We call this day Palm Sunday - the day our dear Lord Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem, thereby fulfilling the word of the prophets who foretold that He would thus ride into the city on a donkey.
It could just as fittingly be called the day of Christ's triumphal entry.
All of this, I say, was announced and written about long ago by the prophet Zechariah, so that the Jews would never gawk and gape for a parade of worldly power, external pomp, and splendor. He will ride into Jerusalem in this humble manner, and will then weep over a city which did not accept him.
This was, of course, foretold beforehand also for us, and is preached to us year after year, so that we might learn the difference between Christ's kingdom and the kingdoms of the world, between our Christ-King and other earthly kings.
In His kingdom and by His Word Christ not only teaches us that we are poor lost sinners, condemned to death and in the devil's clutches, but also that through His death and blood, He has redeemed us from all sins, from death and the power of the devil, so that by faith in Him we are righteous and blessed forever. What wonderfully different teachings, wisdom, and insight this is compared with what is offered by human reason, legal experts, and the wise of this world - namely how to live here and now, managing house and home, acquiring goods, and protecting land and people. Even if we do live here a long, long time, finally and eventually we still have to depart and leave it all behind.
This is the reason why Christ entered Jerusalem as He did, without worldly pomp, meekly riding on a donkey. Thereby He not only wanted to fulfill the words of the prophet, but also to point out the manner and character of His kingdom, so that we may never be deluded into thinking that He came to earth to help us become rich and heap up treasure, when actually He came so that we might be delivered from sin, death, and the devil, and become truly rich in the life beyond. To sum up, this then was His true purpose in coming to earth, His kingdom's true nature and power and fruit, namely, that we may one day escape this wretched, mortal decaying existence and enter that happy, glorious, eternal life beyond.
It was just such a King that God promised through His prophets. Had God intended Him to be an earthly king, reigning in worldly fashion, there would have been no need for Him to be especially promised. Because God made a very particular promise about Him, there was no way He could have come as an ordinary king, ruling in the usual royal style. David and other kings reigned in that traditional manner, over territory and people, and thereby also gathered treasure. This King, however, is a very extraordinary King, especially promised by God; He set up a spiritual, eternal kingdom, over which He holds sway with unique power and might - His Word and the Holy Spirit.
But the Jews simply didn't want this kind of King - even though He came to them exactly as their prophet Zechariah had said: a righteous helper with eternal, heavenly blessing. ... they paid little attention.
We Christians, however, should get really well acquainted with this Christ-King, and place all our hope boldly in the life which is to come, where we will be forever happy, free of all sin and infirmity. It's for that reason that Christ came, and was crucified, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven to occupy His kingdom. That's how He overcame sin, death, and the devil for us, and by His blood and Holy Spirit swept us clean of all filth, so that all who believe in Him are righteous and blessed, and will someday pass through temporal death into His eternal, heavenly kingdom.
A Christian, you see, has not been baptized, so that he may collect treasure and get rich here on earth - all of which he can do as well without the gospel and baptism; instead he was baptized so that through Christ he may attain eternal life. To reach that life is why we should faithfully use the gospel and our baptism. I am a baptized Christian so that I may inherit and attain Christ's kingdom. And if I'm also blessed with possessions, I use these for my physical needs - certainly not to lift myself up into heaven!
We should, therefore, mark all the difference between Christ's kingdom and worldly powers, as He Himself clearly showed by His extraordinary entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, without a saddle, the animal a borrowed one at that! All of which made it crystal clear that He was in no way like the worldly rulers who have amassed a lot of treasure and property for the purpose of displaying worldly pomp and circumstance for their public appearances. Christ was no such earthly king; on the contrary, He is an eternal King, with an everlasting kingdom where one needs neither gold or silver, and yet will never suffer any want or need in all eternity.
After all, we must in the end depart and leave behind the goods of this earthly life; that should help us remember where we really want to be, namely with Christ, our eternal King. For if we accept Him here, that is, believe in Him and heed His gospel, He will also receive us over there, saying to us, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
This, then, is what our dear Lord Jesus Christ meant to show by His entrance into Jerusalem, so that we might truly understand Him and His kingdom. On the left hand, as it were, we still live here in the kingdom of this world, but always on the right hand we reach forward and upward to His kingdom everlasting in the world to come. It was for that future life that we were baptized. May God grant us His grace so that we may joyously welcome and accept this King and remain with Him forever. Amen!
- excerpt Complete Sermons of Martin Luther 5:366-371
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