hand, in a communist system, the government has much more control over people's lives and the economy. They also need to manage this power carefully. They have to decide how resources are shared and make sure their plans are being put into action. Keeping order is also very important for them, maybe even more so because people have fewer individual freedoms. So, no matter what kind of government we have, the basic jobs of managing power – deciding who makes decisions and how – and keeping order – making sure society is stable and works well – are always going to be key things a government does. How they do these things, and whose needs they focus on while doing them, is what really makes democratic and communist systems different. 

4. I brought up government systems because it helps us understand today's sermon for Palm Sunday. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, in what we call the Triumphal Entry, his actions were different from what earthly rulers typically do. So, reflecting on this event can help us grasp how Jesus operates. Let us read Mark 11:1-11.

Mark 11:1–3 NASB 2020

And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.”

Mark 11:4–7 NASB 2020

They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. And some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them just as Jesus had said, and they gave them permission. They brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks on it; and He sat on it.

Mark 11:8–11 NASB 2020

And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:  “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!” And Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple area; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

We usually hope for good things in life. Nobody wants to fail. Everyone wants their work to do well and to get promoted. People generally want to be able to reach what they aim for. This idea, even though it's a normal human feeling, has been important in Christianity for a long time. Often, people prefer bigger churches over smaller ones. It's not common to find someone who likes a small church more. One of my friends in a small town in Alberta goes to a church that hasn't had a pastor for over two years. The people in the church have been wondering why they haven't received many applications for a pastor. They think it might be because their church is smaller and doesn't have as much money as churches in cities. Because of these things, people might not think they can achieve their goals there. I even heard similar reasons from my friends in Toronto when I applied to a church in Saskatchewan. Now I’m wondering if these reasons are actually true. 

6. Today is Palm Sunday. If we read the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the Bible, we find a section called "The Triumphal Entry." Have you ever seen a Triumphal Entry in a movie or somewhere else? I remember watching the movie Ben-Hur and seeing a Triumphal Entry. It made a big impression on me. (Ben-Hur, a Triumphal Entry, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zGxi-7xDDw) As we saw, a triumphal entry was meant to be a more impressive parade than other marches. This was because the emperor wanted to show off his great success in war. It was a way to highlight the power of the kingdom and the emperor.

7. But the Triumphal Entry of Jesus that we read about was different from an emperor's entry. Jesus' arrival didn't happen as people usually expected. While the emperor's entry showed military power, Jesus arrived with just 12 disciples and maybe some women. Jesus didn't have a big army. Also, Jesus didn't ride in a chariot or on a fancy horse. He rode on a small donkey. Donkeys weren't used for war; they were just working animals for everyday tasks. At this point, we can remember why Jesus came to Earth. He came to bring God's Kingdom. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIHBQRofbAg)

Matthew 4:17 NKJV

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

8. Here, Jesus didn't say he would create a paradise. He talked about a kingdom (which is like a country ruled by a king or emperor, like Rome). This might have made people expect that Jesus' kingdom would bring them peace and freedom from Roman rule. In the first century, people thought the way to have peace in a country was to have a strong army. A country with 100,000 soldiers was seen as more powerful than one with only 10,000. That's why people expected Jesus to bring political power for God's kingdom. But Jesus had a different idea. We know what Jesus wanted to do from Luke 4:18-19. And we know the new command he gave in John 13.

Luke 4:18–19 NLT

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

John 13:34 MSG

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.

9. These Bible verses clearly show us how Jesus fulfilled God's promise: through giving up his life and showing love. We don't need power to love and sacrifice. If we try to hold onto our own power while loving others, it means we only care about what we want. If we only care about what we want, we can't start building a relationship with someone else. So, Jesus fulfilled God's promise by giving up his own power and desires. 

Philippians 2:5–8 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

10. The story of Jesus entering Jerusalem shows this way of thinking. Jesus didn’t show his power but instead came in a humble way. Also, Jesus didn’t bring an army but only 12 followers. Jesus gave up his divine power and was humble. In fact, when Jesus came to Earth, it was the perfect example of being humble. So, God’s kingdom is a “Upside Down” kingdom (Turned Over). It’s not ruled by human ideas or power. Its main rules are humility and love.

11. When I was in middle school, around grade 9, the pastor at my church told us that God loves students who get grades of 90% or higher. He said that if you go to a top university, it will bring honor to God. If what he said was true, I wouldn’t be able to be a pastor. Another pastor told us that we should live good and moral lives. He said that if we become morally good people, it will bring honor to God. I don’t completely agree with that. Even though our lives should change when we come to God, we can’t bring honor to God through our own efforts. God is honored when we believe in Jesus. When we believe in Jesus Christ, it means we accept that God worked to keep His promise through Jesus, and that Jesus Christ finished God’s work through his death and coming back to life. Without faith, this seems foolish. Without faith, people can’t understand it.

