Palm Sunday Passion Sunday March 25, 2018
2018 Study of Vainglory (This is a study sent out in advance of the sermon.)
Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday
John 12:12-19
March 25, 2018
“My Glory”
(Jesus vs. Vainglory)
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Vainglory isn’t a word we use a lot but it sure is something we do a lot. Vainglory is our constant need for other people to think that we’re awesome. It’s that constant worrying about our image, what our friends and neighbors think of us.
Celebrities are the ultimate example of vainglory. Celebrities’ whole job is to make sure other people think they’re the greatest. If you’re a celebrity, everything needs to be about you. You’re the most interesting, the most beautiful, the smartest and wisest, the wealthiest, and whatever else. It really doesn’t matter if you actually are any of those things. You just need to appear to be. That’s vainglory. That’s being on the front of magazines and being a guest on late night shows and walking down red carpets. That’s all vainglory. Glory that’s purely vain. Empty, that is.
But you don’t need to be a celebrity to get all caught up in vainglory. You and I practice a less glamorous kind but it’s just as sinful. You all know how there are certain things that you especially need others to think you’re #1. And most of them are completely vain. They’re empty. Meaningless. Are you the one who has the biggest house? The cleanest house? The one who always knows the gossip? The one who has the most college degrees? The one who works the hardest? The one who makes the most money? The one who knows all the politics? The one with the best golf score? The best golf cart? The best golf clubs? The one with the most connections? The one with the best hair? The one who knows the best restaurants? The one who’s the humblest of anyone? The one with the smartest kids? The most popular? The one who takes charge? Who gets things done? Who’s the busiest? Who prays the most? Who gives the most? Who has the best looking yard? The best looking body? Or the one who can eat the most?
Who are you? If you answer that question by what others think you are or what you want others to think you are—we’re in the grips of vainglory.
Please understand that glory itself isn’t bad. It’s not bad to get praise and approval from others. A pat on the back. A “nice job.” An award. A scholarship. A friend telling us how great we are. A boss praising our work. We need it to some degree. Especially when we’re young. We need to hear approval and be accepted.
But in no time at all that good glory becomes vainglory. You will notice the word we’ve added there to glory—the word vain. Yes, like the song, “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you.” And that’s what happens to glory. You probably think the glory is all about you. And it becomes vain, that is, empty. We seek glory for things that really don’t mean anything at all or we excessively look for glory that we really don’t deserve at all. It’s vain—glory. Empty glory. And it starts to become the reason we do anything at all. We do everything to be praised. To boost our image. To be noticed. To be popular. To maintain our reputation. And that’s sin. Looking for the wrong kind of glory—vainglory—is sin. Doing everything to be notice by others—that’s sin. Because in vainglory—God is completely forgotten.
Now look at Jesus on Palm Sunday. Is Jesus loving all the attention? Is He basking in all the glory? A parade! Royal palm branches! A red carpet of cloaks on the road! Shouts of “Hosanna! Hosanna!” Does Jesus find a microphone and give a speech the likes of Donald Trump? “Thank you! Thank you, everyone! I’m great and I’m going to make Jerusalem great again! Thank you!” Would you say Jesus basks in the glory?
This wasn’t the first time Jesus received praise. He would often receive praise after healing someone or casting out a demon. When he fed the 5,000 people, it specifically says they were looking for Him to make Him their King. When he raised Lazarus from the dead, everyone wanted to see Him! But whenever Jesus would start to get any bit of attention, what would He usually do? He would leave. He never sought the attention. He was the opposite of a celebrity.
So what about it? Is Palm Sunday his “one shining moment” of glory? No. Jesus was after a completely different glory. Jesus knew that some of these very same people that threw Him a parade today—would be shouting for His death on Friday. The hymn we sang describes the day very well, “Ride on, ride on in majesty! Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry. O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, with palms and scattered garments strowed. Ride on, ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin O’er captive death and conquered sin.”
Jesus didn’t stop for the paparazzi to get all their pictures. He didn’t stop to give interviews. He didn’t stop to give a rousing campaign speech. Didn’t stop to sign autographs. Didn’t stop to bask in the glory and listen to others tell him how awesome He was. He rode on! He rode on to die! Because He didn’t care about vainglory—He cared about true glory. And the true glory doesn’t come from a parade and shouting. It comes from the Father in heaven.
Now listen again to verse 4: “Ride on, ride on in majesty! Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh. The Father on His sapphire throne Awaits His own anointed Son.” Do you see the real picture going on? Jesus isn’t concerned about this little parade going on around Him—His eyes are straight ahead and He sees One Person waiting for Him. His Father on His sapphire throne. He sees His heavenly Father smiling at Him awaiting Him as He goes to give His life to save the world. And that’s the glory that Jesus seeks. The glory of God in heaven. To see His Father say, “Well done, My Son!”
Now what about you? Jesus did all that for you. While we’re messing around with who’s got the nicest house, who’s got the best body, who’s the most popular, who can waste the most money—Jesus is calling us to follow His parade into the glorious heavenly mansion. Jesus is showing you your heavenly Father on His sapphire throne—awaiting you.
Can you think of any greater glory—any greater praise and approval and acceptance—than if the King of heaven and earth smiles on you and says, “Welcome, my daughter, to paradise”? Today we’re engrossed in what WE think and in what OTHERS think of us. What do you think of God? What do you think of politics? What do you think of gun control? And what do others think about me? What do others think about my kids? While all the while none of that is of utmost importance. We shall soon stand before the Almighty God the Father, maker of heaven and earth. Do you not think a more fundamental question is, “What does HE think of me?”
This is our true glory. The Almighty God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, has given Jesus for you and for me that we may believe in Him and be baptized into Him and may stand before our Father and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
What? I’m not faithful. I’m not glorious. I’m a terrible sinner. I deserve the pits of hell. I deserve to stand before the Father in heaven and receive an angry scowl with angry words. But no! Jesus has taken all my sins away. He rode on in majesty, in lowly pomp to die. He died for me. I’m baptized into Him. I believe in Him! My sins are forgiven. And God the Father is smiling down upon me awaiting me in His heavenly mansion.
Now tell me—is there any greater glory? All other glory is pretty vain compared to this glory of heaven. That’s why Jesus and all the Holy Scriptures command us to do all things for the glory of God. Receiving praise from other people isn’t wrong or bad. But that glory and praise should lead us to gloriufy and praise the One who gives us everything.
Now one more word. This same glory that is yours—God also desires it for every other sinner. We do not want any sinners to appear before God the Father in heaven and hear the words, “Depart from me! I do not know you!” So we must continue to give all glory and praise to One—Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world—that our friends and neighbors may all see Him and believe in Him and follow Him with us to the glory of the world to come. To see with us our Father on His sapphire throne—smiling in all His glory.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sources consulted and used for this sermon include:
C.S. Lewis, Weight of Glory;
Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies. Brazos, 2009.