Gathering Music – Patricia McDonald

Welcoming Guests and Announcements – Pastor Ross

Prelude – Allegro deciso from The Water Music ‐ Handel, Arr. Carper

Meditation:

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. ~Psalm 118:26-29

Call to Worship – Pastor Linda

Opening Hymn – Hosanna Loud Hosanna Jeanette Threlfall – Hymnal #278

Prayer Concerns – Pastor Linda

Prayer Song – Kyrie ‐ Ancient Greek

Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer, Lord’s Prayer

Scripture Reading – Luke 19:28‐40 – Cheryl Carls

Anthem – Join All the Glorious Names ‐ Larry Mayfield

Scripture Reading – Colossians 2:11-15 – Cheryl Carls

Offering – Pastor Ross

Preparation Hymn – Tell Me the Stories of Jesus – Hymnal #277

Message – Savior 6. Christus Victor: Jesus Gives You the Victory

Closing Hymn – All Glory Laud and Honor – Hymnal #288

Benediction – Choral Amen – Pastor Dave

Postlude – Ride on in Majesty ‐ Dykes, Arr. Broughton

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

²⁸ After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹ When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples,

³⁰ saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.

³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They said, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

³⁶ As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.

³⁷ As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,

³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”

⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Colossians 2:11-15 – New Revised Standard Version

11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ;

12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses,

14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

We remember on Palm Sunday how Jesus enters Jerusalem and is greeted as king. This is the beginning of Holy Week: Jesus comes to the holy city, Jerusalem, the culmination of his ministry. It’s Passover, a festival commemorating Exodus, God’s liberating action centuries before that freed Hebrews from slavery. Today we recognize Jesus as savior and king. We recognize we cannot save ourselves. Christ is the victor over sin and death. Jesus not only secured our freedom and broke the bonds of sin but also secured victory over the power of sin, death and evil.

“Christus Victor mean Christ the Victor, the victorious one. Jesus as given us the victory over death.  Just as God rolled away the stone on Jesus’ tomb, so God grants us victory over sin and enables us to overcome the sins in our lives.

Hope and triumph, that God is victorious over the darkest, most difficult forces and moments in our lives, including death itself.

Rejoice, allow God to roll away the stones of evil, pain and sin in our lives so we can live as freed and redeemed people.