Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C – Homily (2025)

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C
Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
April 13, 2025

Jesus’ hour had come and so He “took his place.”  It was time to celebrate the Passover but this hour is much more than that.  Jesus takes what the Jews celebrated as the Passover and elevates it into the Eucharist and his Sacrifice on the Cross.

Jesus knew what was coming.  His whole life had been a journey to this hour.  Now, He enters the earthly city of Jerusalem for the last time.  His enemies mistakenly think they are responsible for his Crucifixion but Jesus is in complete control.  He tells his disciples what is coming.  What happens fulfills many prophecies.  God has always had a plan and now it comes to the hour of Jesus’ death.

Jesus is the Suffering Servant foretold in Isaiah who will speak “a word that will rouse them.”  The Pharisees want to keep the peace.  When Jesus’ disciples begin crying out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,” the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke his disciples.  Later, one of the charges they will bring against Jesus is that He incites “the people with his teaching.”

Jesus received a royal welcome as He entered Jerusalem, a far cry from the beatings He would later receive.  Judas, one of his Apostles will betray him.  Peter would deny Jesus three times.  Jesus knew they would do this and yet He continues on. 

“Though he was in the form of God” Jesus humbled himself becoming human and “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  God would exalt him for this.  Jesus’ name becomes the name at which “every knee should bend…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

As Jesus prepares to humbly offer his life as a sacrifice for our sins, his disciples are arguing about which of them is the greatest.  They are taking up swords, still looking for a political king, failing to realize that Jesus is about to suffer. 

Mocking Jesus, some speak of the Lord delivering Jesus.  They speak of “delivering him” as setting him free from the Cross.  That is not God’s deliverance.  Jesus must face the Cross to deliver us from sin.  Crucifixion was considered a shameful form of execution but Jesus makes the wood of the Cross his instrument of our salvation. 

Pilate finds Jesus innocent but allows Jesus to be crucified anyway because the people “persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed.” 

We need to ignore those who tell us to be silent as the Pharisees said the same to Jesus’ disciples.  We need to boldly proclaim our faith. 

It is not easy to suffer.  Jesus tells us his disciples to pray that they “may not undergo the test.”  What test?

We have a choice to make.  We can choose Heaven or we can choose Hell.  One might assume that everyone will choose Heaven but many will not.  Jesus himself tells us that the path to Heaven is hard, many will try but few will enter.

I doubt people deliberately choose Hell.  What they choose is sin and sin comes with consequences. 

Peter became afraid when Jesus was arrested. That’s why he denied knowing Jesus three times.  When he realized his sin, he “wept bitterly.”

Do you weep at your sins?

Jesus died for our sins but this is not a guarantee that everyone gets into Heaven.  To receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, we must repent.  We must weep at our sins.

Not everyone does.

Two criminals were crucified along Jesus.  One mocked him instead of repenting.  The other knew Jesus was innocent and called out in repentance, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus told the repentant criminal that he would join him in Paradise.

Jesus died for our sins.  We must not take this for granted.  We must try to follow Jesus.  If we fall short, as long as we try, with the help of God’s grace, God will forgive us.

If we do not try to keep the commandments, we lead a life of sin.  If you freely choose sin, you are choosing Hell. 

What sins do you commit?  Are you trying to change or do you think you can do whatever you want and still get into Heaven? 

Jesus died for our sins.  Let us respond with gratitude, not presumption of Heaven.