Jesus Rode from Cross to Crown!

Palm Sunday, 3/24/13
Philippians 2:5-11


Jesus Rode from Cross to Crown!
I. He humbled himself to death.
II. God exalted him in glory.


Occasionally you have one of those weeks, you know, the kind that are filled with so many unexpected twists and turns. And as you stand at the end of that week and look back, you wonder how you ever made it through. You were so busy with multiple tasks or so constantly occupied dealing with a personal disaster that you’re exhausted now just recalling what you went through. You conclude your little trip down this short memory lane by telling yourself, “I hope I never have another week like that again.”

It’s bad enough recalling how difficult it was. Imagine knowing in advance what was going to happen to you. It would be unbearable.

But that describes our Savior exactly as he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He had told his disciples several times in the previous months that he was going to Jerusalem to be handed over to his enemies, to suffer and to die, but on the third day he would rise again. And even though his disciples were against that plan, Jesus knew he would carry it out just as his Father had detailed it. He knew the betrayals would happen. He knew the arrest and the mocking and the vicious, inhuman beatings would happen. He knew the agony of the cross awaited him. But he also knew that eternal glory would be the result.

We call that Holy Week—the week in which Jesus accomplished our salvation, won our forgiveness, and secured eternal life for us. In this portion of his Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul lists all the details of that week under two major themes—the humility of our Savior and his exaltation to glory. Let’s use two other words to describe what Jesus faced, words that we often connect to Christ—his cross and his crown. On that first Palm Sunday, that’s what Jesus was riding towards. Jesus rode from cross to crown. Join me as we journey with him.

Part I.

At the end of this week, we’ll observe our Savior’s sacrificial death. While Jesus’ sacrificial death is unlike any other, sacrificial deaths aren’t so unusual. A few weeks ago I watched and listened to a TV news account of just such an event. It was being told by a young US military veteran. He described how one of the men in his company, a fellow-soldier who had spent months fighting by his side, had taken the brunt of an explosion. In fact, he had placed himself in front of it in order to shield this young man and two others and, in doing so, he died. In human terms, we’d say he made the ultimate sacrifice. Of course this veteran was deeply grateful, but he was also filled with guilt. He couldn’t get past the feeling that he should have died for his friend because his friend was more deserving than he, not the other way around.

That man’s words reminded me of one of the many ways in which Jesus’ sacrifice was different than any other. His sacrifice removes guilt, not causes it. But how can we be sure of that? Paul lays it out for us. He writes, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Paul states that Jesus humbled himself to remove our guilt before God. In what way did Jesus humble himself? Paul begins with who Jesus is. He reminds us that Jesus is in very nature God. We might say the same thing like this: Jesus was true God from eternity. He always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit as God. That means he possessed all divine power and all divine glory forever.

But at a point in time he humbled himself. Paul says he didn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped. In other words, he was willing to let it go for a time. That began at his conception and birth. The One through whom and for whom all things exist became completely dependent on his sinful, earthly parents for his infant life on earth. He didn’t make use of his divine power. He let go of his omniscience which meant he had to learn things. He set aside his divine glory. He lived just like one of us.

But his humiliation goes deeper than that. Paul calls him a servant. He came to serve us. That truth turns the situation completely upside down. We’re his creatures. He made us. We should be serving him. But no, he comes to serve us. He comes to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves—perfectly keep God’s holy law.

And wonder of wonders, in his humility he comes to die for us! Paul says he became obedient to death, even death on a cross. This is a substitutionary, sacrificial death of epic proportions! It’s an amazing thing when one human being sacrifices himself or herself for another human being. When we hear of such an event, we wonder if we would have the courage or whatever else it takes to do such a thing. But in the case of Jesus’ death, this is the holy God dying for sinful people! You talk about letting go of your power and glory as true God! And he did all that knowing ahead of time it was going to happen. In fact, he made sure it would happen. That makes this trip into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday an amazing event. Jesus rode from cross to crown. He humbled himself to death.

I mentioned the gratitude and the guilt that veteran feels over the fact that his friend died for him. He felt something else, though. Indebted. He said he felt so deeply indebted that it nearly consumed him. Obviously he couldn’t pay his friend back, but he spent large portions of each day pondering ways to do things for others as a way of paying his friend back. His problem was that he felt he was never making a dent in that debt.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem to humble himself all the way to Calvary’s cross. There he paid the penalty for your sins and mine, for the sins of the whole world. He paid what we could never begin to pay. But he did so not that we would feel hopelessly indebted to him, but to free us. Indeed, his sacrifice on the cross frees us from guilt. Because of what Jesus did for us, God declares us not guilty. He justifies us. That’s the sweetest news any guilty sinner could ever hear. It’s the heart and core of the gospel, God’s good news for us. But he also sacrificed himself for us to free us to serve him. That’s why Paul begins this great doctrinal section with the words, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” In the previous verses Paul is speaking about how we should treat other people, to serve them in humility and love just as Jesus served us. Love for Jesus removes sinful seIfishness and pride. It moves us to consider how we can help meet the needs of others. May your ride with your Savior to Calvary’s cross this week produce those fruits of faith in you!

Part II.

When a member of our armed forces pays the ultimate price, we honor them, and rightly so. They died protecting our freedoms and rights. They put us ahead of themselves. They willingly placed themselves in harm’s way and worse so that we could live peaceful and quiet lives. So we honor them as best we can. But we can’t bring them back.

That’s one of the differences about the sacrifice which Jesus made. His death wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of glory. Paul says it this way, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Paul speaks about Christ’s exaltation. That began with his resurrection from the dead on Easter morning and it will continue forever. From Easter on Jesus has enjoyed the full use of his divine power and glory. He rules over all things. Nothing can prevent his plans for our world from being carried out. Not even Satan can overthrow his kingdom to which we belong by faith in Jesus.

That’s why he possesses the name that is above every name. The name of Jesus includes everything he has told us about himself in his word in order to bless and save us. The name of Jesus is our salvation. There is no other name that saves sinners. There is no other name that wins eternal life for us. That’s what makes his name above all others.

And that’s why all will bow before him. The angels and the saints in heaven joyfully bow before him as the Savior of all people. On the Last Day every knee will bow before him, some out of heavenly love and joy, others out of hellish fear and shame. And Satan and his demons all bow before Jesus because they know that Jesus wins and they lose. All those amazing truths are due to the work that Jesus finished on Holy Week. He rode from cross to crown. God exalted him in glory.

We now begin another Holy Week to solemnly observe all that our Savior did so long ago so that he could redeem us and make us his own forever. We begin this spiritual journey knowing that it will take us to the depths of agony on Calvary’s cross, but we don’t despair. We behold him die on Good Friday knowing that he will rise on Easter Sunday. That means our guilt is gone, our sins are washed away, heaven is ours. That means Jesus is victorious, not just for a day, but for forever. And by faith in him, so are we. We, too, will possess eternal glory with Jesus. That’s what our observances this Holy Week are all about. We win with Jesus. All because he rode from cross to crown. May that greatest of good news comfort and strengthen you each day as you live for your Savior. Amen.