The lessons for Palm Sunday are taken from Deuteronomy 32:36-39; Philippians 2:5-11; and John 12:12-43.
Moses reminds us in Deuteronomy that God has compassion when our power is gone. The corruption of Adam makes us vain, ego-centric, and conceited. When the burdens of life are too heavy, that vain ego looks for help from anywhere else but God so that it can keep pretending to be in control. The idols we make for ourselves do not and cannot help us. The Son of God is humble. He is not vain and came to do what the one and only true God could or would do. God and God alone kills and makes alive, wounds and heals. Whatever is opposed to God must, of necessity, die. But God regenerates our soul in the image of Christ, keeps us by His inspired Word of truth, and will raise our human nature anew on the last day.
Paul explains in Philippians that only God can deliver us and He does so at His own cost. God kills His own Son and in so doing, makes us alive. Who wouldn’t bow in gratitude for and wonder at His love for us? The people on Palm Sunday praised Jesus for all they had seen and heard, even though the most extraordinary work of Jesus was yet to come.
John’s Gospel records the Second Adam, the Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, has come by the lowliest of means. Jesus had remained low, taking children in His arms and blessing them, healing the sick, feeding the poor and bringing down the pretentiousness of the Jewish authorities. Today Jesus comes in humility to complete His redeeming work, riding low and approachable on a donkey’s colt. The life of Christ atones for the guilt of sin that we pretend to hide. The redeeming work of Christ makes hiding unnecessary, so the people put palm branches and coats on the road before Him. Confirmation of Jesus’ redeeming work for us comes still when He wraps us in His righteous life in the sacrament of Baptism and when He joins Himself to common means of bread and wine in order to make His life our life.