What Do You Need?

Before we get into the celebration of Palm Sunday, let's take a look at how we got here today. Specifically, I want to share with you how the youth group has entered this season, how they have engaged this Lenten journey and give you their perspective on our scripture today.

At the start of the Lenten season, the youth group and I watched the beginning of the Disney movie Elemental. If you have not heard of this before, let me give you a brief summary. Elemental is an animated story set in a city where the four elements;  fire, water, earth, and air all live together.

It follows Ember, a fiery and strong-willed young woman, and Wade, a laid-back, emotional water guy. Despite being complete opposites (and literally incompatible because she is fire and he is water), they form an unexpected friendship that grows into something deeper. At its core, the movie is about identity, family expectations, and how people from very different backgrounds can connect and understand each other.

However, for the purposes of our conversation, I compared their unexpected relationship to how we have a hard time understanding things that don’t make sense or shouldn’t be together, like fire and water in the movie. Then I asked them, can someone survive forty days in the desert with nothing? Just think of the answers I got in return. So, I asked them how long they think they can survive? My favorite answer was a brave “10 days,” which was followed immediately by judgement.

What I wanted them to see, was that this Lenten journey invites us to look at things differently and imagine how they might see themselves differently in the forty days. Then I threw them a bone and asked if you were in the desert for a designated time and you can take one thing with you, what would you take?

We had a wonderful discussion about what was allowed to be chosen and whether we can take electronics or not. One person chose art supplies, one chose a record player and even a choice for books.

Like the youth group, we all have been on a journey, including Jesus, the disciples and everyone else following along. But the wildest journey belongs to the disciples as they watch Jesus’ ministry take off. They get asked by this random guy to join him, without any real knowledge of who he is. In Matthew chapter 4, “¹⁹ [Jesus] said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Then things get wild.

What do we learn about Jesus’ ministry? Jesus’ ministry is a fast-moving mix of powerful teaching, surprising moments, and the disciples constantly going, “Wait… what did he just say?”

It all begins with the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus sits down and basically rewrites the understanding of what it means to live a good life. The Beatitudes bless people you wouldn’t expect, those who are struggling, humble, or seeking peace. Then he raises everyday rules to heart-level challenges: anger matters as much as actions, love extends even to enemies, and generosity and prayer should be genuine, not for show. He also drops iconic lines like being the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”

For a few weeks of our Lenten journey the youth group began to hear and explore Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We listened to the words Jesus spoke and some commentary that explained just what those words meant. At the end of each session I always ask them to tell me one thing they heard or what was something that stood out to them. After the initial silence and the realization that there are prizes, we get some answers.

They would take turns listing off one thing they heard while giggling at the answers or giggling when friends couldn’t quite explain their thoughts fully. One of the answers that we seem to focus on was salt. Not just the word salt, but the many different meanings. We are the salt of the earth. Salt is used for preservation. If salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer useful. Then there is the trendy understanding of being salty. Ask me about that later if you want to.

As I watched, I could see the wheels turning trying to make sense of so many things that seem to be strange. Trying to understand why Jesus would say these things specifically. Hopefully they remember some of the things they heard and talked about.

After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows what he’s been talking about. He heals the sick, restores people who were excluded, calms a storm (while the disciples panic), and even raises someone from the dead. The message: his authority isn’t just talk, it touches every part of life, even nature itself.

Jesus even sends his disciples out on their first mission trip with a mix of encouragement and honesty: “Go share the good news—but also, not everyone will like it.” It’s part exciting adventure, and part “this might get hard.” People start wondering: Is Jesus really the one?

Jesus continues by teaching through stories—about seeds, weeds, treasure, and nets. They seem simple, but they’re so much more. Then he starts doing stuff like feed thousands with a small amount of food, walks on water (disciples: amazed and slightly terrified), healing and teaching while the disciples try (and often fail) to keep up.

The vibe of the whole ministry are expectations get flipped, outsiders are welcomed, the “important” people don’t always get it, the disciples are learning… slowly and Jesus keeps pointing to a kingdom that values love, humility, and trust over power and status.

And now we celebrate.

