Palm Sunday and Its Antecedents

The crowd sang, Hosanna to the Son of David. Who is David, and who is his son? David was king of Israel, two of whose sons were wicked rebels, and younger than they both was Solomon. Absalom gained a large conspiracy of men to take the kingdom from his father, through lies and wicked enticement of many around him, and through the crafty Ahithophel, a false disciple of David. But David's servants remained loyal, and so did also a band of Gittites, a band from the Philistines with their leader Ittai. But like David's servants they too pledged loyal allegience to David, in the midst of adversity. David is Jesus, and these loyal servants his disciples. And Ahithophel is Judas, who like the latter went and hanged himself when he failed. The other wicked son who rose up to usurp the kingdom after Abalom died was Adonijah, when David was old. But his plan likewise was thwarted, when  David placed Solomon on his own mule and he triumphantly entered Jerusalem as the crowd sang, Long live King Solomon! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Solomon is also Christ, and the crowd is the children of Palm Sunday. And their joyous cry is that of the children of Palm Sunday. How different is this from another cry, of Jesus' enemies, in a few days, Crucify him! But the children pledged him their loyalty in adversity. And today we, like them, pledge him our loyalty as well when we sing the Sanctus and he comes to us in the Blessed Sacrament, which is Christ. And we likewise cry in adversity, for the church is on the very threshold of trouble, with powerful enemies who hate the church and seek, even here in America, to make our life miserable and force us into submission to their godlessness. But like those loyal to David, and the children loyalty. to Jesus, so we too, pledging our loyalty and faith, shall be saved. For he alone is able to save, who gave his life into death for us and rose from the dead. Sermon for Palm Sunday. The video is here.