Palm Sunday • Year C

Historical Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you have sent your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, to take upon himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross, that all of humanity should follow the example of his great humility. Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gelasian Sacramentary, 7th Century)

Thematic Collect

Holy God, your Son gave us a new commandment and through his act of radical servanthood showed us the way of true love. Grant that we may share his servant nature as we live out your reign awaiting the promise of his return; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

First Reading • Deuteronomy 32:36–39

What power do we really have? We certainly have no power over ourselves. Many of us have come through the season of Lent, having determined some discipline to keep that forty days. Yet most of us will not have done what we had determined to do. Our “power is gone.” So we must place ourselves in the hands of the just and righteous judge. He will absolve us after all our power is gone (2 Cor 12:10).

Psalm • Psalm 118:19–29

We cannot open the gates of righteousness. Their weight and expanse surpasses our combined powers. So God must open them to us, if we are to enter. If we come in the name of the Lord, he is our salvation and the opener of the gates. For he who is the gate (John 10:9) has become the way of salvation (John 14:6).

Read or listen to this Lesson in the Lutheran Confessions from today's Psalm. 

Second Reading • Philippians 2:5–11

Jesus has given us a model. He humbled himself and was exalted. We too must humble ourselves before God. We must admit our need of him: his forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up (James 4:10). This blessing is ours because Christ first humbled himself, becoming fully human, and finally obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. He humbled himself to the lowest degree. Therefore God has exalted him above all things in heaven and on earth. All will bow to him, and yet, we who bow to the Father now will be lifted up with him on that Day.

Gospel • Luke 22:1–23:56

As the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, the chief priests and scribes were seeking how to kill the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Did he not come to give his body for the whole world? What he would willingly give, others would take by force. At the time of these dark ruminations, Jesus’ disciples bickered about which of them was greatest. They would be afforded opportunity for greatness, but none would rise to the occasion. Peter crowed about his loyalty but was silent when it mattered most. At a time of prayer, his disciples slept instead of watching with the Lord. Judas betrayed him to those who would kill him.

His disciples forsook him, the religious leaders conspired to have him put to death, and all the people cried out against him, preferring a known subversive to be be freed, rather than the Prince of Peace. Finally, when they hung him on the cross, not only did the law mock him, so did one of the criminals crucified at his side. As the sun’s light failed, Jesus died alone, betrayed and abandoned by those he came to save.