After Jesus has done all these things in his ministry we reach what we call Palm Sunday. What is so special about Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is a moment of celebration that marks the beginning of Holy Week, this moment is both joyful and meaningful, as it celebrates Jesus’ arrival while also pointing ahead to the difficult events of his crucifixion later in the week. It remembers the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by crowds of people who waved palm branches and laid them on the road to honor him, welcoming him as a king of peace.

In our scripture this morning, we saw Jesus ask his disciples to go ahead and prepare for his arrival. Jesus says “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.”

This is not a strange request because often when they entered new towns Jesus would send the disciples off to do something for him. Or Jesus would remind them that what they need will be provided, whether its food or shelter. They did not come to new places with the intention to cause a scene or start a party, but somehow a wild time just seemed to follow them.

What Jesus knew that the disciples had not realized, is that this will be one of the last times they enter Jerusalem together. Just a few verses before this moment Jesus told them for the third time that he would be taken, beaten, die and then be raised from the dead. I would not classify Jesus as a sentimental guy when it came to the disciples, but I’m guessing this trip would mean more than they knew.

This week the youth and I talked about the full season of Lent, what the days were, what happens on those specific days. They did remember more than I thought, even though we added a few extra days like Ash Tuesday and Fire Thursday. But they really took the time to go through the days and figure them out. Then I asked the youth group what do they know about Palm Sunday?

A few hands go up and the first answer is, “isn’t that when they wave the palm trees?” Yes, that’s part of what happens, but what else happens? They start thinking and the random answers start flowing. Somone says, “I think he comes in on like a donkey.” Another person goes, “People put the branches down as he comes into town.” A few more answers, “He comes to Jerusalem, right?” Then someone says, “it’s when they welcome Jesus.” And I start to get excited because they do pay attention.

Then I ask them the trick questions. Is Palm Sunday actually special? Is there a festival or party going on that we missed? No. The day Jesus came in on a donkey was just a regular day in that time. Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey without a saddle, not on a horse, or in a chariot, not even wearing a crown. That’s not a grand entrance. The people who were there were just following the gossip they heard that Jesus of Nazareth was traveling that way, so they showed up.

What made it spectacular was two things, (1) it fulfilled a prophecy in scripture and (2) the response of the people.

In the book of Zechariah, an oracle, also known as a vision, was told to the people about the king who would come to rescue them from their enemies. The same thing Jesus said, Zechariah also said but it sounded like this “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah says this many years before Jesus is going to arrive in Jerusalem. This was after the people had put their faith in judges and rulers who had their own agenda, while also leaving them in harms way. Zechariah wanted to let them know that the one who is coming is like no other and was indeed righteous. And Jesus Christ is that chosen one.

Then the people responded.

8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Why would they celebrate?

They celebrated in hope of a better future. Well, if this Jesus guy is as great as they say, surely, he will be the one who changes things. Surely, he would show us this promised land we have been waiting for. He will be the king we want. And of course, he would get us out of this oppression and our lives will be different.

These are the same reasons we celebrate. Yes, we know a little more than they knew at this moment, but we celebrate all that is to come. We celebrate with them as they welcome Jesus into Jerusalem because the time has come. We celebrate with them because the promises that will be fulfilled will change the world. We celebrate with them because within that hope we found a Savior. 

At the end of the night I asked the youth group, what do you need to prepare for Easter? The first response is panic, and the thought that they missed something. So, I just asked if there is something you need to do to get ready for that day. Then someone said, “you stick to your practices or whatever you gave up for lent.” I asked if there was anything else they could think of? Another said, “you go to the services during Holy Week.”

There’s no right or wrong answer to the question. I wasn’t looking for an answer at all. What I wanted them to see was that they will just show up and Jesus will still be raised from the dead. Why? Because Jesus Christ was always going to be the one to die for us. He was always going to be the king we needed but rejected at the same time. He was always going to be what the world is given to save themselves.

So, what do you need to prepare for the resurrection of the Lord? Nothing.  Come as you are and celebrate what Jesus Christ will be for us. Come and celebrate the one that invites you to die with him so you too can be raised. Come and see as the world is given the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.