March 28th 2021 Englisch Text

Worship Order March 28th 2021 German Church Atlanta

Prelude: 40 Days Lent in the desert Welcome Psalm 69 Psalm 69 Song Isaiah 50 Jesus moves into Jerusalem Sermon: John:1212-19 People knew why they wanted to be there for the Inauguration of Obama as the President of the United States: it was an historical event. For the first time an African American became the President of the world power USA. And it began in Philadelphia, as Obama came by train from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. Our ears perk up when we hear the word Philadelphia. It is the historic main capital. The Quaker William Penn founded it in 1682 and dares a “holy experiment”. He believed in a community where people of different background and faiths could live together peacefully with equality and freedom – in a time when in Europe those thoughts would be punished with imprisonment.

1

In Philadelphia the constitution was later signed. This city is the cradle of a new world and a free America. This is where Obama connects. And: the new President did not take a plane. He came by train, just as President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 who ended slavery. Also the date of the inauguration was significant: The day after Martin Luther King’s birthday which is celebrated nationwide.

This procession to Philadelphia had a symbolic meaning, just as many other processions do. I am thinking about the Procession organized by the Nazis on the evening of January 30, 1933 to celebrate their victory. They marched as a pompous torchlight procession through the Brandenburg Gate. I am also thinking of the Big Parade on the Red Square in Moscow on May 9th.

Traditionally the most important event on the Victory Day. I am thinking also of the demonstrations during the “Wende” (Reunification of Germany), when people marched with candles and self-made signs to the East German leadership buildings and demanded dialogue and change. Processions have to do with Power and with the demonstration of power.

Jesus is processing towards Jerusalm, as the political and religious center of power in Palestine. Jerusalem was the main capital, the heart of the country, even when the Romans were holding the reins of power.

At the same time Jesus is processioning into powerlessness. He arrives riding on a mule, the work animal of simple people. He processes into suffering and into a catastrophic event.

2

It appears that he lets go of all power, is being delivered and in the end tortured and killed. He is riding towards powerlessness. At the same time Jesus remains self-determined. He never gives the impression to be hunted or a play object in the hands of others.

He is becoming powerless, yet he is remaining himself. Isn’t that paradoxical?

Or does this belong together, the he is free while he loses increasingly the power and freedom to make decisions – up to the freedom to decide over life and death. Jesus is being rooted so deeply within himself, that death has a tough time with him.

So Jesus processes into Jerusalem and enters the center of conflict.

The bible reports of different controversies during his stay. He argues with the religious leaders, he throws the merchants out of the temple and becomes enraged and violent.

Jerusalem is not only the place of power, but also the place of conflict.

Jesus was aware that entering this city controversy would arise.

Starting with a warning sign at the temple entrance, as the first words people would ready: “No foreigner should enter…” These words were meant for the so called “Gentiles”. The temple was not open to all. It categorizes and divides people and ordered them to stay in different parts of the temple. The hierarchy of society was mirrored here: On top the High priest, then the Jewish men, lastly the Jewish women, the foreigners and other-believers.

Jesus embodied a totally different life approach. His idea of God’s Kingdom 3

was open to all. He was aware that we would need to respond. He would need to show his colors. He would enter into the midst of necessary conflict.

How do we deal with necessary conflicts? Are we even becoming aware of them? Do we enter them openly? Or do we like to go around them? Where is our Jerusalem and where do we need to show our true colors?

Hardly any of us is one of those trouble makers, who constantly fight or risk their life by running their mouth.

Jesus was not one either. Shouldn’t he be rather like most of us: That he was reluctant to enter into controversy? He was fully human as we heard earlier in the letter to the Philippians. He knew the feeling of fear to cause controversy or to become unpopular. And nevertheless, he processes into Jerusalem. He faces the challenge head on.

The walk towards Jerusalem becomes a procession and is a prototype for all processions, not only on Palm Sunday.

How is it with processions in our own life: You might have old photos that captured them: The baby in its baptism outfit being carried to church, the procession for a confirmation or for a wedding. And lastly the grief procession at a funeral. All those mark outward transition points in life.

Do those outward signs of processions coincide with our inner transitions? Or did the outward and inner signs of change get disconnected? What is still worth celebrating?

It is reported that Jesus made the procession to Jerusalem three times. As a baby he got carried for his circumcision to the temple. As a twelve 4

year old he came to his Bar Mizwah and completely forgot time in the temple discussing God and the world.

