2024-Mar-24: Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord

 

2024-Mar-24: Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord



Isaiah 50:4-7

Isaiah 50:4-9a is part of the third of four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 40-55 (a section of the book commonly called Second Isaiah). We can see that the servant of God fits into a familiar pattern, as that of many messengers of God who suffer in their mission - they are given words to hearten the disheartened when their ears were open to hearing the voice of God but their message was not well received.

 Instead they faced ridicule and abuse from the people. Through it all the messenger of God has to persist in his mission to the very end knowing that the hand of the Lord is with him, he has nothing to fear.

Source: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sunday-of-the-passion-palm-sunday/commentary-on-isaiah-504-9a-17



Philippians 2:6-11

The name Jesus, of course, is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “he saves.” Christ Jesus “emptied himself" means while both part-God and part-man, he willingly relinquishes his Godliness to take on the persona of a servant leader or slave to complete the mission in full obedience to his Father. 

The Apostle Paul very skillfully contrasts the 'servant leader' power of the Lord Jesus against the power of the macho self-serving Greco-Roman Gods who would have been so prevalent in the lives and stories of the citizens of Philippi at that time. 

The power exhibited by the Lord Jesus is profoundly different, where he literally “pours himself out,” and takes the form that perhaps is most undesirable—that of a slave: powerless in society's eyes manifested as undefeatable and immortal love, compassion, mercy, and companionship! God exalts his son giving him a name which is above every name at which every knee shall bend and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father.



Gospel Mark 14:1-15:47

In the final analysis, Mark's message is clear that Jesus’ life was not taken from him, but given by him. Yes, he was put through a mock trial by religious leaders and Roman officials more interested in maintaining the status quo. Yes, he was deserted and betrayed by his closest followers but in Mark's Gospel Jesus died because he chose to give his life so that mankind would be redeemed.

A cohort here means that six hundred armed men watch this spectacle of Jesus’ humiliation. They show no restraint in what they do to him. Stripped naked and wearing nothing but symbols that mock his weakness, the soldiers publicly abuse and torture him. 

But rather than save himself from a painful death, Jesus surrenders himself to the work of his Father. The gravity of his crucifixion reaches a culmination when Jesus finally cries out in anguish from the cross. 

First, we hear him cry out in his human frailty in his native tongue, waiting for a God to rescue him. This is a cry heard by the faithful, waiting for God to come rescue them. 

Then we hear him surrender his spirit into the hands of his Father, knowing that his work here on earth was done. Salvation was at hand, and mankind was redeemed. 

With the death of Jesus, the temple curtain is ripped in two from top to bottom. Josephus tells us that the curtain was eighty feet tall with the panorama of the heavens wondrously embroidered upon it. The centurion who oversaw the crucifixion testifies to the truth: Jesus is the Son of God. 

Source: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sunday-of-the-passion-palm-sunday-2/commentary-on-mark-141-72-151-47-4
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