The people are flocking to greet the advent of their King, calling for salvation. This is the cry of Advent. And the great promise we are given, the great confession we make, is that our Lord’s advents are a response to this cry.
The season of Advent always hits the hearers with a bit of lectionary whiplash. If one were to focus on the timeline of events over the next few Sundays, you would move wildly from the triumphal entry, to the arrival of John the Baptist, and then to the angel Gabriel’s visit with Mary. It always feels a bit odd to begin Advent with the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. After all, this is the text we read to kick off Holy Week. What is it doing here as we prepare for Christmas?
Yet, there is a good reason to begin Advent with this reading, a valid purpose for focusing on this text in your preaching this Sunday. It has nothing to do with when the story falls within the life of our Lord. Rather, it works with the themes it expresses. In fact, I would argue that this text sets the tone for the whole season. Advent is a time when we celebrate the arrival of our Lord. It holds a wonderful tension in the lives of your hearers as we engage a Christ who has come, who will come again, and continues to come even now in His Word and Sacraments. It is a time to celebrate the many advents of Jesus.
The gift we are given in this text is found in the shouts of the crowds who welcome our Lord as He rides into His city on a donkey. They create a victory parade, laying their cloaks on the ground and waving palm branches overhead as they shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna is one of the rare words in the New Testament (like Amen and Alleluia) which is transliterated rather than translated. It means, “Save us,” as we read in Psalm 118:25, “Save us, we pray, O Lord!”
The people are flocking to greet the advent of their King, calling for salvation. This is the cry of Advent. And the great promise we are given, the great confession we make, is that our Lord’s advents are a response to this cry. He came to save us. He will come again in glory to usher in the completion of that salvation. And He comes even now to work this salvation in us today.
He came to save us. He will come again in glory to usher in the completion of that salvation. And He comes even now to work this salvation in us today.
Perhaps, an effective way to approach this text for Advent is to focus first on the cries of our age. They are the cries that come from political unrest, trial, and suffering. Explore them: What cries do you hear from your congregation? Use specific examples. Do your best to make this concrete. What do they long to be saved from? Do not shy away from the fear that their cries go unheard. How many live with unanswered prayers? This is the rich soil of Advent.
Here, your listeners are transported to the crowds greeting Jesus. They cry out “Hosanna!” Of course they do. It is the only reasonable thing to do. From such cries you are directed to open the floodgates of the Gospel. Our Lord advents with His people. He comes to our cries for salvation. He is present in the proclamation of the Word. He arrives in the waters of Baptism. He embraces you in the Sacrament of the Altar. The move should be from our cries to His response. And it is not just His future promises but His regular presence here and now. Your hearers are turned from their inward struggles to the external gifts of our God.
What a joy it is to be a preacher of our Lord’s advent. You get to tell the people of God that He has heard their cry, and He comes for their salvation!
God bless your preaching.
--------
Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Mark 11:1-10.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Mark 11:1-10.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
