Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this morning comes from our Gospel lesson (Mark chapters 14-15).

"Can you imagine if Jesus had been treated like a 21st-century celebrity as he rode into Jerusalem? Wolf Blitzer might have reported on rumors that Jesus planned to disrupt Temple business. Pundits would have argued about who he "really" was. A media psychologist would undoubtedly have written a personality profile for Vanity Fair. Some tabloid would investigate Jesus' relationship with "the woman at the well." There would be in-depth analysis by cult specialists and modern-day Pharisees on MSNBC. A council of religious officials would be in place to study the authenticity of Jesus' feeding the multitudes and raising Lazarus from the dead. As he entered the dusty city, hundreds if not thousands would have snapped their throwaway Kodaks, and pointed their videocameras while Katie Couric and Willard Scott would stand by to offer color commentary." (Modified from The Celebrity Christ," by John Maroni).

But they would have all missed the point of his coming, of his purpose.

At the beginning of our service Jesus entered as a celebrity on Palm Sunday. Throngs were proclaiming Him to be the Messiah, the one who would save Israel in the name of the Lord. By the end of our service his celebrity status is gone and he is beaten, stricken, afflicted. Was he just a human celebrity who had his 15 minutes of fame and then fell because he made a political error in judgment? No, our Lord came from heaven to do the strangest thing, to give up his life for ours.

In 1852 the HMS Birkenhead was sailing quickly down the coast of Africa when it struck an uncharted rock. The nearly 700 passengers were mainly British troops, but there were 25 women and 31 children on board as well. Because the lowering mechanisms had not been maintained, only 3 lifeboats were able to be lowered, and the phrase "women and children first" was apparently coined here. The soldiers' commanding officer Colonel Seaton knew that if his men abandoned ship too soon after the 3 lifeboats had rowed away, that many of the men would swim to and hold onto the lifeboats, which would then be swamped, drowning the women and children. Seaton therefore ordered his men to stand fast. Every one of them did as he was ordered, and there was not a murmur or a cry among them till the vessel made her final plunge. As help did not arrive until the next morning, nearly all of the 500 soldiers, including Colonel Seaton, perished in the sea (modified from Aquila Webb, One Thousand New Illustrations, 1931, p. 36, and from the website www.overberg.co.za/birkenhead)

In the same way, our Lord Jesus Christ, silently and uncomplainingly, gave himself for our salvation. For Jesus it wasn't just "women and children first" but "sinners first." We receive a lifeboat from Him that we neither seek nor deserve. But yet he places each of us in this lifeboat, fashioned from his cross and gives up his life in our place.

In Stroudberg, Pennsylvania stands a gravestone of a certain Civil War soldier. The stone bears the dates of his birth and death, plus the words: "Abraham Lincoln's Substitute." In the woe and anguish of the war, realizing that thousands were falling on the battlefield, President Lincoln chose to honor one particular soldier as his substitute � to emphasize that those who perished in battle were dying that others might live. Jesus Christ died as a real substitute, paying for the sins of the world, for yours and for mine, so that because of his shed blood every person on earth can be justified, declared righteous and forgiven.

This Jesus, fully God and fully human, came not to be a celebrity or to flaunt his Godhood and kingship status. This Jesus came to take on the "very nature of a servant� He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death � even death on a cross." (Philippians 2: 7-8).

During this Holy Week, we consider then his passion, his suffering and his great love shown for us. We look forward to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and most especially next Sunday when we hear most strongly how he has conquered the greatest enemy of all, death. While we wait for his return, we imitate his love and humility to the rest of the world. ����������������

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13: 14)

This is a shortened sermon because of the length and dramatic emphasis on the Passion readings (Mark 14-15) for the morning.