Sermon April 13: Hosanna to Crucify - Five days that changed the world

Sermon April 13: Hosanna to Crucify

Five days that changed the world

Matthew 21: 1-11

& the Passion according to St Matthew

Crowds...

Crowds of people – happy, excited, going with the flow and just going along for the sheer joy and excitement of it...

Waving and clapping

It’s really easy to get taken in

Carried along

Swept up...

It was easy then

And it is still easy now

And then... from euphoria to outrage, anger, righteous indignation...

Who is this upstart?

Who does he think he is?

Telling us what to do

Criticising

Upsetting people

Causing a stir

Making a spectacle of himself, of everyone

Just who is this man?!

The sense of indignation and growing unrest begins to build

People are stirred up...

And not only the people

The powers that be are unhappy too... they too are asking, who is this man?

How dare he challenge us?

How dare he throw a tantrum; upset the merchants (doesn’t he know we have an interest in that little enterprise?)

Who is this man...

Others suspect

Others know... they have travelled with him; listened to him; followed him; given up everything for him

They are privileged: they KNOW

But even those who know, do not understand – yet.

They still hold on to the notion; the hope; the image of the Messiah as a warrior king

Someone who will come and do much more than just turn over a few tables...

They imagine themselves as part of the conquering army

Triumphant

Carried away as heroes...

And they will be; but not as the heroes they anticipated...

Meantime... the unrest grows

This outspoken man must be silenced

Control must be regained

The status quo has been rocked enough

They think they are taking the moral high ground

They think it is for the best

Silence this one

And everything will go back to normal again

Everything will be restored, and they will be back in charge

Just get him out of the way

How? How to do this without making things worse?

If only there was a way in to the inner circle...

And there he was: one of them; impatient for change; impatient with the way of peace... offering to deliver the Man

It was all so easy...

And then – well a few choice words

A few pointed comments

And before you know it the mob is all excited and in a frezy again

But this time they are not shouting Hosanna!

No!!

No more hosannas...

Whisper it in the far corners... mumble it, let the Chinese whispers take it, carry it forward...

Crucify...

Crucify...

Crucify!

CRUCIFY!

CRUCIFY!!!!!

It’s easy when you know how

And the religious ones; the leaders sat back and let the crowd, the mob, do it for them...

And they thought they’d won...

But God’s plan is bigger, and better, and bolder and more outrageous than any scheme of man could ever be...

Hosanna to crucify

Who is this man?

Jesus of Nazareth

Son of Man; Son of God

Five days

To make God’s plan work

To give every man, woman and child the hope of eternity

Five days

That changed the world

Five days

To give us hope

Five days

Amen