Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday April 14, 2019

Palm Sunday
John 12:12-19
April 14, 2019

“Where Are We Headed?”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

We so often hear these questions from our kids at home, “Where are we going today? Are we going anywhere tomorrow? When are we going to so-and-so’s house? What are we doing this week?” Apparently we always need to be going somewhere. Can we never be content just right where we are?

That’s partly our society today. We’re a throw-away society, for one. Which means we’re always looking for the next thing. The newer and better thing all the time. The latest and greatest.

But also we’re a success-focused society, overly so, or a society that always thinks you’re supposed to be going somewhere. Moving up in the world all the time. We daydream about coming back to our high school reunions one day to tell everybody all the places we’ve gone in the world. All that we’ve accomplished. Because we think that’s what you’re supposed to do!

Instead of growing into the place where we’re at—we’re constantly growing out of it and asking, “Where we headed next?” Or another way to say it—instead of growing into the life of our parents and our hometown neighbors, we’re convinced we have to outdo their lives and we have to be smarter than them and we have to head somewhere better in the world. A sign of this is how many parents today think their kids are smarter than them. That’s a sign of a backwards society. Just because they might know how to run technology better than you doesn’t mean they’re wiser. Kids don’t grow up to be wiser than their parents—at least that’s the exception to the rule. Parents are always parents and we always honor them.

So we look at Cooper today, completing his years of Confirmation, and we think, “Okay, now that’s over. Where’s he headed next?” Why do we think that? Is there really something out there that’s so much better than what we’ve given him right here? Cooper, I’ve seen many kids in my thirteen years as a pastor that have gone through confirmation and said, “Alright, that’s over, where am I headed next?” And I’ve barely seen them again after Confirmation. We’ve all given them the wrong idea—that you have to be headed somewhere better than this.

Cooper, when I was your age I remember I was dreaming of being a basketball idol. Truly I was. That or a baseball icon. Depended on the season. That’s how I was going to move up in the world. That’s where I was headed. Because, of course, that would be the best life possible, right? Money and fame. I’d imagine my post-game interviews and how I’d act humble in front of the camera even though, of course, I was full of pride. What could be better than that, right? Well, as it turns out, there are things a whole lot better than that.

Moving up and out in the world, always being headed somewhere better—it turns out that’s a false dream. Cooper, and to all the rest of us, where we are headed as Christians isn’t a life of better and richer and more glamorous and smarter and trendier and more adventurous. Where we’re headed is growing into the life of Jesus. To say it in a more practical way, where we’re headed is two places—to God and to sacrifice ourselves for others. Now I’ll give you more details on that in a minute.

But now we turn our hearts to Jesus as He parades into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. “Where’s He headed?” Oh man, do His disciples have big plans for Him! And so do the crowds! This Guy is headed places! No doubt. With the miracles He’s done! With the crowds He’s drawn! With the teaching that He has taught! This guy is headed up in the world!

He’s going to be better than a basketball icon – better than a basketball or baseball GOAT (Greatest of All Time)—He’s going to be simply thee GOAT, the Greatest of All Time. He’s going to march into Jerusalem on His valiant donkey steed and He’s going to conquer the world. And then He’s going to Instagram it and everybody will like Him and know Him. Where’s Jesus headed? He headed to big places!

At least that’s what the disciples thought. And what they hoped. Just like us. Hoping that they would be glorified in the world instead of God being glorified in the world. Hoping for fame and power instead of grace and mercy. Hoping for bigger and better instead of faithfulness and contentment. Hoping for success and glory instead of love and sacrifice.

The disciples truly hoped that Jesus would become a great earthly King who would rule from a mighty throne in Jerusalem. That’s where they hoped He was going as they sang His praises and waved palm branches and laid their coats out as a royal carpet. But instead, Jesus was going the same place He has always been going—He was going to God, to obey God and give God glory, and He was going to sacrifice Himself for others. For us. For you and me.

So to be very clear—Where was Jesus headed? Why did He ride in on a donkey in the Palm Sunday parade? To obey God’s will and sacrifice His life for you on the cross. Was He headed for His own glory? No, for God’s glory and your glory.

The Greatest Life in this world is the life of Jesus. It’s not somewhere out there in the world or on TV or in Hollywood or on Instagram or in a university. The Greatest Life is the life of Jesus. It’s a life of worship and sacrifice. Confirmation isn’t about growing out of Jesus—but growing into Him. And Cooper, that’s what the rest of your life will be about and what all of our lives here are about—growing more and more into Jesus. Which is to say—doing these two specific things—loving God and loving our neighbor. Worship and sacrifice.

So, first place we’re all headed, from the youngest of us here today to the oldest, the first place we’re all headed is to God. This is our goal in life. To worship God and grow in faith toward Him. So we’re headed to His Word. Cooper, you’ve learned some of God’s Word these last two years. Now the rest of your life you’re going to keep learning more of it. Just like all of us here in this room are doing. We’re not growing out of God’s Word. We’re growing into it. We’re learning it more and more. Reading it every morning. Coming to Church and Bible Study every Sunday to hear it explained and preached to us.

We’re headed to prayer. In Confirmation, we start to learn about prayer and how to do it. Then for the rest of our lives we grow into prayer. Not grow out of it. Grow into it. We learn how to pray when we’re ashamed and guilty. We learn how to pray when we’re angry and confused. We learn how to pray when we’re joyful and thankful. We learn the words and habits of prayer. We learn the prayers of the Scripture in the Psalms. We grow into prayer. Not out of it.

Jesus leaned heavily on God’s Word and prayer during this Holy Week after He rode in on the donkey. He prayed often. He prayed for Himself. He prayed for His disciples. He prayed for the world. He stayed up all night before He died, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was headed to God.

And we’re also headed to Church. Not away from Church, not moving up in the world and leaving Church behind. No. Moving into Church. Cooper, now you start receiving one of God’s greatest gifts—the Lord’s Supper. And by God’s grace, you’ll be headed to His altar here for the rest of your life. Here at this altar you will grow into the life of Jesus. You’ll bring your sins every week before Him and He will bring His body and blood for you. And in this Sacrament He will work on you. He will let you know where you should be headed and He will go with you.

Cooper, you’re also starting soon the duty of ushering. This is important. That you see the Church needs you. The Church needs all of us. We don’t grow out of the Church. We grow into the Church. Cooper, I pray that you will keep growing into the Church. That one day you’ll be serving as an Elder, as a Sunday School Teacher, as a mentor to others in the Church. We grow into the Church, not out of it.

And finally and secondly, where we’re headed is to sacrifice ourselves for others. That’s the life of Jesus—sacrificing yourself for others. Being a child who honors your parents for the rest of your life, being a friend to those in need no matter how hard it is, being a Dad or Mom and sacrificing your wants and needs for those of your children, being a husband or wife who sacrifices to love your spouse, and all the other vocations that God gives us to love our neighbors.

That’s the life of Jesus—loving God and loving others. That’s where we’re all headed. Growing into Him, not out of Him. Cooper, wherever else the Lord leads you in your life, God grant that you’re always headed to these same two places—loving God and loving your neighbor. Coming to Church and going out to sacrifice for others. God grant it for all of us, to grow into Christ more and more and to follow Him where He’s headed—to God and to our neighbor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.