1 Corinthians 1:27–30 LBP

Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great. He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing those the world considers great, so that no one anywhere can ever brag in the presence of God. For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.

12. So, what does Jesus riding on a donkey without an army mean for us today? It shows us that God's ways are often not what we expect. We might think success means having more power, money, or influence. We might look at our own lives or our churches and feel small if we don't have those things. But Jesus showed us that real strength comes from being humble and loving others. Just as Jesus came humbly, we should serve others humbly. Just as he showed love by giving his life, we should love each other, even when it's difficult. Don't feel discouraged if the world makes you feel small. God's power often works in surprising ways, through those who seem weak or ordinary. What truly matters is how much we love God and each other. This love, shown in what we do, is how we show God's kingdom to the world, just like Jesus did when he rode into Jerusalem on that donkey. Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday? What does it really mean? It's the day we remember what Jesus did in the week before he died. It's when we honor his sacrifice and the cross. From the world's point of view, these things seem foolish. If we keep thinking the way we used to, we can't understand Palm Sunday, and we can't truly celebrate it. But when we believe in Christ, we can understand and see its meaning. So, let's give up our old ways of thinking and who we used to be, and let's open ourselves to a new way of seeing things. Let's look forward to God changing us through Jesus Christ.

Podcast by NotebookLM Google: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8d81fb19-e59b-43bf-bba9-aee1cf651a9a/audio

Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

• What is the significance of Palm Sunday for Christians, and what period in the Christian calendar follows it?

• Explain the core difference between liberalism and socialism as presented in the text.

• According to the text, what are the two fundamental jobs of any government, regardless of its political system?

• How did Jesus' entry into Jerusalem differ from the traditional "Triumphal Entry" of earthly rulers?

• What was the common expectation regarding the establishment of God's kingdom in the first century, and how did Jesus' actions and teachings diverge from this expectation?

• According to the scripture quoted in the text (Luke 4:18-19 and John 13:34), how did Jesus say he would fulfill God's promise?

• Explain the concept of God's kingdom as an "Upside Down" kingdom, based on the ideas presented in the text.

• Why does the author disagree with the idea that achieving high grades or living a morally good life necessarily brings honour to God?

• According to the text, how does one truly honour God?

• What is the central message of Palm Sunday and the manner in which Jesus entered Jerusalem, according to the final paragraphs of the text?

Quiz Answer Key

• Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, which Christians believe fulfilled a divine promise. It is followed by Holy Week, also known as Passion Week, a time of reflection on Jesus' suffering and sacrifice.

• Liberalism, as described, emphasizes individual freedom, personal choice, and private ownership, often seen in democracies. Socialism, conversely, prioritizes the well-being of the group, potentially leading to systems like communism where the government controls resources for collective distribution.

• The text states that the two basic jobs of any government are managing power (deciding who makes decisions) and keeping order (ensuring societal stability and functionality). The way these tasks are carried out distinguishes different political systems.

• Unlike emperors who displayed military might in triumphal entries, Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly, riding on a donkey with only his disciples, signifying a different kind of power and kingdom.

• Many in the first century expected Jesus to establish a powerful political kingdom, liberating them from Roman rule through military strength. However, Jesus focused on a spiritual kingdom characterized by love, service, and the fulfillment of God's promise through his sacrifice.

• Jesus' teachings in Luke and John reveal that he would fulfill God's promise by bringing good news to the poor, releasing captives, giving sight to the blind, freeing the oppressed, and through the new commandment to love one another as he loved them.

• God's kingdom is described as an "Upside Down" kingdom because it operates on principles contrary to worldly power, emphasizing humility, love, and sacrifice over dominance and influence.

• The author argues that while a changed life is important for believers, honouring God is not achieved through personal efforts like academic success or moral perfection. Instead, honouring God comes through believing in Jesus Christ and accepting his finished work.

• According to the text, God is honoured when individuals have faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that God fulfilled his promise through Jesus' death and resurrection, which is often seen as foolish without faith.

• The central message of Palm Sunday, highlighted in the text's conclusion, is that true strength lies in humility and love, as demonstrated by Jesus' humble entry and ultimate sacrifice. Understanding and celebrating Palm Sunday requires a shift from worldly perspectives to the values of God's kingdom.