Only Luke tells about the first two times. And now is the third time, the last and final time.

It is understandable that the people wanted to celebrate Jesus and that they wanted him as their King – that they wanted him in power where all the other Kings are.

Didn’t he heal the blind, fed 5000 people with bread and fishes, resurrected Lazarus from the dead, forgave sins and made the lame walk again?

He is the true King…

What would have happened back then, if Jesus had given in to their hopes and longings? What would have happened if he had led the people forward with the sword, fighting against the Romans?

What would have happened if he had taken the opportunity to speak and pull the excited mass onto his side?

What bloodbath that would have provoked? How many of his followers would have been killed by the Romans? Many would have died for the one- and not one for the many.

His disciples only realized it later: Back then it was a powerful taking over, but of a totally different kind. When Jesus refrained from taking over power, his power became a reality all over the world.

Jesus recognized that the masses wanted to crown him king, what did he do? He did not really cooperate: No victor pose, no big horse that would let him enter triumphantly, and he did not 5

even speak a single word and no demonstrated proof of his power.

Instead he takes a young mule to ride on it into the city, facing the events that will cost him his life. Up to the point of his life when he is completely powerless and dies.

His friends, his disciples initially did not understand him: May be they thought that Jesus missed a great chance to actually take over the political power in Israel. Only in retrospect, as John describes, after the crucifixion and resurrection experience the disciples understand what Jesus meant to do when he was riding on a donkey into the city Jerusalem.

And he took the mule for one because it was written like that in the prophecy of Zecharia.

In Zecharia 9: 9b-10a is written: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; cry out, daughter of Jerusalem!

Look! Your king is coming to you.

He is righteous, and he is able to save.

He is humble, and is riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

War weapons will be banished, and your king will speak peace to the nations.

This is why Jesus chooses this mule to distinguish himself from the usual wordly processions of power.

And this is only consequent: For never in his life Jesus used the power that was given to him for himself. No, he always pointed to the One from whom he received his power and to the One who sent him.

His sings of healing people and other signs were not about his own power 6

and glory, but they were always signs of God’s life giving power.

Therefore it makes sense for Jesus to break with the role plays of power of this world, as God’s power and strengths is fundamentally and radically different than the powers of this world.

Jesus only needed the mule…and is therefore a challenge for every other use of power in the World before and after him. For people were following him and those established and in power at the time, in this case the Pharisees said: “You see, you can’t do anything.

The whole world is running after him.”

The people back then wanted the way that Jesus used his power – a power that was so different from all other uses of power. How Jesus used his power was the reason that he was followed by more people than any other ruler on earth.

Jesus understanding of power did not lead to his power becoming exhausted and his statue can’t be toppled. His Kingdom is not of this world, Jesus once said.

And this is the difference to the always limited successes of political forces in this world: Jesus' power is not in competition with God's power, it is not standing by and against it, but Jesus' power consists in credible obedience: for Jesus does not want to show who he is, what a powerful and great man he is, what he can do, but Jesus wants to show what God can do. All his actions are nothing more than to make visible to the one who sent him, to show that the God of Israel is a living God who cares for us humans.

7

Jesus has a power that overcomes the forces who often force us and have a firm grip on us: fear, the search for recognition, illness, bitterness and resignation. And finally, death. In Jesus these forces are disempowered.

However, this reality is only revealed after these very forces according to which the world works have violently killed Jesus.

This, too, is a law of our humanity: the violence that people receive is passed on. We are looking for one who feels in our place the impotence that we do not want to feel: an innocent is being sacrificed. In order not to feel our own limited human condition, we tortured him, and hung him on the cross.

And so it came that the "Hosianna" became the "Crucify him" the next day. So it happened that all the suffering that had been put on him, all the projected violence, killed him. And Jesus did not resist, but took all this upon himself while rusting in God. And when Jesus took on himself all our human violence, all hatred, all our guilt, he at the same time asked God for forgiveness on our behalf: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The powerless moment of Jesus' death on the cross, holds nevertheless a great power. It is God's unreserved "yes" towards Jesus in his life and equally in his death and then in his resurrection that becomes the sign of God's power. It is this power of love, this power of forgiveness, this power of life that we as followers of Jesus depend on– every day anew.

Thanks be to God. Amen And the peace of God, that surpasses all our understanding, may keep our 8

hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Holy City Jerusalem Intercessory Prayer Blessing Postlude: In your Lord have I found peace

9