Sermon for St Edward’s / Palm Sunday / Readings: Dramatisation from Matthew, Matthew 21.1-11, Philippians 2.5-11
So we draw towards the end of Lent. We have prayed and reflected, perhaps fasted, we have gathered to worship together, in our Lent course we looked at the idea of a wounded planet, with themes of love, truth, justice and wisdom, and now we draw towards the final conclusion.
In our readings we heard of Jesus before Pilate, the Roman ruler who washes his hands of what to do with him. Some historians suggest that we can contrast Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with that of Pilate. Whereas Pilate would have entered from the west, in pomp and ceremony, a show of might and strength, just as triumphal returns from war at that time, almost a warning, this is the power you would dare to challenge? Animals drafted into service, to fight and to carry, as part of this military machine. Elements of the earth, metals and woods used to create massive weapons.
Jesus by comparison enters from the east on a lowly donkey. Coming sa a king but not as a king, with the power of love and in truth, and as we will soon see, victory over death. He does bring a challenge but one that offers life and hope not conflict and might. One in which elements of the earth are waved in branches over his head.
There is such a positive mood as he arrives, branches waving, cloaks thrown on the ground in honour, voices singing ‘hosanna’, save us, deliver us, a plea for salvation. There is a sense of victory and power, but in such a different way. As we read in Philippians this is not about the rise of worldly power, but the unveiling of a completely different kind of justice and kingdom.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…
Christ who did not show power and might but emptied himself, humbled himself, even to death. A story of love outpoured, of the truth, a story of justice for all and of a wisdom so deep it can reach into all our hearts.
and for Paul in Philippians then there comes the turning point:
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Every knee. Every tongue. Not just human beings. Not just believers. Not just those who understand.
All creation. In Heaven, on Earth, under the earth.
This is a cosmic vision. A vision that stretches far beyond Jerusalem’s streets on that first Palm Sunday. A vision that includes not only us, but the whole of the created world, the skies, the oceans, the forests, the creatures, the systems that sustain life. Angels and spiritual realms, down to the very earth beneath our feet.
What does it mean for all creation to bend the knee to Christ I wonder?
It is not about domination, about following rules and might and being fearful. Jesus’ authority is revealed through humility, through self-giving, through sacrificial love. So when every knee bends, it is not bending in defeat, but in recognition. The moment when truth is finally seen clearly.
And what is that truth? as Pilate asks.
That love is the deepest reality of the universe. That self-giving is stronger than self-protection. That life is found not in greed and in taking, but in giving in generosity.
I believe this has vital implications for how we understand our relationship with the wider world, with God’s creation. Because if Christ is Lord of all creation, then creation is not just a backdrop to our salvation. It is part of our Christian journey, not as a resource but as a declaration of who Jesus is. To confess ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ is not just a spiritual statement, it is an ecological one.
It challenges how we live. It confronts the ways we exploit, waste, and neglect. It calls us to align ourselves with the truth that creation is not ours to dominate, but a gift to steward.
And here is where the themes of love, truth, justice, and wisdom that we have been looking at, come together.
Love, because Christ’s lordship is revealed in self-giving. To follow him is to care, for people, yes, but also for the world that sustains life too.
Truth, because it strips away our illusions. We often live as though we are at the centre of the world, as though what we need is most important. But the truth is that Christ is Lord and we are not.
Justice, because environmental harm is never neutral. It affects the poorest most deeply. It disrupts communities. It steals futures. To honour Christ as Lord is to seek a world where all can flourish, not just a few.
and Wisdom, because living rightly within creation requires humility. It requires listening, to the rhythms of the earth, to the limits of ecosystems, to the interconnectedness of all things.
and more than this that we join with creation in bending our knee to Christ, in confession in word and in who we are, that Jesus is Lord. and that in all this we join with creation in giving glory to God the Father.
The final part of our Lent course is hope, perhaps the main theme for this Holy week.
We know what happened at Jesus’ triumphal entry, we know what happened after and we know the joy that was to come. We know that this is a story of hope, for us, but perhaps also for all creation.
Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus’ path is not conquest, but surrender. His crown is not gold, but thorns. and yet it is to him that all creation is called to bend their knee and to cry out that Jesus is Lord.
So, perhaps this Holy Week we might ask ourselves:
Where are we being called to bend the knee in our own lives? not in fear, but in recognition of Christ’s loving authority?
Where might that bending reshape our relationships with the world around us?
We might ask ourselves whether we need to let go of control and grasp, and walk instead in humility.
whether we need to reassess the impact of our consumption on the world around us?
Whether we need to rethink where we find truth?
Whether we need to learn to see creation differently, not as something ordinary or expendable, but as something sacred, held within the love of Christ.
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves to choose afresh the way of Christ: the way of attentive love, grounded truth, courageous justice, and patient wisdom.
We know that the journey of Holy week will lead us to the cross, but we also know it does not end there. It leads us through death into resurrection.
And the promise of resurrection is not just for human souls, it is for all creation.
A world restored and reconciled. A world in which every knee bends, and every tongue confesses, not under compulsion, but in joy, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
So, this week I encourage you, walk gently, practice love, seek truth, do justice, live wisely. And in all things, let your life become part of that great chorus joining heaven and earth and all creation in the confession that Christ is Lord.
Amen.
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