Lent & Palm Sunday
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Sermon Delivered 04/04/04
- Why We Do Not Celebrate Lent
Later in this message, we will take a look at the Bible
passages dealing with what is called Palm Sunday. But,
before I do that, I want to shed some light on why we do not celebrate
Lent. While the basic answer is simple – there is no
reference to Lent in the Bible, I will share with you some
more specific reasons.
- The Pagan History of Lent
The word lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon
word lencten which means spring, which was derived from the
Anglo-Saxon word lenctentid (pronounced LENG-ten-teed),
which means the time of lengthening and flowering. The entire spring
season was called Lenctentid. The ancient Anglo-Saxons (and
other pagans) celebrated the return of spring with rioteous fertility
festivals commemorating their goddess of fertility and of springtime,
Eastre. In fact, the word Easter is derived from the Scandinavian
Ostara and the Teutonic Ostern or Eastre, both pagan
goddesses. The complete month of April was called Eostur-monath with the
entire month was dedicated to Eostre. The pagan religion taught that
Eostre was one responsible for changing a bird into a rabbit, this then is
how the rabbit became an Easter symbol. Rabbits symbolize the fertility of
springtime. It should be noted that the rabbit's capacity of abundant
production of young is especially great at this time of year. I should
also tell you that most ancient races, including the Anglo-Saxons,
included spring festivals to celebrate the rebirth life, using the Egg was
a symbol of fertility, life and re-birth. This is old Latin proverb
catches this idea -- Omne vivum ex ovo. This means "all life comes
from an egg".
One final note, the Lenten season’s length has varied
throughout history, however 40 days, not including Sunday, were finally
settled upon and established by Roman Catholic Canon Law said to
commemorate the 40 days Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan in the
wilderness.
So, how did such pagan things as Lent and Easter (I am
not referring to the blessed Resurrection of Jesus Christ) come into the
church? Alexander Hislop gives us the answer -- "To conciliate the Pagans
to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to
get the Christian and Pagan festivals amalgamated, and, by a complicated
but skillful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter,
in general, to get Paganism and Christianity—now far sunk in idolatry—in
this as in so many other things, to shake hands" (The Two Babylons).
Let’s move from human tradition, speculation and
fabrication to biblical reality…Palm Sunday. Each Gospel gives an
account of what Bible students call Jesus Christ’s Palm Sunday Triumphal
Entry into Jerusalem. I would encourage you to read Matthew 21:1-11;
Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:9-19.
- Where Does The Name "Palm Sunday"Come From?
Turn in your Bibles to John 12:13 "Took
branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried,
Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of
the Lord." As you can see, the people greeted Jesus Christ with Palm tree
branches. But, you may not realize the significance of this. About 150
plus years previous to this, was the last time Israel had been
independent. This was when Judas Maccabeus, nick named "The Hammer," son
of a Jewish priest, had led the people in a war of independence and
defeated the Syrians and became King. He adopted the palm branch as a
symbol of his victory and Israeli independence. In the Apocryphal book of
1 Maccabees 13:51 we read about his victory. "And entered into it
the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and
first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with
harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there
was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel." (1 & 2 Maccabees cover some of
the history of this period between the Old and New Testament). Judas
Maccabeus had palm branches stamped on coins, and had them used in temple
feasts to celebrate the victory. I should also note that the Feast of
Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights and the Feast of the Maccabees,
celebrates this victory and the dedication of the new altar in the Temple
at Jerusalem that took place in 165 B.C.
- The Prophetic Significance of Christ’s Entry Into
Jerusalem
Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 21:1-5 "And when
they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount
of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go
into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass
tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto
me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The
Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy
King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the
foal of an ass." (see also John 12:15)
As you can see, Christ’s riding into Jerusalem the way
he did was no accident! The prophet he is referring to is Zechariah. Turn
to Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O
daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is
just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a
colt the foal of an ass."
There are a couple of interesting morsels relating to
why Christ rode in on "a colt the foal of an ass." First, you will
remember that in Luke’s parallel passage the disciples were instructed to
"Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your
entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat…"
Luke 19:30. Have you ever wondered why? It is because only animals
that had never been used as beasts of burden could be used for sacred
purposes (Numbers 19:2; 1 Samuel 6:7). When Jesus Christ rode into
Jerusalem as KING, it is a SACRED occasion, not primarily a political one.
He was God in the flesh coming to set them free from their sins!
There is another morsel you should know about. You will
remember that Jesus, physically speaking is of the root and offspring of
David (Revelation 22:16). I also remind you that the angel that announced
the birth of Jesus said "…He shall be great, and shall be called the Son
of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and
of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32-33. Entering the
city on a donkey’s colt symbolized the truth that Jesus Christ was indeed
King. He accepted the praise of the people. And, even more significant is
that Solomon rode his father’s favorite mule in his inaugural procession
into the royal city of Jerusalem (1 Kings 1:33). Jesus was
announcing His kingship in a similar way.
For the answer to this question we need to look at
John 12:9-11 "Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was
there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see
Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the
chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11
Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed
on Jesus."
Secondly, many people were looking for military king.
Turn to John 6:15 "When Jesus therefore perceived that they
would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed
again into a mountain himself alone." Palm Sunday was their opportunity to
acclaim Jesus Christ King. Turn to John 12:13 "Took branches of
palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:
Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the
Lord."
The word Hosanna is a Latinized
transliteration of the Hebrew phrase that means "please save now" or
"please help now." The word is used in Psalms 118:25 "Save now, I
beseech thee…." Then in verse 26 "Blessed be he that cometh in the
name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD."
Many of the people who were calling for a military king
to take them back to a free Israel, like in the times of the Maccabees
would be calling out "crucify him, crucify him, just a few days later.
They wanted a temporal king who would free them from Roman domination. But
what they needed was Christ to be king of their lives, who would free them
from their sins!
That is the same thing people need this Palm Sunday. Is
the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior?
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