Wednesday, March 18th, 2026
Lenten Midweek 4
Text: Mark 5:1-13
Sermon Audio
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” Hosanna! Save us, we pray! Today we have seen the Blessed One who comes in the name of the LORD. We have seen with our own eyes the mighty works that Jesus has done. Baptism and Scripture have opened our eyes to see that Jesus teaches us as One with the authority of God. He heals the sick, casts out demons, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the blind see, the poor have good news preached to them, and the dead are raised. Truly Jesus is the Christ, the King of Israel! We join the throng on Palm Sunday and wave our victory palms and lay them at the feet of the One who comes to save us.
The news of Lazarus’ resurrection has spread into Jerusalem. The multitudes who have come to the feast can’t wait to welcome their King to the Passover. They rush out to meet Jesus. They join the throng who come with Him from Bethany and praise their King as He mounts His lowly stead. They follow their King into Jerusalem singing His praises the whole way. Our King has come! Whether you were born into the Christian faith as baby at the font or Jesus met you out while He was traveling from town to town and gave you eyes to see that He is the true King of Israel, together you meet here around your incarnate LORD, on this road to Jerusalem, and praise Him who has come to save us. The King has come to take His throne.
We rejoice, yet our Christ has His eyes fixed on the goal. This Palm Sunday is truly a moment of victory, Jesus has accomplished all that He needed to in His ministry. Now He heads to finish the job and be glorified. His crown and throne await Him on Friday. He knows what today’s procession means. Join the crowds this day and follow your King to Jerusalem and see how your King saves you. Tell the people in the streets that the Christ is here to take His throne just as the crowds entering Jerusalem did this day. Follow Him to the cross this week.
This isn’t the only crowd around us today in Jerusalem. Watching our scene are the Pharisees who wanted nothing more than to end this uprising. They say among themselves, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Their jealousy will drive them to put their true King to death. They can’t see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Most High God. They would do anything to preserve their rule in this world. Their concern was always for themselves. By the time they put our LORD on trial they will scatter the faithful crowd. They will form a mob. The wicked crowds will always drive out those who see the righteousness of God that is the incarnate Christ. They won’t bow their knee to the King and can’t stand those who do know the true King. Their time will come to bow when the final trumpet blows, but for now, they torment and scatter God’s faithful. Jesus must continue the path to the cross, no matter what. He is faithful for us while the world tries to drive us away. He will be glorified and gather us to Him at Calvary.
Jesus knows what Isaiah said He must do as the servant who will suffer for all of God’s people. He has heard the will of His Father, the LORD our God, and Jesus will not turn back from what is to come. Even as the palms wave His face is set on the job at hand. He knows He must give His back to those who strike, His cheeks to those who pull out the beard, and His face to disgrace and spit. The true King of Israel will do this. He will not hide His face, He fully trusts in the LORD to work salvation for us through His sacrifice. The King knows the love of God that will pour from His side for all mankind. He knows that He must be forsaken so we are not. So He marches on for us. We sing Hosannas to our King as He sets His face like a flint toward a different crowd that waits for Him in Jerusalem. This crowd will crown Him with thorns, nail Him to His throne, and raise Him to the glory that is revealed on the cross. Unwavering for your sake He endures the Passion that we just read from Matthew. Save us dear King!
Sing Hosanna to our King. Focus your eyes on the cross this week and set your face like a flint to the attacks that will come, just like our LORD. Our adversaries don’t want us to look to the cross and see what Christ has done for our sake. Come to the foot of His cross where our Savior hangs for the punishment of our sin; where He puts to shame our shame, and where He dies so that you may never die. Our King comes lowly today, but before this week is over, He will be lifted up so that all that look to Him will be saved. His blood is our atonement. Our perfect King will give us His perfection and take the shame and death that our sin deserves. Lord Jesus, save us! “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” Thanks be to God!
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard and keep you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.